Model Railroading in the 50s and 60s.


NP2626 said:
Command Control is being discussed, Hornby's Zero One is advertised in full page ads. Power Systems Inc. (PSI) has a a small ad. showing their Dynatrol System. Malcom Furlow's Book, "HO Narrow Gauge Railroad You Can Build" used the PSI Dynatrol system to power it and I almost bought into that system! Thank goodness I didn't as PSI seems to have faded away.
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Of course that had nothing to do with the "goodness" of the Dynatrol system (or pnp-112, railcommand, ctc-80) and much more to do with the selection of the Lenz DCC system as the standard. We (our club) chose Railcommand and it served us well until we switched to dcc in 2004 or so.
 
Iron Horseman said:
Of course that had nothing to do with the "goodness" of the Dynatrol system (or pnp-112, railcommand, ctc-80) and much more to do with the selection of the Lenz DCC system as the standard. We (our club) chose Railcommand and it served us well until we switched to dcc in 2004 or so.
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I guess I don't really understand where your coming from Iron Horseman? I would think that the better system simply won out. Was this not the case?
 
My latest find in old Model Railroader was in the May of 1981 issue. It's entitled "Uranus Number 2 Mine and it was written by Jim Findley. Essentially the mine is a small Ore Loading Bin with a conveyor coming up from the mine below and meant to fit in small space. The article is 3 pages long with nice drawings of this wood structure and it's small size would allow it to fit on almost any layout. This is one I am considering building.
 
I've decided that I'm just going to keep doing this thread until I get bored with it. No stopping in 1982-3, I might stop sooner, if the mood strikes! I still haven't made up my mind about going through all 1000 or more issues and cataloging all the drawings of locomotives and rolling stock.
 
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I am still finding that Model Railroaders printed to at least the end of 1981 are generally 150 pages or more. I'm also finding that as time goes on and I get into newer and newer years I find less and less that peaks my interest!
 
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The December 1981 may be the longest issue the magazine has ever printed at 200 pages. Since no one has made comment on this thread for a while, I'm going to assume there is a lack of interest in it's continuance. To those who are interested in John Allen, the December 1981 issue was mostly about the Gorre and Daphetid. There is long look at the layout, someone who was inspired to make a layout similar to the G&D Line and a discussion on the Car Tab system John used to run his layout.
 
I remember that issue and still have in my files since I am a fan of John Allen. I also remember the fellow who tried to copy John's layout and think that he tried to copy John's work is an impossible feat and there is only one Gorre and Daphetid Line. Nice to honor John, but impossible to duplicate his work in anyway.

Greg
 
NP2626 said:
...I'm going to assume there is a lack of interest in it's continuance.
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I disagree, I read this thread on a regular basis. I am not experienced or learned enough to comment but I am very interested.

Judging by the over 4200 views I'd say I am not alone.

Thank you and the other posters for sharing your knowledge and experience.
 
Bruette said:
I disagree, I read this thread on a regular basis. I am not experienced or learned enough to comment but I am very interested.

Judging by the over 4200 views I'd say I am not alone.

Thank you and the other posters for sharing your knowledge and experience.
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+2 Mark. Really enjoying this. It's bit of a thrill when I check and see there's a new post on this thread.
 
O.K. I will continue. However, keep in mind that sometimes it seems I'm doing this only for myself!
 
BS - You are too quick to be judgemental and jump to conclusions!

I will go back and re-read everything and then maybe make a comment, or two!

But, I have enjoyed reading "most" of your posts - and posts from others.
 
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In the January 1982 issue is a Obituary for Model Railroaders Founder A.C. Kalmbach. Mr. Kalmbach was born in 1910 and died in October of 1981. He was 71 years young.

This month has a small project layout called the HO Scale Kitty Hawk Central. This is actually the 2nd part on this layout, which was started at the end of 1981. It is a very simple design, basically an oval with a leg off to one side with an industry and switch back yard. Simple, in comparison to the Clinchfield N Scale layout built by Gordy Odegard and the M.R. Staff in 1981. Little Engines, the company that made Live Steam Kits finally has a new advertisement. Their old advertisement had been the same one since when I first started looking at Model Railroaders in the 1950s. PFM is still the advertiser on the back cover!
 
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I am just about to the point where I will be very interested in your take. I say this because about this time is where I quit my MR subscription except fpr reading spotty months at a friends house. A divorce, move, and later a "new" romance took me away from modeling- and now a huge family on my wife's side plus tons of grandkids just have not allowed me the time to really become engrossed in it again - but I have never lost my love of trains. What I should do is to find a club where I can once again rekindle the fire.
OK, I sort of derailed there! I just really did not like "thumbing" thru a 100 plus page book to see 90% advertising and endless articles on every kind of electronics except plain old DC. Today's posts from Terry (with his magic smoke) and Ken with his grumblings of gnomes during his planed operation have reinforced my decision regarding DCC operations.
P.S. I am so hard of hearing that any sound locomotives would just be a nuisance, so don't need that either.
 
The February 1982 issue starts one of the best beginners help layouts that I know of and it is written by a favorite author of mine, Mr. John Olson. He stats his "Jerome and South Western: A Railroad with Personality". Like Pelle Soeberg; today, John Olson and Malcom Furlow became known for their ability to make small layouts so realistic. If you look at photos of my layout, you might detect that both Malcom and John have influenced me; however, know that I am no where as talented an artist as these two people are. This article and the ones that follow where made into a Kalmbach book entitled "Building an HO Model Railroad with Personality". I purchased this book and had it for many years and sold it on Ebay a few years ago. I also bought Malcom Furlow's book: "HO Narrow Gauge Railroad You Can Build" which I also sold on Ebay and now regret selling these two books. Both of these layouts capture the dusty flavor of Of small Narrow Gauge and short-line Railroads, from the mountainous west, which I find appealing!
 
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NP2626 said:
Since no one has made comment on this thread for a while, I'm going to assume there is a lack of interest in it's continuance.
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While it's true that there was a lack of comments, as Louis pointed out, the real tale of interest in the thread lies in the number of views, over 4300 in just 7 weeks. I check in every time that you post and when you point out something that might interest me, I make a note and look for that issue in my back issues. I say keep it up.

Willie
 
I also have a copy of John Olson's book, "Jerome and South Western: A Railroad with Personality". And I was lucky enough to see the actual layout at TrainFest in Milwaukee many years ago. A truly impressive model railroad constructed in a basic 4X8 configuration.

Several years later when I was visiting relatives in Arizona I took a day trip up to Jerome, Arizona and saw first hand the town of Jerome. A town literally built on the side of a mountain. Since the town had burned down several times, most of the buildings were constructed out of brick to prevent another massive fire.

Greg
 
Sherrel - I will have to agree with you to a point on MR magazine. I do still subscribe but am thinking of dropping the subscription just for the reasons you mentioned. Countless ads, although they are needed to keep the magazine running. All of the pages and countless articles on DCC and electronics don't interest me in the least. Probably the main articles that interest me are the layout features with the track diagrams. These I do enjoy a lot. I don't have anything against DCC as I have operated on large layouts with it and can see the necessity of having it for large operating sessions or for home layouts where multiple operators are used. I too will keep it simple and stay with my DC layout.
 
When I look through the pages of any model railroading magazine, it makes absolutely no difference to me, if the topic being discussed refers to DC; or, DCC operations! I'm interested in modeling being done; or, what ever else is being discussed. I don't get where you guys come up with the idea that an operating system makes any difference? DC; or, DCC is a method of control and a personal choice. You don't like DCC, who cares? I can relate to DC, I ran my layout for 10-12 years via DC. If a layout is operated via DCC; or, DC I may not even notice!
 
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