To reviewer John Sipple:
I am a brand new subscriber to MRN. Having read it free here and there for years, I think you are at a stage now where I don’t want to miss an issue. I really look forward to the HUGE pictures of the featured reviews.
The current issue repeats (in more than one place) the common error that the USRA had built over 100 2-8-8-2 Mallets, including a lot for the Baltimore & Ohio. This error was printed in the railfan press years ago and has persisted since, masquerading as the truth.
In reality, there were only 80 2-8-8-2s built under USRA orders, and they only went to three roads: Virginian, Clinchfield, and the N&W. The B&O never had any, not even copies.
Classic volumes like the Steam Locomotive Cyclopedia have so many errors regarding the USRA allocations, that chasing down the myths can make one go crazy!
You will also note in comparing pictures of the Life-Like HO version vs. the Aristo-Craft A-scale version, that the Life-Like has the correct USRA “long” tender, while the Aristo-Craft model has an incorrect tender closer in size to the USRA “medium.” All USRA Mallets were delivered with the long tender, including the N&W Y-3 this model purports to be.
Also, I would note that as nice as the Aristo-Craft 2-8-8-2 is, it is built to “A” scale 1:29 (awkward scale? Almost scale?) but is gauged for 1:32 scale, thus it is essentially narrow gauge, a compromise that corrupts any scale integrity. This is a serious error that deserves marquee mention in your reviews.
I look forward to the next issue!
Rob Davis
Rumson, NJ
As I stated in the article, the tender is planned to go behind numerous steam projects. I have discovered that it uses the same chassis as the Pacific-type tender from Aristo-Craft. It is a money issue; producing a specific prototype tender for each model is an expensive business in 1:29 scale. In terms of cubic measure, A scale is 27 times larger than HO, and it is doubtful if they could recover the added expense. For more about garden scales, drop into my Larger View column this month. But to counter your statement, 1:29 scale is what it is, a matter of personal choice. It would only be an error if a product was purported to be a certain scale and didn’t measure up. — John
I’m sure that your editorial comments about the use of the term “Mallet” to describe both simple and compound articulated steam locomotives has stirred some controversy. Of course, the basic problem is that Jules Anatole Mallet promoted both compounding as well as a specific type of articulation for steam locomotives, so each of these inventions are independently referred to by his name, “Mallet.”
The generally accepted usage of the term “Mallet” is for a loco that employs both of his ideas: the double expansion use of steam known as compounding, and the single pivoting articulation system. There are many respectable references that support this notion.
Since Mallet himself apparently preferred this definition, I personally would prefer to use it. Thanks again for producing such a neat publication and allowing me to nit-pick.
John Heitmann
Big Flats, NY
Referring to the gentleman’s letter in the July issue regarding Doppler effects, the PFM II sound system has Doppler effect included in its multiple controls. I have found to date, that the PFM system, when it works properly, produces far superior sound to anything with the DCC-created sound. I bought a loco recently with the sound included. I found it to be really bad, and very difficult to differentiate the various “noises” that you expect to hear. The PFM system produces crisp sound that is infinitely variable. It has its limitations too, and I wish I could find an expert to fix the locos that don’t work anymore. Anyway, I think I will stick with PFM until the DCC sound is as good. Right now, it “ain’t.”.
Gerard Bentley
University Place, WA
I have enjoyed the recent letters you have printed in regard to the ongoing debate concerning metal vs. plastic wheelsets. I have had the same HO home layout for the past 35 years. It is 12 x 19 feet in size and in a controlled environment within the living area of our home. I suspect that is why, even though I run almost exclusively with plastic wheels, I rarely have to clean those wheels or the track, which is Shinohara brand N/S. The layout is operated once a month by an operating crew for 3-1/2 hours, plus it gets run for the grandchildren quite a lot in between. Usually, once every two years, I’ll clean the track and wheels. I don’t mind doing this as opposed to dealing with some of the following problems with metal wheels.
1 – A car which inadvertently comes to rest spanning a gap causing a short. (Boy, that can be a toughie to ferret out!) 2 – Wheels that touch the underside of hopper cars that have metal weights thus causing temporary shorts. (This can be remedied by adding washers to the trucks.) 3 – Cars that won’t stay spotted because they roll too easily. (I know there are scenic tricks that can be done to retard the car’s progress.) 4 – The cost of replacing the wheels on over 275 pieces of rolling stock. (Yes, I know, I should have done it as I went along. It would have been cheaper.)
One has to weigh the pros and cons on this issue for themselves and make their decision based upon what is best for them. I just know I haven’t regretted staying with plastic wheelsets. Keep up the good work! I enjoy the coverage you provide.
Dan Hetzel
Huber Heights, OH
I’m trying to find details on lift-up track on hinges for HO-scale model trains. I need access and was thinking of a lift-up track on hinges or slides. Any ideas or details?
Gary Krieg
Houston, TX
The bridge section must be straight and square with the rest of the layout. The layout must be straight and square, plus be secure right up to each side of the gap. This can be very demanding.
The actual pins of the hinges will be anywhere from 1/4 to a full inch back from the gap on the fixed end so that the lift section pulls up smoothly. Then the track joints are not at the edge on either end; they are located back into the fixed end and basically lift out. I’ve seen guys use rerailer sections sawed in half as the jointed part. Be sure to file the rail ends at an angle so that slight misalignment is not so much of a problem.
Your track layout will require the fewest tracks through the lift section and no switches or other fancy stuff. Your four track mainline might be better off choking down to just two.
For all of that, I found that my lift section required tinkering as the weather changed for each season. Obviously, if you park a train on the bridge, you can’t lift it, and you can’t run trains through the area when the bridge is up. Good luck! — Ed.
I have three N-scale locomotives that have ditch lights that use fiber optics. It seems there should be some way to use separate lamps and be able to flash them back and forth like HO and other scale locomotives are doing. I just got into DCC and I would like to do some of the things in N that are being done in some of the larger scales. I know sound is probably the most difficult to squeeze into N, but the manufactures could do a little more with lighting in N scale if they wanted to. Speakers maybe, could fit in a tender of an N steam locomotive.
Harry Roan
State College, PA
I hope you can help me or at least point me in the right direction. I’m looking for somewhere to buy HO-scale letters. I’m not even sure if there is such a thing. Most hobby stores have lettering a little larger than what I need. I haven’t had a lot of luck looking on the internet. I ran across your site I thought I’d give it a shot.
Erich Peterson
Portland, OR
Next, since HO is 1/87th the size of the prototype, you will need to divide the prototype measurements by 87, giving you the size of the scale lettering. There are commercial dry transfer sheets in a variety of sizes, colors, and type styles; you’ll need to supply your own measurements to compare with their product. I have produced scale lettering on my computer using paper and decal material. I have also used dry transfer letters.
There are decal companies who make decal sets for specific projects in particular scales. Your hobby dealer should be able to help you locate a decal set which will meet your needs, if it is one that is popular enough to be mass produced. — Ed.
We just got home from a little trip over to just inside the eastern side of Oklahoma. While there we went on an excursion trip, out of Van Buren Arkansas, on the Arkansas and Missouri Line. They have a very nice excursion for just about any financial position.
When we got back from the trip, I went across the street to a used bookstore. I found a couple of really neat old books. One was a book published by Bantam books in 1970. It apparently was part of a series called Knowledge Though Color covering Art, Crafts, History (which included the edition I found on trains), Nature, and Science. The book is a neat little history on the industry.
Another book I found, at a really great price (at least compared to what I could find on Amazon’s used book site), is called Rails Through Dixie. It’s really a book of photographs from a man by the name of John Krause with information written about each of the photos by a H. Reid. This book covers many of the older steam lines in the form of four different chapter headings:
Chapter 1 – The Coast Lines which covers about 20 different lines from the Cliffside Railroad to the Georgia & Florida, to the Live Oak, Perry & Gulf, and Wadley Southern to name a few. Chapter 2 – Appalachia covers such lines as Elk River Coal & Lumber, Mower Lumber Company, Brimstone Railroad, and about 15 others. Chapter 3 – The Deep South covers many of the short lines in Georgia, Alabama, some in Tennessee, and even some in Arkansas. Finally, Chapter 4 – Main Lines of the South are just that; C&O, Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac, Southern, L&N, and many others that I believe ended up in the conglomerate we call CSX.
Now to the meat of this e-mail. I really wish I had done a lot more research before I began my “career” in model railroading. I just began with the thinking that I’d just go ahead and model something new and easy with the purchase of a CSX engine and then the “Building America” engine from UP. What I am coming to discover is that I really wished I had studied it more because I find I’m coming to fall in love with the old steamers. I guess it’s because of all the old books I am finding to begin my train library. It may be because of my age. I really don’t know. All I do know is the steam engines are a lot more attractive to me than even the sharpest looking new diesels.
Maybe in one of your future editorials you could say something in the way of reminding future, or even older, modelers to make sure that what you start with in modeling is what you want to end up with, especially if finances are an integral part of the picture. There are times now that I really do “wish I’da done it differently.” I’m hoping I haven’t gotten too far into it that I can’t change, I just don’t know what I’ll do with the two diesels I have on the roster at the moment.
Don Courliss
Jonesborough, TN
Third, until they nail your coffin shut, it’s never too late. You could sell or trade your new diesels, or you could just keep them, putting them on display to remind you of the lesson you just learned. Fourth, learning causes change. If you keep learning, Don, some day you’re likely to wake up with the insatiable desire to have a DeWitt Clinton or a tunnel motor. If you can afford it and you’re having fun, what’s the problem? — Ed.
My son Cole is a huge fan of your magazine. He and I spend hours together reading the articles from cover to cover. Cole is in the early stages of developing his own model rail set up. He delivers newspapers to help pay for his engines.
We are lucky that our small town still has a train that passes through twice a day. His favorite train company is the Burlington Northern. He has drawn a picture of such a train for you (see below). Thank you for keeping this hobby alive for “kids” of all ages.
Fawn & Cole Lahndorf
Victor, IA
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