2012 O Scale National, Parsippany, NJ – The Model Contest

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Michael Rahiley’s kitbashed PRR SW-9 took Second Place in the Diesel category.

For the second time at an O Scale National, I had the pleasure of traveling with one of the award winners in the modeling contest.  Michael Rahiley won a Second Place award for his kitbashed PRR SW-9 (above image). He also received an Honorable Mention for his Pennsylvania RR Peddler Freight Train Cira 1957. 

Congrats to Michael, this was the second time one of his models won an award at an O Scale National. Which is real nice since I remember, many years ago, sitting at my kitchen table teaching him how to build Intermountain kits. He has come a long way.

When I went through the model room the modelers names were not displayed with the models. Joe G. has posted photos on this thread on the O Scale Trains Blog with images of some of the winners in the different categories. Where I had a photo of one of the winning models I added the information based on Joe’s post.

2012 O Scale National, Parsippany, NJ – News

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A view of about half the vendor hall

 

The 2012 “O” Scale National convention was held at the Parsippany Hilton Convention Center, Parsippany, NJ. It was Hosted by the New York Society of Model Engineers. The convention featured over 300 dealer tables, 30 clinics, a model contest, a couple of bus tours and a number of home and club layouts.

What a difference a year makes, this year’s convention was well attended, well organized, and a good time. The NY Society were great hosts, announcing the beginning of the clinics and just being helpful. The Models on display were in a bright room. One thing that could have helped the ease of their viewing, the tables could have been a little higher like they are at a prototype modelers meet. I’ll post photo’s I took of the models tomorrow.

The availability of Proto48 parts was limited to a one dealer selling San Juan trucks, Rich Yoder selling P48 trucks and Steve Grabowski selling some loose wheelsets. That was disapointing and it teamed up with the P48 clinic being canceled because the speaker was not at the show. We missed a chance to show and talk about P48 products at this National.

There were a lot of “New” O scale items at the show as well as a lot of older models to choose from in the vendor halls. Here is a breakdown of the new stuff I saw:

Rich Yoder had pilot models of his announced ATSF Bx-3,-6 boxcars and SK-2 Stock Cars. He also had painted pilot models of his USRA 70 ton triple hoppers.

Bob Stevenson showed an updated Baldwin CNJ Double ender kit on his table. It was an upgraded version of the older LWS kit. He was also showing a C&NW 4-6-0 kit ready to ship.

Rails Unlimited had new resin models on their table of a C&O/NKP ’32 ARA Boxcar with radial roofs. They also had new MILW Road stock cars available.

Southern Car & Foundry was not at the show, but Caboose Stop Hobbies had his line of kits on the shelf including the new ATSF Bx-12 extended height boxcar, which managed to come home with me.

Key Model Imports had the pilot model for the SP AC-12. Stunning model, but thankfully not something I need for my railroad based on an estimated price around $6K.

Atlas O had some redesigned 2-rail trucks that people were talking about (shorter, more prototypical bolsters). Not something a P48 cares about, but the O scale crowd liked it.

RYM’s Bx-3 and SK-2

RYM’s ATSF SK-2 Stock Car

RYM’s Sk-2 pilot model

RYM’s Bx-3 ATSF Boxcar

RYM’s Bx-3 ATSF boxcar

RYM’s USRA 70 Ton Triples

RYM USRA 70 Ton Triple

A View inside RYM’s USRA 70 Ton Triple

Key’s AC-12

2012 Strasburg O Scale Show – April

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Another Strasburg O Scale show is in the rear history books. This was a very nice show. It was their largest show so far,  they added another row of tables in the firehouse and that was in spite of the fact that one of the bigger dealers had another commitment and could not attend the show. Don’t know about the attendance but it was solid most of the day and people were in a buying mood.

For me it turned out to be another milestone show. The last of over 800 feet of O scale flex track moved off my table at the show. Last year when I made the choice to move back to Proto48, I wondered how long that might take to move all that O scale flex track. Turned out to be just about a year.

Ben Brown was at the show thinning his collection down as he prepares to build a new Proto48 layout. Ben had some beautifully built cars and structures on his table that as he put it “were priced to move.” My thought was that he was selling them at a quarter of their value. In some cases they were they were beautifully built kits with full underbody detail for less then what other dealers in the show were asking for the basic kits.

Ben like many O scale modelers who have finished O scale layouts, had said that if they started over again that he would build their new layout in proto48, but he is the only one that I have known, that has actually done it. He has started a new layout in a new location and is modeling in Proto48.

Most of the usual suspects were at the show, and it was good to see them again. I do have to say that there were some new faces in the crowd.  The HO modeler that was asking about O scale at the recent RPM meet was at the show buying O scale models.

I left the camera in the car when I first arrived, I thought I’d have some slow time to go back out and get it. I was wrong, so I don’t have any photos of the show to share.

2012 Railroad Prototype Modelers Meet – Valley Forge

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The models of Reading open Hoppers that I displayed at the meet.

The 2012 Railroad Prototype Modelers Valley Forge took place this weekend. The show was located in Malvern, PA and was sponsered by the Philadelphia Division NMRA/MER. They had 47 clinicians and 50 clinics, layout tours and operating sessions scheduled over the three days of the event. There was also a couple of rooms for vender sales.

As always, one of the highlights of the event is the model room. A place to share models, both finished and under construction, with follow modelers. The event is usually dominated by HO modelers but there is a growing  number of O scale models being shown in the room. A few years ago, I was one of two O scale modelers in the room, this years event had seven other modelers displaying O scale models.

I gave a presentation on “Modeling Reading Open Hoppers 1948-1956” during the meet. I had a full room in attendance and everything seemed to go rather smoothly. Thank you to all who attended.

One nice thing that grew out of the presentation, while attending another clinic the clinician, who had attended my clinic, turned to me to ask what O scale models would best represent the cars being talked about in his presentation.

As I was headed out on Saturday night an HO modeler that I’ve known for over twenty years mentioned that he really like the O scale displayed in the modeling room, stating that he could at least see all the details. I mentioned that there is an O scale show coming up in a couple of weeks in Strasburg, PA. He asked me to send the information so he could check out the O scale at the show.

A personal highlight for me was being able to sit down again with Bill Schaumberg for lunch again. Back in the 80’s, when I was drawing for RMC on a regular basis, we would get together about once a month when I’d deliver that month’s drawings. We often went out for lunch and great conversations about the hobby, the projects we were working on, or just what was happening in our lives. It was nice to do that again this weekend.

Reading N1sd P48 Driver Conversion – Part II

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I cut off the steel tire from the Sunset drivers. It was a simple matter of cutting most of the way through the tire. This was done slowly and I kept checking my depth so that I did not cut through the tire and into the driver center. Next I inserted a screw driver into the slot. Give a little twist and the tire breaks free and there is no damage to the driver center.

Matt Forsyth, made the suggestions for this procedure and it worked great! Thank you!

This is the second time I’ve used a hacksaw on an O scale model. I have to say, it is a bit unsettling at first. But the after the first couple drivers, the rest of the 16 drivers went quickly and without trouble.

Next step new tires…..

Sunset 3-rail driver clamped in the vise

Using the Hack Saw to cut the tire.

The cut is not all the way through the tire.

Insert a screw driver into the slot and twist. The tire will break free.

I did the same thing to the blind drivers. You can see the crack in the tire.

Here they all are, Tires and Centers separated.

Prototype: Reading #1633 at Tamaqua, PA

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Reading 1633 at Tamaqua

Detail of poling car

There was a question over on the Reading Modeler site about the Reading Poling cars so I thought I’d post this image. It was scaned from a small print, but it shows the poling car working on the back of 1633. It appears to be built from a Tender frame. It has Tender trucks under it still. The side boards are similiar to the configuration of the steps behind the pilot beams on steam locomotives, only they have a long board attached to the length of them.

I’ve changed my mind a couple of time on which hill I was going to model. If I had stayed with Tamaqua to Mahanoy Tunnel this would have been at the top of the “to build” list. I’ve seen this in many of the yard photos from the top of the hill.

Reading N1sd P48 Driver Conversion

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Sunset 3 rail drivers pulled from a Y-3

I started working on the first of my N1 projects this past week. I have a pair of the Sunset Y-3’s to use as the start of the model. One is a two rail locomotive and the other is a three rail locomotive. Both need to be converted to Proto48 but their conversion is different because they are starting from different places.

I started working on the three rail model first, mostly because it was out of the box and sitting on my shelf.

I pulled the three rail drivers out of the model’s frame. Boy they are really fat tires on there. 

Pressing the Driver centers off the axels

The driver centers were pressed off the axels. I also pressed out the pins at the same time.

Driver centers pressed off the axels

Here is my set of 3-rail driver centers all pressed off the axels and ready for the next step, the hack saw.

2011 Cleveland O Scale Show – November

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I got back from The Cleveland O Scale Show last night. From New Jersey, it was an eight hour drive one way to the show but it was well worth it. This was my second time attending the show. The show’s size is not as large as Chicago, but  is close to twice the size of the O Scale shows back here in the East. Attendance was good and people were buying, maybe not the most expensive stuff in the room but they were spending money.

One of the really nice things about the show was the the show’s producer was walking through the hall during the last part of the show and asking some of the dealers not to start to pack their materials up. How many shows that were advertized for 9-2 really end at noon. This show ended at 2pm. This work out well for me, as I had a pair of larger sales within the last twenty minutes of the show to attendees, not dealers.

Again, I had my O scale track out on the table and it continues to find new homes. I noticed most of the track sales were smaller, guys buying one or two bundles at a time. Still, I’m glad it’s finding new homes. The first of Protocraft/Micro Engineering P48 flex track to start to replace it should be arriving this next week.  Since more of the O scale flex track sold this weekend another order for the P48 flex track will be placed shortly.

I also had the chance to meet some people I’ve only emailed with before. One of them was Lee Turner. You may remember Lee as the man that produced some resin kits in the past. I have a couple of his kits myself. He had some very nicely painted models for sale on his table. More importantly, Lee mentioned he is currently working on an LV wrong way boxcar. I hope he is able to find the right caster to produce the car, that’s a car I’d like to have on the layout.

I got to talk to some of the members of the Youngstown Club while I was there. They were one of the few tables I bought from at the National and they had another model on their table yesterday that managed to get me to dig into the wallet and take it home.

There was a nice mix of guys selling some extra stuff, brass dealers, parts guys and others selling off collections. There was also a mixture of guys selling scenery materials and buildings. I had a good time selling some of my extras and brought home some new models and parts for this winter’s projects.

2011 Strasburg O Scale Show – October

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This past Saturday there was a Strasburg O Scale show.  It turned out to be a nice show, well attended, with a lot of stuff moving off the tables. I know I came home with a lot less stuff then I started the day with.

I was very happy to start the sale of my O scale track at the show. I was surprised that my Old Atlas Black-tie flex track sold before the new Atlas flex track and even the Micro Engineering flex track. I did sell some of the Micro Engineering code 125 at the table. 

I also sold off the second tender to the Sunset Y-3’s I bought last year. So now there is no turning back, the two Y-3’s have to become Reading N1’s.

Some of the prices on the models on some tables were high at the show and some were down right steals. Rich Yoder had some PRR locomtives on a side table from his imports and he had some give-away pricing on them. One of them was close to half of what I sold an Sunset PRR H10 for at the National.  There were also a number of good buys at the White Elephant table.

 

Protocraft’s General Casting Corp’s 41-N passenger truck

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Protocraft’s General Steel Casting 41-N Passenger Truck

Imported By: Protocraft
MSRP 07/2013 $109.95/pr.

Description:
I have to say that one of the highlights of the National was getting to see, in person, a pair of Protocraft’s 41-N passenger trucks. These are a work of art.

I talked to the man from Wasatch Model Company, who imported them for Protocraft. These trucks are made by the same builder that does the fine line of  Wasatch O scale trucks. I began to realize, I need to make the purchase of these trucks sooner than later. As with everything O scale, buy them when they are around, they may not be run again, and they almost always will never be the same price the next time around.

I have seven of the SGL cars, which I found at a very good price without a box about a year ago. Who needs the box anyway? They started out as a three rail cars, SGL imported both. From what I’ve read about the cars, the two version were the same except for the trucks and couplers.

So when I got home from the National, I ordered the seven pairs I needed to convert my cars. They arrived on Saturday. WOW!  This is the detail level that I got into O scale for back in the 80’s.

I set a pair under one of the passenger cars today and the car sat a little high. I think a little work to the bolster and they will sit exactly where the railroad wanted them too. Now I just have to dig out the Reading Company diagrams for these cars, to know the correct height they need to be at.

NMRA Proto48 Specification:
I measured the trucks and find that they are within NMRA spec. Here are the measurements and I’ve added their measurements to the NMRA S-4.1 Proto48 Wheel Standards

Check Gauge Back to Back Wheel Width Flange Width Flange Depth
Specification Range 1.124 1.134 1.100 1.112 0.115 0.120 0.024 0.028 0.022 0.026
Protocraft General Casting Corp’s 41-N
passenger truck, double insulated axles		 1.132 1.108 0.115 0.024 0.022

Plus and Minus… Opinions: On the plus-side:

  • WOW! Lots of WOW factor!
  • They are a Museum level model all by themselves.
  • The trucks measured up fine against the NMRA Specification.
  • To say they roll well is a bit of an understatement.
  • The trucks do look very nice, they capture the look of the prototype based on the photos and drawings I’ve seen.

On the minus-side:

  • Some day I may think of a minus for these trucks….
  • Only thing I can say is that when they run out at Protocraft, Norm has stated that  they may not be run again. If they are, they will never be priced this low again.

Overall:
If you are running this style of Passenger truck on your equipment, buy these trucks. You will not be sorry.