Weekend Photos -- May 2026

[webenda]

I'm not too familiar with the 48W, Wayne

Here is a look at the one I just acquired:


48W terminal side by Wayne Benda, on Flickr


48W Switch Side by Wayne Benda, on Flickr


48W bottom by Wayne Benda, on Flickr


48W inside by Wayne Benda, on Flickr

[healey36]

Dug out the MTH RK version of the M-10000 for a few laps around the pike this week:



I bought this thing some 25 years ago planning to give it to The Old Man as a Christmas gift. Of course, as so many things with MTH back in the day, it's production was hopelessly delayed...so long that The Old Man passed away before it hit the front porch. A bit of an experiment, really, to see which emotion of his outweighed the other...plastic construction vs. the toy train love of his life, the Streamliners. I suspect he'd have said "That's pretty nice...too bad it's plastic" lol.

This is the LocoSounds version, so bell, horn, rudimentary diesel engine sound, but no station announcements or ProtoSound features (and most importantly, no battery). That was a dark time for me and MTH...nearly everything that came in was DOA. This one ran as intended, straight out of the box.

Lionel made a nice version of the M-10005 during the mid-1930s. It was pretty nice too:



He'd have liked this one...it was metal.

[webenda]

Dug out the MTH RK version of the M-10000 for a few laps around the pike this week:

There is an uncanny resemblance between the M-10000 and the Ford Trimotor.

[healey36]

As I’ve related before, I flew on one of those once. Was driving past our small local airport one Saturday afternoon some 20-25 years ago and there was a sign out at the end of the access road “Airplane Rides Today - Oldest Airliner Still Flying In The U. S.”. I had to check it out.

I was expecting a DC-3, so a bit surprised to see a red/silver Ford Tri-Motor. Twenty-five bucks got you a thirty-minute flight...I couldn’t get on that thing fast enough. We waited around for a bit, but only one other guy turned up for a ride.

The interior was pretty austere...just a couple of benches running the length of the cabin (sorta like the “seats” in a prewar Lionel passenger coach). Fired it up and the interior noise was loud. Can’t imagine flying cross-country in one of them. So just four of us, including the pilot and copilot. Big, slow, and fantastic...wish I’d taken pictures.

About eight or nine years ago, I was up in Albany NY visiting my son and we drove past the back side of the airport. There, amongst a bunch of private aircraft was the Ford Tri-Motor. Sadly, no sign offering rides, but it was good to see it was still in one piece.

[webenda]

Williams FM Trainmaster takes on O-27 curves.

[bob turner]

On that hundred dollar boxcar - it is a repro of the prewar Lionel Bakelite 714 boxcar. Williams did an ok job of reproducing these models, but the Lionel versions are still among the best O Scale models available in 1940. MTH also tried, but widely missed the mark. I have a set of the Lionel models, and a pair of the Williams repros.

I don't think they are worth a hundred bucks, although the Lionel versions often go for $300 or so.

Here is the Lionel and Williams cabooses, Lionel first (repainted):



And the excellent Williams, re-trucked and modified for smaller couplers:



Discerning eyes will note that those are Lionel prewar scale couplers.

[bob turner]

While I am here, the Lionel 714 box car - possibly the very first plastic model train car:



And the Williams repro 715 tank:



Not as nice as the caboose; really not as nice as the original 715 cars.

[webenda]

Discerning eyes will note that those are Lionel prewar scale couplers.

That is interesting, Bob. I did not know about the Lionel 714 scale cars. A little AI research revealed that the cars have Bettendorf-scale trucks, scale couplers, and wheels. The 714 came assembled or as a kit. These cars were made for use on Lionel T-Rail track. I did not know about Lionel T-Rail track either. Thank you for the history lesson.

The source AI gave me is https://cornucopiaoftoytrains.com/prewa ... ar-no-714/

[healey36]

Lionel T-rail track is considered by most fans of prewar trains to be the premium style of O-gauge track manufactured by the company. It actually assembles similar to real railroad track, featuring fishplates and studs to hold the sections together. I believe Jim Flynn's layout features T-rail track (see here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yal0vL4VP-c).

I often wondered if T-rail offered superior operating characteristics as compared to regular 3-rail tubular O-gauge; it would seem to me that the rounded rail profile of the common O-gauge tubular would be superior to the flat profile of T-rail (but what do I know?).

[webenda]

Jim Flynn's layout... sure has a lot of State of Maine boxcars. The Marx ones surprised me.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I often wondered if T-rail offered superior operating characteristics as compared to regular 3-rail tubular O-gauge; it would seem to me that the rounded rail profile of the common O-gauge tubular would be superior to the flat profile of T-rail (but what do I know?).

Would that not be related to the wheel tread profile?

[healey36]

I often wondered if T-rail offered superior operating characteristics as compared to regular 3-rail tubular O-gauge; it would seem to me that the rounded rail profile of the common O-gauge tubular would be superior to the flat profile of T-rail (but what do I know?).

Would that not be related to the wheel tread profile?

I seem to recall a study someone did years ago comparing the performance of toy trains on the different types of track, and the rounded profile of the basic track meshing with the flat surface of the wheel proved optimal. The surface contact was minimized, reducing friction, but that would seem counterintuitive for traction purposes, maybe? Don’t know, but yes, tread profile definitely plays into it.

Wayne, don’t you have a white paper on this?

[healey36]

Closing out May 2026 with a pic of the recently recreated Lionel 2037-500:



Rufus donated a battered 2037 he'd found somewhere, and I picked up a scraped-up 1130 tender at York during the last go-round. A bag full of parts from TrainWorx and a repro decal set from Radtrains Hobby Shop (in black, not blue like the original heat-stamping) and we were in business.

The guys up at East Main Trains suggested Rustoleum satin "Sweet Pea" for a color, and I would agree it is a dead-nutz match for the original. The problem I had was getting it to harden up after a couple coats; it just wanted to stay slightly tacky, no matter how much I baked it under a lamp or let it sit out in the sun. As a last resort, I shot it with a couple coats of Tamiya clear semi-gloss lacquer and let it sit for a couple days. Now I can handle it without leaving smudges in the paint.

Sarge and I had given it a road-test back before I started, just to make sure it wasn't toast. It gave us signs of life, so I went ahead and crafted a loco in the form of the one Lionel made for its Girl's Set. Runs like a champ, although the chuffer on the smoke unit seems a bit lethargic...need to work on that.

Still a few things to clean up. Somehow I managed to get a bit of overspray on the pilot truck when I was touching it up...gotta clean that up. I stuck a couple of green "diamonds" in the marker lamps...not sure if the original came with those or not (they are on the factory parts list). The headlight is a 12.2V LED, a bit garish in my opinion. Might swap that out.

Can't believe it's almost June.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Can't believe it's almost June.

But at least it's not raining today and I'm outside painting,

[healey36]

Can't believe it's almost June.

But at least it's not raining today and I'm outside painting,

So what's the upside in that statement?

I've got a bit of outdoor painting to do, but the garage looms large soon. I think it'll be okay for another year...maybe.