Model Train Journal

Gentlemen, t is my opinion that the days of a true O Scale National Convention drawing a large attendance are over. Travel costs and airport security contribute to this but the real fact is we 2 Rail O scale modelers are diminishing in numbers and many of those of us who remain active in O scale hav...

Once again, I do not believe this locomotive is the work of Ken Henry. He did much neater work. And as someone above said this is not a B&O P-7. I personally own a B&O P-7 built by Russell Wilcox in 1937 from Ken's parts. You can see a photo of the model in its original outside third rail co...

Bob, I have never had any problem centering O scale car wheels in my Cushman 3 jaw chuck and then pressing an axle into them using the tailstock. On larger axles, I center drill the axle ends and push the axle with a home made dead center held in the tailstock Jacobs chuck. When I put a wheel in the...

Carey, If you lathe is equipped with a set of headstock collets, making bushings and axles is pretty simple. I use drill rod quite often to make axles. I have made a lot of very small parts over the years on my 9" South Bend lathe including some very small threaded (0-80) handrail posts by hold...

Those are two beautifully executed models. I look forward to the articles.

Joe

Looks bent forward at the top of the cab to me for sure. Not a real easy fix without damaging the finish. Sad!

Joe

Carey, Nice find! Seems to run well for a model over 80 years old. I was at the TCA meet last Friday but did not walk the halls as I am not looking for any more projects right now. I was handed two N&W articulated locos (Y-3 and Y-6b) for conversion to 2 rail. These will be the last conversions ...

For what it is worth, I use Loctite 609 Retaining Compound (a green fluid) that really holds after it sets for 24 hours. I have been using it for several years to install insulated 2 rail tires on converted locomotives. The blue Loctite (242) is used for installing screws that you may want to remove...

It MIGHT be a good value but I doubt it.

Joe

I love the Skipjack...very well done. I think I'll go get some oysters!

Joe

Carey, The Baltimore Society of Model Engineers' outside 3rd rail O Scale layout that was built around 1951 had many of these signals but they were removed along with about 100 full size railroad relays in glass jars that controlled them and the blocks on the railroad when the railroad was converted...

WRONG!

Looks like a Scalecraft Hudson to me.

Joe

Dennis, I remove 0.011 off of the insulated tires to get a good fit allowing for the Loctite. Machining the insulated tires exactly to 0.010" more than the tires made for the non-insulated drivers usually results in the fish paper tearing for me. After doing thousands of tires I can feel whethe...

Dennis, When I machine a set of new drivers from iron or bronze castings, I ream the driver axle hole with a precision straight flute HSS reamer that is 0.001" under the axle diameter making a nice press fit. Once center drilled, re-drill the axle hole with a good drill bit 1/64" smaller i...