Hand-Rail Stanchions for GP35

[R.K. Maroon]

Here is a CLW GP35, painted by the late Fred Bradley. Note the AAR Type-B trucks. These are true to the prototype. Apparently many GP35s were built with the trucks from Alco FA or RS trade-ins:





Fred was a great modeler, but this was his last model and he had lost a bit of his touch at that point. In particular, he didn't quite get the chassis modification needed for the trucks correct. I volunteered to get it straightened out, and a description of the work is found on page 4 of the Machine Shop thread: http://www.modeltrainjournal.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=16795&start=45

I had the chassis just about completed when Fred passed away. Discouraged, I put the model away, and there is sat until recently, when I decided to take another look at it. You can see from the photos that the model has no handrails. Does anybody know a source for these, or have any tips on how to make a suitable substitute?

Jim

[ScaleCraft]

I have several small bags of GP stanchions. Kemtron? In the box of Diseasemal detail parts.
It's 2330 local, I'll look tomorrow if you want.

Call me....nobody is going anywhere tomorrow with the ice

[Jay Criswell]

Jim,

Just a thought, call Lou @ CLW. I can do it for you, if you'd like. Just to be clear, I've no idea whether CLW had their own or just used Kemtron (now PSC) but Lou would. If they used Kemtron what Dave has may be a perfect match.

I just spoke with Lou and he has the stanchions. Call him at (760) 221-5558.

Jay

[R.K. Maroon]

Thanks for the replies, gentlemen. I don't know why I didn't think about calling Lou at CLW. It's just too obvious, I guess. I just talked to Dave and he's checking his parts collection. Either way, I'll call Lou next. I want to check with him on some CLW history.

Jim

[bob turner]

I am going to bury this here. There is an object lesson somewhere in here. Handrail stanchions may seem trivial, but you cannot buy them anymore. Henry Pearce used to make them, and his nephew would drill a few each morning before school.

I was given a supply of handrail posts by one of our very generous forumites. Now and then I get requests for Lobaugh parts, and that generous forumite (among others) has taught me to pay it forward. I try to do that. More on how that works in a minute.

One of the OST folks contacted me about a modeler who needed 12 posts. Sure - off they went. I paid the postage - couple bucks. My condition: that he write a nice thank-you note to the original donor. Just a "thank you." Not difficult - costs a fifty cent stamp.

Instead he wrote a letter complaining about mis-matches, and apparently demanding that slotted ones be replaced with drilled.
I heard about that, and hopefully corrected whatever mis-impression was forwarded instead of a simple thank you.

Yesterday I got a complaint letter. It sounded an awful lot like he was blaming me for the high cost of the mis-matched parts. Well, maybe me and OST. He said that the five posts he could use cost him five bucks each! Worse, the guy he was supposed to send a simple "thank you" note to wouldn't even make things right!

Giving the guy some slack - we all cannot be bright enough to appreciate gifts - the average IQ is 100, and for every 136 there has to be a 64 out there somewhere - and of course there can be other valid excuses, I suppose.

Unrelated to trains - I also have been known to give away Piper Cub parts that I don't need. I converted to disc brakes, and have been known to send original brakes to folks in need. Once in a blue moon - well, once! - I see a person to whom I have given parts to actually selling them! For hundreds of dollars!

With only one exception (the gifter passed on, and the gift was of substantial value) I personally will never, ever sell an item that has been given to me as an item of friendship. Never.