PRR 2026

[Chris Webster]

The M1 from Trainz arrived - exactly as advertised.

I don't know how much longer it'll be there, but for now the listing is still on their website, in case anyone wants to see what Bob bought: Max Gray 4-8-2 O Scale PRR M-1 Steam Locomotive And Tender #4204 VG

It appears to be the later production, which differs from USH only in axle diameter and gearbox. Tender could be USH - less tarnished. Missing pieces should be easy - working on smokebox front this evening.

I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with it!

[bob turner]

I have sent friends preliminary shots of my initial attempts, but they are all not worthy of Shutterfly storage, so you will have to wait until I make some progress. It says KTM- Max Gray on the gearbox, and the frame is blackened, indicating that this production carried over into USH. I have not measured the axle diameter yet, but the drivers look like USH. Construction is heavy duty - good thing, because they shipped it with the weight bolted in.

Tender is the longer Kiesel tender often found behind the early M1. It is missing a ladder and markers, but all in all it looks otherwise perfect.

Last night I fitted the smokebox front to perfection, and maybe this evening I shall take another stab at the pilot. I have a lost wax casting, but it looks not wide enough. Need to find the M1 Mountain book - it is here somewhere.

[SWrailroader]

I always valued the quality and consistency of the machining in KTM pieces. Never really thought about much about the heavy gauge of brass used in these locos compared to other importers. Certainly is another attribute when considering the value of KTM pieces.

[Chris Webster]

I was looking at the trainz M1 also, maybe if it comes down some more

I had my eye on the damaged NYC H10B that had been on their website for a while. I was watching them slowly drop the price -- it was down to $401 when I checked it yesterday or the day before. This morning it showed up on my list of completed ebay auctions. It appears they dropped its price to $249 and it the sold thru their website, not feebay.

I always valued the quality and consistency of the machining in KTM pieces.

I don't have a lot of experience working on O-scale steam, but my impression is that KTM pieces are easier to work on than more recent models.

[bob turner]

I have done some work on PSC. Difficult, and fragile.
Overland for a while had major structural parts come loose in beautifully painted models.
Jim Seacrest had me do some work on a pair of exotic Burlington 4-6-4s. I wouldn't even attempt to fix the tender trucks. Hundreds of pieces in each truck.
Not for the faint of heart.
Most here know my capabilities. I cannot deal with these modern high end pieces.
Sunset is ok - good detail, and substantial. I have done a bunch of gearbox changes.

Tomorrow I will fix the train lines on this handsome Mountain, and add a headlight. Maybe then some photos.

But for this week it will be CLW/ Saginaw.

[SWrailroader]

You are correct KTM pieces are extremely easy to work on with beautiful machining. The only gripe I have is that all the fasteners are metric.

Weaver and Sunset are a close second.

The PSC and Overland stuff can be head scratcher at times. Certainly thinner gauge metal. I have heard Kohs is a nightmare to work on.

[86TA355SR]

….. I have heard Kohs is a nightmare to work on.

I won’t touch them. Too complicated. Not to mention the specialty fasteners that are not available if you loose one.

The two Koh’s models I was interested in were known to be out of wheel gauge requiring a complete breakdown to correct, not for the faint of heart. Stu and Gary were the only two who would take on one, and they’re both gone, such a great loss to our hobby in so many ways.

[bob turner]

It is truly easy to convert metric to SAE - for instance, one can use 1-72 flat head cap screws for crankpin caps in almost all cases, without running a tap in there. One can re-tap the larger holes 2-56 or even 4-40. I will be doing that on the M1, since it came with sheet metal screws holding it.

Yes, Gary and Stu were amazing for their ability to fool with this truly intricate stuff. But they were just out of the realm for the average hobbyist - Stu had a ten year backlog!

My end of the hobby is more toward the blacksmith era - I don't get into it quite as far as Carey, but I really do like some of the prewar models.
Let me get the Saginaws loaded up - first will be my slowly emerging G5:



Since this photo was taken I have acquired a genuine Saginaw main frame, and got that bolted to the boiler, but for some reason I have made no other progress. One thing I learned from Stu was that crankpin throw is critical - they all have to be the same! I do plug and redrill when I need to.

This one is also in my collection - it has "flaws" which I may leave alone. I promise the one above will be straighter, with better lettering, and valve gear!

[SWrailroader]

Bob,
That’s great info regarding metric to SAE.

I consider my Icken converted USH and MG pieces to be the most durable in my collection.

[bob turner]

Under the weather this weekend, so I will add at least the H10s. Don't feel like flying, and tired of reading and watching meaningless TV.

My very first O Scale kit was Bob Smith's version of the H10. I built it in my brother's shop in Charleston during a visit - took a weekend. I think it was early 1970s. It has sliders on the tender trucks for electrical pickup, which is a better way of doing it than the finicky deal Smith put in the kit. I bet that brake shoes would be the real solution, but I have yet to try that.



PS - I am now much better at train line piping, although I think I go oversize on the pipes for artistic effect. I will keep the M1 lines skinny as God and Max intended.

[Dennis Holler]

I love em Bob!! I have a full kit version of the Bob Smith Saginaw H10 to build some time in addition to the couple of other real Saginaw H10's... If only there was more time on earth! LMAO

[bob turner]

Yeah, me too. For some reason these nice little Consolidations just sort of show up. I converted one to an Atlantic, left one in its original Saginaw configuration, blind drivers and all. And I have two boilers just standing on drivers, ready for some talented modeler to turn into beautiful models.

Since that won't be me (who needs more than three operable H10s?) I should offer them as trades.

I will hit you with the Atlantics Friday - you have seen them before.

[up148]

Yeah, just went through that locating and buying some M1 and M2 screws. Metrics is still a gray area with me, but there are some great conversions programs on the internet. And, I have a couple of the old metal "Screw Checkers" plates to help out. Pitch makes a big difference too when getting the right screw as well. Lot's of BS bolts and nuts our there but the cheap ones seldom do the job.

Metric to SAE and reverse is an old car fix up trick. If your 1/4" bolt is loose in a welded on body, the bubba fix is to use the next size up in metric.

[bob turner]

I was going to post a Frank Thomson locomotive, but forgot how I did the jfif to jpeg conversion. It was easy, but you know why they don't give certain ethnic groups more than 30 minutes for lunch. I'll figure it out again next week. Here are the Atlantics:



This is an extended H10 boiler over a modified Saginaw frame, with Lobaugh drivers and scratch tender. Pretty happy with it.

Next we have the genuine article, from the collection of Max Schwanda:



Untouched. Runs great!

[Rufus T. Firefly]

........forgot how I did the jfif to jpeg conversion.

Try https://cloudconvert.com/jfif-to-jpg