A Passion for Steam (2nd edition) by Marc Horovitz Cal-Pac Trading Company 33268 Central Ave. Union City CA 94587 8¾” x 11″, 240 pages, color, hardbound with dust jacket Price: $45 Website: www.accucraft.com If ever there was an appropriately titled book, it has to be this one. The first time I met Marc Horovitz, in […]
Marc Horovitz Corrugated metal G-Scale Corrugated Metal http://gscalecorrugatedmetal.com Price: 45¢ per ¼” x 5″ panel + s&h Corrugated tinplate panels; 11/4″ wide x 5″ long x .006″ thick Pros: Good corrugated profile; prototypical material; easy to work; can be prototypically weathered Cons: Actual scale not quoted Corrugated steel sheet was (and is) an inexpensive, durable, […]
Kevin Strong Analog/digital sound system for steam and diesel locomotives MyLocoSound Available in the US through G-Scale Graphics 4118 Clayton Ct. Fort Collins CO 80525 Price: $79 Website: www.mylocosound.com Locomotive sound boards with analog and digitals sounds; programmable—lots of user flexibility; steam or diesel available; a variety of sounds on either board Pros: Good overall […]
1:20.3 scale, gauge 1, live-steam Shay Accucraft 33268 Central Avenue Union City CA 94587 Price: $2,299 Website: www.accucraft.com 1:20.3 scale, gauge 1, live-steam model of a 28-ton, three-cylinder Shay; steel, brass, and stainless-steel construction; butane fired—gas tank in bunker; hand pump in bunker; blow-off pressure, 55 psi; fittings include safety valve, throttle, water glass, pressure […]
Model Railroader senior editor Dana Kawala installed a Train Control Systems WOWDiesel Digital Command Control (DCC) sound decoder and TCS WOWSound speaker into a Kato HO scale F40PH. Check out some of the features of this new DCC sound decoder. […]
Kevin Strong 1:24 scale, false-front building kit House of Balsa 10101 Yucca Rd. Adelanto CA 92301 Price: $39.95 Website: www.houseofbalsa.com 1:24 scale, plywood and balsa building-flat kit for wood-frame storefront. Dimensions: length, 9½”; depth: 1¾; height: 9½” Pros: Good instructions; easy construction; laser-cut parts fit well together Cons: Not suitable for outdoor use; smaller parts […]
Kevin Strong Replacement wheels for USA Trains diesel locomotives Northwest Short Line PO Box 1349 Hamilton MT 59840 Price: $36.95 for 8 wheels Website: www.nwsl.com Nickel-silver replacement wheels for USA Trains diesel locomotives (#2662-6); 40″ diameter at 1:29 scale Pros: Smooth finish, easy to install Cons: None Kevin Strong Kevin Strong I’m modifying a USA […]
Marc Horovitz 1:22.5-scale police figures Preiser Available in the US from: Wm. K. Walthers, Inc. 5601 W. Florist Avenue Milwaukee WI 53218 Price: $38.99 per set Website: www.walthers.com 1:22.5 scale, plastic, hand-painted figures; two per set, one male and one female; each figure around 3″ tall over peak of hat. In 1:22.5 scale, this works […]
Check out the Athearn Trains Genesis-series model of the Santa Fe “Topeka cab” GP7. The HO scale locomotive model captures the road number-specific details of its prototype. Model Railroader senior editor Dana Kawala will also show you some of the highlights of the locomotive’s factory-installed SoundTraxx Tsunami Digital Command Control (DCC) sound decoder. […]
Alan Olson 2.4Ghz R/C system for track-powered trains G-Scale Graphics 4118 Clayton Ct. Fort Collins CO 80525 Price: $209 + s&h Website: www.GScaleGraphics.net RailBoss 4 Trackside; 2.4Ghz system for controlling track-powered trains via radio; includes transmitter, receiving base station, online instruction manual Pros: 10amp power; pocket sized transmitter; easy-to-program features; excellent range; smooth operating […]
Kevin Strong Remote coupler-control board Phoenix Sound Systems, Inc. 3514 West Liberty Rd. Ann Arbor MI 48103 Price: $75 Website: www.phoenixsound.com DCC and R/C-compatible control for remote-controlled couplers Pros: Able to control two couplers independently; controls both servo- and solenoid-based uncouplers Cons: Programming (fine-tuning) controls via DCC interface only Phoenix Sound Systems, long known for […]
Marc Horovitz 1:20.3 scale, gauge-1 wheelsets The Train Department 26 Coral Drive Hazlet NJ 07730 Price: $9.50 per axle Website: www.thetraindepartment.com Cast metal, gauge-1 wheelsets; stainless-steel axles; raised letters on face and back of wheels; raised fins on inside of wheels; coned tread; long or short journals available (see text); wheels insulated at hub. Dimensions: […]
