Model Train Journal

I don't think those trucks are Auel - he marked seemingly every one of his castings. I suspect they're a foreign reproduction/copy of Auel trucks. I know there were also suspiciously similar 6-wheel trucks to Auel's, but I don't recall the company. I don't really recognize the kit either, it could b...

I figured they all said Wheaton - I have a pair of the 3-rail version with the original vertical motors, homebrew reverse units, and Thomas Industries pickup sliders. They both say "GENERAL MODELS CORP - WHEATON, ILLINOIS - #4001".

Well it's been a while since I posted, but I've made some progress. In my last post I mentioned I wanted to shorten the tender and figure out how to power the loco, and I think I've got it figured out now. To start on the tender, I desoldered the old mounting plates from the tender shell, and then a...

The term "wind wings" seems interesting to me - that's the same term used on pre-war cars for the accessory pieces of glass that deflected wind from the cabin, reducing wind noise and buffeting. Admittedly it probably wasn't the purpose of smoke lifters, but that term would've definitely i...

I've never used Shutterfly, so I don't know if you can share them, but it would certainly be nice to look through those photos.

I think Google Drive does offer the ability to backup files on your computer to Google's server, but the main use of it is to host your files on Google's server. You get a free 15 gb of storage - I think the business model is that by offering free storage you're attracted to use Google products. I h...

In your situation what I'd consider doing is hosting them on Google Drive. It's free (if you don't exceed 15 gb), and you can change the settings to allow anyone with the link to go through and look at your photos. You can also share photos and copy the link to post here, and those images will remai...

Does anyone have the link to the longer version? Bob's explanation of the model being a kit makes a lot of sense to me - there's too many steps that we don't see for it to be fully scratch built. Very impressive regardless, but I wonder how much of it is actually scratch built.

I guess some people don't realize what they have - would be a shame for any of these old pieces to be lost. I personally find great value in any of the old kits or anything scratch build - at least if it's well done. There's something about having and preserving pieces that meant something to someon...

Thanks guys - I definitely agree that the best choice is the can motor, but there's always been something charming about the old open frame motors to me. Definitely if the open frame motors don't work out, I'll go with the can. Does anyone have experience with Pittman DC70/71/81 motors, what's the c...

webenda wrote:I can't see the last two images. I get, "You do not have permission" when I try. That's OK, I enjoyed seeing your work on this model.

Thanks - hopefully fixed now.

Cross posting from the other forum, with some added context... hopefully I get the photos right: It's now been over 2 years since I got my Great Western 4-4-0 - It's been sitting on a shelf all that time, always bothering me with how close - yet so far - it is from being a proper scale model, the pr...