Glad that you received my second shipment of Arnold parts Doug. If I come across anything else, I'll send 'em on your way.
Thanks again for the parts, Dan. I'm having a ball with my newfound interest in Rapido stuff. The Conrail GP9 shell you showed in another post now has a mechanism in it and runs well. I won an auction for a Pennsy GP9 tonight and some Rapido track and switches so they are on their way. I bid on three C&NW double deck cars tonight but I didn't snipe high enough to get them. Oh well, not that urgent to get them. I was observing my Pacific last night and I realize what it is about the Rapido Pacific that looks so good. It's the drivers closer to scale than other steamers in N scale. Although the MR review said they are 4" undersize, they are much closer than, say, the Rivarossi Pacifics which must be about a foot undersize. Anyway, I'll post pictures of future Acquisitions. Doug
Rapido's Bi-level cars still look good 40 years later. As a kid, I bought Atlas' Roco-built C&NW F-9 for mine and it was a piece of junk. I later painted a Minitrix F which was a superior model, though C&NW decals weren't made and I just did without.
It looks great. I love SW1's and I almost bought one tonight but I'm waiting for a Milwaukee Road one to show up. I used to sit on my bike when I was a kid on the pedestrian overhead bridge in Austin, MN and watch them switch. The string of four or five SW1's were usually there and traveled between Austin and the very most southeastern towns on the "smokey Valley" line. When they had a train made up and the SW1's ready to take it out of town, I would hurry up and ride my bike to the nearest crossing to watch them pass by up close. Doug
You have to wait for the Atlas/Roco locos to get to be 40 years old before they run well. The commutators in all mine, back then, plugged up with brush dust and gunk from the soft brushes. The brushes must have hardened over the years because they run real well, now. Were the Bi-Level cars Con-Cor sold made by Rapido? They look just like them. Doug
Con-Cor's models were all new and good models in their own right. Con-Cor also produced fluted side bi-level cars as used by the CB&Q, MILW and maybe others. The Rapido and Con-Cor cars remain prized on eBay, with a Rapido car recently selling for $31.
The Con-Cor corrugated bilevels were essentially the Milwaukee / Rock Island style which had different corrugations than the CB&Q. This was a good thing otherwise I would have had to scratchbuild Power Cars for a large number of cars.... So far the Shapeways cars have been as-modified for Metra after conversion to all-electric for HEP....another good thing. Some day somebody will do decent CB&Q versions and the different power cars and I’ll be doomed..... Charlie Vlk
Mark- The Aurora Depot switcher (9141) looks great! I have two of the B&M Hornby Arnolds waiting for the same treatment. I am leaning towards modeling ”The Alley Job” ala Bill Denton’s MILW Kingsbury Branch as the trackage is doable full scale....as long as I leave out the Aurora Depot, Shops, and Eola Yard. Charlie Vlk
Hi Charlie, Thank you for a bit of history on my loco, we selected the number somewhat at random. I have my painter working on another CB&Q unit 9142 in the later scheme with "BURLINGTON" on the side.
Hey Doug, I'm afraid you may have a long wait. I spoke to the Hornby rep at the NMRA convention this year and he said apparently the American n scale community was too mean to them. I was told they have no plans to produce any more North American n scale any time in the future. I have my painter working on five MILW units to reproduce that set of branchline power. (only one is technically the correct number, but there are detailing issues in making the other four).
This was a WM scheme originally. I simply painted the lower portion orange. A Sunrise spark arrestor and a few details finished it out. It’s a wonderful runner.
I set up a Christmas tree layout last night with some of my old Arnold. Those Santa Fe Fs on the passenger train have always run well and continue to, and the SOU 4-6-2 is a fantastic runner too. I received many of these pieces for Christmas in 1971 or 1972. The trees are Treble-O, bought at a local drug store back then.
Neat stuff. I see your Asco car on there and I now, finally have one, too. Yay! New arrivals: I got a Pennsy GP30 too and the paint is just like the GP9 in addition to having the color Pennsy keystone on the side. My camera gave out on me (it has done it before) right as I was trying to photograph it. Doug
Those are SO cool. I'd forgotten that Arnold offered the Geep in so many road names. I took a quick look at my 1971 and 1973 JMC catalogs and see others: 0271C - GP-7 E-L 0271F - GP-7 Frisco 0271S - GP-7 SP 0272J - GP-9 IC 0272P - GP-9 PC 0272S - GP-9 AT&SF (in two road numbers) 5042 - GP-9 PRR (per Trovestar and yours as seen above)
Yeah, I didn't know they had all those road names either. I just started running into them on eBay. A lot have been showing up on there lately at very reasonable prices. Mostly like new or very near. And, so far, my Rapido locomotives have not objected to running on Treble-O-Lectric track! Doug