New #8.5 code 83 frogs from American Switch & Signal
From the P48 Yahoo group, John Pautz of American Switch & Signal announced he will be making a #8.5 turnout frog in code 83, which represents 50-55 lb. rail on the prototype. (more…)
The photo below shows a detail that can help lift your model track from ordinary to extraordinary. (more…)
What does model railroading and Hernando Cortez have in common?
Model railroading and a 16th Century Spanish explorer? You may remember Cortez from world history class. He was going to conquer Mexico and the Aztecs and take all the gold and other loot for the Spanish crown. Upon arrival in Mexico, some of the five hundred troops began having second thoughts about the whole idea and asked: “How are we getting home?” or something to that effect. In response Cortez burned all the ships. The men suddenly had a lot to think about and get motivated over, like survival. (more…)
We’ve had this blog platform for quite a while now and, let’s face it, not much is happening here. Truth is a blog without a blogger is digital dead air. (more…)
Type E Couplers from Protocraft
Norm Buckhart of Protocraft has recently released a redesigned version of his AAR Type E working brass scale coupler. The new design is self-centering and can be set up for top or bottom operating uncoupling levers, as well as magnetic uncoupling using a hand-held wand, available separately from Protocraft.
We will have a full review in the March/April issue of the magazine (#49). However that issue won’t be out for another two months, so I’m posting this sneak preview of the product here. (more…)
New All Time Article Index Posted
If you go to the Free Downloads section of the OST website (http://www.oscalemag.com/docs/dwnld.html) you will notice at the end of the first year I have posted a PDF Index of all the articles we have ever published. They’re sorted first by Author and then by Article Title. This should obviate the need to look thru multiple Indices or your magazines to find an article.
As we publish new each new Index in the magazine, I will update the all time list.
Happy New Year!
Joe Giannovario
Publisher
In Part One of Tom Mix’s Building a Center Cab Diesel of the Jan/Feb 2010 issue of the magazine an incorrect e-mail address was given for Protocraft. The correct address is norm@protocraft.com Since all excuses for mistakes stop at my desk, I apologize to Norm and Capt. Mix for the error.
Mike Cougill
This thought occurred the other day and I wondered if anyone else feels the same way. Do we do things in model railroading simply because that’s the way it’s always been?
Take layout design as an example. Is a continuous run option a choice because that’s the way everyone does a layout in a given space? Or could it be that we just default to that design because of habit, inertia or no one has come up with a better one? Is it conceivable that the design influences promoted in the hobby press for smaller scales like HO or N get automatically transferred to O without considering whether those design criteria are a good option for O Scale considering the size differences?
Clearly, a modeler’s personal choices and reasons for building a layout will have a huge influence in their layout’s design, and while my opinions may be amusing, they’re irrelevant. I’d much rather learn about yours.
Best regards,
Mike C.
OST Managing Editor Mike Cougill has posted a new eBook at his Cougill Studios website. The subject is Handlaid Track and it’s an excerpt from his fortcoming book on all aspects of Trackwork. Check it out here: Handlaid Track.
I’ve added more files to download. The Volume 7 index is posted. I’ve updated the all-time list of Reviews and I’ve posted issues 24 thru 32. Enjoy! Go here for the list of files available.
Joe G.
