The engine that inspired it all?

I began collecting O scale trains again about 10 years ago when Lionel introduced the "Hogwarts Express" set. I was okay with just running them under the Christmas tree once a year. But then at a train show a couple of years ago a friend sold me a William by Bachmann GP7 decorated in the Boston & Maine's famous "Bluebird" scheme, which is one of my favorites. He even included a matching caboose for only $150 total. That did it!

It was around then that I started to seriously consider building an O scale layout, one that would feature New England railroad trains and scenery.

The engine a copy of Lionel's classic #2346 postwar geep from 1955 and 1956. That means crude body detailing, unrealistic and oversize end and side railings, and less-than-perfect body proportions were a given. But they do have a certain toyish charm to them. At the same time, it doesn't fit my vision of what I want my "scale" layout to look like. 

But I didn't care! I can use it to help me plan and test my layout's track and wiring, and when I feel like just running whatever I want I will pull it out and let it spin its wheels. After all, trains are supposed to be fun. And it already served in revenue service, helping me test the wiring of my layout for shorts (of which there was one...)

Here is a shot of GP9 #1744 in Mechanicville Yard on July 23, 1960.

Sadly, recently the horn died in my model. It wasn't a great sounding horn, but Harrison really enjoyed pushing the button and making it go off. A friend of mine repairs O scale trains, and it is currently as his house. Fingers crossed.

Here is a photo I took in Conway, New Hampshire in May 2025 of a real "Bluebird" Geep on the Conway Scenic Railroad. It was parked in their yard but easily accessible, though the clouds made it pretty dark. Seeing it was one of the highlights of the trip.

I hope that soon I will have my engine running on my layout again.

Wienermobile flat car - Hot Dog!

And now for something completely different! In contrast to some of my recent posts about weathering and detailing scale models, here is an older project I worked on that is completely different.

I have been enamored with the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile ever since I was a child. My father gave me various trinkets such as Wienermobile whistles (including some from the SuperBowl and others that glow in the dark). Hot dogs are my favorite food, and a giant one that you could drive around in seemed exciting. So, this project was inevitable. However, it took a very long time to finish.

Note: regardless of what Oscar Meyer calls it now, it will always be the "Wienermobile." 

Summer 2020

I was driving on the Thruway near Schenectady, NY and I saw the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile on the other side of the highway. I was excited but I didn't have a smart phone to take a picture and even if I tried I doubt I could have done so safely. So, I went to the Oscar Mayer website and discovered that there was a Wienermobile tracker. With that online resource, I hoped to find see it again in the future and take pictures of it. But... I soon forgot about it.

Spring 2021

At a train show the next year I found an old Wienermobile bank that was roughly O scale and thought it would make a neat flat car load. The bank was in bad shape but it was cheap ($15) so I bought it. Portions of it were broken and faded and I hoped to repair and repaint it. In the process of looking for replacement decals on Ebay I found a newer complete version in excellent condition for the same price ($15) including delivery. I bought it, and the old one was discarded. Interestingly enough, as can be seen on the picture below, the windows and chassis are different molds. Then, I searched for an inexpensive O gauge scale flat car to mount it on. But... I soon forgot about it.

Early November 2022

Fast forward more than a year and my parents visited us. During their stay I happened to relate the Wienermobile sighting story to my Dad. I decided to get to get serious about the project and work on it. Literally five days after my parents left, my wife saw on Facebook that the Wienermobile was coming to Albany the upcoming weekend for six different events! (What are the odds?) 

As luck would have it, one of them fit into our schedule so we drove up to an elementary school on Veterans' Day where it was to be displayed at the start of a fundraiser race. We waited and waited, and wondered if we were in the right place. But then it came into view and I got giddy. As it turns out, it had to stop right next to our car in the parking lot to get further instructions from the event coordinator so we took that chance to jump out and take lots of pictures! Note the smaller Wienermobile on the front dashboard!

We had plans so we couldn't stay around long but I wanted one more picture. Someday Harrison will think this shot is really cool... or roll his eyes. Perhaps both. 

With the fire burning, I decided to find a suitable flatcar for my model. The trick was that it had to be both a "scale" model (I didn't want a toy-like semi-scale model) and the deck had to be at least 2.5" wide to match the width of the bank Wienermobile's wheels. I asked on an online forum about suitable flatcars and several options popped up. Unfortunately, most flat cars are sold with loads (tanks, trucks, crates) and I didn't want to pay for any of that stuff. So, I waited for a good deal. But... I soon forgot about it.

January 2023

After several unsuccessful train shows I found a guy online willing to sell me a custom-modified K-line 50' flatcar. He had added a real wood deck and side boards and painted it for the Rutland Railroad. It should have been perfect for my project, but on arrival I discovered that the deck wasn't wide enough and the Wienermobile's wheels kept falling off the side. Instead of removing his custom deck to add a wider one, I set the project on hold again and moved on to other things. But... I soon forgot about it.

June 2023

A friend took pity on my plight and bought me a Lionel scale 50' flatcar as as gift. It wasn't as detailed as some of the newer releases but it was a lot more affordable and was perfect for my project. More importantly, he had made sure that the deck was 2.5" wide. Perfect!

The flatcar was painted dark brown for the AT&SF and that included the molded wooden deck. I considered staining and gluing down individual boards but because the deck had lots of bolt detail I decided to see what would happen if I painted it. So, I unclipped the plastic deck casting from the frame and masked the deck boards area. Then, I sprayed it with flat tan paint. 

The transformation was so striking that I decided to leave it. It now looked like wood and was a good starting point for weathering the molded boards.

I applied several diluted acrylic paint washes onto random boards. I wasn't going for perfection, and since the finished model won't be super-realistic anyway I was okay with a more generic weathering approach. 

By the end, my paint/water cup was pretty gross looking, which was perfect for a wash on the sides of the car. This reminded my why I hate using water to dilute acrylic paints... if you don't get perfect coverage, you get splotches. And, you need to use distilled water or risk white mineral deposits showing up. I much prefer oil paint washes but was too lazy to get them out. I finished up with some orangy-rust paint drybrushed on the edges, and some light gray drybrushed on the deck boards. 

The frame and chassis were also weathered with acrylic paints. The wheels and couplers were treated with rusty brown. The underside focused more on dirt colors even though it really isn't visible under most conditions. Some dusting of brighter orange highlights accentuated the raised details. 

I didn't want to glue the Wienermobile on in case Harrison wanted to play with it. But, I also couldn't have it falling off. So, I needed some wooden chocks on the deck (no chains as they would be too permanent). I pulled out some square stripwood from my inventory and cut and stained it with my alcohol ink solutions. I focused mainly on brown washes to compliment the colors of the deck. 

Four large pieces of wood run parallel to the sides and are installed directly inside of the wheels. They prevent the Wienermobile from shifting side to side... and falling off! Because they served an an important purpose I used oversize wood. Besides, at the end of the day this is going to be a toy and not a scale model. Once thing I noticed after they were glued down is that the rear wheels are spaced differently on the axles than the front wheels. So, I had to shim out the blocks on the rear axle. Then, small angular bits were added to frame the wheels. 

Finally, it was ready to hit the road. The bank itself is really light but the flatcar is a little top heavy, and running through tight 0-27 curves at speed would likely lead to a disaster. Thankfully, sourcing another Wienermobile would not be tough if this one were to get damaged. It took several years to complete but it was a fun little project and it holds a place of importance in my display cabinet.

Phase II - Benchwork Ordered

I have been on the fence about ordering the benchwork for Phase II for a while now, mostly because of cost. Four 90-degree curved corner sections, and 4 legs, cost about $770. And that doesn't count shipping. It's a lot, though the quality of the benchwork is wonderful and the hard work is done. I knew I was going to have to pay it eventually, but yesterday I was randomly looking through the Springfield Train Show's website and saw that Model Railroad Benchwork was not only going to be there (their first year) but also offered free shipping to the show. That would save me another $160. So, I pulled the trigger.

Trying to manage the logistics of picking it up and storing it in our coach bus, all the while keeping on eye on Harrison who is going to the show for the first time, will be interesting! Stay tuned.

Train show finds and other new equipment

Over the past few months I have acquired some new train items.

First are four Ready Made Trains (RMT) new-tooling woodchip boxcars that were originally ordered in March 2022 but due to some manufacturing issues with the trucks were only delivered this summer and fall. They are nice cars but have molded on details and a fake looking woodchip load. I modified them to add corner stirrups, which required limiting the trucks' swing so that the mounted couplers wouldn't knock them out. I then weathered them and added real woodchip loads. They aren't bad for about $30 each. I submitted an article about my modifications, and perhaps someday it will be published.

One nearly-big problem I came across while working on the Maine Central green cars was that the ring of caulk around the upper edge of the side extensions didn't seal perfectly. I had been worried about this but I did a water test and the top of the hopper held water without leaking (at least for the 5 seconds I let the water sit in it). But when I added water/alcohol mixture to "wet" the wood chips, and then the water/white glue mixture to secure them, the sides started weeping water at the joints. Not a lot, but enough that I had a problem. I couldn't just sit it and wick it away so eventually I had to walk away and let it all dry.

The next day, I used toothpicks and metal tweezers to pick out and rub away excess white glue which had dried into a rubber-cement like consistency. Had I used matte medium to secure the wood chips the cars likely would have been ruined. The rubbing alcohol also reacted with the Dullcote and caused white blotches... which is normal. You just need to respray with clear once you are done to restore the clear finish. But if any of the white discoloration was hidden by glue residue it wouldn't revert back to clear, so I had to be double sure in certain areas to remove any glue. It took an hour to go over both cars but in the end it worked out okay. If anything, the scrapes and such make them look more weathered.

Next, at a small show in Poughkeepsie I found some Lionel "British" coaches for sale. They were being sold with a Polar Express steam engine as a set for $145. The seller had no idea what they were, and I didn't want the engine but the coaches were calling to me because I love British trains. After explaining the situation (I believe in honesty) and haggling, I brought them home sans engine for $80. I doubt I will ever finding the matching GWR engine.

The model tooling was originally produced for the Hogwarts Express set in 2007, but then Lionel decided to get more mileage out of it. They actually produced a pair of true British Great Western Railway train sets (Shakespeare Express in 2008; Albert Hall European Passenger set in 2015). The engines were GWR green with gold trim, and the coaches were "chocolate and cream" (tan and brown). The coaches had upgraded trucks which were cast metal instead of plastic like on the Hogwarts set, and the tender of the two sets had a true British "peanut" whistle sound. I may try and buy that sound chip to upgrade my Hogwarts tender.

Harrison already loves them, no doubt because we frequently watch British Railway videos together.

But Harrison also is getting a passenger train of his own this Christmas. My wife and I have taken him trainspotting a lot this past year, and one of his favorite places is a playground next to Amtrak tracks. Rarely do freight trains go by, but we usually see 2-4 passenger trains every time we visit. He has been asking for an Amtrak passenger train for a while now, so I decided to get him one.

I have my own scale MTH passenger set with Amfleet cars but Harrison needs something a bit more robust, and inexpensive. Lionel made a "Lakeshore Limited" set which would have been perfect except that I haven't been able to find one at a price I considered fair in the past 6 months. So, I did it piecemeal and purchased three coaches new in box and a separate engine, also new in box.

The coaches are "shorty" repurposed tooling from the Lionel postwar era but that makes them perfect for the tight 0-27 curves on Harrison's layout. Plus, they have the "pointless arrow" scheme on the side which I like. They will be easy for him to put on the track, and if he is a bit rough with them they aren't a huge investment. I found out later the three cars I bought were not in the original set but actually were separate "add on" cars, so if he ever gets the set he will have the full 7-car train.

The engine stumped me. I wanted the black and red "bloody nose" FA unit, because it is similar to the special Amtrak P42 heritage engines in the heritage "Phase I" scheme. Plus, if he damaged the chassis it would be easy to find a donor to swap. But no luck... I couldn't find one. However, a friend was selling a brand new Williams P42 Genesis engine in Amtrak's Phase II scheme. It is a bit larger and heavier than something I would let Harrison play with on his own, but if I am there to watch him it will be okay. And I can still look for a cheap FA engine for him to use on his own.

Jumping to a completely random project, Harrison and my wife both commented recently that they don't have a purple train car for Harrison's layout. Red, yellow, green, blue... lots of them. But no purple. I couldn't think of a prototype freight car that I ever saw painted purple (the Atlantic Coast Line might have had some, but I doubt it). The D&H had maroon boxcars that sometimes looked purple, but that didn't count either. So, at a show in Rochester I bought a cheap Lionel MPC coal hopper, and on the way home I stopped at the hardware store for purple paint.

Originally it was a Seaboard #19309, but now it is just a purple hopper. It came with a molded coal load that I didn't know about (I thought I was actually buying a covered hopper, something Harrison doesn't have any of). I didn't strip the paint or prime it but just used the original gray as a primer. As a result, the old letter ghosts through the sides. Oh well. I could have left the coal load black but I noticed some bronze sparkle paint on my shelf so I painted it that. He has a few wooden Thomas trains with "gold" loads, so this car followed that them. Several coats later and the car was finished. 

 

The next one is a bit of an "Oops". I have been looking for an older gondola or flatcar to spot at the end of my MOW siding track, and at a December train show found a Maine Central hopper that seemed to fit the bill nicely. It is a Weaver model that had been converted to woodchip service, and the seller even had an extra load for sale too. I bought the hopper, skipped the load (it wasn't required), and brought it home. Upon opening the box, I realized that the woodchip extensions were glued in place with very obvious and out-of-scale braces on the inside by Weaver. With a load they are hidden, but I planned to model it empty and rusted. I couldn't hide the braces, and didn't want try and remove them, so I will just add a real wood chip load like the others and have it join the fleet.

Finally, after riding the Conway Scenic Railroad in May I was inspired to order four Atlas Trainman 60' passenger cars lettered for the CSRR. This purchase was ironic, as in October 2021 I asked online about whether anybody had ever produced commercial models of them. At the time I was hoping to build a model of the Bangor & Aroostook's excursion train (which was pulled by one of their BL2 engine) and wanted to save time by purchasing factory painted models. But, I was told that none existed. That killed the project.

However, after riding the excursion train in I decided to do another online search and huzzah, Atlas had announced some models. I quickly ordered four (one of each of the car numbers available) and waited. They arrived right before Christmas. 

One last train sneaked into this post, and it was a complete surprise to me. I have always loved the Lionel standard gauge Blue Comet Set but likely will never afford one. My wife knows this, and without my knowledge she purchased a matching set of Hallmark miniature ornaments of the train from 2003. I love them, and they are now in my display case.

At this point, I am not looking for much more rolling stock and instead need to focus on the benchwork. But, it has been a fun couple of months collecting stuff!

O scale switch frogs

For my maintenance of way scene I wanted some switch frogs to have lying around near the piles of ties and rail. I had a couple of options but none were great: I could sacrifice an O scale 2-rail switch just for the frog casting; I could sacrifice a 3-rail switch for the frog but it likely wouldn't look very realistic, I could purchase some Proto 48 scale frog castings, or I could try and build one up from styrene.

I asked on the O Gauge Railroading magazine online forum if anyone was aware of 3D designs for frog castings and someone there ("LT1Poncho") offered to draw some up for me. Wow! I couldn't turn that down. They were done quickly and he mailed four to me to use.

I washed them with soap and water and painted them rusty brown. Then, they were oversprayed with a mist of matte dark brown. Finally, they were attached to the layout on top of some stripwood.

They are perfect for the scene!

New crossbucks

My sole layout crossing is guarded by a crossbuck made by Tennessee Valley Custom Models. They feature stained wooden post and a cardstock crossing sign on top. However, they have two flaws: the paper signs are warping and they aren't strong enough to survive rough play from my son. 

I have had to repair the wooden post several times from occasional bumps and knocks, and I don't fault T.V.C.M. for that. I left the hole in the scenery a little oversize so that I could remove them when working on my layout and that provides a little "give", but not enough. The warping of the cardstock was bothering me though. I couldn't think of an easy way to correct that.

So, I bought some replacement crossbucks from Tichy (#2063). For $10 you get 8 if them molded in white styrene with raised lettering already painted black. They looked a little too "plasticy" for me out of the package, but when the post had been trimmed flush on the top with the crossbucks and painted brown it helped minimize its size. Some weathering powders gave it a dirty, partially faded look. 

Both products work, but I am really happy with the Tichy ones.

Modeling an Agway?

There is an Agway facility in western New York that my wife passes by when going to visit her family. When she found out that I was modeling a rural New England layout she asked if I could build a model of it. It seemed like a good idea (it's a good industry, and it makes my wife happy... both equally important considerations) so I looked at online images and talked to the owners. Since it is 5 hours from my house, doing my own research in the winter wasn't convenient.

Even though it isn't currently rail served, it probably once was and it would be simple to run my last spur track to the rear of it. The front is an overflowing agriculture and feed store which serves local farmers. The facilities is sprawling with lots of ancillary buildings and outdoor material storage areas, and before I even started drawing plans for it I realized I would need to exclude a lot of stuff...

Then, I made a scale drawing on large pieces of oversize graph paper of just the footprint of the structure. It is a melange of various overhangs, porches, roof dormers and peaks... all of which I had to interpret and dimension based on overhead images.

Then, I took it over to the layout to see how it fit. And just as I feared, it didn't. It was huge and dominated the scene. So much so that even an access road in the front, or the rail siding in the back, wouldn't fit. I could have compressed it down even more, but then it would have looked more like one of the toyish Lionel 0-27 grain elevators and not like a real scale industry.

It only took about 2 hours to draw so it wasn't a wasted effort, but now I know I need a smaller industry for this track.

Perhaps I will be able to build the Agway on the other side of my layout though.