I find it fascinating to hear people complain about how hard it is to put an Athearn car together when all you do is put couplers. wheels and the frame on. I have seen Atheran diesels running with no

A book dealer at the KC swap meet had a reefer book for $75.00 today. They are out if there if you are willing to look for them. Tom C

I believe the IMWX car is being produced by Red Caboose. I know their Bx-27 has the same large grabs as in the original kit with a separate small sprue with smaller grabs in the box. I've heard somewh

The Dremel Mini Mite sold by Sears is a small battery (rechargeable) powered drill with speeds of 5000 & 10000 rpm. It comes with a collet that will hold a #80 drill bit. If not Sears has 4 different

Ron, Use Kadee #2100 Kadee PS-1 coupler replacement for the #58 coupler. The coupler is part of the end sill and is attahed to the steps. The steps pull out of the car with the underframe unattached a

A coupler height gauge is a must. Once they are adjusted I've never had a car uncouple. I'm been using them exclusively since they were available, with the exception of #78 on the resin cars where pos

If you want a Santa Fe Hopper be aware that their steel sided versions are not correct for the Santa Fe. Tom Chenoweth

writes: This link is a fairly decent porn site and in Austrian too. Tom Chenoweth

I tried it twice and got the same each time. Must be a side benefit of AOL. Tom Chenoweth

Martin had no new ATSF cars for the Ft Worth convention. My understanding was he was so busy filling back orders that he wasn't able to get the new ones ready. Maybe he has turned a new leaf and decid

Most strippers will dissolve the ACC as well as the paint. Kind of neat since you get to build the same car twice. Tom Chenoweth

Does anyone know of a source for Barber S-2 trucks? Branchline is sold out and I was told today they are too busy building passenger cars to build trucks. Thanks, Tom Chenoweth

I have the following brass cars for sale: 1. OMI SFRD Rr-22 ,Texas Chief and Ship and Travel- $200.00 2. OMI SFRD Rr-37, Grand Canyon Line and Ship and Travel- $200.00 3. OMI SFRD Rr-42, Grand Canyon

Thanks, I have a friend coming over tonight with a digital camera to take some good shots for me. I put them on my flat bed and they show the sides and weathering well, but they aren't good enough for

Schuyler Have you tried using the Kadee #12 coupler? As of a couple of weeks ago Kadee has been selling the #58 couplers in a pack of 20 pair along with the flat centering springs. I've been following

I talked to Ertl at a national meet and asked them why they applied weathering. He said it improved the model and made it more authenic. I asked them not to since they didn't do a very realistic job o

Lou, If you have a wood sided version it is accurate. However if it is a steel sided rebuild you can do as LL told me and fill in all of the lines with putty and then it will be accurate too. Tom Chen

Paul, it's funny but I rate Sunshine slightly above Westerfield with F&C so inadequate I wonder why anyone would buy his kits. I have a Battleship gon with instructions so poor that I would give the k

Bob, I only saw 2 bay hoppers carrying cement, gravel and the like. I never saw a 3 bay marked for cement and definitely never shot any. This was mainly around the Santa Fe. Just my personal observati

It was my understanding that Santa Fe's SFRM cars were meat reefers with racks for hanging meat. They may be outside the time period of the group, but I have a photo of one car taken in 1962. I think