Weekend Update 10/19/25

[Maletrain]

But using HO parts is the answer to that, and there are lots of HO parts in the world.  I am not crazy about the Kadee HO coupler knuckle with that nutty coil spring on it.  Somebody must make a really good realistic-looking HO coupler.

So, if Turbowhiz just scales up his Npossible coupler by a factor of 2.5 would he have the Spossible coupler you want?

Seems easily doable with his 3D printing process.  But the coil spring would need some development work for S scale.

[peteski]

Somebody must make a really good realistic-looking HO coupler.

Aren't Sargent couplers true H0 scale couplers?

[NtheBasement]

Continuing the conversion of the Calcifer 2 loadout to a steel structure and automating it.  Still adjusting things like load size and sensor timing, but most of my issues have been with the rotary coupler misalignment causing derails on turnouts going to and from the dumper.

[craigolio1]

I haven't posted a project in about 100 years, so finally!    This one goes way outside my "comfort zone".  It's a kit,
it's not any of my past or present layout roads, nor is it any era I ever modeled, past or present.  This is a Western Pacific caboose.
The prototype was built by Haskell and Barker in 1910.  The car number is correct for the prototype, but for the lettering and herald
size and location, I had to "divine" those based on lots of photos of similar cabooses from that era, because try as I might, I cannot find one single photo of these that was actually taken circa 1910, and by1920, they had been modified and renumbered
and may or may not have had the same lettering style on them.

I built it from a kit, but did some upgrades to make it more correct, and also because some of the resin parts just didn't cut it for me.
- Replaced the ladders with hand-made ones from nickel silver and phosphor bronze wire
- Added brake rigging chains
- Wrapped the roof in tissue and soaked it in black paint to get the look of canvas (I hope!)
- Added brass casting marker lights that I drilled out and populated the 0201 LEDs.  I put clear red and green jewels in the lens
openings. 
- Added phosphor bronze truss rods and brass turnbuckles
- Replaced the plastic smokejack with brass
- Replaced the resin roofwalks with strip wood

It is airbrushed and brush painted with a wide variety of paints from Floquil, Scalecoat, Tamiya, Testors.

Wow, what an outstanding model!

Craig.

[chuck geiger]

Tie stack Tuesday (not the weekend, sorry).

[milw156]

Took part in the Chicagoland Railroad Protype Modelers meet with the Modutrak crew and a few visiting dignitaries and recorded some of the trains I ran. It's amazing how many steps you can get in walking along a >200 foot layout and hardly ever leaving the room!

[Stolen Moment]

@milw156, that video is apparently private.

[milw156]

fixed that, friggin rookie I am!

[nkalanaga]

I was going to suggest an HO Accumate, but the Sargent sounds even closer.

[garethashenden]

There are also S scale Sargents: https://www.prototypecouplers.com/EC64.html

[PiperguyUMD]

Proof of life! Unfortunately missed them WM units in Staunton 😕




Also joined the cool kids club, can’t wait to get these on some steam projects!

[Erik W]

I was going to suggest an HO Accumate, but the Sargent sounds even closer.

Sargent are great couplers. I use them on the HOn3 cars I’ve built. D&RGW used standard gauge couplers on their narrow gauge equipment.




Erik