I'm with you, still have my first loco, a Mantua kit from about 1952. It was really hard to distinguish The flash from the "detail" .
  I have one of the first run of the 44ton. It has 2 motors & VERY hard to isolate the motors for DCC.   Really waiting for the 45 tonners to get back in production.   Jerry

Why was the GE 44 ton switcher downgraded to the standard line? Were any changes made? I thought that DCC equiped locos were Spectrum?

 I just vented to Athearn....If you like the kits, let them know.  What really bothers me is that they didn't even change the numbers on the RTR.  If you built a PRR  boxcar kit 20 yrs ago & bought a RTR today they would have the same number!!

 It is a good magazine, think the current issue has over150"pages" I download the Small version & it is still very clear. It's been growing with each issue & it looks like it has a good future. Just have to figure a way to get the computer into the bathroom so I can read it....Jerry

  Just checked & found that they didn't even bother to change the numbers on the RTR cars...same as the blue box.
  I wonder how many "kits" could be assembled in an hour with the proper tools & fixtures...electric torque limiting screwdrivers etc. Probably 15 to 20 an hour. With a list price of $15.95, it's a better profit than the kits.
  Yes we still have Bowser Intermountain etc. but the kit price is at least the same as the Athearn RTR. price. The problem is not that kits are unavailable, it's that affordable kits are not available. Don't get me wrong, The Intermountain kits are worth the price because of the detail & some of the Bowser parts are made in the USA. which accounts for the high prices.
   Jerry

Just got an announcement from Athearn that they will no longer produce Blue Box Kits. The explanation they provided really didn't make sense to me.
  I think they can make much more profit with the RTR line as they are the same as the kits but with with metal wheels. It only takes a few minutes to assemble the kits & you are paying $8 to $10 extra. The end of a very important era in Model Railroading IMO....Jerry

 That is my point. Seems like a lot of extra work without the detail.

Thanks for the input. I make furniture etc. & have seen many short pcs. of scrap break in half after being cut off. You really don't need a lot of warping to affect an HO structure.  Also, you have to cut the siding & roofing plus cut the window / door openings anyway plus you have to hollow out the space behind the openings & can't detail the interior.
  If you already have all the pcs. cut, why not just Glue the corners together, add a few pcs. of interior bracing & be done with it?  Plus you can detail the inside.   What am I missing?   jerry

  In the Sept. issue of RMC there was an article on making buildings with a solid wood core. I've also seen a similar story a few years back.
  Seems to me that because of the volume of wood involved, there is more of a chance of warping.  It seems to me that large blocks of wood are more prone to warping & cracking than smaller cross sections.
  Has anyone had any experience with this construction method & how long have your buildings been in use.   Thanks,   Jerry

 Too bad the old Mantua loop couplers are no longer available. They were bullet proof & forgiving of bad trackwork. I use Kadee couplers & am very satisfied.  You will have more trouble with the new "scale size" heads on less than perfect track.  Sounds like you have more of a trackwork problem than a coupler problem.   Jerry

  i think most of these PDF files were part of the magazine over the years. I too have ended my relationship with Model Railroader. I almost kept it up because of the web site, but they changed the format & I was not able to post no matter what I did. This broke the camel's back & I stuck with RMC instead.  jerry

   Don't hold back, tell us what you really think!

 I have never seen any printable large scale buildings.  You would have to join many pages together & thus have many seams.
  There are some O scale buildings on line that you could enlarge 2x.  Don't know how the resolution would be, but worth a try.   Also there are websites that offer siding, brick. roofing etc that you could use.
  Hopefully you are planning to use these inside. paper, even if coated will not last outside.  jerry

   Probably won't be able to get one from Bachmann as they are shipped from China fully assembled. Check the Walthers catalog either on paper or on line. They still carry a large selection of detail parts. You may have to modify it some to fit.
  As a last straw, you can make one from styrene. I made one from styrene tubing.  After you have the lenth, cut a thin slice from the next largest size, glue it around the top & fill the bottom seam with contour putty to make a rolled edge on the top. Cut a washer shaped pc from .010 styrene, heat it & roll it to the radius of the boiler, glue to the bottom to make the mounting flange.   Jerry

You should ALWAYS check where the wires go when removing a PC board, no guarantee of color conformance....especially from Bachmann