Do any of you old timers recall what color were stop signs and highway stripes back in the 1940s or 1950s?  I'm thinking the stop signs were yellow with black lettering and the highway stripes were all white but I'm not sure.

I've used Gene's idea about running a thread through the springs that he posted here many, many moons ago.  It works great....thanks Gene.  Before, I would try to position them in the coupler and they would spring into a parallel universe never to be seen again.

I model the Rock Island as it ran from Memphis through Little Rock and on to Oklahoma City.  Currently I am building the Choctaw station in Little Rock out of DPM components.  The original station is part of the Clinton Library complex in Little Rock.

I am trying to replicate the late steam/early diesel era with a touch of Missouri Pacific and Kansas City Southern.  My motive power consists of E-8s, F-7s and RS-3s with a newly acquired Proto 1000 RDC-3. I'm also developing a ficticional subsidiary of the Rock Island named the Central Arkansas.  It's composed of early heavy weight passenger cars and box cars not to exceed 40'.  These are pulled by Bachmann 4-6-0s and 2-8-0s.

Currently everything is DC, but I plan to convert over to DCC later on this year.

Has anyone removed the top mounted headlight on the Bachmann K-4 and placed it in the middle of the boiler face? If so, are there any unforseen problems in doing that?  e.g. Wiring?  I love the loco, but really don't care for the top mounted headlight.

Thanks

This week I started my fourth and final layout in HO scale.  I'm in the initial stages of constructing the Rock Island Choctaw Station in Little Rock.  To my knowledge, this should be the only kitbashed version of the station.  If all goes well it should have detailed trackage and building layout representing the early 50's complete with the bridge going across the Arkansas River.

Yeah, let me throw my hat into the ring too.  It's still slow, but better than what it was yesterday.  Where's Nigel when you need him?

Ahhh, this does my heart good to see the restoration of an old and classic lady. 

Thanks for posting.

Harold,

Another great idea.  Thanks for posting.

Mr. B.
I noticed today that we are up to 995 members. Do you have any figures on how that compares to members on the old forum?  Or did you keep track of the numbers back then?

It's a great board and thanks for making it available.

Rikc9,

Over the week end I talked to a friend of mine who had the misfortune of having his Bachmann 4-6-0 take a nose dive off his board and hit a concrete floor. While examining it he noticed that the smoke box front had, ever-so-slightly, moved.  There was a small area in which he could insert a thin bladed flat screwdriver and slowly twist-press the smoke box outward.  He pressed out a small section on one side, then moved his screwdriver to an adjacent section, pressed that section out, and went around the entire perimeter of the smoke box several times, forcing out little by little, the front.  Finally, he was able to remove the entire front to expose the light and wiring.

Hope this may help you.

B&O Fan,

Look at Jon Grant's post of March 4th. He kitbashed a Bachmann Spectrum into an Illinois Central 2-8-0 and posted pictures.  Great work!

Right!  It had over a hundred flat cars carring King Tigers.

Well, this is frustrating for some of us too. The Bachman Spectrum 2-8-0 has wires coming from the engine, connecting to wires coming from the tender. It is the tender wires that I was suggesting you shorten.

If you can post a picture it would certainly help with some advice.  Also, you can call Bachman service, they should be able to help.

Bob,

I've built one and they are quite detailed. They are manufactured laser cut wood and do fit together quite nicely, but it does require a steady hand and you must really take your time in assembly.  Paint the components before you start assembly.

I, too, have slightly shaking hands and my eyesight isn't as good as it was years ago.  I have a mounted magnifying glass that I use for small detail work which allows both hands to be free.  Give it a try...

Glennk28,

That law was in Texas and was still on the books as late as the 1950s. I had a great uncle that worked for the KCS and he showed me the law in an old rule book he had.  If I recall correctly there was another provision that required "if two trains meet on the same track, the first one can't proceed until the other one does"....or words to that effect.