Welcome the 14th edition of the Proto48 Modeler. This is our second magazine to come out under the new web service. We will make a few changes to the picture presentation in this issue returning to the format established by George Losse. The new "old" format will allow you to click on selected the picture to get a higher resolution version. Many of our readers have access to faster download speed so we can share larger file sizes of some really nice models.

Our website is intended to provide a way to share our interest in railroad model building. A central aspect of our interest in modeling in 1/48th scale with correct track gauge and wheel contours. Proto48 breaks with the traditional O gauge in that we use an accurate 4' 8 ½" track gauge with a prototype wheel design. Proto48 is about improving upon the accuracy of our models.

The hobby of model railroading in general has been drifting away from its foundation of building scale models based upon prototypes to buying the latest ready-to-run model. The trend is changing the skill base of the modelers and the range of products available in the hobby. Proto48 is about staying true to standards and making accurate scale models. This doesn't mean we are all fanatics but just folks want something out of the ordinary. We all enjoy a hobby that allows each one of us to express our interests and to learn.

The pages of this website are intended to inspire and motivate not intimidate. We all started out the hobby doing simple things. Hopefully, we can encourage you to try your hand at it and expand your skills.

You will find a number of new items listed along with more pictures from some of the finest P48 modelers in the country. We can always use more material that will permit more issues to be published each year. As always we are indebted to the modelers who take the time to send material to share with others. We hope that this spirit of sharing will continue allowing us to bring fresh material to the web so that it can be enjoyed by everyone.

Short History

The Proto48 movement has been going for over 40 years and has gained the respect of many in the model railroading community. Proto48 exists because modelers desire to accurately model prototype railroad equipment including track gauge and wheel profile. Many of our newest members migrate from other scales such as HO. Many O gauge modelers have amassed a large collection of equipment and possibly a layout that would create a barrier to adopting P48. While the equipment is the same, the wheels and track must change to adapt to the correct 4' 8 ½" gauge and dead scale wheel widths. Achieving accurate models in smaller scales is a challenge especially as one gets older. Replicating the detail in ¼" scale is easier and achievable. We encourage you to give it a try. You will find challenges to model in the scale but that is part of the fun to solve modeling problems. It is a departure from the current trend of open the box and put the train on the track. While you can use ready-to-run equipment built in China, you will have to change the wheels to run on the 4' 8 ½" gauge. Once you do that you will find that there are other improvements that can be made to the details and soon you will become hooked. Proto48 is a small movement within the ¼" scale community. We have been around since the 1960's and continue to support fine model building.

Our focus is on standard gauge modeling. Proto48 defines a gauge and wheel profile for locomotives, cars and track but it also expresses concept of finescale modeling. Our models start out with the correct gauge of 4' 8 ½" and scale wheel profile and continue throughout the model to create an accurately scaled replica of the prototype.

Quarter-inch scale offers railroad modelers a huge potential in terms of size and mass. It is big enough to permit the craftsman to accurately portray things like underbody details, doors, roof walks and ladders. Proto48 standard gauge modelers tend to achieve even a higher level of detail and accuracy like their narrow gauge brethren.

Lead Photo

The lead photo showcases the Warner Clark's superb P48 layout that features the Nickel Plate Road and other regional favorites. The scene depicts the crossing of the Detroit Toledo and Ironton and the Nickel Plate Road. Warner has paid particular attention to the details found on the right of way of a class 1 railroad. His railroad operates as well as it looks.

Proto48 on the Web

There are two forums on Yahoo Groups that focus on Proto48

The first is the Proto48 Modeler: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/p48_modeler/

The second is P48 Layouts hosted by Brett Whelan:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/p48layout/

Mike Cougill, Editor of O Scale Trains, has updated his site with a decided P48 twist. I think you will find it to be interesting. I did! Go to http://www.cougillstudios.com/ By the way, O Scale Trains has greatly increased their Proto48 content since Mike took over. There is a renewed interest in model building. The magazine will be running a series by Tom Mix on building a CB&Q early diesel from brass. Consider subscribing to OST.

http://www.oscalemag.com/

Naperville 2009 Proto48

This year the Naperville Prototype Modelers meet was attended by a number of Proto48 modelers and generated a lot of interest from the HO community in attendance. The Naperville Prototype Modelers Seminar has been run by Martin Lofton of Sunshine Models. The meeting offers a series of presentations by historians and modelers who are well recognized in the model community. The subject matter varies from modeling technique to reports on significant industries that were served by railroads. Frank Peacock, a noted freight car expert, gave a detailed presentation on the petroleum industry and how the railroad served it. Richard Hendrickson presented a most interesting clinic on wine tank cars. His clinic will appear in the pages of the Railroad Prototype Cyclopedia in the near future.

Proto48 modelers received three of the ten awards presented by Sunshine Models to models on exhibition. Stan Schwedler won an award for his Southern boxcar, Bill Yancey for his Canadian Pacific modern caboose, and Jim Zwernemann for his ATSF Bx-56. .Jack Burgess, HO modeler and author of definitive book on the Yosemite Valley, brought one of the Southern Car and Foundry 40' RPO Baggage cars done up as Yosemite Valley.

The model was equipped with P48 wheels.

The model photos were furnished by Mark Goedert from his http://www.mrtrains.com website. Mark maintains an excellent site and has good selection of Naperville models for this year and past years. Check it out!

Updates to the Site:

"Photo Gallery" has several new photos of fine scale models and layouts

• New article in the "Articles and Tips" section by Dan Pence on modifying a Sunset WM Decapod.
• New products that are usable by Proto48 and standard O (rolling stock)
• We have updated local shows and stocking dealers this issue.
• We have also updated the suppliers lists.

Industry News, Shows and New Products:

The latest information about new and interesting products that are useful the Proto48 modeler as shown below:

Local Shows with Proto48 Content:

O Scale National Convention
30 June- 3 July 2010 Santa Clara, CA
O Scale West will be combined with the O Scale National with a new date in June but at the same location in Santa Clara Convention Center. You can obtain more information about the event at this site.


http://www.2010oscalenational.com/index.shtml

Chicago Midwest O Scale Meet
12-14 March 2010 Lombard, IL
The show is held at the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center. The show has a huge selling floor, operating layouts including a Proto48 modular display. Visit their website for more details.
http://www.marchmeet.net/

Stocking Dealers:

Des Plaines Hobbies
1524 Lee St, Des Plaines, IL 60018
www.desplaineshobbies.com

The shop moved to a new location in the same shopping center. The new store is even larger than the previous location. They stock 1/48 scale and building supplies.

Caboose Hobbies
500 South Broadway, Denver, CO 80209
www.caboosehobbies.com
Stocks San Juan trucks and wheels

Coronado Scale Models
1544 Cypress Street, Phoenix, AZ 85006
(602) 254-9656
coronadoscalemod@aol.com

This shop has served the needs of fine scale modelers for over 40 years. The owners are active scale modeler having produced some beautiful locomotives and cars. Their shop offers excellent mail order service and knowledgeable assistance. You might check out the Photo Gallery for some of Stan Schwedler's fine work.

Sources of Prototype Information:

Railway Prototype Cyclopedia
RP CYC Publications Co.
P.O. Box 451
Chesterfield, MO 63006
http://rpcycpub.com/

The team of Ed Hawkins and Patrick Wider has produced 19 volumes of important information on prototype railroads with a primary emphasis on steam and early diesel era subject matter. The most recent issue covers the War Emergency Boxcars in great detail along with a comprehensive article on post-war PRR G-31 gondolas and copies/derivatives built for other roads.

Steam Era Freight Cars
http://www.steamfreightcars.com/

This website has been around for a while and recently taken over by Rob Adams, a P48 modeler who recently converted from HO. The original site was created by Ted Culotta but his Speedwitch business took off and allowed little time for the site. Rob is now updating the information. The site has a lot of useful information compiled by Ted and others along with a large number of model and prototype photos.

Speedwitch Media
http://www.speedwitch.com/

Ted Culotta established this business to develop prototype kits, decals and publications containing prototype data. He has published several useful books and magazines. His models and decals are all of the HO market.

Supplier News:

American Switch & Signal
1945 N. Hwy 300 West
Winamac, IN 46996
574-946-7667

John Pautz has added several new switch parts to his lineup within the past month. All of the parts are made from Right O' Way rail and are cast in nickel silver. He has a wide range of frogs, guard rails and points for popular rail sizes. See the latest brochure in the Suppliers section.

All of the parts are done to Proto48 track standards.

Link to PDF

Chooch Enterprises Inc.
P.O. Box 1200, Maple Valley, WA 98038
http://www.choochenterprises.com/html/ultra_scale_ii.html

Mike O'Connell is releasing two new Ultra Scale II car kit this winter. The first is the ATSF Bx-56. Santa Fe car is Part #811 and will sell for $129.99 with decals. Chooch promises a late January delivery.

Chooch is changing the casting process for these new cars. They will be using a new urethane material that provides a harder finish. The new gray colored urethane will be cast in a new rubber that promises to yield more consistent casting sizes.

Both of the new kits will feature custom decals by recognized historians and artists. Pat Duffin has prepared the ATSF lettering using his extensive collection of the road's stencil drawings. Ken Soroos has done the Soo lettering.

The latest Soo Line single sheathed boxcar is totally different from the earlier release. Chooch released the original 40' single sheathed Soo sawtooth cars several years ago. This car had:

• Deep fishbelly underframe
• Composite end
• Murphy XLA roof

The new car is Part #812-813 will be a combined kit to do all of the straight center sill and radial roof cars. The kit is composed of all new tooling with a concerted effort on getting the dimensions and details as accurate as possible. The patterns were made with custom cut styrene with the correct board width. Both style ends were cut on a CNC machine. The shape of the ribs is accurate down to within a few thousands of an inch. The new kit can be built in one of two ways allowing the modeler to accurately represent all of the "sawtooth" built after 1926. This will encompass the orders built in 1926 by Pullman as well the subsequent production of 1928, 1929 and 1930. This series differs in the following details:

• Straight center sill
• Steel ends ( both Murphy 7/7 or Dreadnaught 4/4)
• Chicago Cleveland Radial steel sheathed roof
• Youngstown door (later series)

The latest Soo Sawtooth boxcar kits can be built as this version or the one below

Rails Unlimited
126 Will Scarlet
Elgin, IL
847-697-5757
railsunl@sbcglobal.net
http://railsunlimited.ribbonrail.com/

Ted has a number of new urethane kits being offered this winter. They include a B&O M-53 class wagon top boxcar, ACL lowside gondola and PRR GRA class gondola. Rails Unlimited has an extensive line of kits and is also an excellent dealer for general model railroad merchandise. He stocks O in depth and gives reliable service.

Glacier Park Models
P.O. Box 244
Ukiah, CA 95482
707-391-4476 (voice), 707-463-6988 (fax)
http://www.glacierparkmodels.com/

GPM is importing the C&NW and Northern Pacific classic 4-6-0s. Production delays at Boo Rim in Korea have delayed the projects until early 2010. The C&NW and CMO used R-1s all over the system to perform a wide range of jobs. The most well know of this large group has to be 1385 that is preserved at Mid Continent Railroad Museum at North Freedom, WI. In addition, GPM will be imported a model of 1400 (shown below), 50 and 487. The R-1s ran all over the C&NW and could be found doing a wide variety of chores ranging from way freights to passenger runs.

The Northern Pacific S-4 ten-wheelers shared some of the characteristics of the C&NW and were also built at Alco and Baldwin. The NP amassed a total of 40 locomotives built for operation on the Rocky Mountain, Idaho and Tacoma Divisions. The two models selected are the 1369 and 1374.

As with all of GPM's ¼" models, these will be offered in standard O gauge and with an optional Proto48 conversion wheels. They will be delivered painted and lettered with operating lights and provisions for DCC and sound installation. All of the previous steam locos from GPM have sold out within days of arrival in the country.

Mullet River Model Works
118 Hudson Court, Plymouth, WI 53073
www.mulletrivermodelworks.com/index.htm

Mullet River Model Works will be introducing a new ventilated boxcar kit to his extensive line. This is a very popular car and was seen running all over the country. The kit consists of laser-cut wood, etched brass underframe and details and decals. Glenn Guerra is working from plans and technical data provided by A.T. Kott.

Mullet River has an extensive line of detail parts ranging from Carmer cut levers, smoke jacks, decals, etched ladder parts, and brass castings. All are well executed and will make building a lot more enjoyable.

The model will have a full length brass etch frame for those who use scale couplers. The body is wood and has complete interior detail. The doors are non functioning but can be fastened in the open position. All grab iron locations are burned into the car and decals are supplied. The kit comes with complete K brake system. Trucks and couplers need to be supplied by the modeler. The kits will be ready to ship by mid December 2008.

Mullet River Model Works is preparing to release a series of new etched brass parts.

408016 Carmer Cut Levers $4.25
This package will be for 8 levers or 4 cars worth

408017 Box Car Ladders $4.25
This will be for a single car's worth side and end ladders. The etching has the holes for the rungs. You need to bend them and solder in the rungs. Then bend the tabs to fit your car.

408018 Box Car Side Walk Supports $4.25
This will do one car. The etching glues to the underside of the center roof walk and make the side walk supports and the car end roof walk supports. These support the side walk in a proper manner off the deck of the roof.

408008 0-80 Threaded Bushings $4.25
The package contains 6 inserts that will do three cars.

RY Models
7 Edgedale Court
Wyomissing, PA 19610
http://www.richyodermodels.com/

RY Models will be importing PRR 50-ton freight car trucks in Proto48 this winter. The truck is the class 2D-F8. This is the most significant truck used under a huge number of PRR pre-WWII cars. Rich Yoder has also indicated that the SP 5'6" Vulcan truck will appear when his stock car is imported.

Nickel Plate Models
13732 Lakeside Drive
Clarksville, MD 21029
www.trainresource.com/Nickel_Plate_Models.html

Here is a firm that has been around for a while providing O scale modelers very accurate decals and imported kits and finished models. The models follow the Nickel Plate Road prototype but have use to a wide range of models. They have recently released custom decals for the NKP yellow striped diesels both road and switcher styles. They have imported a range of custom etched and formed passenger cars and freights car from England. They offer Proto48 trucks for their recent war emergency caboose. Their products are high quality and are worth a look. They are also the source for many different NKP decal sets including the NKP War Emergency boxcar release by Chooch.

Protocraft
18498 Half Moon Street
Unit 203
Sonoma, CA 95476-4835 (707) 935-7011 (voice message)
norm@protocraft.com
http://www.protocraft.com/

Protocraft is a key supplier of Proto48 wheels, parts and conversion sets. They have released most of the old Chooch line with the addition of passenger car trucks. Their website has been completed rebuilt with a complete catalog and the ability to purchase via ecommerce.

Protocraft has an extensive line of trucks, wheels, detail parts, tires, driver centers, ball bearing gearboxes and now a new line of decals.

Protocraft has received a large run of new wheels done by Steve Grabowski. Protocraft added a new 30-ton axle and an extended axle for roller bearing trucks.
.
RL Design
14123 206th St.
S.E., Snohomish, WA 98296-3947

Rick Leach will release the long-awaited Northern Pacific diesel sets. These have the promise to be the most accurate lettering ever offered regardless of scale. San Juan Decals is screen printing these sets for the yellow lettering and red stripes. The decal sets are very complete and will do multiple diesels. The F-unit sets include the red nose and side stripes for the black and yellow scheme. There is a set for GP and switchers which includes different fonts to permit the lettering of everything from a NW-2 to the SD-45 units. These sets will come with red color separation stripes as well. The colors have been matched to actual color samples of the prototype paint.

Please note that Rick is now taking PayPal for payment as well as checks and money orders. Check out the catalog sheet for ordering information.

Click on images for larger view

Catalog

Greg Komar
13704 Country Court Drive,
Tampa, FL 33625

Komar offers a wide range of high quality dry transfers covering Midwestern and Eastern railroads in some detail. I have used his sets with great success on several models. He doesn't have a website but we loaded his latest listing on the site as a PDF.

Catalog

San Juan Car Company
P. O. Box 1028
Durango, Colorado 81302
Phone: 970-385-5256
http://www.sanjuancarco.com

San Juan is working on a new standard gauge coupler that is similar to their new automatic Sharon coupler. It will work like a Kadee but will be scale in size and appearance. This is a significant development. Hopefully it will appear in the near-term.

Tru-Color Paint
Phoenix, AZ
tru.colorpaint@yahoo.com
http://www.trucolorpaint.com/swatches.html

There is a new paint supplier who has released an extensive line of lacquer paints that replaces the old Accupaint line from Bolton Ma. The paint comes in two sizes ( 1 oz. and 2 oz.) and is accurately color-matched to drift panels for locomotive producers and railroads. The paint goes on very smoothly and dries to a low gloss finish. I highly recommend the paint.

Stocking Dealers:

The Freight Yard, Phoenix, AZ (shop carries the Entire Line)
BCT Hobby, Hollister, CA
Central Coast Trains, Atascadero. CA
Railroad Hobbies, Roseville, CA
Hobby Gallery, Wolcott, CT
Park Lane Hobbies, Dyer, IN
Trains Emporium, Sparks, NV
The Railroad Shop, Piscataway, NJ
Westside Trains, Las Vegas, NV
Mainline Trains, Forest Grove, OR
Sumpter Valley Hobbies, Bend, OR
Parkade Hobbies, Kennewick, WA
Northend Hobby Center, Seattle, WA (shop carries the Entire Line)

Southern Car and Foundry
970 Sunshine Land, Suite D
Altamonte Springs, FL 32714
jscagle@msn.com
www.southerncarandfoundry.com

Jon Cagle has released the 40' RPO/Baggage, followed with a 60' baggage and 60' RPO. The cars are urethane with one-piece bodies. The kits are complete with underbody details including the correct Schedule LN brake equipment. Correct decals will be offered as well.

SC&F will be offering a series of Standard Tank Car Company tank cars with single and multi-dome configurations. The cars will be cast in urethane and very similar to his new HO kits. Jon has updated his website as well. He will be providing an ecommerce portal to allow purchase of his kits.

Archer Transfers
P. O. Box 1028
Durango, Colorado 81302
Phone: 970-385-5256
http://www.archertransfers.com/

Archer Transfers is a new company to the model railroad field. They have been making dry transfers and decals for the armor folks since 1989. Recently, they release three decals sets that are permit a modeler to apply rivets on a model without the usual pain of impressing the shape or drilling and inserting a cast part. Archer has a process to uniformly deposit a material on very thin decal film which is in-turn applied to the model. They are offering 7/8" diameter rivets and 5/8". The sheets are set up with common freight spacing including the stagger patterns found on tank cars. They make a line for HO that has been widely used to modify model and even to do patterns.

Updated 23 November 2009