Telford was fun, even if catching up with people you haven't seen since the last one takes time. Putting faces to names didn't start till Sunday and finding Dave wedged in was great, except his sound installs have made the hairs on the back of my neck HURT. Going down Mickoo's thread, I do admit I have an O-scale amassing problem. At 70 I find it easier to say "I've got a spare AtlasO undec PS2-CD. Of course it was (IS!) going to get a different D&H scheme. If EDM and the others have run out, I've got some new Kadees. Do we need some 'CrowdBuying' things from the US. I'm not a trader any more, but Kadees, InterMountain 33" wheels, etc are still easy enought to get and the post is a pain, but hey-ho....
U25B China drives were Weaver's first and I think I have a spare set. The design is indeed much the same as the other 3-rail versions, but things like drive gear diameter, so numbers of teeth, can vary depending on how fast they think their beast should go, etc. When Weaver switched from central motor to China drive, Weaver ignored the 4" wheelbase difference between Alco and Blomberg trucks. Not as bad as MTH's early Blombergs with a wheelbase scaling 100" to help stuff go round corners.
The stepwell handrails on your U25B finish on the bodyshell which says '3-rail' and the QSI box is probably a TMCC circuit. The motors in the frame shot have the idler shafts in place. I ordered spare trucks and motor assemblies separately once and never did get the darn shafts.
Your GE Dash 8-40B is doesn't have the nice prototype paint job that my Susie-Q does(!). The Susquehanna operated the D&H when Guilford screwed up, so I had to get one. Well OK, I will eventually get round to painting the USHobbies F45 to match. I'll be interested in your one-motor conversion. I kept a couple of Atlas D&H C424s one pow'd, one unpow'd to make into a set, but got a bit bored with the detail chassis differences and only have one running just yet. Thick cab walls respond to cutting individual clear plastic windows, even with black, etc markers round the edges as gaskets. First time I tried this on an old All-Nation NW2 I carelessly scored a window, but it looks just like broken glass
Liked Jim's post, freight cars are fun, just about all Atlas are good (given my modelling level), certain Lionel -
certain - are superb, and some MTH are unexpectedly good. Apart from their often clunky trucks. Anyway getting 2-rail wheels and ride-height is often fixed by substituting Atlas trucks (eg: Lionel 89ft autoracks). Wish they'd get them back in stock, some (all?) the newer 2-rail versions are slimmer, not made too wide to take 3-rail wheels.
I got the resistance soldering gear out the other day and have a few things to do on it - like see if I can remember how to use it. Of course I will and the sacrifi..., er ..., next success with this excellent gear is a Pecos River MP/UP GP15 footsteps/handrail post case. Bit too far west for the D&H, so .... What's that? NS runs what was the south end of the D&H? Is that right??
Aaaah, American O-scale, model railroading's best kept secret. Have fun with that Telford box.
Jason