popeye the sailor

S scale came out sometime around 1948-1950 and I believe was introduced by American Flyer as the first 2 rail DC current model trains. My Dad had O scale 3 rail with I believe an AC transformer which required a rather clumsy method of reversing direction of the engine. Sometime after 1948 he sold his O scale railroad and bought American Flyer S scale with 2 rail track which he said was easier to wire.  I was a young-un then 😉😇. He later sold the American Flyer and bought HO scale. He still had his layout at age 100. 

You forgot TT (1/120, 12 mm). 😉

Let's briefly talk about gauges for model railroads and what is On3 versus the more generalized and available On30.
 
The most common gauge is HO (1/87) and the distance between the rails is 16.5 mm.
We also have Z scale (1/220) with a gap of 6 mm between rails. Marklin is the leader.
Next is N scale (1/160) with a distance of 9 mm. Arnold Rapido invented it.
Then is HO (1/87)
Next is S scale (1/64), seldomly used and unfortunately rather expensive and hard to find.
Next is O scale (1/48) with a gap of 32 mm. This is called by certain people the King of Scale. Purists use Proto-48 which has a larger distance and much finer rails.
Next is Gauge 1 (1/32) with a distance between the rails, of 45 mm.
Finally, G scale (1/22.5), which is a narrow gauge, uses the same 45 mm track as Gauge 1.
 
In between these scales are narrow gauges: 
- Zn3 (never heard about that one).
- Nn3 (using Z scale tracks = 6 mm)
- HOn3 (using N scale tracks = 9mm)
- On3 and On30 (we will be back to these ones...). There is also On2....
- G scale (using the Gauge 1 tracks of 45 mm). This one is a narrow gauge, too.
 
The true O scale narrow gauge is called On3 (1/48). It uses a distance between tracks of 19.2 mm. There are no commercial tracks available for that gauge and you must lay your own track and build your own turnouts.
 
On30 is a derivative invented by Bachmann and using 1/48th scale models, running on an HO based tracks (16.5 mm). The idea of re-using existing HO tracks (granted, you have to space the ties...) allowed many train makers to develop O scale engines and rolling stocks, without having to worry about the availability of tracks.
 
Narrow Gauge Purists use On3 (19.2 mm). This kit is designed for On3 and therefore a piece of track must be built, to test the snowplow and to display it.
 
Yves

{chuckle} It might be in miniature, but the engineering remains the same.....
 
Good work!

Well, following the instructions, the first task is to put together the chassis of the snowplow: 
 

 
This is done using hot glue. I find that the CA does not do very well with metal parts and does not provide the flexing required on such model.
 

 
The chassis is planned and filed as much as possible. 
 

 
The most important parts in a car, are the trucks. It is essential to build them first, to make sure that your chassis sits perfectly flat and that it rolls nicely and smoothly on the tracks.
 

 
The truck parts are all made of white metal, with the exception of the wheels and axles, made of plastic (Delrin). So, we do not have to worry about shorts or electric pick-ups.
 

 
 
Above is the front truck and below is the rear truck. The front truck has ice-breakers hanging from the front bar.
 

 
None of the trucks have any kind of working suspension. It is a lot simpler this way. Notice how the wheels are gathered inside the trucks, wheels sized for narrow gauge tracks. When PORTLAND LOCOMOTIVES COMPANY delivered the trucks to RGS, they sent two set of axles: one for narrow gauge and one for Regular Gauge. Only the Narrow gauge axles were used on the RGS tracks.
 
Below, you can see the difference between narrow gauge and regular gauge. On the metric gauge, wheels are a lot smaller as compared to the standard 33 inches Bettendorf trucks, found on most freight cars of that time. 
 

 
The kit provides cheesy wood screws to attach the trucks. I like mine strongly anchored into the chassis and thus, I resorted to drilling and tapping a 2.5 mm steel screw in the chassis bolsters: 
 

 
This is infinitely stronger and I recommend that solution if you wish to build that kit and make sure that this plow can roll on your layout.
 

 
Et voila! The chassis sits on its trucks and we can now move to the other sections of the build, having a good reference of height and stance.
 

 
Yves

I'm following, too, Yves. I have an HO version, but the tender wrapper in in cardstock, where yours is brass.

The kit comes into a very small cardboard box, packed to the hilt. Honestly, I do not know how they can pack so many parts and the instructions into such a small box.
 

 
The kit has evolved and I can only talk about the Durango Press version which was the original kit maker. The WISEMAN Models kit is still available but I think some of the metal parts have been replaced with resin castings.
 

 
The instructions are somewhat clear, as long as you read very carefully the text. In full honesty, this is a very difficult kit because of the clear lack of description of the parts. You have to rummage through the various bags of parts to figure out what is what and where it goes.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
The parts are made mostly of soft white metals cast, and wood strips and plates. Some plastic parts are provided mostly for the shroud of the wheel.
 
Gluing white metal parts presents a challenge in itself and your CA glue is not always the best option.
 
Yves

I started my N scale when Rapido first brought to the states around 1967. Still have all the original track, switches, etc, plus rolling stock. My layout was dismantled to make space for my son's HO scale US1 Trucking set. We go to ride the D&RGW Durango & Silverton narrow guage back in 1977.  Built a card stock and wood model of the Rotary in N scale.
 
Will be following along.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Folks,
 
I have a passion for ships and model ships and you may have read some of the build logs I created with time. However, my real obsession is with model trains. 
I started collecting N-scale (1/160th) trains from the age of 10 up until 35, when I sold my N-scale collection to finance some much more expensive O-Scale models (1/48th). I have not stopped collecting steam (for the most part) and diesel locomotives since then. I also dwell in the realm of Gauge One (1/32th) but I am limiting myself, because of the hefty price of these models.
 
I usually publish all my articles in the O scale Magazine but various reasons are pushing me to publish the building of this model on this forum. This is a very old kit originally produced by Durango Press and re-done by Wiseman Models, if I am not mistaken. I have owned that kit for more than ten years and it was time to put it together. The building will be slow as I am also trying to finish the HMS Bellona in my little spare time.
 

 
This kit depicts the narrow-gauge (metric) Rio Grande Southern Rotary Snowplow #2 used to clean the tracks over the Cumbres and Marshall Passes. The rotary snowplow was build by the Portland Locomotive Company in 1892 and served for more than 50 years despite several derailments and fire damages. 
 
Fortunately, the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad association has been able to restore that rotary snowplow after 20 years of efforts and is operating again that marvelous machine. If you are interested, I invite you to watch that great video of the snowplow in full action (about 39 minutes): 
 
 
 
Yves

nice to see these rare kits....they look so cool!    great job with the detail........Awesome! 

very nice work Jav.......the choice of wood you used eye catching {especially the second one}  
 
nice selections of planes too........how many are in there? 

very nice work Jav.......the choice of wood you used eye catching {especially the second one}  
 
nice selections of planes too........how many are in there? 

nice to see these rare kits....they look so cool!    great job with the detail........Awesome! 

hello to all!  nice to see a few new folks looking in....don't be afraid giving insight....that's what MSW is all about    it's you new folk that come to the table with different ways of doing stuff     unfortunately,  I don't have anything new to report,  but I've still been busy.   you ought to post a picture of one of your flat cars with trailers on it Ken.  going out on a limb here,  but this trailer might be suited with G scale.......perhaps a bit larger,  if there is such a scale    I don't believe there were 53 foot trailers back then........I think the largest would have been a 48'.  when I started at Wally,  we had 48' and 53' trailers.  they used the 48' trailer for locations that were tight on space.........53' for everything else.  Marcy, New York had the 48' trailers that had air hook ups and electrical in the buck plate {rear}..........I forget the term,  but two trailers could be hooked together.  browsing through web sites,  I've found that many back in the day, used the 48' as a subject.......I believe AMT had a kit featuring two pup trailers {I think they were only 27'}. tankers,  flatbeds,  dry van,  reefers.......maybe a couple others.  quite a few of them are old kits...........I've seen very few 53' trailer kits though......odd?!?  the 'Smokey and the Bandit' trailer being a prime example   
 
  thanks again for the good vibes.......sorry about not looking in sooner.  I should have something soon  

So interior cabin painted 

nice to see these rare kits....they look so cool!    great job with the detail........Awesome! 

Beautiful work. The wood colours really stand out
Alan

Thanks Robert the woes were not something that could not be overcome in the end.I just really did not feel like wasting more Maple for the top it was close enough.The only piece of work I ever drew out plans was for the floor cabinet and it was just dimensions really the rest was adhoc.The stand never met the first piece of paper it started in the mind and developed along the way.I have a paying gig for a sister that will incorporate some I learned here on the ends of the entertainment center the stringers will arch I am calling it "Sunrise".My floor cabinet ....

nice to see these rare kits....they look so cool!    great job with the detail........Awesome! 

It's a nice looking stand regardless of the woes you had.
 
Good Job in my book.

It's just about complete one more sanding up top and the top was a PIA.This is my second octagon top and the last one came out better the problem is the center everything is heading to the center very hard for me ATTM to get perfect hence the round plug (Symbolizes coming full circle completion) That's my story The other issue was the Diablo blades I use on my 7 1/4" miter saw/radial was flexing the cuts were not fully straight gave me fits last night.I said sleep on it look at it with fresh mind/eyes.I checked the radial smooth and true,then was the blade shaft wobbling no wobble standard front/back motion and then I looked at the blade?The blade is .028" thick I started to wonder went and pulled a cheap 40T Avanti blade down .048" I started cleaning up the remaining pieces of high points on the previously cut pieces and able to save the work.It's not perfect but Momma is happy that's the important part.
The other pic is one I did for my Sis she lives in a house over 100 years old and had a vase that sat on the floor>The top is Leopard Wood with Zebra for the inlay with three curved legs of Aromatic Cedar.Well I thought I had a pick of the legs ??

Beautiful work
Alan

Thanks Craig I am cruising on this subject.Starting the oil process now another 2/3 coats should do the stand.Got to eat some breakfast @1PM steak/eggs then start the top.

Not really Mike Life is to short even though the Lord tells me I am getting younger everyday so push on.Everything went together just great nothing like a plan in motion working properly.The stand is one of the tightest I have ever built using the mortise/tenons !I have switched gears this morning on the top weras I was going to do Sapele it will now be Maple with 1 maybe 2 inlays of Sapele the color change will break up the monotony.I deplore stains for the most part when you want to change the color change the wood.

Nice project Kevin!  Do you ever rest??  Your building prowess is really impressive.