Gil, You may call me John! But This is good information! I may see what I can think up on my own MOW fleet (Its pretty extensive). So.... I have a plan to try an make up a small old time passenger train, which is the type cars I have in my MOW fleet now that would look good behind my little Mantua 4-4-0! I want to make it about 5 to 6 cars long. This is why I was thinking of using the 2 cars I got in my MOW fleet for this and add another 4 cars, all custom painted.....And replace the 2 in my MOW fleet with Athearn cars....Which too will be all custom done as well. I'll be removing windows, an making the interior alittle different then what they call for factory an so on.... All lighted as well....
Thats my scratch built plow in 1/24 scale, in the top photo.. I used the plans from the Garden Railways Mag for construction, I also changed a few things to make it MY MOW piece.The second photo shows a new scratch-built flatcar, one of 7 now built. I'm thinking of a wheel car for one flat.
One of the very first things I built for my non-exsitant railroad at the time was a UP 250 ton crane and tender (Athearn kit). I still have that thing (somewhere) and I would venture a guess that most folks, according to the posts here, have no where near the MOW fleet needed to keep their empires in good working order. Me included
John, I tell yeah, if you seen the posts of the pictures of my MOW fleet you'd reorganize that post on not having, I got alittle of everything, 3 boom cranes, 2 ditch cranes 2 Burro cranes side dump gondola's working on kitbashing a tamper, an kit building a ballast regular.... I'm a MOW fanatic! I got rotary snow plow an Jordan Spreader an everything, a 30 plus car train, without the plows! Plus, I'm working on a rail/tie gang as well. All in B&O.... And then I've begun a Western Maryland MOW train as well to be like not exact, to the B&O one I've custom made! I just got ideas on switching cars around better for this purpose or that purpose an the ones being taken out I have better "revenue" service for them.....
Hey 76, If I may call you John,(I like that name) You are but one man. What I am getting at is, I bet there are no more than 10, on this board that have the right amount of MOW to operate. I don't want to be antoagonistic, but. Just wondering who has the MOW in mind when they Model their Empire. I did'nt start this thread but ai like it. [ 29. December 2003, 02:40: Message edited by: John797 ]
John, (almost like I'm talking to myself here HA!) but yeah I have a thing with construction equiptment! I always did an I'm facinated with the Railroad stuff..... I think, my favorite MOW piece has to be a Jackson 6700 Tamper. BUT I have a thing for Cranes too. I like the little Clam shell bucket Burro Cranes, but I like almost any type crane really..... (My favorite construction piece wether railroad related or regular construction equiptment, its a crane.....) But I like to be extensive, I'm bad for creating "sets" on the railroad stuff.... I like to have a extensive "set" to just about everything.... My MOW has no limit, being its an extensive part of the railroad, the loco's 2 to 4 loco's per engine "set" 10 to 20 cars per train "set" with caboose on the end, UNLESS I'm running present day stuff then its 10 to 20 cars, an no caboose...... BUT I am noted to run 40 to 50 cars alot, which is sets combined into one long train....This way, I can store things away as sets an know what I'm getting when I get to a certain box, for the organization of it, an easily stored.... But for my MOW stuff, I'm really proud of it being, its what got me the name I got with my shop, I repair custom build, detail, custom paint/leter/detail trains from N scale to G scale for a living... I took an bought each car as junk, rebuilt it to revenue service an put it in my MOW fleet after a custom painting, an decalling an then super detailed! Which shows my quallity added in my work, an I do work just as that shows to every customer.... But my MOW train, is like a "shop advertisement" for me, as most know, its something you just don't go out an buy off a shelf, plus each car, shows a "basic" car, that was the base of each piece, thats some kind of factory part, customized!
Hey John, If I can find it, I have an issue of MR I think, and it has an O scale fully functional 200 ton crane that someone scratch built. It sure is a beauty and everyting on it works. I do remember that the article accompanying the photos said that it weighs 7 or 8 pounds and can lift its own weight. Looks really impressive. If I can find it I'll post a pic of it. I think it is an the early to mid fiffties issue.
John, I'll enjoy seeing that! I've got 3 of them for this one MOW set, an one other 200 T crane for my started an up comming Western Maryland RW MOW set (Yes, I'm building another MOW fleet), for the other half of my collection.... But an opperational 200T crane in O scale.. gots to be neat to see! I know I'll enjoy seeing the article!
I would tend to agree that m-o-w equipment tends to be a little bit overlooked on many layouts...my experience has been that if any is to be seen, it will most likely be a crane or a snowplow... Like I said earlier, the best thing to do is to study your prototype, see what makes sense to it and to you. Maintenance equipment happens to be one of my primary interests in this hobby...I've been enjoying this thread. JDLX Elko, NV
I guess I am one of the ten...only I am now guilty of under powering what would have been my MOW train...One Mantua 0-4-0 with all original motor and pickups (TERRIBLE)...It needs upgrading so I can put it on switching duty. Snowplows...I am well covered these days, except I seem to have them in pieces...I have one older looking plow, about 2-3 Lima plows(but they need the Lima Tenders, those Athearn People forgot something here), A Russell, a Gondola plow, and hat is about it, I hope...Now mind you, I haven't set my region yet....but if my region is Arizona, I might have a serious problem...I guess this will have to be Operation Cool Off The Desert... Cranes...I seem to not have all the ones I want...I also have some under construction...I am going to pick up a gould/tichy crane some day, those look really nice, and I am going to have to find a longer beam crane (I think they run in the 25 ton range) I am also looking forward to building a couple of pieces, I already build a very light crane, and next, I have to build heavier crane, a pile driver, a light steam shovel, a heavy steam shovel, a rock slider bean crane/loader, and that should be about it....Now each of these pieces will require its own support car and then Idler car for all the junk that some of these cars need to get ther jobs done, and then there is the rest of the train to fill it out of couse...at this rate, I really won't have ANY room in the yards for anything else other then MOW...I might make revenue off leasing/renting/selling MOW service... I saw an article in an old RMC that I have to do with a SP water car...reports in this spring.
With all the discussion about MOW cars for the fleet, I got to thinking- has anybody out there modeled a wreck cleanup fleet, such as what Hulcher uses? Or even Frisco's Emergency Response Teams used by that road in its last decade? I'm talking sideboom Cats, trucks w/lowboy trailers, and other equipment. Not as "railroady" as the Big Hook and work train, but it's used in today's railroading.
Bob, I have planed a "Cat" loaded onto a flat car, with ramp, to go off to the ground, that will be a folding ramp deal, off the end of the car, that is folded from the up position to the down position, that will be done by either crane, or air, from separate air lines from the air that runs through the car for braking etc. Then this end, will have NO coupler! It will have only one coupler, on the other end of the car, which will make opperation difficult, BUT, I have also though of a "retracting" coupler, or even a coupler in place, just a really long ramp to clear it....a 50 foot flat car, with a long ramp, which is just to haul the "Cat" around to wreck sites, I have this all in plan, HOWEVER, I have to get around to finishing it. PLus, I have the "Cat" dozer, I just need to get a blade for on it.... Its a shame that I bought this thing in a box of "junk" parts, which, it was a really nice detailed Cat dozer, just the blade an hydrolics were missing etc.... So, I'mon the hunt for a blade to mount to this thing! I have plenty of 50 foot flat cars, to make the car from, I just have to do the ramp, an the Cat itself, an then custom paint it to match my existing B&O MOW.... Plus, to then do one for my Western Maryland MOW, thats up an comming! I have alotta idea's for these 2 trains, its just getting the detail, an parts need plus the time to do it all thats the problem!
Hey John, I have'nt forgoten about you. I'm still looking. I have found everything from MR back to '48, but some issues are missing. It might have been in RMC. I'm not sure, but I will keep looking. I want to find it so you can see what real genius was about in the early days of modeling, ie., no plasatic (or very little at most).
John, Thats ok! Take your time, its worth the wait! You find it an all, you may e-mail me on it, by using my e-mail in my signature! Been pretty busy myself! So. I know how hectic times can get, an how fast it happens!
Hey John, Thanks for the respite on time, I still can't find the issue I want. I just finished putting together a Rotary Snow Plow (NYC) from athearn and am having a hard time with the dry-rotted rubberbands that drive the disc, any advice?
John, Your more then welcome! As I said, its worth the wait. As for the rubber band drive, I'd contact your local hobby shop on it, I'm sure they should have them on stock or can carry them. IF NOT I'd then get in touch with Athearn or Renmbrandt hobbies in Ohio, I'll have to see if I casn get you a phone number for them! Unless someone else may have it an can post it off the top of their head.
Hey John, While we're on the subject of a good 'ole blue box Rotary Plow, How much weight would you add to make it more realistic? I think I need to add about 3.5 oz, or there abouts. I found some rubberbands that seem to do the trick but I need more weight. I don't want to weight it down to the degree of burnnng up a good loco motor but it seems that I have too much tension and no weight. I know the amount of weight I should put in it to run per NMRA stds but I don't know if it will turn the plow. I have never researched the prototypical operation of a plow. Do they run as a seperate entity or are they just coupled onto the front of a long consist to help?
John 797- "I have never researched the prototypical operation of a plow. Do they run as a seperate entity or are they just coupled onto the front of a long consist to help?" Depends on the prototype. Most roads tend to run plow trains as plow extras. The SP over Donner had a three pronged approach to plow trains...first line of defense was the flanger set, which was pulled back and forth over the hill by two or three diesels. Next came the spreader set, which consisted of two Jordan spreaders (one pointing each direction) with two or so locomotives sandwiched in the middle. If the spreaders and flangers were unable to keep up with snowfall then the rotary sets would come out, they ran with two rotaries (once again, one on each end) with up to four locomotives in between. I have seen pictures of the Chicago & Northwestern which indicate that they would add a plow to the front of freights working on branchlines. A lot of shortlines would tack on a plow on the front of regular freights (a lot of them cannot afford the luxery of running a separate plow train). My favorite prototype, the McCloud River, had a bunch of small double ended bucker plow/flangers, and in a lot of older photos you will see one of these placed directly behind the locomotive, ready to be brought out when needed. The railroad still has one of these plows (home-built in 1939) in service today. If you are modeling a mainline, run your plow as a plow extra (the plow and the power in it's own train). If you do branchlines/shortlines, that gives you a bit more flexibility to put the plow on the front of a freight. Rotaries were almost always run as plow extras (you have enough things going on with a rotary to keep you busy without having to add a train on top of that). If you want a good video on the subject, I recommend The Battle for Donner Pass...it is an old Video Rails production (VR was taken over by Pentrex a few years ago). VR camera crews rode along with the SP snow fighters during the height of snow removal operations during the winter of 1992/1993. This video is still available from Pentrex (last I knew) and is about the best railfan tape I have ever seen. JDLX Elko, NV http://www.trainweb.org/mccloudrails
Pentrex have just released a DVD with "Battle for Donner Pass" and "Across Donner Summit" on it (I received a copy today, but haven't watched it yet). Over 3 hours of Donner
