For a variety of reasons, it has been a rather slow few months around the layout. But I did get to most of the Phoenix area train shows, which brings me to various thoughts.

Someone breaking trains?

I don’t think he has ever been mentioned in this site, but our adult handicapped son lives with us. He was pretty chill through the pandemic, but with some changes of meds (the changes were good until they weren’t) the holidays were terrible. Part of the terrible was he started breaking trains. I put away a number of classic items and also put things away from the table where I usually did decals. As a result, I have not put a decal on anything in months, and I’ve mostly been working on random HO projects and HO to OO conversions. Most of what I’ve run on the OO layout has been models based on HO plastic, items of low value (but that also operate well).

Train shows and OO

As already mentonied, I did get to some train shows. I basically don’t plan on seeing any OO at a train show in Arizona. But I did find two big scores.

I already mentioned the working on random HO projects, I purchased several items just to use as HO, and had some HO that I was working on repairing. I needed trucks, and found some nice, inexpensive vintage HO trucks at a couple shows. At one in particular I found a surprise, The Truck, there was a Schorr OO Bettendorf truck in the box with HO trucks! Got it for a dollar if I remember correctly.

The other score was a Scale-Craft stock car on HO trucks. It was in a box with various train set type HO cars for maybe $2 each car. Of course, it was HUGE as a HO model and looked silly on HO trucks. It is in nice shape and will cycle through the shops in due time.

Comparisons

Among the HO models that caught my attention and were purchased at the train shows were these, which form interesting comparisons between HO and OO.

First up are these boxcars. The HO model is the venerable Athearn model, and the OO model is Scale-Rail Industries sides on a Famoco body. I built the OO model and I’m happy how it came out, but of course the HO model is sharper in a number of details.

And then we have these modern reefers. Depicting nearly the same prototype, the HO model is Athearn, the OO model was scratchbuilt in wood (with some effort!) by Bill Johann. Again, the HO version objectively is the better model, but the OO model has a lot of charm and character, I think. Johann did use HO decals, which are a little undersized on such a big model.

Finally, we have these tank cars. They are both HO scale Mantua/Tyco models, but the shiny one (all plastic) has been around the layout for ages (I added reporting marks, other details) and the weathered one (plastic tank on die cast frame) was in a bargain bin at a recent train show, in need of some TLC. I like the lettering on it, and the weathering is interesting. I worked up some of the “conversion” HO trucks (with HO 36″ wheels to improve the look) for the model, to operate on the OO layout. A HO 10,000 gallon tank car is a decent stand-in for a OO 8,000 gallon car, and I enjoy seeing them run together — pairs of cars always look nice to my eye.

Bonus comparison

Before I temporarily stopped doing decals, I completed these two cars. The HO model is die cast metal, I think vintage Ulrich, and the OO is of course Scale-Craft. Again, quite a difference of size between the scales. I have a HO test track on a table in our family room, it has been nice to exercise these HO models regularly these few months.

Things are looking brighter

The breaking of trains has stopped, as we have the meds mostly sorted out now — our son is doing better overall for sure now (but does need more attention than before). And I’m slowly getting back to working on some actual OO projects. For example, this weekend I made progress on mounting the motor in a Nason Gas-Electric. And I’ve had time to work on a French horn building project too. Signs of brighter days ahead, I hope.