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August 2008 • Volume 14, Issue 8 • The All-Scale NewsMonthly for Model Railroaders |
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| The August 2008 issue contains the following reviews, and columns: | |
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Special Coverage: • Project DCC, Part 3: DCC System Familiarization All-Scale Reviews • Silflor's realistic landscaping material • Bachmann Dynamis DCC Control System N-Scale Reviews • Kato's Daylight Northern 4-8-4 GS-4 • Intermountain SD45-2 and Wood Deck Flat Car HO-Scale Reviews • Cover Story: BLI Blueline Union Pacific Big Boy • Walthers Proto 2000 Early EMD Road Switchers • Sidetrack Laser Cougar Ridge Lumber Company O-Scale Reviews • MTH 19th Century Wood Coaches Large-Scale Reviews • (Fn3) Bachmann Tank Cars • (1:24) Aristo-Craft C-16 Book & DVD Review • Book: Brass Model Trains Price & Date Guide Volume 1 • DVD Great Model Trains Vol. 58: Howard Zane's Piermont Division Columns • S Curves — Adventures in S • At the Grade Crossing — Honda leads the switch from road to rail for new car shipments • TAMR (Teen Assoc. of Model RRs) — The Ol' Four-by-(thirty)-Eight: B&O Huntingdon Branch • Thinking of DCC — Coping with multiple decoders in one engine |
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Project DCC Part 3 Integrating Operation and Automation — Part 3, DCC System Familiarization by Phil Scandura Last month we learned the basics of DCC and its history. This month we continue by reviewing the features of the three DCC systems we'll be using for Project DCC, as well as taking a quick look at decoder installation. |
Reviews |
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Walthers' EMD GP7 and SD7 Standard DC Switchers in HO Scale Review and Photos by John Sipple Walthers is offering GP7s and SD7s in both Sound/DC/DCC and Standard DC versions.The recently upgraded Proto 2000 line doesn’t just feature DCC and Sound options, it also features new helical drives for improved traction. Pick up the August edition to learn about EMD’s early road switchers, as well as the models’ performance, appearance, and sounds. |
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Kato's Southern Pacific Daylight 10-Car Passenger Set and Locomotive in N Scale Review and Photos by Phil Scandura Thanks to our friends at Kato, the N-scale community can now enjoy operating their own Morning Daylight train. Kato has released both the GS-4 locomotive and 10-car passenger set. In addition, four add-on articulated chair car sets are available to allow the modeler to expand the train to its full consist length of 18 passenger cars. Get all the details, plus some gorgeous shots of #4449 in Phil's review. |
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MTH Electric Trains' 64-Foot Wood-Sided Coach Set in O Scale Review and Photos by David Otte MTH Trains have finally issued their first Premier line 19th-Century passenger rolling stock: a three-car set of 64-foot-long wood coaches. Read about the prototype 1890s passenger coaches in the wooden-car era, along with details on these models' appearance and performance in David's review. |
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Bachmann's Framed and Frameless Tank Cars in Large Scale Review and Photos by John Sipple Bachmann is offering two types of tank cars in their Fn3 narrow gauge line frame (narrow frame) and frameless (Van Dyke). Read John's review to learn details about tank car prototypes, and to seehow these model tank cars match up to existing and historic prototypes in details and proportions. |
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Aristo-Craft's C-16 Steam Locomotive in Large (1:24) Scale with Quantum Aristo C-16 Sound Decoder Review and Photos by John Sipple Aristo-Craft has revised and improved their C-16 steam locomotive, and added a sound decoder from QSI Solutions. Get all the details on this Victorian era Iron Horse “Pacific Slope” model in John’s review, and see what bonus Aristo-Craft is offering with the purchase of their C-16 locomotive. |
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Intermountain's EMD SD45-2 Diesel Locomotive and 60' Wood Deck Flat Car in N Scale Review and Photos by Phil Scandura If you’re in the market for locomotives or rolling stock, you may enjoy the latest SD locomotive release from Intermountain, the SD45-2, as well as their 60-foot wood deck flat car. Read about the prototypes, as well as the models’ operation and attention to detail in Phil’s review. |
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Cover Story: Broadway Ltd.'s 4-8-8-4 Big Boy Steam Locomotive in HO Scale with Digitrax DH163LO Decoder Review and Photos by John Sipple How does the Blueline Big Boy from Broadway Limited compare with the PCM version released a few years back? Normally, we consider a review to be a given product’s moment in the sun, but since these two Big Boys come from the same company and the second one is a play on the first, John decided to make this review comparative. What advantages does Digitrax's DH163LO Decoder add? Read John’s opinion, in this month’s cover story review. |
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Sidetrack Laser's Cougar Ridge Lumber Company Kit in HO Scale Review and Photos by Rich Cobb Sidetrack Laser’s Cougar Ridge Lumber Company kit is based on several sawmills located in northern California and Oregon. Benefit from Rich’s experience and advice found in his review, on assembling and detailing this kit to add interest to your North American layout. |
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Silflor Spring Tone Sampler Set in Multi-Scales Review and Photos by Denis Dunning German hobby manufacturer Silflor's ground covers are available through U.S. distributor Scenic Express. Denis says their materials are the most realistic he has ever used, are easy to use, and the results are rather amazing. Check out his review to learn how you can add a new dimension to your layout. |
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Bachmann's Dynamis DCC System Review and Photos by John Sipple Bachmann is offering a new operator interface, the Dynamis DCC System. Read about John’s learning curve, working with the Dynamis, the system’s offerings, programming, capabilities, and living with the Dynamis in John’s review to see if this system is for you. |
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The Brass Model Trains Price & Data Guide by Dan Glasure • Published by Publishing Partners Intl. Review by Jan M. Willard Last month Jan introduced readers to The Brass Train Guide Book, which covers just about everything you’d need to know about Brass, and comes with a free copy of Brass Model Trains Price & Data Guide Volume I. This month, Jan talks about the new Price & Data Guide. This book is jam packed with updated data covering the following scales: HO Scale, HOn3, N Scale, O Scale, On3, and various scales. Read more in Jan’s review. |
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Great Model Railroads, Vol. 58 • Published by Allen Keller Productions Review and Photos by John Sipple Keller and Zane have teamed up once again, and they’ve created good entertainment and advice for model railroaders. This is Allen Keller’s third sortie over Howard Zane’s ever-expanding basement, and we get to see what he’s been up to lately on his Piermont Division, a transition-era layout through the Appalachian Mountains. Get more details in John’s review. |
Opinions |
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Editorial online Click to read and respond to this month's editorial Are Model Railroads a Violation of Building Codes? by John Sipple e-mail John at Editorial |
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Letters online
Read all the letters that appear in our August 2008 issue. |
| Columns | |
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S-Curves For and About S-Gauge Model Railroading — A Column by Roy Hoffman Adventures in S Roy shares adventures of a fellow S-Gauger, locomotive news, and a featured S Club. e-mail Roy at Scurves |
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At the Grade Crossing — A Column by Bill Cawthon Honda leads the switch from road to rail for new car shipments Bill shares how Honda leads the switch from road to rail for new car shipments, and reminisces on memories stirred by the recent discovery of a Chrysler La Comtesse in California. e-mail Bill at Gradecrossing |
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Teen Association of Model Railroaders (TAMR) — A Column by Steven Goehring The Ol' Four-by-(thirty)-Eight: B&O Huntingdon Branch Steven stops teasing and reveals details on the Baltimore & Ohio Huntingdon Branch Railroad, a miniature, miniature railroad designed for his new college dorm. e-mail TAMR tamr visit TAMR www.tamr.org |
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Thinking of DCC — A Column by John Sipple Coping with multiple decoders in one engine Due to an influx of letters asking about installing two separate decoders for performing two separate tasks, John explains the advantages of having a two decoder set-up (one for DCC and one for Sound), and how to make them work together. e-mail John at dcc |
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