Foley Locomotive & Car Shops, Newark, CA, FoleyCarShops@gmail sell On30 kits for a Whitcomb internal combustion locomotive for $80.00 plus $8.00 postage. In 1906, the George D. Whitcomb Company produced the first internal combustion industrial locomotive. Its success led to the development of a successful railroad manufacturing business that operated until 1956 when its then parent company, Baldwin Locomotive Works, closed down its Eddystone, Pennsylvania, plant.

Fran Foley of Foley Locomotive and Car Shops, with Thomas Yorke, is selling a 3D printed model of a 1930 version of the a 20-ton Whitcomb. This model features the side door cab, a bar frame and diamond Whitcomb logo on the engine compartment front. The bar frame is unusual since most Whitcombs featured plate frames; however, our photo shows an outside bar frame on a narrow gauge locomotive placing its production shortly after Baldwin took over operations in 1931. The kit consists of over 50 3D printed and metal parts necessary to build the locomotive’s superstructure. This assembly can be powered with a modified Bachmann On30 streetcar mechanism. The modification only requires the removal of the end tabs of the motor block which can be easily accomplished with either a hacksaw or Dremel tool with a cutoff wheel. Screws are provided in the Foley kit to attach the power unit to the assembled superstructure. An additional feature of the model is the included engine for the motor compartment. The doors can be either left off for a clear view of the engine, or glued in place to allow room for any additional weight or electronic or dead rail parts to be mounted under the snap-on removable hood top.

Construction is straight forward requiring only a few simple tools and some sandpaper. The overall fit of the pieces is excellent with the sandpaper only needed to remove some of the draft angle from the side frames, and to remove some of the print pattern on a few pieces. I found that this pattern was fully obscured with two coats of gray spray primer. I used ACC Gel adhesive to assemble the kit. Construction of the body and chassis took about three hours, making it an easy night or two project.

The finished body was given two coats of gray spray primer followed with a coat of red oxide and a misting of dark flat brown. When this dried overnight, the cab and engine hood was sprayed with a construction yellow and the underframe was misted with flat black. The engine compartment and cab interior were masked off prior to painting and remained flat gray. The body’s exterior was distressed with fine sandpaper to replicate the paint chipping and general wear seen on industrial locomotives.

With the paint dry and preliminary weathering complete, the power truck was screwed to the chassis and this assembly married to the upper works. The kit features pre-bent grab irons which were painted separately and then installed plus two hemispherical headlight housings. I used a scrap of metal leftover from a photo-etched fret to bend a couple of mounting brackets and painted the headlights and mounts flat black before attaching them to the body.

The only two items not included with the kit were a bell and clear glazing.

The finished model closely replicates the available drawings and prototype photos. Fully complete, the locomotive weighs 4.3 ounces and easily handled a half dozen On30 cars on a small test loop. It will be equally at home powering a micro layout or industrial complex. Just decal it for your home road or industry and have fun. George Riley.

Peco, Underleys, Beer, Seaton, Devon, EX12 3NA England, peco-uk. I reviewed Peco’s new OO9 Festiniog Railway four-wheel passenger cars known as “Bug Boxes” in the July/August 2020 Gazette. They were affectionately known as “Bug Boxes” because they were only about 11 feet long.

The carriages reviewed in the July/August issue were painted in the colors of the restored Festiniog Railway applied in the 1950s when the railway was being resurrected. In this new release by Peco, the carriages are decorated in the Victorian paint scheme that lasted until the 1920s and date their entry into service in 1865.

The fit and finish on these low-slung models is first rate and the painting and printing superb. Roofs are removable so that passengers can be added to really bring life to each carriage. A first class car with five windows per side, a third class enclosed coach with three windows, and an open observation carriage are available. Each of these models is a little gem that will readily be a home on a slate railway or tourist line, and sell for £26.00. George Riley.

Banta Modelworks, 421 Hopkins Road, Dumerston, VT 05301, bantamodelworks, sells S scale kits for the Roubies Corner Saloon for $98.00. The same kit is also available in HO for $74.00, O for $132.00 and if you’d like to live in it, F scale (1:20.3) for $240.00. I assembled the S kit, my first S scale model, for the NMRA The Magic of Scale Model Railroads exhibit at the California State Railroad Museum (still not open). Banta kindly donated two S scale structure kits for the exhibit and I built this one, using the second one to splay the parts out to show what a laser-cut kit looks like. The kit contains high quality laser-cut basswood and plywood parts, laser-cut laser board parts, strip wood, a sheet with color photos of the model, acetate pre-cut windows, printed signs, instructions, and tubing for a smokestack.

As with other Banta kits, assembly begins with a plywood sub-shell with interlocking tabs over which thin laser-cut siding is glued. Layered doors and windows are then built and fit perfectly. These assemblies are peel-and-stick to ease construction, and to keep glue marks off the pre-cut acetate “glass.” The illustrated instructions and parts diagrams really help, as does the full color sheet of photos of a finished model that show all sides.

I encountered no problems with assembly and built this kit stock, adding no lights or interior detail given because it was going into the exhibit. I also left the tissue cover on the acetate windows to disguise the lack of interior. All of the parts fit well but do pre-fit to check. Occasionally I had to trim or sand a piece to fit perfectly. Although precise, none of the work is difficult and the instructions really help. I agreed with the instructions that assembling the walls before staining and painting them would reduce warpage. Despite the instructions, I elected to do the roof almost last so as to have easier access to the building shell for window and door placement. The sheet of full color signs really adds to the finished look and many more are provided than can be used.

My only additions were a few Arttista S figures from Fun-N-Games on the balcony. As a couple kiss, a sneaky photographer takes a picture, soon to be bashed on the head by an angry friend of the couple. This was a fun project and I can see why S scalers call S the perfect scale. The detail is there, but not in as much space as O scale. Charlie Getz.

Berkshire Valley Models, 438 Morgan Woods Dr., Fenton, MO 63026, 314/401-4005, berkshirevalleymodels has a new ore wagon in their extensive line of O scale wagons that sells for $29.95. The prototype for this sturdy wagon was not designed for comfort, it was designed to haul as much ore as possible, so there are no springs. The kit has a cast white metal underframe cast in several pieces that is to be assembeled with CA. The wheels are also white metal and I did have to open the axles holes a bit. The superstructure is composed of thin laser-cut laser board. The floor, sides, and ends are all double layered so there are “boards” showing on the inside and outside of the body. The straps and wood supports for the sides and ends are laser cut and have nail impressions. The end of the wagon has interesting doors and an ore chute to more easily unload the wagon. The seat and seat springs are also white metal as are the brake ratchet and brake foot lever.

The instructions are clear and have several photos of an ore wagon under construction. I had no trouble assembling my ore wagon by following the instructions and studying the photos. I am pleased with my ore wagon and it makes a neat addition to my growing collection of Berkshire Valley wagons and vintage motor vehicles.

Berkshire Valley also has horses available to pull their wagons. They have two versions of a pair of harnessed walking horses, a pulling pair, and a standing pair, for $15.00 a pair. You can also buy a single standing horse, or a single standing horse with a straw hat, for $7.50 each. There is even a pair of oxen, with yoke, for $15.00. All these animals come with separate harnesses. They are cast in white metal with their bodies in two halves, with a separate head, neck, and tail. Illustrations are included showing you where the harness parts go. You do have to paint the animal and any straps cast on them. Please forgive my wobbly straps, my eyes are not what they once were.

A third new kit from Berkshire Valley assembles into an 18-inch-long by 23/4-inch-wide loading platform with ramps at each end. The kit sells for $29.95. Assembly is easy. There is a 1/8-inch-thick, laser-cut, 2-piece wood subfloor with holes for all those laser-cut wood legs or supports. You glue the subfloor together, glue in the legs, add a laser-cut deck and side beams. Then you add the end ramps and supporting strips along each side of the deck. The strips have holes in them for the white metal NBW castings included in the kit. I drilled these holes out to make inserting the NBW castings easier. I flushed my platform with Hunterline Grey stain. The instructions are clear, but really not needed for this easy to assemble kit. Bob Brown.

Walthers, 5601 West Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218, walthers, sells HO scale Cornerstone kits for the Vintage Auto Dealership, for $39.98 each. Made entirely from high quality injection styrene, this kit, a licensed product by Ford Motor Company, assembles into a typical urban Art Deco auto dealer/garage. From the rounded sales office windows, to the entry with architectural vertical elements and a lovely rounded sign, this kit would work from the late 1930s to the present. Featuring a brick back service area with glass block windows, this rather large building would be a focal point for any urban or small town scene. I assembled my kit as designed and everything fit perfectly. I chose to paint mine off-white and Ford Blue with brick-colored back and sides. I also added a venerable Quality Products neon Ford window sign in the side rear window, as Walthers recommends. I also added interior details and lights to the showroom where two couples and a salesman view the vehicles on display. I plan on adding two billboards to the roof to advertise Fords, and was pleased with the results of this well-designed kit. Charlie Getz.

Woodland Scenics, P.O. Box 98, Linn Creek, MO 65052, woodlandscenics.com has a new series of HO and O scale fences for sale. I have samples of an O scale Privacy (board) Fence, a Barbed Wire Fence, a Log Fence, a Picket Fence, a Rail Fence and a Chain Link Fence. These O scale fences sell for $19.99 each, come in 8-inch sections and are 48-inches long. N scale fences are $12.99 each, and HO scale fences sell for $14.99 each. Each fence set also includes gates with hinges, and are realistically weathered and wood grained where appropriate. I can see uses for each of my samples, and they will save time and provide me with effective fencing.

Woodland Scenics also sells twelve HO scale Modern Era vehicles for $24.95 each. I have samples of a Black Sedan, Passenger Van, and Silver Sports Car. These vehicles will fit into contemporary scenes, and are detailed and nicely painted models with window glass. Bob Brown.

Berkshire Valley Models, 438 Morgan Woods Dr., Fenton MO 63026, berkshirevalleymodels.com, has produced two more wagons in HO, similar to their O scale versions. I reviewed the first two releases in the July/August 2020 issue and review the Heinz delivery van and buckboard here. The delivery van is similar in construction to the first two releases with a combination of cast-metal axle/wheels with laser-cut wood and laser board body and undercarriage parts. As with the earlier kits, you assemble each subassembly first, then paint them if different colors are to be used. I used a cream color for the van body and maroon for the undercarriage. The paper signs add a lot, as do the separately available driver and horse. Waxed thread reins (not provided) were the finishing touch. No problems were encountered in assembly.

The buckboard differs in construction in that all parts are laser-cut wood or laser board, and is incredibly tiny. I decided to paint it all one color, so I assembled the components first and then painted it as is recommended in the instructions. The assembly is precise and demanding due to the delicate size of the components. Do not sneeze! But all the parts fit well, and little glue is needed. This is a tiny wagon and the axle width spacing seemed too wide until I finished assembly and realized it looked just right. Unlike other wagons, buckboards use the wide axle as a spring. Again, I added a BV driver and horse with reins, though one could easily “park” this wagon next to a barn or stable. Both wagons are delicate and finely scaled. More styles are being produced, so I cannot wait to see what other surprises the Berkshire Valley folks have for us. Since the demise of the Jordan Highway Miniatures line with their wagons, these wagons are very welcome. Charlie Getz.

Inter-Action Hobbies, P.O. Box 1021, Chase, British Columbia, VOE 1MO, Canada, 888/850-1742, interactionhobbies. When Charlie Getz reviewed an Inter-Action Hobbies HO scale cabin with an animated rocking chair in the May/June Gazette, my ears perked up. I have always been interested in animations on layouts, even though my own layout only has one, a water spout. However, 20 years ago, I built an O scale model of Los Altos, California, with 21 animations for the Los Altos History Museum. You can see five of them in Robert’s Ramblings in the July/August 2019 Gazette.

I was interested in this rocking chair for its mechanism. Could it be used for other animations than the chair? So, I ordered one and it arrived on my porch in a few days. I paid $26.95 plus postage, and received a bunch of parts to use on any animation requiring a back and forth or up and down motion. For example, you could raise and lower a ball signal, move a signal blade, open and close crossing gates, and open a farm or industrial gate, to name a few. The motor that comes with the kit is whisper quiet and can run so slowly you’re not sure its moving. The mounting bracket can be used, as can the rotary arm and long arm for moving things up and down. The kit comes with a battery holder, on and off toggle switch, and wiring diagram. Of course you can always use this kit to add a rocking chair to a pre-existing structure. Now I have to decide how to use my kit. Maybe moving something on My Eureka Mill Railroad? Bob Brown.

Showcase Miniatures, 13536 County Road 45, Tuskegee AL 36083, showcaseminiatures, sells the HO scale 1929 Speed Delivery Van, kit #3001, for $22.75. The kit consists of a resin body and underframe, white metal castings, custom decals and photo-etched details, as shown in the photo. Assembly is covered in a small, illustrated instruction sheet and color photo. Assembly is relatively easy with clean-up of the castings, assembly of the underframe, wheels and axles, followed by application of the water-slide decals and body/details. I pre-painted the parts first, and as suggested, trimmed the decals close to their final size. I encountered no problems with their application, and if you do not wish to assign the truck to a beer company, Micro-scale, among others, offers decals for a variety of companies that might be useable. I added a driver, but otherwise assembled the van as instructed.

Applying the photo-etched side mirrors and front windshield frame added much to the final appearance. I was so pleased with this classic little van that I obtained a second. For more modern-era modelers, Showcase offers a U.S. Postal delivery van, plus other contemporary trucks, so check their website for details. Charlie Getz.