Thursday, January 21, 2010

New Motive Power?

Kato is having an end of year sale, and one of the items is the mechanism for their legendary Mikado. At the price they are offering it's darn near impossible to pass up, and in fact I have already ordered one.

My plans are to build the GHQ kit for the Pennsy L1, offered through Republic Locomotive Works. Of course the management questions my need for another piece of motive power, especially considering that this one is a kit and not a finished locomotive.

I am going to have to find a suitable tender for it, but unfortunately the tender trucks are out of stock at Kato. I'm thinking one of the Bachmann tenders might do the trick. I don't really need a Mikado for the Susquenanna River and Western branch of the PVRR, but I couldn't pass it up.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

In Memoriam

Pliny G. Holt, Naval Aviator and model railroader, passed away on January 4, 2010 at the age of 99. Captain Holt was, at the time of his passing, the oldest living Naval Aviator. He modeled the Southern Pacific Railroad in N scale and was also a noted model ship builder.

He attended Naval Aviation flight training with Captains "Bull" Halsey and John S. McCain (grandfather of Arizona Senator John S. McCain III), although he was but a cadet. He was NMRA MMR #178 and also held masters certificates in model ship building.

Fair winds and following seas Captain.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Science!

Next time someone picks at you for playing with trains, show them this link!










Photo by Elle Starkman