O Scale Motor Chronicle

They are beautuful models, each, and bargains compared to Brooklin, etc. I, too, am sort of glad I have no interest in the later-model cars because otherwise they would bankrupt my budget. 

Speaking of bargains, I am "adjusting" to the car on the right, below.  Yes, I model only up into the 1950s, when it comes to buying 1:43 sports cars I make exceptions for anything up through the mid 60s (I have three Ferrari 275 GTBs, etc.) and I recently picked up the Brock Yates designed Cobra Daytona coupe.  This one cost $7 including shipping, and is literally no-name: came wrapping in plastic bubble wrap from somewhere in the eastern pacific rim.  I was initially upset with its quality (the front axle rod is too much and the wheels stick out (fixable) and its, well, rather cheap with a lot of cast-in rather than added on details.  However, once I thought about it, I realized, it is not a jewel like the Chevy, but . . . seven dollars including shipping. It's a nice model for that.  A little repair to the front axle rod, a little paint detailing, and it will be fantastic.

This is a Signature Models 1948 Ford pickup I weathered to give the look of a beat-up farm truck. One door and one fender are different colors to look like they were replaced with used ones from a junkyard. I added rust spots on the lower body and bright trim then gave the whole thing a flat finish. I gave the horizontal surfaces a dusting of rust colored chalk to give a look of paint weathered thin. Finally I added a driver, load and a dog.

This is a First Response 1941 Ford (now available from American Heritage Models) I wanted a tired old car so I added heavy rust along the lower body and gave it a flat finish. The bodies of cars in the Northeast salt belt would start to show rust out in about 3 years.

I also have a few American Excellence –NEO models and I agree they top of the line at an excellent price, My first one was the ’52 Chevy because that was the car I learned to drive on.

This is a great thread.  I love the weathered truck.  The "replaced door" is an inspired idea - how many times have you seen this is the real world?

On another thread we were talking about Corvettes.  Here are mine.  Since my layout is targeted at '55 I don't normally keep the '67 and the '72 on the layout but I stretch a point with the '57.I love Corvettes but I don't want to own one - but that is a story for another day.

Beautiful job on the pickup, Richard! This is a good thread.

Jeff C

Even with 1/4 inch of ice on the roads, UPS managed to deliver this today.  Yes, it's 1960, not 1955 like the time of my layout, but I have to make an exception for this beauty.  1:43 Spark model of Bluebird, the land speed record car (403 mph driven by its wheels - no jet engines despite the big vents on the rear (dual exhausts).  It is a beautiful car and makes a fantastic flat car load.

Wish I could afford this--and I wish there was a 1955 Imperial in 1/43 scale.

Jeff C

Jeff, Motor City made a 1955 Imperial 2-dr HT as a 1:43 handbuilt model. The early version did not have silver/chrome around the windows...a later version did. They are expensive, and the later version is hard to find.

This is a U S A Models’55 Imperial I purchases about 15 years ago for $80. The last one I seen for sale was well above $200

Thanks, guys! Maybe someday...

Jeff C

The Imperial is pretty nice.  But that Nash - now a Nash is seriously cool.

Guys:  Really am enjoying this thread!  Richard, I think that your weathering on some of your cars is exceptional and Lee, again, I always enjoyed seeing your powered vehicles running on Superstreets.

I have about 160, or so, vehicles on my layout, cars mostly in 1/43, trucks and busses in 1/50.  I don't consider myself as a collector but rather I just used the vehicles to add to the layout ambiance.  The setting for my layout is 1950, just towards the end of steam and the befinning of diesel power.   And virtually all trains are Milwaukee Road although I also have a smattering of C&NW, so the setting of the layout is primarily Chicago and west although no actual locations are directly represented.  So my vehicles are also 1950 and older since cars of the 1930's and 1940's were still in regular use. 

Most of the cars have been cheap, K-Line, Road Champs and others that were available for $5 or $10 bucks.  But a few years ago my wife bought me a Brooklyn 1935 Nash sedan, which I immediately placed in a prominent place.  That got me to thinking that just that one unusual car so added to the overall scene, actually improving the impression of the cheap, more common cars.  So I started buying a few more Brooklyn cars and now must have about a dozen.  Added to the Solido cars and some other "up scale" models, my parking lots, streets and highways have now a lot more realistic variety which I really like.

The idea of weathering some, select cars and trucks to make them more working class vehicles appeals to me.  i've also added people to many of my cars, particularly to the open models.  3rd Rail makes seated passenger people decorated in 1940's era clothing that really look correct for my layout.  Since 3rd Rail came out with their people I have concentrated on just using them for virtually all of my seated "folks".  I'd like to know just what you do to add weathering to your vehicles.  Any tips?

Paul Fischer

Someone mentioned the sale at Tractor Supply.  Thanks!  I went by and picked up a set of 1:43 18 wheelers.  3 cabs and trailers for $9.99.  Can't beat that! 

A buddy of mine had one of those Nash Rambler convertibles when I was in high school It was a serious rust bucket. One day were coming home from school and as we crossed a railroad track that led into a junk yard, the spring towers gave way and bent the hood in the middle. My buddy removed the license plates and scraped the car right there at that junk yard. We took a bus the rest of the way home

First thing is to take the model apart. Some models are easier to take apart than others. Spray the model with a flat finish, but not the windows, this gives it tooth to the surface. I use artist’s crayons, available at art supply stores, You can use mineral sprits to blend them. Next I apply rust colored chalks. Finally I seal them with a flat finish. The flat finish tends to tone things down.

I have a question:
I has been suggested that I make O Scale Motor Chronicle a weekly feature. I have gotten two points of views on how to post from my friends. The first is to keep the original thread alive by posting new items at the end.  The pros are that earlier posts don’t get lost. The Cons are, as time goes on a reader has to go to farther and farther to the end to reach new posts.
The second is to start a new thread every week, or perhaps every month, depending on the traffic. The pros of that are that a reader doesn’t have to scan through a great deal of post that he read before to find new material. I could create a link to previous threads and that would make it easier for someone to find and read earlier posts.

I value your input.

Trains traveling down the center of the street have always fascinated me. On my layout I have some street running. I built it before K-Line introduced Super Streets and I don’t use it for motor vehicles.
Unless you have operating streetcars or trains using street trackage, I wonder if it would easier to modify HO slot racing trackage and 1/43 cars with HO racecar mechanisms.

Richard E:  Thanx again for the advice on weathering.  I'm gonna try it on a few of my older vintage cars and trucks.  Probably from the '30's or early '40's.  I always hate to risk ruining a car by disassembling it, especially if it is riveted together, but I guess that I could super-glue it back together after completing the weathering. 

Incidentally, I would encourage you to do a weekly or bi-weekly "motor chronicle".  The subject is interesting and important to many of us.  I'd certainly watch for it.

Incidentally again;  I really would like someone to make an inexpensive Ford Model AA, U.S. Mail truck.  I have one in a larger scale in my office but I'd really like to have a half a dozen of them on the layout itself.  They could be placed around the layout anywhere, might be stopping at mail boxes (which were olive green back in those days) might be at the RR station, or even a model post office.  They were literally ubiquitous and were in use right into the 1950's.  There are some Model A models out there, so all we's need to add is the wooden box on the back.

Paul Fischer

Definately, the second way: start a new thread each week.  We have at least two other "recurring" weekly threads - Midweek Haiku and Weekend at the Movies -- and both start a new thread each week.  It seems to work for them!

This is a splendid idea!

As far as starting a new thread each week goes, I wish there was a single thread in the scenics section...or ideally, a separate section like "York" is. Lets face it, a thread goes to page 2 in as little as 1 hour on the 3-rail section.

always loved to old triumphs. my father inlaw has a TR3 and a TR4, havent seen the light of day for a long time... i tried selling his TR4 on ebay a couple years ago for him, he had taken it completely apart and bought 4 of everything for it... but back in the garage...

anyway, he gave me a box of model kits to sell for him... wouldnt you know there was an on Lindberg Racer 3/8 inch = 1 foot TR3, perhaps this would make a good superstreet car?

I wish someone would make a "O" scale straddle-carrier. Don

Absolutely amazing job!  I really like it.  I havent considered weathering anything until seeing this.  I recent bought an old chevy 3100 and this:

Richard:

I believe that a weekly thread would work best, particularly with more photos of vehicles installed on layouts, similar to the Weekend Photo Fun thread.

I like your idea.

I‘ve been starting a new thread every week, with a link to the week before. This way a person can easily go back and read earlier posts. My intention is to post a new thread every Friday. This week I started Vol. IV Here is a link.
https://ogrforum.com/d...24#13397135084408424