Remembering the Rutland
Rutland Q&A
-page 9-
Q. #81 (02/05/01) Does anybody make trucks that are appropriate for the HO scale Rutland/NYC 60'-6" baggage car produced by Rutland car Shops?
-Alvie Hearren.
A. (02/06/01)
The Rutland's 60'-6" steel baggage cars were equipped with New York
Central R-7 trucks (4 wheels, 8' wheelbase). If you look closely at Rutland 129 now
residing at Steamtown you can see "NYC" cast into the truck
side frames.
Precision Scale Company (PSC) is the only hobby manufacturer that I'm
aware of producing NYC R-7 trucks. Both Bethlehem Car Works (white metal)
and Railworks (brass) sell four wheel-8 foot wheelbase trucks which are
of similar design (just not built to the NYC R-7 plan). PSC offers their R-7 trucks in
both plastic and brass. I highly recommend spending the extra money and purchasing the
brass version (#33208). The plastic trucks are constructed with a very brittle plastic and
........
Alas, from speaking with Bill Schneider of Branchline Trains
it appears that we won't be seeing any four wheel trucks from them any time soon. Bill did
not rule out producing four wheel trucks, but he indicated that they are already doing two
versions of the Pullman six wheel trucks and I got the impression that they are going to
wait and see how the coach and Pullmans do before tooling up for other type trucks.
-Mike Sparks (Rutland Car Shops)
A. (03/18/01) I fooled around with a pair of PSC plastic R-7 trucks because the plastic looked easy to cut away to model the express reefer trucks without leaf springs. I agree with Mike, given the choice I would buy brass because the plastic is very brittle. I did discover one thing that helped the appearance and might also work on the brass version (which I have not seen). After trying to find the wimpiest springs I could find, I realized that no matter what springs I put in, the trucks sat at full height as though there was no weight on them. I looked at an old set of Central Valley trucks and realized they solved that problem by casting a nub under the journal boxes so it always looked like the springs were partly depressed. So I glued a small piece of styrene to the yoke under each journal (being careful not to glue it to both the yoke and the journal) which made it look as though the springs were half compressed. The trucks looked much better and with a coat of paint the plug disappeared.
-Bill Badger
Anything to add? Click here to email your response. Please refer to Q #81
Q. #82 (02/07/01) I grew up in Fair Haven, Vermont and both Grandfathers were Rutland Railroadmen. Grandpa Cannon was an engineer. Has anyone modeled the coaling tower in the Rutland yard in HO and if so are there any plans or suggestions available. I would appreciate any help available.
-John Cannon
If you can help us please click here to email your response. Please refer to Q #82
Q. #83 (02/23/01) Does anyone have any ideas on modeling Rutland HO clear view tenders such as used on the 0-6-0's? I haven't seen any, 'tho Randy L. suggested Life-Like. Also, a tender such as used on the 50-class 4-6-0s?
-Stew Park
If you have any ideas please click here to email your response. Please refer to Q #83.
Q. #84 (02/23/01) Does anyone know of any Rutland steam decals (aluminum or white) in N gauge?
-Stew Park
If you have any ideas please click here to email your response. Please refer to Q #84.
Q. #85 (02/23/01) Has anybody fooled with electronic reproduction of Rutland steam whistles or Diesel horns? The only recordings I know of were made by Fred MacLeod many moons ago, and I think Blackhawk Films used them in those short film sequences. It would be neat if Dallee Electronics, or somebody else, could digitally reproduce them for us Rutland nuts.
-Stew Park
Consult Question #87 for more discussion on Rutland whistles and horns.
If you have any ideas please click here to email your response. Please refer to Q #85.
Q. #86 (03/18/01) Is there a recommended kit or brass model of the Rutland X-150 scale test car in HO scale? I know Andy Claremont kitbashed one for the NEB&W years ago, but cannot remember what kit he used as a basis for the X-150.
-Rome Romano
A. (06/17/01)
One starting point would be the Walthers kit. There are
still a few in stock. For a picture of the car go to:
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/932-5660
or
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/932-5657.
I found that Walthers search engine would not display the out of stock items even when I
requested that all items be shown. The above kits are sold out but you can see if it is
close enough to make a X-150.
-Steve Coons
If you have any other ideas please click here to email your response. Please refer to Q #86
Q. #87 (03/18/01) I am about to outfit an L-1 Mountain and an RS-3 with SoundTraxx sound units and want to get units with appropriate whistle and horns. I believe that the RS-3s had Nathan 3-chime horns - can anyone confirm this? And, I'm looking for suggestions as to which of the SoundTraxx whistle options will best mimic a Rutland whistle.
-Mike Sparks
A. (03/26/01) Referencing Dick Dermody's article on the RS-3's that appeared in the Volume 1, Number 2 issue of The Whippet, Dick states that the RS-3's carried Nathan P-series Airchime 3-bell airhorns. As for the L-1 whistle, I have the plans for the original. Maybe we can have one made and find out!
-Glenn Annis
A. (12/01/01) Peter Berg and I have been discussing the proper sound combination for the Rutland RS3's. Peter inquired of Sountraxx if they sell an Alco sound chip that includes the distinctive turbo whistle. Pete also wanted to know if the Alco sound can be purchased with a Nathan P3 horn (as of November 2001 the Soundtraxx web site lists the P3 as only available with the GE sound). Here is the reply from Soundtraxx's Larry Larsen :
Peter,
No, the turbo is not in the ALCO sound. I will pass your request on to the President of
our company.
823218 DSD-150 decoder for ALCO with Nathan P3 $179.00
825218 DSX sound only decoder for ALCO with Nathan P3 $129.00
Larry Larsen
Customer Service
-Jim Dufour
A. (12/16/01) This is a site I found and may be of some use. Five Chime Consultants Airhorn Guide at: <http://atsf.railfan.net/airhorns/>
-Craig Mattil
If you have more to add please click here. Please refer to Q #87
Q. #88 (03/25/01)
Years ago, (I believe it was about 1950) there was an excursion on the Rutland RR
that ran from Chatham in Columbia County, NY to Rutland, VT. The participants were dressed
in period clothing, and myself and a half dozen people of American Indian extraction,
dressed in tribal garb, stopped and attacked the train, boarded it and road the
balance of the distance into Rutland, and engaged in a picnic and celebration of the
occasion there. Do you know where I can obtain any verification of that event? I wonder if
any pictures were taken, and whether they might be available.
I appreciate any information you can give me, or perhaps you can refer me to someone else?
-Les Comes
A. (03/27/01) Mr. Comes -- There were indeed excursions on the Chatham Branch of the Rutland Railroad - sponsored by the Exchange Club of Chatham - four of them in the month of September from 1948 to 1951. I was a passenger on all of them and do remember the "raid" you speak of - which I think took place near Cherryplain or thereabouts - but I have no photos of the event. If you were there you should know it happened.
Over the years I have looked for photos of those trips, other than my own, but they seem very scarce for some reason. Probably train photograph wasn't as popular as it is today unfortunately. My photos are regrettably limited by being on the train itself and not being in a position to see it pass.
-Jim Shaughnessy
A. (04/01/01) Mr. Comes - On page 84 and 85 of William J. McChesney's book Trackside -- East of the Hudson 1941-1953 (Morning Sun Books Inc., 1998, ISBN 1-878887-89-0) are some color photos of the Exchange Club special taken on Sept. 30, 1951. One of the pictures shows a little girl in a "Gay Nineties" dress. This may be the excursion you remember. I hope this helps you out.
-Terry Dengler
If you can help Les please click here to email your response. Please refer to Q #88.
Q. #89 (04/15/01)
Are the 2700-series flat cars an exact 40 feet over the endsills, or over
the buffers? Does anyone have a good picture of the "B" end detail, showing the
brake staff detail? And there's the question of decals ... I did the detail lettering on
an Athearn HO scale flat car using pieces of 3 sets of decals plus the CDS lettering for
the 4000 series gons. Any suggestions?
-Larry Burch
A. (04/19/01) The 2700 Series cars are 40' over the endsills, 41'-2" over the striking plates (aka coupler box or buffer). Here are a couple of pictures of the "B" end of 2762 taken at Cold River, NH (the bottom end of North Walpole) that show the brake end detail.
-Dick Dermody
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A. (04/23/01)
I do not know how close to a real 2700 you are trying to build, but did you know that Red
Caboose kit #RG2236b is a 42-foot flat car with fishbelly side sills lettered for the
Rutland in HO scale? From photos of the 2700-series that I have seen, this kit makes a
good replica.
-Steve Coons
For more on modeling the Rutland 2700-series flat cars, refer to Question #69.
If you can add more please click here to email your response. Please refer to Q #89.
Q. #90 (04/29/01) Does anyone know when the ball signal at North Bennington was pulled down? How was it used?
-Doug Weir
A. (06/02/01) The ball signal at North Bennington, VT was removed about 1954 - give or take. I don't know the specific month or year. I do know it was then taken to Bellows Falls and installed there to replace the wooden mast on that signal because it was beginning to rot. It lasted there past the final Rutland strike but was decommissioned by the B&M as there was no need for its use with no Rutland trains using the diamond. It was finally removed when the B&M completed the installation of the CTC system on the Conn. River Div. - about 1965 or so. Steve Mumley has the exact date of its removal. The lanterns from it are in the Bellows Falls Library today.
-Jim Shaughnessy
A. (06/17/01)
It may be this picture that triggered the question to begin with, but in
Volume IV (The Corkscrew Division) of Nimke's The Rutland - 60 Years of
Trying, on the page opposite the Introduction is a picture of the dastardly deed
taking place. Unfortunately the photo caption does not give a date.
-Mark Rossiter
If you can add more click here to email
your response. Please refer to Q #90.
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