The Home Machinist!

Hey Bill, Is there any way you could wire two sockets in series. Perhaps the sockets could be wired with enough slack that you could get the first build in and move it to the side to allow the second to be placed. On half voltage the bulbs would be very inefficient for light as most of their output ...

Keith, On close inspection the engine behind the camelback 1157 seems pretty clearly to be "999" , without the quotation marks of course. From the size of it I can see how it could be a large 3/4" scale or a small 1" scale. It just doesn't look like a 1-1/2" scale locomotive...

A quick post script. The photo caption of George Hoopes 176 is in error, that is a 1" scale loco. The other thing is that photo number twelve of No.1157 is also in error. That is most definitely Jim Ziegler's 1" scale Camelback. If you enlarge the shot as much as possible you will see the ...

Glenn, Long ago when the Penn Central catastrophe was being auctioned off I bought several large steam locomotive bells that had been stored at the Juniata Shops. All the bells sounded beautiful except for one that went very definitely "Thunk". Upon close examination it was observed that a...

Keith, Just to further muddy the waters, there was yet another Reading Camelback a-5-a at Pennsylvania Livesteamers built in the 1960's by Jim Ziegler who lived in Devon, Pa. not far from the old PLS track in Paoli on Ken Souser's property. The engine was built 1" scale and had an unusual screw...

You could take a sample of the bronze in question to a scrap metal dealer who deals in nonferrous alloys. They usually have hand held X-ray spectrometer and can "shoot" it and show you the composition of your sample by percentages of elements. Most yards around here are happy to do this as...

Hi Chris,
Sure, what do you have in mind?
Best regards, Mike

Steve, I am sorry that your costs are going up and you have had to raise prices, it is an unavoidable fact of life. I can say without any doubt that I would rather pay a little more (it only hurts when I write the check) and have your castings and supplies available to me, than to have Allen Models ...

Bill, I had a problem with silversoldering aluminum bronze in the past. I wrote about it, maybe here, but I can't seem to locate my previous replyAnd it was a while ago. Here is what I know about the problem. I contacted Superior Flux Company, I think they were/are in Cleveland, not sure, but you sh...

Mike,
Sent PM with Russ' information. Let me know if/when you receive it, I am never sure about PM's getting through.
Best regards, Mike

Grand Scale Forum is a most welcome addition to the "family". Many thanks. I spent about twenty years as a locomotive engineer on Conrail. I retired and in 2011 we moved to Sweetwater, New Jersey on the southern edge of the Pine Barrens. Shortly thereafter I discovered Camp Haluwasa, a non...

Hello Dick,
If the sale for some reason fails to complete, would you be so kind as to put my name in play? I would be most happy to have a Mosley. I met the gentleman in 1965, a truly amazing person.
Best regards, Mike.