May 1996
VOLUME 26 NUMBER 5

RAILROADING

MODEL

FEATURES
6
....

T hrall's 52' Gondola Cars Since 1963
by David G. Casdorph

FREIGHTCAROLOGY

28

....

PROTOTYPE ADVENTURES

The Great Smoky Mountains Railway Part 3: Modeling the Railroad
by Larry E. Smith, MMR

13 ....

Handlaying N-Scale Track Part II: Turnouts
by Doug Geigel; MMR

34.... David Balser's Onion Valley
by Wayde C. Gutman

18

Lumber and Mining Company

....

MODELING MODERN INTERMODAL

Trailers - Part 2
by Carter Osborne

UPS 26' 6" & 28' Drop-Frame

40 .... An EMD E8 for the Silver Meteor
by Jim Six

24....

49 .... Southern Pacific C44-9W
by David A. Bontrager DIESEL DETAIL CLOSE-UP

BEHIND T HE SCENES

A Predecorated Enhancement Project

Tunnel Masquerade
by Margaret Mansfield

26....

55....

ON TRACK

Locomotive Management Service (LMS) C40-8W
by Rich Picariello

In Control
by Jim Mansfield

DEPARTMENTS
10 5
.... Editorial T New Products T Book Beat

30

31 .... Video Review

32.... Letters to the Editor 46.... Product Reviews

33.... Computer Applications 48 .... Society Page

58 .... Dealer Directory 67 .... Your Trek Plan 71 .... Advertiser Index

ABOUT THE COVER

Among the layouts on tour at this year's N M RA 1 996 Long Beac h Limited is David Balse r 's Onion Valley Lumber and Mining Company. For a sneak preview of this HO standard-gauge line turn to page 34. Although this is David's first layout, scratchbuilding and craftsmanship are evident everywhere. Photo by Mary Barstow. INSET: Dave Bontrager shows how he enhanced the appearance of a predecorated Athearn Southern Paci fic 9-44CW starting on page 49, proving that you don 't have to start with an undecorated model. Photo by David A. Bon/raga