Bachmann army stuff coming in On30!

[p51]

I'm going to get one of these Baldwins for sure! https://resources.bachmanntrains.com/2019nmraslc/html5/index.html 

Darn shame they’re doing the post-WW1 paint job as OD green as they weren’t painted like that. They were black with those markings.

And notice the shorty Army cars. Man how I wish they’d make the standard length cars with those markings, as I’d probably buy a few of those. I have no need for shorty cars. But then again, I already made my own Army boxcars, and don't need more.

The OD green boxcars look odd as cars didn’t usually come in OD green until the 1950s. I'll be getting the 2-6-2T as black undec and adding my own Army markings when I'm able to buy one...

[Chris333]

I bashed one in HOn30 to make it look more American, but sold it before I finished. I have seen one photo of a real one with a wood cab that looked good.

[Chris333]

Also notice Bachmann didn't make a new chassis for these. It is the chassis for their HO scale 0-6-0T. The driver should be evenly spaced and have valve gear.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

They need to do some figures to go along with those trench engines.

[p51]

Okay, I got one and have already decalled/weathered it to look like a well-used 1940s Army example. I probably went a little overboard with the weathering, but oh well.
As I wanted to use 1/43 scale GI's in the cab to show how tiny this sucker really is (it's shorter than the tenders on my ten-wheelers). MTH 30-11059 RailKing's set provided two figures. One appears to be carrying a jerry can, the other directing traffic with a carbine. When you turn them toward each other, you don't even need to remove their burdens and each has a hand apparently pointed towards controls on the locomotive!


I also managed to get to Fort Benning last month when I was in Florida, to get photos of their surviving (incorrectly painted in badly faded OD green paint, which they never wore) Davenport copy.

FYI, it's a great engine, I love the sound, but with a very short pickup of just three axles, it wants to sputter on any turnout frogs that aren't modified (something I never had to worry about before now as I used long locomotives).
As for the shorty cars Bachmann also made, pass. They did have some short cars during WW1, but even those weren't 18 footers. And the boxcars were not liked by crews in France, as they derailed all the time.
I still have no idea why they made a OD green example (which bad markings) as there is no evidence of any US Army locomotive ever painted in OD green at any point in history. Army steam engines were often grey during WW1, but black at any point after that...

[CRL]

Isn’t the rule “If it moves, salute it... if it doesn’t move, paint it green”?

[VonRyan]

Isn’t the rule “If it moves, salute it... if it doesn’t move, paint it green”?

That didn’t really start till WWII, and even then you still have to determine which is the correct green to use. There’s at least 4 or 5 different shades that were in use during WWII, with one being reserved for the Signal Corps, and another being specific to ammo cans. That still leaves 2-3 shades for various equipment, tools, vehicles, chests, etc.

[p51]

That didn’t really start till WWII, and even then you still have to determine which is the correct green to use. There’s at least 4 or 5 different shades that were in use during WWII, with one being reserved for the Signal Corps, and another being specific to ammo cans. That still leaves 2-3 shades for various equipment, tools, vehicles, chests, etc.

Actually, there were many shades of OD # 7 (the 'OD green' most know) during WW2. Then there were the Navy, Marine and other branch shades of OD that were different. Furniture used by the Army and painted OD green, for example, had at least two shades for sure. Army vehicles alone had at least three different shades during WW2 depending on the type and year they were painted. The most common shade before late war was actually a semi-gloss, something the people who make paint for military vehicle collectors haven't figured out as the repro paint doesn't come close to the right finish...
The paint that Davenport was painted was the standard non-CARC (more expensive paint that resists chemical weapons) paint available in bulk at any Army base. It's colorfast to a degree, which is why it usually fades to a color that looks like OD #7 and tan mixed together. Ironically, even the sign shows photos of these Davenports on the post during the entire time they were there from 1919 until the late 40s and all of them show the engines in black!
But as for OD green, let's just say that model trains is my secondary hobby. Mostly, I'm into history and this is my other car, a 1944 Willys MB:

[johnb]

Actually, there were many shades of OD # 7 (the 'OD green' most know) during WW2. Then there were the Navy, Marine and other branch shades of OD that were different. Furniture used by the Army and painted OD green, for example, had at least two shades for sure. Army vehicles alone had at least three different shades during WW2 depending on the type and year they were painted. The most common shade before late war was actually a semi-gloss, something the people who make paint for military vehicle collectors haven't figured out as the repro paint doesn't come close to the right finish...
The paint that Davenport was painted was the standard non-CARC (more expensive paint that resists chemical weapons) paint available in bulk at any Army base. It's colorfast to a degree, which is why it usually fades to a color that looks like OD #7 and tan mixed together. Ironically, even the sign shows photos of these Davenports on the post during the entire time they were there from 1919 until the late 40s and all of them show the engines in black!
But as for OD green, let's just say that model trains is my secondary hobby. Mostly, I'm into history and this is my other car, a 1944 Willys MB:

I have seen FiFi in the air twice. She is impressive

[p51]

I have seen FiFi in the air twice. She is impressive

This was the day before the Olympia WA airshow. I'd just dropped off my Jeep for a weekend long display with my living history group's WW2 display.
A few hours later, the crew took off into over 30 MPH surface winds and after several attempts to land, put her down in the last third of the runway. They blew two main tires getting her stopped.
I posted photos of the landing from where I was standing, and the crew went insane. The forum I posted it on, they denied it ever happened and demanded I remove the photos. The pilot himself (I still have no idea how he even knew how to find me) came looking for me at the airshow the next morning, demanding I remove the photos and the posts. Two more of the crew came by and tried to intimidate me somehow (in the process, one almost got driven into the ground like a nail by a member of my living history group who was even more ticked off by this than I was). The third cornered me leaving that Saturday. He was elderly and I told him that was the only reason I wasn't taking him out back for a beating he'd never forget (as I was pretty sick of the whole bunch by then).
The entire time they denied they blew any tires. Never mind that thousands of people saw the blown tires that weekend as they had to swap them out right out in the open. The forum I posted on, taking their word for it, declared I was wrong (even after I posted the local newspaper website confirming that they had blown the tires) and that was that.
A couple of guys in my group dressed as AAF crewmen tried to get a photo of themselves in front of the plane and got yelled at by the same people.
my entire group, by lunch the first day, vowed not to spend a penny with them. No plane tours or souvenirs. Not a red cent.
The second guy to accost me later came back and apologized, I later found out that one of the museum staff found out what had happened and told the guy that I'd volunteered to do displays at the airshow each year they'd ever had it (and I'd at one point been offered the position of running the museum, an offer I turned down as it didn't pay much at all).
To this day, I won't give the CAF a single penny, other than their B-17 group out of Arizona, as most of them have been decent people. I'm not even 100% I'd slow down if one of them walked out in front of me in traffic.
I've flown in all the major WW2 bomber types, other than a B-29 (never having paid a penny for any of the rides, just in the right place at the right time). Now that 'Doc' is in the air, I'd gladly give them the money to be able to say I've got time in a B-17, 24 and a 29...

[johnb]

This was the day before the Olympia WA airshow. I'd just dropped off my Jeep for a weekend long display with my living history group's WW2 display.
A few hours later, the crew took off into over 30 MPH surface winds and after several attempts to land, put her down in the last third of the runway. They blew two main tires getting her stopped.
I posted photos of the landing from where I was standing, and the crew went insane. The forum I posted it on, they denied it ever happened and demanded I remove the photos. The pilot himself (I still have no idea how he even knew how to find me) came looking for me at the airshow the next morning, demanding I remove the photos and the posts. Two more of the crew came by and tried to intimidate me somehow (in the process, one almost got driven into the ground like a nail by a member of my living history group who was even more ticked off by this than I was). The third cornered me leaving that Saturday. He was elderly and I told him that was the only reason I wasn't taking him out back for a beating he'd never forget (as I was pretty sick of the whole bunch by then).
The entire time they denied they blew any tires. Never mind that thousands of people saw the blown tires that weekend as they had to swap them out right out in the open. The forum I posted on, taking their word for it, declared I was wrong (even after I posted the local newspaper website confirming that they had blown the tires) and that was that.
A couple of guys in my group dressed as AAF crewmen tried to get a photo of themselves in front of the plane and got yelled at by the same people.
my entire group, by lunch the first day, vowed not to spend a penny with them. No plane tours or souvenirs. Not a red cent.
The second guy to accost me later came back and apologized, I later found out that one of the museum staff found out what had happened and told the guy that I'd volunteered to do displays at the airshow each year they'd ever had it (and I'd at one point been offered the position of running the museum, an offer I turned down as it didn't pay much at all).
To this day, I won't give the CAF a single penny, other than their B-17 group out of Arizona, as most of them have been decent people. I'm not even 100% I'd slow down if one of them walked out in front of me in traffic.
I've flown in all the major WW2 bomber types, other than a B-29 (never having paid a penny for any of the rides, just in the right place at the right time). Now that 'Doc' is in the air, I'd gladly give them the money to be able to say I've got time in a B-17, 24 and a 29...

post those pictures here!

[pjm20]

Isn’t the rule “If it moves, salute it... if it doesn’t move, paint it green”?

Now it's paint it tan with rattle cans from Lowes.

[Peavine]

 The crew probably didn’t want the unneeded attention from the FAA. Posting pictures of an “oopsie” on the Internet may generate that. Also, they make the money to continue flying these planes by giving rides. Showing that the aircraft or crew are unsafe probably cuts into their ability to pay for the upkeep and maintenance of these planes. Additionally, the B-29, if I remember correctly, has pneumatic brakes which are touchy and unreliable. Would be very easy to see blown tires for a small brake malfunction. Many Of the CAF pilots are working airline pilots, and risk their livelihood to bring these aircraft to the public. A suspension of license for an infraction also carries over into their work life, and can have some very undesirable effects on their ability to earn a paycheck. You should probably cut them some slack. If I remember to, I’ll post some pictures later of me doing a brake job on a B 29.

[ChristianJDavis1]

The crew probably didn’t want the unneeded attention from the FAA. Posting pictures of an “oopsie” on the Internet may generate that. Also, they make the money to continue flying these planes by giving rides. Showing that the aircraft or crew are unsafe probably cuts into their ability to pay for the upkeep and maintenance of these planes. Additionally, the B-29, if I remember correctly, has pneumatic brakes which are touchy and unreliable. Would be very easy to see blown tires for a small brake malfunction. Many Of the CAF pilots are working airline pilots, and risk their livelihood to bring these aircraft to the public. A suspension of license for an infraction also carries over into their work life, and can have some very undesirable effects on their ability to earn a paycheck. You should probably cut them some slack. If I remember to, I’ll post some pictures later of me doing a brake job on a B 29.

I think that is understandable, but there is also the fact that people are probably more willing to comply if you aren't borderline threatening them, and after everyone has a laugh about it, maybe you could have a friendly relationship with someone. Maybe I'm underestimating just how big of a deal it was to them, but having only one of them come back and apologize? It should have been all of them with at least an explanation, especially to someone who shares their passions and isn't intentionally doing them any wrong; just a wrong place wrong time, it seems. It's sad he had to go through that.

[p51]

Like I told the pilot and the third grizzled old crew guy, "If you want to keep your landings a secret, then maybe doing public events really isn't what your group should be doing?"
Hey, I belong to a group that does public events and if I did something stupid, I'd own up to it and move on. I certainly wouldn't deny it happened when there's the evidence directly behind me for thousands of people to see...