Blue Plastic Tracks

Here's one of mine, a model of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad's number 25...



The model was produced by the now defunct International Hobby Corporation of Philadelphia, PA.  I purchased it at a train show in 2003, to replace one I got three years prior that had trouble running out of the box.  It was rebuilt ~2011 by also now defunct Yellowstone Train Repairs of Concord, NH, and is one of my mainstays!

That’s really cool! I’m guessing that a fair number of members here are also model railroaders as well as Plarail-Trackmaster fans.

Just this afternoon, my son and were browsing a hobby shop and he found an HO scale set featuring a 4-4-0 similar to this one. He says he wants that to be his first model train. Not a bad choice at all, IMO!

She is beautiful, excellent pick up J-T. Is the chain running from the cab to the bell original?

No, that was added during the rebuild.

That looks very similar to the airfix branded one I picked up recently, although I love what you've done during the rebuild. What apart from the chain addition did you do? Did you give it a repaint?

I didn't do the rebuild, you could say I subcontracted it out to the repair store I mentioned...  In addition to that bell chord, the following changes were made:

- The worm transmission shaft was replaced with a heavier metal one, as the engine had a plastic/vinyl one, which, overtime develops a tendency to slip out of place.
- Driving and pilot wheels were repainted brown (they were originally red).
- Added a number 25 decal to the front number plate.
- The frontend was turned around so that the smokebox door hinges are on the left hand side, as with the prototype.
- Installed an operating headlight.
- Replaced the coupler with IHC'S "Magic Mate" coupler, which can couple to either the knuckle coupler or the horn-hook style.

Still a nice update mate, the legal drive shaft sounds like a great idea, the airfield has the same and it looks like a weak point straightaway. :-)