Precision Tooling:  The Autal Tapping Head

Today we continued our series of videos demonstrating how we do some of our tooling.  Today’s tool will demonstrate how we make the threads in some of our kits. We will review the tool and then go into the machine shop to share some interesting processes for finishing the threads for the All Nation Power Truck Transmission Drive Shaft Spacer Bushings.

Click here to view the video:  The Autal Tapping Head

 

This video is not an instructional video, per se, regarding a specific product.  It is a short video we shot while at the March Meet 2024 in Lombard.  Of course we can’t bring everything to a show.  The video will provide you additional information on what we have on our site.  For those of you who could not attend, we thought you may enjoy seeing this video, too.  Happy Modeling!

All Nation Line March Meet 2024 Table Display Video

 

 

How to perfectly put the twist with a 90 degree bend to the legs of the steps for a prototypical part.

Freight Car Step Bender Fixture Video

SHOP NOW for the unpowered basic kit

All Nation Steeple Cab Traction Trolley Transmission Beta Testing

It is often said O Scale takes up too much space. That is true if you are running transcontinental trains with DPUs in the middle and the end of your consist. However, in the era gone by, when equipment such as freight cars were shorter and steam switcher engines of the 0-4-0 or 0-6-0 make up pushed cars around, you can fit a lot of railroad in a small space in O Scale. This steeple cab is proof.

Very soon we will have the transmission ready for you to purchase as a kit for this steeple trolley.  In the meantime, take a look at this photo video and see what fun you have coming your way!

Click here to see the video:

Steeple Trolley Instructional Video Transmission Under Development

Making Z Braces: Complexity Made Simple By An Experienced Machinist.

As promised, we share this 3rd video detailing the tooling required to produce some of your detail parts. We continue to marvel at the experience that was required to make these complex dies to make what appears to be “simple” parts.

This die video demonstrates production of the Z brace parts on the sides of box cars for parts such as door slides or outside bracing. These Z braces typically were done in brass or tin and had various impressions. If you have 10 minutes, you will find this video interesting!

Making Z Braces Video Click Here

 

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All Nation Line Gas Electric “Doodlebug”  75′ Chicago & Northwestern
The 2 Rail O Scale Doodlebug was first introduced by Walther’s and The All-Nation Line. Since it has not been available as a kit for many years and modelers have requested that we manufacture and release the kit once again, we decided to add it as our continuing series of kits for the beginner modeler or someone new to the scale.Watch instructional video at this link:All Nation Line Gas Electric “Doodlebug”  75′ Chicago & Northwestern

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The All Nation AAR Type B Truck with 40″ Wheels is now available as a kit.  We hope you enjoy this video on suggestions on how to put it together:  CLICK HERE to see the video.

The well known AAR Type A truck used on railroad locomotives was patented by Martin P. Blomberg of Hinsdale, Illinois assigned to General Motors Corporation. Working with General Steel Corporation other patents followed. The design was for a railway locomotive truck and of course found on many model railroad layouts under switcher engines.

This AAR Type B variant was for road engines and a little research indicates the prototype had GE or Westinghouse traction motors.

<== click here or on the picture to view the video.

As mentioned in our recent blog, Behind The Scenes…Life Before 3D Printing, we are posting a series of videos.  They will demonstrate the use of our tooling to make parts for models with many of our tools that have been repaired, upgraded or refurbished for the interest of model builders.

This video is very interesting as it show the tooling of making shim rings! click here to see the video.

Enjoy.

<== click here or on the picture to view the video.

A work holding die mounted in a calibrated kick press to press wheels onto axles. Many operations do not require much pressure but the work holding is a very key feature that must be done correctly at setup time to create the desired results.

If you want to read additional interesting topics on how we do things at All Nation Line, read our newest blog:

Behind The Scenes…Life Before 3D Printing

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We have made an effort to adapt our power truck drives/transmission for use in many more applications besides switcher or road diesels. This version sports a set of side frames that would have been identified many years ago as the Walther’s Suburban #6 found on suburban commuter coaches.

Enjoy this short video of the Chain Drive in action on the treadmill:

Doodlebug Power Truck Chain Drive Video

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You can read more about this item at the following link:

All Nation Doodlebug Power Truck Chain Drive & Trailing Truck – 12VPittman for (e.g.) Gas Electric, Doodlebug or WindSplitter PN#441AN

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The All Nation F3/F7 B Unit Dual Helix Gear Transmission is drop in ready with the typical 8 4-40 machine screws for mounting the chassis to the body and is easy to service and lubricate. The dual transmissions puts plenty of tractive effort to the rails. Each tower upper shaft connects to the motor shaft with a universal joint and PTFE tubing. Completely assembled with our latest Blomberg trucks using ball bearings in the journals and all wheel pickup for 2 rail DC. Enjoy this video of the B Unit Dual Power:  CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO

Read more about the development thought behind this product in its description at this link:

All Nation F3/F7 B Unit Dual Helix Gear Transmission with Motor & Blomberg Trucks – Drop in Ready PN#423AN

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Several of my projects involve converting 3 rail engines to 2 rail. Sometimes I start out with just the engine shell body and work from that point forward. One of my engines that I picked up had a missing body part. I needed to create from scratch the radiator shroud and fan assembly located toward the rear of the engine. This was a lot of fun and figuring out the best approach and yet still have a realistic component that matches pretty close to the prototype.

We though you would enjoy seeing the video instructions for building this kit.  Just click on the link below:

Lionel SD70ACe Flared Radiator Kit PN#SD70ACe

SHOP NOW: Trolley / RDC Helix Gear Transmission 36″ Wheels PN#384AN

SHOP NOW: Trolley Helix Gear Transmission 33″ Wheels PN#385

Click HERE to view a short video on our Custom Trolley Power Truck Transmissions.

SHOP NOW Code 148

SHOP NOW Code 172

Try putting your freight cars back on the track by hand and see how fast and easy it goes. The ReRailer Tool comes in 2 versions. One for code 148 track and another for code 172.

Click here to see the rerailer in action!

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We recently made more choices available for our All Nation Western Style CB&Q Caboose.

I recorded this general assembly instructions several years ago.  The video provides a discussion and a little background and instructions on how I have gone about to build these kits.  This video may provide you some insight as to how much fun it would be to put together this model.  Take a look at the video by clicking the following link & enjoy!

Click here for All Nation Western Style CB&Q Caboose Video

After watching the video you can take a look at the other photos in the purchase offering: All Nation Western Style CB&Q Caboose (Basic or Comprehensive Kit) You Choose PN#3612B&C Kits

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Kits really do help model building! If you are of the nature a creative fabricator and not just a slavish assembler, then the beginner’s kit is a great stepping stone toward becoming a master. In fact, we feel that kit assembly creates more model builders by providing a sort of apprenticeship. Didn’t kits teach us the little mechanical mysteries of how a model engine or car is put together?

Click here to view a video for tips on how to put together this Waycar.

All Nation Chicago & North Western WayCar Beginners KIT PN#413ANK

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Concrete ties are common on today’s railroads with welded rail. Our new innovation to 3D Print sections of roadbed for the model railroad pike will impress the visitors to your pike modeling modern day mainlines. The base with the shoulder for ballasting profile, the concrete ties sit on top of the 3D print support structure rising up from the build plate in support of the cast concrete.  Single and/or multiple sections put together make for a great showcase for an individual model.
All Nation Line O Scale 2 Rail Road Bed Concrete Ties (1 Section, 8.5″) PN#Track4single

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Based on our deep collection of reference models from days of old, the New York Central “Riders Car” is a unique piece that will be cherished for years to come by almost any modeler with minimal model building skills. It is a great kit to learn and is minimalistic in the sense that it does not have the particulars of a cupola to integrate on the roof.
The following video may help regarding the thought processes to build out Riders Car. 
All Nation NYC “Riders Car” Basic Beginners KIT 3D Printed O Scale (Minus Trucks) PN#408ANK

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Check out this video to see this transmission in action on the treadmill!
3 Rail to 2 Rail Conversion MTH GP60M All Nation Single Drive Helical Gear Tower Transmission Blomberg Trucks Ready to Run (with Pilots, Snowplow & Couplers) PN#383AN

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MTH GP60M Kit (3 Rail to 2 Rail Conversion) Bash Parts Power Truck Platforms, Fuel Tank for 2 Rail O Scale PN#372AN
In order to give you a better perspective on this conversion project, please view this video I put together to document some of the process.

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Our brass stanchion material profile is designed for MTH engines such as the GP60M for replacement or repair. The brass is cold rolled through a die and is easy to manipulate.

See our video below as instructions on how to make stanchions the easy way.

https://johnwubbel.com/crh/Brass-Investments-Project-Web-Show/Making_Stanchions.mp4

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3 Rail to 2 Rail Conversion MTH GP40-2 All Nation Single Drive Transmission Ready to Run O Scale PN#366AN

In order to give you a better perspective on this conversion project, please view this video I put together to document some of the process. Please note my test track bench work amplifies the sound to a huge extent because it acts like a sound board, no homasote or cork has been used to make it quiet and my track work has been deliberately laid down to be rough in order to determine engine and car performance at various speeds.

https://johnwubbel.com/crh/Brass-Investments-Project-Web-Show/GP40-2_Conversion.mp4

 

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3 Rail to 2 Rail Conversion Lionel GP-35 All Nation Duel Transmission Drive Ready to Run N#364AN

In order to give you a better perspective on this conversion project, please view this video I put together to document some of the process.

https://johnwubbel.com/crh/Brass-Investments-Project-Web-Show/3+Rail+To+2+Rail.mp4

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Replacement Sprockets for All Nation Chain Drive Transmissions (2 Sets) PN#361AN

For a complete discussion and visual review of the process on replacing, please check out my video link below:

Replacement Sprockets for All-Nation Chain Drive Transmissions Video

 

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Watch this video to see the fun, new All Nation “The Can Tank Car KIT, 2 Rail O Scale On The Cheap” PN#15K

Click here to watch the video!

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To give you a better idea on how I have upgraded my NW2 engines, please view the following video:

https://johnwubbel.com/crh/Brass-Investments-Project-Web-Show/NW2+Switcher+Power.mp4

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F Unit Drive Video (click here for Video)
 

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The All Nation GP-40 Engine Body Kit, Etched Brass + 3D Printed Detail Parts PN#GP40 was recently added to our offerings.

Now WATCH THE ASSEMBLY VIDEO!Click here

 

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 100TS2 Kit Instructions  (click here to watch Video)
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Waffle Box Car Build Along with David Schultz via the New Tracks Build Along Jim Kellow* (Video Click here)and additional Waffle Box Car Instructions (Video click here)*New Tracks Modelling
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CB&Q Caboose Model Instructions (Video click here)

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NW2 Combo Rehab kit PN# 10004       (Video click here)

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Lionel GP-35 / 30 Kit Bash Parts Power Truck Platforms, Fuel Tank for 2 Rail O Scale (click here for video)

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All Nation NW2 Switcher Casting Replacement With Front Radiator Grill Kit (Video click here)