1:22.5/1:20.3 SCALE LOCOMOTIVE CASTINGS
Manufacturer: Trackside Details, 1331 Avalon Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405. Price: TD-91 small sand dome $5.00 suggested list. TD-92 sand dome top for small engines $2.00 suggested list. If you purchase direct, please include an additional $1.50 per order for shipping and handling; California residents please add 7.25-percent sales tax.
THE NEWEST ADDITIONS to Trackside Details' line really make a difference. They are a team effort by Dean Lowe and Pete Thorp. And they specifically apply to LGB's new Porter saddle tank switcher even though you could use them on other models. Each piece is a black Delrin plastic turning of exquisite quality. Either will create a noticeable improvement in the Porter. They even include installation instructions.
Why 1:22.5 or 1:20.3 scale? Because, as the review above points out, the Porter is closer to a 1:20.3 scale model of an 8-tonner than a 1:22.5 scale 12-tonner. And since Dean Lowe tailored his turnings specifically for the Porter, the scale becomes relative. It is possible the parts could work equally well on 1:24 scale models; 1:29 might be stretching things.
The sand dome top simply sits on top of the stock Porter dome. Just whack off the little "nipple" on the top of the dome, make sure the surface is dead flat, and glue on the Trackside Details part. I used CA (super glue). It will transform the old-style fluted dome from an approximation of the original to a copy. Look at the before and after photos of the Porter and see whether you agree.
The TD-91 small sand dome replaces the existing Porter dome. Cut off the original at the base, be sure the resulting stump is flat, and glue on the substitute. Porters built after 1900 had the round dome so, if you prefer a switcher of the later vintage, the new one is a virtual necessity. The photo shows Dean Lowe's early 20th century Porter conversion.
Really, engineers, if you read this magazine and you buy a Porter, you will lust after one of Trackside's splendid little detail parts.--RR
