Scratchbuilding by Jerry Poniatowski

The following are descriptions and photos provided by Jerry Poniatowski, and all photos are copyrighted by Jerry Poniatowski, and used by his permission. Click the photo to see a larger version.

RDC

An article in Classic Toy Trains magazine showing an A.C. Gilbert prototype prompted me to build a "what if" there had been a production version. Using sheet styrene and shapes and a modified American Models chassis and driveline, I came up with this model. I used window inserts from a Gilbert passenger car, and would have used Gilbert Baldwin trucks, if I had found some that were cheap enough. It can negotiate Flyer switches and is at home on any layout. AC or DC can power the unit.

Thomas the Tank Engine with Cars

With pending grandkids on the way, I scratch-built this model using a heavily modified Lionel Flyer Docksider chassis as a base. Styrene was shaped using heat for the boiler, and photos of a Lionel O Gauge Thomas was used as a guide. Finding a suitable Thomas-like blue wasn't easy. Decals were made on my home computer. For simplicity, it's DC only. The photos show the Thomas engine pulling the Annie and Clarabell cars. Jerry won the "Best of Show" award for the locomotive at the 2016 NASG Convention. The two cars were also built from scratch, using layers of styrene to form the body. I used brass sheets, bent to make the bolsters, with Flyer-stamped bearing journals for the four wheels (see the fourth photo). A home-made circuit with three LEDs lights them up. Original-style knuckles links the train up.

AEM-7

(ed: Between 1978 and 1988, EMD built 54 of these 7,000hp, dual-cab AEM-7 engines for Amtrak. These engines ran until replaced in 2016.)

Again, articles in the Classic Toy Trains magazine showcasing two versions of this engine prompted me to scratch-build one in S. The model features some very nice lighting effects, compliments of Richmond Controls. The model has some very cramped quarters where the American Models power train and reverse unit are housed. A brass frame lends weight enough to pull a few AM Budd cars. All doors are spring-loaded. Locomotive power can be either AC or DC through the rails, or via the functional, custom pantographs. A small switch on the underside can allow either AC or DC current. Jerry won the "Best of Show" award for the locomotive at the 2001 NASG Convention.

Brill Doodlebug

Jerry built this Brill gas/electric "Doodlebug" decorated for the C&O. It features Black Beetle trucks, a fully detailed interior, and a removable roof. It required hours of research. Power for the seven LEDs is provided by two parallel-wired 3-volt alarm batteries in the roof activated by pressing the smoke jack. Various S manufacturers were sourced for some of the details, but many were also scratch-built. Jerry wrote an article about this project for the March/April 2024 NASG Dispatch.