Manufacturer: Little Railways, 1621 Cherry Street, Williamsport, PA 17701. Price: RS-260 wood, metal, and plastic ready-to-run lumber trucks, $42.00 per pair. Pennsylvania residents please add 6-percent sales tax. All orders please include an additional $2.50 for shipping.

Little Railways rolling stock grows on you. The first piece I reviewed was a little 4-wheel tool flatcar. The quality of its construction and realistic weathering impressed me, but it was difficult to take the car as seriously as, for instance, a Rio Grande stockcar. Then Lehmann's Porter came out and the tool car looked "cute" behind it. Next Little Railways' owner, Tony Ferraro, sent out a pair of logging disconnects, sort of a "big brother" to the lumber disconnects. We reviewed them in the last issue and you may recall my enthusiasm. Other modelers were equally enthusiastic and, for the first time, Little Railways has become an active topic of conversation out here.

Now Ferraro has sent the lumber disconnects. They look perfect behind the little tool car and they have all the charm of the logging disconnects; maybe more. The real wood lumber load looks extremely realistic, particularly in contrast to the expertly weathered timber construction of the truck frames themselves. Then you notice the nicely "rusted" little tie-down chains. Miniature chain never fails to add charisma to railroad models.

As with every Little Railways sample, the cars come ready-to-run and the quality of construction is excellent. Nowhere will you find evidence of glue, the bunks swivel freely, the car will negotiate the smallest radius 45mm Gauge One track you have and will roll through LGB's 1200 turnouts perfectly. The frames and bunks are precision cut poplar with a protective acrylic coating; the truck journals are metal; the wheels are plastic. The couplers, as we have mentioned in other reviews, are a chain and hook design common on Eastern logging and mining equipment and they connect easily to LGB hook-and-loop couplers. Since the couplers are steel, they also have a realistic rusty finish.

Ferraro customarily accompanies his samples with documentation supporting their authenticity. We never reproduce them because a.) we have no publication rights to the plans and photos, b.) they are photocopies, usually of poor quality, early century photographs, and c.) Ferraro scribbles all over them with red and black ink to make sure none of their details escapes our attention. Let me assure you the lumber disconnects are very close in appearance to actual turn-of-the-century rolling stock.

You have read the substance of the conclusion in previous reviews but I will repeat it: If you like small prototypes, logging or mining operations, and rustic, backwoods railroading, Little Railways' rolling stock is right up your alley. It is unavailable in hobby shops; you may only buy it direct. Do yourself a favor. Study the photo and, if you like how they look, invest in a set of Little Railways lumber disconnects. They should delight you. They are excellent products.-RR