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Post by bnsf971 on Oct 21, 2012 4:45:22 GMT -8
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen (and you too, Joe).
I didn't get much done around the house yesterday, as I loaded up some surplus trains and took them to the hobby shop in Marion for trade fodder. The highlights include an AC6000 in CSX YN3, an SD40-2 (in BNSF). And a Proto 0-6-0 in ACL.
In case anybody is interested, I have enough equipment to change eras, the only real glaring unchangeable thing is the big backshop. It just screams "DIESEL". I have a nice Walthers roundhouse, but no turntable. Other than that, I swap vehicles and a couple of structures out to keep the big anachronisms to a minimum.
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Post by fr8kar on Oct 21, 2012 12:20:40 GMT -8
I've recently rounded up a bunch of stuff and put it on ebay. Not enough to change eras or anything, but just cleaning house. I still have lots of old blue box cars that will never be upgraded to match the detail level of say, a P2K hopper, so most of those are going.
I listed a Trinity Railway Express trainset (our local commuter train), too. That thing has never been "in my era", but rather one of those things I just had to have. After trying to get the thing to run with the control car leading without derailing, I gave up. Athearn's Bombardier cars look great, but they aren't good runners.
I figure I'll be able to remotor the four SD40-2s I'm building with the proceeds from these auctions. I've got a pretty representative sample of BN's coal haulers under construction, along with one of the last SD40-2s Mopac received set up for pool service.
These are the easy projects to get off the bench. After that, finish the 3 C30-7s, the U23C and the BQ23-7...
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Post by calzephyr on Oct 21, 2012 14:56:15 GMT -8
I've recently rounded up a bunch of stuff and put it on ebay. Not enough to change eras or anything, but just cleaning house. I still have lots of old blue box cars that will never be upgraded to match the detail level of say, a P2K hopper, so most of those are going. I listed a Trinity Railway Express trainset (our local commuter train), too. That thing has never been "in my era", but rather one of those things I just had to have. After trying to get the thing to run with the control car leading without derailing, I gave up. Athearn's Bombardier cars look great, but they aren't good runners. I figure I'll be able to remotor the four SD40-2s I'm building with the proceeds from these auctions. I've got a pretty representative sample of BN's coal haulers under construction, along with one of the last SD40-2s Mopac received set up for pool service. These are the easy projects to get off the bench. After that, finish the 3 C30-7s, the U23C and the BQ23-7... Those old blue box cars can be upgraded with new wheels and weathering and used on a club layout or modular type layout. They can be handled without breaking any detail since they are almost void of any added detail. The Kato and Intermountain and other detailed cars really need to stay on a home layout and not carried about since they can be damaged if not handled with kid gloves. Just a thought if you run on that type of layout and have to carry them around. Larry |
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Post by fr8kar on Oct 21, 2012 16:18:19 GMT -8
That's true, Larry. I have several blue box cars that I'm keeping for the kids and my nephews. Those are mostly 40' boxcars, triple dome tanks, stock cars, etc. In this case, all the cars I'm selling have either been superseded by better models (Tangent's 4740 vs. Athearn's 4740, ExactRail's PS 5344 vs. MDC's PS 5344) or don't fit my era. I still have more than enough rolling stock for the kids left over, along with several durable locomotives.
As for me and my models, I only run on Free-mo layouts, which are only set up for a weekend at a time, so it's pretty rare I get to operate. When I do, I have to be pretty selective about what I'm going to operate since I have to transport it. As a result, I've purged probably half of my fleet over the past ten years. Much of this stuff is pretty delicate and some of the blue box hoppers I had left over just didn't fit in anymore. I was able to pick up several Tangent 4740s for $20 each, so there's just no comparison when you have the Athearn side-by-side with the Tangent. Also, I'm the only one who handles these cars, so any damage is my own doing.
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Post by jamesbrodie67281 on Oct 23, 2012 13:57:24 GMT -8
It's 23rd of the 10th but a new heading hasn't been started so am a bit out of sinc.
K Line did some lovely models in 0 scale of AT&SF Bi Level coaches and matching baggage car.
I always twig onto these models when they have gone off the market! Does anyone know might these coaches ever be re-introduced? I missed out on buying a full train that had been modified to 2 raiI (EBay) and looking through the Lionel lists some 21" models are produced but not the Sante Fe ones. I am really only interested in the scale length models not 'shorties' so can't even go in for the Powhaton Arrow that they make as they are 18" ones.
JB 67281.
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Post by bnsf971 on Oct 23, 2012 14:48:24 GMT -8
James, the threads are headed North American style (10/21/12), rather than European style (21/10/12). I'm not really sure when it was changed or why, other than to make it "different" from the Old World.
As for the passenger cars, do you have access to two rail O passenger trucks? It would probably be easier to get three rail cars, and convert them.
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Post by rhpd42002 on Oct 23, 2012 17:59:00 GMT -8
Terry, I only have a passing interest in steam, though I do like the looks of certain steam locos. I can't yet "pin" myself down to a specific era, though I have narrowed it a bit. I like BN and it's predecessor lines. I'm partial to EMD switchers, from the SW-1 to the MP-15's. Though I also like GP-7/9's and F-units. I also like shorter cars, preferably a max of 50' and sans roofwalks. That kind of puts me in the mid to late-70's, I believe.  Due to my tight radius curves, I'm limited to 60' passenger equipement, of which there is little out there. I have one set of 4 cars of Walthers (Rivarossi) 60' cars in GN livery and 4 old MDC Harriman style cars that I need to repaint/reletter. I also picked up a Streamlined BB, RPO, in CB&Q, which I'm sure is a Foobie.  |
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Post by calzephyr on Oct 24, 2012 12:56:41 GMT -8
Terry, I only have a passing interest in steam, though I do like the looks of certain steam locos. I can't yet "pin" myself down to a specific era, though I have narrowed it a bit. I like BN and it's predecessor lines. I'm partial to EMD switchers, from the SW-1 to the MP-15's. Though I also like GP-7/9's and F-units. I also like shorter cars, preferably a max of 50' and sans roofwalks. That kind of puts me in the mid to late-70's, I believe. Due to my tight radius curves, I'm limited to 60' passenger equipement, of which there is little out there. I have one set of 4 cars of Walthers (Rivarossi) 60' cars in GN livery and 4 old MDC Harriman style cars that I need to repaint/reletter. I also picked up a Streamlined BB, RPO, in CB&Q, which I'm sure is a Foobie. I just received the latest Athearn email and the MDC Harrimans are listed as coming in soon. The short cars do work on tight curves but are limited to what is available. Larry |
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Post by rhpd42002 on Oct 24, 2012 18:14:50 GMT -8
Terry, I only have a passing interest in steam, though I do like the looks of certain steam locos. I can't yet "pin" myself down to a specific era, though I have narrowed it a bit. I like BN and it's predecessor lines. I'm partial to EMD switchers, from the SW-1 to the MP-15's. Though I also like GP-7/9's and F-units. I also like shorter cars, preferably a max of 50' and sans roofwalks. That kind of puts me in the mid to late-70's, I believe. Due to my tight radius curves, I'm limited to 60' passenger equipement, of which there is little out there. I have one set of 4 cars of Walthers (Rivarossi) 60' cars in GN livery and 4 old MDC Harriman style cars that I need to repaint/reletter. I also picked up a Streamlined BB, RPO, in CB&Q, which I'm sure is a Foobie. I just received the latest Athearn email and the MDC Harrimans are listed as coming in soon. The short cars do work on tight curves but are limited to what is available. Larry Thanks for the info, Larry. While I have no intention of having a lot of passenger ops. on the layout, I would like to have a variety of cars to run for perhaps a once daily east/west train. I think my layout is too small to run/justify an older style "commuter" train. But heck, If I see/find any "shorty" cars that appeal to me, I'm undisciplined enough to buy some. ;D On one older layout, I was running a set of MDC "Old Time" passenger cars with a GE 44 or 70 tonner! That would have been OK for a tourist line, but I was using it as a Commuter train at the time!!   |
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Post by bnsf971 on Oct 24, 2012 18:54:31 GMT -8
I just received the latest Athearn email and the MDC Harrimans are listed as coming in soon. The short cars do work on tight curves but are limited to what is available. Larry Thanks for the info, Larry. While I have no intention of having a lot of passenger ops. on the layout, I would like to have a variety of cars to run for perhaps a once daily east/west train. I think my layout is too small to run/justify an older style "commuter" train. But heck, If I see/find any "shorty" cars that appeal to me, I'm undisciplined enough to buy some. ;D On one older layout, I was running a set of MDC "Old Time" passenger cars with a GE 44 or 70 tonner! That would have been OK for a tourist line, but I was using it as a Commuter train at the time!! How about a doodlebug or single RDC? I seem to remember the RDC4 was considerably shorter than the regular ones, but I don't remember if it was powered or a trailer. |
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Post by rhpd42002 on Oct 24, 2012 19:14:17 GMT -8
I remember seeing the Walther's Doodlebug some years ago and in "Q" and GN livery IIRC. I liked the way they looked, but at the time, it wasn't something I was seriously considering.
Now...... that they aren't "readily available", they seem like a fairly good option, though I think they exceeded 60' in length. One of those with a combine and/or coach trailer would make for an intersting little passenger/commuter train.
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Post by bnsf971 on Oct 24, 2012 19:45:32 GMT -8
I remember seeing the Walther's Doodlebug some years ago and in "Q" and GN livery IIRC. I liked the way they looked, but at the time, it wasn't something I was seriously considering. Now...... that they aren't "readily available", they seem like a fairly good option, though I think they exceeded 60' in length. One of those with a combine and/or coach trailer would make for an intersting little passenger/commuter train. I think they were either 65 or 75 feet long. Still considerably shorter than the 85-90 foot passenger cars. |
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Post by bnsf971 on Oct 27, 2012 15:00:35 GMT -8
Happy Saturday, and I hope everybody along the East coast of the US is prepared for Snowicane Sandy.
I made the second trip in as many weeks to my not-so-local hobby shop in the mountains near Asheville. I picked up the mate to the AC6000CW I got last week, as well as a NOS Proto 0-8-0 in the famous UNDEC paint scheme. I had a spare Tsunami decoder, and installed it in the tender. I forgot about the really low-voltage lights until I hit function 0. (note to self: proto light bulbs make excellent, though expen$ive, flashbulbs). Other than that, it went right in. It was a lot easier than the decoder I installed in the 0-6-0 I got a few weeks ago. Probably the fact the tender is larger made a big difference.
As I was heading out f the store, I spied a BNSF SD70MAC (Kato) behind the counter. I asked about it, and it turned out it was involved in a prototypical train wreck, of sorts. The hobby shop is less than 50 feet from the NS line to Asheville, and a store employee forgot to take the shuddering and vibration from the real trains into account when they put the model on display. It fell from the top shelf onto the wooden floor. They shoveled up all the parts they could find, and I ended up with what is looking like a "deal". After I installed the sound decoder, I started work on the MAC. A few handrails are MIA, as well as some grab irons, but by and large, it went back together pretty well with a little judicious application of CA. Now all I have to do is fabricate or scavenge the missing parts and get a sound decoder for it, and I'll have an inexpensive addition to the fleet.
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