A new layout!

[Len]

It's possible to glue thin styrene strips to the top of modern containers so the Tyco container crane can grab them. Some minor painting to blend them in is required. Keeps the grandkid's happy when they get to use "their" container cars.

Len

[wiley209]

Here's some more updates, including new stuff I bought at a train show in Randolph this past Sunday (they moved from Brockton)...


An AHM Rio Grande gondola car. I already swapped out the horn-hooks with Life-Like knuckle couplers, though I did have to fix one of the coupler pocket covers...


I also got a TYCO Durango-style stock car. On this one, I used E-Z Mate Mark II couplers.


Another TYCO Santa Fe boxcar, this time the red El Capitan 50-foot car.


Another long-distance Amtrak passenger train of sorts; this one I kind of based off the 1954 Encyclopedia Britannica documentary film "The Passenger Train."


A Model Power railroad signal.


I've even let K-O, the Brockton Rox kangaroo, play with my model train layout!

[jbrock27]

I have that El Capitan.  (Who doesn't, right?!?!)  Have replaced the trucks and wheel-sets with Tichy's and added knuckle couplers in their own draft boxes.  Have plans to turn it into a track cleaning car with a piece of hardboard as the track cleaner.

[electrical whiz kid]

Jim;

Jim; use un-tempered Masonite.  it is more effective.

Rich C.

[jbrock27]

Thank you for the tip Rich.  I have always used 'hardboard' interchangeably with 'Masonite'.  What I have now to use is the back of a piece of wall paneling.  Is this perhaps un-tempered Masonite?  If not, what is an example of un-tempered Masonite and where can I  find it?

Thank you.

[rogertra]

Hardboard and Masonite are the same thing.  Masonite is just a brand name for hardboard.

Both tempered and untempered are available at any building supply store.

Comes in 4 x 8 sheets.  Just a little too large for a track cleaner.  Go to your local lumber yard and see if they've some scrap pieces available.



Roger T.

[James in FL]

Jim;

Jim; use un-tempered Masonite.  it is more effective.

Rich C.

@ewk,.

Is there anything I might possibly read, or be directed to, that proves, in some way, that un-tempered Masonite is more effective/efficient, than tempered Masonite in removing track crud?
Or is this a matter of opinion?

Either way, you are dragging a piece of Masonite below a car.
Is the Masonite permeated with some type of (wet) cleaner? (To provide some lubrication?).

Physics is Physics.
IMO that's way more load then I want to apply, you have to admit (after doing the math), that's a lot of drag.
I don't do "HO".
Just trying to find the logic in it all.

My personal experience dictates that liquid cleaners (volatile solvents) are the most effective in my application.
Applied with the hand of "GOD" rather than stressing my lokies, applied on some type of medium,
In a friction application to the track.
But... to each his own...

@wiley209;

I love it.
Keep posting pics.

[jbrock27]

Go to your local lumber yard and see if they've some scrap pieces available.
Roger T.

Thanks for the info Roger but why are you sending me to the store?  Did you not read what I wrote above?

No liquid needed James when using the hardboard/masonite rigged car.  When the board gets dirty, a little sandpaper will clean it right up like fresh and new.  I, like you, also like to use liquids for cleaning, but also believe that variety is the spice of life

@wiley209;

I love it.
Keep posting pics.

Agree, just not ones of creepy looking mascots or costumed characters...

[rogertra]

Go to your local lumber yard and see if they've some scrap pieces available.
Roger T.

Thanks for the info Roger but why are you sending me to the store?  Did you not read what I wrote above?

Info was not directed to anyone in particular just a tip for anyone interested in making a hardboard track cleaner.

However, to directly answer one of your questions, you usually can tell the difference between tempered and untempered hardboard by its colour.  Tempered is a dark brown colour and untempered is usually a light tan in colour.  

Tempered will also bend, good for curved backdrops, whereas, untempered will snap.

Cheers

Roger T.

[jbrock27]

Hmmmn it sure appeared you were responding to me since your post directly followed mine, but I thank you, again. 
It would appear by what you say, that the pieces of paneling I have are of the un-tempered variety of hardboard.

[wiley209]

More updates!


I got a new locomotive this week! An Athearn ready-to-roll Amtrak P42 "Genesis" diesel in Phase III! Today I installed a decoder in it, and it was quite a pain at first; the "dummy" plug was stuck into the DCC harness pretty tight, and then a wire got pulled out by accident and needed to be re-attached, and then a couple of the motor wires got tangled in one of the shafts! But after fixing all that, it runs pretty well now.


Here's the Woodland Scenics painter and van I got for my birthday set up on my layout...


Parked on my isolated siding is my Mantua Classics BN GP20 locomotive with the TYCO crane car and boom tender.


Even in my town, the school buses must stop at railroad crossings before going over the tracks! (After all, that's what the Schoolhouse Rock bill was for!)


A freight train stopping at the TYCO freight station...


The full Amtrak train, powered by my Amtrak Genesis locomotive. I will say even though the TYCO and Life-Like cars don't look that prototypical, at least having a prototypical locomotive like the Genesis pull the cars looks better than having TYCO's Amtrak F9 or GG1 pulling them!


I already have two of the Walthers Cornerstone electrical towers built. I may even string some thread on them to simulate the power lines.



A couple of overviews of my trains...

[wiley209]

Some more updates, especially since I've been to the November Greenberg's Train and Toy Show...


Installing knuckle couplers on some new rolling stock I bought...


Today I bought a Bachmann Deleware & Hudson hopper, an IHC/Mehano Railbox 50-ft boxcar (like TYCO sold in some of their later train sets), and a Walthers Trainline Santa Fe hopper and BNSF wide-vision caboose!


I also installed a second Walthers traffic light at my main intersection, and also hooked up a Walthers traffic signal controller. It took hours or trial and error to get it working properly, but so far it looks great. Here's a video of it in action...




Just a couple shots showing my new Bachmann "Train Crew" figures. Bachmann has been making these since 1979.


The Walthers Santa Fe hopper. I know AHM and Life-Like also made similar ones in the past. It may not be that prototypical, but I will say it does look cool. Maybe with a bit of weathering it would look even better.

[jbrock27]

Love the traffic signals.  The Mehano have filled in step rails?

[wiley209]

Some more updates, in time for the holidays!

The train station has its' Christmas roof added...


I've placed the town tree near the church...


And my Christmas train is all set up!


Here's a neat sight; my steam-powered Christmas train passes a modern Amtrak train; something you probably wouldn't see in real life!


The Amtrak train stopping at the Christmas-decorated train station.


Just another shot of the residential area...


A shot of one of the BNSF freight trains waiting for the Christmas train to pass.


People waiting at the crossings are definitely surprised to see live reindeer in the stock car!

[jbrock27]

I had asked if your Mehano car had filled in step rails.