Tim,

The others have given you good advice.  In my experience,  brass track (LGB and Aristo) has oxidized very quickly but shines up quickly, too.  Personally, I have built 2 garden railroads using brass and one using stainless.  The stainless is 99% less maintenance.   If you are going on board battery power, then you can use just about anything for track. 

If I remember correctly, that shay will go around a 5' diameter curve or tighter.   It is a good idea, however, to plan your railroad with 8' diameter curves so you can run bigger equipment. 

You know, the main thing I like to do when I run trains with my friends outside in the backyard is to have a beer.  I have the Dogfish Head 90 minute IPA reefer (its the red and cream one).  I think the car was something like $50 (had an Amazon.com gift card), but a case of that beer runs about $60-$70!!!  Now, we just need some pretzel reefers or maybe those came in gondola cars...

You didn't happen to take any pictures of the bachmann board, did you?  I have a first run 4-4-0 that I am putting the aristo REVO in and it is a similar situation.  I am considering just forgetting about the flickering firebox.  I could just run the aristo revo and the bachmann board in parallel (motor and lights controlled by revo, smoke and firebox by bachmann).

Great news!  I am excited for Luke, who loves his Percy set! 

Thanks Jon!

Bill,

I have no idea how one would check something like that from 10 years ago!  On QVC or maybe the home shopping network, they had some kind of hobby junction.  They were selling bachmann trains exclusively, and it was HO, N and G scale.  That King Coal set was featured, and I was tempted at the time, but the price was high (like $250) and with the balloon stack and coal tender, it didn't seem 'right'.   They were also selling the two add on cars in a separate sale.

Mark

Hi Bachmann,

I noted about a week ago that the Percy sets had arrived at the warehouse.  Have these started shipping to retailers?

Thanks,

Mark

Bill,

Correct me if I am wrong, but for some reason I recall seeing the King Coal set being sold on QVC when they used to have a hobby segment.  That would have been the fall of 2000, so the timing is right. 

As I recall, it was a 4-6-0 with a ballon stack, which seemed silly considering it was for a coal hauling road.

DonnaO: The other place to try would be craigslist for central PA.

Mark

Stopped by the Strasburg Railroad yesterday and they had one of the large scale Thomas sets for sale.  It was much bigger than I expected! I didn't have time to look very long, but it was very impressive even in the package!!
Can't wait for Percy!

Any word on Percy?

Brian,

WOW!! That looks great!!

We stopped in AC Moore who is now carrying mostly Bachmann HO scale and Lionel O gauge trains.   On the wall were OO Thomas and Percy locomotives.  Luke, my 2 year old,  instantly pointed out Percy.  Thomas was not his first choice.  So, when we got home, I ordered a large scale Percy and troublesome trucks set! 

Checking out some pictures from the iHobby show, the troublesome trucks are going to go well with the aristo 20' gondola and the bobber caboose we got him for his birthday. 

Mark

AnthonyP2,

I didn't think it would come with DCC onboard, since virtually no large scale equipment is provided that way.  If the socket is the same as on the aristo boards, that will hopefully make installation of the aristo revo TE receiver simple.

Bachmann, were you able to find out about the socket?  So, these'll make it 'just in time' for Christmas, hopefully?

Thanks,

Mark

Hi Bachmann,

I have a couple of questions about the upcoming large scale Thomas and Percy:
Is there an expected arrival date for these? 
Will the sets and separate sale items be available at the same time?
Will the locomotives have the DCC / aristo plug and play socket?

Thanks,
Mark

I won't speak to the scale differences, you do what makes you happy. I've seen LGB 2-6-6-2T's mated with Aristo Long tenders and painted gray, lettered for Uintah.   

The big problem I see is the actual interface between the 2-6-6-2 and the tender.  If that is not rock solid, you won't be happy.  The aristo vandy tender has a steel shank with holes in it that a peg with a hole is screwed to.  Makes it pretty easy to modify to suit your needs.  I am not sure how  the bachmann coupler is mounted, but it is likely you will be able to fabricate some sort of a drawbar to mate with the aristo tender.  I say go for it.