I do not know who designed the originals.  But the newer generation is re-engineer in Kader's state of the art facility and then ship the prototype off to China to be produced.

The new ones look very similar, or even the same as the old ones.  But under the hood it is a very different animal.  The most famous difference is plastic gear (new) vs metal gears (old).  If you have a chance, open the car up and see the inside.  If not, make sure you check the package that it comes from.  If  it is in the modern all clear plastic case or a spectrum case it is new.  If it is in the white paper box, then you need to check the catalog number.  If the catalog number is a simple one, usually in five digits, it is most likely new.  If the catalog number on the box is a complicated one (eg. 25-3456-34), it is an old stock.  If it comes in a grey or black or blue plastic case that is NOT a spectrum, it is old stock.

Buy the rolling stocks, they are pretty much the same quality as the new ones, if not sometimes better. Stay away from any old stock locos unless you are into collecting and like to leave it in a display case..although some of the older one is way too ugy aesthetically to be even be put on as displays in a set.

Yes, Sunnys is definitely the place to get old parts or even stocks.  I do not know about any 30', but in an old catalog of mine there is the 34' UP flatcar with Stakes, and also a CP version.  The number is 53-1051-1 and 53-1051-24
Try look it up on the internet.  I actually saw a few awhile ago in *bay.  Not my cup of tea but definitely look very fun to have.  Most of them are CP by the way.

What is the email addressed from, and what is its subject?  It maybe in my spam folder so I have to look it up.

I'm sorry about your PC problem.

When you get the PC running again make sure you do this:
1. Buy partition Magic program and create two extra partitions...one of them have to be around the size of around 2G, the other, as big as possible.  The   
program allow you to adjust the sizes of any partition of your hard drive.
2.  Move all the datafiles (not executable programs) into the bigger extra partition.  Run all programs and set them up so that whenever they save any datas, the datas are going to that extra big partition (lets call that the data partition from now on).
3.  Wipe out all the data files in the bootable (operating system) partition.  That leaves only the program files and the OS system on the operating system bootable partition.
4.  Buy Norton Ghost, extract the standalone ghost program, then copy the program to a floppy, and copy the program to the new extra partition.
3. Perform Ghost on your bootable partition, with the resulting ghostfile residing in the extra smaller partition (let's call it the ghost partition from now on).  The ghostfile is a snapshot of what your bootable partition is.  It is like a backup, but is compact into one single file.
4. Burn a CD or DVD (depends on the size of the ghostfile) of that ghost file, and make sure the resulting CD or DVD is bootable with also the ghost program loaded into it.

That's it.  So next time your computer dies, simply pop in the bootable ghostfile CD, and the computer will boot into that CD.   Run the ghost program inside the CD and you will instantly restore your computer back to the moment the ghostfile was created.

A.  If you have extra space, perform the samething to the data partition.  So if the data partition is damaged, pop in the data partition ghostfile CD, and restore the image into the data partition.  The data partition will look exactly the same as the moment you performed the ghost operation.

Alternate: Buy a super cheap computer, run it on win98SE in the most primitive mode.  Have it networked (either by ethernet, or serial connection).  Then every week or so you simply copy the data from the data partition into the win98SE piece of junk.  If something happened, you simply can get the data back from that machine.  The advantage of this style is that if you know how to script, you can have this data backup transfer done automatically at a time interval that you can choose without disturbing your working computer.  For a ghosting operation, you must shut down your operating computer, essentially you will boot it in the ghost OS. 

Memory sticks are good alternative, but it does have the risk of being lost, or damaged accidentally by magnetic force.  Tape drives are excellent only if you plan to run a behemoth machines...

Hope this help and being not too geeky.

PS.  Because I ghost, I never bother to set up or buy any antivirus program.  If things happens, all I did is to perform a ghost restore, and within 15 minutes I am back in business again. 

PPS. If you are comfortable with linux or similar operating system, see if you can set up the backup machine in that OS.  This is because you never know which data that you downloaded or created is the culprit or trojan horse.  By storing the datas in a non Windows machine, the virus basically is disabled. 

Wonder what sort of gauge they will have to use when it comes to the mountainous areas.

I'll just leave it the way it is...but I bought a new shell (Burlington). I'm gonna put the shell on the dummyA and left it on the train yard as part of the scenary.

Are they made in Hong Kong or China?  The old ones from Hong Kong are no good. 

Visit Kader's site.  They have an incredible state of the art operation AutoCAD).
Now I understand how they improve a design in Hong Kong, then ship the prototype off to their Chinese factory in Dongguan of the Canton Provence and mass produce.

http://www.kader.com.hk/

You can learn more about Dongguan here in Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dongguan

Personally, I know little about Dongguan except the city is famous for its rice vermicelli!

Well, if the new production works, then I'll buy one 

How's the testing?

I have basically figuered out every single item that I have and their corresponding catalog number.  However, I cannot find the Explorer EMD 9A Dummy being sold separately anyway...does anyone ever saw or bought the dummy?  It is made in China.  Just try to figure out its bachmann catalog number for inventory.  The Dummy road name is Sante Fe 215

Bachamnn diesels are not perfect.  So nowadays I just tend to disassemble the entire diesel and then do some cleaning.  After that the diesel can run like new again.

I'm afraid the photo you show is F7A-F7B-F7B-F7B.  I cannot find the cab on the last unit in the photo...

If the case of the Explorer trainset, it is F9A and F9A.  Would that meant it should be 215L-215A in real life?

Now that gets me thinking about getting some stickers and put an "L" on the lead loco.

Is it possible to setup a F9A-F9A-F9A consist?  Would that be historically correct?

I am still new to the hobby.  Bought the first set (Thunder Valley N) from Hobby Lobby because it was on sale back in February, but did not start collecting others until early April. 

I have since discovered about other brands...

I am wondering why anyone here buys this brand, either exclusively, or for the majority fo your collection.

My reason is that once I purchased my first two sets, which were cheap in Hobby Lobby (40% off), I discovered that other good brands are more expensive, even though they are indeed better in quality in my opinion.  The second reason is the different coupling systems that the other good brands use.  Thirdly, there is no point for me to buy other expensive and good brands because the only persons that play with the trainset, other than me running it, is for my cat.  I always run them for like 10 to 15 mins a day, with he and I alone in the room.  He likes to watch, chase and atttack them :-)
Father and Son time I guess...:-)

So it is possible that in a ABBA formation the loco numbers can be all the same? (215 215 215 215), or as a pair (215 215 205 205), or all different (215 210 205 200)?  Yes, there are SF F9 units.  I am still confused.

Did Bachmann ever sold the F9A and B as a set?  Both running, or one runing plus a dummy? 

I have a advertising paper at the back of an old Hong Kong made Bachmann rolling stock box. It says "N locomotives"  F9 EMD Diesel #6010, F-9 Dummy B #6020, F-9 Dummy A #6030.

I currently run them with an extra GP40 pulling.  But once I put in my EMD SD-45 in additiojn to the GP40 then there is not enough juice on my track anymore