DC

edit: Although I think there may be a DCC version, if you wanted your simple, single-track trolley line to be extra-super fancy with remote speed control and stuff.

It sounds to me like you might need some weight in the tender (for electrical pickup) and in the engine (for pulling power).  The older Jupiter tender (I have one) tends to skew sideways a bit, which bites into the gears and grinds.  That's the problem with having the motor in the tender and the driving wheels on the engine.

I'm so glad this forum is back on its feet.

For deadfall, just use twigs and crap from your nearest tree or bush.  Get the new growth, as they'll be the smallest on the tree/bush.  If you have a gas oven, put them on a baking sheet and stick them in there overnight.  The warmth from the pilot light will dry them out extra well so they'll have less chance of rotting, since new growth is often wet.

Check your train friends and your hobby shops for any info on train meets and conventions.

So how does it go with the soldering and weighting wrg?

Woohoo!

As always... work slow, check your work often, and give it some rust.  You'll do fine as long as the magnifying glass doesn't break.

The Boss is a hard one to negotiate with, eh?

Are you eventually going to weather the newer hoppers like the rest, or are they just for show?

I know that face you're making Terry.  "You worked perfectly when it was just me, so don't bugger up when the real audience is here."

Thanks all.  "My" section of next year's layout will be even bigger. Someone donated some Rivarossi (AHM) Santa Fe long passenger cars and a combine, so I'll change out the couplers to McHenrys (sorry Bachmann, but they work in Rivarossis better than EZMates) and switch the couplers on an old Bachmann B-Unit to put it behind the A Unit that runs well, and run that on a double loop...
Well, that's the plan, anyway.  When I settle on a definite track plan, I'll upload the screenshots.

Streetlights and a train order post, obviously. Or it's a telephone pole...
Prolly an off-brand to go with the little magnetic trains that go on the wooden tracks.

Hey Bachmann, any chance of this one coming back in stock as a DC version?  It would be nice to add it to the Sparrows Point layout next Christmas... along with some of those 70.5' drop-end gondolas for Patapsco & Back River RR.

Track finally went a little wonky this past Sunday evening.  Been waiting for this to happen.  Train would slow down at a certain point then pick up speed.  After the Society closed one evening, I got up on the layout and looked at the track (because of course the slowy section is 4' back... Why would it be in the front?).  It was practically black!

Went home and got my little TrackBrite eraser doodad and came back.  Lightly ran it along the tracks until they were nice and shiny again and ran the train...



Nailed it.

Come on and see us some time!  We're in Dundalk, Baltimore, Maryland.  Center Pl. and Dundalk Ave.

No.  But you also won't be able to produce smoke.  After putting smoke juice in my 0-6-0, I have to run it around at almost full speed for a bit of time before I hear a slight pop and a shot of smoke shoots up from the chimney.  First sign that the coil is heating properly.  Then most of the smoke escapes from under the plastic shell instead of through the stack.
Now in reverse, the speed is a bit lower to smoke, and it actually escapes through the smoke stack instead of the underbody.

Honestly though, you're better off taking the little unit out.  More power will be available for your motor as well.