Quote from: Atlantic Central on January 28, 2008, 01:52:55 PM
I would ask you one question though, why would you put the loco back in its box when not running it? Why not just leave it on the layout? This is really the cruxt of my original point in this thread.

Would love to. But some of us don't have a permanent layout yet and would still like to run our locos from time to time.

Yes, YES, YES!!!

Quote from: rogertra on January 26, 2008, 01:07:29 AM
EVERYONE should standardise on the Life-Like P2K tender coupling. 

Drawbar that gives a realistic distance between engine and tender, that works on toy train, 24 inch and less, curves and is a drawbar and electrical connection all in one.

By far THE best ever tender drawbar.  Period.

Mr. B., you listenin'?

Quote from: SteamGene on January 23, 2008, 04:28:30 PM
Rich, the other way around.  They took the Consolidation, which was a fairly accurate model of a late Erie (?) Consolidation and added a trailing truck to it.  That truck always looked awkward.
Gene

Twas a Reading consol, the kind that was later "kitbashed" into a Northern ...

Quote from: Johnson Bar Jeff on January 14, 2008, 11:19:54 AM
Now my only concern is, I'm scared to death to unplug those plugs to put the engine back in the box for fear of pulling out or breaking a wire. 

You and me both. That's because as great as Spectrum locos are, the loco-tender connections are awful. P2K's is the best.

Jim Dudlicek
Hoffman Estates, IL

I have had great experience with Walthers customer service as well. They really go the extra mile to ensure customer satisfaction.

Jim Dudlicek
Hoffman Estates, IL

Quote from: 2beagles on November 19, 2007, 04:45:07 PM
The Digitrax DH165LO is what I use in all my Proto Heritage steam.  It is made for the Proto locomotives so you don't have to change your light and you don't need any extra resistors.  It plugs into the DCC socket in the tender and you are ready to go.  As a bonus, you can add the Digitrax Soundbug decoder later on whenever you want by simply plugging it into your DH165LO.

But to use the Soundbug in the P2K switchers, you'd have to buy all the programming gear to install the appropriate steam sounds. I e-mailed Digitrax to ask what steam sound was preloaded in the Soundbug, and they told me it's the UP Challenger.

Jim Dudlicek
Hoffman Estates, IL

Has anyone installed a sound decoder in the Bachmann medium Vanderbilt tender? I bought a vandy to switch out on one loco for some variety in my mini-fleet of three Spectrum 2-8-0's. In one of them, I've installed the old Soundtraxx PnP made for this engine's square tender (wish they still made these decoders), but I'm thinking ahead to how I might put sound in the vandy. I'm eager to hear some input.

Thanks,
Jim Dudlicek
Hoffman Estates, IL

Chicago, Indianapolis & Louisville (original full name of the Monon)

Chicago & Western Indiana (terminal company that switched Dearborn Station)

Roger is absolutely right -- P2K drawbars are the standard by which others should be measured ... and Spectrum's wire connections are a royal pain.

Jim Dudlicek
Hoffman Estates, IL

I have an A-B set of P1K F3's -- great runners, even better on DCC. I have pre-Walthers units without a DCC plug, but a circuit board-type decoder can go in without soldering by using the existing plastic wire retainer clips. Replace the bulb, too.

Jim Dudlicek
Hoffman Estates, IL

Ad in the October MR says the new IHC Pacifics and Mikados will have RP-25 flanges and a DCC plug. Has me rethinking my plan to get the deep flanges on mine turned down ...

Jim Dudlicek
Hoffman Estates, IL

Jake:

Realistically, I think a 16-inch turntable is too long, unless you plan to also run locos longer than the Mantua logger. It's my understanding that most railroads installed the minimum turntable length they needed for their longest locos to minimize cost and space used, which means that often the tables were just long enough to accomodate the overall wheelbase with front and rear couplers hanging off the ends.

On a related note, I have a Diamond Scale 75-foot turntable kit that I no longer need -- I bought it to accomodate a Mantua logger w/ tender back when it was going to be my longest loco. E-mail me if you're interested.

Cary makes a detail set specifically for the Mantua Logger; bought one myself quite a while ago, but it's still on my long-term project list. As mentioned, Cary parts are available from Bowser.

Jim Dudlicek
Hoffman Estates, IL

A local freight between Baghdad and Tikrit on the UP's "Spider Hole" division

QuoteOne thing to note is that the editors sometimes got lazy or cheap and would splice in stock train footage that might be of almost any railroad.

Like in the movie "White Christmas," where they travel from Florida to Vermont on the San Diegan, and then in close-ups at the depot where they're getting off, there's SP heavyweights ...