Quote from: rogertra on January 29, 2008, 11:58:40 PM
Floor to ceiling display cases?

Wife said. "Me or those darn trains!"

You know, I hardly miss her.  ;-)

I think I saw something like that on a license plate once. 

Quote from: Atlantic Central on January 29, 2008, 07:51:49 AM
Jeff,

I do believe the guy with the floor to ceiling display cases traded in the first
wife for that very reason.

Sheldon

Thank you, Sheldon. Bad day at work, here. I badly needed that laugh!

Quote from: DEC on January 29, 2008, 11:58:10 AM
I'm a newbie so I'll try to make sense. My 8yr old got a bachman 36" set for Christmas(EZ-track). I would like to put both beginner track packs with it.This will have 4 swithes and maybe 30+ feet of track. Can I use the transformer that came with the 36" set or do I need something bigger? If so ,what would be a good choice?
Thanks

I'm not familiar with the transformers they put in the sets, but if you want to invest in another power pack (transformer), I recommend the MRC Railpower 1300. I'm very happy with mine, for operating one train on DC power. It also isn't very expensive. They should be able to help you with it at your local model train hobby shop.

Quote from: Atlantic Central on January 28, 2008, 04:17:45 PM
I have about 150 powered locos (that counts B units etc) but all have a purpose on the large layout I am constructing. It fills a 22' x 40' room and will have a mainline run of about 13 scale miles.

Oy, what I could do with that kind of space. ...

QuoteBut I do not collect model trains. I only buy items needed for the theme of the layout. I don't own a UP Big Boy, PRR K4 or GG1, SP Cab Forward or GS4, or many of the other "famous" locomotives.

I don't really consider myself a collector, either. I've just accumulated 15 computer paper boxes full of rolling stock over the past 45 of my 50 years. And I've never bought a car or a locomotive that I didn't intend to run--or at least use in a kit-mingling project.

QuoteI understand your situation, but the fact remains that the best and most detailed models in HO scale have never been designed for constant handling without significant care being taken - and doubt that will ever change.

I don't think anybody is disputing that. All some of us are wondering about is why the wire connectors can't be a little sturdier.

I'm sure you're not meaning to imply that only people with the wherewithal of space and whatever to construct their own railroad empires should be allowed to own and operate nicely detailed locomotives.

Your friend must have a very understanding spouse to accept floor to ceiling display cases on every wall in the living room.

Quote from: Atlantic Central on January 28, 2008, 01:52:55 PM
Jeff,

I understand that not everyone wants the same thing from the hobby. But that does not make the product wrong if it suits most of those in the hobby and the long established standards/conventions/practices etc.

No, it doesn't, but I wasn't questioning that. It just struck me that your post could be taken as implying that everyone should want things the way you like them. If I misconstrued, I apologize. No offense was intended.

QuoteI 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.

Simple. I have only a small, semi-permanent layout and a lifetime--well 45 years--of locomotives that need to be run from time to time to be kept in working order. I don't have the space to keep everything out of the box all the time.

Quote from: ebtnut on January 28, 2008, 02:54:43 PM
That cab-in-front casting for the Little Joe was made by Kemtron years ago.  Don't know if it still in PSC's catalog.  I think they made the part in both brass and stryrene.

Yup, this project was described in Rose's Complete Book of Model Railroading, which was published, I believe, in the early 1960s and has been in my library since I was a kid. (I've read it so often the cover is coming off).

It does make for a whimsical little engine, like something you might find running on the Gorre & Daphetid. 

Neat project!

Quote from: Atlantic Central on January 27, 2008, 11:33:54 AM
What is the reward in something if it is always easy? That's what's wrong with the world today.

Sure enough, but not everyone is looking for the same thing from the hobby.  I'm sure some folks can find it very relaxing to spend hours fiddling with something mechanical about a model locomotive. Others--like me--would find that stressful, or just the opposite of what we want out of a hobby. If you like trains, I don't think the answer isn't to find a different hobby.

Me, I'm scared of the flimsy little plugs that couple the tender to the locomotive of my new Richmond American. I'm so convinced that the first time I try to uncouple the tender from the locomotive I'll pull out a wire that I'm actually investing in a display case to store the engine when I'm not running it, so I won't have to put it back in its box.

One of the famous B&O "Presidential"-series Pacifics would look nice with these cars, I believe.

Quote from: Jim2903 on January 14, 2008, 04:35:07 PM

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

Thanks, Jim. While your comment doesn't make me feel any better, it's still kind of nice to have confirmation of my concern.

Jeff

May I second TonyD's suggestion to make sure the tender is completely plugged in to the locomotive?

When my new Spectrum American arrived last week, I had the same problem, the engine didn't run. My American does not have a decoder, and I'm also running on DC. That plug-pin connector arrangement was new to me. At first I thought those plugs had something to do with if you put in a DCC decoder, so I didn't even have them plugged in! LOL! When I experimented and got both plugs properly seated, the engine ran like a charm.

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. 

Incidentally, I'm also using an MRC Railpower 1300, and I can't believe how well my engines run off it.

Quote from: chancealan on January 02, 2008, 07:36:50 PM

I think you have a very nice layout now, Brian. Thanks for sharing the pics. 

Quote from: ebtnut on January 10, 2008, 11:11:32 AM
I haven't played with HO sectional track for a long time, now, but aren't most of them marked somewhere with their radius?  I know the old Atlas sectional track had it cast into the bottoms of the ties. 

I haven't had occasion to buy any Atlas for quite a few years now. I can't seem to locate the radius designation on the bottom of the my sections of EZ-track.

Thanks, folks! Much obliged!

Can anybody tell me if there is any resource available that can tell me exactly which Kadee coupler to use to convert a particular manufacturer's model to knuckle couplers?

I'm the proud new owner of a Spectrum American, so I finally need to convert some of my rolling stock from horn-hooks to knuckle couplers in order for her to have something to pull. 

Some of the cars I'm interested in converting include Mantua "1860" freight cars and "1890" passenger cars (couplers are truck-mounted); MDC/Roundhouse 36-ft. old-time boxcars and "Overton" passenger cars (couplers are body-mounted); Athearn 40-ft. boxcars (couplers are body-mounted); possibly some Mantua equipment of varying ages (some with body-mounted and some with truck-mounted couplers). I've also got a couple of Con-Cor coaches that are essentially the old AHM/Rivarossi Virginia & Truckee cars (couplers are truck-mounted).

Any advice in how to find out what Kadees I would need will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!