A new layout!

[Doneldon]

wiley-

What do you mean by "loose?" Both prototype and model steam engine wheels and axles purposely have some slop built in to help them negotiate tight curves and irregular track. As long as the looseness isn't causing derailments, shorts or electrical continuity it's not a problem. In that case, the if-it-ain't-broke-don't-fix-it rule applies. If the looseness is causing problems, please tell us what they are and perhaps one of us will have an idea for you.
                                                                                                                                                                                                             -- D

[wiley209]

OK, I will leave it as it is. But anyway, here's a few more updates...


Wild deer are now on the layout, too!



TYCO Lighted Factory building from the 1970s.


Nice shot of a couple of my trains from the control panel. Both of them are Bachmann locomotives!


Action overview with the factory on the layout.

[jbrock27]

Lookin good Wiley.

JH2, thanks for your response regarding the Titanic on the now Locked thread of "Locomotive Speed" under HO Discussions, but I knew all of that; saw all the movies, read the books, have even done papers on the Titanic.  Did you know  that Charles Lightoller actually used his own sailboat during the evacuation of Dunkirk to ferry British troops back to England?

But your response unfortunately did nothing to help me understand how the reference of the Titanic made by  ALCO001 related to the topic of the TYCO locomotive that runs faster backword than forward

[wiley209]

Life-Like Hotel building. This has been available since 1980. I bought the kit new from Walthers!


A.H.M./TYCO Pizza Hut building!


A nice shot of the town section of the layout.


Getting in some more Amtrak action!

[Jhanecker2]

To  Jbrock27 : If  ALCO001's assessment of the cause of the problem is the slop in the bearings causing binding  and misalignment of the worm gear is the correct . It bespeaks of insufficient  design  and engineering in that section . It must also be said the Tyco  trains  were engineered  to the level of toys  and not to the level of  model railroad equipment . By the way , why was the  topic locked ?  I assume it was due to the fact that  it was not a "Bachmann Product" and that the original manufacturer  would have been unable to voice an opinion . Regarding  Dunkirk : the British Public worked miracles removing the British Expeditionary  Forces and other Foreign Troops from France with the use of their private boats ,   Weapons can always be replaced  but trained  combatants  are far harder to replace in a timely fashion . Generals  always  try to fight current  wars with the techniques  of their last engagements  whether they apply or not .  John2

[jbrock27]

JH2, I agree 100% with what you say about both TYCO trains and Dunkirk.  Most of the "other foreign troops" you reference, would be French troops, but not as many were evacuated, which led to some bitterness between England and France. If the connection between the Titanic and TYCO locos are insufficient design, then I also agree 100% and say I now understand why the reference was made.  Thanks for the clarification.
As far as the "locked"?  I have no idea why or what for, but since the manufacturer is long dead and buried, I am not sure what difference it would make that they have no opportunity to respond-they have no more market share at stake, unlike Bachmann.

[rogertra]

JH2, I agree 100% with what you say about both TYCO trains and Dunkirk.  Most of the "other foreign troops" you reference, would be French troops, but not as many were evacuated, which led to some bitterness between England and France. If the connection between the Titanic and TYCO locos are insufficient design, then I also agree 100% and say I now understand why the reference was made.  Thanks for the clarification.
As far as the "locked"?  I have no idea why or what for, but since the manufacturer is long dead and buried, I am not sure what difference it would make that they have no opportunity to respond-they have no more market share at stake, unlike Bachmann.

Going waaaaay off topic here but vast majority the French troops evacuated to the UK were sent back to France.   More than 100,000 evacuated French troops were quickly and efficiently shuttled to camps in various parts of southwestern England, where they were temporarily lodged before being repatriated.  British ships ferried French troops to Brest, Cherbourg, and other ports in Normandy and Brittany, although only about half of the repatriated troops were deployed against the Germans before the surrender of France. For many French soldiers, the Dunkirk evacuation represented only a few weeks' delay before being killed or captured by the German army after their return to France.

Of the French soldiers evacuated from France in July 1940, only about 3,000 joined Charles de Gaulle's Free French army in London.

Cheers

Roger T.

[wiley209]

It must also be said the Tyco  trains  were engineered  to the level of toys  and not to the level of  model railroad equipment .

Also keep in mind, Bachmann's trains used to be like that as well. In the 1970s and 1980s, Bachmann and TYCO products could be considered a joke compared to higher-quality stuff from Athearn, Atlas, Walthers, etc. (No surprise, since Bachmann and TYCO used to dominate the consumer HO model train market during that period!) Fortunately, Bachmann then came out with the Spectrum line, and then the Plus and Silver Series, and then they updated their base line with better-quality motors and bodies to make their locomotives less toy-like (though I do have a newer BNSF caboose that does have the old-style plastic wheels.)

But why don't you save the whole "French troops" thing for PMs or something, guys? 

[jbrock27]

Bachmann trains certainly were like that Wiley, I agree with you.  Don't forget Life Like and A.H.M. during that time period as well.

[wiley209]

Some more updates...

Got another Center St. series building kit for the layout:

The Miracle Furniture Company store! This one is branded by TYCO, and has a small hole in the bottom so I can feed a light bulb through it (I'm thinking of illuminating the interior.)


Did some weathering to the TYCO Piggyback loader/unloader. It did make it appear a bit more realistic...


The school is still in session for two more weeks, after which it will let out for summer vacation! (I will temporarily remove the school bus, and move the figures to different parts of the layout, until September.)


New motive power meets old! (Both are Bachmann, for those who don't know already.) That Bachmann Plus Consolidation steam engine I will probably not bother to install DCC in, as it doesn't even have any wiring!

[wiley209]

Life-Like Car Wash building. Atlas now offers this, but I went with the Life-Like version as it was a cheaper buy


Walthers Trainline GP9M locomotive. It may not look totally realistic, but I like it because it kind of has a 1970s/1980s feel to it, but with a much better motor and drive (the exterior kind of reminds me of TYCO's old Santa Fe GP20.)


And here's a more "prototypical" Walthers Trainline locomotive. Note how this Dash 8-40BW has "SANTA FE" on the front but "BNSF" on the sides. This is supposed to represent an ex-ATSF "Superfleet" locomotive that had been updated to reflect the BNSF merger by simply painting over "Santa Fe" on the sides with "BNSF." (Sometimes the front would have its' logo updated as well.) Some railfans refer to these as the "Fakebonnets," and some locomotives like this are still in use today.
This is somewhat more upscale than the GP9M; it has a reversing headlight and a dual-flywheel motor. I plan to install a TCS T1 decoder in it to upgrade it to DCC.
I will say this: I'm a little miffed off at how Walthers discontinued the Dash 8-40BWs in the early 2000s. They may not have been as well-detailed as Bachmann, Atlas or Athearn's upscale equivalents (the detail is more similar to a current lower-end Bachmann model), but they are great runners, and a decent affordable way to have "modern" diesel power on your layout that would work with 18-radius curves (if I'm not mistaken, the Dash 8-40B and Amtrak's Dash 8-32BWH are the only eight-wheeled locomotives in GE's Dash series.)




Now I am running three trains on my layout! Since the BNSF Dash 8-40BW is not DCC-equipped yet, I park that train on my isolated siding when not in use.

[wiley209]

Here's a neat accessory from Life-Like...

Operating gravel unloader. Back when it was released in the 1970s, it was called "Bob's Dumping Station." Today Life-Like only includes this in their "Freightline U.S.A." train set.
Uniquely, the "gravel" that came with it is bits of REAL gravel! Talk about authenticity...

I also performed a DCC hardwire upgrade on my Walthers Trainline BNSF Dash 8-40BW...

Progress photo. In lieu of a soldering iron, I used "Wire Glue," as I learned that it's a good solder substitute from some model railroaders.


I used a TCS T1 decoder, since this locomotive comes with a reversing headlight. Works pretty well, too, but the electrical contact is a little funny. But it was like that when I got it. I guess the wheels need extensive cleaning...
I programmed it as "6" on the E-Z Command controller. My other DCC locomotives are numbered "2," "4" and "5", which brings up to four DCC locos in my roster now!
I will be getting another T1 decoder to install in my Amtrak Dash 8 locomotive, as well as a TCS MC2 decoder to put in my second Proto 1000 F3A locomotive. (I will assign it the same address as my other Proto 1000 F3A, if I ever want to do a double-header unit.)


Current overview.

[jbrock27]

You'll have to let us know how the Wire Glue works over time.

[jward]

i've noticed you have a tendency to take shortcuts. it is better to do it right the first time. learn how to solder, and you won't have problems with your decoder install.

[wiley209]

i've noticed you have a tendency to take shortcuts. it is better to do it right the first time. learn how to solder, and you won't have problems with your decoder install.

It actually worked for me. I just need to let the wire glue set after applying it for an hour or two, and it bonds it pretty well. I plan to also do this installation by that method as well...
http://www.tcsdcc.com/Customer_Content/Installation_Pictures/HO_Scale/Life_Like/Proto_1000_F3A_alternate/Proto_1000_F3A_alternate.html
(I got a second ATSF Proto 1000 F3A locomotive, with a different road number.)

But besides that, time for some more updates!


TYCO Operating Pipe Loader (second version, made from 1982 to 1993.)


TYCO Machine Shop building. This was manufactured by Pola in Germany, and for a while after the TYCO train line's demise, IHC offered it. (TYCO sold it from 1977 to 1992.)


Three trains, rearin' and ready to go! The Bachmann Plus Consolidation steam locomotive is analog, and thus is on the isolated siding. The other two locomotives pictured are DCC-equipped, as you may know by now.


I also bought one of those Life-Like SceneMaster "Scene Essentials" sets, the farm one, to enhance the small farm on my layout. Only problem is, nowhere to put the crops!


The school has let out for the summer! I will probably temporarily disconnect the light until September (unless they decide to keep them on during the day to protect from burglary, or if fix-ups or renovations are occurring!)


Two kids preparing to camp out in their backyard. (The family dog came to join too!)


Overview from another angle.