Dear Cowboy Bob,

When you're looking at me, you're looking at country!

I suppose we all Stand By our (Bach) Man!   

Best Wishes,

Jack

Dear Friend,

George Schreyer has some comments on that!

http://www.girr.org/girr/tips/tips3/smoke_tips.html

Best Wishes,

Jack

Roger that, Jeff.

The Altoona helpers are numbered in the 3000 to 4000 range if I remember correctly.  One had a pretty blonde gal at one time!

Thanks to all for the info!

Best Wishes,

Jack

Dear Jim,

I'll ditto the good remarks! 

Those ancients probably did not wash their feet too often.  Is that why there were open air forums?

Sure wish I were closer to you guys than eastern PA.  Sure could learn a lot!

Best Wishes,

Jack

Anyone try battery power in these critters? Is it practical?

For instance, I found a good article for battery power in O gauge.

Best Wishes,

Jack

Dear Friends,

Hours and days of watching freight trains roll through Altoona on the flats, curves and Horseshoe Curve with 1.75% incline and ~100 foot vertical rise have led me to ask a few questions:

1. How do the lead engine and pusher engines have to work to avoid derailment?  Especially on hills and curves?

2. Why doesn't an empty flat car in the middle or near the end of a heavy consist derail with pusher engines attached?

3. How are empty cars placed in a consist to avoid derailment?  Does it matter?

I would imagine weight, length, condition of the cars, and trackage all contribute.  I have on CD a Santa Fe demo that shows oscillations of trucks at speed and how certain derailments occurred at 50-60mph, thus necessitating speed restrictions in the 1960's.

Some links I found:

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/Xplore/login.jsp?url=http%3A%2F%2Fieeexplore.ieee.org%2Fiel3%2F1152%2F1871%2F00051901.pdf&authDecision=-203

http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/1226

Any thoughts and comments are much appreciated and thank you in advance!

Best Wishes,

Jack

This is too nuts for me.  Love my trusty Bachmann analog controller, and TE.

Best Wishes,

Jack

Dear Joshua,

Might I suggest you ask the reference librarian at your local library to find you a copy of "The World's Greatest Hobby" narrated by Michael Gross.  In it Dick Francis, an expert modeler shows you how to construct a nice 4' x 8' HO layout using Liquid Nails for Projects.  I believe they, too recommended an overnight cure time.

http://www.ehobbies.com/bac44596.html

Best Wishes,

Jack

Dear Jim in FLA,

One of the best discussions on this board many moons ago was in a high- jacked thread, that I started, that turned into a discussion about flat head Fords and Darwin awards, for those of you who might remember!

Sorry to highjack this one!

Lots of good information here.  I will use a similar jig to clean and lube my Wonderland Flyer for my little Joey!

Best Wishes,

Jack

Dear Friends,

I will take the blame for starting the WD-40 discussion.  In my experience, I have used Jim's recommendations to my very good profit.  I have found Jim's advice to be spot on.

Best Wishes,

Jack

Dear Bob,

Nice idea.  I will have to try it.  Do you wear shades when your wheels are done and squeaky clean?

Too,  I thought WD-40 was NOT compatible with plastic, and leaves a residue.  I seem to misremember other posts where Goo-Gone or similar was recommended.

Best Wishes,

Jack

Dear Bob,

Speaking of equilibrium, a local O gauge modeler found that to run his 50+ cars in a consist he had to juggle their order to prevent derailment.  His rolling stock is tuned, BYW. This never occurred to me since I usually run less than 10 cars in all scales.

A local club has one guy who will put 75+ HO cars together, car carriers that are "triple play" or however you describe three cars hooked with those two center bars.  Seems to run OK at slow speed.

Anyone with experience or thoughts on this?

Best Wishes,

Jack

Dear Friends,

Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm near Anaheim, CA had beautiful steam train rides when last I was there, 1979.

I hope all is well with them.  Any recent experiences?

Best Wishes,

Jack

Dear Guys,

Many moons ago I remember it was mid-July close to UAB, and we were eating in a steamy restaurant , white tile floors, ceiling fans turning lazily, a hot plate of gumbo or dirty rice and a bowl of turtle soup, then saying, "Oh! My gosh!  We'll miss our flight!"

The ride to the airport was a twisting weaving fright.  Our friend, Peter, who was quite used to this was nonplussed.  He had done this many times.  His favorite time was in Munich, racing to the end of the gangway and literally jumping into space, pulling Rosalie by the hand, papers streaming from his briefcase.  He plopped in his seat with a satisfied grunt.  Rosalie was not so satisfied.

That is my last memory of Birmingham!

Best Wishes,

Jack

Jim, You Dog!  You must have been referring to my wife where one answer causes her to ask 3 more questions, ad infinitum!

Dear Bob,

Great link! I was trying to find something similarly on Harold Minkwitz's site.  Harold is a great friend of Bachmann's and a sharp modeler.  Here is a link to one of his articles that shows an area where the closing rail transitions to the point and it is obviously filed.

http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/track/83_switches/

Best Wishes,

Jack

P.S.  For you who may not have seen Harold's site, this link will take you to many of his articles how to modify Bachmann products for even better operation, or to narrow gauge scales, .