QuoteIs this a joke?"bnsfan"(0 previous posts) has not replied to any posts since starting this thread.

You might have noticed that you are stuck at 36 posts, bevernie. EVERYBODY who joined or posted after the Bach-Man disabled the post tally feature has zero posts. The counter is off.

His post is ONE day old. Give him time to respond.

Summertrainz,

If you're concerned about your spelling, why not type your post in a word processing program and see what you're doing wrong? Then copy and paste your text and post it.

You're obviously a bright individual with a good head on your shoulders. You may as well type like one.

Craig

It would help to know the gauge and metal type.

I use a track cleaning car. You'll get advice specific to your application if you furnish a few more details.

QuoteI have four power districts...hence can create four "train sets". 

Are you trying to say you can operate four trains? Obviously I was wrong. You do still need some help with terminology.

Gene meant to type "Kadee" and he's referring to the fiber washers used for truck spacing/coupler height adjustment. Kadee offers at least two thicknesses. Placing a washer between the truck and bolster will shim the truck and eliminate some slack.

Craig

Jake,

I'm still laughing at your question. You make a great point though. Actually my layout has a center walkway/control area. The freight yard is 18' long and attaches to the main layout which is 11x7.  The finished product  is sort of U-shaped so I describe it using all three sections of the "U". Technically, since the freight yard is 4' wide, the dimensions of the bench work are 18'x11'x14'. If it were 18'x11' I'd have to have one heck of a duck under.

Maybe I should have just posted a drawing 

Craig

QuotePosted by: Stephen Warrington

I got my first set when I  was 2 years old in 1977 A Tyco Chattanooga Choo Choo set

I had the same set the same year. When my parents sold the house and began to move out, the new owner's children destroyed my model trains. I found them in the back yard, scattered. 3 years ago I built a model railroad for my children, and have built three more since then. I'm currently building a 18'x11'x7' HO layout of my own.

I don't see much appeal in putting Kadee draft gear and/or couplers on old Life-Like rolling stock - or old Bachmann for that matter. Though there are certainly exceptions, they generally aren't suitable for the investment because they are grossly out of scale and poorly detailed.

Often, when making the transition from playing with toy trains to model railroading (or railway modeling), one of the first things one does is upgrade to quality, scale, detailed, equipment. I was no exception to that trend. Even my young children own quality models. Genesis, Spectrum, Branchline and Atlas offerings may be found in their consists.

I agree with Roger and Gene, but the terminology posts seem late and pointless. Most of the entries that preceded those posts quite clearly illustrated conradin's vague choice of words. And if his choice of words wasn't inexact, he may well have 118 trains.

You are very welcome. I don't think it will be long before you pick up the necessary skills, judging from your enthusiasm.

I doubt that Summertrainz has the necessary knowledge or retrofitting components to install knuckle couplers on those locomotives or the rolling stock. The design of the horn hook coupler in the image he linked to utilizes a tiny screw and an open coupler pocket, or a talgo truck. In neither case is the obsolete design ready to accept a knuckle coupler. And Summertrainz certainly doesn't sound proficient enough to modify his equipment by body-mounting draft gear and couplers.

Summertrainz, if my assessment is accurate and you just want to be able to use all of the equipment you have, a transition car might be the simplest solution for you. In your case it would seem that the rolling stock that is fitted with knuckle couplers would make the best choice for the transition car. You just remove the coupler cover and swap the knuckle coupler at one end for a horn hook coupler. This allows you to use both types in the same consist.

Quote from: thirdrail on July 21, 2007, 09:04:07 PM
I don't have any "trains".

I do. 11 complete HO trains sitting on spurs and sidings. I pick one to run and throw some turnouts, energize the isolated block and off it goes.

Eventually most of the locomotives will be located in the engine yard but construction is not yet completed. The large scale and On30 items are also complete trains.

Well, at least now you know the model isn't based on "a figment of some Bachmann designer's imagination." The headlights flash alternately on the modern locomotives; maybe that's why strobes aren't implemented any longer.

I have 11 HO trains at present consisting of 18 locomotives and 300 odd pieces of rolling stock. 4 of the locomotives are Bachmann, while Stewart, Kato, Genesis, Atlas and Proto units make up the balance. The rolling stock is fitted with metal wheels and all couplers are sprung, mostly Kadee brand.

I also have two Bachmann large scale passenger trains and an On30 passenger train.

Craig

QuoteAs far as I know, the strobes on the Bachmann F40 a a figment of some Bachmann designer's imagination. I could be wrong, but I've never heard of any Amtrak Locomotive having strobes.

Here's one in service.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=559086

Here it is again out of service.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=124538

Both of these have strobes.

http://acela.i-webhosting.de/emd/f40ph.jpg