How do you get the shells off?

Thanks,
Greg

Quote from: WGL on December 12, 2008, 02:23:28 AM
My two Spectrum heavyweights came today.  They aren't wobbly like my other passernger cars.  I see that the couplers must be installed & that they are plastic.  Gregohio, did you substitute metal couplers?

  Have you added passengers to the seats in your coach?  I suppose they would have to be glued into place.

I'm using the Bachmann couplers for now.  My layout is flat with 29" curves, so they're not really getting stressed too hard.

I have not added passengers.  I'm probably going to try to improve the lighting first.

MB Klein has the DCC GP40's for $30.  Pretty close to the cost of a decoder alone.

I just measured one.  It is 11 inches, which equals 80 scale feet.  They have an unusual coupler mounting that turns as the trucks rotate, even though it's body-mounted.

It's much higher quality than the old Athearn or IHC cars.  Still no match for Walthers or Rapido.  But, an excellent value for lighted cars that should work with 22 radius.  My smallest radius is 29, so I can't vouch for 22.

They are full length, which generally means 80-85 feet.

If you're that short of space, you should consider N scale.  2x4 feet is fine for N.  4x6 is about the minimum for HO.

Don't forget that the radius is to the center of the track, not the edge, and that you don't want the track at the very edge, so your trains don't fall off the table in the case of a derailment.

Hi, I'm considering the Spectrum Heavyweight Passenger cars with lights.  Are the lights safe for DCC?  The documentation doesn't say, and overheating has been a problem for some others, such as Kato.