Picked these up Friday when I was at the tent sale at Nickalos Smith trains.
david1 posted:Picked these up Friday when I was at the tent sale at Nickalos Smith trains.
NICE, David! Are those your birthday and advanced Christmas gifts all wrapped up in one?
Well they could be but beings I had them on order since announced they will be a present to myself.
Dave
MTHRRC 2009 Canadian National 100 ton Hooper car, item 20-97687 and the Lionel S3, item 6-84067, Milwaukee Road, Hiawatha, #260, looks good against the 267 and the passenger cars
David, got the MTH as well, they are awesome, Waiting for the Lionel and METCA versions.
David, much enjoyed seeing your Patriotic train. The engine is a gorgeous and the cars excellent. Well done on that Nicholas Smith purchase.
Got all the stuff today in the mail to start my control panel for the basement layout today. Pic.....Paul
Attachments
Images (1)
Went to a local train swap meet Saturday and spent the rent.
Got eleven "new" Marx o27 cars, a dozen or so road vehicles, four Plasticville and three Marx buildings, and a shoe box full of odds and ends, mostly scenery stuff. That'll keep me off the streets for a few weekends.
Today I received two early birthday presents to myself.
1) MTH US ARMY 44 tonner 1663. I like this little engine. Good sound and a strong puller. My only problem is running at low speed through tubular switches. It has no problem at 15-30mph. Appart from adding 6' of length, does anyone have any other ideas?
2) Atlas Hospital Kitchen Car
Attachments
Images (4)
Matt
I have a WbB 44 that is ok through tubular switches. You could teather a transfer caboose to it with a set of pickups on it. Maybe one of the pick ups is not working?
Very nice car and loco. Happy early Birthday
Bob
RSJB18 posted:Matt
I have a WbB 44 that is ok through tubular switches. You could teather a transfer caboose to it with a set of pickups on it. Maybe one of the pick ups is not working?
Very nice car and loco. Happy early Birthday
Bob
Thanks Bob for the caboose idea and the good wishes.
Classic issue with many of these little guys, the extra pickup on a car or caboose is usually the best solution.
Today I got my order from the BAY. I was wondering how I was going to wire up my lift out section. I came acroos these plugs which have 6 colored wires which will work nicely for me. Pic ......Paul
Attachments
Images (1)
Got in a trivial item at a good price, but one because of its popularity among car nuts in all kinds of scales, including 1-1, has been hard to find...a Matchbox 1940 Ford pickup. This one new in box. With 1940 as my model year, and other Matchbox pickups such as their 1930's Reo and IH long found, this one has been elusive. There is a 1941 Chevy pickup in the same series that
Is too late for me. Brooklin has announced a 1934 Chevrolet, FINALLY, after one 1937 coupe some years ago. With all the locals driving Chevies when l was a kid, it has been annoying not to find models.
Nice autos!
I’ve long been bewildered by the shortage of 1930’s autos and trucks. Admittedly, I’m a narrow-gauger and believe that Depression-era heavy metal sets the scene for those narrow gauge lines that succumbed just before and during World War II, but I can’t help but think that those runners and modelers modeling roads that dieselized early would be interested in having cars and trucks that were on the streets while steam was running, and not only after the fires were dropped and their beloved steam locomotives were cut up for scrap.
THREE-D PRINT-MAKERS! HERE’S A NICHE THAT’S NOT BEING SERVED!
The smaller stuff is built dual purpose, model and toy. The toy sales on earlier styles likely isn't strong as anything from the 50s on just because of lack of exposure to to early autos... as you noted, we lost many candidates for restorations in recycling for wartime metal, there isnti as much exposure.
Larger scale models for collecting can be more highly detailed, and that is the attraction to those who buy road vehicles to display vs trains. Look to larger scales and the offerings seem a little more evened out by era... imo.
decoynh posted:Today I received two early birthday presents to myself.
1) MTH US ARMY 44 tonner 1663. I like this little engine. Good sound and a strong puller. My only problem is running at low speed through tubular switches. It has no problem at 15-30mph. Appart from adding 6' of length, does anyone have any other ideas?
2) Atlas Hospital Kitchen Car
UPDATE: Cleaned 14 switches and tightened the track connections, pins/etc. Lubed the new engine per MTH instructions & exercised the 44 tonner for a good hour at 20 to 45 MPH. It now goes through all the switches except 2 at 10mph. Those 2 are remote 031 switches. The 072 switches are all fine now. Maybe I'll upgrade the 2 finicky switches to 072. It's a funny coincidence that the PFA regards a sticky switch. This little engine can pull 4 heavy k line cars at 2-3mph.
PFA? A search gives too many options to have good clue what that may refer to. (I suspect a new buzz-term for something previously "mundane" 
)
Adriatic posted:PFA? A search gives too many options to have good clue what that may refer to. (I suspect a new buzz-term for something previously "mundane"
PFA is DCS speak for Passenger/Freight Announcements. There is a PFA button on the DCS controller. Sorry I didn't make it clear.
Adriatic posted:PFA? A search gives too many options to have good clue what that may refer to. (I suspect a new buzz-term for something previously "mundane"
I believe that is P (passenger) F (freight) A (announcements)>
Thank you gentlemen, something told me Predictive Failure Annalises vs tch bulletin wasn't quite right.
Matt, sure sounds like you have been busy! That little engine looks great! Just wondering do you use it to pull around the layout, or do you have a different engine for your military train?
mike g. posted:Matt, sure sounds like you have been busy! That little engine looks great! Just wondering do you use it to pull around the layout, or do you have a different engine for your military train?
Mike,
B4 this engine and the Atlas Kitchen Hospital car, I only had a Menards flat with a tarp that I bought to get a "free" ambulance that didn't work. So I really don't have a military train as such. I guess it's a work in progress. MTH has a pretty good selection this year, so I may have to part with some money.
decoynh posted:mike g. posted:Matt, sure sounds like you have been busy! That little engine looks great! Just wondering do you use it to pull around the layout, or do you have a different engine for your military train?
Mike,
B4 this engine and the Atlas Kitchen Hospital car, I only had a Menards flat with a tarp that I bought to get a "free" ambulance that didn't work. So I really don't have a military train as such. I guess it's a work in progress. MTH has a pretty good selection this year, so I may have to part with some money.
I Know I will need a military engine some day or just paint one of my older ones! LOL
mike g. posted:decoynh posted:mike g. posted:Matt, sure sounds like you have been busy! That little engine looks great! Just wondering do you use it to pull around the layout, or do you have a different engine for your military train?
Mike,
B4 this engine and the Atlas Kitchen Hospital car, I only had a Menards flat with a tarp that I bought to get a "free" ambulance that didn't work. So I really don't have a military train as such. I guess it's a work in progress. MTH has a pretty good selection this year, so I may have to part with some money.
I Know I will need a military engine some day or just paint one of my older ones! LOL
Mike, I have no doubt that this little engine can pull 10 or 15 normal freight cars. There are 2 motors with 2 traction tires on each truck set. Its very heavy for it's size. I'll also use this to pull track cleaning cars that I build. I recently sold a GP-9, that I previously used for that job. I need to sell some rolling stock to make room for any future "military" expansion.
Matt sounds like a great little engine! Can you share your track cleaning car?
Mike to answer your request.
Track cleaning cars: Post war cabooses are good because of their short wheelbase, but almost any old car will work. My preference is a RailKing MTH depressed flat car with a (transformer load to hide added ballast weight) because a very thin spacer is all that's needed between the bottom of the car and the track.
Ballast weight: Lead fishing weights work or anything heavy that fits in the car.
Materials: Spacing material (sponge, wood, styrofoam etc.), Velcro tape (hook side), Scotch Bright scrub pads. Beer, Ale or your favorite adult beverage.
Assembly:
1) Place car on track. Measure the Distance from the bottom of your car to the track.
2) Spacer thickness = Distance - (thickness of Velcro HOOK tape + Scotch Bright thickness).
3) Attach spacer material to bottom of car (Glue or fastening method of your choice). Then stick Velcro HOOK tape to the spacer. Next attach Scotch Bright to Velcro HOOK tape.
4) Place on tracks and add required weights to keep car on track.
5) Test run and enjoy adult beverage.
I permanently have one of these cars in the consist behind the locomotive or have a track cleaning consist parked on a siding that I run once a week. Occasionally I remove the cars from the track to clean the Scotch Bright. Once a year I use some denatured alcohol or track cleaner manually to clean track.
NOTE: I copied this design from a friend when I bought one of his cars.
Attachments
Images (10)
Very nice design, Matt!
Thanks Matt! Love the simple idea, I think I can even do this one! LOL
mike g. posted:Thanks Matt! Love the simple idea, I think I can even do this one! LOL
If you have any questions along the way, let me know. One thing that I forgot, make sure that you leave enough clearance from the spacer to the wheels for your tightest curve.
Funny thing this morning, I ran the 44 tonner to make a short film. It was pulling 10 cars with no problem. Some were heavy K Line, Atlas, Lionel, MTH & one was light, Menards. After making one film, one of the couplers on the new Atlas Hospital Car started to open under the load. It was the first car after the locomotive, so most of the weight (10 cars) was on the front coupler. When I put it at the end of the train, it was ok. Visually there is no obvious weakness. This is the first time I made a video with the iPhone on a tripod. It does free up your hands to run the DCS, but I need practice and have a lot to learn b4 moving to the 35mm camera. I also plan on seeing how many cars this little engine can pull or push! LOL.
Attachments
Videos (3)
Very impressive Matt! That little thing sure does go! Nice video!
Instead of telling you I’ll show you.
I gotta call at lunch from my local train dealer. My PRR & Berwind Hopper packs are in. I completely forgot about them in the big mix of Lionel's ship date delays. I was actually going to go there tonight to place my order for 2018 V2.
Now you can do both, Dave!
Matt,
Thanks for the series of nice photos of your track cleaning cars and their construction. With family in Maine, the CMP transformer in particular caught my attention - what a great car!
It's 90-degrees in my house today, so your first photo is giving me an idea ... :-)
Tomlinson Run Railroad
TomlinsonRunRR posted:Matt,
Thanks for the series of nice photos of your track cleaning cars and their construction. With family in Maine, the CMP transformer in particular caught my attention - what a great car!
It's 90-degrees in my house today, so your first photo is giving me an idea ... :-)
Tomlinson Run Railroad
You and all of OGR are welcome to use the design. It's good for keeping everyday dust off the rails. It's 98f out on our deck right now - HOT! That little transformer car was a Club car for the Maine Hi-Railers a few years ago. There are still a few of those around at local train meets. This year it's an MTH 44 Tonner in Maine Central Yellow. I just went with the US Army version of the 44 Tonner & like it.
This might not make a lot of sense to some of you, but when my wife and I did out European trip in May, I wanted to get all the local model/real train magazines I could find for the month we were there (I'd done the same when I was in Europe for the first time, long before I was married, and I still have those). Sadly, I found almost none anywhere we went. I did find a Hornby magazine at a grocery store down the street from our hotel in London and a Railway Modeler magazine at Heathrow, but I never saw any other train magazines anywhere. None in Spain, Italy or France (and trust me, I looked*). I didn't have time to look in Portugal, though.
Anyway, I thought maybe there weren't any model train magazines in France as when I got back, I couldn't find many even on eBay. A while passed and I then I spotted the May and June issues of the aptly named 'Le Train' magazine so I got them online.
Maybe it's silly to get them long after the trip (especially as my French is very poor, mostly because I'd spent so much time learning German in my youth), but I know for certain I would have bought them if I'd seen them for sale anywhere!
*The funny part was while we waited to board our train to Bayeux at the Gare Saint-Lazare depot in Paris (yeah, the one Monet often painted), they had several magazine stores. They had Model Railroader in English, but not one French train magazine!
Attachments
Images (2)
The four aluminum cars last week. The red & yellow set earlier
Attachments
Images (1)
