I just checked my RailKing Pacific, and the scale dummy coupler is not removable like the Premier ones are. I would say you are right, Michael. Of course someone could cut it out and fashion a holder for the large claw dummy coupler if they had the skill and desire.
Mark,
Thanks for the confirmation. I have 1 premier pacific bought new that did come with the add on coupler and 2 railking imperial steamers, 1 new and 1 used, and neither came with an add on coupler in the box. My premier pacific dosen't appear to my eye too much out of scale from my imperial steamers so if I wanted to do a steamer lashup I would just put the Pacific 2nd in line.
Michael
Sounds like a great plan, Michael!
Mark, I’ve enjoyed your additions and successful run of the coal drag. Very nice. I thoroughly enjoy following along.
Andy
Andy, I’m glad you like following along. Making up that train and running it around the layout was a major goal in the back of my mind.
I’m glad I got the train running when I did. I won’t be able to do much on the layout for a while. I had lower back surgery, double fusion on Monday. I have a kit I want to work on when I’m getting around a little better.
Mark
WOW!! You've made a lot of progress since the last time I checked in. Looking great and that was a sharp, smooth running coal drag!
Good luck on Monday and hope you're back on your feet quickly'
Best wishes on your recovery Mark!
Gee, Mark! Prayers for your quick recovery. Don't rush it!
Wow is right! Mark I hope you take your time and take it easy untill the doc clears you to play again!
Thank you Pete, Bob, Steve, and Mike.
I thought my own topic is the best place to say anything about it. I started noticing problems almost 3 years ago. For a while PT, chiropractic visits, medication, and steroid injections sort of held it at bay. Arthritis had bulged the disks and pinched the nerves around L3, L4, L5, and pushed L4 forward and it was stuck there. So Monday of this week I spent 5 1/2 hours in the operating room while a great group right here in Butler gave me L3-L4 and L4-L5 fusions. Now I am even carrying more metal to set of metal detectors. LOL
I was so glad I got my 3-engine coal train running before surgery. It was a fitting time to pause work on the layout. Once I am able to, I’ll work on a kit or two. Right now I don’t do anything until I go back to the orthopedic on Jun 10th.
Mark
Watch your video and relish in your accomplishments while you recover. I think it will lift your spirits. I hope you recover quickly.
@Mark Boyce posted:Thank you Pete, Bob, Steve, and Mike.
I thought my own topic is the best place to say anything about it. I started noticing problems almost 3 years ago. For a while PT, chiropractic visits, medication, and steroid injections sort of held it at bay. Arthritis had bulged the disks and pinched the nerves around L3, L4, L5, and pushed L4 forward and it was stuck there. So Monday of this week I spent 5 1/2 hours in the operating room while a great group right here in Butler gave me L3-L4 and L4-L5 fusions. Now I am even carrying more metal to set of metal detectors. LOL
I was so glad I got my 3-engine coal train running before surgery. It was a fitting time to pause work on the layout. Once I am able to, I’ll work on a kit or two. Right now I don’t do anything until I go back to the orthopedic on Jun 10th.
Slow and steady, Mark... take your time and follow your doctors and physical therapist’s instructions. My brother had 2 spinal fusions, and the lumbar was far and away the easier recovery (the other was cervical - hopefully you will never have that experience). After his lumbar, I spent 2 months helping him out. By now, I’m sure you’ve been told you can’t lift more that a gallon of milk (or something similar), can’t bend over, couldn’t drive... etc. But by 3 months post surgery, he was pretty much back to normal activity. Best wishes on a speedy and total recovery.
Hope you recover quick Mark! My mom had the fusion stuff done and it made a big difference for her.
Maybe I missed it but what kits do you have coming up?
Here’s wishing you a quick recovery. You’ll be back on track way before York.
Praying For a thorough and full recovery! Let me know if I can help you in anyway. Btw love the coal train, great way to stop and feel that accomplishment which is well deserved.
Thank you, Keith, Paul, Bill, Jay, John!
Paul, I have two friends who had cervical, and agree that one seems really rough. Yes BLT; no bending, lifting over 10 pounds, and no twisting. I’ll be going back to the PT guys who took care of us with our knee replacements and they are good. That’s after my June 10 appointment with the surgeon.
Thank you for the comments on the coal train. I certainly can watch the video before I can run it again..
Mark, best of luck with your recovery, and like everyone else has said, take your time.
Great video. I thought that I previously subscribed to your channel but apparently not, so I just did now.
@BillYo414 posted:Hope you recover quick Mark! My mom had the fusion stuff done and it made a big difference for her.
Maybe I missed it but what kits do you have coming up?
Bill, I’m glad it helped your mom. That’s the plan for me. 😉
I have the Atlas signal tower and the Wathers HO power substation. Both of those are plastic. Someone on the Forum used the HO kit and I compared notes. It should fit the layout well. The Woodland Scenics built up substation is too big. I want to include the substation because I worked in the power industry from the mid ‘70s to mid ‘90s. That’s why I have a power station backdrop. I also have a Carolina Craftsman Kits Thomas West Virginia station kit. It’s laser cut. I think I’ll leave it go until I feel better.
So, it is either the signal tower or substation. I haven’t decided yet. 😄
Kevin, thank you! I’m glad you liked the video and subscribed. I have not tried anything on YouTube other that upload video files right off the cloud after I got them off my phone. I might try some simple things now that I do have basic operation of the layout.
@Mark Boyce posted:Bill, I’m glad it helped your mom. That’s the plan for me. 😉
I have the Atlas signal tower and the Wathers HO power substation. Both of those are plastic. Someone on the Forum used the HO kit and I compared notes. It should fit the layout well. The Woodland Scenics built up substation is too big. I want to include the substation because I worked in the power industry from the mid ‘70s to mid ‘90s. That’s why I have a power station backdrop. I also have a Carolina Craftsman Kits Thomas West Virginia station kit. It’s laser cut. I think I’ll leave it go until I feel better.
So, it is either the signal tower or substation. I haven’t decided yet. 😄
Hi Mark,
If it is the same signal tower (Atlas 6900) I will be using it for my Bascule Bridge, following David Brenners lead/instructions. I am interested in how your signal tower comes out. So Selfishly I vote for you to tackle that build. 
Hope you are doing well and having as little pain as possible.
Happy Memorial Day!
John
John, yes that’s the one. I had it’s HO counterpart when I was growing up. That seems as good a reason as any to choose which kit to build.
Actually I feel better than I thought I would at this point. It’s a nagging ache in the back. The only time there is a sharp pain is when I sneezed. It’s like with the knee replacement, I just can’t get comfortable. All in all, I’m pleased.
@Mark Boyce posted:John, yes that’s the one. I had it’s HO counterpart when I was growing up. That seems as good a reason as any to choose which kit to build.
Actually I feel better than I thought I would at this point. It’s a nagging ache in the back. The only time there is a sharp pain is when I sneezed. It’s like with the knee replacement, I just can’t get comfortable. All in all, I’m pleased.
Sorry to hear of the nagging pain making it impossible to get comfortable and rest. That is tough to endure and just plane wears you out. Even through all that it is great to hear you are pleased overall. Please, like everyone else said take it slow and easy. Yes, easier said when you aren't the one going stir crazy and can't get comfortable. Hang in there and let your body heal.
Prayers for a speedy and painless recovery, form all of us.
John, thank you very much!!! I am not suffering at all when compared to my next door neighbor. He is about 6 months older than me, and has been getting chemo and radiation for a brain tumor since early winter. Before surgery I would wave to him as he sat on his porch, while I hobbled down the road to my mother-in-law’s house across the road from him. Things are looking good for him now , but he has gone through his Valley of the Shadow of Death.
Mark,
Sorry to hear about your surgery, but glad everything went well! You are in my prayers for a full and speedy recovery!
Michael
Michael, thank you very much!!
@Mark Boyce posted:Thank you Pete, Bob, Steve, and Mike.
I thought my own topic is the best place to say anything about it. I started noticing problems almost 3 years ago. For a while PT, chiropractic visits, medication, and steroid injections sort of held it at bay. Arthritis had bulged the disks and pinched the nerves around L3, L4, L5, and pushed L4 forward and it was stuck there. So Monday of this week I spent 5 1/2 hours in the operating room while a great group right here in Butler gave me L3-L4 and L4-L5 fusions. Now I am even carrying more metal to set of metal detectors. LOL
I was so glad I got my 3-engine coal train running before surgery. It was a fitting time to pause work on the layout. Once I am able to, I’ll work on a kit or two. Right now I don’t do anything until I go back to the orthopedic on Jun 10th.
Mark:
I had 6 discs worked on - no fusion but bone scrapping to alleviate pinched nerves. Short term you will hurt. Long term you will feel much better than before surgery. Side affects - with those narcs I had to take for a week I turned into a zombie. I had no ambition for anything including eating - lose 20 pounds and have so far kept it off!
Joe, I’m glad that worked out for you. Thank you for the information. Yes, the other discs? I wanted to concentrate on the 3 that were killing my legs. I intend to ask about the rest along the way on recovery. The surgeon told my wife after surgery, they removed a lot of material and I know it is everywhere. I did not have too much trouble with the narcotics, if anything it made me fidgety. I’m on extra strength Tylenol now.
Yes, I don’t feel like doing much. I did venture down to the train room yesterday for the first time. One step at a time worked good, slow and easy. I got a kit off the shelf, but didn’t feel like getting tools and paint out. I don’t have room for a permanent workbench, so I have to put things away all the time or I can’t find them. 😄
Mark, I wish you a speedy recovery. Hope you benefit as much as possible from the surgery. PT is key, but you know that. Glad you went down to the train room. That’s the best therapy of all!
Andy
Thank you, Andy!! Yes, I've had to get physical therapy on something 7 times before. Though this time will be different, I'm no stranger to the regimens.
I still haven't gotten up the gumption to start that kit, but I did something on the layout today. A couple days before surgery, I got an email form my LHS CT McCormick Hardware that my MTH Premier 2-bay hoppers in speedlettering were in. I unboxed them and set them on the track before surgery. Last weekend I noticed in the latest issue of that other magazine that Grzyboski's had 2 different 3 packs of Lionel WM 2-bay hoppers in the round herald scheme for a great price. They came yesterday, so I unboxed them and set them on the track. Now I have 22 Western Maryland hoppers. I split them up evenly between types and took the coal load out of one group. So, I now have an 11- car train of loads and an 11-car train of empties. Besides MTH and Lionel, I have 6 Atlas O hoppers as well.
You may have noticed I have more 2-bay hoppers of various road names on the overhead shelf. Here is a better shot.
Also, you can see where the signal house kit ended up. Maybe I will feel like it next week.
Attachments
Hope you feel better soon!!
George
Thank you, George!!
Do you have 11 full and empty as a means of setting up staging?
22 is an impressive roster regardless!
I want to be able to run a loaded train and an empty train. I don’t have room to run both trains at the same time. Which would be neat on a double track layout or one with long passing sidings. I was going to just pull loads out when I ran empties. I saw in the last MTH catalog a set of 6 and cars. Then I said those famous last words, I don’t need any more. I then saw the deal on the 6 Lionel cars. I bought them because the 6 Atlas O cars are die cast, extremely well detailed but extremely heavy for a layout with 4% grades. Once I get able to get in the back of the closet to find the Atlas boxes, I’ll put them up for sale. They are wonderful cars, but quite a load for 3 engines. Two engines won’t pull all 6 up the grade. I don't know if it is possible, but I don’t want to damage an engine over it.
Gotcha gotcha. I follow now. My little 0-6-0T can only handle 5 loaded Atlas cars up the 5.6% test grade I have. Those cars are nice but they're heavy!!
Bill, yes. I ran the ‘loaded’ train I showed in the last photograph last night. This time it had 3 of the Atlas diecast cars at the front of the train. It still increased the amps from 2 on libel to about 3.4 on the grade. With all 6 Atlas cars on the train the amps doubled going up the grade.
Mark, Its nice to see you getting around! I really like the hoppers and I am happy that you got the second set for a good price! I hope you are also taking it easy and not over doing it, I know it can get somewhat exciting running trains and one can really get worked up over it! Take care buddy!
Mike thank you. I am still on the BLT, no bending, lifting over 10 pounds, no twisting regimen at least until the follow up visit on Thursday. I don’t know how much the box of Lionel cars weighed, but my wife brought them in to the train room. I dropped a paper on the train room floor, and there it still lies. Thank you!
@Mark Boyce posted:Mike thank you. I am still on the BLT, no bending, lifting over 10 pounds, no twisting regimen at least until the follow up visit on Thursday. I don’t know how much the box of Lionel cars weighed, but my wife brought them in to the train room. I dropped a paper on the train room floor, and there it still lies. Thank you!
If I lived closer I would come over and pick it for you! Heck if I lived that close I might even run your trains for you! LOL
@mike g. posted:If I lived closer I would come over and pick it for you! Heck if I lived that close I might even run your trains for you! LOL
That would be great, Mike! LOL
This might even pick up a piece of paper 😁
