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Hey all, hows it going? Names Zac. Been lurking for a while, figured I’d share my little layout. 

Like most it seems, was big into the trains during my childhood/young teenage years. Life kicked in, moving out and what not forced the trains back into their boxes, and into a closet for many years. This last year finally got a place, and had some space for them to come out once again! Picked up some lumber, and got a small 8x8’ layout built. 

Everything started with a Lionel New York Central steamer starter set many years ago. Soon afterwards some nice MTH engines including a Railking PS2 Union Pacific Alco. A PS1 premier Empire State express, and a Premier PS1 PA steamer and passenger car set.  Being on the younger side of the hobby (30) I grew up in what seems like the golden era of Hi rail. I’ve always lusted over the high end steam engines with all the bells and whistles. I’ve gone a little crazy this last year, and have bought quite a few things. One of my favorite purchases though, is a lion chief challenger. Such a great engine!

More to come...

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The 8x8’ foot print didn’t last long. Soon after an expansion was added, along with some more track. 

I’ve attended a couple shows here and there lately, as mentioned I’ve always been into the modern higher end stuff, however.... lately I find myself really lusting after postwar Lionel. Been grabbing whatever I can of it, it seems lol. Picked up a 2343, a 2350, a ZW transformer and more. I got lucky with a somewhat local sale, and picked up a bin with a 2367 Wabash hiding inside. The engine is fairly rough.. it’s waiting to be sent out for restoration.

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Included in the Bin mentioned above was also this TW transformer. She worked fairly good but was in pretty sad shape cosmetically. I gave her a little restoration to look new again.

Along with the TW, picked up a ZW as well. This was an already restored piece that was gone through. Works great! Felt like one of the cool kids then! LOL

In the same bin came a bunch of old tubular track. Was able to save em doing the vinegar trick, and letting em soak for a day or 2. 

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Nice to see another 30s "millennial" into O gauge trains. I grew up during the same era in the 90's and, like you, Hi-Rail at the time has played a big influence on my layout design and purchases. I have MTH Premier scale steam locomotives and traditional Lionel scale sized diesels (F3s, GP7s, FM Train Masters) and scale sized rolling stock because of the era I got into O gauge. I only have one Postwar piece (2343 F3) that I upgraded with an ERR AC Commander and railsounds. I really wanted TMCC as a kid but, being a kid, couldn't afford it. Now I've got both TMCC and DCS on my layout and every locomotive is command equipped. Wait till that bug hits you. It's even more fun. I also have my first locomotive, a Lionel Southern Pacific 2-4-0 from 1993. It still runs but I've converted it to a "park display" on my layout, as everything I run is command control and the layout is set up to just run command equipment. 

 

20181021_11573520190217_155534

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Moonman posted:

Hi Zac,

Welcome aboard! Glad that you are lurking any longer.

You are having some fun! That is a lot of changing in a short time.

I am enjoying your approach to the hobby - 

What attracted you to the PW trains?

 

Thank you! Yea it took me a while. But there is a lot of great stuff to soak up here. Was pretty content reading everything I could lol.

Been hitting the trains like a fat kid in a candy shop! Ha! Can’t get enough of it lately. 

The 2343 started the post war bug. I had to get it is it is just a “staple” to me. One of those have to have. After getting it I really started to enjoy its simplicity a bit more over my newer stuff. She sounds like a Hoover vacuum running around the table, and I love it. 

Plus I think it’s awesome to see that 70 year old engine just doing its job without question. She did decide to act up yesterday for the first time. She wasn’t wanting to run good going forward. It ran better in reverse, but after a couple laps that wasn’t working either. Time for a service, and some new brushes I believe.

Moonman posted:

I love the NYC streamliner - it is a candidate for a PS3 upgrade and perhaps some mods.

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/...ting-older-mth-steam

 

Yes! That’s what I’ve been thinking. This ones a bit sentimental. Grandma spent quite a bit of time searching for one for me back then. She found it on eBay. The engine came in, but of coarse was not working. A trip to a local repair center and 2 weeks later she was finally running. Grandma loved this engine as well. She is no longer here, but the engine is. I think she’d enjoy seeing it upgraded.

probably gonna have to mail this one out for the service. I only have one good HS 2 hours away, and he did not seem to privy on doing the conversion.

Lou1985 posted:

Nice to see another 30s "millennial" into O gauge trains. I grew up during the same era in the 90's and, like you, Hi-Rail at the time has played a big influence on my layout design and purchases. I have MTH Premier scale steam locomotives and traditional Lionel scale sized diesels (F3s, GP7s, FM Train Masters) and scale sized rolling stock because of the era I got into O gauge. I only have one Postwar piece (2343 F3) that I upgraded with an ERR AC Commander and railsounds. I really wanted TMCC as a kid but, being a kid, couldn't afford it. Now I've got both TMCC and DCS on my layout and every locomotive is command equipped. Wait till that bug hits you. It's even more fun. I also have my first locomotive, a Lionel Southern Pacific 2-4-0 from 1993. It still runs but I've converted it to a "park display" on my layout, as everything I run is command control and the layout is set up to just run command equipment. 

 

20181021_11573520190217_155534

 

Excellent! Yes the girlfriend and I look a bit out of place when we go hit the local shows lol. Aside from the few kids that come with dad/grandpa we are usually the youngest attending. 

Back as a kid I had to have the TMCC setup. Was pretty dumb though, as I didn’t have one engine with TMCC. Only the conventional, and MTH engines. I wasn’t able to really utilize the system till the layout got built last year. I picked up the Chicago and NW with Legacy from the local HS. Then the challenger later on in the year. The DCS system looked overwhelming to me as a kid.

Id love to grab a DCS, and legacy system, but don’t see the reason for it yet. I only have one legacy engine, and one PS3 engine at the moment. 

As much as I like the modern stuff, the postwar stuff has been bringing more enjoyment. Honestly I’ll keep em the way they are, and keep the command systems for the newer stuff. My newer stuff is always giving me fits, where as the postwar keeps chugging alone. Granted 99% of my stuff is pre-owned. I’ve spent some what I consider “big money” on some stuff, but I can’t bring myself to drop a grand on an engine lol.

We had one last hobby shop here in the Jacksonville FL area. A hobby world. They only carried Lionel products. Most of the stuff was quite a few years old, and had been sitting on the shelf for quite some time. Unfortunately they finally closed their doors for the last time last month. It wasn’t by far my favorite place to go, but still sad to see it close. 

Any of you guys running a hobby shop with success? I’d love to open one, but don’t see it lasting. The internet has really killed em for sure!

Countrybunker posted:
Lou1985 posted:

Nice to see another 30s "millennial" into O gauge trains. I grew up during the same era in the 90's and, like you, Hi-Rail at the time has played a big influence on my layout design and purchases. I have MTH Premier scale steam locomotives and traditional Lionel scale sized diesels (F3s, GP7s, FM Train Masters) and scale sized rolling stock because of the era I got into O gauge. I only have one Postwar piece (2343 F3) that I upgraded with an ERR AC Commander and railsounds. I really wanted TMCC as a kid but, being a kid, couldn't afford it. Now I've got both TMCC and DCS on my layout and every locomotive is command equipped. Wait till that bug hits you. It's even more fun. I also have my first locomotive, a Lionel Southern Pacific 2-4-0 from 1993. It still runs but I've converted it to a "park display" on my layout, as everything I run is command control and the layout is set up to just run command equipment. 

 

20181021_11573520190217_155534

 

Excellent! Yes the girlfriend and I look a bit out of place when we go hit the local shows lol. Aside from the few kids that come with dad/grandpa we are usually the youngest attending. 

Back as a kid I had to have the TMCC setup. Was pretty dumb though, as I didn’t have one engine with TMCC. Only the conventional, and MTH engines. I wasn’t able to really utilize the system till the layout got built last year. I picked up the Chicago and NW with Legacy from the local HS. Then the challenger later on in the year. The DCS system looked overwhelming to me as a kid.

Id love to grab a DCS, and legacy system, but don’t see the reason for it yet. I only have one legacy engine, and one PS3 engine at the moment. 

As much as I like the modern stuff, the postwar stuff has been bringing more enjoyment. Honestly I’ll keep em the way they are, and keep the command systems for the newer stuff. My newer stuff is always giving me fits, where as the postwar keeps chugging alone. Granted 99% of my stuff is pre-owned. I’ve spent some what I consider “big money” on some stuff, but I can’t bring myself to drop a grand on an engine lol.

My new stuff hasn't really given me any major problems. The trick is fast blow fuses and TVS diodes.  Most issues stem from short circuits. 

I'd still upgrade the Postwar stuff. The old 2343 is much more enjoyable to operate with TMCC and Railsounds. 

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Countrybunker,

First, nice layout! You are coming right along!

Second, nice work on the restorations!

A word of caution about the TW transformer: This a very unique and weird transformer. Unlike any of the other Lionel transformers, it has 2 cores: one for the variable posts, and one for the fixed voltage posts. Be very careful how you wire it into your layout. Keep the variable wiring completely separate from the fixed wiring. Do it incorrectly, and you get a "floating ground" which will drive you nuts! (Don't ask me how I know this... ) You would be wise to keep it for accessories and leave the ZW to power the trains.

Chris

LVHR

Lou1985 posted:
Countrybunker posted:
Lou1985 posted:

Nice to see another 30s "millennial" into O gauge trains. I grew up during the same era in the 90's and, like you, Hi-Rail at the time has played a big influence on my layout design and purchases. I have MTH Premier scale steam locomotives and traditional Lionel scale sized diesels (F3s, GP7s, FM Train Masters) and scale sized rolling stock because of the era I got into O gauge. I only have one Postwar piece (2343 F3) that I upgraded with an ERR AC Commander and railsounds. I really wanted TMCC as a kid but, being a kid, couldn't afford it. Now I've got both TMCC and DCS on my layout and every locomotive is command equipped. Wait till that bug hits you. It's even more fun. I also have my first locomotive, a Lionel Southern Pacific 2-4-0 from 1993. It still runs but I've converted it to a "park display" on my layout, as everything I run is command control and the layout is set up to just run command equipment. 

 

20181021_11573520190217_155534

 

Excellent! Yes the girlfriend and I look a bit out of place when we go hit the local shows lol. Aside from the few kids that come with dad/grandpa we are usually the youngest attending. 

Back as a kid I had to have the TMCC setup. Was pretty dumb though, as I didn’t have one engine with TMCC. Only the conventional, and MTH engines. I wasn’t able to really utilize the system till the layout got built last year. I picked up the Chicago and NW with Legacy from the local HS. Then the challenger later on in the year. The DCS system looked overwhelming to me as a kid.

Id love to grab a DCS, and legacy system, but don’t see the reason for it yet. I only have one legacy engine, and one PS3 engine at the moment. 

As much as I like the modern stuff, the postwar stuff has been bringing more enjoyment. Honestly I’ll keep em the way they are, and keep the command systems for the newer stuff. My newer stuff is always giving me fits, where as the postwar keeps chugging alone. Granted 99% of my stuff is pre-owned. I’ve spent some what I consider “big money” on some stuff, but I can’t bring myself to drop a grand on an engine lol.

My new stuff hasn't really given me any major problems. The trick is fast blow fuses and TVS diodes.  Most issues stem from short circuits. 

I'd still upgrade the Postwar stuff. The old 2343 is much more enjoyable to operate with TMCC and Railsounds. 

That 2343 came out great! 

lehighline posted:

Countrybunker,

First, nice layout! You are coming right along!

Second, nice work on the restorations!

A word of caution about the TW transformer: This a very unique and weird transformer. Unlike any of the other Lionel transformers, it has 2 cores: one for the variable posts, and one for the fixed voltage posts. Be very careful how you wire it into your layout. Keep the variable wiring completely separate from the fixed wiring. Do it incorrectly, and you get a "floating ground" which will drive you nuts! (Don't ask me how I know this... ) You would be wise to keep it for accessories and leave the ZW to power the trains.

Chris

LVHR

Thank you!

Yea while researching stuff for the TW, it seems this is not a well received transformer. lol. Not a whole lot of love out there for it. 

I had planned for it to do accessory duty, but then I got the “subway” deck up, and it is powering that line. Currently running the little 2055 set. It took a minute when I first got it to wire up to where it would work. But she is doing good, and seems to be having no problems. Deff not the power house the ZW is, but I love the look of the 2 together on the control shelf.

B2205D7F-DDF9-4419-8117-7E8F1F295CA6

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I have to say of all the engines I have, the postwar New Haven EP5 is the best return value/happiness I’ve got out of em.

She was a recent purchase from a show down south a bit. I had been looking for one for a while. Kept getting outbid from ones online. It had its share of problems at first though. She was advertised as a great runner, and good to go. Once home she wouldn’t move. After removing the shell found 2 wires came separated off the motor. I soldered em back on, but still not 100%. Dropped her off at the shop. Turns out she was wired completely wrong. 

Anyways after a service she came back home. She is such a great and quiet runner! Not a power hog like some of my other postwar stuff. Very dependable.

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