Oooohhhh it's not all that important. More whimsy then anything else. All I had were 2 basic freight sets with no idea where they came from. Both locos were deisels, one was a Union Pacific with a yellow body and gray roof, the other I swear was maroon or burgundy with Milwaukee Road in white letters. That one I can't find no reference to whatsoever. Even with all the help from the guys here on the forum. Other than that there was a tanker, a hopper, a caboose with the cupola in the middle and the other caboose with the cupola at the end.
Balidas.....can you remember roughly what you had? The folks on this forum know so much that even with descriptions and time frames they could help you identify them. They are even evil helpful enough to help you locate your replacements.
Jack
IF IT WON'T COME LOOSE BY TAPPING ON IT, DON'T TRY TO FORCE IT. USE A BIGGER HAMMER.
Well if he don't snap up that extra bridge I will! Anyway, I wish I still had my childhood trains.
You nailed it! There is no woman, except Jennifer Anniston (*** I wish she would stop calling me every 15 minutes or so) that I would trade my Lionel 264-e Commodore Vanderbilt color red. Nope you would have to pry it from my cold dead hand. There are some things that are non replaceable. Any way after two divorces I still kept my trains and in ever house that I owned during the two divorces, I had my trains set up in the cellar. When I moved into this house from a townhouse I had over a hundred boxes of trains and numerous shipping boxes that the trains came in. The guy in charge of the crew that was moving me said that he'd never seen so many boxes in a town house and especially coming from the cellar alone. I have trains that my father used to set up and play with, trains from the 50's when they thought I was old enough and they gave me the 2023 Union Pacific and the 'Texas Special and on and on. I have all that stuff plus a lot of modern stuff so I'm happy. I also have no wife to tell me where I can put them so they are all ovr the family room and it's getting bigger. LOL
On the subject, because you brought it up first, if I don't like the two or they take too much real estate, I'll give you first refusal on it. Along with the actual control box it wouldn't be areal female dog to make another or to at least partially build one and to make the bridge work. I can't promise anything but if the two don't go nicely then one will have to go.. Oscar
Comp.....I can picture you on that tv show "Hoarders", standing there with a shotgun, protecting your train stash. "No! Take my first born, my wife, and the dog! Do you know how hard it is to find one of these bridges? They are rare suckers! I can always get another family."
Hey Ed.
I never in my wildest dreams figured that I would not have one, but two? Na not possible. It actually is a good thing cause it made me really try to figure out where I would put the expansion to the layout. These are huge and it's not possible to install them on the present layout. In fact I have alot of postwar accessories that I couldn't install on the present layout but with the expansion I can make it a industrial site with log loaders, coal loaders, coal ramp and others. It should be real nice but i'ts going to take some tricky stuff and a little Praise God and I hope this works. VBG I would be glad to post what I get. I don't figure that Lionel put a schematic and exploded view in the box but we'll see. It looks like there is not heavy current load on any of the wired. The bridge span (their choice not mine) going up or down would demand the most and the counterweights make the span almost weightless because it's balanced so well. Before I install them I will play with them on my dining room table (bonus for being a bachelor) Then I will figure what wires to jumper and what others I will have to be more clever. Any day now and I'm really anxious. I have to other one set up on the table so when the new one comes I will put it on the table, take out the power supply an the box and last, but not least, the control cable. Plug those beavers in and see what I got. I have threee neighbors coming over for the "unveiling" with their kids that have seen the layout already. Add a few beers and down in the train room later I should get a lot of suggestions and probably offers to help build the addition. It will be 12 X 16 or thereabouts so any help is going to be appreciated especially after disc replacement surgery two weeks ago. Stay in touch and as I said I will give you what I got, k? If you would like to use my email it's
compengsvs@comcast.net
I'm glad you got the controller. I'm a little jealous because I like the version of the bridge you have better than the one I have.
You will have to put up diagrams and pictures of your installation. Will they be side by side or separate?
I would use an RS-232 DB25 switch box to switch the control wires on the box. Do any of the lines carry significant current?
For the lights you could jumper the wires between the two outputs so that they get a signal regardless of which way the switch is thrown.
I'll see if I have an old switch box. I know I have one for a monitor but it only has 15 pins.
There's a link for Millhouse River Studios in my first post but I'll post it again: Millhouse River Studios
Hey Al That is really good info. Do you have a link that I can use to spend some time reviewing your product and eventually make up my mind. As I mentioned before I have two Lionel Lift Bridges to install on the layout. I know where they are going but I have to build the sub structure and layout to support them, so that will take a while because I want to do it right and I also have a diorama in my mind of the Cape Cod Canal and in Buzzards Bay Ma.there is a lift bridge and I want to make one of them an exact copy. It's not hard, how man different stuff can you put on a lift bridge? Have a great MDW. O
compengsvs@comcast.net: good luck on your install of your lift bridges. When your ready to look into getting a turntable feel free to contact me with any questions you have about our turntables. I will tell you they are the best turntable for the money and it will last a lifetime and will be a one time install on a layout. I originally got started building turntables by building one first for my own layout because I wasn't thrilled with my choices of the turntables that were on the market. Once I built my personal turntable, others asked me to build them one and the business was started. You might feel the price is costly, but when you figure the time & materials and all the design and details that go into these things you will find that when it is said and done the costs alone will be $800+ and that is not including labor.
Dennis, thanks for pointing out our products.
Al Zamorski
Millhouse River Studio
Dennis good stuff! I had no idea that Bowser had potential for warpage because I've never taken one apart and the only person that I know up close and friendly type, who has a Bowser has nothing but raves his Bowser. It looks great and it performs beautifully. Most of the tables that are available such as Atlas or only 24 inches max. I want to keep my A and B units hooked up when the go thru the turntable and I have a Williams hudson that has a plug from the engine to the tender and I don't think it runs without the tender being hooked up. It has to be 32 inches for what I have in mind. My Texas Special A and B units hooked up is 26 inches.Thanks for the suggestion and I wil check out Millhouse River Studios for my turntable. But first I have two Lionel Lift Bridges that I want to install and lanscape around them so that they look like they belong where I put them. O
compengsvs@comcast.netMillhouse River Studios make a really nice product but the price is way too high for that accessory
The price may be too high for what you wish to pay for a turntable, but it is definitely not too high for a finely crafted, aluminum turntable. Be aware that anything made from wood can warp--a potential problem with Bowser turntables. If you do find a Bowser, I suggest you check out Millhouse Studios belt drive upgrade for it.
I have a Bowser that I installed over 20 years ago. It was fine back then but now it won't even turn because it has warped. It doesn't take much to throw it off kilter when you're dealing with something that requires such close tolerances to work properly.
Making one that not only looks good but functions smoothly requires precision craftsmanship. It can be done but you'll end up spending a considerable amount of time and money to do it right.
Whoa! Bowser doesn't make them anymore? Now that's a bombshell. I just figured that when I needed it I would call them and place the order. Wow! This changes things quite a bit. Thanks for the info. I don't think I would spend a thousand bucks for a turntable. I would make one myself, at that price it becomes worth it. Something to do when it's cold and snowing outside. I will try some other ways to maybe get a used one. I will pass the info along and see what happens. I wonder what happened with Bowser. They had a good product at a reasonable price, at least I thought that to be so. Millhouse River Studios make a really nice product but the price is way too high for that accessory. Again thanks for the update. I guess I can delete Bowser from my Favorites List.
compengsvs@comcast.net...I plan to get the turntable from Bowser. Their prices are good and the construction seems solid and I have had people, who have one, recommend them highly. I've seen another vendor in CTT but they want over a grand for basically the same thing. A grand! They gotta be nuts.
...I plan to get the turntable from Bowser. Their prices are good and the construction seems solid and I have had people, who have one, recommend them highly. I've seen another vendor in CTT but they want over a grand for basically the same thing. A grand! They gotta be nuts.
First, Bowser has discontinued production of their turntables and bridge deck kits. Second, they are not even close to the quality of the $1000.00 turntables. Please do some more research --Check out Millhouse River Studios
Thanks for the help Brent. Again you've been there with a good idea. I was down in the train room this morning and extracting cloths from the dryer when suddenly I had an idea. There is a 12X13 foot area (guessing the exact) where the washer and dryer are located. There is an area, I'll call it a hallway, from the stairs which passes the furnace/workshop room and into this area on the right. I figure if I design a mountain portal in the stairway from the present layout, through it and another portal on the other side then I could use that space for my rountable and perhaps a couple of lift bridges. I could also make this area the industrial area and set up all my accessories and operating cattle and horse platforms. This is new idea and it needs some fine tuning but tonight while running trains and drinking a few beers I will put this on paper and begin the "PROCESS" of planing for the layout addition. I plan to get the turntable from Bowser. Their prices are good and the construction seems solid and I have had people, who have one, recommend them highly. I've seen another vendor in CTT but they want over a grand for basically the same thing. A grand! They gotta be nuts. Man my cellar is going to smell ozone and scented smoke forever even after I'm gone. It kinda seeps into the walls and carpet and stuff. LOL
The old printer cables won't work here. They are very difficult to cut and splice... now three RS-232 DB-25 cables http://www.amazon.com/Cables-Go-02668-Lines-Cable/dp/B0000511NK
and one of these: http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&safe=off&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-Address&rlz=1I7ACGW_enUS352&q=db25+switch&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=3667823713508316288&ei=psj5S9bWB4G78gbUmpyzCg&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CCMQ8wIwAg#and you are in business!
You referenced using a switch with 14 contacts to switch between the two bridges. I have a suggestion: find a printer switch box--- they were made so that two printers could be used by the same computer--- Since most "older" computers hade a 25 or 36 pin Centronics parallel port that the printers of the day(10-15 years ago) were plugged into. Today of course, it's either USB or wireless--- I think that they are still made, or you could find one on EBay--
Hope this helps, and congrats on finding a controller box!(even though it came with every thing else!)
A Day Without Trains is a Day Wasted
Holy subliminal Batman!!!! What a great idea, not seen by the most casual observer, kinda like and underground railroad. What a novel Idea!!! I really love shooting pool but I love my trains better. Another one of life's great choices. Like lite or regular beer, white or red wine, butter or no butter, and in the words of the great slicer and dicer on the modern screen, "Inside or out Inspector?"
It's a tough choice but trainlovers of the world can count on me to make the right decision. All aboard!!!! O
Weeeeeeell, maybe you can incorporate the pool table into the layout. The table already has green felt for grass and you could use the side pockets as an entrance and exit for the underground line and the corner pockets could be like portholes giving a glimpse of the trains as they travel around.
Just a thought.
Sorry I forgot. Thanks to all who went out of their way to help me find the unfindable. Lionel just doesn't want to bother with this issue and there doesn't seem to be a plethora of the darn things out there without the bridge and accessories, so that's that!
Again thanks and if you're ever in southern NH let me know and we can get together for beer, trains and maybe pool, not sure on the pool though. VBG O
Well after weeks of searching in vain and many helpful hints from youse guys I finally found a control box. Unfortunately it came with another bridge, control cable, power supply and accessories. I bought one last night on EBay at a really good price. Now I have two bridges but alas this is not a problem. I will have only one controller but I can run both from just that one. A simple swithch with 14 contacts should do the job. Bridge A and Bridge B with a few modifications to keep the warning lights on full time. So this fix is more expensive but a lot easier than reverse manufacturing the control box in order to get the present one running.
I will definitely have to expand my layout now and the pool table is giving me nervous glances whenever I"m down in the train room. I think it realizes that it's days are numbered. I could move it down about 10 feet towards the washer and dryer but I think it will eventually get in the way again as I "take over the world with three rail tubular" Anyone want a real nice pool table? Too bad I can't hook it up to run like an accessory. Yup a shame! O
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