cartoon trains vs real toy trains mix feeling here

[chad tm5000/trainstation]

can I ask what is the differents on this... toy trains are toy trains right. so it got me thinking why is it 3 custom engines built by a artist like me and it takes the same track 3 rail as all O gauge and I have more expesive engines that I don't touch. they were cheep alcos and busted/broke.i understand there are fans out there. point is im recycling them and transforming them for my daughters... are they toys or are they a danger to ppls health. please comment on this. mix feelings here... thanks chad

[stebbycentral]

Ahhhh,... what's the question again?

If you model in "O" you live in a world where there is scale, semi-scale, and ridiculously not anywhere near scale.  What you do is entirely your preference.  As you note, they all run on the same three-rail track.  For myself, my trains run on two rail track, and always will.  So there is my answer.

 

[handyandy]

Got any pictures?

I would thing just about anything is appropriate in O-gauge 3-rail toy trains (anything that isn't immoral or indecent that is, lol). Marx one time made a "locomotive" in the shape of bunny for an Easter train set back in the 30's. It's now one of the most collectable and expensive toys Marx ever made.

Don't see how your creations for your kids could be a public health hazard unless they are made of pure lead and painted with arsenic with a top coat of E. Coli. lol

[mersenne6]

  I'm not sure what you are asking.  It sounds like you have taken some older (beat up?) 3 rail toy trains, fixed them up and modified them in some way so they run again and the fact of their running appeals to your kids.  As has been noted, unless you did something like pack them with C4 and add some kind of trigger mechanism which will trip when you hit an uncoupling button, they are just kitbashed toys which pose no threat to home, health, or happiness.

[silentman]

I would suggest not letting the kids eat them otherwise you should be good. Just my opinion.

[chad tm5000/trainstation]

Hay guys the pic was loaded a week ago or so. Its the chuggington one in the foto challenge. Let me know what you think...thanks

[silentman]

Awesome. Nice work!

[handyandy]

chad tm5000/trainstation

Hay guys the pic was loaded a week ago or so. Its the chuggington one in the foto challenge. Let me know what you think...thanks

Where?

[Bob Keller]

The COMMUNITY pulldown in the bar above, then select reader photos.

[Firelock76]

OK, I checked out the "Chuggington" engines.  Very clever, very clever indeed!

And by the way, they're YOUR trains!  Do whatever you want with them. 

[handyandy]

Thanks for the directions!

Those are pretty neat. I bet your kids love'em.

[Penny Trains]

Don't EVER let anyone give you guff for being creative!    Without creativity this hobby is N-O-T-H-I-N-G.  The only rule of thumb I ever follow when I consider modifications is wether or not the piece might be valuable.  (But since I'm poor, fat chance that there's anything like THAT in MY collection!  )

Keep your girls involved!  This is an excellent opportunity to teach them how to use their creativity!

I applaud your efforts!  

Becky

[8ntruck]

Those look pretty neat. As far as feeling guilty, don't. After all it is your railroad - you can build and run what you want.

[chad tm5000/trainstation]

thanks everybody... I had a greef on FB about the mods and yes I got good and bad on it. I needed more input from pros like you to help. I would like more input cause I'm looking for other mods to put together. Continueing the the engines further...there friends. Thanks again everyone. Chad

[rtraincollector]

I love them you could add some "car's" vehicles to it and they would blend great. Good job

[M636C]

All the Chuggington characters are based on real locomotives.

So it shouldn't be hard to make more of the characters.

The three you have made, Wilson (an EMD F7), Brewster (A British Rail Class 55 Deltic) and Koko (A Eurostar Class 373 High Speed power car) are all pretty similar to the ALCO FA you used.

You could look at Dunbar, the instructor locomotive in the early series which is based on an EMD GP38-2. He has a Scots accent in the English version of the TV series, but sounds African-American in the USA version.

Old Puffer Pete seems to be based on a Japanese C12 tank locomotive, but might be able to be modified from one of the smaller Lionel trains set locomotives.

M636C

[LittleTommy]

You know, even the "Patron Saint" of Model Railroading (as opposed to "Toy Trains"), John Allen, had little touches of whimsy on his layout. I have little things on my layout for the grandkids to find, like Minions and Rugrats waiting at the station, and Cars vehicles mixed in with my autos. If you look at vintage copies of Model Railroader from the 1950s and early 1960's, there was a lot of whimsy. The slogan used to be "Model Railroading is Fun" then they all took it way too seriously. Don't let the rivet counters get you down. Little Tommy