Help! Newbie to the world and need help!

[Anonymous]

What a suprise and new one on the scene and he comes to the pros screaming for help! I have mid-seventies athearn and tyco stuff, I want to convert all my rolling stock over to metal wheels, when does 33" and 36" come into play? and does atlas track from the seventies conform to the NMRA standard of .110" or should I upgrade to the new nickel-silver? what brands are still good for locos and rolling stock? I ahve a new proto 2000 GP7 and love it, Have 2 old D12 athearn and love them, one old tyco bicential and has alot of centimental, have a bachman B23-7 CSX and hate it, most of my rollign stock is athearn and tyco, what is still good out there? Glue for scenery, what is a good type and kind? Also who has a good book/magazine for wiring? thanks to all for the help! Oh, and thanks to all for the help! [:)]

[ericsp]

Generally, wheel diameter is related to capacity of the car. Usually 33" wheels go on 70 ton capacity cars and 36" wheels on 100 ton capacity cars.

As for rolling stock, most of the companies that list in Walthers have at least fairly good stuff. Like-like and Bachmanns regular lines are a bit toy like. In addition to the Walthers catalog, I also like Athearn, MDC, and LBF those generally have molded on ladders. There is a small company out here that I like, Eel River Models. The only car they make a model of is a Pacific Car and Foundry RBL (insulated boxcar), these have seperate ladders.

[dehusman]

Many questions.
Pretty much every thing is 33" wheels, except for passenger cars and the wheels under newer 100 ton + cars, particularly doublestacks, very modern coal cars and tank cars. 99.9% of freight cars from the steam era would have 33" wheels.

Atlas track from the 70's is still good (assuming you are talking about nickel silver rail.)

Good locos:
Athearn
Bachman Spectrum
LifeLike P2k
Stewart
Atlas
Kato
Good cars:
Athearn
Accurail
Atlas
Red Caboose
Branchline
Tyco is not considered very good by modern standards.

For scenery I use good old Elmers white glue bought in gallon jugs. I put a 50-50 mix with water in a ketchup dispenser (one with a pointy nozzle), paint the area with ground color latex paint, sprinkle ground foam on the paint. When it dries a spritz it with a mist of water and several drops of liquid dish detergent and then drizzle the white glue, water mix on the wet foam.

Got to the Kalmbach website (there ought to be a gazillion links on this site) and they have dozens of books on a variety of subjects.

Dave H.

[BRVRR]

Add Broadway Limited Imports to your list of loco manufacturers.
Atlas publishes a good book for wiring called 'The Complete Atlas Wiring Book.' Its available in most hobby shops and on-line from Atlas. Here's a link:

[url="http://atlasrr.com/"]

There are many other sources of information on the internet and in books. There are links to several major 'starting point' sites on my web site. Link is in my signature. Once there just pu***he Links button.
Good Luck and welcome back.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by climber23

....I want to convert all my rolling stock over to metal wheels, when does 33" and 36" come into play?

Check out the wheel chart on Reboxx. Be aware of the axle length and type. You should measure the axles you're replacing with a veneer caliper.
Don't forget to check your coupler height after installing new wheel sets.
You should also have: N.M.R.A. Standards gauge, coupler height gauge, .010" & .015" washers.

QUOTE: ... does atlas track from the seventies conform to the NMRA standard of .110" or should I upgrade to the new nickel-silver?

By "that Seventies track" you mean brass track, yes it meets N.M.R.A standards. By upgrade, do you mean "should I stay away from brass track". Yes good idea, but brass can still be used to model little used or abandoned track, scrap rail and for display cases.

QUOTE: What brands are still good for locos and rolling stock? I have a new proto 2000 GP7 and love it, Have 2 old D12 athearn and love them, one old tyco bicential and has alot of centimental, have a bachman B23-7 CSX and hate it, most of my rollign stock is athearn and tyco, what is still good out there?

Buy what you like and can afford.
Don't buy what you hate or can't afford.

QUOTE: Glue for scenery, what is a good type and kind?

If good type means highest quality, diluted Matte Medium or Woodland Scenics scenery cement.
If inexpensive and easy to find is good, use white glue diluted at about a 50/50 mix with a drop of dish washing liquid.

QUOTE: Also who has a good book/magazine for wiring?

For "Wiring 101" try Basic Wiring for Model Railroaders by Rick Selby
Advanced class try Easy Model Railroad Wiring, 2nd Edition by Andy Sperandeo
Elective courses try DCC Made Easy
U. of N.M.R.A. Book List

[Anonymous]

All your questions seem to be answered. We get lots of newbies to the forum but seldom hear from newbies to the world. So I'll just say Welcome to the Forums. And welcome to Earth. I hope you like it here.

Wayne