Chat Room For Younger Modelers

[Demon09]

QUOTE: i'm not sure if i'd run it on the layout too much

Thats kind of what i figured with mine.... id make the separate layout under the tree partly because with my regular layout, i miss the feeling of taking out the big train box every christmas and setting it all up on the floor..... or setting it up any time of year for that matter....

[Anonymous]

The Polar Ex. set seems a good deal for the money. The cars look very nice and the figures seem a fun idea for kids. I pointed the set ot to a man arod X-mas at the store who asked me what he should look at for his kid. I pointed out the engine and compared the price to the Lionel Pennsy version of the same engine in the case. The single engine was only $60 less than the set and had no cars, transformer, track etc. I thought about getting a set for the parts and to repaint but the engine is a bit newer than the era I am trying to model.

People have been raving about it on the forums so it seems like a good buy if it suites you.

As far as starter sets I really like the lionel Docksider engine. I got the Santa fe version on first release. The whistle is a little funny but the engine is scale and looks very detailed and heavy. I got the Copper Range set and really like it.

The new Cascade set with the docksider, three operating log dump cars, and caboose with track etc. seems like the neatest current set out there. There is even an add on car pack with crane, bunk car and depressed center flat car WITH working hand pump car with the newer painted figures. The pump car alone is worth $60+.

The add on frieght car sets offered the last two years for the non Thomas and Xmas sets have had three cars, some Fastrack and a bunch of acessories for about a $100. One of the cars is always an operating car which alone normally sell for $40 -$60. The other cars for $20-$30 each plus the extras. I don't think I am the only one who has noticed the value in these, I have even noticed some dealers breaking the sets to sell individual cars because they can make more $. A big part of the reason these seem like a great deal and each year they have switched cars. So the 2005 set is different than the 2006 one. The passenger add-ons seem to be the same. If I were starting out again I would get these sets. It is a great and inxpensive way to build a nice collection.

[ModelTrainLover]

Ok Right now for me this a big must have info time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! One of my engiens is broken.. Not GOOD!! I was going to fix a loose coupler when it slipped out of my hands. the moter detatched from the spot were the weels and moter attach. it's on of those engiens were the moter turns alls of the weels. and the platice that keeps the moter on the frame broke and one of the wires to the light bulb came off. It's totaly mesed up!!! please tell me how fix it.. The engien is my first one that I got last summer.
and I don't have a soddering tool..

[Anonymous]

A model number would help. Who made this engine?

[ModelTrainLover]

I don't know I've checked all over and no maker. It's a New York Centrail # 5689 It's eather a GP7, GP9, RS-11, One of those 3 .. The paint on it was redone by the Vise President of the club I belong to.

[ModelTrainLover]

hey I'm doing a community service project for school and I'm doing it at the local YWCA here in Lewiston, Maine. It's with preschool students. and tomarrow I'm going to bring my model train.. Is it a good Idea to do it???

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Demon09

hey, i havent been on the forum in a while..... computer problems, research papers, and meetings to go to have kept me away from my layout for about a month too......

I just wanted to see if anyone here has the polar express? i won a new p.e. set on ebay and im anxiously awaiting its arrival, so i wanted to see what everyone here has thought about it........

I have the PE set, I bought it around early February. I personally think its a nice set, and I like the engine. It's a pretty basic set for O-27 by the look of the passenger cars and everything.

The only thing I don't like about the set is the crappy CW-80 transformer that was included. After reading about the numerous problems this thing has had, it has made me look into getting a better transformer (I plan to work on getting the Z-4000, a pure-wave transformer). Other than that I think its a good set, and uses an air whistle in the tender.

I only ran it on some test track to see how it ran and it ran pretty well. Course my PE engine will also be pulling freight cars too, so it wont be limited to just passenger service. For the time being I boxed everything back up and will be putting it back into service soon. Since I don't have a layout right now and getting into a different track system (plan to go either with Atlas or Gargraves track/Ross switch combination) it may take awhile before I have a functional layout to run my stuff on a regular basis. I'll run my PE set anytime of the year, not just the holidays. I don't put up Xmas trees so I may have a layout that can run anywhere.

Can't go wrong with PE either way. [:)]

[danrunner]

HAS ANYONE PIDDLED AROUND WITH THE WOODEN OR PLASTIC TRAIN SETS?

My daughter loves trains but is only two (not quite). Those wooden train layouts look interesting. So do those Lego or Geotrax sets.

Anyone have any experience with them or any advice?

Dan

[ModelTrainLover]

Danrunner, I still have my Thomas The Tank Engien Wood train set.. They are great!! I've mine from when I was 4.. And the platice battery powered ones are great but the ones that have smoke are some what loud because the clicking the that engien makes is the smoke thing making smoke..

[Anonymous]

My son is 17 months old. He has some Thomas engines and loves them. I lucked out and found a Thomas dealer display in the dumpster behind a toy store for him. The good thing about it is that everything is glued or tacked down. He has a hard time with separate track parts and loves to climb into the layout and over the tracks. So the glued down part is great for him. In a few years I am sure separate parts will be more fun but for now it is great to sertup in seconds and get going.

I think officially the toys have a "not for 0-3 years" disclaimer. So does almost everything.

[ModelTrainLover]

Hey you guys you know when I posted that Help Me thing on here about my broken train right?? Well I got the moter back in but the head light does not work But it runs like I first got it. And the Thomas Trains Are rated not for 0-3 because of some small parts.

P.S. Danrunner Idon't mean to be rude but we are finaly hearing some thing from you!!![^][^][^][^][^][:D][:D][bow][tup]

[Anonymous]

you might want to just replace the headlight bulb. ive had issues before, both in trains and other stuff that an unrelated malfunction can cause a light bulb to break or burn out.

[Anonymous]

I can count one part on my kid's Thomas trains. They seem to mostly be a wooden engine body with plastic wheels and metal axels. The wheels do not come off.

[Anonymous]

I can count one part on my kid's Thomas trains. They seem to mostly be a wooden engine body with plastic wheels and metal axels. The wheels do not come off.

[ModelTrainLover]

Have you read one of my post above you would have known why the headlight is not working.

[ModelTrainLover]

Have you read one of my post above you would have known why the headlight is not working.

[ModelTrainLover]

I now have the power to post my layout photos on hrer I hope you like them![8D][^][^][:D]

[ModelTrainLover]

Here are some photos for you guys to talk about for a while

[Anonymous]

I was born in 1975. So being one year old at the time so I can remember no Bicentenial paint jobs. I was too busy concentrating on learning to walk.

[danrunner]

MTL,

Love the photos.

Green and mechanial on tracks is always a good thing.

Thanks for the feedback on the kiddie trains. I think Alexandra has a Thomas/Geotrax/kiddie train in her future.

MTH's new catalog was to be released this last weekend on the web. I checked back several times, but it wasn't ready. I want to see what the have. You know what set I really want? The General. For those that don't know, it's a Civil War era (roughly) train that is a Lionel classic.

Anyone want to make a wish for a favorite to be reproduced in a future catalog by the maker of your choice?

The general's mine.

Have a great day!

Dan

[Anonymous]

Oh and the Thomas/Brio track is the same width as as O gauge. Funny. I wonder what the odds are.

[ModelTrainLover]

Mine is the Sandy River & and Rangeley Lakes RR 2-foot parlor car by the way that parlor car is the ONLY 2-foot parlor car in EXISTANCE and it's here in Maine!!! And I have see photos of it!! It's a really a one of a kind!!

[Anonymous]

Wont work. You can typwe without all cap however.

[Anonymous]

What?

An engine I would like to see is the MTH 19th century 4-6-0 painted for thier real prototypes... the narrow gauge engines at Disney World. Another fun amusement park offering to see would be the Ex-K-line Porter painted for the "Calico Mines" of Knotts Berry Farm amusement park in California (Older niegbor of Disneyland). I think more people see these steam engines than any others these days.

Actually any re-release of the Porter would be great. The 19th century ore cars that came with some Plymouths would really make my day as well as get Lionel on the path of making good 1800's era cars. Oh and Superstreets.....

[ModelTrainLover]

Hey don't rule out the train musems that have opperating steam engiens!!![V][V] Up here Maine we have about 6 musems that have working steam engiens though they are the 2-footers. But hey it's better than nothing and even better is that one of them is going to have Thomas The Tank Engien there in August.

[Anonymous]

Come on now. I love visiting train muesums and think they are great. However, the capacity of Train museums even on high capacity days (ie Thomas) is nowhere near the daily capacity of one of the Disney parks. How many muesums are operating two to four steamers a day like they do everyday at one of the disney parks.

I think it is pretty safe to say that more eyes see these engines running than any other place.

I think I am heading up to northern Maine to visit an abandoned steam engine in the woods that is the last steam survivor of the logging line I am researching. This one is standard gauge but there is nothing wrong with 2 footers they worked just as hard and had tons of personality. Maine beats Rhode Island for # of museums. Rhode Island has none.

[ModelTrainLover]

Oh I know what you are talking about !! The Ghost Train In The Maine woods..
Here is the map of the line that the Ghost train used. And there is a shed on that line that has that 2 locomotives in it. Plus here in Maine there is about 8 narrow gauge musems that opperate steam engiens or other narrow gauge equpment.

[ModelTrainLover]

And (this is from Sept 2005)

In the 12-year history of MNGRR all 9 trains over 6 days were sold out!! With 15,000 people buying Thomas tickets With walk ins we estamated around 18,000 people.)
Does that answer your Q? That is from that Two Foot Flyer from the MNGRR a.k.a THE Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad. That should challeng your idae that only walt densey has large amounts of people riding narrow gauge trains.[:P][:P][:P][:P][:P][(-D][(-D]

Maine Central rules! Lewiston High School Swimteam nickname: Loco Colby

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