Trains.com

CLOSED////////The Coffee Pot is still on and over 3 years. Here we gather as friends with trains.

539812 views
15108 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Watkinsville, GA
  • 2,214 posts
Posted by Roger Bielen on Friday, January 26, 2007 8:00 PM

lionroar - incase you haven't already received a simple answer to your scale question.

1/4" = 1'0"

The easiest way to work in scale is to buy a scale ruler.  There are some that are available strictly for RR modlers and other can be had at stores selling drafting supplies.

Roger B.
  • Member since
    December 2006
  • From: Powell, OH
  • 1,257 posts
Posted by Wes Whitmore on Friday, January 26, 2007 6:06 PM

Train room has been an issue for me too.  I always wanted a train around the ceiling, which I am building.  Now I want to start a layout, and my basement workshop would make a great room for it.  It's 11x21.  Basement workshops are just a bad idea because of all the dust and scraps involved.  That's a lot of trips up and down the stairs with hard trash.  Our garage is only 19 x 19, and we just barely can get an SUV and minivan in there.  I would rather park outside and put the wood tools on my side of the garage, and put the layout in the basement workshop.  My wife doesn't like the idea very much, so for now, I'm just concentrating on the ceiling layout.

I am constantly planning for a bench layout until I figure out what I want to do.  That's a lot of fun as well.

Wes

  • Member since
    April 2005
  • From: South Carolina
  • 9,713 posts
Posted by rtraincollector on Friday, January 26, 2007 5:21 PM

a couple of you mentioned wanting a gantry crane the other night heres one ending tonight and its only $66.00 at the moment.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Lionel-282-Remote-Gantry-Crane_W0QQitemZ120077208641QQihZ002QQcategoryZ4146QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item120077208641 think hes a little hight on shipping thou (420.00) ends in about 3 1/2 hours

Life's hard, even harder if your stupid  John Wayne

http://rtssite.shutterfly.com/

  • Member since
    December 2003
  • From: Central PA
  • 2,536 posts
Posted by jefelectric on Friday, January 26, 2007 5:04 PM
 csxt30 wrote:

John : nice cake !! You just made me hungry !!  John, also I just paid Bob at AM Hobbies for my engine & he lowered the price 10 dollars, I couldn't believe it !!  Great place to buy from also !! He also said Atlas is talking about making some cabooses for those steamers !!  They're not sure on the exact style yet.  Hurry up April or May !!  Big Smile [:D]

Thanks, John  

Good deal John.  I hope they make a Jersey Central caboose.  That is a hard one to come up with, other than the way out of scale ones.  Bob is a very nice guy to deal with & he usually knows what Atlas is up to.

We are just about to leave for the daughters with the cake, I'll let you know if it tastes good. Smile [:)]Wink [;)]Smile,Wink, & Grin [swg]

John Fullerton Home of the BUBB&A  http://www.jeanandjohn.net/trains.html
  • Member since
    April 2005
  • From: South Carolina
  • 9,713 posts
Posted by rtraincollector on Friday, January 26, 2007 4:48 PM
If you have an old lionel with the old whistle tender that as long as its not a loud one can be a soothing sound to her also. My father bought a train record (steam engines ) just for  great nieces and great nephews to put them asleep . LOL I believe it was wabash in fact oldest brother gave it to me last time I was there but forgot it lol.

Life's hard, even harder if your stupid  John Wayne

http://rtssite.shutterfly.com/

  • Member since
    March 2006
  • From: usa
  • 687 posts
Posted by thatboy37 on Friday, January 26, 2007 4:46 PM
 dwiemer wrote:
 thatboy37 wrote:
 kpolak wrote:

 

this is my and her first so it will all be new to me, but i do have a little experience with kids as i have 8 nieces and nephews already. but there's nothing like having your own as i've been told a million times.

Reggie, everyone said that marriage will change you, it didn't.  Now Kids REALLY changed us.  It can make you feel real old some times, but it is the best feeling in the world when you come home and they get all excited to run into your arms.  You will have your own stories to tell, and I for one look forward to hearing them.  One hint for the new fathers, the sound of trains rolling on track makes a great noise to put a baby to sleep by.  Just let the train go at a modest rate and turn the lights off.

God Bless,

Dennis

 

i kind of new loud and strange noises would make a baby go to sleep, as my dad would take my nephew outside in the middle of the night and stand by the a/c unit and he would fall asleep almost instantly. i will most definitly use the train one if it works for her when she gets here.

LIVE LIFE AS IF YOU ONLY HAVE ONE LIFE TO LIVE ! UNTIL NEXT TIME PEACE !!! REGGIE thatboy37@hotmail.com
  • Member since
    April 2005
  • From: South Carolina
  • 9,713 posts
Posted by rtraincollector on Friday, January 26, 2007 4:37 PM
 jimhaleyscomet wrote:
 dwiemer wrote:

Good Point Marty,

     I am getting excited as the only train show in the area is occuring tomorrow.  Though it is mainly HO, they do have some vendors for the big boys, and I hope to do some buying.  .....

Dennis

I somewhat lost my enthusiasm for train shows when I realized it typically costs me $5 to get in and $400 to get out!

Jim H 

That sounds like me and EBAY but it cost me nothin to get in .

Life's hard, even harder if your stupid  John Wayne

http://rtssite.shutterfly.com/

  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Southwest of Houston. TX
  • 1,082 posts
Posted by jimhaleyscomet on Friday, January 26, 2007 4:27 PM
 dwiemer wrote:

Good Point Marty,

     I am getting excited as the only train show in the area is occuring tomorrow.  Though it is mainly HO, they do have some vendors for the big boys, and I hope to do some buying.  .....

Dennis

I somewhat lost my enthusiasm for train shows when I realized it typically costs me $5 to get in and $400 to get out!

Jim H 

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, January 26, 2007 3:39 PM

I wouldn't get the MTH bridge, was just using that as an example... I would still model the Ramagen bridge, just scaled down even further, combination of Metal, Wood, and plaster (for the Bridgeheads).

The mountain wouldn't be to scale either... I would have to dig down about 50 feet to get that depth!  Run the trains from the top of the mountain!  Then the O gauge would look about the size of Z scale!  LOL!

I would span a river with RR tracks on one side and town on the other, it would be behind the town to provide depth to the scene...

Depends on which house we build, I may have as small as room as 12 x 14, but it could be large enough to do a 14 x 24 layout too!  or somewhere in between.  There is one house that the train room would be long and narrow, about 16 x 38, but that house is a real long shot and only if my father-in-law moves in with us right away and donates to the cause!  LOL!  He wants to help build the layout, which I thought was cool!  I'll probably come home from work one day and the room will be framed, next drywalled, next spakled, next primed, next painted... you know the story... I pay for and he does all the work - which would suck because that is what I want to do too!

  • Member since
    December 2004
  • 3,176 posts
Posted by csxt30 on Friday, January 26, 2007 3:17 PM

John : nice cake !! You just made me hungry !!  John, also I just paid Bob at AM Hobbies for my engine & he lowered the price 10 dollars, I couldn't believe it !!  Great place to buy from also !! He also said Atlas is talking about making some cabooses for those steamers !!  They're not sure on the exact style yet.  Hurry up April or May !!  Big Smile [:D]

Thanks, John  

  • Member since
    December 2003
  • From: Central PA
  • 2,536 posts
Posted by jefelectric on Friday, January 26, 2007 2:49 PM

Hi guys,

 Here is the birthday train cake for the granddaughter.

Of course it is chocolate cake. Smile [:)]

John Fullerton Home of the BUBB&A  http://www.jeanandjohn.net/trains.html
  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: Southwest Georgia
  • 5,028 posts
Posted by dwiemer on Friday, January 26, 2007 2:30 PM

Good Point Marty,

     I am getting excited as the only train show in the area is occuring tomorrow.  Though it is mainly HO, they do have some vendors for the big boys, and I hope to do some buying.  The local paper even had a story on it and the photo is of one of the founders of this club and a Lionel Santa Fe set.

     Also, I won the auction on the bay for a Watchman's Shanty, new in the box, for a little over $50.  Not a great price, but considering that I have not seen too many around, it is still a fair cheaper than the latest Lionel/K-line version and it looks better.

Dennis

TCA#09-63805

 

Charter BTTs.jpg

  • Member since
    December 2005
  • From: Cambridgeshire, UK
  • 438 posts
Posted by Nick12DMC on Friday, January 26, 2007 2:27 PM
 John Bakeer wrote:

Nick,

Ever used mobile text?

Hi, John B, Yea when forced to. It was a novelty when it first came out in the early '90's. I find its faster just to talk to someone.

However I now can't be bothered with having the "latest" micro Handset that I will wreck in some manner while at work. So maybe the newer phones are easier to "text" on.

I stick with my super ebay bargain £75 Ericson GlobalStar satellite phone. Works on a normal Vodaphone contract (I don't think they like people to know thisCool [8D])and as a normal GSM phone but can switch into "Sat" mode if no GSM signal.

Strange thing is its actually cheaper to use the Sat phone abroad than use foreign GSM services. Go figure? 

Regards

Nick

 

 

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: Pittsburgh, PA
  • 1,429 posts
Posted by MartyE on Friday, January 26, 2007 2:22 PM

One hint for the new fathers, the sound of trains rolling on track makes a great noise to put a baby to sleep by.  Just let the train go at a modest rate and turn the lights off.

Just don't blow the horn once they nod off! 

Trying to update my avatar since 2020 Laugh

MartyE and Kodi the Husky Dog! ( 3/31/90-9/28/04 ) www.MartyE.com My O Gauge Web Page and Home of Kodiak Junction!

  • Member since
    December 2006
  • From: Powell, OH
  • 1,257 posts
Posted by Wes Whitmore on Friday, January 26, 2007 2:01 PM

I have the single track version of that bridge.  It's nice, but wouldn't it be better in all metal?

You must have much more room in your train room than I do!

What would you span the bridge over?  I assume you wouldn't built the mountain to scale.

 Wes

  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: Southwest Georgia
  • 5,028 posts
Posted by dwiemer on Friday, January 26, 2007 1:45 PM
 thatboy37 wrote:
 kpolak wrote:

 

this is my and her first so it will all be new to me, but i do have a little experience with kids as i have 8 nieces and nephews already. but there's nothing like having your own as i've been told a million times.

Reggie, everyone said that marriage will change you, it didn't.  Now Kids REALLY changed us.  It can make you feel real old some times, but it is the best feeling in the world when you come home and they get all excited to run into your arms.  You will have your own stories to tell, and I for one look forward to hearing them.  One hint for the new fathers, the sound of trains rolling on track makes a great noise to put a baby to sleep by.  Just let the train go at a modest rate and turn the lights off.

God Bless,

Dennis

TCA#09-63805

 

Charter BTTs.jpg

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, January 26, 2007 1:24 PM

Wes,
You are correct in that a 2.2 ft bridge would look good.  I was researching the Ludendorff Bridge that once stood in Ramagen Germany.  It is a famous Railroad bridge, and I was wondering how large it was...

I have only been able to find that it was constructed in three sections.  The two ends were 278 feet in length and the bridge over the Rhine was 513 feet long!  That is 1,069 feet!  The one end near Ramagen was the convergence of two raillines, one coming from the North, the other from the South.  They crossed the bridge on two seperate raillines and then on the other side of the river there is a 500M tall mountain that the trains would travel under via a RR Tunnel...

This got me to thinking (a very dangerous thing to do in regards to model railroading) and what it would be like to model something close to this... to do it in scale the two end sections would be approx. 5.7 feet long, and the center 10.7 feet!  That is one LONG bridge, but it sure would be impressive!

So I've done more research and you could come close to this by taking two MTH 40-1061 Two Track Girder Bridges end to end, then a MTH 40-1062 Two Track Steel Arch Bridge, then two more MTH 40-1061 Two Track Girder Bridges end to end.  That would be:

12 3/8 + 12 3/8 + 32 + 12 3/8 + 12 3/8 = 81.5 inches... now that would be cool!  Even if you knock off the two outer most girder bridges you are still at 56.75 inches!

 http://www.mth-railking.com/detail.asp?item=40-1061

  • Member since
    March 2006
  • From: usa
  • 687 posts
Posted by thatboy37 on Friday, January 26, 2007 1:15 PM
 kpolak wrote:

Thanks everyone!

Congratulations Reggie!  I didn't know you guys were expecting!  Does that make 2 for you too?

The 'It's a Girl' car looks great..I think I can swing that..the whole Williams set might be a problem. We now have 2 in diapers.

Here's Patricia (Trish) Mary, named after my mother, and myself.  I think she has my hairline...

Hopefully she'll grow out of that.

 

 

this is my and her first so it will all be new to me, but i do have a little experience with kids as i have 8 nieces and nephews already. but there's nothing like having your own as i've been told a million times.

LIVE LIFE AS IF YOU ONLY HAVE ONE LIFE TO LIVE ! UNTIL NEXT TIME PEACE !!! REGGIE thatboy37@hotmail.com
  • Member since
    December 2006
  • From: Powell, OH
  • 1,257 posts
Posted by Wes Whitmore on Friday, January 26, 2007 12:36 PM

I would say that you are correct, but isn't a 1069ft bridge a large prototypical bridge (So a 22ft model bridge is also big)?  A 106 ft bridge would be 2.2 ft in scale, and two 50 ft scale cars should fit on it, so it should visually look OK.  I'm not an expert on modeling at all, of course.  I just like to run trains and flip switches.  O gauge seems to be a best effort scale for the manufactures.

Wes

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, January 26, 2007 11:53 AM
 laz 57 wrote:
 lionroar88 wrote:
 laz 57 wrote:

 HI GIZ,

I just checked the shipping schedule at Lionel and BigBOYS along with TMCC II is still on schedule for Feb. 7th.

http://www.lionel.com/CustomerService/Findex.cfm

laz57



Laz, it isn't Feb 7th it is February 2007, meaning sometime during the month of February...

OOPS my bad LIONROAR.  Disapprove [V]Banged Head [banghead]Sign - Oops [#oops].

Thanks,

laz57



No problem bud!  I'm just here to help where ever I can! Smile [:)]  Hey it's Friday!
  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Millersburg, Pa.
  • 7,607 posts
Posted by laz 57 on Friday, January 26, 2007 11:48 AM
 lionroar88 wrote:
 laz 57 wrote:

 HI GIZ,

I just checked the shipping schedule at Lionel and BigBOYS along with TMCC II is still on schedule for Feb. 7th.

http://www.lionel.com/CustomerService/Findex.cfm

laz57



Laz, it isn't Feb 7th it is February 2007, meaning sometime during the month of February...

OOPS my bad LIONROAR.  Disapprove [V]Banged Head [banghead]Sign - Oops [#oops].

Thanks,

laz57

  There's a race of men that don't fit in, A race that can't stay still; Robert Service. TCA 03-55991
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, January 26, 2007 11:40 AM
 laz 57 wrote:

 HI GIZ,

I just checked the shipping schedule at Lionel and BigBOYS along with TMCC II is still on schedule for Feb. 7th.

http://www.lionel.com/CustomerService/Findex.cfm

laz57



Laz, it isn't Feb 7th it is February 2007, meaning sometime during the month of February...
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, January 26, 2007 11:38 AM
OK, If I have a structure that I want to model for an O Gauge layout, how do I go about making the dimension conversions?  If O Gauge is 1:48 would that mean each foot on the layout represents 48 feet in real life?

Would a 1069 foot long bridge then translate into a 22.27 ft long bridge on the layout?
  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Millersburg, Pa.
  • 7,607 posts
Posted by laz 57 on Friday, January 26, 2007 11:38 AM

Notice on the page it was just updated today.  We can just hope it arrives on time?

laz57

  There's a race of men that don't fit in, A race that can't stay still; Robert Service. TCA 03-55991
  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Millersburg, Pa.
  • 7,607 posts
Posted by laz 57 on Friday, January 26, 2007 11:36 AM

 HI GIZ,

I just checked the shipping schedule at Lionel and BigBOYS along with TMCC II is still on schedule for Feb. 7th.

http://www.lionel.com/CustomerService/Findex.cfm

laz57

  There's a race of men that don't fit in, A race that can't stay still; Robert Service. TCA 03-55991
  • Member since
    December 2003
  • From: Central PA
  • 2,536 posts
Posted by jefelectric on Friday, January 26, 2007 11:15 AM

Morning all, (It's just a few minutes after 12)

Was 9 degrees when I got up, may have been colder earlier.  Less than an inch of snow but they still delayed 2 hours.  Our 7 year old granddaughter spent the delay with us so Mom could go to work. 

Did a little painting on a building project. 

Nice picture of the new daughter Kurt.  Have 5 granddaughters so I'm an expert on that subject.

Take care all.

John Fullerton Home of the BUBB&A  http://www.jeanandjohn.net/trains.html
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, January 26, 2007 11:06 AM
 jaabat wrote:

You missile guys are creepy! How could you stand working around them all the time?

Anyway, launchtime is over. Back to work.

Jim 



It wasn't that bad unless you had to do a warhead storage site inspection... we had to wear led lined suits to 'protect' us so our sperm didn't get messed up... or when you went to the field and Greenpeace would show up to demonstrate how stupid they are... we had M16s, M60s, M203s, and the Germans had the English G-6? (7.62 rounds) and they would try to break the security perimiter... we never had to shoot anyone but there were a few guys that became pretty good tacklers and could have made a decent living as Linebackers in the NFL!

Have loads of great stories from my service in the heart of 'Battle of the Bulg' land, and loads of pictures too!  I've personally stood at what remains of the Bridgehead at Remagen...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Plunder

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/art/P-P/USAIA/Remagen.htm

http://www.v2rocket.com/start/deployment/hellendoorn_dalfsen.html

 

  • Member since
    January 2005
  • From: New England
  • 6,241 posts
Posted by Jumijo on Friday, January 26, 2007 10:55 AM

You missile guys are creepy! How could you stand working around them all the time?

Anyway, launchtime is over. Back to work.

Jim 

Modeling the Baltimore waterfront in HO scale

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, January 26, 2007 10:49 AM
Chief, that is cool!  I was a Pershing Missle Crewman when I started my career!  They were phasing them out due to the INF treaty so I had my choice of new MOSs and went with 74F (Systems Analyst)... that gave me something to when I ETSed.  I still love this quote about the ol' Pershing:

The increased range and pinpoint accuracy of the PERSHING II were major factors influencing the Soviet Union's decision to seek the Treaty on Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces in which the United States and the USSR agreed to eliminate an entire class of nuclear missiles.

Smile [:)]
  • Member since
    January 2005
  • From: New England
  • 6,241 posts
Posted by Jumijo on Friday, January 26, 2007 10:40 AM

Not much going on here at lunchtime. As soon as I closed the dorr, sat down to eat lunch, someone knocked and came in with work. Never fails!

Still cold out there. Let's leave it out there!

I have no idea what's on tap for the weekend. I am hoping that you all have a nice one.

Jim 

Modeling the Baltimore waterfront in HO scale

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

FREE EMAIL NEWSLETTER

Get the Classic Toy Trains newsletter delivered to your inbox twice a month