To steam or to spark

[Anonymous]

I've got to hand it to you, Graybeard.... you're on the right track! I'm running a Ruby myself, although my only regret is that I did'nt hold out for a Roundhouse "Billy" or Cheddar "Samson". Why did I go Live Steam? I already run O-Gauge indoors, I figured being a completely uncured gear head the next thing to do was to take it outdoors, naturally, Live Steam. Is it the only way? Of course not, but, I get a great bit of satisfaction puttering around with my little dragon, more so than running another electric engine. Having said that, I fully intend to convert to battery power an LGB engine of some type for outdoor use also. Is a live steamer messy? To a degree yes. I would not even consider it as an indoor hobby, not ment to be. ((I'd love to get the use of one of the empty hangers where I work, that would be excellent!) I confess that my wife threatend me with bodily harm if I even looked like I was going to set Ruby up under the Christmas Tree. Live Steam is much more hands on, including a few good blisters along the way. It is not for un-supervised children or for those who cannot be trusted with matches...... Do I reccomend Live Steam? You bet! Hey on top of all of the above, you can purchace some excellent Live Steam engines for about the same price as an Electric lookalike, take the plunge, you won't regret it!

[Anonymous]

I've got to hand it to you, Graybeard.... you're on the right track! I'm running a Ruby myself, although my only regret is that I did'nt hold out for a Roundhouse "Billy" or Cheddar "Samson". Why did I go Live Steam? I already run O-Gauge indoors, I figured being a completely uncured gear head the next thing to do was to take it outdoors, naturally, Live Steam. Is it the only way? Of course not, but, I get a great bit of satisfaction puttering around with my little dragon, more so than running another electric engine. Having said that, I fully intend to convert to battery power an LGB engine of some type for outdoor use also. Is a live steamer messy? To a degree yes. I would not even consider it as an indoor hobby, not ment to be. ((I'd love to get the use of one of the empty hangers where I work, that would be excellent!) I confess that my wife threatend me with bodily harm if I even looked like I was going to set Ruby up under the Christmas Tree. Live Steam is much more hands on, including a few good blisters along the way. It is not for un-supervised children or for those who cannot be trusted with matches...... Do I reccomend Live Steam? You bet! Hey on top of all of the above, you can purchace some excellent Live Steam engines for about the same price as an Electric lookalike, take the plunge, you won't regret it!

[Anonymous]

Why limit to one or the other??? I have both, and both are on the economy. I have a Bachman ten wheeler and an Aristo 0-4-0. I was also able to buy a 2nd hand Ruby with radio control very reasonably. They all provide me hours of pleasure. I am very glad for the RC on the Ruby. Since my RR is not level it takes constant minding the throttle to get around the road. That's part of the joy.
Best pleasure is a cool fall or early winter morning. Fire up the pot belly stove with a good coal fire next to the garden. A live steam plume in the cool air with wiffs of coal smoke from the stove, and a coffee pot on the stove... ...lowers the blood pressure a whole lot.

Tom in DE

[Anonymous]

Why limit to one or the other??? I have both, and both are on the economy. I have a Bachman ten wheeler and an Aristo 0-4-0. I was also able to buy a 2nd hand Ruby with radio control very reasonably. They all provide me hours of pleasure. I am very glad for the RC on the Ruby. Since my RR is not level it takes constant minding the throttle to get around the road. That's part of the joy.
Best pleasure is a cool fall or early winter morning. Fire up the pot belly stove with a good coal fire next to the garden. A live steam plume in the cool air with wiffs of coal smoke from the stove, and a coffee pot on the stove... ...lowers the blood pressure a whole lot.

Tom in DE

[Anonymous]

You know you're a steamer when the train running around the Christmas Tree is Live Steam, and you set the tree on fire, and burn the house down... ...but you remember the run time.

Tom in DE

[Anonymous]

You know you're a steamer when the train running around the Christmas Tree is Live Steam, and you set the tree on fire, and burn the house down... ...but you remember the run time.

Tom in DE

[bman36]

mkblk,
Here is your first response. To steam or to spark? Presently I only own sparkies, however that is not to say that I won't own a steamer in the future. However, I have some questions regarding this. Since steamers run just like the real thing, how messy are they? I mean in terms of oil on the tracks. I have read a little on the subject and was curious as to what you steamers experience for real. I know regarding maintenance there is always lube needed as is with any loco, but what about in terms of running. I for one prefer everything clean. I guess that is why I have only run sparkies thus far. The other issue is cost. Steamers can get quite expensive when compared to what I call base line locos. For instance my Aristo Alco cost me 300.00 Canadian. I'm not saying sparkies are always cheaper, but base line steam is a lot more than I am used to paying thus far. So what do you say steamers? You guys have made the investment. Glad you spent the extra? You may convert a sparky as a result...so be truthful. Pro's and con's are one thing. Tell me what you really enjoy and also what you really don't care for.
As for snow plowing...my experience was with a John Deere 544. Haven't yet done it with the railway. I do plan to try it out. Marty seems to like the diesels so we will see what he has to say. If I'm right the smaller drivers were favored for freight...does this hold true with pushing snow? I'm curious too. Later eh...Brian.

[bman36]

mkblk,
Here is your first response. To steam or to spark? Presently I only own sparkies, however that is not to say that I won't own a steamer in the future. However, I have some questions regarding this. Since steamers run just like the real thing, how messy are they? I mean in terms of oil on the tracks. I have read a little on the subject and was curious as to what you steamers experience for real. I know regarding maintenance there is always lube needed as is with any loco, but what about in terms of running. I for one prefer everything clean. I guess that is why I have only run sparkies thus far. The other issue is cost. Steamers can get quite expensive when compared to what I call base line locos. For instance my Aristo Alco cost me 300.00 Canadian. I'm not saying sparkies are always cheaper, but base line steam is a lot more than I am used to paying thus far. So what do you say steamers? You guys have made the investment. Glad you spent the extra? You may convert a sparky as a result...so be truthful. Pro's and con's are one thing. Tell me what you really enjoy and also what you really don't care for.
As for snow plowing...my experience was with a John Deere 544. Haven't yet done it with the railway. I do plan to try it out. Marty seems to like the diesels so we will see what he has to say. If I'm right the smaller drivers were favored for freight...does this hold true with pushing snow? I'm curious too. Later eh...Brian.

[mkblk]

Thought I'd take another look at this thread and possibly "jump-start" it. Seems it got kind of lost over the holidays. I'm sure that other's have something to say we'd like to read about. Now that winter has definitely hit much of the US, I expect we'll get some stories on running in the snow. What type of motive power does best? Power pack powered, Battery powered or Live Steam powered? How about diesels vs steam engines (low drivers vs tall drivers)?

[mkblk]

Thought I'd take another look at this thread and possibly "jump-start" it. Seems it got kind of lost over the holidays. I'm sure that other's have something to say we'd like to read about. Now that winter has definitely hit much of the US, I expect we'll get some stories on running in the snow. What type of motive power does best? Power pack powered, Battery powered or Live Steam powered? How about diesels vs steam engines (low drivers vs tall drivers)?

[Anonymous]

"Hey Y'all, Watch This!" Yepper, you know yer a gearhead when 1) Model Trains are a turn on, steam or electric.... 2) "I've got Blisters on Me Fingers!" no longer eludes to George Harrison from the White Album, it's a sign of a Good Day (or not). 3) You find yourself having to explain to the neighbor Ladies what all of that Distilled Water and Butane Gas is about in the shopping cart.... I just tell 'em all it's a religous thing.... 4) Your still grinning about how much fun you just had "playing trains" in your back yard. 5) You discover that you have'nt quite made every mistake in the book, there are bigger ones to be had! Sometimes fun having them! You know your a "Gear Head" when the question come up Steam or Spark, and you just can't get enough of either............ Have fun , Clear Tracks to All !

[Anonymous]

"Hey Y'all, Watch This!" Yepper, you know yer a gearhead when 1) Model Trains are a turn on, steam or electric.... 2) "I've got Blisters on Me Fingers!" no longer eludes to George Harrison from the White Album, it's a sign of a Good Day (or not). 3) You find yourself having to explain to the neighbor Ladies what all of that Distilled Water and Butane Gas is about in the shopping cart.... I just tell 'em all it's a religous thing.... 4) Your still grinning about how much fun you just had "playing trains" in your back yard. 5) You discover that you have'nt quite made every mistake in the book, there are bigger ones to be had! Sometimes fun having them! You know your a "Gear Head" when the question come up Steam or Spark, and you just can't get enough of either............ Have fun , Clear Tracks to All !

[mkblk]

Chuckstop -

What you're asking for isn't unreasonable. It just costs more. My plan is to install R/C in my "Ruby" next year. In the meantime, I'll just chase it round and round! You might check out "Adding Radio Control to Accucraft's Ruby" by Dwight Ennis on myLargescale.com.

Additionally, other manufacturer's offer R/C with their locos as standard for a package price of about $800 retail (check out the ads in GR). I would imagine as this aspect of the hobby grows, more offerings will be available. I think I read somewhere that you can buy a R/C kit for about $125.00. Maybe someone can fill us in on that.

For the time being, I'll be happy to find an operating whistle for my Ruby!

MK

[mkblk]

Chuckstop -

What you're asking for isn't unreasonable. It just costs more. My plan is to install R/C in my "Ruby" next year. In the meantime, I'll just chase it round and round! You might check out "Adding Radio Control to Accucraft's Ruby" by Dwight Ennis on myLargescale.com.

Additionally, other manufacturer's offer R/C with their locos as standard for a package price of about $800 retail (check out the ads in GR). I would imagine as this aspect of the hobby grows, more offerings will be available. I think I read somewhere that you can buy a R/C kit for about $125.00. Maybe someone can fill us in on that.

For the time being, I'll be happy to find an operating whistle for my Ruby!

MK

[Anonymous]

OLD DAD:

"Chargers" sounds great to me! You guys have me almost talked into trying this.

How's this: You might be a Charger if you ask a steamer where he keeps the battery that operates the water pump.

Or: You might be a Charger if you ask a Sparkie what all those wires running to the rails are for.

chuckstop:

Steam is excellent under remote control. Servos for the steam valve and for the reversing lever give you all the control of a sparkie on a transformer for speed, direction and stopping, operation wise anyway. I'm converting my already built steamer to RC now and will publish photos of the conversion when complete. I'm using model airplane servos and gears, which is the way it is usually done for those without it. My NEW steamer CAME with RC and will have it as soon as I get it finished.

As to switching, either manual or electric would do. Nothing stops you from wiring your track if you want to for such things as switches and even rotary powered snow plows or other accessory niceties. Most "G" gauge steamers come with insulated wheels so as to be able to run on track that has power in spite of the fact that the loco doesn't need it.

If you wi***o run on sparkie track, be sure you have this insulated wheel feature. Also, be sure that when you are invited as a guest to run on a sparkie's layout, he/she is aware that a slight mess from oil may be involved and that YOU will be responsible for cleaning it up.

Regards,

LDH

[Anonymous]

OLD DAD:

"Chargers" sounds great to me! You guys have me almost talked into trying this.

How's this: You might be a Charger if you ask a steamer where he keeps the battery that operates the water pump.

Or: You might be a Charger if you ask a Sparkie what all those wires running to the rails are for.

chuckstop:

Steam is excellent under remote control. Servos for the steam valve and for the reversing lever give you all the control of a sparkie on a transformer for speed, direction and stopping, operation wise anyway. I'm converting my already built steamer to RC now and will publish photos of the conversion when complete. I'm using model airplane servos and gears, which is the way it is usually done for those without it. My NEW steamer CAME with RC and will have it as soon as I get it finished.

As to switching, either manual or electric would do. Nothing stops you from wiring your track if you want to for such things as switches and even rotary powered snow plows or other accessory niceties. Most "G" gauge steamers come with insulated wheels so as to be able to run on track that has power in spite of the fact that the loco doesn't need it.

If you wi***o run on sparkie track, be sure you have this insulated wheel feature. Also, be sure that when you are invited as a guest to run on a sparkie's layout, he/she is aware that a slight mess from oil may be involved and that YOU will be responsible for cleaning it up.

Regards,

LDH

[Anonymous]

Steam or Sparks? What would you tell a newbie who is interested in playing at operations? It would be really cool to run a steamer up and down my proposed recreation of the Lynchburg and Durham RR line thru rural Virginia and NC, but what about operations kind of stuff, like car switching and stopping going at stations? How good is steam with remote control?

I'm still at the very steep part of the learning curve on this.

[Anonymous]

Steam or Sparks? What would you tell a newbie who is interested in playing at operations? It would be really cool to run a steamer up and down my proposed recreation of the Lynchburg and Durham RR line thru rural Virginia and NC, but what about operations kind of stuff, like car switching and stopping going at stations? How good is steam with remote control?

I'm still at the very steep part of the learning curve on this.

[Anonymous]

We have "steamers" who apparently enjoy burnt fingers....we also have "sparkers" who enjoy tracing down shorts and bonding rail joints....what about the third group, the ones who enjoy recharging dead batteries, how should we refer to them? "chargers"?

Just curious.......OLD DAD

[Anonymous]

We have "steamers" who apparently enjoy burnt fingers....we also have "sparkers" who enjoy tracing down shorts and bonding rail joints....what about the third group, the ones who enjoy recharging dead batteries, how should we refer to them? "chargers"?

Just curious.......OLD DAD

[mkblk]

Vettbass:

I checked out the Hudson. Definitely a beautiful work of art. I'd love to own one, but in a way I'm grateful that I couldn't really afford to. You know it never ends! I'm happy with my "Ruby" (a #7 with tender) and although I thought one would be enough, the idea of the "kit" is tempting. Less than $300 bucks is a mighty big temptation. Kudos to Accucraft for making the live steam aspect of the hobby even more affordable. Now I'm spread thinly from HO to O Tinplate to Live Steam "F". It pains me think that I might have to give something up! (It won't be live steam!)

Back to the Hudson: When I was a very little kid (eons ago) I remember standing on the platform in Pleasantville, NY watching these behemoths blast by at full stroke. Everything shook! Yeah, It's criminal that they didn't save even one. Pennsy is guilty also, not having saved a single T1. What were they thinking???

MK

P.S. I know it's hard not to love live steam locos, but we also have to be practical. The sparkies have some really fine equipment in #1 gauge and the hobby has improved dramatically in a very short time. I think that there is something for almost everyone, after all, the "World's Greatest Hobby" is about having FUN!

[mkblk]

Vettbass:

I checked out the Hudson. Definitely a beautiful work of art. I'd love to own one, but in a way I'm grateful that I couldn't really afford to. You know it never ends! I'm happy with my "Ruby" (a #7 with tender) and although I thought one would be enough, the idea of the "kit" is tempting. Less than $300 bucks is a mighty big temptation. Kudos to Accucraft for making the live steam aspect of the hobby even more affordable. Now I'm spread thinly from HO to O Tinplate to Live Steam "F". It pains me think that I might have to give something up! (It won't be live steam!)

Back to the Hudson: When I was a very little kid (eons ago) I remember standing on the platform in Pleasantville, NY watching these behemoths blast by at full stroke. Everything shook! Yeah, It's criminal that they didn't save even one. Pennsy is guilty also, not having saved a single T1. What were they thinking???

MK

P.S. I know it's hard not to love live steam locos, but we also have to be practical. The sparkies have some really fine equipment in #1 gauge and the hobby has improved dramatically in a very short time. I think that there is something for almost everyone, after all, the "World's Greatest Hobby" is about having FUN!

[Anonymous]

Anybody:

My last post begs me to ask a question of those who model with electric locos on powered rails. Please go easy on me because I am naive in this area of model RR'ing.

Let's say you are just starting out. Let's also say you have a truly obsessive desire for quality, and assume that the first thing you want to see is a beautiful model train running around a 200' foot circuit in your garden.

You buy a GOOD quality Loco, some GOOD quality consist (say 5 cars), and you want all the "bells & whistles" for sound, control, and appearances for starters.

When you are finally ready to hook it up and run it for the FIRST time, HOW MANY bucks have you laid out?

Forget accessory layout modeling at THIS time. As I see it, we are on EQUAL turf when it gets to that.

I'm just interested in INITIAL outlay to get a nice high quality train running on 200' of properly laid powered rail.

What would it cost up to THIS point?

Thanx ahead of time.

[Anonymous]

Anybody:

My last post begs me to ask a question of those who model with electric locos on powered rails. Please go easy on me because I am naive in this area of model RR'ing.

Let's say you are just starting out. Let's also say you have a truly obsessive desire for quality, and assume that the first thing you want to see is a beautiful model train running around a 200' foot circuit in your garden.

You buy a GOOD quality Loco, some GOOD quality consist (say 5 cars), and you want all the "bells & whistles" for sound, control, and appearances for starters.

When you are finally ready to hook it up and run it for the FIRST time, HOW MANY bucks have you laid out?

Forget accessory layout modeling at THIS time. As I see it, we are on EQUAL turf when it gets to that.

I'm just interested in INITIAL outlay to get a nice high quality train running on 200' of properly laid powered rail.

What would it cost up to THIS point?

Thanx ahead of time.

[Anonymous]

mk:

BTW...

Here's the specs on the NYC Hudson in the plume photo above...

http://www.southernsteamtrains.com/anychudson.htm

I really try NOT to keep HYPING Aster, but at times I just CAN'T HELP MYSELF.

The Hudson is now out of production. Count on paying even MORE for a good used one.

I apologize.

[Anonymous]

mk:

BTW...

Here's the specs on the NYC Hudson in the plume photo above...

http://www.southernsteamtrains.com/anychudson.htm

I really try NOT to keep HYPING Aster, but at times I just CAN'T HELP MYSELF.

The Hudson is now out of production. Count on paying even MORE for a good used one.

I apologize.

[mkblk]

vettbass:

Almost makes you want to be 2½" tall!

MK

[mkblk]

vettbass:

Almost makes you want to be 2½" tall!

MK

[Anonymous]

Here's a link to a nice photo of an Aster Hudson running in 40 degree weather.

http://www.steamup.com/wwwboard/messages/2339.html

This is from the message board on the SIG site.

Steamers be sure to check this site out in general.