Cederstrand wrote: in a UNION PACIFIC mug, please & thank you!talk about articulated locos, I am considering selling off my Big Boy, Challenger and Mallet. Why? Well, they are all vintage Rivarossi and I just saw the amount of detail on the newer Athearn models and there is no comparison. The detail on the Athearns is supurb. Plus, building a smaller layout, do I really need more than 1 articulated anyway? What do you guys think...Yae or Nay? Rob
in a UNION PACIFIC mug, please & thank you!
talk about articulated locos, I am considering selling off my Big Boy, Challenger and Mallet. Why? Well, they are all vintage Rivarossi and I just saw the amount of detail on the newer Athearn models and there is no comparison. The detail on the Athearns is supurb. Plus, building a smaller layout, do I really need more than 1 articulated anyway? What do you guys think...Yae or Nay?
Rob
Rob---
ONE Articulated? (GASP!). Pardon me while I pick myself up off the floor, LOL!
Actually, I have one of the Genesis Challengers (the Rio Grande 3800 version) and you're right, it's a wonderful, smooth, powerful runner and the detail is really nice! I've got DC, so I have to run it with that weird little hand-held transmitter that Genesis uses, but after you get used to it, it's not bad at all. I will say that it's got the strangest whistle I've ever heard, but then I remember the UP 3985 Challenger out here in Sacramento during Railfest about 10 years ago, and IT had the weirdest whistle I've ever heard also, so the model doesn't bother me that much. But if you model UP and are only going to have (gasp again!) one articulated, this one wouldn't be bad at all.
Tom
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
Good morning evryone,
Haven't been in the "Diner" in a while. I see we wore out the old one. Maybe the next diner can be in one of those great I-17a B&O bay window cabeese.
I see there's many new patrons here. Welcome to all. A lot of great guys pop in here regularly to to grab a bite or to just socialize.
I've just been plugging away at my w**k lately, the kitchen project that my Caravan/ tobogan took that slide into the wall on the ice all by itself. It's still in the body shop actually. I didn't push the adjuster to all the damage I knew was there (bent strut, rack, tie rods etc), I let my good friend at the body shop deal with it and all the supplementals for repair... it would have been totaled otherwise. I'm in no rush to repair, so I told him to take his time. He even had his "paintless/ dent removal guy" fix a few dings while he was there for other work.
Still not really back into the trains much, yet. Still dealing w/ those emotional woes of this past year. One day at a time, our Spring show is in 2 weeks and I know I'll be running that coal drag and passenger trains almost continuously for the 2 days. Should be a good booster shot for me. any of you local guys should check it out. Met Mrbeasley last fall, he had a good time.
http://www.ssmrc.org/Spring%20Flyer%202008.pdf
Jeff: Been seeing some good shots of the layout, especially like those night ones.
I haven't watched that show, Holmes and Holmes, but I agree w/ all those unscrupulous hacks out there calling themselves professionals. No wait, "pro"- being paid for your work" doesn't mean that you're any good. I spend my life doing nothing more than undoing all the poor work from these "pros" and put it to right. Even the origional construction leaves a bit to be desired as well. When they say "they don't build like they used to", I say thank God. I used to co-ordinate work crews from my church for Habitat for Humanity. Many immediate jobs always got done (pulled strings and called in people for the emergencies, handicap ramps and mods etc.)
Tom: Nice to see you stop by. Always like your help and advice out on the big board. Don't feel bad, I've been sort of away from the trains somewhat over the past year, still go to the club, but not back into the scenery work like I should be. Can't really help out with the steam troubles much, 99% of my roster is diesel. I do want a B&O EM-1 (Yellowstone) and hope that someone will do one soon. Heritage, BLI etc.
inch: Very appropriate reply from Mom.. great irony in that one for sure.
PC: You know I'm thinking of you and that rollercoaster ride w/ all those family ills, my prayers are with you friend. Along w/ all this, I see that you've been making some layout progress.
And you get the honors again. Since it's still early, I'll go easy with a coffee and grilled English muffin. I will wait for that chili call later on.
Lee: As a fellow carpenter/contractor I know about the between jobs thing. What I have done for some time now is to keep all the simple/ small work for those periods. I let the customer know that if they can wait for that repair, door/ window replacement or whatever that I'll still not let them down. And it gives me jobs that can be fill in with a simple phone call. Works out for both of us.
pcarrell wrote:I use the Digitrax Super Chief and I couldn't be happier with the digitrax product. I also found that it's cheaper in the long run if you go radio equipped up front rather then retro fitting it.
PCs right on this, I had origionally ordered my DT400 straight- not radio, sent it back plus $50 for radio, for some reason the throttle has been a problem with all sorts of ailments since. It has been back 3 times, hope this time is the last. Paul3 can't make heads or tails of this (our in house DCC guru) says it's just a lemon. All the other club members have had great luck w/ thier's.(about 30-35 of them) they were all ordered radio equipt.
Paul: Haven't been following the back postings too much. Where is this new Six Flags anyway. My Mother and sister and family live in Round Rock. Is that somewhere near you? Well since you stayed home instead, maybe you can get in some of your own work.
Rob: The detail and running characteristics of the newer offerings is had to beat. May not be a bad idea to off some of that vintage equipment. But I'm still waiting for that B&O EM-1. I don't ever have to worry about min radius since all my running is on a club layout. Min radius is 42" and #8s.
GARRY: Love that tutortorial on the shale/ rock outcroppings, Stuill adding more of those Cripplebush rubber to finish that massive cut. We're hoping to have a good part of it done for our show in 2 weeks. Need new pics, been coming out real good. I definatly need to try your method on the next area of cut and blasted hillside, man do we have a lot of that on the layout.
Sleeper and I-5: A warm welcome, do watch out for PC and any kind of pie though.
Jerry: Sorry about your son's best friends loss, a tough way to end up with extra time for trains.
Hoople: When you start to add track and ballast to those school projects then you know you've gone too far.... You should be able to do a lot of practice on tree making, better yet get the whole class to make trees, then use them on your layout.
Sue: Nice having Larry around, but now hogging the computer? Gee, doesn't he need to get back on the road sometime....
Ryan: Man that's a long stint at the dentist, is he getting paid by the job or the hour...So you're slimming down for, health, ability to reach those tough layout spots, summer fun or all of the above.
Mitch: Ya, been getting real sick of the weather/ snow, slush and freezing rain. Well spring is just around the corner. The seasons here in New England are great, but I had enough of this one. I wish Dawn luck on that new job.
J.R.: The race season is coming fast, sounds like you're about ready anyway. Plaster has always been my choice for a track/ road situation like that. Some like the styrene, but I find that the dyed plaster can't be beat for workability and weathering.
Jim: So did you ever get any train time in this weekend?
John: Sounds like the new reading material may end up in the "library" for the weekend, probably the only way to get a glipse of them.
Well I got to run, nice stopping by....And remember I got dibs on the next diner w/ that B&O bay
Modeling B&O- Chessie Bob K. www.ssmrc.org
refill, thanks!
***Tom, how does that hand-held transmitter work? Can you be running other DC locos on the same track or is the DC left "on" while running that loco alone? In other words, do other regular DC locos have to be parked on sidings that are switched off/no current in order to run your Challenger? I've only seen these locos, never run one so have no idea how it works in with the rest of a DC layout. (Note: Unless I win the Lottery, I will be sticking with DC in this lifetime)
***Bob, that's a neat pic. Thanks for posting it.
Hoople wrote:I have a Zephyr. Fits my needs perfectly.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
jeffrey-wimberly wrote: Hoople wrote:I have a Zephyr. Fits my needs perfectly.I have an EZ-Command. Fits my needs perfectly.
- Luke
Modeling the Southern Pacific in the 1960's-1980's
Evening, Janie - I'll just have a cup of hot chocolate (just a brief stop for now).
Jeff, you're right - I should've figured you had already covered the switch idea! That looks impressive - have you worked as an electrician/electrical engineer? Good thing that you fixed something to eat, when your blood sugar was off. Wax-on, wax-off video? Oh, sorry - I misread that one....
JP, I think that's one of the few "___ Model Railroads You Can Build" that I don't have... Which layout designs are in it? (Just curious there...) Oh, sounds like you're being introduced to the HD list by your girlfriend.
Hey, Johnboy - it counts if it's related to the layout, even cutting the foam for the backdrops. Of course, we probably all like the running of the trains more, sure! By the way, do you want us to ship you some of this warmer weather we've had this weekend? I think with the breezes this afternoon, we could send it 'air mail'...
Ryan, way to go on the exercising (which I should also be doing, huh?) and losing some of the weight. Where'd you find the neat BMI scale?
Rob, good to hear that you found some more hay. For the 'pasture ornaments', huh? I'll have to tell my buddy Mark about that; he has three or four (and some calves, if he hasn't sold them off yet).
Hoople (Mark), you seem a bit excited about your locomotive being on the way, huh? Hope it isn't on the slowest boat from Chinaland, but gets to you soon.
BridgeTom! Good to see you found the Diner, even after a couple or three moves. Is Spooky still stealing your cabeese? Still hiding them under the dining room table (do I have that part right)?
Paul, too bad about your having the acid reflux (and missing visiting your ex-w**kplace).
Inch - on your "Childrens' Bill of Rights"! That would've been about what my Mom might've done (or worse) if I ever got that 'lippy' with her.
bogp40 wrote:Haven't been in the "Diner" in a while. I see we wore out the old one. Maybe the next diner can be in one of those great I-17a B&O bay window cabeese. Jim: So did you ever get any train time in this weekend?
Bob K., we might need a couple of the bay window cabeese for this place, with all the people dropping in the Diner through the day. And nope, I didn't get the train time I wanted this weekend - frittered away too much of yesterday after laundry was done. Didn't even get to the LHS to see what they had in new! I really like your pic of the downtown area (your layout, right?).
I'm trying to streamline my time at home and not waste so much time (as well as get back to more MRR'ing stuff). Been doing too little on the layout (other than playing around with layout designs). I also need to get my income taxes done so I can get my (federal, anyway) tax refund back. Car's still running fine, getting around 16 mpg most of the time. Most of our local places (the cash only and competing ones) are around $2.89 a gallon, with the other places around $2.94 or 2.95.
Best get myself back to some docs from w**k that I need caught up on. Also want to figure out all my bills before payday (Friday). We're currently at 68 F (19 C), and supposed to drop to about 55 F (13 C) tonight, and then drop some more after midnight with rain tomorrow and some rain or snow on Tuesday (depending on the temp when it comes down).
Keep 'em healthy, folks. Prayers for continued healing for those on the way back to 100 percent, and sustained effort for those like Ryan and others w**king on lowering the weight/BMI (and yes, I need to get going on that bandwagon myself...).
Blessings on tonight and your Mondays,
Jim in Cape Girardeau
Oh, goodie - the radio was just talking about a winter storm advisory. Sheesh! Johnboy, you're being too generous and polite, sharing all your wonderful weather. Really....
Well, better get to it here, and maybe I'll have some MRR'ing time after that.
JimRCGMO wrote:Jeff, you're right - I should ve figured you had already covered the switch idea! That looks impressive - have you worked as an electrician/electrical engineer? Good thing that you fixed something to eat, when your blood sugar was off. Wax-on, wax-off video? Oh, sorry - I misread that one....
Jeff, you're right - I should ve figured you had already covered the switch idea! That looks impressive - have you worked as an electrician/electrical engineer? Good thing that you fixed something to eat, when your blood sugar was off. Wax-on, wax-off video? Oh, sorry - I misread that one....
Jim,
bogp40 wrote:Haven't been in the "Diner" in a while. I see we wore out the old one. Maybe the next diner can be in one of those great I-17a B&O bay window cabeese.
Bob K., we might need a couple of the bay window cabeese for this place, with all the people dropping in the Diner through the day.
Those B&O I-17s are quite large, but two of them may be in order.
That pic is part of an industrial switching area of the club layout. Two members about 5 years ago decided that the large open space area could be used for more than scenery. They built this w/ all handlaid and are still in the process of adding details and structures.
This is down the backside of the operator pit
The only real town that is done now is this, you may have seen the pic already
and a view from the yard side
There's been a lot of progress on other portions of the layout, just need to update the pics.
Hi, Bob. Is your daughter still taking photos for you? Looks like the club is having a great time.
Sue
Anything is possible if you do not know what you are talking about.
gear-jammer wrote: Hi, Bob. Is your daughter still taking photos for you? Looks like the club is having a great time.Sue
Sue, She still takes some shots, but she's been quite busy with her last semester at Northeastern University (a photo/ art major). They've been working on Photo portfolio lately.
She actually just got a Nikon D200, I hope that she will give me her old D70 and I'll buy the lenses.
We have been having some great fun with the layout. Back to regular operating sessions about every other month at least. Our big spring show and open house is coming up the March 15 and 16th.
OK, Dinner's on me, guys and gals.
Wonder if Ryan's got some more additions for that menu.
Evening Gang:
I did it again. I woke up at 1;30 this morning and I mean wide awake. So I went down stairs and watched more of Mc Hales Navy. I finally got back to bed around 3:30. Today I was really beat. After breakfast I went down and cut brush along the UP. I got enough down that I had to quite until I can get the slash cleaned up. John and Dianne brought little Lara out and we took them to dinner for Dianne's birthday. We had a good time.
BobK: It was the parks 47th opening for the 2008 season. It's the original Six Flags between Ft. Worth and Dallas. That's a good looking scene in the industrial area.
TWhite: I think that I'll do just that. It may not be soon but I'll give it a go. I'll also look into the NWSL gears and such. I won't mention it to anyone. If it will pull like you say I may not even bother with powering the front engine.
Rob you can't have too many articulateds.
I'm going to take Daisy the dog out for a walk and hit the sack. Hopefully I won't repeat last night.
Good Night All
BobK thanks for taking TOP for me.
David Parks I am the terror that flaps in the night!
Good Evening Diners!
I was away on a business trip most of last week and it's taken me awhile to catch up on all the posts. It was a good trip as I was able to get to a couple of train shops in the Toronto area besides the business stuff. Picked up a DVD of steam action in Manitoba of both CN and CP that was filmed in 1959, the last summer for steam here. The picture is generally quite good if a little dark however they recorded sound at the time of the filming so the video has another dimension that most such don't. I managed to find a CN boxcar with the maple leaf logo that I've been looking for as well as a few other items. Generally I was surprised that most of the rolling stock was RTR compared to my LHS that stocks a lot of kits. On the whole my LHS compares very favourably to those in the big city.
Jeff, I really like the work you've been doing on your layout lighting. That video was great. Wonder what my wife would say to layout lights when the room lights are turned off?
Phil, I hope your wife is doing well with her recovery. Sounds like she is getting the best of care at home. A big bowl of your chili will probably work as well as chicken soup to speed her recovery.
Fergie, I like those CP cabeese. I have one on order and hope it arrives soon.
Last night we went to the restaurant where my wife has been taking a cooking course. It certainly was a meal to remember. I had veal cheeks in a wine reduction sauce that was fantastic, not to mention the onion soup. It takes 2 hours to cook the onions while stirring constantly plus a lot of white wine and port at the end. I know this as they did onion soup as part of the course.
Jim, I apologize in advance for the cold weather you are likely about to recieve. The forecast here for this week is 10 degrees C below normal which means highs of -15C. Oh boy. It was only -2 this weekend so the roads were really messy. I have a black car that is mostly grey now with all the salt and dirt spray. Mind you if I get it washed tomorrow then it is bound to get warmer and then immediatly dirty again.
Hope everyone has a good week.
CN Charlie
Took a look at tonight's menu and wondered if I should just cancel my Porterhouse. Okay, I'm on this funny diet that is just steak and vegetables and salad and fruit. Not MY idea, my doctor's--got to take some (HAH!) weight off, Dr. says it will probably ease my COPD somewhat. Hey, I'm game.
So, Zoe and Chloe, no more carbs for this guy for a while, LOL!
Rob: Um, that's a kind of interesting question about the Genesis Challenger. I don't normally run sound locos with my other locos, simply because of the huge voltage that needs to be used to get them started (by that time, my brass are bounding around the layout as if they're in the Kentucky Derby, LOL!). So I can't really answer your question about the Genesis controller and its effects. All I can say is that I've found that I have to set my Control 20 to almost full voltage--or at least to where the Challenger starts moving-- and THEN program in the Genesis hand-held controller. But believe me, I could be doing it WRONG! When it comes to Electronics, I'm still back in the "Plug it in, turn the knob" stage. But I do know that any of my BLI's or other sound-equipped locos can't be run with my regular brass--WAY too dangerous as far as making the brass take off like thoroughbreds. Frankly, I don't run my BLI's very much anymore, anyway. Got too much invested in the brass. But by itself, the Genesis controls really well with the remote.
Oh,and hey,guys--just a thought. There's a relative 'newby' on the forum who's been posting the usual 'newby' questions about getting started--I think he's about 16 or so, and been getting some pretty snippy answers from some of the members (nobody here,BTW). He's started to E-mail me privately because I took the time to answer some of his questions, and he seems like a really nice kid. And he's CURIOUS and he sounds really enthused about the hobby. He's in N scale, which means I can't answer all ofhis questions, but I'm trying. And let's face it, we need to cultivate younger modelers, right? Anyway, if you see some of his posts, give him all the help he needs, okay? His moniker is 4-6-6-4 Challenger and I like him.
Reason I say this is because there are two members of my high school choir (Sophomores) who I found are into model railroading and were afraid to talk to me about it because of me being older, they though their questions would seem "Stupid." I told them it's a hobby and not an exclusive Private Club. Now we have some great discussions after class. And they're enthused. Hey, it works, by golly!
Oops, gotta sign off. Spooky's making eyes at that Akane centipede tender again! Wow, talk about the jaws of DEATH, LOL!
CNCharlie wrote:Jeff, I really like the work you've been doing on your layout lighting. That video was great. Wonder what my wife would say to layout lights when the room lights are turned off?
Cool tall glass of water, thanks.
Uh Oh...was going to give some locos a little run time on the test loop (which lives in my studio) while working. Well, the old Throttlepack has developed a problem. Track is clean and it doesn't matter which loco I place on it, they don't want to run on anything short of "near full current". It is finally time to retire the old transformer. Perhaps it can be used for future lighting duties. Can't even run trains on the loop now...se la vie
Good night all. Rob
Bog: Yeah, maybe....
Jim: Only time will tell.
jeffrey-wimberly wrote: JPowell wrote: jeffrey-wimberly wrote:I'm going to be off for a bit to watch one of my favorite TV shows, Holmes on Homes. I like it because it's contractors helping to correct problems caused by other contractors who were just out to grab peoples money and rip them off or just didn't care. In many cases these guys are donating their time and effort to help the homeowners, and that I like. It shows that there are still people out there who care.I like that show as well. Another one the g/f and I watch is Cash in the Attic on BBC.I've been watching that one for years. Some of the prices people pay for antiques can be real jaw droppers.
JPowell wrote: jeffrey-wimberly wrote:I'm going to be off for a bit to watch one of my favorite TV shows, Holmes on Homes. I like it because it's contractors helping to correct problems caused by other contractors who were just out to grab peoples money and rip them off or just didn't care. In many cases these guys are donating their time and effort to help the homeowners, and that I like. It shows that there are still people out there who care.I like that show as well. Another one the g/f and I watch is Cash in the Attic on BBC.
jeffrey-wimberly wrote:I'm going to be off for a bit to watch one of my favorite TV shows, Holmes on Homes. I like it because it's contractors helping to correct problems caused by other contractors who were just out to grab peoples money and rip them off or just didn't care. In many cases these guys are donating their time and effort to help the homeowners, and that I like. It shows that there are still people out there who care.
I like that show as well. Another one the g/f and I watch is Cash in the Attic on BBC.
Tell me about it. I just about faint at some of those prices they pay for some of that stuff!
//signed// John Powell President / CEO CNY Transportation Corp (fictional)
http://s155.photobucket.com/albums/s303/nuts4sports34/
Hunter - When we met in January of 2000, you were just a 6 week old pup who walked his way into this heart of mine as the only runt in the litter who would come over to me. And today, I sit here and tell you I am sorry we had to put you down. It was the best thing for you and also the right thing to do. May you now rest in peace and comfort. Love, Dad. 8 June 2010
I love you and miss you Mom. Say hi to everyone up there for me. Rest in peace and comfort. Love, John. 29 March 2017
Question: (keeping in mind DC) Are the MRC Tech 4 transformers any good? If any of you still use them, which one(s) and any suggestions on model? Thanks!
Another question: (Tom?) will these work with those fancy new articulated locos (that come with DC/DCC) ?
JimRCGMO wrote: JP, I think that's one of the few "___ Model Railroads You Can Build" that I don't have... Which layout designs are in it? (Just curious there...) Oh, sounds like you're being introduced to the HD list by your girlfriend.
Ok Jim... you've lost me with this.....
JP
Cederstrand wrote:Question: (keeping in mind DC) Are the MRC Tech 4 transformers any good? If any of you still use them, which one(s) and any suggestions on model? Thanks!Another question: (Tom?) will these work with those fancy new articulated locos (that come with DC/DCC) ? Rob
***Jeffrey, then they work fine for either DC or DCC locos, correct? I'll likely be sticking with DC for a long long time. Does your pack have "momentum" and is it soemthing worth having?
Cederstrand wrote: Cool tall glass of water, thanks.Uh Oh...was going to give some locos a little run time on the test loop (which lives in my studio) while working. Well, the old Throttlepack has developed a problem. Track is clean and it doesn't matter which loco I place on it, they don't want to run on anything short of "near full current". It is finally time to retire the old transformer. Perhaps it can be used for future lighting duties. Can't even run trains on the loop now...se la vieGood night all. Rob
Rob, I don't know if it's just a rheostat issue or other more severe problems within the windings, but I don't think it should be used, especially under the layout for lighting power. This old thing could pose a fire hazard. Plus any lighting control should be something w/ a variable voltage or limiting. 12V bulbs run on 9-10 volts will last almost indefinately. Your pack could be putting out 14-16V and no way to control it. I still use an older Tech 3 on a test track, but with 90% of my stuff DCC it doesn't do me much good these days. The DCC test track is at the club. I find I don't want to buy a Zepher or equivalent to run a test track at home.
***Bob, thanks for the warning. It is a very old unit indeed.
***Jeffrey, sounds like a winner to me. Will start looking for the best deal I can find on one. Best part is I have been wanting two completely separate lines on a layout from the start (one in the lowlands, the other high in the mountains) so this would actually work quite well for that. (I know, not a prototypical approach to a layout...) Thanks again!
Must shower & sleep now...tired eyes are closing fast. Rob
Evening folks-just some coffee, it's late.
I feel a bit "accomplished" today-got some housecleaning done, out to the local siding to get some proto pics, & then the wall/floor seams of the basement with some water sealer (about half done) & then on to my Mom & Dad's (she needed a new cordless phone, & a new transistor radio, which she asked for since the last area power failure) Had to go to Radio Shack to get the radio, as they can't be found at WM. I said to the salesman at RS that they probably didn't get much call for those anymore, but he said they did discontinue stocking awhile back & got such an outcry, that they had to resume-& as if to prove his point, he had to give me the display model as they were out of stock again LOL!) Either ways, the radio works perfect, the phone works perfect, she's happy, so that's what matters.
Dawn's been working diligently on her beadwork (more news on the job hopefully this coming week) & came down awhile ago to borrow a bit of my Future Floor Wax (which I use for gloss prep for decals) for some gloss experimentation on some clay beads she's been working on. (she had to use my last little paint container, so I guess a trip to the craft store is in order for some new ones.)
Lee-I'd love to hit the train show, but I work that Sunday, & the Saturday on those "work" weekends are more or less "git-r-done" days, so I'll probably have to opt out this time. Keep me posted on future stuff though-I DO want to make it up to some of the shows up your way eventually.
Well, the clock's saying "git-2-bed", so I'm gonna do just that-Nite All!
Good Morning from Tipton IN !
Bill Tidler Jr.
Near a cornfield in Indiana...