jwils1 wrote:Radius for modern era?I'm working on my N scale track plan and have a question:I'll be running modern era equipment and according to NMRA standards a 19" radius should be fine. I'm unsing Kato Unitrack and their #4 turnouts provide a 19" radius on the diverging route. None of my turnouts will be high-speed so will the #4 be okay? I like it better than the #6.Would there be any problem with S curves, like a siding where the next track section off of the diverging route is a 19" radius curving the other way?
Radius for modern era?
I'm working on my N scale track plan and have a question:
I'll be running modern era equipment and according to NMRA standards a 19" radius should be fine. I'm unsing Kato Unitrack and their #4 turnouts provide a 19" radius on the diverging route. None of my turnouts will be high-speed so will the #4 be okay? I like it better than the #6.
Would there be any problem with S curves, like a siding where the next track section off of the diverging route is a 19" radius curving the other way?
A longer turnout will always look and function better than a short one. If you have room for #6, use that.
I'm using Atlas c55 track, and use #7's on my mains (I'll be replacing some with the new #10's) and reserve the smaller #5's for my industrial areas.
Lee
Route of the Alpha Jets www.wmrywesternlines.net
t_valley wrote: hey all, I'm fairly new to N scale, and before now never really thought about detailing or making any changes to my engines or rolling stock. So I was wondering what kind of couplers would be best for a more prototype look. I have a few "Micro Trains" boxcars and I really like the couplers on them, but are they realistic? And the engines just have the hook which definately has to be changed. And also do I need to change the trunks to....... thank....Norman......
hey all, I'm fairly new to N scale, and before now never really thought about detailing or making any changes to my engines or rolling stock. So I was wondering what kind of couplers would be best for a more prototype look. I have a few "Micro Trains" boxcars and I really like the couplers on them, but are they realistic? And the engines just have the hook which definately has to be changed. And also do I need to change the trunks to.......
thank....Norman......
I use all micro trains myself, but I've been reading more and more about N scalers using body mount Z scale couplers for a more prototypical size/look.
Ron
Owner and superintendant of the N scale Texas Colorado & Western Railway, a protolanced representaion of the BNSF from Fort Worth, TX through Wichita Falls TX and into Colorado.
Check out the TC&WRy on at https://www.facebook.com/TCWRy
Check out my MRR How-To YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/RonsTrainsNThings
Alroy66 wrote: pcarrell,You mentioned you had replaced the trucks on the old Bachmann old timers passenger cars. I have some as well what Micro Trains trucks did you use?
pcarrell,
You mentioned you had replaced the trucks on the old Bachmann old timers passenger cars. I have some as well what Micro Trains trucks did you use?
I bought a bunch of the old timers cars at a train show, so I bought a bulk pack of the assembled Archbar trucks with the low pro's and assembled couplers (short shank since I have large curves)(Part # 003 10 001). The Archbars are appropriate for that era car and could be used in interchange service until the early 30's (the original outlaw date was 1929 I think, but they gave a few years grace). Andrews trucks would be appropriate for after that, though these cars would be very old by then and would either be on their way out, in MOW service, or plying the rails of some run down shortlines somewhere by then (like mine). You could also use Bettendorf trucks as those would fit the later years too.
Also the Atlas 4-6-0 Mogul...has anyone ever put a decoder in one of these?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but since the motor is in the cab (and the boiler is TINY), isn't the tender empty? I'd put one of the smaller N scale decoders in there and just hardwire that puppy. Paint the wires black to look like the water hoses and such that go from the tender to the loco. I'm thinking of the Atlas 2-6-0 Mogul though, so maybe we're talking apples and oranges?
t_valley wrote:hey all, I'm fairly new to N scale, and before now never really thought about detailing or making any changes to my engines or rolling stock. So I was wondering what kind of couplers would be best for a more prototype look. I have a few "Micro Trains" boxcars and I really like the couplers on them, but are they realistic? And the engines just have the hook which definitely has to be changed. And also do I need to change the trunks to....... thank....Norman......
hey all, I'm fairly new to N scale, and before now never really thought about detailing or making any changes to my engines or rolling stock. So I was wondering what kind of couplers would be best for a more prototype look. I have a few "Micro Trains" boxcars and I really like the couplers on them, but are they realistic? And the engines just have the hook which definitely has to be changed. And also do I need to change the trunks to.......
t_valley.
to the "N" Crowd: Part II.
I could be wrong here, (it wouldn't be the first time in my life, just ask my wife) but every model steam loco that I can ever recall seeing never had a coupler between the engine and the tender. They are usually hard connected with a solid bar. Maybe one of the more informed ladies/gentlemen would correct me if I am wrong.
My personal opinion is that you cannot go wrong using QUALITY COUPLERS. I had some of the look-a-likes on some rolling stock that I was given and half of them either fell apart on the track or continually uncoupled. All my rolling stock get changed to Micro Trains couplers and they are installed using the Micro Trains height gage. Now, I never have problems other than ones caused by myself.
Blue Flamer.
Thanks, My loco looks like the picture you have at the bottom of your post (not sure what you call them, Signature?). I had opened up the tender and it is full of weight and no room for a decoder of any type. Crap, I really want to DCCenize this thing.
Al
pcarrell wrote:Blue Flamer, I think he was talking about Rapido's on his loco's (front & back).
I guess my wife is correct. Sometimes I am wrong. Thanks for the correction Philip.
Hope that your son is doing well.
Alroy66 wrote: Thanks, My loco looks like the picture you have at the bottom of your post (not sure what you call them, Signature?). I had opened up the tender and it is full of weight and no room for a decoder of any type. Crap, I really want to DCCenize this thing.Al
There's still hope!
One way to go would be to remove the weight and install the decoder. Cover it with electrical tape, then get some lead putty and fill every nook and cranny to get the weight back up so the tender pick-ups will work good. A-line (P.O.Box 7916, La Verne, CA 91750) makes moldable lead putty (part #13010), available in some hobby shops and sporting goods stores (about $2.50/oz).
Another way to go would be similar to this. If someone can get a decoder in a Bachmann 4-4-0 (a tennie, tiny locomotive), then I'm sure it can be done for the Atlas loco which is larger.
Blue Flamer wrote: pcarrell wrote:Blue Flamer, I think he was talking about Rapido's on his loco's (front & back).I guess my wife is correct. Sometimes I am wrong. Thanks for the correction Philip.
Your wife and mine must be friends!
He is, thanks for asking! He's walking and doing stairs even. His surgery was only a week ago today.
A Nscale version of the Music City Star won 3rd place in the MR Pike size Passenger train contest. Way to go, Richard Thomason of GA. Nice 4page article, using a Kato F40 & 2 concor Gallery cars.
Nice looking models, too.
Sorry all, I was infact talking about the rapido couplers on the front of the engine, I have a Bachmann GP-40 with those and it just makes it look ugly.(in my opinion). At the moment I don't have any Steam on my layout. Sorry for the confusion.
I'm still confused as to what couplers to actually use because of the wide selection. To be honest I'm not even real sure what to look for, or the difference between one or the other.
thank you all for offering the information, this is one of the reasons I love this hobby so much!!!!!
Thanks Norman.......
Not to be overly critical, but a Bachmann GP-40 is not what you'd call a "hobby quality" model... it's a junky train set engine, and is best used as a paper weight, or a door stop. Before you get overly involved in changing the couplers, think about moving up to an Atlas or Kato locomotive. They come with knuckle couplers these days, and are far superior to your Bachmann in terms of appearance, performance and overall value.
Many moons ago those old Bachmann Crap Masters were the staple of my fleet, so I know their shortcomings...
Move on, move up, you'll be much happier with the results.
Modern era freight cars:
Who manufactures N scale modern era cars? I'm specifically talking about the current style box cars that you see today, the larger, taller ones.
Jerry
Rio Grande vs. Santa Fe.....the battle is over but the glory remains!
There are several good sources. MicroTrains makes a version of the Railbox, as do MDC/Athearn/Roundhouse, Atlas, and most recenly, Fox Valley Models.
Bump, Bump.
Quick question: Who currently makes steam era freight cars, including both early and late? (sorry if this topic was covered) Thanks!
Rob
Bachmann has an outside braced wood boxcar in its repertoire, as well as a 3 dome tank. Roundhouse/Athearn has a series of ice reefers, Atlas has some early style boxcars and 2 bay hoppers, and Microtrains has a pretty good selection of reefers, tanks and hoppers if you can afford to compete with the collectors out there.
If you can find them, Micro Trains made a 35' flat back in the Kadee days... I don't know if they've released it since. Also, there's an ancient AHM car, also 35'. They came two to a package, and show up at swap meets and occasionally on eBay.
I converted one to a tourist car.
Hey, I just happened to think (quit laughing!), not everyone may know about this.
There is a website that you should probably know about if you're going to play with the vintage stuff in N scale. It's got a great review of many of the earlier loco's, and some more recent, that have been done in N scale. The website is run by a guy who calls himself "Spookshow" and it includes a great N scale encyclopedia, among other things. You can get there by clicking this link here.
Enjoy!
Sawyer Berry
Clemson University c/o 2018
Building a protolanced industrial park layout
It appeared that The "N" crowd: Part II was sinking into the Primordial Ooze, so I thought that I would give it a: BUMP.
Edit: Old Timers disease is setting in again and I forgot how to spell.
B. F.
Actually, Blue, it seems as though a lot of N scale topics have drifted into the mainstream... We may not need our little short bus and helmets anymore!
t_valley wrote:Sorry all, I was infact talking about the rapido couplers on the front of the engine, I have a Bachmann GP-40 with those and it just makes it look ugly.(in my opinion). At the moment I don't have any Steam on my layout. Sorry for the confusion. I'm still confused as to what couplers to actually use because of the wide selection. To be honest I'm not even real sure what to look for, or the difference between one or the other. thank you all for offering the information, this is one of the reasons I love this hobby so much!!!!!Thanks Norman.......
The best use for a Bachmann GP40 may be as a doorstop.
MTL remains the standard for all other couplers to mate to.
For freight/passenger cars, use the style truck that fits your era. The remaining choice is the length of the coupler shank. Shorter shanks are fine for most applications. Some cars, like the Bachmann Amfleet, require longer shanks. Some modern boxcars use a medium shank to simulate the cushion underframe.
Red Caboose Unimates come in 2 colors & 3 length shanks. The Tshank fits into most truck coupler boxes.
I would like to hear from owners of any/all of the following N locos and how YOU would rate them:
Atlas Shay
Proto 0-8-0
Kato GS-4
Athearn Bigboy
These are all locos I am considering, but will have to settle on 1 or 2, depending which. Thanks in advance for your thoughts/critiques/pros & cons.
I have an Atlas shay, and I must say it's a gem. It won't set the world on fire for pulling power, but most of these engines were used on remote lumber and coal branches, so they weren't called upon to pull long strings of cars. I'll be using mine on a short but steep switchback line, and so far it does just fine.
Can't comment on the others.
"BUMP" Still looking forward to hearing from others regarding those locos listed in my previous post.
Lee, those Shay's sound sharp. I have never actually seen one running yet. Just discovered a LHS within a 30 minute or so drive from our farm, so hope to make the trip this week and see if they have any of the locos I'm interested in. Sure would help to see them in person.
Wdlgln005 wrote: t_valley wrote: Sorry all, I was infact talking about the rapido couplers on the front of the engine, I have a Bachmann GP-40 with those and it just makes it look ugly.(in my opinion). At the moment I don't have any Steam on my layout. Sorry for the confusion. I'm still confused as to what couplers to actually use because of the wide selection. To be honest I'm not even real sure what to look for, or the difference between one or the other. thank you all for offering the information, this is one of the reasons I love this hobby so much!!!!!Thanks Norman....... The best use for a Bachmann GP40 may be as a doorstop. MTL remains the standard for all other couplers to mate to.For freight/passenger cars, use the style truck that fits your era. The remaining choice is the length of the coupler shank. Shorter shanks are fine for most applications. Some cars, like the Bachmann Amfleet, require longer shanks. Some modern boxcars use a medium shank to simulate the cushion underframe. Red Caboose Unimates come in 2 colors & 3 length shanks. The Tshank fits into most truck coupler boxes.
t_valley wrote: Sorry all, I was infact talking about the rapido couplers on the front of the engine, I have a Bachmann GP-40 with those and it just makes it look ugly.(in my opinion). At the moment I don't have any Steam on my layout. Sorry for the confusion. I'm still confused as to what couplers to actually use because of the wide selection. To be honest I'm not even real sure what to look for, or the difference between one or the other. thank you all for offering the information, this is one of the reasons I love this hobby so much!!!!!Thanks Norman.......
Actually I must take issue with this statement . . . It is far too small to make a good doorstop. I would make a stylish paper weight on you desk however.
n2mopac wrote: Wdlgln005 wrote: t_valley wrote: Sorry all, I was infact talking about the rapido couplers on the front of the engine, I have a Bachmann GP-40 with those and it just makes it look ugly.(in my opinion). At the moment I don't have any Steam on my layout. Sorry for the confusion. I'm still confused as to what couplers to actually use because of the wide selection. To be honest I'm not even real sure what to look for, or the difference between one or the other. thank you all for offering the information, this is one of the reasons I love this hobby so much!!!!!Thanks Norman....... The best use for a Bachmann GP40 may be as a doorstop. MTL remains the standard for all other couplers to mate to.For freight/passenger cars, use the style truck that fits your era. The remaining choice is the length of the coupler shank. Shorter shanks are fine for most applications. Some cars, like the Bachmann Amfleet, require longer shanks. Some modern boxcars use a medium shank to simulate the cushion underframe. Red Caboose Unimates come in 2 colors & 3 length shanks. The Tshank fits into most truck coupler boxes. Actually I must take issue with this statement . . . It is far too small to make a good doorstop. I would make a stylish paper weith on you desk however. Ron
Actually I must take issue with this statement . . . It is far too small to make a good doorstop. I would make a stylish paper weith on you desk however.
Nah, it's a great target for you to practice your gun aiming skillz.
Cederstrand wrote:I would like to hear from owners of any/all of the following N locos and how YOU would rate them:Atlas ShayProto 0-8-0Kato GS-4Athearn Bigboy These are all locos I am considering, but will have to settle on 1 or 2, depending which. Thanks in advance for your thoughts/critiques/pros & cons. Rob
These are vastly different locos.
The Atlas Shay will be fine for small, slow switching. Don't run it fast. Kudos to Atlas for producing the loco. Time for Atlas to make another run of them. Can be scarce.
The Walthers 0-8-0 may be the worst of the 4. Looks nice, but no pulling power, sloppy design. Bachmann's Spectrum 2-8-0 would be a better choice, try before you buy. Most W/LL steamers look nice but need TT to pull anything. Too much work for the $.
The Kato GS4 looks nice, has some issies with DCC that need to be resolved. I look to Kato to get it right soon. In the meantime, consider Bachmann's N&W Spectrum J class Northern or their Heavy Mountain. You may find the N&W discounted to about $100. The Kato Mikado has been the standard for steamers for the last few years.
Athearn's Challenger seems to have set the bar for big steam. I hope the Big Boy is as good. Check to be sure they will fit your layout! They could make an excellent UP fleet of fantrip steamers pulling a string of freight cars. Kato makes some UP cars if you want a fantrip engine.
If you don't mind a 19th century loco, check out the Athearn/MDC 2-8-0 & 2-6-0's. Athearn did a good job updating the old MDC models with some freight & passenger cars to run with them. If your $$ is limited, you may find some good deals on them.