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You know what grinds my gears?

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  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Mt. Laurel, NJ
  • 71 posts
You know what grinds my gears?
Posted by Osibisa on Tuesday, July 6, 2010 2:44 PM

Ranting.....

The lack of real and/or operating warning lights on locomotives (red). If you see a loco parked on a siding it usually has it's red lights on. Is it too much to ask that manufacturers provision these as a seperate function on DCC equipped engines? It is not too bad when the loco has then wired so that they come on when running in reverse, it's those that are just painted body color and require some effort to get them installed. 

Bruce 

 

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Posted by Forty Niner on Tuesday, July 6, 2010 2:49 PM

OH!!! I thought you were going to say "sand"............

Mark

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Posted by Hamltnblue on Tuesday, July 6, 2010 2:59 PM

My MTH Berkshire has working red lights Smile

Springfield PA

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  • From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
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Posted by cacole on Tuesday, July 6, 2010 3:04 PM

Athearn's RTR switcher with Tsunami sound decoder has the red lights.

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  • From: K.I.S.S- Keep it simple stupid
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Posted by teen steam fan on Tuesday, July 6, 2010 3:04 PM
The main reason the don't is the price. Couldn't be that hard if you wanted to add it your self.

If you can read this... thank a teacher. If you are reading this in english... thank a veteran

When in doubt. grab a hammer. 

If it moves and isn't supposed to, get a hammer

If it doesn't move and is supposed to, get a hammer

If it's broken, get a hammer

If it can't be fixed with a hammer... DUCK TAPE!

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  • From: Independence, MO
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Posted by Prowler7 on Tuesday, July 6, 2010 4:32 PM

Forty Niner

OH!!! I thought you were going to say "sand"............

Mark

 

 

You cant get sand for HO scale locomotives? On man, no WONDER the hobby shop guys keep looking at me funny when I ask....

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Posted by stubbsO on Tuesday, July 6, 2010 5:28 PM

And here I am thinking your going to talk about shifting gears without using the clutch!Laugh

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Posted by Medina1128 on Tuesday, July 6, 2010 5:48 PM

 

Forty Niner

OH!!! I thought you were going to say "sand"............

Mark

I  thought he was going to say the new teenage driver in his home that hasn't quite gotten the knack of clutch/accelerator/gearshift shifting.

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  • From: northeast ohio
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Posted by 0-6-0 on Tuesday, July 6, 2010 6:10 PM

Hello    A ups driver. 

 Sorry cound't help it. Have a nice day Frank

  • Member since
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  • From: Mt. Laurel, NJ
  • 71 posts
Posted by Osibisa on Tuesday, July 6, 2010 7:17 PM

Teenage driver, yep got one...

Sand in the drive gear, it has happened...

I know its about the cost, I just really want them in all my engines without having to install them myself.

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Posted by locoi1sa on Tuesday, July 6, 2010 7:22 PM

 I tell our truck drivers when I have to rebuild their trannys is just keep grinding till it fits.

   I have a hard enough time doing ditch lights and head lights. I can live with the red jewels on my steamers.

   Pete

 I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!

 I started with nothing and still have most of it left!

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Posted by graphitehemi on Tuesday, July 6, 2010 8:18 PM

0-6-0
A ups driver.

LMFAO LaughBow I thought they did that so you would know when they arrived.

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Posted by Allegheny2-6-6-6 on Wednesday, July 7, 2010 12:40 AM

 And I thought all locomotives had automatic transmissions

Just my 2 cents worth, I spent the rest on trains. If you choked a Smurf what color would he turn?
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  • From: Rhododendron, OR
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Posted by challenger3980 on Wednesday, July 7, 2010 1:41 AM

stubbsO

And here I am thinking your going to talk about shifting gears without using the clutch!Laugh

 

I do that countless times a day, I've been doing it for 22 years. Shifting without the clucth is standard procedure in a tractor-trailer.

Doug

May your flanges always stay BETWEEN the rails

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    August 2009
  • From: Southwest US
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Posted by Heritagefleet1 on Wednesday, July 7, 2010 1:48 PM

Osibisa
The lack of real and/or operating warning lights on locomotives (red).

Hi Bruce...

Since we're talking about 'red marker lights' I will guess you live in the Northeast? What era do you model?

Marker lights can have different meanings in different eras and some railroads(more modern era) do not use classification or marker lights at all.

On Steam locomotives, the markers meant that the engine was running 'light'  or could be an indication that the train was running in two sections.

On more modern locomtives, the Red Marker lights may not always be lit except when the train is operating on the NEC or if the engine is operating in a reverse direction.

I'm not sure but I believe this has to do with the NORAC Operating Rules for trains operating on the

 NEC. Here in the west, there are no operating locomotives that are even equipped with marker lamps.

Anyway, getting back to the models, there are not many(if any) that I can think of, that have these lights operational.

But, it shouldn't be that difficult to do - I install lighting/DCC/sound for many modelers all over the nation and if it lights up, I'll have a function set up for it, unless the customer doesn't want it done.

Get back with us and let us know which lamps you are referring to specifically - the class lights or other lamps.

PrecisionCraft and MTH are the only two manufacturers I can think of in recent times, that offer operating marker lamps.

I have both the Turbine and a Berkshire 765 and both have operating marker lamps from the factory.

HeritageFleet1

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