It has been just over a year now since I started model railroading. My anniversary on the forums was Nov. 27.
Here is how this all got started:
When my father in law passed away a few years ago my mother in law gave me his IHC train set that was made in 1996. I was showing it to a fellow model railroader, at his home, he has a large N scale set up in his basement. While he was handling one of the cars he dropped it and broke both trucks. He was drunk at the time and did promise to replace it for me.
The original trucks snapped into the bottom/body of the rail car and had the horn hook couplers attached to them.
At the time I trusted his judgement on what to get to replace it. I just expected him to get the same style trucks that came on the car he dropped. He told me they no longer manufacture them, I found out later that is not true and why he lied about it. Instead he bought a set of Kadee trucks with spring suspension online. But we soon realized it was a bit of a trick to mount them to the car.
He advised me to purchase #256 nuts, washers and machine screws at least 1/2" long. He also advised I needed a #256 wrench and a #256 drill and tap set with a pin vise. I also had to purchase body mount couplers as well. So I spent a fair amount of money for this stuff at my local hobby shop. This is when I should have started asking questions at the hobby shop instead of continuing to listen to the guy who dropped and broke my rail car. I didn't.
First we took the car apart, drilled a hole through the metal weight and then tried to tap the hole, but this did not work. We drilled the hole through the metal weight to a larger size and figured we would just use a nut and washer. The screw was too short. I tried finding a longer machine screw, but a #256 longer than 1/2" could not be found.
He then told me to purchase long solid square shaped plastic sticks we could glue to the metal weight, drill and tap into it and it would act as the threaded nut. So we did this and was able to body mount couplers to the car as well using #143 Kadee couplers. The plastic body of the car is enough to cut threads in with the #256 drill and tap.
But this left what to do about the rest of the cars and the locomotive. I had to take the truck frame off, cut the tab that attached the horn couplers to it back. Glue in plastic pieces to fill the gap under the locomotive, drill and tap holes to install the new couplers.
After the loco. I went to the hobby shop for more trucks to modify the rest of the cars. This is when I found out I really do not need the full spring suspension trucks the other modeler purchased to replace the one set. It was also at this point I saw the exact same style of trucks and horn hook couplers that the set was manufactured with. But it was too late one car and the locomotive had already been kit bashed and modified.
This is when I decided I was no longer going to listen to the other modeler and listen to the guys at the hobby shop. They advised if possible use the original truck frames that snap in place but replace the plastic wheels with metal, cut the tab off for the horn hook coupler and body mount the Kadee couplers to the bottom of the car.
Because of clearance I had to use the trucks that are held in place with machine screws. I modified the other reefer and flat bed car in this manner along with the body mount Kadee couplers. The caboose is using its original snap in trucks with metal wheels and body mounted couplers.
The tanker was a bit of a trick to modify. I am using the original snap in trucks with metal wheels. But because the bottom of the tanker is round I found it difficult to mount the body mount couplers to it. I used the tab the original horn hook couplers were mounted to and kit bashed it to accept the draft gear box for the #143 whisker Kadee couplers.
I also found out the other modeler who I have cut off contact with had kind of a falling out with the hobby shop and tried to encourage me to never go there. He also thought his way was the only way with the more expensive trucks, etc.
I likely would have modified the wheels and couplers at some point, but probably not the trucks. So I would not have spent nearly as much money as I have on it and certainly would not have spent the money on it so soon.
Other tools and laterials I have purchased along the way are: small tool box, Testors model glue, sprue cutter, Kadee HO scale height gauge, small or micro screw driver set, Xacto knife, and even emory boards.
I have also added more cars that I modified as well. Another IHC reefer and others that either came with trucks and couplers or were another brand.
Since I have been running the cars after modifying them I noticed a problem manifesting with the reefers. That is the plastic pieces I use as a nut to thread the machine screw into will not hold, comes loose and the screw flops around, causing the truck to move around, thus causing derailments. I fixed this by using JB Weld plastic compound material. It is the stuff that comes in a tube in 2 different colors that react when mixed together, you break a piece off, knead it together to get it to activate/react, apply it, let it set and harden then it can be drilled and tapped. The machine screws now thread directly into this material instead of going through open empty space before they thread into the previous plastic nut. Since I have done this with the reefers there have been no problems with the machine screws hold the trucks in place.
I am done kit bashing cars for now. any new car or locomotive I purchase will have knuckle couplers already installed.
My initiation into this has been a rough one and if I knew then what I know now it would not have been as bad.
Now I am focusing on building the track into my small 4' x 8' layout and figuring out how to wire it all together to run 2 locomotives us DC with Bachmann EZ Track and blocking it correctly so it all works.
I just hope no one else had to go through what I did with starting in this hobby.
Gidday, Not an auspicious start to a hobby, but I would hope that you are now having Fun, not just sticking it out through sheer bloody- mindedness.
SUX V R40 Rider ................. and if I knew then what I know now it would not have been as bad.
................. and if I knew then what I know now it would not have been as bad.
While most of us did not have your introduction to the hobby I suspect your quote would be applicable to most of us. My first locomotive purchase, which came highly recommended, was a AHM Mehano RS 3,which actually was an RS2 I was not a happy camper when I found out that I could have bought a brand new Athearn BB for only $5.00 more.
Have Fun, Cheers, the Bear.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
LOL
SUX, that is a great story and one that brought back many memories of my first attempt to modify a set of Con Cor cars which have similar problems to the IHC cars.
Of course, your first mistake was handing your car over to a drunken buddy. That never bodes well.
You say that you hope no one else has to go through what you did with starting in this hobby. I beg to disagree. Your post should be required reading for all newbies who ought to be inspired by reading it and gaining the confidence to take on such projects. Your trial and error attempts to solve the problems with the IHC cars are exactly how we all learn in this hobby.
Incidentally, your mention of JB Weld 2-part epoxy makes a good point. This stuff should be on every modeler's work bench. There are different varieties of this epoxy including a 5 minute weld and one that takes overnight to set. I have used this stuff on more occasions than I can count.
Thanks for sharing.
Rich
Alton Junction
The original train set is HO scale. I am not sure if that was clear or not.
When I handed to the person who dropped it, he was not acting drunk. It didn't become clear until later. Like I said I no longer have any contact with him for this, misleading me with the start of this hobby and a few other reasons.
Yes, I am now having fun and learning from the folks here on the discussion groups, the guys who run the hobby shop, online reading resources, my new 2013 Walthers Reference Book and my Bachmann EZ Track book.
The reason I am sticking with this train set is it was my father in laws. It is one of those so called special edition collector sets that was made for a company called H-Vee. Hy-Vee is a large grocery store chain, headquartered in Iowa with stores and distribution centers through most of the mid west. The loco. number is 1996, is painted solid blue with the red Hy-Vee logo on it. The cars are advertising pieces with mainly Kraft brand products on them with the corresponding colors.
My father in law were going to build a layout for this set in my basement before he died. I have the space for it. We never got around to it. So now I am doing this in memory and honor of him. See my wife is an only child. I am the son her parents never had. My wife was taught a lot of things that a father would teach a son, how to throw a baseball, fish, etc. but she did not have an interest in everything, model railroading was one of those things.
The layout itself is modular, that is to say each section is 2' x 4' held together with dowel pins and draw catch hardware. It is framed with 2" x 4" and 2" x 2" lumber with 1/2" OSB for the main deck. Each section stands on it own pair of folding banquet table legs. I did this so it can be easily taken apart and transportable in most vehicles. as such the track will never be permanently fastened to the layout. On top of the OSB deck will be 2" blue or pink insulating board, on top of that will be what ever color scenery mat I need to use for the particular scenery application I am running at the time.
For example the very first one I am building is a "fantasy", not prototype rail yard with the Hy-Vee train plus the other cars i have purchased with product advertising on them. the mat will probably be brown and/or gray in color to simulate the gray color of the ground in the rail yards in my local area. I will also include a yard office as one building with yard workers.
I have already figured out my main interest will be industries. And while the layout will not be 100% prototypical of what full size used to be or is today, it will be close based on local industries in my area that are still here or once were. For example there used to be several beer brewery's in my city. A layout idea is have grain co-op to haul grain to the brewery, then from the brewery to the beer distribution facility. The consist would include grain cars, box cars and reefers. The box cars could also simulate other products being brought to the brewery such as bottles and cans and other material, the reefers would be for if the beer has to be kept cold as it leaves the brewery and for refrigerated products coming into the brewery. Around the inside of the oval would be the co-op, maybe a distribution facility to simulate where the train would be loaded with other products into box cars and reefers going to the brewery, the brewery, then the beer distribution facility. There are at least 4 buildings to symbolize 4 parts of the beer making industry. I could probably even add a 5th building, a bar, to symbolize the end part of it, the consumer part.
I also have purchased another locomotive. It is a GP50 by Athearn. It is a Dakota and Iowa Railroad, or DAIR, loco. #2512. DAIR is based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, about an hour north of me, and have a yard here in Sioux City. For now, as I build the my layout yard and as I add more track to the yard I will use the GP as the switcher and the SD as the road until to run around the oval. I am learning how to block the DC power so I can run both locos at the same time with 2 power packs.
Right now I am working on purchasing and adding more turnouts and sidings to the yard. I already have one that is blocked with insulated rail joiners. Eventually I will need a pass by/pulloff siding dedicated to just parking one loco. on so it can be turned off at a toggle switch so I can spot the cars from the yard to the mainline with the other loco.
Everything I have learned in the past month has been thanks to the people here and the guys at my local hobby shop along with other resources.
I have posted some photos in a blog but it has not been updated in a while. Click on the link to my blog below in the signature area. I will take more and post them to the blog later today with an updated write up.
I have published a blog article about my layout update with 16 photos and one video, 2 more are coming soon. Which I think are too many to insert into this thread. Someone advised I show photos for further advisement about my layout. To view the photos and videos click on the link at the bottom of this response where it says Model railroading blog site. Let me know what you think.