Milepost 266.2I wonder if it's fair to say the hobby flurished because of X2F/Rapido couplers, or in spite of them?
Yes, N Scale has been around for 55 years(started in 1960) and it was several years before the MT coupler was released.
The X2F coupler worked quite well when correctly body mounted.. The bad was the train set truck mounted X2F couplers that most new modelers started with and judges the X2F couplers by.
Did you know there was metal X2F couplers with a small spring on the back? These springs was similar to today's KD knuckle spring.
BTW..Advanced modelers use a small flat tip screw driver to uncouple cars.. Today we use bamboo skewers to uncouple KD couplers
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Graham Line One of the great product failures was Schleicher's "The Model Locomotive Co." or something, which attempted to replicate that Baldwin catalog's mixing and matching of frames and boilers to build a series of small steam engines. Though the idea was great, poor manufacturing quality doomed the project. Someone, somewhere, probably built a couple of engines successfully. .
One of the great product failures was Schleicher's "The Model Locomotive Co." or something, which attempted to replicate that Baldwin catalog's mixing and matching of frames and boilers to build a series of small steam engines.
Though the idea was great, poor manufacturing quality doomed the project. Someone, somewhere, probably built a couple of engines successfully.
-Peter. Mantua collector, 3D printing enthusiast, Korail modeler.
jecorbett G Paine The "train set" military cars that shot missles, until consumer produce safety comcerns realized that kids could be injured by fast flying objects (Olfactory Airs was my first choice, but chutton01 beat me too it; some environmental health concers there as well) G Paine The "train set" military cars that shot missles, until consumer produce safety comcerns realized that kids could be injured by fast flying objects (Olfactory Airs was my first choice, but chutton01 beat me too it; some environmental health concers there as well) This was the first one I thought of but I decided to read the other replies before offering it. The government really are killjoys when it comes to kid's toys. One of my favorite toys were the bow and arrow sets that shot suction cup arrows. Of course it was only a matter of time before the suction cup wore/fell off but the arrows could still fly. Spring loaded dart guns, also with suction cup tips were cool too. And let's not forget the line of toy guns Mattel came out with that had spring loaded cartridges that fired plastic bullets. You could also put Greenie Stick'em Caps on them and get sound effects as well. I think we had a lot more fun than kids have today with their electronic games.
G Paine The "train set" military cars that shot missles, until consumer produce safety comcerns realized that kids could be injured by fast flying objects (Olfactory Airs was my first choice, but chutton01 beat me too it; some environmental health concers there as well)
The "train set" military cars that shot missles, until consumer produce safety comcerns realized that kids could be injured by fast flying objects
(Olfactory Airs was my first choice, but chutton01 beat me too it; some environmental health concers there as well)
This was the first one I thought of but I decided to read the other replies before offering it.
The government really are killjoys when it comes to kid's toys. One of my favorite toys were the bow and arrow sets that shot suction cup arrows. Of course it was only a matter of time before the suction cup wore/fell off but the arrows could still fly. Spring loaded dart guns, also with suction cup tips were cool too. And let's not forget the line of toy guns Mattel came out with that had spring loaded cartridges that fired plastic bullets. You could also put Greenie Stick'em Caps on them and get sound effects as well. I think we had a lot more fun than kids have today with their electronic games.
And let's not forget lawn darts!
Modeling the Pennsylvania Railroad in N Scale.
www.prr-nscale.blogspot.com
As for those Athearn rubber band drive locos - many of them they sold both ways, with a rubber band "Hi-Fi" drive and with a traditional gear drive. Now here's the rub - the rubber band drive models had full 8 wheel power pickup. The gear drive versions only picked up from one side of each truck. So while the mechanical running properties of the rubber band drive locos wasn't as good, the electrical characteristics were actually better.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
So far as Lionel, Marx and American Flyer equipment go, the magnetic cattle cars, operating crossing guard flagman and unlimited strings of beer company livery reefers and pickle vat cars come to mind. But that can also be described as a gray dividing line between toy trains and modeling, and those with a superdetailed brewery or pickle processor as an on line industry get a pass.
Milepost 266.2 chutton01 Of course, in today's modeling marketplace, no serious manufacturer would ever consider producing freight cars in fantasy corporate liveries... Those are very Lionel-ish, but hardly as bad as tootsie roll tank cars and Chef Boyardee four bay open hoppers.
chutton01 Of course, in today's modeling marketplace, no serious manufacturer would ever consider producing freight cars in fantasy corporate liveries...
Of course, in today's modeling marketplace, no serious manufacturer would ever consider producing freight cars in fantasy corporate liveries...
Those are very Lionel-ish, but hardly as bad as tootsie roll tank cars and Chef Boyardee four bay open hoppers.
Milepost 266.2 I wonder if it's fair to say the hobby flurished because of X2F/Rapido couplers, or in spite of them?
GP-9_Man11786 How about Lone Star's old rubberband drive N Scale locomotives? In all fairness, these did actually give rise to N Scale as we know it.
How about Lone Star's old rubberband drive N Scale locomotives? In all fairness, these did actually give rise to N Scale as we know it.
How about Athern's old rubberband drive HO Scale locomotives? I think some of the cast metal shell Mantua or Varney locos [F3, GP7?] were rubberband drive as well.
Of course, it's when first-generation sub-optimal efforts such as these come along that efforts to build a better mousetrap follow.
BRAKIE GP-9_Man11786 There's been quite a bit of back and forth of the X2F coupler. How about its N Scale counterpart, the Rapido coupler? My first few years in N I use those couplers.. Terrible at best and while not impossible it made switching a chore.One needed a feather touch on the throttle.
GP-9_Man11786 There's been quite a bit of back and forth of the X2F coupler. How about its N Scale counterpart, the Rapido coupler?
There's been quite a bit of back and forth of the X2F coupler. How about its N Scale counterpart, the Rapido coupler?
My first few years in N I use those couplers.. Terrible at best and while not impossible it made switching a chore.One needed a feather touch on the throttle.
I wonder if it's fair to say the hobby flurished because of X2F/Rapido couplers, or in spite of them?
Texas Zepher chutton01 from what I can find Nickel-Silver rail wasn't generally available till the early 1970s. Atlas produced it on the fiber ties for as long as I can remember. Had a hugh layout of it on fiber ties about 1963. Every one just ignored it because it was a tiny bit more expensive and no one had "extra" money in those days for luxuries like that. Even gave way for me due to the plastic ties (cool) and cheaper price. Don't remember when they started putting the NS on plastic. But how about the Atlas "brown" ties that lasted about 3 years.
chutton01 from what I can find Nickel-Silver rail wasn't generally available till the early 1970s.
Atlas produced it on the fiber ties for as long as I can remember. Had a hugh layout of it on fiber ties about 1963. Every one just ignored it because it was a tiny bit more expensive and no one had "extra" money in those days for luxuries like that. Even gave way for me due to the plastic ties (cool) and cheaper price. Don't remember when they started putting the NS on plastic.
But how about the Atlas "brown" ties that lasted about 3 years.
If the original nickel-silver track was still on fiber ties, there was no real reason to pay attention to it. By the 80's the companies making better track products were producing them in nickel-silver only, right? Maybe decent quality switches (including curved) were a big part of the switchover?
Have fun with your trains
chutton01from what I can find Nickel-Silver rail wasn't generally available till the early 1970s.
nycmodelRemember this from 1964? I recall there was an article in MR about that time where someone actually incorporated slot cars into their layout. I doubt that many did.
ACYI just skimmed through all three pages. Maybe I missed it, but I don't think anybody has mentioned brass track or oversized, knife-edged flanges. Tom
Tom
*Including the Lifelike Logging Mill which my parent got me as a kid...and while I liked to play with it, it made absolutely no sense - you loaded the logs in the high bin, the logs rolled onto the log car, you shunt the log car around then back to the same spot, and then dump the logs into the (painted) pond... whatever, it was fun at the time).
ACYI don't think anybody has mentioned brass track
I still recall the Mantua HO hook and hoop couplers. X2F actually was an improvement.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Yes, maybe not a bad idea, but for the expense, limitations, and operation faults: overheating, noise, and reduced top speeds were noted cut it short. Introduced by GE in 1963, developments stopped in 1964, and product dumped in 1965.
A good overview of ASTRAC can be read here:
http://www.dccwiki.com/ASTRAC
I just skimmed through all three pages. Maybe I missed it, but I don't think anybody has mentioned brass track or oversized, knife-edged flanges.
I didn't see it above, so I'll through it in here: AMI Instant Roadbed (Scenic Express Black Track Tack). That product alone caused me to stop playing with trains for 4 years when I was in my early teens.
Ah, yes, dyed asbestos ground cover. Good times, good times. *cough*
I remember something nearly as inadvisable from back in the day. In our July 1948 issue, we published a reader tip from a fellow who powered the rails on his drawbridge with a pair of pins that, when the bridge was closed, made contact with two wells drilled in the landing abutment and filled with liquid mercury, thus completing the circuit. Which I'm sure worked wonderfully, if you ignore the health horror waiting to happen. Thankfully we know better now (and have micro-switches to handle such applications).
--Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editorsotte@kalmbach.com
rrinker nycmodel Remember this from 1964? I recall there was an article in MR about that time where someone actually incorporated slot cars into their layout. I doubt that many did. Some of the early HO slot car sets actually had 2 guide pin and the ability to run in reverse. There were even 'turnouts' for them - Atlas and maybe Aurora's original offerings, before they became strictly competition things. There were a few layouts in the magazine that had cars runnign in the streets, but yeah, it never really took off. The grade crossing came back in the 70's in Tyco's Road N Rail sets - I think they were most often used to stage grade crossing accidents than anything. --Randy
nycmodel Remember this from 1964? I recall there was an article in MR about that time where someone actually incorporated slot cars into their layout. I doubt that many did.
Remember this from 1964? I recall there was an article in MR about that time where someone actually incorporated slot cars into their layout. I doubt that many did.
Some of the early HO slot car sets actually had 2 guide pin and the ability to run in reverse. There were even 'turnouts' for them - Atlas and maybe Aurora's original offerings, before they became strictly competition things. There were a few layouts in the magazine that had cars runnign in the streets, but yeah, it never really took off. The grade crossing came back in the 70's in Tyco's Road N Rail sets - I think they were most often used to stage grade crossing accidents than anything.
This is what my dad was building for me and my brother in the late 1980s - AT EYE LEVEL. I'm kind of glad he never completed it, because it would have been /really/ dangerous the way that those cars would come flying off the track. I like having two working eyes. Tyco sold those sets for a long time.
Julian
Modeling Pre-WP merger UP (1974-81)
Graham Line One of the great product failures was Schleicher's "The Model Locomotive Co." or something, which attempted to replicate that Baldwin catalog's mixing and matching of frames and boilers to build a series of small steam engines. Though the idea was great, poor manufacturing quality doomed the project. Someone, somewhere, probably built a couple of engines successfully.
Don't forget Arbour Models with whatever metal they cast their engines out of, but the metal did not hold up on the running gear. I did see an Allegheny get built and run at one time, but little else.
Rick J
Rule 1: This is my railroad.
Rule 2: I make the rules.
Rule 3: Illuminating discussion of prototype history, equipment and operating practices is always welcome, but in the event of visitor-perceived anacronisms, detail descrepancies or operating errors, consult RULE 1!
chutton01 dinwitty I think one of the durnedest was a 2 truck GG1. There WAS a smaller GG1 like prototype, but with 6 powered wheels, 2 pilot trucks. A bit OT, but I believe you are referring to the PRR P5A locomotives, which were not prototypes but a series of 90+ production locomotives, of which the 28 later ones were of the familiar GG1 "steeplecab" style. There were also 2 similar-looking one-off prototypes, R1 and DD2 - however, the wiki entry has an interesting note that documents uncovered a few years back indicate that the GG1 style was developedfirst, and then the 'P5A modified' styling (as well as the others) followed suit.
dinwitty I think one of the durnedest was a 2 truck GG1. There WAS a smaller GG1 like prototype, but with 6 powered wheels, 2 pilot trucks.
A bit OT, but I believe you are referring to the PRR P5A locomotives, which were not prototypes but a series of 90+ production locomotives, of which the 28 later ones were of the familiar GG1 "steeplecab" style. There were also 2 similar-looking one-off prototypes, R1 and DD2 - however, the wiki entry has an interesting note that documents uncovered a few years back indicate that the GG1 style was developedfirst, and then the 'P5A modified' styling (as well as the others) followed suit.
Sorry but the R1 was first, the PRR had a competition between the R1 - 4-8-4 and the GG1 - 4-6+6-4 (Actually they borrowed a New Haven Electric with that same wheel arrangement, tested it on their test track section, then ordered the first GG1 (Rivits)), and the flexibility of the GG1 won the day.
rrinker Any Stooges fan worth their salt will have the law offices of Dewey, Cheatem & Howe. Across town they have a competitor, with the first Howe's brother as a partner: Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman & Howe. As a Yes fan AND a Stooges fan I had to do it. --Randy
Any Stooges fan worth their salt will have the law offices of Dewey, Cheatem & Howe.
Across town they have a competitor, with the first Howe's brother as a partner: Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman & Howe. As a Yes fan AND a Stooges fan I had to do it.
DSchmitt Posted by Bernd on Wednesday, December 09, 2015 4:44 PM "The car with the propeller on end. MR had ads for it. Could it have been AHM? Bernd" Rail Zeppelin - The prototype http://www.alspcs.com/rail_zeppelin_03.jpg The Turbo Express (ad link posted by dknelson) was a toy to take advantage of the slot car craze. More accurate models have been made by others such as Marklin and even Lionel.
"The car with the propeller on end. MR had ads for it. Could it have been AHM?
Bernd"
Rail Zeppelin - The prototype
http://www.alspcs.com/rail_zeppelin_03.jpg
The Turbo Express (ad link posted by dknelson) was a toy to take advantage of the slot car craze. More accurate models have been made by others such as Marklin and even Lionel.
Mike