What is the best way to list your stuff on E-bay? Yep another bad MRR night and threw a Athearn car I like but could not get it to roll right.
Should I list the stuff in groupes or the whole thing at one time?
I have 32 engines, 95 rolling stock, around 40 bulidings, 15 turn outs, 10 passangers cars, 14 cobosses and around 400 feet of track.
I hate to be a fly by nighter but when I starte throwing stuff, may be it is time to give up.
I know the main problem is by lack of bench working skills and tools, unless Bob Villa wants to help me it is time to sell before I throw a PK engine and I have came close.
Maybe a show called "this old train" would help.
God I love and hate this hobby, right now what I have not throwen across the room is running fine. But ever few laps I hear a Clank and I know a car derailed and rerailed it self. Just yet another mess waiting to happen.
Ken ready to give up again.
I hate Rust
If you go the e-bay route think in terms of a minimum value for an auction because of the effect of postage. I for one would never bid on a single freight car because shipping of $3.00 makes a $5.00 freight car not worth it. I would tend to group the freight cars and lower priced items and sell the locos individually.
Ken, I see you are in St. Louis, have you crossed the river and visited K-10 model trains in Maryville, IL?
Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum
When I was 12 or 13 years old, I sold all of my Lionels and bought HO's. I still have them close to a half-century later, but you know what? I miss those Lionels. I wish I'd realized then that they were worth saving for the investment value alone. If I'd put them in the attic and just started fresh with HO, well, I might be a 3-railer today.
If you've only got a few spots where cars consistently derail, attack them one at a time. I'm sure you've torn down and re-built carburetors, and tracks and turnouts are a lot simpler. Likewise, if you've got a few cars that are always mouthing-off and giving the rest of the train a hard time, take them out of service for a while. (I had a few like that, and the solution was to replace the trucks.)
If that doesn't work, walk away until after Labor Day. Don't do anything drastic until the fall, at the earliest.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Ken, I agree with the idea of just closing the door and walking away for a few days. One of the best tools around is one of those NMRA track guage things. I don't have one myself but I had a friend over the other night and he brought a steam loco... 2-10-2 (I think)... and that sucker found every piece of less- than- perfect track on my layout. Places my 2-6-6-4 cruised right over with no problem was discovered by that engine. He got out his tool and in no time found the track was a little out of guage in those spots and fixed it. No problem-o after that. I've got to order one, our one and only hobby shop closed. Another thing I did was take ALL the rolling stock that has plastic wheels OFF the layout and I'm slowly replacing them.
Hey, don't be tossing those Protos around, they're too expensive!
JaRRell
Five out of four people have trouble with fractions. -AnonymousThree may keep a secret, if two of them are dead. -Benjamin Franklin "You don't have to be Jeeves to love butlers, but it helps." (Followers of Levi's Real Jewish Rye will get this one) -Ed K "A potted watch never boils." -Ed Kowal If it's not fun, why do it ? -Ben & Jerry
I agree with everyone above, this hobby is challenging. I don't think it would be alot of fun if there was no challenge to it. Stick with it, get a gauge, change wheel sets, have a beer (if you are of age). I think we have all had our issues at one time or another, im currently deaing with some electric issues but thats the fun is trying to figure it out and get back to running smooth.
As far as the benchwork is concerned, there are lots of tools to help make it easier but the tape measure and especially the level are the two main ones, dont rush the construction. Picking a good flat piece of wood is also important, lots of people say to use 1/4 inch or 1/2, i use 3/4 and it is perfect. build a good frame out of 1x4's and 2x4 cross braces. For the legs i used 4x4 posts which provide a nice strong support. If termites are an issue use PT 4x4's for the legs.
Have you posted any pics of your current layout?
cudaken
If you throw racing engines together like you are the layout they won't last too long and from the fustration level this must be what is happening!.
I used to build engines for a living too! So I know that I had to check everything twice and check it again or the engines just came apart.
So I learned early on to use the same methods when I got serious about model railroading.
My layout has 2800 feet of track 50 engines and 800 plus cars. So there has to be some time spent in making all this stuff work.
Everything has tolerances that have to be met and the NMRA gauge is it. If you don't use it then expect things to explode!
Been there!
BOB H - Clarion, PA
Don't give up. Your not the only one with problems.
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=139574
Stick with it. It's a hobby, your in it to have fun. I suggest you take a little time away from the hobby. I've been frustrated before and if you take a couple days/months it really does help.
btw you should read the caption at the bottom of the link.
dekruif
Patience, Dragonfly, patience...
I've been in this hobby almost 25 years, and I still have occasional derailments and bad-order cars (ask my four-year-old son; he knows which of Daddy's locos and cars "don't run right!"). The trick is to use an ORDERLY approach to solving SPECIFIC problems (tossing trains across the room doesn't meet this criterion).
1. If nearly ALL your trains derail in one spot, it's probably the track. Like everyone says, check the gauge, eyeball down the rail and see if there are high spots or gaps.
2. If one car or loco derails in one or more specific locations, it's probably not so much the track but the loco/car. Check the gauge on the wheelsets, check for burrs on the wheels, and make sure the trucks swing freely.
3. Check EVERY rain joint (EVERY, EVERY, EVERY...) and make sure that the rail is not sitting on top of a joiner. I'm sure you were careful when you first put the track down, but it happens to all of us sometimes. I had a few on my current (and fifth) layout I noticed when I went to solder the joints.
Resolve yourself to solving ONE PROBLEM at a time. Gradually, you'll run out of problems and you'll find yourself enjoying this great hobby all over again! But, to echo the sentiment of others here, if you're looking for a hobby with out-of-the-box perfection and zero troubleshooting, then model railroading just isn't it. If you want a hobby that will reward your occasional frustration and lots of diligent work with hours of enjoyment and real self-satisfaction, then welcome aboard!
Modeling the Rio Grande Southern First District circa 1938-1946 in HOn3.
CudaKen
I don't understand how anyone can rebuild a race car - sand and paint - and can't figure out how to raise a toy car with washers so the couplers match up. Something is WRONG!
Lack of talent? Braindead? or SOMEONE is not trying?
Perhaps the name should be 'Couldn't-Wouldn't Ken.
NOW to try and be helpful: ONE thing at a time.
PHASE ONE: Set aside all your rolling stock. You have an assortment of drek - leftovers - wannabees - and never was's. They'll need repairing or replacing. (YOU bought them). Don't complain.
PHASE TWO: Replace a section of your track with KATO Unitrack. It'S simple, straightforward and reliable. Hopefully you'll include a straight, curve, and a turnout or two, in your choice.
Buy, borrow, or steal an ATLAS engine and 2 or 3 InterMountain RTR cars.
PHASE THREE: If you're not a total 'klutz', you'll see that these pieces do not derail running on the aformentioned track, you have a DECISION to make. SELL or CONTINUE based on your attributes.(If you sell all, at least you'll get some of what you paid for it - and realize Life can be beautiful).
PHASE FOUR: Your ASSORTED 52 cars.
With new trucks, couplers and A-line weights, you can bring those up to acceptable NMRA standards. Any cars you are not willing to invest $6-$7 in, to do, throw out.
NOW you'll have a railroad that runs - IF that's what you really want?
You have missed something. That is why you are frustrated. If you were to decide to stop when things were not working, rip everything apart, to reconsider a new approach, and to commence anew, you would only be the 739the modeller to have done that in the past 30 years...maybe.
I'll bet my bottom dollar that your track has problems with one of three things: misaligned joints, out of gauge track/wheel interface, or changes in grade from join to join. The first thing that I would do is to place a good 18-24" level on top of the track and shine a light behind it toward your eyes, with both the eye and light at rail-top level. You will find your grade changes and your join misalignments that way. This assumes that your wheels have the RP 25 flange size and that the rails are not too shallow for your rolling stock.
Here's the best piece of advice I can give you: Find a model railroader friend! Go to some of the hobby shops in your area, talk to the owners and people in the shops, put up an ad, "looking for help getting a layout started", find a club in your area, (ask at the hobby shop), clubs welcome beginners and it's a great place to ask questions and learn the basic skills. Have you picked up any of the Kambach books for beginners? Above all, take it slow. We all started at point zero once.
You don't have to do everything by yourself, make some local MR friends at the hobby shops, invite them over, feed them coffee, food, etc., I'm sure you can find someone to give you some hands-on help locally. It's not that we (the forum) don't want to help, we do, but some situations are better handled in person, we can't see what's wrong, so it's hard for us on the forum to give you specific solutions.
If I lived in your area, I'd be happy to come over and give you a hand, I'm sure you can find someone, it really is the best way.
Good luck and hang in there! Jay.
Jay
C-415 Build: https://imageshack.com/a/tShC/1
Other builds: https://imageshack.com/my/albums
Very often I find that I'm getting frustrated and starting not to do my best work. When that happens its time to just walk away from whatever you are doing right then and come back later. Just last night I was detailing a caboose, tedious work, I decided instead of trying to finish I needed to just set it aside. I might go back to it today and I might not, depends what I feel like. And thats the key, when you start getting frustrated you need to walk away for a while. Everyone has come close to throwing something, I know I have, but I don't think its a good idea to sell out of the hobby just yet. Who knows you might want to pick it up again in a week, maybe a month, it doesnt really matter. If you never feel the urge to work on your trains again, then sell. But for now hold on to your stuff.
Right now, dont even think about trains, do something else, see what happens. If you are ever ready to come back to the hobby we will be here to help get your layout up to good running shape.
JPM335 wrote: Very often I find that I'm getting frustrated and starting not to do my best work. When that happens its time to just walk away from whatever you are doing right then and come back later. Just last night I was detailing a caboose, tedious work, I decided instead of trying to finish I needed to just set it aside. I might go back to it today and I might not, depends what I feel like. And thats the key, when you start getting frustrated you need to walk away for a while. Everyone has come close to throwing something, I know I have, but I don't think its a good idea to sell out of the hobby just yet. Who knows you might want to pick it up again in a week, maybe a month, it doesnt really matter. If you never feel the urge to work on your trains again, then sell. But for now hold on to your stuff. Right now, dont even think about trains, do something else, see what happens. If you are ever ready to come back to the hobby we will be here to help get your layout up to good running shape.
Sorry about the off topic, but are you affiliated with any clubs in SA?
Let me SECOND the motion that you try Kato Unitrack. It's not cheap, but the stuff is fool-proof and super reliable. Assuming you assemble it correctly, any further problems you have can almost certainly be blamed on your rolling stock.
Just remember that buying stuff that looks cool or is cheap is no more of a sound way to invest in this hobby than it would be for your car restoration hobby. You can do it cheap or you can do it right. Likewise you can do it fast or you can do it right. This is a lifelong hobby; take your time and don't try to bite off so big a chunk at once.
One more rant, if I may:
These forums exist in part to perpetuate the hobby by allowing modelers help other modelers IMPROVE their efforts, not abandon them. I don't think you'll find many people here who will encourage you to bail out and sell off all your stuff. That would be a self-distructive practice for members of this forum. If every newbie jumped ship and we waved them goodbye, we'd be a sorry bunch plotting the destruction of the hobby we love.
Take everything off the layout, set it near the bench.
Pick one locomotive that is your pickiest bad track derailer.
Pick 4 rolling stock for it to pull that is top dollar. For example, I have several Intermountains that just never derails.
Run the train and put a pin at every derail or trouble spot. Run it at all speeds very slow usually finds the worst trouble spots. (If you cannot go slow you cannot go fast)
A few laps later you should have groups and singles pins indicating trouble spots.
Get your track gauge and "Pick" at the track looking for too-wide gauge, too narrow gauge, feeder connections from the track power bus, track joints your eye on the rail plus a thumb nail WILL detect a bad joint. Look for poor grade changes that lifts your driving wheels (Long wheelbase steam) off the track. (My BLI PRR J1 loves to do that.)
Turnouts, the points need to be flush against rails, power to the frogs and flange ways deep enough to carry the most crappy large flanged wheel across there. The switch needs to be big enough for all your rolling stock. Yes I can jam a 85' Heavyweight passenger car thru a #4 but I prefer #6 and Kato if necessary for them.
Take a track cleaning device with you and go over EVERY INCH of track starting on the mains then passing sidings then industry tracks followed by the yard and engine areas.
Do something, dont just sit there staring at your empire and say "OIY! I CANNOT DO ALL THAT" YES. YOU. CAN.
Set aside all stock with plastic wheels. Find quality metal wheels for them. CHECK EACH metal wheel/axle that goes onto the rolling stock. Get a micro mark ream tool that will clean out the junk from the sideframes.
Put the crappy plastic couplers out and put Kaydees on. I have NEVER EVER HAD a Kaydee fail. They are the final solution. Just get a coupler tester and bend those low hanging pins or shim em if necessary. Under sets, over sets, long shank short shank whatever you need for that specific car until you get it to play nice with your other cars.
Leave your locomotive couplers alone unless they for some reason fail your coupler tester or other wise pick low spots on the track. Replace those with NON CONDUCTING couplers. Or you will see Consists fight each other on DCC and that is not a pretty sight.
Continue to run your pickiest locomotive and it's small train of very reliable cars addressing each trouble spot until you have none. It will take time. Those pins should be all gone from your railroad before you highball.
Keep the temperature as constant as you can in your train room.
If you STILL have trouble spots at one or two pins, consider replacing the track with a more bullet proof solution.
Keep in mind that large peice of top dollar rolling stock wont go thru a 18" radius curve. Match your equiptment with the availible largest radius.
If you still want to throw that 400 dollar P2K engine dont do it. Sell it and replace it with something that will meet your expectations. I had a crappy tyco 0-8-0 for a trainset that got thrown many a time. (I finally destroyed it slowly in a 1 hour fun filled joy at the bench as a teen)
That is the reason I rely on BLI for quality steam these days. Every "Bad" engine has been sold off for close to market value and the money used to seed replacement motive power.
All your rolling stock should have three-point suspension. Rolling stock that wobbles irritates the hell out of me. What you do is tighten one truck so that it rotates to follow curves ONLY NO TILT. The other truck you tighten the screw and then back off 1/2 turn to allow it some tilt in addition to Rotate.
All your cars should feel "Equal" in weight to the engine. My Athearn boxcars were weighted to 4 ounces. Yes they are heavy but they stay on the track and I have sufficent motive power to move any train of them.
Take a break get away from the hobby room until you actually feel a desire to run trains again. That should take a week or so. With motivation comes desire to do things right.
Good luck.
P.S. Sell them if you want to, run trains if you want to. Dont come back here with woe-is-me saying yer getting out. Either stay in the cab and drive or get off the highway.
I want you to enjoy the hobby, it is supposed to be something that keeps you out of trouble. No one gets arrested for running trains in the basement on a friday night.
This is why we have other means of relaxation. Don't sell yer stuff dude. Just ship it to me and I'll play with it for you. I'll let you know how much fun you've had on a weekly basis. Sorta like rotessierie(sp) football. Other people play and you get to pretend to have fun.
Seriously, throwing stuff isn't good. Get up, walk away. Pick up another project when you come back. I've got plenty of projects that are running at varying speeds and priorities both in the hobby and out. Never a reason to toss breakables. Unless it's a "cue cat" of course. If you have one of those intact, then you really need a life. If you even know what one is you may need a life. I know what one is and I got my life back by smashing several with various objects. But I digress. It is usually better to sell single items on eBay. Unless the items are too inexpensive to warrant the effort. Don't mix types of items. ie: houses and track, engines and cars, etc. If you've got 150 feet of flextrack just ship it to me. Will save me the time to order my own.
Ken,
Sounds like 95% done is an appropriate description. Time to get on with the remaining 5%.
Assemble the following tools: Hammer (BFH if available), crowbar, fire axe, safety glasses and steel toed boots. Throwing stuff is idiotic because you have to go get it and bring it back to the trash can.
Smash everything to bits and then chuck it in the nearest dumpster.
When back in the house, pour a frosty tall one, get out the crying towel, loosen your collar, drop your jeans, stick your head between your legs and kiss your *** good-bye. No need for you to be the only one who's done with your attention grabbing. infantile ranting.
How one gets that involved with something like this and hasn't the patience nor character to do what's needed to get it right is beyond me.
dwRavenstar
Don't be so harsh with guys who throw things. Some mildly humorous sarcasm is much more confusing. Guys who toss items that cause you difficulty might redirect their frustration in ways we won't like.
back to the OP, dude, just send the stuff to me in care of the hobby shop in Lebanon PA. Thanks.
Some of you guys are pain in the a*s*ses!! Just give him the advice he is looking for and stop trying to convince him not to sell off. he already went thru the issue about a week ago and has now made up his mind. He decided to sell off and now wants to know the best way. We all know what it takes to remain in the hobby but he decided against saving the layout and now wants to end his short run. As hard as it is to swallow not everyone is an obsessed model railroader as you and myself. Some people can easily leave the hobby and he is obviously one of them. Let him go
Man, I have been there too. I just walk away from it when it gets frustrating. I remember throwing a twin coil switch machine against the cinder block wall. That #$@@#!$% thing was making me crazy. That was when I called it a night. I walk away muttering, or yelling, "Model Railroading is Fun!", over and over. These walks have lasted from a day to over a year. I know it isn't going anywhere, it will still be there when I come back. No pressure, except the pressure we place on ourselves, which is usually far too much.
And I've learned that usually when I come back, I can do whatever was stumping me before. I don't know if it is just that when you are into it and get frustrated, you stop thinking, or that the old sub-conscious keeps working on it while you aren't looking. But I know it works for me.
There are plenty of other thigs for me to do while I'm walked away, so it isn't like I'm just sitting and stewing over it. Life goes on.
Take a break, it's a hobby, not a job, no one's life depends upon you getting that freight car to track just right.
You can ask guys on this and other forums for help, and they will offer all you can take, and then some. But sometimes, getting someone to local to actually be there with you is the ticket. Is there anyone nearby that you can get some help from?
I have the advantage of working with my brother in law Ray, so between us we can usually get through something. But not always, sometimes we both walk away. But I also have some long time friends in the hobby I can get help from when needed. They know I'll do the same for them if needed.
Ultimately, it's up to you. But we've all been there and gotten through it.
Mike
First I hate to sound like a cry baby, but I have no HO Train friends to call and talk with. Or to vist with. So I come here to vent. When it is a 1:1 car, I have a support groupe that is local I can go to (friends) but they normaly come to me. If I called one up and tell them my train derail's and I am P--ed off what should I do, they hang up on me. At this point I am a out cast playing with trains. Been told more than a few time "Grow up and quite playing with kid toys and be a man"! Hum, seems I was told that here as well.
As far as being able to bulid engines, I started when I was in the Army in what is called a "Craft Shop". A places where G.I. could work on there cars. People that worked at the shop knew what they where talikng about and would sort of watch over your shoulder. First engine I was doing I had all 3 rings gap's in a line! Dave stopped me from istalling the piston with alll the gaps lined up.
When I started this hobby there was no Dave looking over my shoulder so I have made mistakes.
I do have the NMRA gauge and trying to learn how to use it right. Yes to the people here it is child play. But not to me yet. None car guys, if I gave you a set of Mic and told you to check the bore sizes, you need .0015 clearnes, bore should be 3.75 what sizes should the pistons be and walk off, what would you do.
I have flanges that fit in the gauge. But is it right? Case in point, points in a distubtor. A .36 feeler gauge will fit betten the points, but it feels a little tight, but does fit. I now know by feel the dwell wil be off. But took a while to get the feel. I now know the same with trains.
As far as crossing the river to get to K-10 trains? I don't have to, I live in Maryville IL, with in 2 miles of K-10 trains. Problem is my hours and his. I work from 9:45 AM to 9:00 PM Monday Thrusday Friday Sat and Sunday. But K-10 is only open Wednesday when I can get there. If you know Ken aat K-10 you know he has Parkersons, I hate to bug him at this point.
I have backed up and re grouped and strarting to see a tree thought the forest. 90% of the derails happen's at 1 turn out. I read this month MRC Mag and it covred turn out's so I have a idea what to do.
More than likey I will still sell off some engines and rolling stock and will make them in groupes to save on postage. Then buy better than what I have, but the best I can buy at this point is BB Athearns.
Guees a nother thing that is adding to the mental melt down is I was out of work for 6 months. Sold off car parts to start this, used the savings to keep the house and pay the bill's and went from $75,000 a year to $29,000.00 a year
One last thing I will add, have ran the board for 2 hours now, 2 derails one at the normal spot and one at a driffrent spot. Rerailed the PK 30 mintues ago and still going. Have used a driffrent feel with the NMRA gauge and 1 problem car is till making it around.
Onces again, sorry to be a cry baby. But before you bash me, take a bare engine block, know nothing and rebulid it with no 1 on 1 help. Install it and try driving it ever day with no problems. See if you then want to throw things!
I can fix the Air Born car as well.
Throwing, crying again Cuda Ken
.
If I were you I would disregard the "crybaby" remarks. Most of the members here were trying to give good advice, but I suppose it takes all kinds.
I think you have a good plan there, it seems like most of your frustrations are due to sketchy equiptment. Selling your poorer stuff to buy a few better things (like BB engines) is a good idea IMO. You are discovering the learning curve of model railroading, glad to hear you are sticking with it, and it WILL pay off in the end.