Long story made short, I am new to this hobby and made a lot of bad buys. Some where around 15 Pan Cake motors LL engines. (no help for them) With the cheap LL being the only name I knew I keepet buy junk like them.
I then started having derailing problems with 15 cars, added a little weight and got a little better at laying rail and made it to 36 cars and that was the max and when I was ready to give up and sell the stuff! Got tired of picking up the rolling stock.
I was pretty much told the Horn hooks couplers where junk, my LL and Tyco and Bachman's where junk and I should just pitch them and buy better cars.
After many post and learing I have gotton lot better at this game. Learned too put harder cars toward the front of the train, how to tune the trucks, replace the axles with metal axels (lot of Atlas) uses metal wheels (PK's) pull a car that derails and make notes on when where and how, body mount Kadees as I can afford, gauge the wheels and adjust the wheels, weigh the car and get with in NMRA standers thing's have gone pretty well.
With still with 46% push in trucks and 30% horn hook couplers but tuned to the best they can be I ran over my personal goal of 40 rolling stock like a E-6 at 100 thottle. Triple headed PK's Erie Bulit and E 6 B just pulled 50 car up a 2 % grade for 2 hours.
Funny part, the 3 engines, 1st car still have horn hook couplers 2 nd car has a horn hook on the front and Kadee on the rear.
When tuned right, even something bad can work well.
Thanks too all the folks helped me on this quest and ones yet too follow.
30 feet of feight is as long as I want, hum maybe 40 foot would be better!
Thanks again folks, happy again Cuda Ken
I hate Rust
Cuda,
You're learning FAST!!
Darrell, quiet...for now
Yeah, it can be frustrating at first, but then you start to learn the tricks of making things run well. After that, it's almost routine to tune up your rolling stock. I started back last year with a lot of 40-year-old rolling stock, plus a few locos, all with horn-hooks. The one rule I've been able to keep to is "No Horn-Hooks on the Layout!" Before a car goes on the tracks, it gets a pair of Kadees. I can do that because I don't have room for all my rolling stock as it is, so the ones I haven't converted yet would have to displace another car once they're upgraded.
I had my first two layouts as a kid and young teenager, from which I learned the mechanical and electrical skills that helped me keep my early cars (Triumph Spitfire and MGB) on the road. You're coming at it from the opposite direction, but it sounds like you're making the transition pretty well.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Just make sure you dont burn your locomotives out by running them too much with too heavy a train up too heavy a grade.
Otherwise, GREAT JOB!!
Mechanical Department "No no that's fine shove that 20 pound set all around the yard... those shoes aren't hell and a half to change..."
The Missabe Road: Safety First
Cool Ken. It's nice to have internet forums like this one to get info on stuff.
I lucked out when I came back to the hobby in 1997. The club I joined had guys filled with wisdom & knowledge that helped me out until I came online. I never bought any Bachman, Life-Like or Model Power as like you, these were the names I knew.
Gordon
Brought to you by the letters C.P.R. as well as D&H!
K1a - all the way
Sounds like everything's getting better for you.
I didn't used to know about all the other brands out there, either. The main ones I knew of were Bachmann, Life-Like, Model Power, Mantua and Rivarossi. The only reason I knew of Mantua and Rivarossi is because of the Mantua 0-6-0 from my grandpa's old layout, and my dad's Rivarossi 0-4-0 Dockside (Deluxe version with ball-bearings!).
Interestingly, on my usual floor layouts of a loop of track, I rarely had any derailments with my cheap train set cars. Most derailments came from improperly connected track or running the trains too fast.
By the way, your Santa Fe diesel should be coming back today or very soon. I hope you like how it runs when you get it.
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Darth thank you and I will post about the old missed matched War Bonnet when it gets here. I will be sending a check when I get paid.
Main reason I posted about this little victory I hope if there someone out there might find a little hope if they are ready to give up like I was a month ago or so.
Other reason is I want them to know you don't have to throw money at this hobby to have fun. I still will hunt for deals on E-bay, and if there is a cheap Tyco, Bachman or LL car I like I will buy them. Just picked up 7 for $12.00 for $1.71 per car. Added Atlas wheels 12 for $2.95, that is a nother dollar then Kadess (I buy 10 pairs at $11.95) there is a nother $1.19 and arond 10 pennys I have a total of $5.95 for a decent rolling car that is all most as good as a Athearn BB you bulid.
There is the time factor, some of the cars did take a hour or so to tune and added the Kaddes box'es and couplers. But I think the reason most of us do this is to keep are hands busy anyway.
Cuda Ken
I have a very large HO layout which was designed for operations. I am glad I do not have to populate it with new freight cars. The cost would be very high, considering I have about 400 pieces of rolling stock on the layout. I buy "inexpensive" freight cars on Ebay and swap meets. I get rid of the horn hooks and plastic wheels (sometimes the whole truck) and replace them with KDs, P2k wheel sets and sometimes new trucks. They are weighted to NMRA standards. All of them run trouble free. The details on the new models are impressive, but at $15 per car or more, the total price for a medium to large size layout is $$$$$. Weathering goes a long way at making some of the out of scale details on the inexpensive models apparent.
Steve B
Steve I am with you on the details. But the extra cost? I bought my first RTR Atheran Reefer. Yes the bottom was well detailed and look's great. But, still need to tune the trucks, added weight and Kadee couplers. If on it's side after a wreck, thumbs up! Only reason I bought it was it was $8 bucks and was a 50 footer. Build your own Athearns BB's was $6.85 so I thought I give it a shoot. For $8.00 I would buy more with it having metal wheels. $15.00 not worth the extar $'s to me at this point.
Ken, the best buy for the money, IMO, are Athearn blue box kits as far as rolling stock goes. Their newer locomotives are a good buy too. I've bought some of Walthers' Trainline locomotives and really like them. They can be bought all day on eBay for less than $40. I've also spent a little more money on Atlas, Proto 1000 and 2000 and Stewart Hobbies locomotives. They're all fine runners, too. In the $100-200 bracket are the Bachmann Spectrum and Athearn Genesis models. When you want to take the plunge, Broadway Limited locomotives are excellent. When you can find them, Walthers have cars that come in sets of 4 or 6 and these are good rolling stock.
I learned like you did about the Life-Like, Tyco and trainset Bachmann cars. They're fine for the trainset you want to set up every once in a while, but not real reliable. They DO make good beginnings for static scenes (boxcars and hoppers that some industries use for storage).
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
Glad you are on the right track. =)
I dont know about the lack of "cheap" rolling stock. I took home a pair of Atlas Trainman Watkins Salt Covered hoppers for like 12 each RTR. They are a bit modern for what I want to model but are such "Cheep" cars that were well done.
It would take me a long time to convert a car to metal wheels and kaydees. Sometimes I prefer to wait until a manufactor actually produced a better kit or RTR. I then sell off the old stock and use the seed money to get the new replacement.
As mentioned by others, Rolling Stock will get very expensive. I occasionally get a box of #5 Kaydee's so that when the plastic imitators get destroyed or fail the new kaydee will replace them.
One rule on the Falls Valley... if it is plastic wheels? It is bad ordered and sent to the shop for metal wheels (And new trucks if needed)
Hi Cudaken
A lot of modelers I know who are more interested in the train operational side of the hobby
Have bought cheap stock meant more for the childrens market and put good quality wheels and or bogies (trucks) on the stock, fitted them with thier favorite coupling and put them into service adding extra detail's they thought appropriate later.
Since they want to operate train services, time tables and fast clocks ect having the trains to operate is more important than the rest of it
In fact I know someone whose scenery does not go much beyond whats needed to operate the trains thats all on the roundtuit that never quite seems to be found.
regards John
I am still pretty happy with the cheap stuff, but finaly broke down and went to Bi- Focals glasses I will have them next week. Getting old sucks Big Pan Cake Motors. Only 2 things that still work well is my back and my child like mine. Mentaly I am still 16. With the new glass I might like better details, Nay but I am still open.
With cost of the up graded car's, BB Athearns I have 107 cars and $ layout is around $600.00 There are still cars to be worked but I am pretty happy. 60 cars are champs with no problems, pulling 40 cars on the B main and 20 on the A main.
I have now gone over 200 hours with no big problems. Still have problems car's but with your folks help I will wipe them into shape.
I second John's comment. Some of the more fussy modelers are unloading their Athearn and Model Die Casting cars, often with KD couplers already installed and sometimes even nicely weathered. There are some good deals to be had at swap meets and at hobby shops that sell used stuff on consignment.
the poor quality of some trainset stuff is shocking. I see trainsets for sale where through the plastic you can see that wheels have already fallen off, couplers are broken off, etc etc.
Dave Nelson
johncolley wrote:One way to get "inexpensive" rolling stock is to go to the train shows and swap meets. Even if you need to change out the couplers and wheels at $3-$5 cars are a bargain these days! jc5729
You are right, that is a great way to pickup some rolling stock for a reasonable price. The last large show I attended a dealer had placed out 2 boxes of used transition era Athearn / MDC cars, mostly 40’ boxcars. Talk about a feeding frenzy! They were scoffed up quickly.
Jim