The "N" Crowd

[pcarrell]

I've seen wig-wags in N scale (about halfway down the page: http://www.njinternational.com/nscale_crossings.htm ), but they're all static models.  Does anyone know of any working ones?  Or maybe how to make them?

[NS2591]

Hi guys. I'm starting to look at ways to operate my layout. I can read N scale reporting mark although I'd prefer not to. What are some of the ways you guys operate your layout. A method that a friend of mine used on his HO layout, He wrote down what cars went where, What train had those cars, and you picked you train from a list of trains. One problem he always had is more cars on one end than the other.

[SpaceMouse]

Congrats Dave,

I was an All-but when my mail-order/Internet business took off in 1993. I couldn't put in 70 hrs/week in the business and 70 in the dissertation. Something had to give and I was making more than my profs. Still I have to admire those who see it through.  

[Cox 47]

I havn't posted here since page 1....Igotta do better...I have been working on a couple of junk boxer's" I got off Ebay....One a old Model power FA.....Had to turn it into a dummy when the motor fried and a Atlas RS that the jury is still out on....Today I started a cardstock Yard Office using plans in the new RMC....and started work on a transfer caboose....How about it what are you working on..Planning...Gathering parts for...Maybe a little more N scale Modeling might keep this on page 1....Cox 47

[Anonymous]

Congratulations, Dave.

Our son-in-law completed his Doctorate last year and is doing his post-doctorate lab stuff in San Francisco. He's a research-type doc. His dissertation consisted of words at least 23 letters in length dealing with cells at the nuclear level. I have no idea what he does

Mike Tennent

 

 

[Anonymous]

What have I been doing____????

I have backed off doing scenery, it was getting to boring. I have almost completed a total re-wire of my layout.When I first put the layout together, it was get the track down and get things running. If you looked under my table you couldn't tell what was wire and what was spider webs. Now all the wires are neatlly bundeled and on numbered terminal blocks. So far I have installed about 50 terminal blocks, thats an assortment of 2, 3, and 6 lug terminal blocks. I found a low cost source for the blocks ( http://www.alliedelec.com/ ). It's cheaper that what I have found on eBay. Some of you may say "oh wow it's no big deal to re-wire a layout." When you have 20 power blocks and 20 switch machines I think it's no small job.

While I have been waiting for more terminal blocks to come in the mail I have completed a drawing for my control panel. I realized I can wire two or more switch machines to one electrical switch as these switch machine work in tandem with each other. So I have cut my number of electrical switches for switch machines from 20 to 13.

When I complete the track wireing it's back to the scenery. Then it's back to wireing up the lighting ( damn more terminal blocks.)

That's all I've been doing.

 

Dewayne

[pcarrell]

I've seen wig-wags in N scale (about halfway down the page: http://www.njinternational.com/nscale_crossings.htm ), but they're all static models.  Does anyone know of any working ones?  Or maybe how to make them?

Nobody has anything on these?

[Dave Vollmer]

I've seen wig-wags in N scale (about halfway down the page: http://www.njinternational.com/nscale_crossings.htm ), but they're all static models.  Does anyone know of any working ones?  Or maybe how to make them?

Nobody has anything on these?

No, sir!  Although I do have NJ International PRR PL signals, and they're pretty reliable.

[pcarrell]

I know the parts would be tiny on a working wig-wag, but I figured a wire actuator with a motor under the table would do it.  Guess I may have to look at doing a modification on these if nobody can turn me on to a working one.

[nscaler711]

is there any way to up grade my proto 1000 sw8 to an sw1200?   also how can i put a decoder in one

 

Pcarrell you could probably use a slow motion switch machine below the road and have clear fishing "wire" attached to both the switch machine and your wig-wag......im not exactly sure if that will work...... ill ask the guys over at Nscale.net if you want.. they may have ideas on how to do that

[nscaler711]

Hey check this odd ball loco from KCS

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/pictures%5C8094%5CKCS%20666.jpg

[Anonymous]

I was on a live steam page and saw this loco. Was there ever a loco made like this one?

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/n0ssy/HN2006_001.jpg

 

Dewayne

[NS2591]

It looks like an SD40-2, If your pointing out the number, Both Elgin Joliet & Eastern and CSX have engines numbered 666. Although CSX did a great one, Its a Lightning Bolt 666 lightning Bold. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=562025

Here is EJ&E 666 http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=409512 

 

[nscaler711]

The devils trains have arrived

[Zandoz]

Questions for the assembled masses.  If I try using 9.75" radius curves on industrial spurs...50s vintage small town grain elevator, coal dealer, and freight ststion...is it going to end up being one of those to quote Bugs Bunny "If I dood it I'll probably hate myself in the morning" things?

Also, does anyone happen to know the length of the Atlas stone arch bridges?

[R. T. POTEET]

Hey check this odd ball loco from KCS

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/pictures%5C8094%5CKCS%20666.jpg

nscaler711, this isn't really an "odd ball" loco; it is a short nose SD40-2; big porch on the front - big porch on the rear.  I can't tell what is in front of the front porch and that could be what is giving this photograph an "odd ball" appearance.

In regards to your question about SW8s and SW1200s, at this particular moment I don't have ready access to my Kalmbach Diesel Spotters Guides; but I am almost certain that most of the differences between these two units will turn out to be internal; there may well be some differences in the placement of louvres on the doors on the long hood but that is probably going to be the extent of cosmetic differences.

Wish I could help you more; maybe someone else can be more enlightening.

[Reno N Scaler]

Hey,
Have you got room for one more N Scaler.
I just thought I would stop in and say hello to one and all my fellow N Scalers and maybe tell you a little about myself.
I started way back in '75 playing around and going to a few shows, back then there wasn't very many N users. I got out of it just after getting out of the Military (Couldn't find the time or the space) so I handed all my stuff to a good friend and he got the BUG. Quite a few years have passed since then and I was very pleased with how ALL the Model Railroading has progressed since 1975. Being semi retired from the Computer Industry now, I found myself extremely bored, my wife suggested that maybe I take up a hobby. Soooooo I decided to get back in to Model Railroading..........But which scale to go with, No room for LGB, Z just a little to small for my old eyes, HO Hummmmm maybe, but it still takes up a lot of room, I always loved N but there was never very much for it, at the time most stuff you either scratch built or it was a little pricey. I did some surfing on the net and to my suprize, WOW!!!! It sure has come along way since '75.
I am now building an 11' X 6' layout that is DCC controlled, as soon as I get some Pix I will post them as I go along.

A Fellow N Scaler
Garry
Reno, NV

[R. T. POTEET]

Questions for the assembled masses.  If I try using 9.75" radius curves on industrial spurs...50s vintage small town grain elevator, coal dealer, and freight ststion...is it going to end up being one of those to quote Bugs Bunny "If I dood it I'll probably hate myself in the morning" things?

Also, does anyone happen to know the length of the Atlas stone arch bridges?

Lets see now: 1950s, grain elevator, coal dealer, freight station.  The NMRA recommended practices may say that the perfect radius for fifty foot cars is 11.25 inches but I think you'll be able to get by with 9.75 inches; I would not, however, plan on spotting any 89 foot flats at the freight station!!!

[nscaler711]

by odd ball i meant the number ill have to explain myself  thanks by the way also could i just add another exauhst*  stack.

ALSO RT did u used to work on a railroad sounds like u know ur stuff

 

*dictionary not handy at the moment

[R. T. POTEET]

by odd ball i meant the number ill have to explain myself  thanks by the way also could i just add another exauhst*  stack.

ALSO RT did u used to work on a railroad sounds like u know ur stuff

 

*dictionary not handy at the moment

Good observation there, nscaler711; the significance of the number on this loke went completely over my head.

Never worked for the railroad; I spent the majority of my career in the Air Force in various aspects of electronics maintenance; I have spent most of my time since retiring twenty eight plus years ago in computer operations and programming.  My prime interest is history; trains does bring up a very close second however.

[nscaler711]

History huh? interesting we have something in common. i like to learn about past things. do you watch the History Channel

[nscaler711]

local short line here in columbia missouri it's called the COLT...COLumbia Terminal. It is 24 miles long. Stretches from Columbia to Centeralia MO.  line was Built in 1865....the COLT didnt come out until 1980 something.   i want to model this rail road and its two locos.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=215465

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=215537

[Dave Vollmer]

by odd ball i meant the number ill have to explain myself  thanks by the way also could i just add another exauhst*  stack.

ALSO RT did u used to work on a railroad sounds like u know ur stuff

*dictionary not handy at the moment

Ah, yes, the mark of the beast...  So clearly this train was headed to the battlefield at Armageddon?

[Dave Vollmer]

This next one's entitled "Paint and the pain in the...  well, you get the point."

My parents came down two weekends ago for my younger son's second birthday.  My father, also a sometime-PRR fan, and I were discussing the lack of a standard building paint scheme for the Standard Railroad of the World.  Officially, PRR structures were most often painted a light buff/tan with darker brown trim and red window sashes.  However, this scheme as applied to Pennsy structures in real life seems to have spanned anywhere from two-tone gray to yellow and brown.  PRRT&HS has published formulas for mixing your own paint using Floquil, but since switching to N scale I work primarily in styrene, so I thought Polyscale would be better.

Some years ago I settled on a Polyscale paint scheme that looked pretty close (aged concrete and D&RGW building brown).  I wanted to use straight-from-the-bottle colors rather than custom mixes to ensure consistency from structure to structure.  Well, Polyscale then changed the formulas on the paints I was using, so in the middle of a project, I had to find a new scheme since the new formulas (formulae?) for the old colors didn't quite work anymore.  The new colors were too light.

Eventually I had settled upon earth and roof brown as my colors.  A bit dark, but not objectionable.  Over time though, the more color photographs I see of PRR structures, the more I've been thinking that the earth color was too dark.  My dad agreed.  Here's the current scheme on LEW Interlocking (tower and speeder shed) on my layout:

So yesterday I bought a jar of the new Polyscale D&RGW "building cream."  Testing it on an unused interlocking tower showed promise.  So, I grabbed a Walthers watchman's shanty and painted it with the new cream color.  Wow...  Way too light.  Now what?  I eventually found that mixing roughly 1/3 D&RGW building cream with 2/3 earth gave me a great color.  But, once I applied it to the speeder shed, the paint was too thick.  So, I had to strip the paint and start again.  These are those darned pre-assembled buildings, and in N scale a watchman's shanty is smaller than the last knuckle on your thumb.  Plus I needed to keep the sashes red.  Pain in the... 

Well, when all was done the new paint job on the shack looked closer to ideal, but it was hassle enough I doubt I'll re-paint the rest of my structures.  Besides, it's actually prototypical for some variation on the PRR...  whatever mix of "Structure Color Light" as available at the time of repaint is what was used.  I'll save my new-found "Structure Color Light" for the next PRR building I build.  I'm thinking about building the GC Laser kit fir J Tower...   Since that's wood, I'll seal it with Dullcote before I apply Polyscale paint.

Here's the J Tower at Strasburg, PA, and the Strasburg Rail Road's version of the PRR paint scheme:

[pcarrell]

Pcarrell you could probably use a slow motion switch machine below the road and have clear fishing "wire" attached to both the switch machine and your wig-wag......im not exactly sure if that will work...... ill ask the guys over at Nscale.net if you want.. they may have ideas on how to do that

Not a bad idea.  Not sure if it'll work on the push side though.  BTW, I'm already a member on that forum too.  I thought I'd ask here first.  Thanks though!

[jackwade]

Welcome to the club Garry. I think you will not be disappointed on your choice of N scale. Lots of good information on these forums and a great bunch of people here.

 

Jack

[icmr]

Hey guys.  I made the switch from HO to N about 10 months ago and cant see myself going back.  N scale is great

Victor

Happy Railraoding.

[oleirish]

What make is this locomotive proto type it is "N" scale, six wheel drive runs great,but needs an cab.On the bottom it says "MRC yugoslivia"

Thanks for your help.

Ilove my "N" scale

JIM

[nscaler711]

what loco is that? i cant tell

[R. T. POTEET]

What make is this locomotive proto type it is "N" scale, six wheel drive runs great,but needs an cab.On the bottom it says "MRC yugoslivia"

Thanks for your help.

Ilove my "N" scale

JIM

Jim, I am going to take a by-guess-and-by-golly stab at identification of this unit even though I may be taking a shortcut to showing just how uneducated I absolutely am in such matters.

I believe what you have is a model of an ALCO RS11 made in Yugoslavia by a company named Mehano and marketed by MRC in either the late-70s or early-80s.  MRC has been into and out of the model railroad equipment business more often than Matt Dillon has pushed open the swinging doors of the Long Branch saloon.  I can't remember for sure whether MRC was the original distributor of this item or not; I seem to recall that it was handled at one time by someone else, either Life-Like or Atlas.  If I remember correctly Life-Like used to offer this locomotive with (one of) their train sets.

These items such as you have were, I am led to believe, - I never owned one; if my time frame is halfway accurate I was still toying with HO in those heady days of yesteryear - pretty good runners straight out of the box but their motors were just a little bit on the flakey side.  Sooner or later the motor was, I guess, going to fail and when they did one never knew who was importing it at that time and where spare parts could be obtained.  For this reason a lot of people shyed away from purchasing them, yours truly included when I bolted HO for N in circa 1982.  These units were ripe for remotoring; if yours has not been remotored and is running with the original motor then you can count yourself very lucky.  This is one of those items which always seems to be in the way when one is fumbling through their junk box searching for something.

I have no idea where you will find a replacement cab unless you can find someone on ebay trying to foist one off on some gullible sole and you don't mind being a "foistee".  OR:

I don't know what kind of train shows they might have in your area but I have frequently seen these offered at swap meets and they are almost always in CB&Q livery