Hey, RT...
Kato's GG1 announcement's up on their site! Taking orders now! Jeez, I can't wait for my tax refund...!
Modeling the Rio Grande Southern First District circa 1938-1946 in HOn3.
Truck Retaining Springs:
I've been trying to install some of these to prevent the jerky motion when pulling a cut of cars at slow speed. I've decided it's impossible, at least for me. Out of a pack of 12 springs, I have about 3 left and none installed yet! The rest have flown around the room somewhere. So, my questions:
1. What's the trick for installing these?
2. Are there any other solutions to prevent this jerky action, like specially designed trucks or some other ideas?
I would appreciate some help to overcome this hindrance to realism.
Jerry
Rio Grande vs. Santa Fe.....the battle is over but the glory remains!
A fellow on the Atlas board uses the Micro Trains draft gear box, but puts the two-piece Accumate couper in it. The loop on the Accumate is not sprung, (centering is accomplished with whisker style springs on the side of the shank) so it completely eliminates the dreaded slinky effect.
Kind of an expensive fix though, since you need two trucks to make one...
Lee
Route of the Alpha Jets www.wmrywesternlines.net
Well I finally got 2 springs installed on one axel of one box car. I put the car on the end of a string of cars with Micro-Trains trucks and it worked. No jerkyness (?). But of course it had to be on the end of the string.
I then tested a string of cars that didn't have Micro Trains-Trucks, and didn't attach the car with the springs, and also no jerkyness.
So, what's the conclusion. Is it better to not use Micro-Trains trucks? But their cars are so nice. I will be running modern era equipment, so no cabooses. So maybe I should try to install one set of srpings on one axel of each Micro-Trains car? I'm afraid I would go thru an awful lot of springs, but like everything else, the more you do it the easier it becomes, but for 75 year old hands that's asking a lot.
I'm really surprised that Micro-Trains doesn't offer these springs factory installed. Don't others worry about this problem? Do you just learn to live with it?
There's a lot of things Micro Trains does that puzzles people... Pizza cutter flanges, towering ride height, and Happy Birthday boxcars being the tip of the iceberg...
Go to the MTL Website. They have the best list of trucks/couplers.
Next best may be Atlas Accumates. Don't know enough about Athearn Mchenry or Bachmann's new Knuckle Coupler. Red Caboose Unimates are OK for some applications.
Anything is better than an old C(Rapido).
Microtrains trucks and couplers are the most reliable couplers available. They are available as body mounts or truck mounts. If you plan to use Atlas Code 55 track, you'll want to get low profile wheelsets since Micro Trains standard wheels do not comply with NMRA RP-25 standards.
Accumates by Atlas are also good, but in many instances create a longer than prototypical space between cars. They also aren't quite as reliable as MT.
Haven't seen the new Athearn McHenry's, so I can't comment.
The new Bachmann knuckle is a one-piece dummy. It allows you to couple cars together, but they do not automatically uncouple. They are compatible with the other brands.
Hi, right now i have my benchwork, 2" foam on top of plywood, completed and starting to lay the kato track down, waiting for a few more lefthand turnouts to arrive and then I am going to work on the rest of the layout . the wiring is whats going to "scare" me to do. are there any good N scale books on wiring for beginners?
Are you planning for DC cab control or DCC (Digital Command Control)?
jd n guage wrote:I have been collecting, 'N GUAGE' for the last 45 years. My wife told me it is about time to do something with, as she puts it, "my collection of rolling stock". The only bad part of this is that we just moved into a Senior complex with limited but some intriguing possibabilities,. Some of the things I've aquired are; 35+ engins all deisel mostly SF, but many other road names, over 350 pieces of rolling stock including 100 coal hoppers for unit trains, 30+ turn outs. I will be starting soon after all the boxes are gone making plans on what type of layout I will do. Right now I think it may be narrow and several interconnecting levels. Will keep 'The "N" Crowd', informed of my progerss.
jd n guage.
to The "N" Crowd.
It sounds like we are both married to the same woman. I had been collecting loco's and cars for a number of years and one day when we were at the Hobby Shop that I frequent, she laid down the law. In a voice loud enough for most of the customers and the owner and staff to hear she said, " That's the last train you buy until you build a layout to run what you already have". Needless to say, there were a few chuckles. As we had been married about 43 years at the time, and I am getting to old to break in a new wife, I complied and bought some track and turnouts (Peco) and stuff to get started.
I designed a little 3X6 twice around, over and under and across with a little yard and proceeded to my local Home Depot and picked up some Clear Pine Hobby Lumber and other odds and ends to start with. The hobby lumber comes in standard 1X1, 2", 3", and 4" widths and 2', 3', 4', 6' and 8' lengths and is very straight. It costs a little more, but you have all standard sizes so not much cutting and better yet, not much sawdust to clean up after. I got by with a variable speed drill and a sabre saw.
Now, the wife doesn't say a thing when I look at trains but now I buy mostly Scenery stuff.
If you run into any problems, just pipe up. Someone will be glad to help or you can just go to the search box at the bottom of the page and type in what you require.
Good luck.
Blue Flamer.
jwils1 wrote:..........Truck Retaining Springs: I've been trying to install some of these to prevent the jerky motion when pulling a cut of cars at slow speed. I've decided it's impossible, at least for me. Out of a pack of 12 springs, I have about 3 left and none installed yet! The rest have flown around the room somewhere. So, my questions:1. What's the trick for installing these?..........
1. What's the trick for installing these?..........
From the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west I am: rtpoteet
"You show me a man with both feet on the ground and I'll show you a man who can't get his pants on." -anonymous
Good Afternoon;
Blue Flamer - I enjoyed your story. Just say, "Yes, dear" and head to Home Depot. Sounds like a plan (lol)
work safe
hi, I was wondering if any of you fine modelers can help me, please forgive my ignorance but here is my question, I am using kato unitrack on my layout. In all the or almost all the layouts that kato shows on their web site it shows where to place the terminal connectors for the propper running of the trains, now, if I choose to make my own layout how do I know where the propper placing of the connectors should be for the running of the trains. Thank you for your time and any help you may provide
Bruce
Go to Tony's Train Exchange on line and do some reading about the different systems that are available. You'll find the answers to a lot of your questions there.
Sawyer Berry
Clemson University c/o 2018
Building a protolanced industrial park layout
Dave Vollmer wrote:Hey, RT...Kato's GG1 announcement's up on their site! Taking orders now! Jeez, I can't wait for my tax refund...!
As soon as i finish scratchbuilding my EM-1s, rest assured someone will release one
Cest la vie.
RT,
In keeping with my "model the ordinary, not the unsual" philosophy, I'm plenty happy with the much more common 5-stipe DGLE (Brunswick Green) than the more unusual (less than a dozen) Tuscan units.
Packers1 wrote:I am finally replying to this thread. My layout is a 4x8 ft. 1979 freelanced hauler. Lots of sidings. 5-track yard w/ turntable. I will reconfigure it to be a modern-day freelanced RR that hauls over the Appalachian mountains. Incredibly steep grade. Yard at each end. plenty of industries. That will start when my parents clear the attic out. All I have down is track and a touch of ballast, so it's not like I'm losing anything by chopping it up. Can't wait to start my new layout.
Not trying to but in on this N scalers thread, (I'm in HO) but you might not want a steeo grade unless absulutly neccisary. I have a 4% grade on my layout, which doesn't serve any purpase other that justifing helpers, and it gets annoying.... runaway trains, traction problems, plus it looks a little unrealistic. Your choice, but I'd go with a shallower grade. If I was building my pass again, I'd buy the 2% instead of the 4% stuff. (woodland scenics grade.)
4-6-6-4 Challenger wrote:Can I run a dcc train with a dc control? Also can they go on the same track or do they need to be on special track
The Digitrax Zepheyr (?) allows a DC power pack to be used as a throttle.
Gary