The "N" Crowd

[n2mopac]

I think I am going to go with Peco for my new layout as well based on the various recos rom the gang.  One other question:  on their turnouts , short , medium and long: what does that exactly mean to me when constructing my layout?  I am doing the Wisconsin & Southern layout in the room sized n layouts in the MRR PDF.  Any help would be appreciated!!

 

John

 

Peco uses these instead of stardard frog #'s because the diverging led of their turnouts is curved, not straight. The result is that you get the performance of a certaiin frog #, but with a greater angle of departure, allowing more room in close spots, especially in yard ladder tracks. The short radius has a frog approximately matching a #4. Personally I think the diverging route has too much angle to look at all prototypical with this switch. The medium is approximately a #6. I use thes alomost exclusively on my layout, expecially in yards. They look good, work great, and give me more space than a standard #6. The long radius are approximately #8.

Ron

[jaretos]

Thanks for the info, greatly appreciated!  Oner other question:  I will go with code 83, do you use Peco flextrak w/ their turnouts, or do you use Atlas?  If yes, are the two (atlas flex w/ peco turnout) compatible and seamless in their appearance?  Thanks.

 

John

 

[Chuck Geiger]

I am laying track and suprised how well N Atlas Code 80 lays out. I thought it was going to suck. I use spru cutters to cut the rail. Don't even use the Dremel. Midwest cork with Code 80 main and Atlas Code 55 on sidings and yard track. I've decided not to use the Caboose Industries grounf throws. (They are too large for N Scale). Is there anything more prototypical. In HO I used Details West (dummy/mock) switch motors and controlled the turnouts with springs under the layout.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info, greatly appreciated!  Oner other question:  I will go with code 83, do you use Peco flextrak w/ their turnouts, or do you use Atlas?  If yes, are the two (atlas flex w/ peco turnout) compatible and seamless in their appearance?  Thanks.

 

John

 

John Isnt code 83 HO??? I think if your in N you meant code 80. But to answer your question you can use either I will be using atlas flex and buying Peco turnouts soon. I am not 100% sure about seamless but Dave I believe used atlas flex track and peco turnouts And I cant tell the difference once painted and ballested.

Curt

[jaretos]

My mistake, I meant code 80!

john

 

[Dave Vollmer]

Thanks for the info, greatly appreciated!  Oner other question:  I will go with code 83, do you use Peco flextrak w/ their turnouts, or do you use Atlas?  If yes, are the two (atlas flex w/ peco turnout) compatible and seamless in their appearance?  Thanks.

 

John

 

 

John Isnt code 83 HO??? I think if your in N you meant code 80. But to answer your question you can use either I will be using atlas flex and buying Peco turnouts soon. I am not 100% sure about seamless but Dave I believe used atlas flex track and peco turnouts And I cant tell the difference once painted and ballested.

Curt

 

Yep, I used Atlas track with Peco turnouts.  It's pretty seamless once painted and ballasted:

[pcarrell]

Dave!

Love the vegitation between the rails!  I've always been leary of doing that, though I think it looks great.  Always had nightmares about ground foam and gears comingling.  Any tips?

[Dave Vollmer]

Glue.  Lots of glue!

[pcarrell]

Glue.  Lots of glue!

And no tall grass, huh?

[Anonymous]

Dave, did you use Electro frog turn outs or the insulated frogs?

Curt

[Dave Vollmer]

Insulfrog.  I wanted something DCC-friendly without having to cut gaps.  Even on the #8 turnouts, I don't really have much in the way of stalling issues.

[nscaler711]

hello all n-scalers i have a question my Kato p42 genesis loco's LEDs just burnt out a few days ago and i dont see how it could have done that can you guys help me?                                                      by the way it is a             B E A U TIFUL locomotive id trully would reccomend it for any N modeler for your 1990's and up era layouts or an older era that you could use as an collectible item for your shelf. i love it..........it gives me a few problems like the cheap (not to be rude) asian plastic that the pilots are made of will break if the train has a date with the floor. also it gets a lil noisy at 75 scale mph but DCC should fix that hopefully and thats about it. A digitrax decoder dn163k0a will fit into the genesis loco.

also does any one have bachmann E-Z DCC...................does it work well with n scale cause im looking into it as cheap shortcutfor DCC

[nscaler711]

n2mopac your from sedelia mo.! thats awesome im in columbia mo. have you been to the train haus in warrenton mo.? well i have and the manager has a n scale layout in the store its pretty cool

[nscaler711]

Hey Chuck there is another solution to  N scale ground throws........try Z-scale ground throws ive heard that they look more prototypical but they may not be able to operate so i hope this answers your delima.

[Dave Vollmer]

Glue.  Lots of glue!

And no tall grass, huh?

Seriously...  If you apply the ground foam between the rails with the same alcohol pre-soak and diluted white glue technique you use for ballast, it turns hard as a rock and is no issue for operating.  The only trick is keeping it from sticking to the inside of the rails, same as ballast.

[pcarrell]

Glue.  Lots of glue!

And no tall grass, huh?

Seriously...  If you apply the ground foam between the rails with the same alcohol pre-soak and diluted white glue technique you use for ballast, it turns hard as a rock and is no issue for operating.  The only trick is keeping it from sticking to the inside of the rails, same as ballast.

Cool, thanks!  Maybe I'll brave a little on the new layout.  Though my vegitation will be a little more brown since I'm going to do late fall/early winter.

[pcarrell]

Hey, I've kown about this site for a long time, but I'm betting that some of you don't know about it yet.

Want to know about that loco on Ebay or in the hobby shop?  Wonder if it's any good?

Check this out!

http://www.visi.com/~spookshow/locos.html

[jackwade]

I was wondering if anyone has used an Atlas turntable with Kato Unitrack and if so what kind of problems I might have matching them up if any.

 

[Chuck Geiger]

Fascia going in nicely...Masonite bends better when you spray "wet water" on it. Lighting going in today - Lights Of America undercounter 14w lights that plug together. After football, pre-cut valance wll go on.

[nscaler711]

i did something stupid today i bought an atlas PS-2 Covered hopper with accumate couplers and forgot to pick up some rapido style couplers with it so im going to have to look for my extra couplers to convert the darned accumate couplers.

[Metro Red Line]

i did something stupid today i bought an atlas PS-2 Covered hopper with accumate couplers and forgot to pick up some rapido style couplers with it so im going to have to look for my extra couplers to convert the darned accumate couplers.

 

Why do you want to use Vapido couplers?

[nscaler711]

i like rapido couplers b/c there easy to use for me.......im 16 so not entirely exprinced with MT couplers so i stick with the simplist couplers there are. plus accumate has many problems with they're cuoplers like the pin will fallout and get stuck in frogs sometimes wind up in some three cars down the track and get stuck in the cars axles and derail the train.

[Wdlgln005]

Nscaler711:

In 2007, check out the new line of Bachmann Automatic couplers. It appears the next batch of cars will come with them. Repacement parts for their old Crapidos will arrive shortly.
For most Atlas cars, you could simply get the MTL truck mounted coupler & swap. It's the easiest way to go. I'm not talking about going to body-mount yet. Your problem sounds like the old days when I'd get an Atlas or ConCor car & not get the MTL replacement. I'd usually go back to get the 10pak & see how many cars I could 1/2 convert into the fleet before doing the other 1/2. For some cars, i'd even reuse the old bolster pin!

Another way to convert is to have a supply of Unimates on hand. I like to use them on passenger cars that don't do a lot of switching & on B ends of locos. The plastic Tshank makes it easy to swap. i like to do a bunch of Atlas trucks at once.  

[nscaler711]

Thanks i think ill try that. also i found out the coolest way to semi permanitlly connect my bachmann amfleet coaches. they kinda like a real trainset. what you have to do is take three or more long shank couplers and trim the coupler so it looks like its opposite end like a capital T. also if you look at your mouse curser while your typing it will look like that, so then you put the car on their roofs and then you take the coupler boxes with the springs still in them and stick the both of the ends of your new coupler and stick it in the boxes and set the boxes back on the cars and they should be semi permanant. i'll get photos posted on how i did sometime soon

[nscaler711]

i NEED help i don t know how to convert an life like gp38-2 into an gp40-2 so can you help cause i just found the real CSX #6638 and its a gp40-2 not an gp38-2 so please help thank you!

[NS2591]

I would save my money and buy an Atlas GP40 they're much more reliable. My Grandpa has 4 of the LL GP38-2s and they're not bad engines. But by the time(if you want a correct one) you add all the stuff or modify the shell, its just easier to get an Atlas one.

[Metro Red Line]

i like rapido couplers b/c there easy to use for me.......im 16 so not entirely exprinced with MT couplers so i stick with the simplist couplers there are. plus accumate has many problems with they're cuoplers like the pin will fallout and get stuck in frogs sometimes wind up in some three cars down the track and get stuck in the cars axles and derail the train.

 

Yuck, but hey, whatever works for you. At least if I have some Vapidos I wanna get rid of, I know where to send em :) Plus, my passenger station can only have so many weight scales made out of Rapidos. On a related note, if anyone likes Pizza Cutter wheels, let me know so I can give you my old ones. 

[SOU Fan]

On a related note, if anyone likes Pizza Cutter wheels, let me know so I can give you my old ones. 

Thanks but no thanks I think I have enough of those

[pcarrell]

On a related note, if anyone likes Pizza Cutter wheels, let me know so I can give you my old ones. 

Thanks but no thanks I think I have enough of those

But they work great for,......well,.........I guess nothing really!

[modelalaska]

Hey Chuck there is another solution to  N scale ground throws........try Z-scale ground throws ive heard that they look more prototypical but they may not be able to operate so i hope this answers your delima.

nscaler711 - do you know who sells z-scale ground throws? If so please pass on the info.

Thanks,

Peter