A new MRR added to the pack

[Martha]

 Hello all! I'm back, its been awhile but I'm happy to report my Grandson has gotten bit by the alluring HO scale train bug. He has me, his Grammy to thank and the fact he's been in love with trains from the age of one has also kept his interest going. He is turning 8 in a month or so. I moved from Reno to New York a month ago to be with my family. If anyone remembers, I was the one who had a Christmas village with a train running through it. I also asked umpteen questions. I got a lot of advice and tons of help so I'm back for more.

I had accumulated quite a bit of odd ball stuff in my quest to create that scene of my Christmas village train. I hung on to the stuff  in the hopes my grandson would find interest down the road. and now we are at that road!!! Moving my village & train was a bit difficult and in the end my platform I worked so hard to get it right didn't make it to NY. It was just to big to pack so I pulled up the track and brought that with me.

I arrived with a box or two filled with train stuff. I am staying with my Grandson & Family. and he has already conned me into letting him play with my stuff. It has been a test to see how he treats my things. Next we sat down and shopped for some deals on ebay. I am not at this time buying high end DCC stuff that my Grandson might (will) break. I have only owned Bachmann sets so that is what I went looking for. My Grandson (Connor) is in love with Amtrak and Metro North so the first items we bought were used Amtrak locomotive and then some vintage (everything is vintage on ebay) Amtrack cars. He LOVES them. I have a budget what I am willing to pay for stuff so when my son in law and Connor came home all excited about a train set they had seen at the local flea market I was hopeful. Saturday Connor and I returned. In a old tin Lionel. box was carefully wrapped train pieces and a ton on Ez Track. Only one piece was unwrapped and it was a small black steam engine in perfect condition. I bought it for $80.00. We got home and carefully unwrapped all the pieces. We ended up with 8 cars, 35 pieces of track including left & right turnouts, people, telephone poles, power pack, that Steam engine with coal car and Connor's new favorite a F9 Sante Fe engine, the shiny chrome one. I'm not sure if I over paid for all of this or not? These are Christmas presents and I told Connor they will be packed up and reopened on Christmas morning.  He's cool with that.

I do have a few questions, there is enough track to set up 2 separate ovals. One larger than the other and due to space his layout will be 4'x8'. Question, There is only one power pack and its the older version and I would like to upgrade it and I guess I will need two if running separate tracks, any suggestions on which ones to buy (brands or where to buy them)?

also why do the engines when placed on the track and power supplied they run backwards and will crash into each other? I thought they would follow each other.   

Attaching track, I will be using extruded foam and wood base to support it, what method best to attach track to the foam? My carpenter son in law suggested using a pin nailer gun. I'm pretty sure that's not a good idea?

Is there a trick or something to purchase to line up the wheels EASILY on the track? I find it so difficult to do this especially when the track is sitting on the floor? When I try it looks like I'm trying yoga stances and honestly I'm too old to be doing donkey dunks or walking dog positions. or whatever those yoga names are. It probably will get easier once its off the floor however even then trying to hook up all that stuff well sucks but for now.....?

Happy Thanksgiving, this year especially thankful I'm back home in N Y with my family.

[Trainman203]

You better test run those engines.  Sitting for years can freeze them up just like a car. 

Get a rerailer track section.  It is designed to help get HO cars on the track.

You'll need a power pack to run each train, assuming they are both "DC" engines.  Don't connect those two ovals to each other without asking here how to do it.

They run in opposite directions because the polarity is miswired in one engine. It is not a hard correction to do. 

[Flare]

Get a rerailer track section.  It is designed to help get HO cars on the track.

Another product I would advise is Bachmann's E-Z Railer:  http://shop.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=6003

Rerailers are good if a wheel hops over a rail while a train's moving, but for initially putting a car or locomotive on the line I find the E-Z Railer to be much easier; No back-and-forth motion required.

[Trainman203]

I'd forgotten about those, they are really good until you ballast the track.

[Jerrys HO]

Attaching track, I will be using extruded foam and wood base to support it, what method best to attach track to the foam?

I use a low temp glue gun and just spot glue every track. Dries instantly, holds great and is easily removed by sliding a putty knife under the glue spots.

I do have a few questions, there is enough track to set up 2 separate ovals. One larger than the other and due to space his layout will be 4'x8'. Question, There is only one power pack and its the older version and I would like to upgrade it and I guess I will need two if running separate tracks, any suggestions on which ones to buy (brands or where to buy them)?

Check out the MRC for dc......  http://www.hobbylinc.com/mrc-tech-7-ampac-780-model-train-power-supply-transformer-0001278
I prefer NCE for DCC.

[jbrock27]

The Bachmann likes to recommend double sided carpet tape to hold EZ Track down.

I wonder if a hairdryer could be used on the hot glue to soften it back up, to allow for if and when the EZ Track needed to be moved?

[Jerrys HO]

The Bachmann likes to recommend double sided carpet tape to hold EZ Track down.

I wonder if a hairdryer could be used on the hot glue to soften it back up, to allow for if and when the EZ Track needed to be moved?

Your correct that Bachmann suggest carpet tape but before that if I remember correctly they also suggested low temp glue.
I don't think a hair dryer is needed as I have removed a lot of track when I was redesigning my layout and by sliding the putty knife under the track the track releases from the foam board easily which Martha states  she is thinking of using.

[Terry Toenges]

For securing EZ Track, I use white glue. I just go around and put a drop every foot or so along the sides where the roadbed meets the surface. It keeps it secure yet it's not hard to pry up if you want to change track.
Another thing  I do is use rubberized shelf liner cut in strips (the kind with the holes in it) under the EZ Track. It cuts down on the noise a lot with the EZ Track because the hollow EZ Track roadbed can get noisy. I use the white glue with it, too. The shelf liner comes in colors, too.