What are the advantages, if any, of metal wheels on rolling stock? I am going to a train show Saturday and thinking of buying some but the more I think about it - I not sure I should.

Newbie question.

Could someone tell me what the number in a turnout description represents? Eg. #4 Turnout, #6 Turnout etc. Is it the length of the turnout or the angle of the curve? I am working in N scale and Bachmann only makes one turnout in N EZ Track. I would like to run 2 lines closer together than the Bachmann turnout allows me too. I know I can do it with a Wye or crossover but those babies are $$$$$$.

Question for "Real Railroad" people. The ones that sing "I've been Working on the Railroad" in the shower.

When railroads ran diesels in tandem, was there a rule of thumb if they ran one of the A units in reverse?  Looked up pictures on the Internet and they show the trailing A unit facing in either direction.

Does anyone know of a good web site that describes how to build (simple)or a place to purchase turnout direction indicator lights to put on a layout - not on the control panel.

Thanks.

I had bought a Steam Locomotive from an eBay store. Ran for about 5 minutes and one of the Wheel Rods (? terminology) feel off - derailed and bent the rod. I sent it to Backmann. Got a personal telephone call saying they did not have the parts to fix it and if it was OK to send me a DCC Heavy Mountain. Just got it a couple of hours OK.

Now here is my problem. I am running DC. After running the Heavy Mountain for maybe 10 minutes or so - it stops. I noticed that the tender is very warm. If I let it cool down  - its off and running again - heats up and stops.  I am thinking that maybe this engine doesn't like DC. I have read somewhere that not all DCC engines will run on DC.

Here is the "QUESTION":

Can I remove the DCC board in the tender and have a DC engine?

I read in other post (HO I think) that the springs in the Bachman turnouts seem to be weak. I notice that with some turnouts electrical contact is lost where the points contact the rails after a train runs for awhile - probably due to vibration. If I reset the turnout (flip the switch) once in awhile I don't have the problem.

Has anyone replaced the spring with a stonger one on N turnouts? With what?

Thanks.

My next big step is to complete my wiring and build a control panel. How about some picture from you "Oldtimers" out there so I can steal some ideas!!!!!!

Just had my second N gauge turnout short out. Everything was working fine and all of a sudden I had a short. Drove me nuts for awhile. One switch was humming. Took it apart  and the insulation on one of the green wires was striped from the wire where the 3 wires were pulled apart and touching the bottom metal plate.  Very poor workmanship. Don't know if I should be mad at Bachmann or the Chinese person that put this together.

I want to run trains and not spend hours trying to get poor quality parts to work.

What is everyone's favorite turnout? How do you connect it to EZ Track?

Thank you.

Is there any disadvantage in powering frogs?

I have a 4-8-4 Northern which I got for Christmas and two American 4-4-0 which a friend of mine gave me and a Trix Diesel (Not sure what it is - Union Pacific) which another friend gave me ( I have some very generous friends).

The diesel goes through turnouts without any hesitation but the others don't. I know that the 4-4-0 have short wheel bases and that is why. Not sure why the 4-8-4 does it.

Does anyone have better instructions on powering the frogs? Having a hard time with the instructions that are on the back of the package. Took the back cover off of one turnout and the guts look different than the picture.

Oh yea - N Scale.

Has anyone ever replaced the directional switches  (the ones that the green wire plugs into) that come with Bachmann turnouts? Does something like a DTDP switch work?

Thanks.

I see from previous post that the subject crossover must be modified per David Harrison to work with DC. If I decide to switch to DCC later on, does modifying them for DC mess me up for DCC?

David - if you read this - I am a little confused on which wires to cut. Can you help?  I am getting old and sometimes don't understand what I am reading. These are expensive little babies and I would hate to mess them up!!!!!!

Anyone have a wild guess on how long it takes Bachmann's Service Dept. to repair a locomotive?

Sent one in and  just kind of wondering how long it normally takes.

Since I am new to this hobby - need some help. Is using two EZ Track Crossovers (Left And Right) better than using 4 turnouts. Anybody know the length of these crossovers? They kind of look neat but pricy.

Thanks!

Got a Empire Builder for Christmas. Looks like it could be lots of fun. Went a bought a couple of EZ track remote turnouts and more EZ track so I could do more than go around in a circle.

Here is the problem - the front wheels on the engine jump the track at the turnouts - not everytime. If you run just the engine and the tender it does ok but as you add cars - the more you add the sooner it jumps the track. I have made sure that the track rails are level. Is there some little trick that the "old pros" know!!!!!

When I build a layout - do I fasten the EZ track to the table and if I do - HOW???

Thank you.

I am new to the hobby and to the board. Can I install DCC in the engine that comes with the Empire Builder set??? DCC sounds neat!!!