The Russian Decapod was announced a good half-decade ago but put on hold supposedly due to the lack of a small-enough motor. Now that the 4-6-0 and the 44 Tonner have been released, the motor problem would seem to have been solved. I for one wold love to see the release of the Decapod, but in retrospect, the Horribly Oversized version was a dud sales-wise;  (you would find them on the web at fire-sale prices where ever you looked) so I somehow doubt that Bachmann is going to release it in N  scale...

Average value would be around $10- $15, plus shipping...

I don't use a spray bottle, I mix a few drops of dish washing liquid with about a cup of water, pour that into the mold, slosh it around, pour it out and then pour in the Hydrocal. DO NOT ADD THE DETERGENT TO THE HYDROCAL. The "wet water" is not so much a release agent; it lets the hydrcocal flow into all the little crevasses of the mold to prevent air bubbles and voids on the face of the casting. After the hydrocal is dry, the mold releases very easily, just gently peel it off; there is no way it can be damaged in the removal process...

Edit: And don't worry about getting all the "wet water" out of the mold before you pour, the hydrocal will displace it..

Atlas Code 80 rail joiners should fit...

MB Klein has them on sale right now for $69.00 brand new. If you are asking about an older set, somewhere between $15 & $20 depending on condition..

The problem is that unless you live in a major urban area, Hobby Shops are few and far between. The nearest large city in my case would be Atlanta, which DOES have a good number of shops (some of them quite decent, btw; unfortunately 2 of the better ones, National Hobby Supply on South Cobb Drive and The Gandy Dancer in Chamblee have closed) but at 250 miles it is not an option to go there every time the mood strikes me to buy something. Also, many decades ago when I was a young lad living in NYC, not only were there plenty of hobby shops, but back then "hobby shop" meant primarily Model RR shop. Not any more. The one with the surly owner is actually a Hobby Town USA and his main thing is R/C models. There WAS an exclusive RR store about 20 miles further down the road, but it was a "hobby" hobby shop.(i.e. the owner ran it as a hobby and you could never be sure if it was actually open when you got there) which has now closed. Most people unfortunately do not have the option NOT to deal with online stores. That is why I took exception the the blanket statement "You shouldn't be buying from online dealers in the first place"; because if it wasn't for online dealers, my hobby dollars would be spent at the local gun shop (or an ONLINE telescope dealer). And if I have to shop online anyway, why not buy from someone who has not only the best price (after all, as of the last time I checked, I DO have to work for my money) but gives good service to boot?

Quote from: ACY on June 18, 2011, 07:55:11 PM
You shouldn't be buying from online dealers in the first place if that is your opinion toward Bachmann not having a lot or up to date info and pictures. Furthermore, you are going to run the local hobby shops out of business if you continue to patronize online dealers.

There are quite a few local hobby shops that DESERVE to be run out of business. My nearest "local" hobby shop is an 80 mile drive each way. And he doesn't really stock much N-scale. Oh, he'll order it for you. At full list price, pay up front and wait 4 weeks. Won't do phone orders. Speaking of the telephone, he can't be bothered to call you if something you ordered and PAID for six weeks ago came in. His answer to any problems with something you bought from him? "Send it in to the factory. It's under warranty".  He is oblivious to the fact I spent 1 1/2 hours of my time driving there, not to mention the gas at almost 4 bucks a gallon. What DOES he do? Well, he rants a lot about those damn internet dealers ruining the business (when he and his buddies aren't sitting around listening to right-wing talk radio) and is annoyed when you ask him something about an item you are looking at. Test run it? you must be joking.  Will I be sorry if he closes? Hardly. Many local hobby shop owners seem to think that you OWE them your patronage just because they are "local". Sellers like M.B Klein and Brooklyn Locomotive Works who actually HAVE decent pricing, full inventories good customer service and quick delivery will capture more and more of the market....

And if it is new ConCor and you have any problems with it, their "Customer Service" is worse than a joke. I purchased a 4-8-4 a while ago and lost the headlight casting. (it fell off, great quality, if you ask me) and called them with the part number trying to buy a replacement; (didn't even try to ask for a warranty part) and was told by whoever answered to phone at their C/S number that they "couldn't be bothered" with parts. Asked me where I bought it from; I told him (Standard Hobby Supply, now out of business) and he had the gall to tell me to call Standard Hobby (presumably for a spare part) "and tell the guy to pay his bills". Real Class Act. Not to mention that the quality/finish of ConCor products is still stuck in the 70's...
Although on the other hand, who else would make a Galloping Goose (or GS4 for that matter) in PRR?? Surprised that they haven't made a Big Boy in Boston & Maine  yet...

The Micro-Trains couplers will work with the dummy knuckle couplers. Since there is no such thing as a NMRA coupler in N-scale, I am guessing that what you have in the spare parts bag are the old RAPIDO couplers. These will not work with either Micro-Trains or Dummy Knuckles or for that matter , AccuMates or the new McHenry couplers.  After almost 50 years, the Crapidos are mercifully going the way of the DoDo....

Depending on condition around $5.00 - $10.00....

Quote from: freeloaderfred on February 13, 2011, 05:54:31 PM
Is it possible to retrofit older Bachmann units with the newer couplers?
Even if we have to acquire new(er) trucks to accomplish this, it would seem to be worth it.

Real easy. Micro-Trains makes knuckle couplers and draft gear boxes  to fit directly in place of the crapidos and their boxes on older Bacmann locos. You can also replace truck mounted couplers with body mounted ones such as M-T's 1015...
Check out M-T's website for conversion charts and details.

http://www.micro-trains.com/ConversionsN.php

What brand turnouts are you using?  If you are using E-Z Track, you will find that the turnouts are power routing, i.e. that the track which the switch is not pointing to (either straight or diverging) will not receive power, thus causing the train to stop. It is an easy fix: just add additional track feeders on your spur tracks or sidings....

It needs the depth for the drive, the DCC  one is no different. I do believe that the Atlas turntable would work on a hollow door layout as it is powered by a hand crank on the surface of the TT (which can be replaced with an electric motor disguised as a metal shop building)....

I dunno..I must have gotten one made on a Monday.. No upside-down pilot, no shimmy, no loose rod bolt, side rods don't look bowed, no binding in the valve gear, runs smooth and quiet....
I feel cheated. Can I get a refund???

Not a memory thing at all. If you use the Atlas controller, the little button stays either left or right after you actuate the switch, giving you visual indication (if you decided that left is for mainline and right is for diverging, just swap the red and green wire on any controller where the left position sets the switch for the diverging route). In my case, since the bat handle switches are spring loaded and always stay in the center position, I simply tap the handle up as the train approaches the junction if I want it to continue on the mainline or down if I want it to take the diverging route. (I used a Brother P-Touch labeler to label all my switch controllers on the fascia board as well as the on/off toggles for track power on the sidings) You could install LED's for positive feedback, but hat is too much wiring for me to bother with...