1; use plastic poles; they will be more realistic.
2; use Berkshire Junction Lycra thread
3; Do your wiring under the layout.  You will incur grief untold and they will cart you off, muttering to yourself, to your friendly neighborhood laughing academy.

Incidentally, Rix has about the best looking poles around-yes, they are plastic.

The Old Rreprobate

Kinda gives a whole new meaning to the term "KP pusher".  You guys that were/are in the service know that term...
The Old Reprobate

Hunt;
Where've you been?  I have been calling "the Bachmann"  "Johann" for a couple of years; picked it up from TOC, so blame him...

The Old Reprobate

 One day I'll amass enough rolling stock to make it all worth while.

Would there be a good chance you'd run it all on Rod Stewart's layout?   That 120-foot run would be a neato place to see that action.

The Old Reprobate

Gene;
I may be all wet here, but it really isn't Lee Riley or Johann who would make these available-I think they would if for no other reason, then just out of good will.  It is the manufacturers.  They have already prospected their profit/losses, and I am sure that entails the plausibility of going out of their way just to provide an excess of a parts run.

They are not in the business in the same capacity as say, Cal-Scale, or Precision, and probably have no desire to ape those others in structure.  There idea, I presume, is to produce a limited number of finished product in a particular line.  THIS is where they make their profit; in the efficiency and compactness of a project.

I am sorry to say this, as I like the quality Bachmann generally puveys; but it does make a lot of sense, and if you think about it, I think you will agree.  In my profession, if someone wants to make changes in their home electrical plan, it will cost them-up front!  No exceptions!  That is how business is done, and Bachmann would be subject to the same hassle, because Kader, etc, is in it to make money-really big money-and they do.
Therefore, in that light I think Bachmann is in the position you see with this subject. 

The Old Reprobate

To "Big mamie"...

As I came aboard, I saluted the United States Flag.  I was not in uniform.  Someone called me on it.  I simply told them that many men who came and went before me gave me the right-as a former American Fighting man, to excercise that gesture. 

Her guns are posed in a position of peace, her decks clean, her whole presence as if ready for action again, if needed.  Her silence broken by the sounds of people and kids, boat motors, and the sounds of Fall River.  Tours are given on board, and her history is of course, available, t his, the ship that fired both the first and last sixteen-inch projectiles in anger; the first into Casablanca, Mormcco; the last into Tokyo, Japan.  Of course, she will never be either ready for action; or in this day and age, or needed in light of today's technology which abounds.  The labour of both my Mom and Dad are imbedded in her history, so she has a special meaning to me.  There have been many beauties in this world, but the most beautiful lady to me will always be my Miss Massachusetts-BB-59-Big Mamie.

The Old Reprobate

Rash;
That "Hudson" by BLI is an excellent starting place for the whole series of NYC "J" series engines, the Milwaulkee "Baltic", the Boston and Albany Hudson, etc.  On that premise there would be a lot of interested people for the possibilities to renovate, redesign, etc.

The Old Reprobate

As long as I have owned them, I have had no problems with either the two Pacifics or the two Mikes I own by Athearn.  Did I get lucky?

Rich

On the dim headlight: 
You can vary the headlight's top-end capacity to your satisfaction by changing the whole to a "yellow-glo" type LED, and the  resistance to suit your choice of light intensity.  I have found this to be a really good way to go in a lot of applications, besides headlamps.  I am building a coaling tower, and (am waiting for) the LEDS I am using for the general illumination will be white with a blue tint, as a carbon arc lamp will give a light colour similar to that.  HOWEVER:  I used two yellowglo under the tower where the chutes are to give a rather dim illumination that would simulate a typical incondescent lamp fixture with a reflector.  The resistors are about 750-Ohm 1/4-watt, run at about 5VDC.  it looks eerie, spooky, grungy and really good.  Now, if I can just get my hands on that other order, I can get the lights on the tower wired in, the tower assembled, the sound speakers under the whole shebang, and away I go!!

The Old Reprobate

Sooooooooooo...When are we going to see a decent "workable" Pacific out here?   What?!!  When WHAT freezes over?

Why don't we start with a live wire and make an I-4 New Haven Pacific?  That would also eliminate my extra work...

The Olde Reprobate

Railroad Graphics

LARC products
PO Box 342; Jamesville, NY, 13078

www.geocities.com/larcproducts


The Old Reprobate

Bob;
You know, It could have been said about the late John Allen that if you tried to pick up one of his engines, you stand a chance of a hernia...
...I don't reckon he needed those lil' rubber tires, do you, good buddy?

The Old Reprobate

About the onlything that makes sense to put on track is goo-gone or Wahl's oil.  Anything else is ixnay!

To begin with, I am not familiar with this A4 business.  There are a lot of information sources on web.  If you want some really nice reproduction of building mateials, sites, etc, try purchasing the "Railroad Graphics) CDROM set.  It is less than $40 US and will fill the bill in a lot of applications.  Otherwise, there are other sites on the web.
Scratchbuilding is an acquired art, and learning from books is only guidline basis at best; the rest comes from hands-on experience.
Try going to Scott Mason's site (Try your provider) for some good information.  He is somehow in cahoots with Bob VanGelder/South River Models.  Both men are extremely talented.

The Old Reprobate

An intermittent connection will cause that to happen.  These joint have to be tight and made right in order to work well; I don't care if it two feet or two miles.  Make sure your rail isn't full of crud and your joiners fit snugly and properly onto the rail.  If it is at all possible, solder them if you know how.

The Old Reprobate