Hi
looks like you have parts of a ballast reclaimer on the train.
some of the other stuff following the train
ballast regulator, tamper, don't know what they call it but it digs out the ballast around the sleepers, sleeper pullers looks like there where a couple of spike drivers or pandrol squeezer's
And a couple I don't recognize.
regards John

Hi all
Thanks for the links have not found church yet, I take it this would be a simple wooden one.
I rather like the doctors office over the undertaker it appeals to my strange sense of humor
Hi Jim
Wrong forum   
One of the US war games suppliers does tent huts in there ACW range and they are either HO or close enough to that you would get away with it.
Wish I could find the link again they did not seem to be that expensive.
They would also be good for a fettlers or logging camp, as well as I just got into town.
I believe some of them where big enough that they became the first room of the new house?? and eventually disappeared into the structure.
But I might be thinking of the local whitewashed hessian huts from the early days.
regards John

Hi
Nickle silver is the way to go.
Damaging motors HUH thats a new one on me.
make sure the joints between the different rail old and new types are clean.
and you should not have to many dramas.
You may experience some speed variations between the different metals in the rail.
But that should not be a problem it just means you will have to drive the train according to the prevailing conditions.
regards John.

Hi Thomas 1911
Please excuse me while I just turn a pale shade of green and cry.
That is a nice effort I particularly like the effort that has gone into the bench work.
I personally think a saw mill and part town of will be enough in the proposed area, once the timber stacks are in they will take a bit of room.
If the mill flogs the 1' leftovers as domestic fire wood there is going to be a fair bit of storage area needed.
regards John

Hi guys
Could you suggest a few buildings (four seems a good number not counting RR structures) for hicksville and a better name
Its a one horse town where even the horse is thinking about leaving.
Because he is fed up with that ###### banjo music and smell of moonshine still's.
Not really sure what I need to produce a town with the above image
Do have a woodland scenics flag stop which I hope is the right kind of depot.
regards John

Quote from: Doneldon on July 25, 2010, 12:18:20 AM
buzz-

I'm shocked!  You don't think the Polar Express has a prototype?  Migod, man.  I'll bet you don't even believe in Santa Claus.  How long has it been since you heard the bell?

                                                                                      --D

Oh about seven months I have the DVD
The faerie folk are quite happy at the bottom of the garden
as long as you don't disturb them.
regards John

Well as much as I like the idea of having the polar express in HO
if no one makes it as a set I won't be having one.
Quite simply because my hobby time is better spent either making
something that has some resemblance to reality or operating trains.
I do have the Hogwarts Express all five coaches of it but then someone manufactured that as a set and provided separate sale coaches as well.
regards John

Hi mctrain
Start with your local hobby shop.
Are we talking generally accepted farm crops or something a bit different
like sun flowers or cabbages on a commercial scale.
Nice plowed fields can be done with the thin corrugated stuff that comes in some boxes of chocolates a coat of earth brown 
Some fine green Ground foam run down the top of the ridges in a straight neetish line could be a field of just about anything you want to call it.
regards John

Mine is being demolished it had an unfortunate shake up by nature.
Earthquake!!
Buildings are being repaired track assessed for re use.
It was only a simple line an oval of track and a few sidings
It will be again.
Bachmann could help by providing a revised range of the large scale buildings like it used to make perhaps this time in a UV stable plastic,
and please make a decent out door track or at least a decent indoor track with solid rails.
Perhaps genuine large scale plasticville in UV stable plastic a big ask I know.
My garden railway provided hours of entertainment and will again one day.
I feel Bachmann's large scale is let down by lousy track and a lack of at least the basic RR structures.
A shame when some of the trains are very well done and getting better
regards John

Hi
have had response from Aus distributor
Just in case someone else wants to know

Zimbler Pty Ltd
Its a special commission for them 
sets and BHP ore cars for separate sale.
Are available at normal Australian hobby outlets that stock Bachmann.
Might have to get another set to get a third loco and add a few more ore cars the BHP trains are not know for being short.
Am told they have 5 locos three up front two in the middle a locotrol car and three hundred and something ore cars
I don't think mine will be that big not enough room by a very long margin
and not that big a budget.
Does any one do a locotrol car??
regards John

hi jward
Thanks will have to beat up boss for drawings even if he has to get them from drawing office.
The home made route had not occurred nor do I really want to go that way.
To much like the day job of signal maintainer.
The line in the sand has to be drawn some where
regards John

Hi Volts
Japanese "N" runs on 12V the same as US "N".
So my suggestion would be buy the trains and track and use a good US
Transformer Controller
That would be the best Idea I would think.
I have run Japanese on AUS control equipment so the same should work with the US control equipment
regards John

Hi ABC
Well its not Bachmann UK.
I found a web site for a distributer in Aus but no response from him.
regards John

Hi
Does any one other than Bachmann make dummy signals.
I am looking for some to make a load for an S&T train.
I am trying to find dummy search light signals and so far the only dummy's I can find are the Bachmann ones and a company called Knightwing.
neither of which are searchlight signals.
regards John

Hi BaltoOhioRRfan
Typical MOW train mid sized locomotive and 1/2 dozen R/C ballast hoppers
same loco as above 1/2 dozen modified flat cars carrying rail.
Dependant on era may or may not have caboose in the case of steel train
caboose would be behind loco so it can be un-loaded.
If caboose era ballast train it may have a ballast plow then caboose
or caboose may be modified to be both plow and caboose.
Mow trains tend to be single function trains so a big job may require more than one train the only time you would see crew camp cars on a train is in transit.
They tend to be dropped at the closest convenient siding plugged into power  water and sewerage and not on a working train these day's where ever possible crew trains are not used and the crews put in hotels.
Most per way gangs have trucks so even the tool cars don't get much use
unless a workshop car is part of the camp
regards John