Hi Jim
Not sure any railway modeler I know could run one of those
That's defiantly one for the model railway club layout.
My railway will occupy a single car garage defiantly no room for three feet of space taken by a single wagon.
regards John

Hi Jward
MANY thanks for the pointer in the right direction.
"unprintable exclamation" that is one huge freight car its 89' 4" long apparently
Just the thing for a clearance test car
will order one in my RR of choice before they run out that way it can double as a scenery come shunting yard anoyance piece as well
regards John

Sorry forgot to say in HO scale
regards John

Hi all
Can any one tell me the largest single item of US freight rolling stock manufactured.
NOT including double stack containers or articulated wagons.
This is needed to either make a crude test car or purchase the wagon
as a clearance set up and test car.
I will never run that size of wagon on my railway, but you never know what may happen when your railway friend brings that new train he just bought
to a running session.
I don't particularly want to be extracting stock that has jambed somewhere or replacing telegraph poles
regards John

Gentlemen
To all of you thank you for the assistance will let you know how I get on
and what decisions I make.
One thing is for sure it is almost certain that metal wheels will be fitted to the stock while there is only four of them.
knuckles will defiantly be fitted some how again best done while there are only four wagons to do
The loco is going to be a tougher decision it would be easy to just get another F unit because it has very little in the way of fiddly little bits that break and would therefore be good with children.
But having seen some of the other units available some of which I like
its going to make that decision harder, particularly having been real dumb and looked in the real locomotive section  oop's I mean steam section of the on line catalog as well.

One last question does Bachmann still put that disgusting black track in
the sets or have they now put nickle silver instead of steel rail in the sets
regards John

Quote from: jward on July 28, 2009, 09:13:09 AM
a good general purpose locomotive, appropriate for any era from the mid 1960s to to-day, would be the gp40. the gp30 and gp35 are also good bets, but most disappeared in the 1990s though many shortlines and a few larger lines still have them. the gp38-2 is also a good general purpose locomotive from 1972 on. all are in the bachmann line, and all are available with dcc.

as for your old freight cars, you really don't have to change the trucks and couplers on all of them, or any of them. probably the easiest solution is to buy a cheap kit car like athearn and replace one of the knuckle couplers with a horn hook type that will work with your old train set cars.

Hi jward
The list of locos is getting longer  .
Which would be the right SF livery for the fifties or sixties
regards John

FECfan
Well there are only four wagons to do so I might just as well do all of them.
All new stock from a large number of manufacturers all seems to have their version of knuckle couplings pre fitted.
I might just put metal wheels on them while I am at it.
regards John

This is interesting
I wonder why the books I had never had the faces??
I know the railway built by the REV Awdery certainly did not have faces,
and where accurate models of the specific locomotives in all except colour
regards John

Hi Jonathan
I have a separate transformer for lights and accessories this way they don't interfere with the trains.
The First light I wire in series then after that they go in parallel this will dim them a bit to start with the lamps last longer and you get a better appearance when they are lit

All the bits for the level crossing can be wired to the accessories transformer but really read an digest the manufactures instructions.
they will probably be electronics and may be voltage type and or polarity sensitive.
All the bits to have the trains turn the crossing on and off are available.
look for a flash light mast with LED's it will look better the same goes for train signals.
From your description you should have plenty of available power.
But afraid your going to have to find the formulas and do the calculations to find what you can run on each transformer
regards John

Hi Jonathan
Thanks for assistance.
Anything I need to watch out for during coupler change over

Had a look at the on line catalog saw two F red and a blue possibilities thanks for tip 
also saw a Fairbanks Morse H16-44 in SF livery what where they used for??
regards John

Quote from: jonathan on July 23, 2009, 05:24:50 AM
Hi John,

We're not ignoring you.  It is possible that no one on the forum has any experience with that train set.  Are the trucks talgo? (coupler attached to truck).

I've never seen the set, so I couldn't recommend a replacement engine.

Sorry.

Regards

Jonathan

Hi Johnathan
The Bachmann set is about ten yeas old and consisted of an F unit (that quite frankly I am surprised lasted ten years).
three freight wagons and a Caboose all with truck mounted horn hook couplers
The loco and Caboose are labled for the Santa FE Railway
The discusting black track was replaced by a good quality nickle silver
set track some time ago as was the trainset controller

I am not that familiar with US trains, but I do know the red and silver loco suplied with the set is in passanger colours and the set is a freight one.
I didn't notice any SF coaches in the catalog when I looked and am a bit lost as to what would be a good general purpose loco just in case I move from my more normal railway modeling to US outline.
I do wonder if it would be better to just go and buy another set and start from there.
But It seems wasteful to condemn what is still usable in the old set.
Its done an excellent job of entertaining visiting children and keeping them away from my railway.
And also entertaining me during times of no model railway due to house move or just took mine apart to start the bigger better next one
regards John

Hi
Surely some one knows which is the right easy mate coupling.
To use as replacement for the the horn hooks in the set.
All the new locos and rolling stock appears to come pre fitted with easy mates and I don't want to condemn the whole set
just replace couplings and the Loco
regards John

Hi
I have the Silver Comet set and want to put ez mate couplings on it
but which is the right one for the job.
Or do I have to do a complete truck change
Also loco is just about worn out through fair wear and tear, I don't think the set engine is worth repairing
Any suggestions for a decent analog replacement loco

Quote from: ZeldaTheSwordsman on July 10, 2009, 08:05:52 PM
I hate being Captain Obvious, but they had faces in the books too. Also, it's going to be the TV style. That's a GIVEN.

I hate to say this but the 1934 or was it 38 stories which I had copies of, did not have faces they where proper locomotive as are all the Thomas characters.
Nor did the articles written by the great man on the S.I.R in the English model press
in fact it was these that got me interested in model trains in the first place.
regards John

Hi
Please tell me one of the extras supplied with the locomotive is going to be a proper English smoke box door (and some other details) that can be fitted instead of the face.
I am a fan of the real Thomas not the modern #### and hope it will be the  Proper Rev Awdry locomotive which means no face not the unreal TV one.
Please don't mould the faces in the rolling stock so they can be painted out
by English large scale fans the stock looks like it could be convincing UK
stock if it hasn't got the faces
regards John