Thanks for the reply. You know I've been breathing those lacquer fumes my whole life. It's about time I tried some acrylics. Your projects sure look good

Cheers,

Robert

Regarding the canceled AMTRAK trains, in an earlier time those trains would have been detoured around the blocked RF&P (CSX) and run over the Southern Railway (NS) between Alexandria and Doswell VA respectively. Perhaps due to increased freight traffic density these detours are no longer done? Or perhaps they are more trouble than they're worth. I have read horror stories about detoured trains ending up delayed many hours with all the related problems.

BTW I have looked at B&ORRF's link and see that work continues at the Baltimore tunnel derailment. It certainly would be difficult to re-rail hazardous material cars in that situation.

Robert

I hope you don't mind some more questions I see your locos have a nice gloss finish. What kind of paint do you use? And do you use an over coat such as gloss coat?

I have begun to use Testors paints because they are gloss and are great for decaling. However, they tend to be bright, "primary" colors. I have three old Mantua tank engines that I would like to paint in a dark blue, dark green and wine red paint, but don't know how to pick colors for mixing. I found out for example, that you don't make dark blue by adding black to light blue

The colors I want are available in the Floquil line, but they are very flat. So one would have to spray the flat. Then coat(s) of Gloss Coat. Then decals. Then coat of Dull Coat if you don't want too shiny a surface. I use a 50/50 mix of Gloss/Dull coats on my Testors painted cars and they look very nice. However I painted a car with Floquil flat Pullman Green, and then gave it three coats of Gloss Coat to get it ready for decaling, and it was still pretty much dead flat, but details like rivets were disappearing in the thick coats. So I abandoned it and stripped the paint.

Sorry, this post has got so long. I should probably start a new thread

Best Regards,

Robert

Heat kinks? It was really hot today after several weeks of extreme heat. One wonders about this one flaw in the idea of mile after mile of welded rail. From my job... carbon steel expands at 6 ppm per degree centigrade. To add insult to injury CSX has also overturned a row of coal hoppers south of DC at Quantico VA on their two track mainline, blocking both tracks and AMTRAK and VRE commuter trains (at the height of rush hour ). And wait, there's more Washington DC's METRO has one of two tracks blocked by a station canopy that fell on the tracks at Alexandria VA station during a violent storm that just thundered through here.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/blogs/capital-land/second-csx-train-derails-tying-up-vre-100059119.html

http://www.automatedtrader.net/real-time-dow-jones/10388/csx-coal-train-derails-in-virginia-amtrak-service-disrupted

When it rains, it pours...

Robert

Josh, Those are gorgeous locos - well done! Are they the Richmond modern 4-4-0? I have some projects going on but they do not have a nice yard as yours. They are scattered around my workbench, but I'll try to get some pictures. Two years retired I am finally settling down to work on my trains

Robert

Hey Steve, that's a wonderful layout and trains. It is an inspiration because I realized some time ago that I have quite a collection of catenary suitable trains. Four IHC/Rivi/Mehano GG1's, two Bachmann E60CP's, two Atlas AEM7's (MARC and AMTRAK), Roco ICE II train, IHC/Mehano Boeing LRV and a small Lima steeple cab 0-4-0. I even have the unpowered Heljan SJ X2000 train set that was sold during the train's test runs on the NEC.

You should put a link to your web site here

Best Regards,

Robert

Jerry, I'm guessing that what you're describing is the plastic gear that joins together the left and right axle sections with the wheels. And the gear drives the axle/wheels. Is that right? That has been a problem with quite a few models including some Bachmann as well as Proto 2000 (Life Like/Walthers) and the "Flea" power trucks on Walthers' Washington DC METRO subway cars Regular contributer and very helpful contributer here Jim Banner has described a method of fixing cracked axle gears by slipping tightly fitted metal tubing over the cracked axle hubs to close up the crack. I am interested in this as I have a Proto 2000 BL-2 with cracked axle gears as well as Bachmann two-motor 44 ton locos and 70 ton locos with cracked axle gears.

I would first contact Bachmann service as others have suggested here to see what they have to offer. There is a company Northwest Shortline that provides replacement/repair gears for many third party locos. But please give Bachmann service a call first and let us know if they can solve your needs. Let us know! Your little guy is important and I'm guessing the problems with his loco can be repaired.

Best Regards,

Robert

Quote from: BaltoOhioRRfan on July 30, 2010, 02:06:18 PMThey are called Herald's i believe. B&O Use to put numbers there until the 40's i believe then they put the capital dome there.

Microscale Decal Set $ 87-83 B&O Steam. the Engiens come with the number plate, i just had to put the herald on them.

Quote from: jonathan on July 30, 2010, 02:10:17 PMI believe there is also a Cal Scale product, made of brass.  They are in the Walthers Catalog in the superdetailing section. And I see them on ebay all the time, for $2.80 each.  I actually ordered a few through my LHS.  Still waiting for them.

"Steam Loco Smoke Box Front Number Plates B&O"

Thanks Gentlemen, much appreciated

Robert

Quote from: BaltoOhioRRfan on July 30, 2010, 01:12:05 PMDid i hear you menchon an 0-6-0T?

Where did you get the B&O badges (what do you call these ) on the smoke box doors?

Thanks, Robert

Thanks Jim, for your informative reply. It is very helpful to me too!

Robert

Busch Gardens, originally called "The Old Country" opened in the mid 70's, long before the InBev buyout. The theme park is divided into sections, each representing a different European country.

Robert

Quote from: Blink_182_Fan on July 25, 2010, 11:18:58 AM
... And how easy would it be to take out the decoder. Just wondering because I run DC, and I've heard that running a DCC equipped engine on DC slows it down. Is this true?

Try it with your DC setup first. I've got quite a few Bachmann DCC locos that I run on DC and they operate just fine, smooth and quiet. As a matter of fact, I got a new GP7 a couple of days ago and ran it for the first time yesterday. Absolutely perfect!! Most of my locos show about 5 volts and negligible amps on the pack's meter. The new GP7 shows about 3 volts and neg amps, so it must be very efficient. I have two E60CP DCC locos and they also run perfectly on DC.

Robert

Thanks for the great story Jim

Robert

Quote from: pipefitter on July 22, 2010, 05:02:00 PM... (Bachmann doesn't make Phase I nicknamed "pointless arrow") ...

Not to confuse Tom, but I've been thinking about this, and seemed to remember a phase I paint on a Bachmann Amfleet car, and I found it. It's on the old Bachmann Metroliner sets which now go for very dear prices on eBay. The Metroliners consisted of (I think) the very first Amfleet cars. Electrified they ran on the NE Corridor with a power car on one end and a cab control car on the other end. The power cars were Amfleet I's with an added cab and electrical section and traction motor powered trucks, and the cab cars had just an additional cab section.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budd_Metroliner

Some of the cab cars survive today and are in use on push-pull trains. Here's a picture of a Bachmann model cab/power car. It has the phase I, "pointless arrow" paint. The phase II paint is essentially the same without the arrow logo.

Quote from: tom thornton2000 on July 22, 2010, 09:02:24 AM
Please, how can I tell the difference between the HO AmFleet cars
-13106-13107-13108- 13109 ... ...In looking at online photos & descriptions can find no difference in catalog there are 7 versions  all look same ...

Well there's a lot to be confused about here if you're not familiar with the jargon. I'm looking at the catalog on page 72. These tubular shaped cars are called "Amfleet" by the railroad. They built them in two slightly different designs which they call "phase I" and "phase II." Difference is mainly the size of the windows. All of the Bachmann models are the "phase I" design or "Amfleet I"

However there is another "phase" designation which refers to the paint schemes these cars have carried as Amtrak has changed its colors over the years. The 13106 is a "phase II" paint scheme coach. 13107 is a "phase III" paint scheme coach. 13108 is "phase IV" paint scheme coach, and 13109 is a "Acela" paint scheme coach which is the latest version. Also 13116 is a "phase V" paint scheme coach.

The Bachmann models also come in two different configurations, coach and café (which is a food service car). The coach has an even row of windows along the length of the car. The café has a "no-window" section in the middle of the car (where the food counter is) and windows on either end of the car. So you can see that Bachmann cars come in two different configurations, coach and café, and in five different paint schemes.

Look here for more information, with pictures: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amtrak_paint_schemes

So your car is either a coach or a café. A train would have one or no café, but would have two or more coaches. Here's the basic paint schemes:

(Bachmann doesn't make Phase I nicknamed "pointless arrow")

Phase II Wide red over wide blue stripe separated by a thin white pinstripe with additional thin white pinstripe above and below (Look at the Wiki pictures)

Phase III is three equal width red white and blue stripes

Phase IV is a wide blue stripe topped with thin red and white stripes

Acela (nicknamed "Splotch") is the light blue stripe scheme with the odd abstract, triangular Acela "splotches" on it.

I hope this is helpful. Let us know if you have any more questions

Cheers, Robert