When I was 11 yrs old, my parents bought me the Cutty Sark 1:96 model from Revell. I fell in love with the ship and it took me only 6 months to build.
During that time I actually had 2 hobbies, trains and Revell's ships.

I built most of the series over the years and even built some "for order", and still own the Thermopylae, (Cutty Sark's chief rival), and the Constitution.

The latest news reports I've seen and read has said the ship's hull is "a smoking hulk, but will be rebuilt". (from Good Morning America, ABC News)

I really hope so as this was the only survivor of tea clippers that were the fastest sailing vessels built, even faster than the American clippers.

Quote from: r.cprmier on May 09, 2007, 07:15:02 AM

... The one engine that is anywhere significant is a Bachmann 2-8-0, and i think I am going to circumvent the problem by simply getting a NWSL gearing kit.
The layout is for now, taking a back seat to other activities, such as mulch spreading, digging, weeding, raking-all things fun and exciting...

I would like to ask, are you going to just install new gears in their original location, or are you going to install a new gear box. There would be a big difference in "machining" requirements.  What problems have you had that would cause you to do this?

BTW after you finish your yard, you can come do mine!

It's not a packaging deal, nor is it a manufacturer error.

The original USRA light 2-10-2's were delivered equipped with Southern gear as original equipment. This may have applied to the heavy 2-10-2 as well.

Over their lives, some were changed and some were not. Later post war copies of the design, (which weren't affected by government design restrictions), were equipped with whatever valve gear the RR requested.

Quote from: cmgn9712 on May 11, 2007, 08:59:06 AM
This is easy. Go back and cut out the lights you installed. If the short goes away, you did something wrong. If these have a circuit board, you are hooked to the wrong place.

This is good advice. If something was working prior to a change, and now it doesn't work, go back and undo the change. If a circuit board is involved, could you have bridged across some terminals with solder?

Digitrax DCC

Went with it mostly due to cost factors. I like multiple operators and since this will be my "last" layout, as well as the biggest 23 x 17', with 8-10 operators, the cost of the additional multiple level rotaries I was going to need, as well as the cost of adding additional wafers to the rotaries I already had, was going to be the greater than the cost  of an entire DCC setup with the decoders for 1/2 my locos, I went DCC.

I have found the wiring a whole lot simplier and I wonder why I didn't do this years before I finally did 5 years ago.

I'm not "putting down" those who still operate DC. Its just that DCC, in my case, was less of an expense.

Quote from: bevernie on March 07, 2007, 11:20:55 AM

OUCH!!   I'm sorry!!! "SELMA" is NOT the "correct spelling" of SALEM!!! They are two seperate, different towns! Selma is west of Crawford, while "Salem" is north of same!! Please do not confuse the two. And where is "St. Margrets Hospital"? I'm familiar with "St. Francis" (that's where I had my tonsils removed!!), but not St. Margrets. You were talking about Columbus, GA., weren't you?     Well... gotta go to work!!                   Later, Dude!!
                                                                                        Ernie

Ernie...ohhh Ernie,

Hey, I'm picking at ya! You see, I was born and raised in SELMA! Thats why I said SELMA was correct spelling for SALEM. No self-respecting town should ever misspell SELMA like SALEM has!
It was in 1970 that Dad and I worked in Columbus at the hospital, and I was only on the job for 4 days, (carpenters helper), before the concrete form blew out onto me. (32 cubic yards of quick setting concrete is not only heavy but very very hot!) Got a few very faded scars left as trophies. Dad got me the job as his helper since I had been "helping" him since I was 10, building houses, repairing things etc...I have only been back to Columbus once since and that was for a one day train show four years ago!
When I got those burns, I spent 2 weeks there, but being just 18 at the time, it was just a fog, (thank goodness for MSO4 and all I had ever paid attention to there is/was a statue of a Saint in front, and at the time, no external name. It is/was very similar to the one that was in front of Old St. Margaret's Hospital in Montgomery. I could never remember names of some of the Hospitals, I even worked in as an RN. I was an OR nurse for almost 30yrs before I retired.
You may think this is funny, but I remember the name of the Hospital where I took my training, and spent 10yrs at and the one I retired from after 15yrs, but the other three I spent 1 -2 years at each, I'd have to think what their names are REAL hard! At one I worked at, a private institution, it was said its only advantage was that it was close to a real Hospital that was across the river from it! 

Quote from: bevernie on March 05, 2007, 10:10:36 PM
CJ!! You don't know where the big city of SALEM, AL. is?? Actually, there are 3 SALEM communities, but mine is the only one with a real official UNITED STATES POST OFFICE!! One community is up near Huntsville, another is a bit southwest of Montgomery, and mine (THE BIG CITY) is about midway between Phenix City and Opelika,. The "city" is on 431/280, but I'm in the "suburbs", on hwy. 179, about 3 miles north of another big city called "Crawford", on hwy 80!   We're getting our house refinanced, and the closing is scheduled for next week, so maybe soon I'll be able to go back (after over two years!!) and see what the place looks like!! I'm getting old, so I really can't remember!! Oh, well....
                                                                                           LATER!!
                                                                                            Ernie
                                                                                 Hendersonville, NC

Believe it or not, I do know where Crawford is. My Dad and I, when I was a teenager, worked on the expansion of St. Margrets Hospital in Columbus. Since we couldn't drive from Selma,( the correct spelling of Salem, BTW ) everyday, we rented a small house trailer in Crawford! It was the only place we could find "close" ! I worked there until a concrete form collapsed on me and I spent 2 weeks in the hospital there in Columbus with 2` chemical and heat burns from the setting concrete!

Quote from: SteamGene on February 28, 2007, 05:29:39 PM
Cj,
I believe that's "You git rite back down heah whar you belong..."  Or is that the Louisiana comin out in me? 
Gene

Gene;

Nah, ain't yo' Louisiana cummin' out,  Ah jes' wanted da yankees heah to be able to figger out wut ah say-ed!

Ernie;

Where's Salem? Been thru most towns in the state and don't recall it. Could you elaborate?

Quote from: bevernie on February 27, 2007, 06:25:40 PM
CJ!! Want to swap places?? well... not quite. I actually call SALEM, AL. "home", but I married someone from NC, so we live here for now. She "teases" me by saying that "someday" we'll retire and go to my place (4 3/4 acres ), but that hasn't happened yet!! LOL There is a set of crossing bars, complete with the lights and everything, in the next town over (Fletcher) that I would dearly love to have, but I couldn't even afford the crain to move them if they were GIVEN to me!! But I "dream" about having them and a CABOOSE set up on my place in ALABAMA!!... and WORKING!! Can you imagine having those bars come down and lights flashing as you come home and park next to that caboose?   WOW!!
                                                                                          Ernie
                                         (for now!!)                         Hendersonville, NC

You git back down here where you belong and we'll get together!

CJ

Quote from: kevin drake on February 26, 2007, 10:23:36 PM

I currently live in Hunsville, AL and I'm a Juinor in high school- class of '08. ..

There are 4 different railroads within 20 minutes of my house, but only 1 hobby shop within an hour's drive.

Kevin;

What shop is an hour away? Where in Huntsville are you located?

FWIW, the "kit" name is a little misleading. IIRC the only parts that has to be assembled are the details on the body, and maybe mounting the motor and flywheel, which was easily done with a screwdriver. They were pretty close to what we used to call a "shake the box kit", meaning that the kit was so easy to build that if you "shook the box" it would almost assemble itself.

Quote from: chucknlead on February 24, 2007, 12:13:38 AM
I'm looking at moving to the next level in DCC command. I love the EZ command but I'm ready to play with CV's and need a larger address file.

The question.

1) What brand and model do you use?

2) What do you like most about it?

3) What do you dislike about it?


I'm looking at the MRC Prodigy advanced or
The Lenz Set 100. What do you think?

Chuck;

Whenever anyone asks me about buying a brand of DCC, I always ask, what do the majority of the modelers you know use? To me that is the most important aspect of choosing a system. The more people that use a system in your area, the more likely any problem that you have with the set you get would have already been dealt with by them in one way shape, or form. These people form a handy database of "techs" who can probably be available for any type of help you may need. Plus when others come over to run on your layout, they will already have their own throttles, and you won't have to buy extras.

Second I ask is what features are you looking for, such as CV readback?
Computer interfacing? Future expansion? Backward compatibility? (That is, if someone brings over the same brand but a much older throttle, can it still be used on the newer system.)

Only then do I recommend a system. I do suggest that if you can, attempt to try out more than one system. See which one feels right and then, based on the criteria I stated above, get it.

I personally started with Digitrax Empire Builder and after 5 yrs I now have the Super Chief. It had the features I wanted, esp the computer interface, fully expandable, and since most of the modelers in my area use Digitrax, the choice was a no brainer. I like the way their throttles feel and work and for me there is no other system I would use.

Quote from: Bill Baker on February 22, 2007, 10:34:43 AM
I plan to have the liftout section constructed with two 2x4s screwed together with my roadbed and track running across the top. The distance will be approximately six feet.

I would appreciate any advise.

Bill;

Might I add my two cents here? Instead of two 2x4, screwed together, how about 2 pieces of 1/2" plywood glued together, one on top of the other, and two more pieces of plywood glued and possibly bradded to the edges, forming an "H" column. Should be lighter, thus easier to move, and with the additional stiffness supplied by the side pieces even less prone to warpage. Plus by making the side pieces wider, you also get derailment protection while the trains are on the bridge piece. Hopefully the picture will load below, illustrating what I mean:



Yay it did!

Quote from: David(UK) on February 22, 2007, 05:07:56 PM
6-4-4-6

Oh and it suffered severely from wheel slippage.

David;

Weren't all the duplexes slippery, and did this fact contribute alot to their early retirement?

I'm not really familiar with the several classes of duplexes, but I must say that the Q's were very impressive looking!

I use a little thing called a screwsticker made by the old Perfect Model Co. They was always the greenbacked display in hobby shops that had things like gas tanks, tires, proprlellors and small modeling tools like scrrewdrivers, pliers, drills etc. Hadn't seen the display in a while.

But anyway this has 2 small spring loaded flat wires that can grab screws down to 0-90, and as large as a 2-56. Walthers sells a similar tool, as does KD, but their's don't work as well as this little jewel.

Meant to add, it can also hold them well enough to screw them in almost all the way, depending on the size.