If you really want to get "real" then utilize a switchback to gain elevation. That would work well with an 0-4-0 and a few cars. The odd thing would be seeing that type of engine going up a hill in a mining/logging fashion.

When deciding between prototypical and other factors, I tend to side on "looks good" instead of "prototypical" because looks good can look real if done well.

Byron

I appreciate the prompt reply.

Since I've not done kitbashing (or anything remotely similar) I'm not fully aware of the techniques of lifting a little paint or a decal (or determining the difference).

I take it that I should leave the cotton ball with the saturated product on the number for the 10-minute duration. Correct?

I've heard how others use an eraser or something very slightly abrasive to lift something like the number. That would require a lot of care and precision. I'm not sure I'm that precise.

Would you suggest a light dusting of "Polly Red Oxide" over where the old number was before replacing with a new number?

I'll look for the numbers, etc. I have some decal material in white and gold plus the B&O fonts. The numbering and lettering of ET&WNC looks very similar to one of the fonts used by B&O. I plan to use the decals approach on other things unless I find the dry transfer lettering to be superior. When it comes to placing many letters I get concerned about alignment and spacing (that's the typesetter in me).

I wasn't sure which of the Tar Heel Press books would be best for starters. It looks like you've provided the great clue I needed.

By the way, I seem to recall that ET&WNC got their #15 Combine from EBT or was it another passenger car?

Thanks, again, for the response.

If anyone else has a quick or best technique that's different, go ahead to toot.

Byron

After getting some initial rolling stock, I've decided to switch to ET&WNC. I had forgotten about buying a wood box car several months ago so, like a 62-year-old would do, I saw one on eBay and bought it. After completing the deal I climb up to see what I had bought earlier (thinking it was an ET&WNC stock car) only to find that I'm now the proud owner of two #5 cars.

That'll never fly.

Since I've not messed with Bachmann cars much, I'm open to advice on the best or quickest way to change the number of one of the cars.

I also looked around the web for a listing of rolling stock owned by ET&WNC. What I came up with was info on locomotives only.

Thanks in advance.

Byron

Nice photo. They sure make those warped plastic things look even sicker. I'm sold.

Glad the question was asked by New Choo Choo. What other good questions do you have.

I have a new ET&WNC set (Mountaineer). It's about time for it to hit the ground.

Byron

Rob,

Say, if you're still looking for turnouts and some additional Bachmann track, I have some I'll sell to you at at an attractive price and throw in six pieces of straight and four curves at no cost. The switches have never been out of the box. That's a better than any deal on eBay and I'll be able to get rid of some track. Why, you ask? Because I've moved out to the ground and am using Aristo stainless steel now. I was going to list the track on eBay but that's too much trouble (in addition to paying eBay for the listing and PayPal for getting money. Of course, if you can't be trusted, forget I made the offer.  By the way, the track is clean.

Send me an email off the list to bsonger@songerconsulting.net; I'll be glad to work with you.

Rubi,

You have observed a couple of things about a forum of this type. (1) Some people will answer your question while others will change the question to suit the answer they want to give. (2) There are the purists in the crowd that will give you great information that may, to the casual owner, seem a bit intimidating.

Since this is still a relatively free country (except for the growing, national debt) you get to choose the information you want.

Enjoy the new train in your store. Look for track (a good place is eBay) that'll be "plug and play" with the set. Put together. Add power. Run. Clean the track and the drivers of the locomotive when it starts to act flaky (jumps because good contact isn't being made).

Joe gave your great guidance. Follow it.

Nice jobs with both bashes.

The gears are the problem. So, Barry, why don't I just ship you this unit and my 10-wheeler and give you most of my money to fix me up?

Before you take me up on this, you might ask how much money I do or don't have. : > )

Actually, I'll pull it apart next week. I do like the looks of this small loco.

Loco Bill,

My 2-4-2 must be of the 1998 vintage. It is PRR #3 with metal wheels on the tender. I don't know about comparing drivetrains/gears/motors since I'm new to this.

I can tell you it was run a lot and that the wheels were probably never cleaned. How they make good contact is beyond me. I guess all the carbon pickup on the wheels does conduct electricity somewhat. Still, the main problem is a two-conductor wire that runs between the loco and the tender. There's definitely a short or something there.

I can't tell if it smokes or not. So far it hasn't asked me for a lite and it doesn't smell like it ever has. Besides, there's no switch on the front. The tender has a speaker and battery hole so I assume it can chug along a little. It has the standard switch and wire set for sound.

It looks as though someone picked up the unit by the tender and let the loco dangle because the wires from the tender are exposed over the wheels.

Someone had this that didn't know how to care for it whether it was a strong runner or not.

Hello loco intellectuals, and I mean that seriously, I have some questions and comments on the 2-4-2.

First, I got one from a friend that heard I got started with large scale by Bachmann and thought I'd be interested in this unit. Since I haven't seen many around I figure that they're eight or ten years old, maybe more. But, they are certainly attractive units and look nice with the ten-wheelers that are so prevalent (don't have money for the other things yet -- the economy, you know, the former CEO of a mortgage firm has all of my money and, probably, some of yours).

I'm please with the looks and would like to have it running.

I've searched and see that Loco Bill says that they have pickup problems. I see that the tender has brushes for one axle on each truck. I also see that the front and rear truck pickup as well as the four drivers. However, this sucker won't go without my pushing. I inspected the wheels and cleaned them. The track is clean, too. Problems persist.

One of the wires (two sets) that goes from the tender to the locomotive may not be making good contact. When I wiggle and it kicks I hear a thump or two like the gears aren't quite right. When I push on the unit the wheels roll quite freely. This is certainly strange. On the ten-wheelers they don't roll without power.

So, is it worth getting this little beauty fixed? Is it best to go with Bachmann service or are there some things I can do (assuming my screwdriver works and my eyes don't play tricks on me).

A previous owner was nice enough to paint over the road name without removing the lettering. My assumption is that he knows little about what he/she had; definitely not the solvent and light pressure bit.

This would look great when it's running and I mark for L&N.

By the way, I'm still under 30 days on being here and I find the forum quite interesting. You tend to stay on subject, which is great.

Happy New Year. Bring on the basketball.

Hey, quite by accident I think we've discovered why a street car is what it is and a trolley is what it is. Of course, the cable cars in San Francisco are neither.

Gee, sometimes the name is a giveaway.

Jim Banner, I do appreciate your posts. This one on DCC is especially helpful to those of us new to or back to HO railroading. Personally, I've been away for nearly 30 years. Now that I'm in my second childhood as an adult I figure I'll have a longer time to enjoy the experience). For sure, it doesn't cost as much as having a motorhome or a big boat.

Here's a listing of garden train clubs for Ohio.

Columbus Garden Railway Society
Columbus, OH 43229 USA
www.cgrs.org
   
Northern Ohio Garden Railway Society
Uniontown, OH 44685 USA
www.nogrs.org
   
Riverside Railroad Club
Warren, OH 44484 USA
Contact Person - Juanita James
Phone - 330-399-8846

I wasn't sure how close or far away you are from Columbus so I listed it just in case. (To those of us in Kentucky Columbus is "north". We also hate driving across the desert to Cleveland.)

If you can get to Dayton/Cinci area then check out the EnterTrainment Center.

Since I bought a battery/remote unit without the remote, I'm wondering how easy it is to take the shell (body/boiler/cab/etc) from one of these units and placing it on a track power unit of similar design? Or is this the wrong thing to consider? I don't have my stuff from eBay as yet and wondering if I should consider this. I'm thinking of taking my orphaned unit, repainting it, and putting it on a unit that has a scratched body with some missing parts, etc.

From a sort-of beginner to an "I don't know your level of knowledge" beginner.

Hey, jumping on a form is a quick way to learn things if you know the lingo. It's a hard way to learn if you don't.

The above suggestions are great ones.

Collector vs. hobbyist -- the terms need to be defined. Someone wanting to start building a G gauge setup could be a "collector" and not a hobbyist. I mean, you could get a bunch of rolling stock and have an descent setup and not be a hobbyist. By that I mean someone that really applies aging techniques, etc. to the cars or someone that makes his/her own cars with his/her own line name. A collector isn't always someone that puts engines in a display to place on a shelf. We're using English which is, at times, an imprecise language.

The thing I quickly learned about G is that is isn't at all like HO. In HO-land scale and gauge can usually be used interchangeably. In G-land it ain't necessarily so. As you've probably learned, scale refers to the general proportions of the finished product. You can still have 1:32 running on track the width of G as well as 1:22.5 but the proportions don't exactly look appropriate running in the same area. A good website for proportions vs. gauges is http://www.csgnetwork.com/modrrscalecalc.html.

Now, having said that, it is possible to get away with 1:20.3 and 1:22.5 because they're close enough for the non-purist's fudge factor.

Mixing equipment for different manufacturers -- that's another "it depends" type of answer. If the quality is similar then watch for the two types of couplers; hook/loop or knuckle. With some good products you can change out the couplers. To me, the main thing is to watch for quality. There are some products out there that are strictly for toy application -- New Bright and Buddy L, for instance.

You can run some engines, like some of the early Bachmann and others converted, made for battery with remote (radio) control on the same track as track powered systems. You can't, however, run track powered motive power on plastic track. But, you probably know that.

You have the answer on live steam. And, you probably know that it takes money and expertise for this.

Thanks, guys, for the prompt and helpful comments.

I did OK with the Virginia and Truckee set. I also did OK on the track/power pack combination. I now have a backup track system with one, working engine.

As to the Holiday Express I'm not so "lucky". Upon closer inspection of the photo I see that I, indeed, have plastic track and will need the 49MHz radio control if I want it to work. That probably means I have plastic wheels, too. So, track power is currently out of the question. What I do have is a gondola and caboose plus a little engine that "could" with major modifications. Unfortunately, I didn't know enough at the time to be able to tell the difference. I also didn't know that this forum existed. (It certainly is odd hiding it behind the FAQ button; not the most user-friendly thing to do but it does keep the casual person away.)

I'm only out $30 and shipping but no big deal. I have something for "display" purposes. Now I'm free to get another locomotive.

By the way, I've been reading on Family Garden Trains and plan to get by to see things at Vines Garden Railroad the next time we're between Atlanta and Athens.

The next thing I want to wrap my brain around is the scale thing. It isn't as easy as HO where the track is the track and the scale is the scale. It reminds me of the guys that build things to scale for 7-inch track and those that just build stuff to run on 7-inch track regardless of scale.

Byron