Thanks Bach-man

I have the new doodlebug and coach. I would love to get more coaches. Does Bachmann have any plans on releasing the passenger cars separately? I really like the doodlebug, but can't use more than one. On the other hand, I could use a number of the coaches. I would be a very happy camper if Bachmann decides to sell the NYC coaches separately.

Does Bachmann have any plans to offer these kits in N scale? As I understand it, with modern technology, it's not that difficult or expensive to make the same model in different scales. The new false front buildings look great as well. We could really use stuff like this in N scale.

They make the Niagara and K-4 in HO, so it should be fairly easy to make them in N scale. I'm not interested in the PRR, but I'm sure there are many Pennsy fans who would buy it. As far as the Niagara goes, I would definitely buy one, or two, or more.

I'd definitely buy one or more if they make them with different cab numbers.

Who is making the new NYC passenger cars? I haven't heard about them. This is exciting news for us NYC fans.

Good luck Ron. I agree, you have nothing to lose by asking. Let us know how you do.

You certainly can use the EZ track if you go to 4x8 Fred. The extra foot in width and two in length will make a lot of difference.

Atlas track is cheaper than EZ track or Unitrack, but remember that switches already have the switch machine mounted in the roadbed, and the roadbed is included. When you add the cost of these to the price of Atlas the difference is not that great.

As Les said, you cannot reach across 4 feet so you need access to the back of the layout. If you have to place it against a wall then I would suggest mounting it on casters so you can move it to get to the back. If you have room to walk all around it consider using a divider in the middle. This makes the layout seem larger and allows you to have a different scene on each side. When the train is on the other side of the layout it seems like it is many miles away from the other side.

Unfortunately, the availability of foam varies depending on where you live Ron. I live in the Northeast and it's available in many stores in a variety of sizes and thicknesses. If you live in a warm climate it can be hard to find. This is the page on the Lowe's web site where you can order foam:

http://www.lowes.com/SearchCatalogDisplay?Ntt=styrofoam&storeId=10151&N=0&langId=-1&catalogId=10051&rpp=24

I am not sure if they will ship it to your location, of if the shipping cost would be reasonable, but at least you can look into it.

Here's a link to the Kato website page with the Scenic Ridge track plan:

http://www.katousa.com/track-plans/scenic-ridge.html

You can build the layout with Kato track, but follow the warning to lay out the track as it is not an exact match for the Atlas track, but fits the layout and follows the plan.

Walthers Proto makes a N&W Y3 2-8-8-2. It comes in a DC version and a DCC with sound version. It is not currently in production, but there have been 2 runs and you can probably find one or more around.

I saw a picture of a New York Central ten wheeler that looked a lot like it. It even had the big tender. I don't know if it was an exact match, but it was close.

I would suggest calling Bachmann's service department. They may be able to help you. Even if they can't, you have nothing to lose by calling other than a few minutes of your time.

You can make a transition car, or two, or more. To make a transition car you replace the truck and coupler on one end and leave the Rapido coupler on the other. I would suggest changing all your cars over to knuckle couplers, but with transition cars you can run them all and take your time with the conversions. MT trucks and couplers are expensive, but worth it in the long run.

By switches I assume you mean switch tracks rather than electrical switches. The one that shuts power off to the track it's not set for is a power routing switch. The other one is non power routing. You can use them together.

The couplers are another matter. There are two basic types of couplers. The Rapido coupler was the standard for a very long time. It looks nothing like a real coupler. It's a box with 90 degree corners. The other type of coupler is the knuckle coupler. These look like real couplers. They have become the standard with just about every manufacturer using some type of knuckle coupler. All knuckle couplers will work together, but none of them will work with the Rapido coupler.

What type of couplers do your engines have. If you have one with Rapido and one with a knuckle coupler you can run all your cars with the engine with the matching coupler. You can also make a transition car that has a Rapido coupler on one end and a knuckle coupler on the other. Eventually you will want to change all your cars to knuckle couplers, but this can wait until you have more experience. The couplers on engines can be changed as well.

I picked up a NYC doodlebug at the Amherst show last Saturday. I think it's a nice model. The coach is superb. I hope Bachmann offers them for sale separately.