I was looking at 4-6-0 smokebox front plate and thinking way it is a slightly larger diameter and overhangs smokebox sides just couldn't be right.

Well . . .

Looking through a couple books at other detail ideas noticed some photos showing, yes, that is sometimes the case.    One even had a good close-up.

Books were The Age of Steam, by Lucius Beebe and Charles Clegg; and, The Pacific Coast Company, by Gerald M. Best.

Wow, the stuff ya learn when ya ain't looking for it!

later,
Forrest

Quote from: Joe Satnik on September 02, 2009, 08:58:20 AM
My apologies to you and the others. 

I don't think you need to 

It is very good to know that I wasn't delusional - well, at least about that.

Question - dug out both my 26 year old MRC power packs, a Tech II Locomotion 1500 and a Control Master II.
Neither mentions G on the box after all, but do say can run up to 3 HO locos.

On back both say, above 3 terminals, variable DC, fixed 16V AC, fixed 12VDC
"OUTPUT - 20VDC, 17VAC, 22VDC TOTAL - 12VA"

That work for these sets?

Oh, and that famous little red bulb, it doesn't even come on till throttle hits almost 20% throw in its arc.

Quote from: armorsmith on September 01, 2009, 07:42:36 PM
On30,

I just picked up a B'mann Bumble Bee 10 wheeler and noticed the same problem. 

Aha! so it isn't me being delusional all alone!

By the way, here's my repaint so far http://forrestandhismuse.blogspot.com/2009/09/thisn-aint-box-stock-any-more-either.html

Hello again;

Been running my new Pennsylvanian train set and when hooking up tender to loco the apparently heavy-duty-heat-shrink wrapped sound system wires had to be given a pretty forceful twist to get plug same way up as socket in back of loco.

Looks like after 3 days out on track that force has twisted black wire out of plug.
In one way it's not a loss since the sound at lowest volume is too loud for me anyway.
But, ya know, I'd like to have the potential to use the sound.

Guess I can find something to do with the sound wires while figuring out how to get power to the tender backup light, which isn't lighted in these train set locos.

Oh well, no longer have to worry about messing up the plug in taking the loco boiler off to repaint it - doing the boiler jacket metallic grey and smokebox black. Also doing the black cylinders, cylinder saddle, pilot beam and pilot in green. Tender top and running boards in red zinc chromate.

There's gotta be a way to make those wires more flexible instead of squashing them into God knows what contortions inside of what looks super heavy duty heat shrink tubing.

Yes, I like the train. Yes I'm happy to have it, and the other sets.
(for which the sound wires were more or less lined up to go in plug rather more easily than the PRR loco)

I am, however, rapidly growing less and less happy with the execution of the sound systems and speed controllers. 

Quote from: Udo on September 01, 2009, 09:42:55 AMDifficulties I have with the names, e.g. "Mikado" or "Pacific"

I think a Mikado is a 1'-D-1' ( 2-8-2) and a Pacific, i think a 1'-C-1' (2-6-2)....

Hey Udo, you're close!
Got the Mikado 
"Pacific" is 4-6-2, i.e. 2'-C-1'

1'-C-1' (2-6-2) is a "Prairie"

Here's some notes on names and classifications:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whyte_notation

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

Now, just for fun, what would Union Pacific's 3-cylinder 4-12-2 locos be in the German system?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Pacific_9000_Class

Hey Joe;

Thanks 

Oh boy, that's going to take a few readings to absorb!

Is there a way to further lower sound system volume in 4-6-0 locos?

Reason:
I have Asperger's Syndrome, an Autism related disorder, and certain sounds actually hurt - one effect of the disorder is hypersensitivity to certain sounds, and light. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger_syndrome

Even at lowest setting of rotary switch on bottom of tender it is still too loud for me.

Anybody know of some kind of electronic tidbit that could be cut into wires to speaker to lower the power?

I wish more passenger cars had green instead of red clerestory windows.
Or even a "frosted glass" look.
Which could then be tinted with transparent paints such as Tamiya's acrylics.
I just don't care for the red.
The rippled glass texture looks neat, though.

One red I do like is the Pennsylvania passenger cars - those are pretty!

later,
Forrest

Peter Witt is a nice idea.

How about an up-scale of the little MDT Plymouth 6-wheel diesel industrial switcher?
(which might actually be a WDT according info in to book Critters, Dinkys, and Centercabs, by Jay Reed, which whows MDT as 4-wheeler and WDT as 6-wheeler )

Here's a photo of one: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1252
And one that's got a homebuilt hood and exhaust; http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=294645

This one is more or less stock with the earlier hood door style than Bachmann's HO & N models: http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/misc-p/pgsx00stb.jpg

Real ones came in different gauges.

Might fill a size gap between Davenport Gas Mechanical and road units.

Make center driver blind to cope with train set curves like on Annie steamers.

Opening cab doors!

Could have a smoke unit.

Don't know what kind of mass market there'd be, but I'd like one.

Could sell it in sets with 2 freight cars of some sort, and a turnout, and call set something like "Factory Shifter".

later,
Forrest Scott Wood

Hey Y'all;

Today got 2 baggage car kits and one of the 2 bobber cabooses in the same box kits.
Am quite happy the kits are available.

I come to G railroading from several decades of plastic modeling and HO Athearn, MDC Roundhouse, and other car kits. These are a familiar way of doing things to me.
That is good.

Plus, they allow me to paint them up for RRs not available factory painted.
And to paint additional car types past what comes in the set.
Example: V&T and PRR sets have the only cars painted for those roads  the kits make it easy to fill out a train.

The 2 baggage cars are going to be painted for V&T, one for my train one for her train.
One caboose is mine and will end up V&T; other is Kathy's and whatever she does with it.

Equally, kits are less money than a factory finished car, which helps the budget as Kathy and I are trying to do this on a less than middle class budget.

Mostly, the kits satisfy my "do it yourself" desire. 

This is becoming a trend - Glenbrook Valley Summit Pass set and Pennsylvania RR Pennsylvanian set ordered a few weeks ago with that settlement money came today and . . .

With both their power controllers a Miniatronics 1.5v  30ma 1.2mm dia, red bulb will come on when leads touched to rails with controller hard against 0

"Curiouser and curiouser said Alice."
Or, is it 'Annie'?

"Sliders"?

I'm confused.

That word to me means track pickup sliders like on O gauge 3-rail locomotives and some G gauge like LGB.

But that use doesn't seem to be what's discussed here, is it?

Hey Joe;

Yes, the power pack needs attention.
I'm not much experienced with electronics to find out what's causing this.

Locomotive is probably fine, got same behavior with a super-sensitive HO loco jumpered to G track with controller at 0.
And with the G scale V&T 4-6-0.

Just enough current leaking through to all ow motors to turn over with encouragement.

I've been meaning to get an ammeter and a volt meter for, oh, two decades.

Got the Durango & Silverton passenger set the other day and have discovered that when the power controller is set to "0" there's still enough current flowing that the loco will move after being nudged in same direction controller is set for.

Since it won't move when nudged opposite the way controller is set for, it has to be because some amount of current is still flowing.

Looks like leaving is set with controller in "0" would be a good way to send just enough current to overheat the motor and burn it out.

Okay, just dug out the box of light parts and a Miniatronics 1.5v  30ma 1.2mm dia, red bulb will come on when leads touched to rails with controller in 0

This one you definitely want to unplug when it is sitting still.

later,
Forrest Scott Wood

Currently looking through the printed catalog on the desk, yep, it is.

Now, there are some 1:20.3 cars in the Big Hauler section: I think most Big Hauler stock scales out i n the 1:24 ti 1:22 range.
Those 1:20.3 big Haulers are series 95xxx gondola, 20ft box, and flat car;plus the 9250x side dump and v-dump cars.

Those are on pages 155 and 156 of printed catalog.

Spectrum 1:20.3 is pp.241 to 260.

later,
Forrest

(ya know what, I just realized it's the coffee mug which goes in dishwasher, NOT the cordless phone Is it early?)