Are you planning on bringing back the two train sets I mentioned, above?
Both these locomotives are best used for display only, and making them again would not change that.
Like was said, those locos are only for display. They do not last very long. We do not want to rain on your parade but the motor, pickups and plastic motor gears are not very good.
Rich
John-
These are neat little trains but I wouldn't look to them for extended use. They're just too small and too lightly built. Put 'em on display on a shelf or, better, right on your layout. If you're lucky, you'll be able to run them occasionally for excursions but they'll never carry their weight in regular use.
-- D
Here at the railside, the John Bull, the Lafayette and the DeWitt Clinton run every now and again, and the crowds lov 'em. They are a pain to set up, though, with those plasic pin-and-tab couplers. I'm going to experiment some time with adapting them to something easier -- perhaps very small magnets?
Has anyone tried this?
I also have a marvelous British-made Hornby "Rocket" in OO scale. As everyone knows, but I will explain anyway sos you don't have to admit you don't know 8), OO is actually 1/76 rather than 1/87, but runs on exactly the same track gauge as HO. The result is a slightly larger engine and cars, housing a really splendid motor in the engine (the Bachmann oldies have the motive power in the tender, so they push the engine. Which works fine, except that it's so light it sometimes derails under bad circumstances). Adding a little bit of weight might help -- but not too much! The other good thing about the "Rocket" is that it has those nice European couplers. They're the kind you find on imported Hogwarts and VSOE Orient Express HO trains.
Recently, Bachmann produced a new "oldie," retooling John Bull cars and a Lafayette loco, but the drive motor is improved, and it's a good place to start if you want to get into these historical trains. They make an excellent educational tool for teaching young folks (of any age!) about the history of railroads from the 1840s to the turn of the cenetuury.
Railsider
The "Lafayette" set that I bought on eBay arrived yesterday. Neat little early engine. I've been wanting one but as usual procrastinated about it because I'm cheap. ... ;D Anyway, I wanted one because I knew the "repro" from the B&O Museum was used as the "Yonah" in Disney's "Great Locomotive Chase." I don't expect to run it much; I need to think about changing the display in my display case to put the "Lafayette" in with the "John Bull" (I never got the "John Bull" set, just the engine and one car years ago).
Since the coaches for the "Lafayette" are open, it would be neat to figure out how to put some passengers in the seats. Preiser makes seated passengers in reasonably correct dress (first half of the nineteenth century).
I realize that the train sets I have mentioned have very tiny and weak motors, I was hoping to get them for display and teaching purposes, only! I gather that Bachmann is NOT going to reissue them, am I correct in that?
No immediate plans - but never say never!
Johnson Bar Jeff .......................
I found Preiser's "Beidermeister" figure sets look very good as period people for the Lafayette, John Bull and DeWitt Clinton trains. Try Walathers or eBay ... or your local model train shop.
Railsider
Quote from: railsider on April 14, 2011, 03:20:43 PM
Johnson Bar Jeff .......................
I found Preiser's "Beidermeister" figure sets look very good as period people for the Lafayette, John Bull and DeWitt Clinton trains. Try Walthers or eBay ... or your local model train shop.
Railsider
Thanks. As a matter of fact, I already have a good store of Preiser's early nineteenth century figures, including some seated figures. But I'd hate to break something trying to get those "Lafayette" cars apart to put passengers in the seats. :-\
JBJ
The roofs easily come off on the 6 Lafayette cars I have. And they pop back on.
frank
I have tried to do a second post with a photo. Upon trying i was told that at 600 to 500 it was to big . I made it smaller to 490- 380. This time I was told my upload folder was full. How can that be if i haven't uploaded anything here in over a year. If it is still to big I'll make it smaller.
frank
Very old discussion.
You cannot post pictures directly.
Look down a ways in the forums list to General discussions for instructions. Very easy.
richiy
Well I'm done with my build of the First Railroad Depot of the Hudson River which provided rail service between New York City and Philadelphia, also points west and south. Though opened for service in 1834, I modeled the 1840 view with the complete terminal in Jersey City. It included Depot, 3 track train shed, roundhouse, 2 story locomotive assembly and repair building, machine shop, and Car assembly and repair building. If you get to see the photo it is a single view looking east from Washington street. I used all or parts of the John Bull, Prussian, Lafayette, Pegasus, Dewitt Clinton train sets. and a few others. Trix Der-Adler, and Triang Rocket. All are from that time period but some just never made it to Jersey City.
I don't think anyone ever made a Model of this Depot before.
Link to flickr photo.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4918/45436288664_b32f4559a5_k.jpg)
With Flickr, after you upload the picture right click on it and select "inspect element". This will open a subwindow below the picture. In the left hand portion you'll see a line that says "zoom small" and a bit below it on that says "zoom large".
Right click on the line that says "zoom large" and in the pull down that will come up select "copy link". In this case what you'll get is:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4918/45436288664_b32f4559a5_k.jpg
If you put that between image tags [i m g] [/i m g], without the spaces, you picture will show up in your post. Like this:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4918/45436288664_b32f4559a5_k.jpg)
Len
toptrain1 - I love it. Are you going to do a layout with it?
That's quite the intricate trackwork on the turntable leads. Was that prototypical?
Sid
I just took a closer look at the turntable track. I've never seen it done like that. That was a good way to be able to fit all the tracks along the turntable.
For the time period, it could have happened.
I have seen some unusual track work for that time period. It might be a combination.
It would look better without the plastic frogs but still some nice track work.
Rich
Terry, I can see you have appreciated the amount of work it takes to connect 9 stalls of a roundhouse to the turntable.
And Terry, No I won't be doing that. The locomotive depot which is the the roundhouse, Locomotive shop and machine shop I don't think I could remove it from the warped plywood it is fastened to. The track work from roundhouse to the turn table is only visual and not functional. It would all needed to be redone. None of the doors open like a operating building would need. The car maintenance build and the trainshed and depot could be used. Placing doors on the Trainshed 3 entrances would be necessary.
Sid, yes it is prototypical. I have seen it in old photos of smaller 40 and 50 foot turntables. There is no way you can get the track to the turntable without all the crossings. 9 stalls, 18 rails, 16 of which must cross. The easiest way turned out to be the installation of the 8 frogs, and leading the tracks in and out of the frogs..
frank
While the overlapping leads to the turntable would be prototypical for any number of railroads, usually the overlap would be much closer to the turntable. But in this case, that would make the turntable significantly larger, which wouldn't look right with the tiny engines of yesteryear.
I know that the DeWitt Clinton and all three cars in the set can fit within the standard 9"-long straight sectional track, which would seem to be just about the right size to make the overlapping leads look more prototypically convincing.
bbmiroku, The 1844 map showed a around 40' to 50' turntable. That is what I made. I think it was a 40'. I would have to measure it again.
frank
Say what you will about these train sets, but, they ARE what got me into Model Railroading. They are what got me interested in Bachmann, and after a 20 year break, they are what got me BACK into model railroading.
People tend to bash on them all the time, but they are amazing little engines, and plastic gears or not (show me a Bachmann that doesn't have plastic gears) they last longer than people putting them on the shelves may think. I mean, how would one know how long they last if they never leave the shelf?
Hell, I have a Pegasus, that I installed DCC and sound in (using a Digitrax 8-bit N scale sound decoder) that has been running like a champ since I bought it two years ago.
(https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/sites/model-railroad-hobbyist.com/files/users/Warflight/IMG_2672%282%29.JPG?244)
I have a friend named "Mo" who recently put DCC into a DeWitt Clinton (simply because everyone told him he couldn't) Next step is DCC and sound (N scale decoders can be easily hidden on the tender, if you shave some detail down, and use some painted medical tape as a "tarp")
The best way to run people out of this hobby, is to criticize them for the trains they are interested in. I, myself, am interested in Early Steam. Bachmann makes the Early Steam I like, and Model Railroaders are the first to tell me how wrong I am for liking what I like.
Sorry for the rant. But these really are decent little engines.
(https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/sites/model-railroad-hobbyist.com/files/users/Warflight/IMG_2513.JPG?955)
(https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/sites/model-railroad-hobbyist.com/files/users/Warflight/IMG_2784.JPG?123)
(https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/sites/model-railroad-hobbyist.com/files/users/Warflight/IMG_3349.JPG?47)
My layout is EZ Track (because I was once told not to build a layout with EZ Track) and most of my buildings are Plasticville.
Model railroading is FUN!
You've done great with yours "Warflight". Some folks are pretty finicky about what they will run on their layouts. Me, not so much. I used to run those little ones around and around and around without issue.
They are quite nice. He had some inspiration. Mostly pre-Civil War locos. Very nice set up.
I tried running them but the worm chewed up the plastic worm gear.
Rich
They are a lot of fun.
When I got back into Model Railroading, after my 20 year hiatus, the first engines I bought were ALL of them. In sets, of course (which is why I had so much EZ track to build a layout with)
I started with the Pegasus, then the DeWitt Clinton (I have bought THREE of the DeWitt Clinton, and all three did fail me... one, the wheels on the tender kept falling off, and the other two were shorted out upon arrival) The Lafayette, the "King of Prussia", and the engine that got me interested in model railroading back in the 80s, the John Bull. (I could never afford it back in the 80s... but I have it now!)
(https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/sites/model-railroad-hobbyist.com/files/users/Warflight/20180112_141332(1).jpg)
Part of the joy of my layout, is that it's a movie set, depicting the "Wild West"... so it's amazing what I can get away with on my layout.
I actually have a diesel that pulls my track cleaner cars, for MofW...
I have the DeWitt Clinton, the Prussia, and the John Bull. I like the DWC and JB because the weight of the motor is right over the "driving wheels" (in the tender). The Prussia, on the other hand, has the motor weight spread out over the pair of driving wheels and the leading bogie, giving it slightly less pulling power. I keep them relatively slowly looping on my Christmas layout.
Take a look at my "Pegasus"... I added weight... from metal weights on the front, and the back head, to metal details, and a metal "pilot" (they were "pilots" before they were "Engineers")
For it to work as DCC and sound, I put weight in every place I could. Even the smoke stack is shaved pewter (who am I kidding? It's lead, from black powder bullets) mixed with "Elmer's Glue All"
It wasn't too hard... just a bit of thinking is all.
warflight, I do like those photos of the 1830's locos. The layout is very well detailed. I am still trying out the way to post single photos from flicker and I did one here is a second view . It is from the east end of the Locomotive depot building still looking east to the trainshed and the rear of the depot building.
frank
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4907/45436288344_19e6267345_b.jpg)
well this one worked.
*Here is the third photo. A view from hudson street looking west. It is from the front of the depot.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4834/46160459061_c7ab0ca6b7_b.jpg)
That's fantastic!
One of the things I did for my Norris, was attach a coupler.
(https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/sites/model-railroad-hobbyist.com/files/users/Warflight/20171104_014713.jpg)
(https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/sites/model-railroad-hobbyist.com/files/users/Warflight/IMG_2671.JPG)
I used an old plastic long shank McHenry coupler, and cut down the shank, removed the tab under the tender, and glued it in. It's stiff, but doesn't seem to be an issue for an engine that small. Though, next time, just for "S&G"s, I may attempt a Kadee whisker coupler with pocket.
I also added a removable cab to the engine, but in all honesty, that cab really didn't thrill me. I was trying to go more for a "Steampunk" look (remember, modeling a movie studio) and it was okay, I suppose... but felt like it was trying to be something else.
(https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/sites/model-railroad-hobbyist.com/files/users/Warflight/IMG_2346.JPG)
(https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/sites/model-railroad-hobbyist.com/files/users/Warflight/IMG_2246.JPG)
I mean, it was okay from certain angles... but it obscured a lot of the detail I was trying to put into it.
(https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/sites/model-railroad-hobbyist.com/files/users/Warflight/IMG_2262.JPG)
Fortunately, I designed it to snap on, and snap off, so if I change my mind, I can always change it.
(https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/sites/model-railroad-hobbyist.com/files/users/Warflight/IMG_2248.JPG)
Warflight,
You said that you used EZ Track for your layout. Is that the gray roadbed with nickel silver rails? That has to be the best ballasting of that type of track that I have ever seen. I wish mine looked like that. Possibly some time can you post how you achieved that look? Again great job.
Ditto from me, Warflight. I would have never believed you could hide that plastic roadbed so well.
And compliments to toptrain as well.
Nice modelling.
Sid
EZ track is the easiest I've ever ballasted...
Here's what you do... you get your Elmer's Glue All, and don't dilute it just yet... and you paint it onto the side of the roadbed (you can use a brush, Popsicle stick, damp sponge brush... whatever is easiest for you) Then for spreading the ballast, get the simplest ballast spreader that Bachmann (or anyone) sells.
This is the one I used:
(https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/sites/model-railroad-hobbyist.com/files/users/Warflight/IMG_0330.JPG)
For my ballast, I mixed Arizona Rock and Mineral "red" ballast, with some well washed "beach sand" (if you use sand from the beach, you need to not only wash out any and all salt, but you also need to take a magnet to it, just in case of iron filings, but then, I suggest using magnets for any "outside dirt" you may use for a layout)
The important thing though, is to apply the "Glue All" in a thin layer on all of your roadbed... it takes just a few seconds to do. And don't bother with any of the fancy ballast spreaders... I have tried them all, and the easiest to use, that gave the best coverage, was the simplest, no frills one.
The ground you see in the photo, BTW, is "Durham's Water Putty". I used that for my "shell", then painted it with a custom mixed "Red Rock" coloured paint from Home Despot, and then, while the paint was wet, applied dried tea leaves (tea from used bags for the finer grit, and used loose leaf for the forest floor, as that looks like HO scale twigs, and forest flooring) and then the path was made by dropping some beach sand, but, while it was still damp, running my "Groovy Wheel Groove" tool, which is basically, two plastic pizza cutters hot glued together, for making wheel ruts in roads:
(https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/sites/model-railroad-hobbyist.com/files/users/Warflight/translucent_purple_imprinted_pizza_cutter.jpg?496)
The rest is static grass... some directly applied, and some where I just put a stripe of Glue All on a piece of aluminum foil, and made grass strips, and tufts.
That gives my finished product, in just a couple of hours:
(https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/sites/model-railroad-hobbyist.com/files/users/Warflight/IMG_2558.JPG)
(https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/sites/model-railroad-hobbyist.com/files/users/Warflight/IMG_2579.JPG)
Quote from: Len on March 25, 2019, 09:46:25 AM
With Flickr, after you upload the picture right click on it and select "inspect element". This will open a subwindow below the picture. In the left hand portion you'll see a line that says "zoom small" and a bit below it on that says "zoom large".
Right click on the line that says "zoom large" and in the pull down that will come up select "copy link". In this case what you'll get is:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4918/45436288664_b32f4559a5_k.jpg
If you put that between image tags [i m g] [/i m g], without the spaces, you picture will show up in your post. Like this:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4918/45436288664_b32f4559a5_k.jpg)
Len
When the TT is finished, it would be cool to see a couple workers pushing a loco around. Not many model a wood covered TT.
Rich
Quote
When the TT is finished, it would be cool to see a couple workers pushing a loco around. Not many model a wood covered TT.
Rich
I also model a wooden decked turntable. I use the Atlas one because it is a Canadian prototype.
Sid
(https://media.fotki.com/2v2UFsFv2xfwZGL.jpg)
Quote from: Warflight on March 26, 2019, 12:08:03 PM
...
Hell, I have a Pegasus, that I installed DCC and sound in (using a Digitrax 8-bit N scale sound decoder) that has been running like a champ since I bought it two years ago.
...
I have a friend named "Mo" who recently put DCC into a DeWitt Clinton (simply because everyone told him he couldn't) Next step is DCC and sound (N scale decoders can be easily hidden on the tender, if you shave some detail down, and use some painted medical tape as a "tarp")
Hi Warflight,
I'm going to be taking a stab at adding decoders to my old HO 4-4-0 tender-driven engines. Once I get the hang of working with decoders (assuming I can!), I'd like to do the same thing to my own Bachmann classics: Dewitt Clinton, John Bull, Lafayette.
I can already see why adding some weight to the classics is a must. The things seem to fall off the tracks if I breathe on them the wrong way.
Does your friend Mo have a forum posting or some other online description of how he/she added the decoder to the Clinton? Have you posted any instructions for how you added the decoder to your Pegasus?
Thanks for your time and keep up the good work, these photos are great eye candy and fantastic inspirations that it can be done, despite the detractors of the classics.
Documenting my build wasn't something I even thought of at the time I did it. I know Mo documented his build, but I think it was on one of the facebook model train forums, so I would have to try to find it.
Who are John Bull and Lafayette?
Quote from: JLK2707 on June 15, 2019, 04:52:23 AM
Who are John Bull and Lafayette?
Well, "John Bull" is an American term for a British person. The "John Bull" was a British built 0-4-0 locomotive that was shipped to the US in pieces, with no instructions... once assembled, it became a 2-4-0 locomotive named "Stevens" after the president of the Camden and Amboy Railroad in 1833, however, it got the name "John Bull" because the crews kept calling it that, until the name stuck.
The Lafayette was a 4-2-0 "Norris" type of locomotive built by Norris Locomotive Works in 1837 for the B&O railroad (it was their first locomotive to feature a leading truck) and was named after the Revolutionary War hero Marquis de Lafayette. It was based on the designs of the "George Washington".
Both locomotives, of course, have been offered in sets by Bachmann (and I believe the John Bull was offered as a separate locomotive outside of a train set... I don't believe the Lafayette was ever made outside of a set, though, I'm not 100% on that. They did offer the "King of Prussia" as a single locomotive. The "King of Prussia" was also a 4-2-0 "Norris" engine that was exported to the Germanies at that time)
I have found it interesting, that in the 1830s, we went from exporting locomotives from England, to exporting our own locomotives to England, and the rest of Europe by the decade's end.
This is the "John Bull" locomotive:
(https://scontent-den4-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/26910130_10156191328907139_6661851345877050866_o.jpg?_nc_cat=104&_nc_eui2=AeFOxZH9jbYoazt0i4r6F8LRV0GUPBtMRH1aXUiHOa9GYXqhxE0HgsUzrZiMaV7zZ9pMpiaqLorMOIoC-6FkrKMAHIuD3_mjZ1k9ANPMv-lWcw&_nc_oc=AQnNZDoIVAPLLCy0lSJwd12TZhYkWhOpJB2syStFtw7upSFrLUDLe5FuL67JEjL8iW8&_nc_ht=scontent-den4-1.xx&oh=5bf1084da6509e8022c09631f6b0e045&oe=5DC67614)
And this, of course, is the Lafayette:
(https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/fd4b6cf1-4ca4-4a83-8875-e66a269edf7b/db5a753-28170b99-d2a9-444c-8a43-c92f4d71c04e.jpg/v1/fill/w_1024,h_683,q_75,strp/lafayette_norris_4_2_0_by_warflight_db5a753-fullview.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9NjgzIiwicGF0aCI6IlwvZlwvZmQ0YjZjZjEtNGNhNC00YTgzLTg4NzUtZTY2YTI2OWVkZjdiXC9kYjVhNzUzLTI4MTcwYjk5LWQyYTktNDQ0Yy04YTQzLWM5MmY0ZDcxYzA0ZS5qcGciLCJ3aWR0aCI6Ijw9MTAyNCJ9XV0sImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTppbWFnZS5vcGVyYXRpb25zIl19.uDlshfXt-scuh5pfFIpbuB6bPvwhQiohgaOe65-irkk)