I'm having trouble with a factory sound-equipped Spectrum Heavy Mountain (SP with Hicken) that I recently picked up second hand. The sound is fantastic -- beautiful, deep, throaty chuffs, which continue even after the loco comes to an abrupt halt without cutting off the throttle (I use a Digitrax Zephyr). A shove gets the engine moving again, but not for long. Since the sound stays on, I can be sure it's not an electrical problem. I'm guessing there's a bind in the side rods or the gears. I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who may have experienced a similar problem and can recommend a solution. Thanks ...

I believe the Tsunami has wire leads on a JST plug. You can get a JST harness with an 8-pin plug to avoid soldering on this end.

An FT-F7 lashup with Alco trucks ... I'd like to see a pic of that rig when it's done.

There's a thread on the BLI Online Forum about this ...

http://precisioncraftmodels.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=839

Quote from: rogertra on July 28, 2008, 02:06:23 AM

http://www.minkystrains.org/tender_wipers

Excellent, well worth bookmarking.

I agree. However, while mounting the wiper to the truck seems straightforward, what I'm unclear on is how to wire the wiper to the loco.

Also, did you use Neolube just because you wanted to paint the backs of the wheels? I'm sure you can pick up power from the bare metal wheel.

I think "Overland" was just a marketing name Roundhouse came up with, something that sounded western, evoking images of the Overland Express. Then they get painted in lots of roadnames so lots of people will buy them. I'm no expert, but I would guess most lines, east or west, just called 'em open-platform wooden coaches. They don't appear to represent any one specific prototype, like Harriman, Boonton or Stillwell -- they just look old-timey.

Quote from: Atlantic Central on June 29, 2008, 01:59:34 PM
D&RGW cars where yellow.

Sheldon

To my knowledge, only Rio Grande narrow gauge passenger cars were yellow, starting in the '50s after they were repainted yellow for a movie and the railroad kept them that way ("Grande gold," lasting until the present on the Silverton train). Before then, they were Pullman green back to about the teens, before which they were tuscan red. D&RGW standard gauge heavyweight/wooden coaches would have been green.

Quote from: Woody Elmore on June 09, 2008, 07:47:34 AM
Rob -" War Babies "refers to the fact that the SP ordered locomotives but because the war was raging the government didn't want the SP to build a locomotive just for passenger service. They wanted smaller, more utilitarian locomotives so the GS-4 was a bit smaller than predecessors. Since they were built in 1943, they are referred to as "War Babies."

Might I add that my dad was in the US Navy during WWII and he always raved about the hospitality of New Zealanders (not that Australians weren't).

My understanding is that the "GS" stood for Golden State until the war, when the SP started referring to them as General Service to slip them past the War Production Board.

I believe the NP called them Hicken tenders.

John Allen didn't "invent" scenery, but he took it to a new level.

He died in 1973, and his layout was destroyed in a fire shortly after.

                                                                                                            On top of that they are painting it for GS-6 ( WP SP ) GS-4 (SP daylight in a couple different lettering versions + warbaby black + BNSF ) . I know most  of you are going to wonder why they did BNSF , well I do not know how well it will sell but  I will probly buy one . [/quote]

I seem to recall the 4449 was painted black with the BNSF logo for a series of excursions on the BNSF a while back ...

MTH has just announced its next HO loco: an SP GS-4.

Like THAT's never been done before ... (yawn)

Someone on eBay is selling 30 defective Athearn Genesis Mikes in lots of two. So if you hurry, you can be the proud owner of two Mikes with broken gears for a palty 35 bucks plus shipping ... just thought this was interesting ...

Quote from: SteamGene on January 30, 2008, 09:08:20 AM
BTW, there is a picture in the Strasburg Railroad souvenier booklet of one of their locos - the Russian, I think, hauling a train of 100 ton covered hoppers to their one online industry, a chemical plant. 
Gene

Gene,

Good suggestions, but a minor quibble: The Strasburg's 2-10-0 isn't a Russian. The Russians were built in the late teens; the Strasburg dec is a 1924 Baldwin off the Great Western.

Jim Dudlicek
Hoffman Estates, IL

Quote from: SteamGene on January 28, 2008, 02:53:38 PM
The real solution is for the companies to go back to boxes made so that loco and tender can remain attached in the box.
Gene

I'll second that as well ...