I just saw these trains on eBay. Another "Thomas" like franchise? Are they HO or OO and are they compatible with US standards? I looked in the Thomas forum here and don't see any mention of these. Here are some links I searched up:

http://cgi.ebay.com/BRANCHLINE-UE205-Circle-Trailer-Car-MINT-IN-BOX_W0QQitemZ390121568295QQcmdZViewItemQQptZModel_RR_Trains?hash=item5ad50eb827

http://models11.net/cart/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=9&sort=1a&filter_id=129&alpha_filter_id=0

http://www.undergroundernie.com/

Jim, do your cars have polling pockets? When I was a kid I used to wonder about these "dimples" that were located on the corners at the bottom of freight cars. My grandfather told me what they were for. A loco on one track could push a car on an adjacent track by putting one end of a specially designed pole into the "dimple" or pocket on the loco and the other end of the pole into the pocket of the car to be pushed. Apparently this was rather dangerous as, like the chains you wrote about, the pole under great stress could break violently and hit the trainman using it.

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showphoto.php?photo=58067&nojs=1

Quote from: BaltoOhioRRfan on January 16, 2010, 04:26:51 PM... and yes i forgot about the K4, though the idea crossed my mind to get one and strip it of the keystone, replace it with a capital dome

Ha, ha, I wondered when I saw Pacific Northern's post. From your user name, I had wondered if you were as indoctrinated as I was growing up in a B&O family. From earliest years, my grandfather (who worked as a steamfitter/boiler maker for Washington Terminal Co) would line me and my little cousins up and make us say "The B&O is the WAY TO GO!" And then he'd say "What about the Pennsy?" And we'd hold our noses and shout "NO, NO, NO!"  And I learned from others to "hate" the PRR although I was always fascinated by the fleets of GG-1's that I would see at Washington DC's Union Station. I have a Bowser / Penn Line GG-1 undecorated shell and have toyed with the idea of painting it in a B&O blue, black and gray scheme with logos and gold stripes just to see what it would look like. But I have resisted, thinking it would be kind of a crime against nature

Cheers,

Robert

I am one step behind the current state of the art. My trains are mostly 60's through 80's that I didn't have time for while I was working. Now recently retired I have time to enjoy them  Regarding sound however, I don't want it. Growing up with AHM, Tyco, Life Like and Bachmann toy grade locos, I was thrilled when I got a Mehano (LL Scene Master) Mikado during the 80's and it was silent! When running it all one hears are the train car wheels rolling. Even better is the clickety-clack of the wheels going over the joints in my Atlas snap track, "click-clack, click-clack..............click-clack, click-clack..............click-clack, click-clack.............." Ahh, the silence is music to my ears 

If you use a cork or foam layer under the track to deaden mechanical noise, then you don't want to use track nails or screws, but use glue instead. I had a layout with screws through track and cork into a plywood table and the screws transmitted the noise from the rails to the plywood which resonated with it. I redid the layout with the cork glued down and then the track glued to the cork and the reduction in noise was amazing.

Robert

Quote from: Joe Satnik on January 14, 2010, 03:09:21 PM
Dear All,

Here is a 16" wide ring.  Gives  5' x 9' (or optionally up to 5' x 9'-8") outer dimensions ...

Thanks a lot Joe

Robert

Quote from: Joe Satnik on January 13, 2010, 12:50:12 AM
Dear Robert,

Here is an 18" wide pattern.  Gives a 5' x 8-1/2' rectangular ring ...

Quote from: jward on January 13, 2010, 05:48:17 AM
joe
here's how i do the cutting and splicing. i work primarily with pine board, but this will work just as well with plywood ...

Thanks Joe and Jeff!

Robert

Looks like a nice set and I wouldn't be disappointed for only $5. Why don't you set it up and see how it runs. You've got a 36" circle of track. Connect the red wires to the DC terminals on the power pack and plug the other end to the terminal/rerailer track. If anything, it might need a little lubrication. Let us know how it goes.

http://www.shopgoodwill.com/auctions/Bachmann-HO-Scale-Silver-Star-Railroad-Train-Set-5641256.html

Cheers,

Robert

Quote from: Joe Satnik on January 12, 2010, 09:12:53 AM
... I was offering you some patterns to cut a 4'x8' sheet (see "subject" line) into pieces that would splice into a rectangular ring measuring 5' by about 9'.   The results would have a rectangular hole in the middle...

Can you describe those patterns Joe? Unless they're proprietary, of course.

Thanks,

Robert

When I was a kid (50's) my Dad set the Lionel trains up on a ping pong table every Christmas. We had a 9' X 5' piece of 1/4" thick plywood which was backed with an open grid of 3/4" X 3/4" framing and this frame backed board was layed on top of the table. Wires for lights, switches and accessories ran through holes in the framing then up through holes in the 1/4" board. (Of course, this doesn't answer your question re: where to get a 9' X 5' board today).

Robert

What kind of LL cars are you talking about? If they're not the latest Proto, are you talking about the shorty passenger cars, or freight, or both? I have a lot of the passenger cars and am in the same situation as you. So far, I have either changed one coupler on one car (the one that will connect to the loco) or changed the rear coupler on a loco that is going to pull different cars.

Robert

The new IHC model is from their "Premier" line of improved models. Sadly the manufacturer Mehano has closed so one would have to find the GG-1 on eBay or some hobby supplier's old stock. Here's a review: http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/t/142823.aspx

BTW, I am sad to see the closing of Mehano. I have quite a few of their locos from over the years. They built a good product for modest prices. Some of the last I bought were from the Premier line. They are good looking, well detailed, quiet and smooth runners.

Quote from: Heave on January 03, 2010, 05:59:38 PM
I must say the Mason looks very good ...

Quote from: Johnson Bar Jeff on January 04, 2010, 12:02:05 PM... I was told she had been off the property at the time for filming a TV commercial for the anniversary celebration that had been planned for that summer but then had to be cancelled because of the roof collapse.

The first time I saw the Mason, I was struck how "modern" and streamlined she appears compared to her contemporaries. A really beautifuly designed locomotive. The new paint looks good, imagine it must be more historically correct as is the practice now days. The last time I saw her she was in the gray and wine red scheme as is my lovely IHC model. Cheers, Robert
(B&O Museum, 4th picture down) http://www.thejoekorner.com/photos/b-orr/index.html

I'm not one of the "ten"  but as a former eBay addict I note that whenever an early 4-4-0 loco is up for auction, it always attracts lots of bids, no matter the quality or condition of the model. That always makes me glad I already have two (which is plenty, thank you). My railroad is primarily the end of steam through the 70's. However, after a trip to Atlanta and seeing the actual W&ARR General I bought Mantua's high quality model (which is now a collector's item). Later on eBay got for a pittance, an IHC model of B&O's William Mason. The model was missing a sand dome and bell, which have since been replaced. These are both beautiful, quiet, smooth running engines. They have appropriate Mantua, AHM and Roundhouse cars and I enjoy running their trains from time to time. Cheers, Robert

http://wd4eui.com/Pictures/General_Loco.jpg
http://www.steamlocomotive.com/bomuseum/bo25-2.jpg

May all the forum folks have a happy and prosperous new year with plenty of trains 

Best Wishes, Robert