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Messages - John Murphy

#31
General Discussion / Re: Passenger Cars question
March 15, 2007, 12:18:41 AM
Best idea is a C&NW Internet search  -- E6+locomotive+passenger+trains+of+ {add years you wish to search}
Hope this helps.
#32
General Discussion / Re: 2007 pluses and minuses
March 15, 2007, 12:12:15 AM
Trainworld advertises in both RMC and Model Railroader.  I've only gotten 2 bumm items, and one I was hoping would be bumm because it was purchased for spare parts.  The fault lay with the manufacturer, as all items I've gotten were plastic-shrink-wrapped and sealed from Bac -- er, the manufacturer....

Anyway, since I use 22" (maximum) radius curves, selective compression is a MUST.  Modestly detailed Plasticville et al, is perfect for me, if I go for higher-end pre-painted people and autos.  By modest detail, I mean lights and some interior detail for structures, etc.

OK, my wish list for late '07-08:
    1) 60' or 65' 1920's heavyweight passenger cars (a complete consist would be great!  [I've had to resort to using Model Power 67' Harriman cars and Rivarossi Interiors cut to fit and either purchased from Walthers or canabalised from 4 or 5 complete consists from Trainworld -- Man, a small saw and painted people make all the difference to those cars -- [When I was in "N" guage in the 1980s, Bachmann had a 3-car 60' heavyweight consist - 2 coaches and a combine - I cut the combine in two for a standard baggage car, placed a stock combine and coach behind, converted 2 more stock coaches into Pullman Sleepers, and combined the two passenger ends of the baggage car kitbash, a set of caboose steps and platform, a "wrought-iron" railing around the rear platform, a dummy coupler and a 1/25th scale headlight lense for a drumhead.  It looked great to me, but to pros, it was definitely amaturish);

    Wish 2) Make the 1950s 4x4 Jeep hi-railer et al in DCC On-Board editions;

    Wish 3) Make the seperate Spectrum tenders both in both regular and Tsunami Sound and DCC On-Board;

    More wishes to come.  John
#33
General Discussion / 2007 pluses and minuses
March 12, 2007, 11:56:11 PM
Dear Bachmann, et al:

    I was sorry to see that the HO guage Spectrum Climax B Shay and the 0-6-0 Saddle Tank switcher leave the lineup -- I can only hope they will return as better models in the future;
   I was pleasently surprised about three new items in the lineup which almost makes up for the loss:  1) The Christmas Boxcar in HO and N;
   2) The HO 2-6-2 Prairie in Southern Livery;
   and 3) The Non-USRA Spectrum Mikado.
   Time's late, but I just wanted to express my opinion.  Oh, is there a best way to make suggestions for future products?
   Best, John Murphy
#34
HO / Re: Gas-Electric Doodlebug
March 11, 2007, 12:12:44 AM
I just wish Bachmann would make a 65' doodlebug for those of us with less than 22" curves....  Would love to have dcc and sound in my belt-drive 'bugs".
#35
For those of you who have short line railroads and must use a minimum radius of 15" or greater, the Ten Wheeler w/ 63" diam. wheels runs on this minimum.  Haven't yet gotten the 56" wheeled version to try, but this is great for me.  Haven't run it past ~ 7 volts straight DC so I don't know if the blue-white headlamp will turn true white or remain blueish-white as it does on 3 v. or less DC.  DCC comes later, but will come.  Kinda wish Bachmann would have put a "Warm White" (yellow-white) LED as headlight, but am sure if I go to DCC, the Ten Wheeler's light will be nearly white.  One last thing: If you run the 4-6-0 on 18" radius curves or sharper, use the end drawbar hole lest the tender hang-up on such a short radius curve....
    Now, all I must do is decal a tender for my Christmas railroad and one for the big seaside/mountain railroad I'm planning....
    John Murphy
#36
HO / Re: EZ Track Turnout question....
February 18, 2007, 11:44:59 PM
(sigh)  I opened one "standard" (#4?) turnout and spotted the bus wires ...
Looks like I have 2 options:
1) cut the bus wires;
  or 2) cut a slit in the plastic ballast to fit a plastic insulated rail joiner to insulate similar rails.
   I had hoped this would be simple -- I want a passenger train and freight train to operate on the same oval, but in opposite directions -- one train at a time -- and using one turnout switch to control power and track routing for the passing sidings and oval, and using simple non-dcc control with Atlas #200 Snap-Relays for a Christmas Display Layout...  I have a wiring diagram in my head and have been in model railroading on-and-off since the early 1960's, so I know this idea is possible.
  Keep everybody posted....
  Again, thanks.  And any input is welcome about how to keep things simple, esp. re: EZ Track rail isolation.
   John Murphy
#37
HO / EZ Track Turnout question....
February 18, 2007, 12:43:20 AM
Does anybody know if EZ Track Turnouts (nos. 14561 and 14562 in particular, as well as the #5 and #6 turnouts) are power routing (do frogs turn sidings off electrically automatically) or should I try to isolate the sidings to create blocks?

My display railroad will look something like this:

         _____________
        /  /            _____\
       |  |          _/_____ |
        \_\____/_______/

There will be 2 passing sidings and 2 railroad car sidings, and minimum radius of 18" as well as a single track for a Holiday Trolley car (not shown).

Thanks in advance.  - John Murphy
#38
Plasticville U.S.A. / Kitbashing using Plasticville...
February 03, 2007, 10:36:25 PM
I'm currently trying to get back into HO by starting with a Holiday Display layout (steam).  Since the layout is going to be small (40"x6'6") I had a problem:  I wanted a (inexpensive) whistle, so I hit on an idea -- I got the Bachmann Plasticville "N" guage whistle, cut it out of the warehouse it was in, and will put it in a built-up HO guage Plasticville barn.  Since the layout is going to be part scale and part whimsy, I was only looking for an "approximation."  Also, since the layout is very small and the barn will be centrally located, imagination hopefully will take over and the mind will place the sound where it is to go.

I'm also using the HO Plasticville Suburban Station (heavily modified, painted, lighted) to be another focal point....
#39
When I was in another scale in the 1970's-1980's, a model railroad car and coupler company came out with RR cars without roadnames/numbers, but all the car's data was there.  This would be great for those of us who either have custom roadnames or who need strings of cars with different roadnames/numbers than those offered.