'Roundhouse' old time cars and locos are available through Horizon Hobby http://www.horizonhobby.com/Trains/ The manufacturer code is RND. Horizon purchased Roundhouse shortly after they took over Athearn.

Mantua also makes some nice old time stuff. It's available through Horizon (Mfg: CSM) and Walthers (Mfg: 455). Quite a bit of it will fit in the time period you're modeling.

The prices aren't all that bad, and the Roundhouse and Mantua equipment runs fine on Bachmann's EZ-Track. It's also not that hard to repaint something you like that doesn't come in D&RGW colors and lettering.


Len

For Walthers plastic kits I use Faller "Expert" and "Super Expert" glues for styrene. Both work by softening the plastic, and essentially welding the joint together. The difference is in the amount of working time you get. The "Super Expert" being faster to set up is good for joints that are already clamped together, e.g., building corners, just run some up the inside of the joint and it will 'wick' in and set up quickly.

Tenax 7R is also good, but tends to evaporate very quickly if the bottle isn't kept capped. Plastruct Weldene, Bondene, and Plastic Weld are also good glues for plastic. Weldene is non-toxic, and for styrene only. Like most other plastic glues, Bondene and Weldene need to be used in a well ventilated area due to hazardous vapors. Bondene will glue styrene to styrene, and ABS to ABS, but not styrene to ABS. Plastic Weld bonds styrene, ABS, butrate, and acrylics to themselves and each other.

Carpenter glue isn't really intended for plastic kits.

Len

You don't have to cut any track sections. Both the 18in and 15in full curve sections have 30 degree arcs.

Which means you can use one 18in section, four 15in sections, and another 18in section to create a slightly squashed half circle of track. The 18in sections would be your transition curves from the straight tracks into the tighter 15in curves. The center track to center track distance of the open end of the half loop will be around 30-3/4in.

Len

If it's strong enough to make the train go on the track that came with the set, the answer is yes. Track isn't all that great an electrical conductor, with all the joints involved. So the trick is to add additional power feeders from the powerpack to various points along the track to even out the electrical distribution.

For a 15 x 15 layout I would use a minimum of 4 feeders spaced evenly around the track. More feeders would be better, but anything more than 1 feeder 3 or 4 feet would be overkill.

Len

I have one of these http://www.amazon.com/Robart-Manufacturing-Paint-Shaker-Powered/dp/B0006O7M9Wl I picked up cheap at a train show. It works really well for mixing custom colors, and paint & thinner for the air brush. Can't say I've ever had any problems with air bubbles in the paint from using it. Maybe I've just been lucky.

Len

This has been going on since the day after the #6 Crossovers were released with a "DCC Only" configuration.

When is someone at Bachmann going to admit this was a mistake, and start including detail instructions for modifying them for use in a "block control" DC configured layout in the box? Or at least in an easy to find location on Bachmann's own website.

What they really need to do is redesign the things with the gaps already in place for the DC crowd, and include jumpers to bypass the gaps for the DCC folks. We wouldn't see these "How do I modify the #6 crossover" threads over and over if they had done that from the start.

Len

Per the chart on the side of the package the 'Rise to Run' for the WS risers is:

2% Set: 4in rise in 16ft run
3% Set: 4.5in rise in 12ft run
4% Set: 4in rise in 8ft run

One set is need to go up, one to come down, so the total runs would be:

2%: 32ft
3%: 24ft
4%: 16ft

4% grades can be rough on your locos if you like to pull lighted passenger cars with detailed interiors.

Len

If you look closely at the diagram of the original G&D note the majority of the curves are 14" & 16" radius, with a bit of 18" & 20" radius here and there. So much for "18in radius minimums." 

Len

If 'X' is the scale, 'Xn#' is used to represent the gauge of narrow gauge track, with '#' given in feet. So you have:

X = 4ft 8-1/2in Standard Gauge
Xn2 = 2ft Narrow Gauge
Xn2-1/2 = 2-1/2ft Narrow Gauge
Xn3 = 3ft Narrow Gauge

Unfortunately, most computer keyboards don't have a "1/2" key like typewriters do. So in 2009 the NMRA revised the scale standards to show "Xn2-1/2" as "Xn30", representing 2-1/2ft as 30 inches. Which causes all kinds of trouble for Xn3 narrow gauge modelers when they order stuff and end up with Xn30 items instead because the person filling the order thought they left the '0' off.

Len

Quote from: Doneldon on September 07, 2011, 01:16:07 PM
Len-

$66+ to put a blue box F7 back on the rails, plus a decoder? Doesn't sound
economically sound to me unless the loco has great sentimental value.

                                                        -- D

Beats $99 for a new Athearn 'DCC Ready' unit. He already has the decoder and installing it during the motor conversion process is fairly simple. Plus the dual fly-wheel A-line motor is way better than what comes in most "starter" level locos.

Len

If you want to use the original chassis & body combo, A-Line http://www.ppw-aline.com/re-power.htm makes an good upgrade motor for the Athearn F7 that includes dual fly-wheels and wiring leads, item #70321, $60.95. I've done several of these conversions, and highly recommend also getting the Motor Mount Cradle Weight, item #12404, $5.50. It's not absolutely essential, but it makes the conversion a lot easier. These parts are also available through Walthers using the same item numbers with Mfg #116.

With the new motor, and added weight, you'll be able to use the decoder you've already got and have a "stump puller" to boot.

Len

You might be able to find some "dummy" FA/FT/F3/F7 cab units around, although they are starting to become scarce for some reason. Speaking from experience with my grandson, for a 3yr old I would stick with cab type power units, without delicate hand rails. 3yr olds like to get 'hands on' with their locos, and most handrails don't hold up very well to that.

As someone else mentioned, you might also want to look at O gauge for a 3yr old. The loco in the Lionel "Scout" set has what's known as a spur gear drive. This means, unlike a worm gear drive, it can be pushed around without hurting anything even when the power is off. Many post war O locomotives are also like this.

If you stay with HO, the first four layouts on this page http://www.atlasrr.com/Code100web/index.htm will fit a 4 x 6 table.

Len

Bus: You lay a loop of 2 wires from the transformer around the layout, then tap feeders from it to the track.

Star Pattern: You connect the transformer to a couple of terminal blocks, then run the feeders from the terminal blocks directly to their track attachment points. So called because on a table type layout the, if the terminal blocks are mounted near the cener of the table the feeders create a sort of star shaped pattern under the table. If the terminal blocks are mounted anywhere else you don't get the star pattern, but the term is still used for direct feeders to differentiate it from using a bus.

Len

Trying using a 22in radius curve to create an 'easement' between your straight sections and the 18in radius curves. It often helps "22in radius minimum" locos transition from the straight to the sharper curves with less problems. Sometimes it doesn't work, but more often than not it will. At any rate it wouldn't hurt to try, and see what happens. Just be ready to catch the loco if it does derail.

Len

For a room that size I would recommend a minimum of four feeders, one on each wall or corner, more is better. I like 16 gauge lamp ("Zip") cord for this, because there's less 'wire clutter' than using individual wires. Bus with feeders or direct feeds (star pattern) is a personal choice. For an around the room shelf direct feeds layed between the track and wall would probably be easiest.

Except for a basic train set loop the whole, "You only need two wires with DCC.", spiel is a myth. As a layout gets larger, you get the same kind of voltage/power losses through the track as using DC. So you need additional feeders for the same reasons. And that's not even getting into setting up power districts for yards, etc., on a larger traditional style layout.

Len