Shinohara/Walthers or Atlas code 83. I got a couple of pieces of code 83 Shino. track by mistake when I bought a big bundle ( I use code 70)and it is very nice looking track. I've also seen Atlas track and it is also just as good although not quite as detailed. Once it's painted and ballasted it will all look and perform pretty much the same.

As I stated before, I personally didn't like the Micro Engineering track as I found it hard to work with. There are a lot of people who will disagree with me, that's just my opinion. I will admit, the do make the nicest looking track that there is as far as detail.

Central Valley also make track tie strips that you add bulk rail to to form your own flex track. I haven't seen it in person, so can't attest to its appearance or ease of use. If it's anything like the rest of their MRing stuff it wil be top notch.

brad

I have 7 Rivorossi cars and 4 Branchline sleepers. I just sold a set of 4 Athearn  cars at our show (OOPS) If you want very nice cars get some of the Branchline heavyweights, beautifully detailed undercarriages although they kind of skimped on the interiors. I'd like to get a couple of coaches but they seem to be scarce anyone know of any? The Riv. ones are alright, but are hard to find. They benefit greatly from better wheels (P2K 36") and KD couplers (#505).

The Athearn cars aren't full length, they have shortened them by a few feet for smaller layouts.

brad

My layout is 4 feet above the floor and single deck, although I do have a 2nd "deck" that is quite small 9 X 3.5 feet where my logging town and mill will reside.

The majority of my scenes are 2 feet deep as I used 2 inch insulation board for a foundation supported by "L" brackets off the walls  (no legs) I don't have staging but do have a small yard and access to staging area (hole saw )

The layout is a continuos loop single track with passing sidings, as I like just watching trains roll by.

I guess I'm a freelancer, but most of my equiptment is lettered for CN and I try to stay within the 1930-50 range. I have a few Canadian buildings but most are kitbashes or scratchbuilt.

As for size, about a 350 sqr. ft.  "L" shape with the bottom corner cut off at an angle, had to go around furnace and chimney.

brad

I think Cenral Valley also has turnouts. They also make a curvable (you decide the radius) turnout kit in various switch numbers. I was going to use Micro Eng.'s flex track but, after I got the first bundle, I changed my mind. I found it VERY hard to work with  forming curves. It is very stiff and makes getting a nice, constant, smooth radius difficult  I changed to Shinohara and was very happy as it was much easier to work with. I also used Shinohara turnouts and  I'm quite happy with their performance. You can either insulate the two inside rails or cut a small gap just after the point on the diverging rails as I did. One problem I'm having as the layout gets a little olderf is getting reliable power to the point rails as I didn't add a feeder wire as I layed my track. I'm now going to have to go back and do that.

As far as suppliers. I got a few from my LHS but most were bought off E-bay at a great savings, usually in bulk lots.

brad

Lanny,

I've always had good luck with pulling large numbers of cars, even the ones others complain about poor pulling performance ie Athearn 2-8-2's, BUT, I go through all my cars before they hit the rails, propper weight, wheels in gauge, coupler heights corrected and I've started running a truck tuner in all my trucks before I put METAL wheel sets in. That alone has made a huge difference and as time permitts wil go back and tune up all my trucks, even the ones that don't seem to need it

My record so far is a triple header of B-mann 2-8-0's pulling 93 cars and a caboose, most were 40 footers, 12 were hoppers and a handfull of 50 footers.... very noisy in the train room

brad

Lanny,

Can't speak for the 63" drivered version, but my low boiler 52" driver version will pull 15 cars with no problem. They are probably one of my best running Spectrum engines and for their size, pull a lot.

brad

Lanny, You will be able to fine 1200 grit paper at any autobody supply shop, even 2000 use it wet as is plugs very easy and don't push down, let the paper do the work. It's used for final sanding and wet sanding paint before final polish. I think Tamiya also sets sand paper packs with 3 or 4 various grades of very fine sand paper.

brad

Thanks guys, The track I'm laying is just on a 17" sqr. diarama for the NMRA show here in Sept.  but I want to build a skeleton car to put on it so would like some functional track.  1/8X3/16X1 1/2  sounds good to me.

Jim, That makes 3 of us from 'toon town here on the board.  Ever come by Confed Mall .and see the club layouts?

brad

Hi all,

Another couple of newbie O scale questions. I'm in the middle of building my O scale Keystone sawmill and want to handlay some On30 rail next to it.

Will On30 wheel flanges clear code 70 rail? (I'm assuming it will but would like to check)

I'm going to cut my own ties. What would be an appropriate length and  size be? ie 4X6, 4X8?

Thanks as always
brad

The floor is all built as are most of the walls and machinery

Andy, sent you PM

brad

Trains will run FLAWLESSLY until a visiter comes.

Dull blades will aways cut you the deepest and hurt the most.

Things put away for safe keeping will remain that way... FOREVER.

There will be a day you open a box and it will be like Christmas all over (see last rule)

The amount of trouble, headaches, heartaches and just plain old greif a turnout will give you is directly affected by how hard it is to reach and how much it is used.

There will always be someone who knows more than you and some that think they do.

Dragging a double deck autorack  behind your 10 wheeler will always raise a rivet counters blood pressure by 10 points.

Having a Thomas engine pulling a freight train will make him pass out, but the kids will love it

You'll always find that slight kink in the track.. after you've ballasted.

Kids will ALWAYS ask "How fast does it go?"

The best thing a model railroader will ever hear is "That looks so real"

cheers
brad

All the old MAntua's , Varney's etc only had one wire so a connector really isn't an issue with them unles you run DCC.

brad

There are al sorts of wire connectors available at shops like Radio Shack, simply show them what you need and they can get it for you.

brad

I've had my Badger 200 for 22 years and it's still going strong. But recently I've been doing more and more weathering and custom paint for other people including N scale and I'm considering going to a dual action, either another Badger or a Paasche VL . I used one of those noisey diaphram compressors for almost 15 years until I got a larger tank style compressor, what a difference, cannot recomend this enough.

Jack cannot testify first hand about the comfort of the two brushes, but one of the fellows in the club has tried both and he prefers the Aztecs more ergonomic shape. I guess if you can get your hands on both and see what's best for you.

brad

Thanks Ken,

I have several cars from intermountain and red caboose, all built as kits when they were available. I also have a handfull each from Atlas and Branchline Blueprint, the Set of 4 Kraft cars are a big hit when they make the odd appearance at shows. Then there's the 10 or so Accurail ones I take to run on the club layout as they travel better than the more detailed cars and I can't always gaurantee that it will only be me handling them.... some guys have 5 thumbs and I hate rebuilding cars

I imagine something like the Heinz pickle cars wouldn't have fallen under the anti-trust laws as they were for a specific cargo? Neat looking cars.

brad