you should ask at
http://www.sodorisland3dmodels.zoomshare.com/8.html

the more expensive decoders have sound, but there is usually not enough room for the decoder and a speaker in thomas, percy, or toby.   depending on where you look online you can find some decoders for about 14 usd.  these will control direction and speed and lights if you add them. 

heck, if rod stewart and frank sinatra can let the whole world know that they like model railroads............

Quote from: Thomas. on November 20, 2007, 03:47:40 PM
i does any1 wat type of engine lady is?

http://www.pegnsean.net/~railwayseries/lady.htm

you don't have to limit yourself to a logging or coal line if you want to use a shay.   several were used as industrial switchers when their original owners' lines were abandoned.

cal-scale probably makes the stack that you want.  you can also get the air compressor.    re-locating the lamp to the roof will involve running additional wires from the tender through the cab.  use very small gauge black wire.  hopefully you will be able to unsolder the lamp from the circuit board.  use a low wattage soldering iron - about 25 watts.  i have seen the straight stack, steel cab bachman shays on ebay for less than $100

sounds like it will be pretty good.   

prrthomas11  nice picture of an eire triplex.   i hear that mth will be making the triplex available.

Quote from: Frog Pulling Team on September 22, 2007, 07:54:31 PM
::)Oh Brother

george strait would probably do better ;~D

heck we could probably get reba to do mavis, lady, and the other female engines.

order from walmart online.  it is only $29 and change.  http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3957104

the model railroader website also has a track database for all the track plans that have been in the magazine http://www.trains.com/mrr/default.aspx?c=tp&id=93  you do need to be a subscriber to access the detailed plans though.

i have a couple of the bachman shays and would like to see bachman make a willamette (an improved version of the shay caused that lima to make an upgraded version of the shay known as the pacific coast).  there were a couple of brass versions of the willamette that were imported a while back. 

www.walthers.com

the mounting post for the couplers on the thomas line are lower than the height of regular ho cars.  what you would need to do is convert one of the thomas trucks by mounting a coupler that works with your other cars on one end of the thomas car.   to do this you would have to cut part of the mounting post on one end so that the coupler is at the correct height.  use a sharp knife or saw and a file to smooth the cut post, then screw the standard (or kadee coupler if you use kadee's) in place. 

8x8 might make it hard to reach anything in the center of the table.   30" to 36" is about the maximum that anyone can reach comfortably.

dcc is definitely worth it.  i have converted several of my locomotives to dcc.  my bachman shay and another locomotive also have sound too.