This spring I wanted a brighter headlight in my Bug Hauler as well as an F7.  The small LED I used in HO scale was not going to do the trick.  All Electronics had a package of 4 - 5mm bright white LED's I had purchased some time ago.

The 5mm was the right size for installing inside the head lamp assemble on the Big Hauler.   I took the engine apart in the usual manor.  Cut the wires leading to the head lamp bulb at their source.  Removed the bulb, reflector and everything else that went with it.   The cover lens goes in from the front and that was pushed out and saved.  The LED was put in place and centered in the housing and hot glued in place.  2 wires were run from the LED through the boiler and to the back of the cab.  I used a 2 cell AAA battery holder and two batteries for the power source.  I put a micro mini toggle switch in the top of the cab and painted it black.  Hardly noticeable.  Connected the switch in line with one led on the LED.  The battery holder was stuck to the under side of the roof with double backed tape.  Had to add an extra piece in the center to offset the curve of the roof.  Replaced the lens in the front of the headlamp assembly.    I now have a bright white headlight in bright sun light and at night it lights up the track for several feet in front of the engine.  The batteries run all summer and are still good today.

My F7 a is also reworked this way and my SW 1 is next. 

Is there any way to get louder sound out of the older Big Haulers?  Even with hearing aids when the engine get 4' past me I don't hear it any more.  Is there an amplifier that can be installed in the tender and connected to the sound board and a larger speaker to get some SOUND out of these engines ? ?  Thanks much for all you guy and your great ideas and problem solvers.

I have my garden railroad on the only fairly level ground on the property.  Unfortunately it is next to a gravel road and the road is on the South.  Road dust (lime dust) is a real problem during the dry summer months.  I have Brass rail and some curves with aluminum rail.  When the rail are coated with dust and a heavy dew at night the rails get real dirty and oxidized.  It takes 400 wet or dry sandpaper to get them clean again.  Is there anything that can be put on the rail so they will wipe clean with a cloth and denatured alcohol?  I won't use any oil base product as it will compound the problem with the dust-oil mixture.  Would appreciate any advise anyone wants to share.  Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

Has anyone come up with a good way to reduce the engine motor speed in order to have the smoke unit operate most of the time?  I did away with the standard bulb headlamp and put in a large bright white LED powered by 2 AA batteries in the belly hold on my F unit.  A switch on the side turns the light on and off.  The 2 batteries should last the year with no problem.

Now I would like to have smoke about all the time.  Not sure which way to go.  A resistor in line to the motors, or a 9V battery to power the smoke unit.  Not sure 9V would be enough power or how long it would last.

Would appreciate any thoughts or a solution to this.  Once the F unit is taken care of will move on the Heavy Hauler steam unit.

Roger

Thanks much.

What is the most common method to turn the wires from you switch to the turnout?  I have my track laying on a 2 X 6 roadbed as most of it is elevated some to get the track somewhat close to level.  I am thinking of running the wires along the side of the roadbed where they will be covered with 3/8" rock.

  They will be exposed to some moisture as rain water will run off and filter down through or later run across the top of the rock. 

   I don't think the plastic coated will deteriorate under these conditions.  Anyone have a better idea?  The longest run to the switch is about 50'.

Along those same lines what gauge wire should I use?  I 20 or 22 gauge heavy enough to run the turnouts?

Thanks in advance for your comments and suggestions.

Rog

I need to make some changes on my outdoor layout to get longer curves on one end.  I have been looking at curved track and turnouts trying to figure out which track and turnouts I need.  How can I know what I am getting by the variety of numbers in the different listing for different brands?  Some give me a R-1.  Some 300 mm.  Some 1100 and so on.  Most of the turn outs say nothing or possibly mention long.  And then one will throw in a 22.5° or a 30° or something like that.  I am completely in the dark unless I have it in hand and lay it where I want it and it is either to short, to long or will work.

Rog

Is there a standard or norm so to speak for G scale freight car weight?  I have three different brand of cars and wide variance in weight between them.

Relatively new to large scale railroading but have been in HO scale for any years.  I know many things that worked in HO will not work in large scale.  I have mostly Bachmann rolling stock with truck mounted couplers.  I would like to change over to body mount couplers but not sure exactly what the best procedure would be to mount the coupler.  In HO i simply glued the draft box to the end of the car at the proper height and that was about it.  Large scale Bachmann couplers have no draft box.  Can I use the truck mount coupler as a body mount by screwing it to the car body at a consistent height close to the truck mount height?  Would appreciate any advise anyone can toss this way.  Thanks much.  Chieffan

Could someone kindly explain to me the difference between HOn3 and On30.  I know that Bachmann makes the On30 trains that run on standard HO track.  But it is not called "HOn3".  This has me confused.  Thanks much.   Rog

New to large scale.  Purchased an NOS Bachmann 10 wheeler (Latest run) with smoke unit.  No manual or paperwork with it.  Question is: "How much fluid is it safe to add to an empty smoke unit without running it over?"  Learning a ton off this site and have a long way to go yet.