I have a bumblebee annie and a Rio Grande Southrern annie, both with a bit of a lope.  Do all annies have this peculiar gate.  The bumblebee had a bit of flash left on the main drive gear which I removed and after about a year of running the lope has subsided to almost unnoticable.  The RGS had a malformed piece in the valve gearing which I corrected but it lopes worst than the bumblebee did.  The RGS is still what I would consider not broken in, but this is going to be hard to solve.  I also have a piece of valve gearing that seems to be stuck on the bumblebee, its the highest part of the gearing, and is shaped like a teardrop on its side.  The RGS with the same gearing moves and seems seperate from the shaft that runs under the boiler.  The bmblbee seems to be fused to the same shaft.  Maybe one is made different than the other, I dont know, can anyone help with this?           

I have a paperback book that I purchased last spring when I took the Durango & Silverton run.  The book entitled Americas Railroad - The official Guidebook,  by Robert T. Royem.  In the book appears a Den. and Rio Grande system map with the logo promoting the "Scenic Line of the World", it shows standard gauge lines highlighted in red, and narrow gage lines marked in black.  At the bottom right of the map is the makers name of - Knight, Leonard & Co., Engr's Chicago.  What a cool map, I love the steam era, and especially the colorado narrow gage legacy of the Den Rio Grande, and Rio Grande Southern.  Do these maps still exist, perhaps a remake?  Love to frame it and display one of these in the old train room.  I am currently runnning a Bachmann D&RGW BumbleBee annie, and a RGS annie on a 100' shelf system.

Just wondering if aristocraft ballbearing wheelsets with the electrical pickups will fit my JS Bachmann rolling stock.  Hard to find anything LGB of lately. 

Im looking for a way to simply start and or stop an Annie without it slamming to a stop or spinning to a start electronically.  I thought of the bitswitch option but Im not investing in dcc.  Is there anyone that has invented a solidstate throttle that can be simply triggered like the bitswitch for simple analog operation.  I have a simple analog loop of 100 ft on a shelf system and would like to keep it automated, a few starts and stops ect.  I have heard of a  few designs that use big capcitors ect.. but why not a solidstate reostat like the radio controlled throttle on my rc dirt buggy? Help.....   

I first posted this on the g scale forum, but I figure I might have better luck here.  Still searching for a stock g scale crossing gate.  The one I like is the Crossing Flasher and Gate set with 2 Block Signal Detectors.  Listed as Mfg. Part Num. DZ1010, at the Wholesale train website.  Trouble with this is its listed as an O scale item.  Anybody actually know what the height of these signals are?  If tall enough I would purchase them.

Still searching for a stock g scale crossing gate.  The one I like is the Crossing Flasher and Gate set with 2 Block Signal Detectors.  Listed as Mfg. Part Num. DZ1010,  at the Wholesale train website.  Trouble is this is listed as an O scale item.    Anybody actually know what the height of these signals are?  If tall enough I would purchase them.