These might be good inspirations for color schemes,

QuoteBaldwin Styles: Reference Illustrations.
By David Fletcher.
The following illustrations Represent Baldwin Locomotives delivered around the globe and have been sorted by their "Style Number" for ease of reference. Many of the styles as they are listed below have simplified descriptions ignoring specific notations applied to each order.

http://www.pacificng.com/template.php?page=/ref/locobuilders/blw/style/stylediag/index.htm

They are out of production at the moment but Microscale has had period locomotive trim decals.
Don't know the name and number offhand, and my sets are buried in a box in the back bedroom right now.

Hey there! I also wondered if the little tabs at end of siderods, tabs which represent lubrication cups, were jamming against bottom of deck and reversed drivers to put those table on the bottom, nope, not the source of the problem.
Even pulled the central gear to allow the front axle to freewheel, that really didn't work!

In between original post and just now, got it to run forward a bit jerkily, but not run at all backwards.

I'm moments away from deciding to dump the siderods and counterweights and throw together something to represent an outside frame like on this 20 ton Baldwin of similar silhouette though larger size.
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/kvpc20.jpg
And, actually, I think I just now have settled on doing that.
I'll say it was a roller chain drive variant.
That mechanical drive Porter has an interesting frame, http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/porter/page52c.jpg

Okay, what's the arcane secret to installing a brand new set of Davenport drivers?
Apparently merely getting the gears on the correct side and engaged with the quartering properly lined up isn't good enough.
After multiple tries all we get is no revolution to one revolution then the axles jam.
Transmission runs fine without axles in, so it probably isn't something with the internal gearing.
I've been doing model trains for four decades, I should be getting this right by the seventh try, ya know.
IMG_2717_50 by ,

Strombecker also had plastic models, in particular they released in late 1950s a 1/300 scale space station from Disney's Man in space series.

According to an HO scale steel ruler, it is about 33 feet long over the coupler pulling faces; about 9ft 6in wide; and about 13ft 3in high over cupola roof.

And here http://crcaboose.railfan.net/classes/NE-6.htm says

Quoteformer NE-6 Dimensions    
Length over
Strikers    Carbody
Length    Truck
Centers    Carbody
Width    Carbody
Height    Cupola
Height    Typical
Weight
34' 0"    27' 4"    18' 10"    9' 5"    11' 6"    13' 10"    47000

Sources : Field measurements of Walt Gosciminski's NH 705

Hmm, interesting how pasting that in totally scrambled the arrangement.
I don't know if that's exactly the same specific designation of caboose.

Hmm, went paging through pdf of 2016 print catalog and didn't see it in there: print catalog usually gives radius info. E60CP and GG1 were in there on pages 68-71, but not the modern job.
And its listing in Bachmann's web store doesn't appear to have that info.

Apparently a number of things use parts of the 49mhz band, playing in Google found this mentioning both the military and baby monitors, early cordless phones, and of course, toys. http://forums.radioreference.com/general-scanning-discussion/228637-there-anything-worth-listening-49-mhz.html
And apparently as feed for remote audio systems http://www.part15.us/blogs/carl-blare/49-mhz-new-life
When it comes to this kind of thing, everything I know is only what things I found.

Quote from: Trainman203 on March 26, 2016, 10:38:28 AM
I don't recall double headed steam locomotives being called a "consist".  Does the prototype call a string a diesels a "consist?"  Like "turnout", I think that " consist" meaning " engines" is model railroad terminology.

The Federal Government calls it a consist, but as always, consider the source.

Quote§ 218.93   Definitions.
As used in this subpart—
...
Lite  locomotive  consist  
means  two  or  
more locomotive units coupled without
cars  attached,  regardless  of  whether  
the  locomotive  units  are  connected  so  
that  they  may  be  operated  from  a  sin-
gle control stand.
Locomotive
means,   for   purposes   of  
this  subpart  only,  a  piece  of  on-track  
equipment    (other    than    specialized    
roadway  maintenance  equipment  or  a  
dual  purpose  vehicle  operating  in  ac-
cordance   with   § 240.104(a)(2)   of   this  
chapter):
(1)  With  one  or  more  propelling  mo-
tors  designed  for  moving  other  equip-
ment;
(2)  With  one  or  more  propelling  mo-
tors  designed  to  carry  freight  or  pas-
senger traffic or both; or
(3)   Without   propelling   motors   but  
with one or more control stands.

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2010-title49-vol4/pdf/CFR-2010-title49-vol4-sec218-93.pdf

As for steam locomotive consists, from 230.12, though consist here refers to the units towing the defective steamer, they could be diesel, electric, or steam.

Quote(b)
Conditions  for  movement.  
Prior  to  
movement,    the    steam    locomotive    
owner  and/or  operator  shall  determine  
that it is safe to move the locomotive,
determine   the   maximum   speed   and  
other  restrictions  necessary  for  safely  
conducting the movement, and  notify  
in writing the engineer in charge of the
defective   steam   locomotive   and,   if  
towed,  the  engineer  in  charge  of  the  
towing  locomotive  consist,  as  well  as  
all  other  crew  members  in  the  cabs,  of  
the   presence   of   the   non-complying  
steam  locomotive  and  the  maximum  
speed and other movement restrictions.
In  addition,  a  tag  bearing  the  words  
''non-complying  locomotive''  shall  be  
securely   attached   to   each   defective  
steam locomotive and shall contain the
following information:
(1) The steam locomotive number;
(2) The name of the inspecting entity;
(3)  The  inspection  location  and  date;  
(4) The nature of the defect;
(5) Movement restrictions, if any;
(6) The destination; and
(7)  The  signature  of  the  person  mak-
ing the determinations required by this
paragraph (b).

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2010-title49-vol4/pdf/CFR-2010-title49-vol4-part230.pdf

Sort of like this concept?

QuoteWorld's biggest car delivery center
Wednesday, April 04, 2012 - 02:41
April 4 - The two gleaming glass towers of Volkswagen's Autostadt, or car town, house technology which automatically moves cars from VW's Wolfsburg plant to the towers, to the customer center where they are collected by their owners. Joanna Partridge reports.

http://www.reuters.com/video/2012/04/04/worlds-biggest-car-delivery-center?videoId=232867514

Quote from: Woody Elmore on March 19, 2016, 12:43:30 PM
I have used thin Masonite in the past. Being a frustrated artist I put the Masonite rough side out. Paint adheres better to the rough side - at least that's my opinion  Then I painted it with cheap blue house paint mixed with white - how blue is a personal matter. Any cheap paint will do.

Our little model RR club here in a mid-Missouri county seat farm burg of population 8,300 began with some second hand modules from a defunct club in Jefferson City. They had used the smooth side out, and we have no idea what they did to prep the panels.

Now, on the rough side back side - which are visible since our now expanded with new modules HO layout is an open square where one can look across and see the reverse side of the backdrops - I went through and primed them all with a couple coats of shellac based BIN primer thinking that would slow down the absorbency of the fuzzy Masonite. Then over that two coats it took two coats of latex house paint, I used the same pale blue as the room walls. On new backdrops we built, I did the BIN primer thing on both sides.

But I tell ya what, it sure gave the place a more finished and professional appearance - important since as our agreement with the city to use the space requires monthly open houses and being open when there are events in our little 4 block downtown.

Back to the backdrop fronts, from the paint textures, three different techniques had been used, roller, brush, spray. Eventually I took a few days to refresh the backdrops with a new coat of blue as some were pretty dinged up. There was some nice scenery on some of them, did my best to preserve that.

Not exactly a Pulitzer Prize winner, but it gives the idea. Middle two of the 4 modules on this side have omitted the backdrops because people liked to look inside the square to see the 2 yards.
1_0617 by Forrest Wood, on Flickr

Quote from: RkyGriz on March 17, 2016, 10:24:48 PM
PS: Do you think that this thing could handle a 14.8v Li-ion battery? I'm thinking that  a batter at that voltage would make it literally fly! Or would I be better off with what I currently have or maybe split the difference and buy a 9.6v battery instead?

Question is, what voltage level are the motor windings built to handle? Next question is how fast will motor heat up at higher voltages? Third question; what speeds, meaning loads and forces, is the transmission build to handle?

I've often wondered, but not researched, whether, and when, talgo trucks for model trains got their name from the Spanish company Talgo which started making real trains in the 1940s. http://www.talgo.com/index.php/en/tecnologia.php

Quote"Talgo Technology

The Talgo key success factors are innovation, technology, sustainability, security, quality and competitiveness, with a clear focus on customer orientation in all of its projects.

Because of its proven, unique and highly efficient technology, Talgo trains are internationally recognized as the best in their class in terms of safety, energy efficiency, lightness, accessibility and comfort.

Talgo trains have a series of technological principles that characterize them and differ from other manufacturer trains:

Variable Gauge
Natural tilting system
Guided axles and independent Wheels
Articulated union between coaches
Lightweight construction
Accessibility"

Where's Flash Gordon? "Talgo Series 1 (1942)"
http://web.talgoamerica.com/historic-milestones;

Older Athearn meaning 1970s and 1980s.
Here, this style: these 2 are slooooowly having On30 sized bodies built for them.
IMG_2502 by Forrest Wood, on Flickr
Note that on rear one the brass flywheels and motor casing were at some point colored with magic marker.

Back to talking about articles in MR, page 70 in Feb 2016, and page 82 in March 2016, the DCC Corner feature, have some relevant information, with March 2016 installment being titled "Are your locomotives DCC friendly?"

Ring field motors of 1980s vintage, such as this Italian job from Lima, and its Bachmann contemporaries, are as I remember, not the first candidates for simple addition of a DCC decoder. That question is one that someone else will have to address, as having no desire to convert one to DCC I didn't make a point of keeping info on the matter.
IMG_2503 by Forrest Wood, on Flickr

I have one of the EZ Command DCC systems. It serves my needs. It is a really basic system, pretty much a "drive this loco or that loco, turn the lights on or off" operation.
Converting older locos to DCC is one of those, "Well, it depends" operations.
Things with open frame motors, such as older Athearn, MDC Roundhouse, Mantua, will require new can style motors, and rewiring to isolate motors from frames. The contact sparking from those older motors causes RFI with the DCC system.
Recent issues of Model Railroader magazine have touched on this matter.

Oh, yes, truck-mounted, 'talgo', couplers versus body mounted couplers - that is an important issue - especially when talking sharp curves like used on the foundational section of the G&D.
Truck mounted couplers will more closely follow the track centerline on curves, while body mounted couplers will swing outboard of track centerline.
Below a certain curve radius, when a car of each type is coupled together, one of those cars is going to twist the other off the track.
Guaranteed.

Another thing is backing a train, the push on truck mounted couplers is prone to twisting them sideways hard enough to force the wheel flanges to ride up over the railhead.

That brings to mind the strong recommendation to acquire this book,  Track Planning for Realistic Operation, Third Edition, by John Armstrong.
It has an important section on model RR car behaviors on curves. And sections on switches, transition from curve to straight and from slope to level.
And also mentions car overhang at ends and center both on curves.
And then of course covers how real RR's operate in getting freight and passengers from here to there, and ways to replicate that smoothly on model RRs.