Changing Times

These are a SAVIOR for your weathering (trucks and fuel tanks) and your ballast if it's not plastic or glued to oblivion. I highly recommend keeping one with you at all times! LOL

 

Why would ANYONE think they are ridiculous? They are one of the most useful tools to have in model railroading.

 

I used to have two reddish brown Arnold Rapido rerailers, but I haven't seen them in years. I hope to find them some day if only for my personal relic collection.

 

If you run articulated or even dcc steam locomotives, they are essential. Trying to re-rail a Kato FEF3 or a Big Boy is quite a task. I am through pushing train cars and locomotives through switches to re-rail equipment.

There is no shame using the tools that are available.

 

I’ve found that retailers make a great low trip-pin detector! . I used to put out three hundred-car trains at the museum once a month, so I got pretty good putting on cars without looking. Zen works great, ommmmm! I can place the car on the rails by holding the car body and feel the flanges through my fingertips as they interact with the rails. Eyes closed. My friend, however, never had any midichloreons so he used a ramp.

 

And were you wrong?

 

Great post Hardcoaler
My eyes just started to fail on me last year , I'm 63 this year...I am learning to deal with the sight frustration in NScale and put my glasses on prior to swearing when I feel stubborn
Sometimes I think back and wonder why I chose NScale hobby 3 years ago as opposed to say HO...well it is really about the space.

 

Same here. Of course flanges were bigger then too.
Love my Kato but it’s a little short for steam, wish they’d come out with a double length version.
It is fun to drive my F3 right up on it though.

 

Heck no, those old fogies are a lot older than me Now where did I put my glasses and my rerailer

 

I have several, and there is always one in my back pocket when running trains! This is especially true for running at shows!

 

I have them in both Z and N. I keep several scattered around my layout. Very handy since I am still working the kinks out of my track. I had a guy at a show ask me if they made them for HO. Had to tell him I didn't know.

 

First one I ever saw was HO. Of course, that was decades ago...

 

After cataract surgery, this is all really easy with the proper cheapo Walgreens reading glasses. This is a good thing!!

 

Yeah, I used to be like Tony and could rerail an N scale car by feel, you just can tell when it's on the track. The feeling in my fingers is much reduced these days and it doesn't work as well anymore.

I actually like to have an in-track rerailer instead of a portable one, though.

Doug

 

Guess I'm a collector of these. I have or have had ones from Deluxe Innovations, Rix Products, Kato, and most recently Micro-Trains. Did not know that they made them but they included one for free in a parts order.

 

I have the rix also, that’s the one I use for the gs4, as it seems to be longer (steeper angle = longer loading platform).

I wish someone would Shapeways a 3-4 inch longer version of the Kato one however. that would be the bee’s knees.

 

+1 on the longer one. I have a 2-8-8-2 that can be a little grumpy about going on to the rails.

 

It IS a bit daunting to pick up a Big Boy or other articulated, knowing you have to get all those wheels on the track.



Doug

 

Found one of my 2 old rerailers last night. Will for sure come in handy.

 

Yup, THAT'S an old one.

Doug