Today has been a series of screw-ups on my part. I'm too frustrated to go to bed. I noticed my locomotive, a Dapol-made Hall class 4-6-0, was bouncing its rear set of drivers off the track in random places. I went over my layout carefully, and the track (Unitrack) is in good condition. I looked at the locomotive and saw that its traction tires (fitted on the rear set of drivers) had become swollen. Most likely from my overzealous lubrication of the locomotive when I first acquired it. At any rate, I removed the traction tires. The rear end bounced around but the drivers remained on the track. I installed the spare pair of traction tires. What a mess. Fighting with microscopic screws, repeatedly trying to get the tires seated, prying away on a tiny locomotive - yes, I broke some trim pieces. Down between the drivers though, so it's not that visible. I also broke off a splasher somehow, but got it glued on again. Anyway, I got all the mechanical pieces mostly put back together, only to find that the wires that connect the tender to the engine had broken. I attempted to fix things, but the soldering for the wires broke and the eyelets on the engine side of the wires stripped. Thoroughly frustrated. At any rate, I have the bones of a decent layout. I'm including a picture of it, and a few videos. If I can find small gauge wire and some eyelets I assume I can rig up some sort of replacement for the fiddly wiring that broke. It still doesn't solve the fact that the locomotive has pickup issues and a ¤¤¤¤ motor. I'm just aggravated to no end with what should be an enjoyable hobby. I ended up packing up my rolling stock (a staggering three coaches) and shoving the loco back into its box to be ignored until later. What the heck? This is supposed to be a fun relaxing hobby and yet all I've done each time I've tried making progress I wind up unsure of what I want (1950s transition era American, 1940s English steam, modern era) and wind up wasting time and money. [video=youtube_share;E9ISEFftMao]http://youtu.be/E9ISEFftMao[/video] [video=youtube_share;ly4XvUnkZC8]http://youtu.be/ly4XvUnkZC8[/video] What do you do when you hate a hobby you've sunk hundreds of dollars into?
Sell everything and move on. I'm getting really tired of the "woe is me" threads on here. I come here to enjoy the hobby, not to listen to others whine about their dissatisfaction of the hobby.
Then dont click on threads that indicate "woe is me" inside... Not rocket science...sheshhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Venting is just as much a part of the hobby and forums as "Yippppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee" threads
Step back for a while? Perhaps store things away and relax. Then if you re-gain enthusiasm, your stuff is still there when you are ready. If that doesn't seem the right idea, then possibly it is time to move on.
Probably the same reason why I didnt go with Steam. Looking at it from a distance (forums) I just knew I would never have the skills or wants to mess with a steam engine that needed TLC. Its why I went with Diesels. Easier...at least for me...to work on and to actually enjoy watching on the layout !! "Traction tires" and/or "Quartering wheels"....two things that would make me wanna grab a six pack of beer before even starting !!! And I dont even drink !!!!!! :teeth:
I feel your pain. I was working on an engine the other night and snapped the handrails. Ugh! Maybe you need to go a bit larger (HO) for steam or as mtntrainman said: go with diesels?
First things first, painful experience has taught me that there are times you have to set things down and walk away for a while. I've done RR's in HO and N and static models in 1/72 and 1/35, and there have been times when the models or my motor skills have decided not to cooperate. And sad to say I have let the desire to complete a task push me into Working Whle Mad, sometimes with very bad results. On a more practical side, try focusing on your American interests for a while. There have been numerous threads here where people have reported a great deal of satisfaction with US steam, and I would think that getting help for problems with "domestic" models would be easier. In the meantime, you can also do some research on the qualities of different manufacturers of English steam; I'm not sure, but it may be that that manufacturer or model has demonstrated similar problems before. Good luck!
When I start breaking more things than I'm fixing I put the loco away and work on something else for a while. Pulling steam locos apart (or rather putting them back together) is not one of my greatest skill but that doesn't stop me buying more. Regarding what you admit may have been the start of your problems, when it comes to lubricating locomotives, if you can see where you've applied the oil then you've used too much.
When I get to that frustration point I have learned to recognize I need to stop whatever I am doing before I do more damage. Sometimes the best I can do at that time is go out and ride the bicycle or rake leaves. There are other days and times when I can make progress on my layout and eventually I string together enough "good days" to make recognizable progress. While on the bike I often get to see trains as the bike path parallels the BNSF Wayzata Sub. In that moment I remember why I like trains and look forward to working on the layout again.
I am challenged by steam locomotives. I have about a dozen but only one is DCC; the intrepid Bachmann ten-wheeler that lopes down the track in a very unsatisfying manner. Someday I will convert my Pacifics and Light Mountains to DCC but today is not that day and tomorrow is not looking good either. I mostly run with a collection of GP7, GP9, RS11, H16-44, FA/FT's, and the totally anomalous EMD GE-ES SOU 8099.
Ahhhhh....N-scale steam! I love it, and life is good! As opposed to most of the posts so far on this thread, I run a LOT of steam since I'm modeling the UP in a ten year time period from 1947 thru 1956. Big Boys, Challengers, FEF's, Consolidateds, Mikados and MacArthurs, TTT's (If I ever get 'em kitbashed). My son also runs a lot of SP steam, such as GS-4's, GS-2's, and MT-4's and I assist several friends with their engines, and have an SP 2-10-2 on the workbench right now attaching a big Vandy tender to it in place of the little square USRA tender that came with the model. It's a Con-Cor model and it runs excellently! First thing to realize is that N-scale steam is FRAGILE and must (MUST) be handled carefully. If you break it, it's your fault for having ham-fingers. On just about all steam, there are details that reside under the running boards and above the running boards, so the best place to pick one up is by using the running boards. If you pick it up under the running boards, and you apply too much pressure, something is either going to bend or break. The same for above the running boards. Always use BOTH hands to pick up engine and tender simultaneously. You don't want those wires running between engine and tender to break or bend, and if you use one big hand to pick both up, you'll either break/bend parts on the running gear and/or eventually mess up the electricals between engine and tender. Secondly, when you're replacing traction tires ("tyres" in the UK)...most manufacturers make removing that set of drivers easier than removing the rest. You usually have to unscrew the keeper plate on the bottom of the engine frame and sometimes you have to remove either a screw or a pin from the rods, with the engine sitting securely in a foam holder. Always make sure your floor is clean, or you're leaning over your bench with your shirt jammed up against its edge, so that when one of those miniscule screws goes flying away it doesn't go onto your floor and ricochet off into the Twilight Zone. Even at that, it's sometimes frustrating working on N-scale locomotives, steam or diesel, just because the parts are so blinkin' small. Thirdly, always have a small container to put the parts and screws in that you remove. It's really easy to put the side of your hand on a 00-90 screw you've just removed from your engine and have it stick to your skin because it's got grease or oil on it...then, it drops off into the Twilight Zone and you don't even know it until you try to find it when you're re-assembling your engine. Fourthly, always grip the parts you're holding or positioning with tweezers VERY LIGHTLY. If you sgueeze 'em too tight with your pointy tweezers, they often shoot off into the TZ, but if you hold them very lightly, they won't do that. Finally, if you get frustrated, STOP...just put it down and walk away until tomorrow. Do something else, and come back to it when your anger has subsided. If you simply cannot do it, then find a friend who can. We all have our limitations, and sometimes it takes a frustrating experience to find out what they are. AND, perhaps the engine was/is just a bad engine. There are plenty of 'em which will never run either reliably and/or smoothly. On the good side, there are plenty which DO run well, and some that run well with just a bit of work. There are also ones that are easy to repair and work on. If you can't do it, then let somebody who knows what they're doing do it. The rewards of running N-scale steam is worth the slight effort it takes to properly gauge the wheels, make sure the drivers are quartered, the rods and valve mechanisms are not bent and the brake hangars are not touching the drivers. Do some research and find out which ones are good, and which ones are a POS. Never assume that just because you bought it brand new, that it's gonna work okay. Most of the time, all engines, diesel or steam, need some tweaking. As for N-scale steam....the idea that none of it runs worth a damn, is simply negative hype. LOTS of it runs excellently. I know...because I run lots of it and it runs great! At least as reliably as my best running N-scale diesels. Some aspects of EVERYTHING can be frustrating, so don't blame "the hobby"...blame your big fingers and inexperience. If you can't fix your engines yourself, then have a buddy do it, or send it out and pay someone to do it. It's not very expensive and lots of modelers do it 'cause there are guys who I'd call "Steam Engine Whisperers" who just have the "touch". Frankly, I think the first time anybody works on a model steam engine is always frustrating. They're not the easiest models to fiddle with. Here's a view of little bit more of my steam power...which all runs flawlessly under DCC and sound: Cheerio! Bob Gilmore
I've calmed down a bit since yesterday. The engine, a Great Western Hall class, was visually appealing but not the greatest runner. Because of its small size it is a bit light on its feet, and the transmission in the body of the locomotive made a significant amount of gear noise. It's an interesting model in that the motor is in the tender, and it spins a shaft that connects to the engine which spins the drivers. The weak point yesterday consisted of a pair of very thin wires that connect the engine and tender. I'm going to visit Radio Shack later today and pick up some eyelets and some wire that's a bit more sturdy and attempt a repair. I was running modern era American diesels, but it wasn't interesting to me. I thought about switching to American steam, but I favor NYC and aside from some generic 2-8-0s and the rare Kato 2-8-2, there's not a lot out there that I can readily find. I also find British locomotives appealing, so I have started going that route. My tools are certainly lacking when it comes to repairs. I have a few pairs of tweezers, an LED lamp, magnifying glass, and small screwdrivers. It would have been better with a glass on a base so I wouldn't have to hold or prop it up. At any rate I'm going to attempt to repair my Hall 4-6-0. If it works or doesn't, I may step away for a bit and come back when I have a better idea of what I want to do. I will say when it comes to quality and performance, it seems like American steam locomotives are much better represented.
My two cents for what it is worth here. I have had and run steam since the early days and even those from the early days that did not have as much in the way of added parts and details still required care in handling or you could mess some thing up like bent drive rods or valve gear. Over the years I have acquired a lot of the small tools it helps to have to work on steam. Most of them are surgical or dental tools in nature but they are great for when a small hemostat for instance functions as a micro set of pliers. I have noticed a lot of issues surfacing with traction tires as of late and other than keeping the lube off of them is about all I can offer. I have 20 plus year old steam and diesel still with original traction tires so there must be an issue with whatever is being used for those tires now versus back then. There is a bit of a savior out there though for the folks not wanting to attempt the tricky disassembly to replace tires. That is Bullfrog Snot. It does though require that the person follow religiously the very good instructions that are found at the web site and in the enclosed literature. One also need to have a cradle to place the loco in upside down and a power source that can allow for very slow speed wheel turn, plus a very fine point applicator to apply the BFS. The results are not instantly obtained though because it needs a lot of time to cure and set properly. If you mess up it only requires a sharp pointed set of surgical type tweezers and a sharp blade to remove the stuff and start again. On a parting note the steam of today is far more delicate and complex than of yesterday. When you take for instance one of my MiniTrix 4-6-2s and compare it to a new 4-6-2 there are far more wires and connections than that simple mechanism. Also far more delicate parts to bend or break versus the older cast on stuff. As my eyesight continues to diminish with age, and I still find myself wrestling with the effects of a stroke over a year ago now, my involvement with steam is subsiding greatly. For the most part now my steam consists of geared steam which uses a diesel mechanism and greatly simplifies things for me. And I have just enough of a reserve roster of small diesels to replace the small rod style locos if and when they get to the point of needing major repairs I can no longer accomplish, yet I can still remain in my chosen modeling era.
With as fragile as things are getting with all the details, walking away for a bit is usually the cure for me. But then I don't model steam. Lots of little moving parts. You have my respect there. Even though I did learn my skills from the olden days of N scale when nothing ran well. I am actually taking a break from taping off stripes for a pair of locomotives I hope to paint later this afternoon. Started getting more tape on my thumbs than on the shell.
I think it's safe to say that we've all been there; and as previous post suggest. Leave it alone for a bit and when you come back to it you'll see with fresh eyes and renewed spirit for the entire thing. Hmm I have to do that with more than just train hobby come to think of it...
I just put them away and chill out. It's a love hate relationship but I could'n't bring myself to sell my trains. I've always liked diesels but the SP GS4 has held a special place in my heart for as long as I can remember(we had an old video tape about SP #4449 going from Portland to California). That's the reason for the GS4 in my fleet of SP&S,GN, NP, and CB&Q diesels. I can't offer much advice with steam other than have a steady hand, try to keep calm in the face of frustration, and maybe chew a stick of gum(I've always got gum and it does help reduce frustration). That's how I had to do it to slide 4450's traction tire back onto the wheel.
