Almost finished with this 40’ flatbed trailer. I got the decals on, so now it just needs dull coat and the tail light lenses installed. The kit is a Lonestar Trailmobile flatbed with a scratchbuilt rack on the deck. Santa Fe and BNSF use these trailers around the Topeka shops for moving around traction motors and locomotive trucks. Topeka is the main shop for heavy generator and traction motor overhaul on the BNSF. They handle rewindings and stuff like that. BNSF has since repainted most of these trailers green, and you can find a few if you look at the shops on Google Earth. There are 45’ and 40’ versions of these trailers. The design of the racks and arrangement of crossbraces seems to vary between trailers, so I did my best to model an individual unit from the satellite and railfan photos.
I need more straight track but, upon reading reviews here, am torn between continuing with brass or mixing with NS which is easier to keep clean/maintain? Definitely code 100 but then there's the q of cutting Flex (how best to?) or sticking with sectional? 4-year-old and I were recently unwrapping the remainder of our mailed case of used "rolling stock" - 14 flat sand/coal cars?! - when we discovered two more old diesel locos one of which WORKS but the other, not-so-much. Both seem to trip up on poorly cut rails and code 83/100 unions whereas the newer Walthers six-axles do not. Is 83 thinner and somewhat taller? The older Yugoslavian made by 'AHM Tempo' 'Rock Island 425' diesel, while good @ slow speed control, derails easily and slips with only 7 boxcars behind? And with over 50+ various old rolling stock with the ole' horn style couplers think it easier to covert the 2 newer Walthers "70 series DCC ready" locos to same as well? If ever should decide to go THAT route any suggestions on which "9 pin decoders" (8-pin requires 'solder?) should install? At the moment am seriously considering Berrett Hill's "Touch Toggle/Snap Action Bases" as an upgrade to the otherwise failure-prone Atlas-type switch machines are any reviewers here already using them? (ps: tried fitting a rolling stock horn coupler to the Walthers diesel but the hole is too small, obviously need the "larger hole" type?' Will try robbing one from the Rock Island . . .)
The lower the number, the smaller the rail size> 100 is larger than 83. If I had my druthers, I would hope you'd go with NS over brass. Your derailing could be wheel gauge or track gauge, or even a combination of both. To cut rail you can either saw it with such as a "jewelers" saw, or use a rail cutter such as made by Xuron. Neither of these tools is very expensive, and they are readily available. You would be very happy having them in your tool box. Most any hobby supplier or shop will have them in stock. I would also suggest a small assortment of needle files, in various shapes and tooth patterns. Again, easy to get, not expensive. With these you can clean up any imperfections in rail cuts, and make adjustments to rough joints.
Aye, that seems to be the case. I've a couple of 12" NS turnouts #4s (or 6?) which might be '83' and noticed the above diesel, already sitting low with very 'lil track clearance (center track pins?), definitely goes "bump" over the NS switch frogs (? ie: right where the inside main & turnout rails meet). Ordered more good shape Atlas & Tyco 9" brass straights today - i know, i know, but, but consistency - for less than $1 apiece and also a $14 Jewelry sawframe with 144 various blades included Also Walther's X-2F couplers am hoping they fit the newer diesels ok. Did a test run on my 11.5" Manhatten Pullman and need more separation 'round-the-curves as it's overhang clips my LED lamposts will s p a c e-them-out more upon addition of the 4 X 8 extension. All For Now THANKS!
You can use brass track , It will work just fine . My first layout in the 70's used it for years . The only problem with it is that it gets dirty faster than N S track . Mike
Hard to speculate on why there is that noted "bump". Would need to eyeball it up close. Those are standard X2F couplers. I would want to believe they'd fit a lot of applications. That is the exact jewelers saw I mentioned. When using it, be certain to not put a lot of downward force on the blade. They will bend or break. I have mine as a gift from my father, who was a jeweler/watchmaker. It is, sadly, all that I have from his long ago workbench and store.
Finally discovered the culprit! It's trucks are clipping Atlas' two-way, double-sided switch machine (screws?) I need to install the 2'nd hole extension plate (and, eventually, put more space between inner & outer loops)
. . while in the allegedly simple process of installing the switch extension plate I had an epiphany but not before opening another can of worms. How to Explain? I put the WRONG switch mounting screws back and could NOT get them out so, upon 'aving to remove the turnout entirely, I wound up tearing up and replacing the entire crossover section(s) with #6 turnouts instead of #4s. Very proud & satisfied with the idea but How Make It Work? (with the limited, untested track I have) More Later . . (ps: was messaging an ebay vendor, another Georgian like I, and pointed him toward here)
I feel your pain. I'm missing two(2) classic, Browning humpback semi-auto 12g shotguns that step-mummy (omg she's living forever?) obviously CASHED-IN-ON don't ya know ALL MEN ARE KILLERS! Been pulling just 'bout every track pin & switch wire, taking measurements according to SCARM, and overall simplifying in anticipation of 4X8 E X P A N S I O N. With the #6 cross-overs there's EXACTLY 3" separation between the parallel rails . . sigh must remove/reinstall many LED lights as well. (ps: got a good deal line on some used, "untested" brass track HOW exactly does one "test brass track" anyway?) Apply a full 18v and taste it?
Jeweler's saw arrived yesterday, WHAT GREAT FUN, now I "cut" instead of "clip"! Am even trimming, doubling up on the end ties rather than discarding and leaving an unsightly rail g a p. Have unpinned entire layout, waiting for two 19d crossings (#171 NS for $3 each!) to arrive, am determined to conform to SCARM specifications will update when done . . Left-handed sawframe? Switched the hold screws to the other side for a longer cut.
Let there be light! Just finished installing (with generous cussing ) some new street lights in town. This was a 15-second exposure stopped down to f-22 to gain some depth of field. I put the camera down on the road near the tracks and used 18mm focal length to get the wide shot. I dug a deep chamber in the foam under the CD Hotel (seedy, isn't it?) and hid the Just Plug and other wiring under there, with the oh so skinny wires running mostly hidden to the lights. Two of the three are represented here, on Main Street. The third is on Church Street right next to the bar. And the radio and TV shop - that Mike is me. Now i have light in the street when I go home after closing up the shop.
Crossing/Switch Angle Madness . . Ordered/have 12 more brass "Remote #4's" on the way (2 new Atlas '50s' + 10 "prior abused'?) and, when depending on "old-stuff", one can't always be sure what one's getting as sellers don't really know as well? IE: How to tell if a: #4, a 'RS' or a 'RS/15'? Also have found that what I see & what SCARM says don't always agree? Being a chronic aficionado of 'parallel tracks' & no 'rail gaps' been playing with square rulers & turnout cuts . . SCARM says a 18/15d curve (1/2 a 18/30) will parellel the #6L turnout with a 25d crossing BUT my eyeball says an 18/20d (2/3rd) does the job instead? . .
Since adding 4X8 extension find myself rewiring entire layout in moving all controls to the more central, "L corner" location. Decided to use both new ACME-8 controls for switch/turnouts only (16 total) as I solved the roundhouse/turntable track problem by "reverse-loop' powering 2 block selectors (8 positions total) via only one momentary Atlas switch controller . . . That's 6 blocks of selectable roundhouse tracks, 2 for "approach" tracks and, with table rail power "synchronized", rotation is reversible as well. A diagram? + blocks 1 2 3 4 | 5 6 7 8 - + from Reverse-Loop power ---- (all 'common" tied) + pulse 1-8 on/off blocks & table rails - Atlas switch controller + pulse table rotate motor ---- - + SAVVY? (lol seems to work 'ok' ps: Atlas turntable rail power is still sketchy does anyone know if that small center allen bolt is 'metric' or 'SAE'?)
WALTHERS DISASSEMBLY One of my two Walthers Mainline UP "EMD SD70ACe" diesels , circa 2015, gave out today fear one too many -neg 18 radius derailments as the culprit? Upon disassembly, an exercise that took up most of the day, it appears the two power wires to the trucks pulled out as they were dangling 'erect", upside down as they were, but with no obvious attachment point in sight? I could NOT believe my eyes! BODY: After removing both couplers there's 6 more screws: 2 on each end and 2 which are 3/4 down on either side. The plastic decorative truck 'detail' springs unclip easily enough (note to self making future wheel cleaning a breeze) but the only thing holding the entire truck assembly ON is two plastic tabs connected to a snap-on drive shaft/worm gear housing? ASIDE: Upon further inspection discovered one can expose all 9 worm gears and completely remove all axles via another snap-on bottom plate WITHOUT DOING ANY OF THE ABOVE? After disconnecting differential(?) housing, shaft now dangling free, and removing truck it appears there's one tiny screw that allows one to divide the truck in half, hopefully exposing (+/-) wire connects? At this point all I see is two tiny holes leading Lord Knows Where! The jury is out, tomorrow perhaps, see what's next! (ps: new 'ole 'horn-style" couplers fit GREAT & table-rail power is back 'cause (duh) I ensured all now perfectly flat by adding extra anti-warp hold-down screws?)
My workbench, (dining room table), will have: 2 Tichy 40' flatcars 1 Accurail ACF 2 Bay Hopper 3 Accurail 40' Boxcars 1 Accurail 40' Gondola These are my first kits ever, (and yes, I'm 69yo), with fading eye sight. But I do have the assistance of my 33yo step-daughter who knows nothing about trains. She 'just likes to build things'. Anyone with any hints on assembly or couplers for these kits please do feel free to share. I did pick up a bunch of metal Kadee medium couplers. Usage: GHA, (Giant Hand Action), will be used for un-coupling. My trains will be short and some curves rather sharp with Kato #4 turnouts.
lol correction: there's TWO screws behind them-thar wheels . . OMG, rather piss in the wind as soldering is def NOT my forte for sure! Well, it appears truck surgery was a success as I've got power back, directional LEDs both light with +/- on either truck (tested them separately) BUT now the diesel still doesn't move, NO locomotion at all . . Ta Da! Black ground under circuit board to motor was broken as well! Didn't fiddle with @ first so HOW so?
Some Surgery Pics The "danglers" (would pull out anyway as soon as separating top-half of chassis?) Yikes Where they attach to? (lower right/upper left to pickups) Motor ground trouble (silver 'dot' atop) Resting comfortably in RH awaiting "shrink tube" for proper reconnect It RUNS AGAIN! Forward trucks were disconnected too. Those white spring clips are my temp, test connections. hehe they wouldn't fit in the wormgear box(s) so forced to "solder" (dreaded it but all worked out cannot imagine a smaller, "N" scale!)
