After Bachmann's recent announcement of a new run of Doodlebugs (and a big price jump from previous runs) I went out and bought this out of the used case at a local hobby shop, soldered in a DZ125 decoder, and now I have my own DCC Doodlebug:
O.K.,I just picked up 2 more loco's that are not Conrail!!!! being from Long Island,i had to get a LL GP-38-2,and i just ordered an Athearn F-45 Susquehanna, i do plan on getting some atlas Conrail SD-50's soon!
Almost All Kato Livery I took delivery of several locos over the past couple of months. From the Internet TrainSetsOnly.com 2 - Lifelike N Scale Walthers Santa Fe GP-20, Blue w/ Yellow Pin Stripe; 2 - Lifelike N Scale Walthers Santa Fe GP-38-2, Blue w/ Yellow War Bonnet; 1 - Kato BNSF SD-70MAC Hertiage II Paint. Then I started prowling Ebay for KATO engines in Santa Fe Paint, I found the following pretty quicks and added them to the livery 1 - Kato Santa Fe EMD SD-40-2 Blue w/Yellow War Bonnet; 2 - Kato Santa Fe EMD SD-40-2 Snoot Nose Blue w/ Yellow War Bonnet; 1 Set - Kato EMD F7 A & B, Red War Bonnet, 300 (I put these with my El Capitan 10 Car Set from Kato.) Just today, I received my latest aqquisition, 1 Set Kato EMD F7 A & B, Red War Bonnet, 306C (completes my full El Cap Consist with the 2 Car add on kit.) I guess I should break out the camera and get pictures to post on here later. 73 from Plainview Charlie Johnson, KD5AWS
Will be adding 3 new Atlas Classic Rio Grande GP30's to the line up. Coming in 3 different road numbers - 3003, 3016, 3019 Expected to arrive tomorrow, from CH in Denver. Just gotta find proper DCC decoder(s) next.
Amtrak E8 from Kato: Decoder already installed by Kobo Shops. And behind this engine I will put a lash-up of New Haven, B&O and borrowed Pennsy coaches.
No photo, but a sort of new locomotive...... Bob Horn did a great job in fixing a truck issue in a Kato SD40-2 Mid production locomotive. Didn't run very well at all, now it runs like a champ. Thanks again Bob! BN 6772 is getting ready for the decoder installation and it will join the fleet formally.
My latest addition to my csx roster... I'm in the process of replacing my non-csx locos Atlas MP15DC (dcc equipped).. completely stock right now... as my skills improve I'd like to weather it and add a few detail parts... It's a very smooth runner... even compared to my kato's. Good creeping speed too. Coming soon: 2x SD-60's (and a few $15 mrc decoders for them), U23B (dcc equipped), MOW GP-38 (dcc equipped)... I have parted with a lot of cr/nyc to afford this lol.
It's pretty much accurate too... I compared to a bunch of photos online in this scheme... one minor gripe, part of the handrail is made from yellow plastic, rather than painted like the rest... and it's not the same yellow
I braved the local tropical afternoon storms and went to my LHS in Ft Lauderdale, and saw a Kato SD70ACe, the George Bush UP 41 model in all of its beauty and splendor. It was sitting in the glass showcase saying "buy me" and since I have no wife at home, I did. Earlier, I traded with a friend in Texas, a set of KatoUSA articulated passenger cars for a Spectrum 2-8-0 with MT's and a MT caboose. I put on layaway an Athearn set of well cars without containers for pickup next week after I pay all of my bills and adjust my budget. I also upgraded the lighting over my layout and will put in a rheostat to make it anytime from dawn to dusk, with the turn of a knob. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman
I didn’t know that Kato made articulated passenger cars. I did a search and found the daylight, but are there others?
Warricks or that little shop up on Oakland Park? Both very nice folks! We are lucky in South Florida, between those two and REady To Roll, and an occasional visit to Texanrails we are well supplied! My best, Jan
Got home from a family outing yesterday to have a few packages waiting for me 2x CSX Atlas SD-60's (dcc ready) 1x CSX MOW GP-38 (with decoder) 9x CSX MOW Hoppers 3x CSX 50' Rib Side Boxcars (MT) The SD-60's definitely need a bit of work... the railings are completely grey (no yellow) for a start... but they run good! They should look like this: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=10925 and http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=433951
In may I picked up a second set of IM FTs in Boston & Maine paint. In the past month I have also acquired a Life-Like GP-18 low nose B&M, a life-like gp-18 low nose on an Atlas GP-7 chassis and a Kato NW-2. Other than the FT, they all will be passing through the work bench. The new gp-18 will get either a newer lifelike or atlas frame and DCC, and additional details. The Lifelike/Atlas GP-18 needs some details, and a repaint into the McGinnis "Bluebird" scheme. The NW-2 is going to be repainted into B&M, either Black and Red or Blue dip, I haven't decided yet (Sorry Burlington fans, it was the cheapest one I could find).
I have been amassing Minitrix I1s-almosts. They are going to need tweaking and detailing, and one is destined to be sliced up into an H10 on a Bachmann consolidation mechanism. One has already been assigned to duty on the Wayside, PA branch. This was my very first N scale layout, and I'm pleased to have some PRR freight power at the head again. It started out with a K4, but it couldn't haul very much up the curves and grades. The layout has had a kink in it for quite some time, but I finally got in there today and straitened it out. Here's the whole layout: Built this guy in highschool, almost 15 years ago. Amazing that it still runs, given two moves halfway across the country and very intermittent use.
