Chat History

HO Scale Switching Module -  04-17-2021 04:04
     From Minneapolis here. Show looks like a great setup!

Cliff -  04-17-2021 04:05
     Greetings from Georgia

Cliff -  04-17-2021 04:08
     Looking to chat with someone re mounting an old shell on a modern chassis

-  04-17-2021 04:08
     What scale?

Cliff -  04-17-2021 04:08
     sorry   HO

-  04-17-2021 04:08
     Do you know the manufacturers of the shell and chassis?

Cliff -  04-17-2021 04:11
     looking for a chassis that will work.   Shell is an ols 'Rivarrosi' E8A  original chassis is stamped 'made in Slovenia'

-  04-17-2021 04:11
     It may be possible to mount that shell on a Proto 2000 (now Walthers) E-Unit shell.

Cliff -  04-17-2021 04:12
     I agree.  I've been looking at that.  

Cliff -  04-17-2021 04:12
     This would be my first loco-bashing

-  04-17-2021 04:13
     It would be unlikely if it were an exact fit right away. It would be a good first project.

Cliff -  04-17-2021 04:14
     Yes.   I'm moderately handy.  I'm keen to try

Cliff -  04-17-2021 04:15
     I have cobbled DCC/Sound gear into old Athern

-  04-17-2021 04:16
     Kit-bashing, scratch-building, model building in general is a satisfying part of the hobby. Some say it is a lost art but there are still plenty of people doing it.

Cliff -  04-17-2021 04:17
     I've been modelling for 60 years.  Most active in the last 10 since I retired

Cliff -  04-17-2021 04:17
     Think I'll hang back and see if others jump in.   Thanks for the encouragement

-  04-17-2021 04:18
     Excellent. You've seen plenty of improvements in the hobby.

HO Scale Switching Module -  04-17-2021 04:22
     I "studied up" on model railroading for years, but never got started. It was Michael Gross and WGH video series that made me actually assemble the train table that go me started. I really like what you've done with the education page....get that into the in person shows!

-  04-17-2021 04:24
     Very good to hear. Michael is a lifelong model railroader. He worked for the Chicago & Northwestern in the early 1970's (maybe late 60's).

HO Scale Switching Module -  04-17-2021 04:38
     I don't see an NMRA presence here like I do at my local show. Am I missing something?

-  04-17-2021 04:39
     The NMRA is not here, but plenty of members are.

Reid -  04-17-2021 04:47
     We were recently gifted some old (1950's era) trains from a relative. Are there any good resources to find out more about them?

-  04-17-2021 04:47
     Do you know what scale or manufacturer they are?

porkypine52 -  04-17-2021 04:48
     Anybody have any input on Layout Design Software?   I'm trying ANYRAIL at this time, but does anybody else have ideas?

Reid -  04-17-2021 04:49
     HO scale, and several are Fleischmann, although there are others, I would have to look.

-  04-17-2021 04:51
     For history there are likely website and perhaps some YouTube videos. To get an idea of value you can always search on eBay to see what similar items have actually sold for. You would want to do a search and then filter by "sold items".

Frank -  04-17-2021 05:22
     Anyone know where I can buy HO scale coal loads?

-  04-17-2021 05:23
     Jaeger HO Products makes excellent coal loads for just about every HO hopper.

-  04-17-2021 05:46
     The Great Northern Railway Society is offering a free download of their March publications.
Visit there booth on the show floor and just complete the Contact Us form and put “Download” in the message line


22trainz -  04-17-2021 06:01
     why can't you make them

BigEngin -  04-17-2021 06:07
     huh hello there!

C M Scott -  04-17-2021 06:38
     What’s the level of difficulty converting an old ho engine to eccentric

Dmikee -  04-17-2021 06:40
     Sorry to see Garden Railways stop publishing and so many smaller manufacturers leaving. The industry as a whole across all scales, but especially G scale, is fading slowly away. Current prices are a shock to everyone either in the hobby or looking to enter. Who will pick up the slack, marketing affordable entry level trains again?

jeff -  04-17-2021 06:43
     the mom and pop hobby shops are fading away also

C M Scott -  04-17-2021 06:44
     I. Want to convert an old standard ho gauge engine to digital cc. Is it difficult?

-  04-17-2021 06:46
     Conversions to DCC are typically not very difficult. That said it would be necessary to see the locomotive and understand what type of motor it has.

jeff -  04-17-2021 06:53
     dr2 what kind layout do you have

dave -  04-17-2021 06:55
     yea jeff i agree i was in stroudsburg,pa they have a wonderful shop there.i said yo them don't ever close we need brick and mortar hobby shops

jeff -  04-17-2021 06:57
     kids more interested in ipads then hobbys

dave -  04-17-2021 06:59
     yea who needs ipads i rather work with my hands and build something

jeff -  04-17-2021 07:00
     me too  more into kit bashing and scratch building

dave -  04-17-2021 07:02
     i like building i done a little kit bashing i find building structures more fun then electrical

jeff -  04-17-2021 07:03
     with electrical getting too hard to get under the train table

dave -  04-17-2021 07:05
     yes sir i was under the table till 5 am this morning now i have a sore neck

jeff -  04-17-2021 07:06
     with me its the back

dave -  04-17-2021 07:07
     wiring is fun but at the same time no fun.man the back is just as bad

dave -  04-17-2021 07:08
     what road do you model

jeff -  04-17-2021 07:10
     have a 3' by 6' n scale layout used block wiring, with a reverse loop what a pain...........like the cnw

jeff -  04-17-2021 07:10
     its the UP now

dave -  04-17-2021 07:15
      😄 im doing RF&P in a 16 x 20 converted gargage that i done just for this 1970;s is my era

Cliff -  04-17-2021 07:45
     I call the space under the layout The KIngdom of Unreachablium

Mowery  -  04-17-2021 07:54
     Anyone using servos for turnout control?

Cliff -  04-17-2021 08:04
     I have used animated store display motors.  12 v w/ integral gear reducers but it was too much hassle.   Sticking with Tortoise now

Cliff -  04-17-2021 08:05
     Making 3 of them was fun and instructive, but I needed 20.  That's too much like manufacturing

READING LOVER -  04-17-2021 09:03
     What DCC system do you use?

-  04-17-2021 09:03
     Lenz (home) and NCE (club)

READING LOVER -  04-17-2021 09:04
     thanks dr2...can I ask your advice on the powercab?

-  04-17-2021 09:05
     I'm not the most technical guy but sure, ask away.

READING LOVER -  04-17-2021 09:06
     Atlas MP15DC HO --- Used the powercab to reset the decoder ..How do I know if the reset was sucessfull?

-  04-17-2021 09:08
     Did it revert back to 003?

READING LOVER -  04-17-2021 09:10
     yes after i programmed the loco & rebooted system..when I plugged in PC the address was 3

Skylark81  -  04-17-2021 09:11
     Hi everyone technical question here.  Recently bought a decoder second hand that is a sound decoder for a dash 8 and was wondering if the sound file would work on a dash 9 or ac4400

-  04-17-2021 09:13
     Reading Lover, I suspect that if the locomotive had a number different than 3, and then you initiated a reset, and it went back to 3, then it probably did reset.

READING LOVER -  04-17-2021 09:14
     My issue is..after resetting the loco's performance changed from what it was prior..it ran real sluggish...

-  04-17-2021 09:14
     It ran worse after the reset?

READING LOVER -  04-17-2021 09:15
     I expected the perfomance to be what it was Out of the box... its only 6 month old

READING LOVER -  04-17-2021 09:16
     yes ..after reset pickup & speed decreased

-  04-17-2021 09:17
     Well, it's possible to tweak the start up and running performance with DCC and it's possible that perhaps it had been fine tuned, and after the reset erased that, it went back to what it was like when new.

READING LOVER -  04-17-2021 09:19
     when new..it ran much better than after reset ...that's what troubles me... whether my reset was good or not...still learning about these CVS

Skylark81  -  04-17-2021 09:20
     Hi everyone technical question here. Recently bought a decoder second hand that is a sound decoder for a dash 8 and was wondering if the sound file would work on a dash 9 or ac4400

-  04-17-2021 09:21
     I understand the frustration when things like that happen. It was so much easier to diagnose these things when it was two DC wires to a piece of track.

Skylark81  -  04-17-2021 09:21
     Didn’t know how different the motors were between those locamotives

READING LOVER -  04-17-2021 09:22
     yea..still learning about DCC ...I do remember those days ...many moons ago

READING LOVER -  04-17-2021 09:25
     thanks for the help  😁

-  04-17-2021 09:25
     You're welcome.