RMweb Gold Gilbert Posted October 15, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 15, 2020 Can't speak for the GP38-2 but I have one each of their HO "sound value" S4s and GP7 and both are decent "middle of the road" models and runners. Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted October 15, 2020 Share Posted October 15, 2020 I once had a Bachman GP40, it wasn't that good a runner to be honest. The trucks were pivoted from a screw fixing high up inside the frames, so the whole body wobbled as it moved along, and there wasn't much could be done about it. Go for Atlas Trainman Geeps - cheaper than the 'Master' range but it only really shows in slightly cruder handrails & no seperate details like grab irons. They run as good as Kato. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeus Posted October 15, 2020 Author Share Posted October 15, 2020 1 hour ago, F-UnitMad said: I once had a Bachman GP40, it wasn't that good a runner to be honest. The trucks were pivoted from a screw fixing high up inside the frames, so the whole body wobbled as it moved along, and there wasn't much could be done about it. Go for Atlas Trainman Geeps - cheaper than the 'Master' range but it only really shows in slightly cruder handrails & no seperate details like grab irons. They run as good as Kato. What about the athern jeeps, ive found some very nicely priced ones on the ellis clark website Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
long island jack Posted October 15, 2020 Share Posted October 15, 2020 Decide which railroad you fancy, and look at Contikits website http://www.contikits.com/US HO.htm or ring Sophie at Anoraks anoymous https://www.facebook.com/sophieatanoraks/,they both have quiet a bit of stock in, and both helpful. Was looking at Ellis clark the other day, some top heavy prices IMO. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Gilbert Posted October 15, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 15, 2020 42 minutes ago, Zeus said: What about the athern jeeps, ive found some very nicely priced ones on the ellis clark website There are many types of Athearn GPs from Bluebox upwards....I've had one or two issues with their early Genesis sound locos.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodshaw Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 (edited) Although I've sold all but two of my HO locos now, I've had half a dozen or so second-hand Bachmann Geeps - quite early ones, possibly 1990s, all bought for £26 or less, to which I fitted DCC and LEDs. With one exception they all ran very smoothly, the exception being a GP50 that jerked a bit when setting off but was otherwise fine. The two Bachmanns I have left are both Alcos from the Sound Value range, an S4 and an RS-3, both fine runners. The only American loco I've been a bit disappointed with was my most expensive, an Athearn Genesis MP15AC, not because of the running but because of the rather weedy sound and a front light which was out of position. Edited October 16, 2020 by rodshaw Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeus Posted October 16, 2020 Author Share Posted October 16, 2020 track cutters and a second point should arrive tonight! Apart from that im still thinking about operations 23 hours ago, Zeus said: What about the athern jeeps, ive found some very nicely priced ones on the ellis clark website ive already been fishing thru the contikits website, but ill have a look at anoraks annonymus Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prof Klyzlr Posted October 17, 2020 Share Posted October 17, 2020 Dear RMWebbers, Quote The only American loco I've been a bit disappointed with was my most expensive, an Athearn Genesis MP15AC, not because of the running but because of the rather weedy sound and a front light which was out of position. Ah, that's be first-production-run with the MRC sound decoder (Ugh!),... thankfully Ath wised-up and later releases were factory equipped with SoundTraxx sound decoders, and are made even better with the addition of ScaleSoundSystems drop-in speakers... https://www.scalesoundsystems.com/product-page/athearn-genesis-mp15 As for the "lights out of position", Ath had a bee in it' bonnet about using 12V bolbs which were obviously too-small for the headlight castings for some time. Why? Dunno... ...but as they tended to die relatively frequently, modellers replaced them with LEDs and did "the needful" to make the LEDs fit properly, (again, ScaleSoundSystems is you friend here https://www.scalesoundsystems.com/led-conversions ) and recent (2019-ish onwards) Ath Genesis and RTR models seem to have graduated to factory-installed LEDs... Happy Modelling, Aim to Improve, Prof Klyzlr 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allegheny1600 Posted October 17, 2020 Share Posted October 17, 2020 Hi All, I'm always keen to follow along with anything "American" so am enjoying this, thanks, Zeus! If I may add to Prof Klyzlrs' comments above, I understand that a fairly common problem with some Genesis units was due to press fit pick-ups running from the truck to the main circuit board - solder these firmly and a lot of problems go away. This is different and separate to the weedy MRC sound decoder (ugh indeed!) problem of course. Cheers, John. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeus Posted October 19, 2020 Author Share Posted October 19, 2020 Hmm ive appeared to hit a bout of moddlers block, i want something that isnt an inglenook but is a puzzle to shunt but i cant see to think of anything, ive got 4' of space so i should get something interesting. ideas or creative inspiration very welcome Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodshaw Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 Maybe something like this plan of my previous layout (HO scale, 4ft long). It was great for switching, though it did need a fiddle yard and an extra 4in. on the bottom left spur to switch the engineers effectively: 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodshaw Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 A similar thing - this is how my current layout started off, only 40in. long but in TT scale. Again, a fiddle yard is needed. I later extended it by 8 inches at the left. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeus Posted October 19, 2020 Author Share Posted October 19, 2020 ive been vainly holding onto the hope i can fit the entire layout on one board but that doesnt seem likely alas that will cost more in wood for the fiddle stick, i guess the extra space is incredibly liberating as i can fit more operational interest in. Thanks Joe 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Gilbert Posted October 19, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 19, 2020 9 minutes ago, Zeus said: ive been vainly holding onto the hope i can fit the entire layout on one board but that doesnt seem likely alas that will cost more in wood for the fiddle stick, i guess the extra space is incredibly liberating as i can fit more operational interest in. Thanks Joe Joe - the stick can be very basic - just wide enough for a switching lead. This is my Dock Street layout with my small off-scene track at left. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeus Posted October 28, 2020 Author Share Posted October 28, 2020 A new arrival courtesy of Sophie at anoraks, a brand new gp9 with sound! i need to run it in but the Bingham club is closed again because of the pandemic i was also considering joining the Nottingham club as apparently they have a north American section but the pandemic also saw that idea collapse in on itself. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodshaw Posted October 28, 2020 Share Posted October 28, 2020 Snap! (almost). Except mine is TT scale. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeus Posted October 28, 2020 Author Share Posted October 28, 2020 1 hour ago, rodshaw said: Snap! (almost). Except mine is TT scale. twinsies!, gp9 phase 2s are an ugly duckling but they are really nice locos, especially for £110 sound fitted! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Gilbert Posted October 28, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 28, 2020 (edited) 51 minutes ago, Zeus said: twinsies!, gp9 phase 2s are an ugly duckling but they are really nice locos, especially for £110 sound fitted! You got a good deal!....cracking layout by the way... Edited October 28, 2020 by Gilbert Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctor quinn Posted November 2, 2020 Share Posted November 2, 2020 On 28/10/2020 at 12:50, Zeus said: i was also considering joining the Nottingham club as apparently they have a north American section but the pandemic also saw that idea collapse in on itself. We do have a few North American modellers, we’re closed at the moment due to Tier3/ lockdown but we meet on Tuesdays from around 7.30pm, earlier if members’ shift patterns allow. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
298 Posted November 3, 2020 Share Posted November 3, 2020 (edited) On 02/11/2020 at 15:49, doctor quinn said: We do have a few North American modellers, we’re closed at the moment due to Tier3/ lockdown but we meet on Tuesdays from around 7.30pm, earlier if members’ shift patterns allow. Maybe it's time to consider a new club North American project? Edited November 3, 2020 by 298 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeus Posted November 3, 2020 Author Share Posted November 3, 2020 On 02/11/2020 at 15:49, doctor quinn said: We do have a few North American modellers, we’re closed at the moment due to Tier3/ lockdown but we meet on Tuesdays from around 7.30pm, earlier if members’ shift patterns allow. hopefully when lockdown eventually lifts i can make it down to the notts club as it unfortunatly looks like the bingham club is going under, my project keeps stalling because im worried ill mess up and break something 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctor quinn Posted November 3, 2020 Share Posted November 3, 2020 Be glad to see you down at the club, in the meantime you might want to check out Dave Blazejewski’s on Flickr. I think he’s New England based, lots of trains and classic mill buildings. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeus Posted October 17, 2021 Author Share Posted October 17, 2021 I live! After a long break from moddeling while i finish my A Levels i have found my mojo again. Im looking to model NP just before the BN Merger 1968-69 mainly because ive already got a northern pacific S-4 and also just preodered an rs-3 (bowser) in NP an rs-11 in NP/BN patching and a u25b in GN both from rapido. I think ive managed to wrangle about 6=7ft of space with The first board has been built and plenty of inspiration has been collated from various sources. Any book reccomendations that follow the prototype would be incredible helpful as i dont know much about american railroads especially in this timeperiod. Thanks Joe 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
298 Posted October 17, 2021 Share Posted October 17, 2021 6 hours ago, Zeus said: Any book reccomendations that follow the prototype would be incredible helpful as i dont know much about american railroads especially in this timeperiod. Thanks Joe Depends where you want to model and what traffic/types of cars you like. I can envisage either a logging/wood processing branch line either in the Mountains of Washington or Montana, or grain from the flatter prairies. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
friscopete Posted October 17, 2021 Share Posted October 17, 2021 A team track can be handy as an ifinitely variable industry .It can be used for box cars ,tank cars ,hoppers ,flat cars , even reefers .It could even be on the main line of short lines . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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