Recent content by Hank4014

Yes, this. They can be slow to respond, but they are a small operation, their tech help department is all of four people, and it's the holiday season. They DO get back to you, and they're quite helpful, as you should see further up this thread from when I had my problem. Since then, I've...

So my son's BLI Class J is back, and he overfilled the smoker. There is now oil residue all over the engine. What's the best way to clean it?

Most major companies manufacture in China now. It's not the exception, it's the rule. Very few toys are made in the USA.

Just a follow-up to this; we just got the loco back from BLI's service department. The included notice indicated that they replaced the decoder with an updated version. We laid out our track last night and ran it for about an hour (it was just 15 minutes before the copious smoke drove my SO...

Of everything you mention, only the fridge would bother me enough to post on the internet about it...

I tried LEDs, but wound up with a stock of minitronix bulbs.

I'm looking at the SD70ACE NYC Heritage unit. I see it's available from Both Athearn ("soon") and MTH. The price is about the same for each, so I was wondering which I should go with? I don't have any MTH locos, but someone once told me they're "Cadalliac bodies with Yugo motors". The only...

All you need for newer stuff to convert to DCC is the DCC board; older stuff takes a little soldering skill, but it's easy to do once you learn how. If you're going to do this, I suggest using decoders that come with or plug into a wiring harness, that way you can't accidentally cook the...

You can also hit the local train shows, lots of dealers have "new old stock" Athearn kits. This has been a great source of rolling stock for my kid and I; he's nine; a little messy with the glue, but getting better.

If you could, please! My biggest issue is how to secure the headlight bulbs.

I've acquired a bad habit of buying old 'new in box' Athearn locomotives. My last three were an AC4400, C44-9W, and a Baldwin S12. I've installed decoders and replaced headlights in previous locks, but now I'm getting a little more ambitious. I bought an SDH163 and speaker for one of the road...

I've got four Bachmann DCC locos (HO), one a Spectrum model. Of the four, three came with little pins to put in in place of the DCC decoder. The fourth came with the EZ Command set, and doesn't have a separate decoder board.

"compatible" means read the instructions. To my knowledge, Bachmann doesn't use dual-mode decoders, so you likely need to remove the decoder and install the bypass block, which is usually included.

Now if I only had the patience to model the way you do...I missed the boat on this: http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/150-8741 and really want to get my hands on one.

Dr. Phil Latios? Mike Hunt's Furrier? Ben Dover Accountants? Love the detail, Karl...