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I added a working coupler to the front of my old IHC 2-6-0 and decided to paint some additional detail to give it some more life. I need help with the whistle area. There a few restored SP prototypes, but the images online don't show this area in detail, and the protypes are aren't configured...

I have a Bachmann DCC GS4 from about 2009 or 2010. It's been very rarely used and I only use it on a DC loop with 22" radius curves. I've observed that when running forward, the headlight shuts off when going around the curve and then comes back on on the straight section. When running in...

I'm detailing some Athearn Blue Box GP's and bought some MU-266 MU hoses. I've found they are a bit short for the locos with plows on front. MU-294 is described as 36" length. Not sure if that is supposed to be shorter or longer than MU-266. Anyone know?

Random question - We are looking at taking a family trip to the Grand Canyon the first weekend in April and are probably going to take the train from Williams to the Grand Canyon and back. The day we are planning on going is one of the days they operate their steam locomotive on one of the...

This last weekend we took my kids for a ride on the Sugar Pine Railroad (which I rode as a kid probably almost 30 years ago), and while in the gift shop, I saw this book: Daylight Reflections I really liked it, but wasn't prepared on the spot to pay $50 for an impulse buy (although for a new...

I've been thinking about adding front and back LED's to my blue box locos to make them look nicer when running. As I put some effort into improving the looks, the glowing cab light is becoming harder and harder to tolerate when they're running (which admittedly isn't often). I was looking at...

Today's little project was adding number boards to all my BB GP's and my IHC Mogul. Since I don't have a layout or get to use my train stuff, I've been enjoying detailing these old locos lately, treating them more like models than toys. The number boards are just white text printed on black...

I bought this matching set of blue box GP60s (one powered and one dummy) at Thanksgiving off of ebay, and they got wrapped up and placed under the tree. Since I knew they were coming, I bought some Details West plows and some Lark Dark Grey paint. I spent a couple evenings after Christmas...

I was thinking of bidding on an Athearn Blue Box SP GP40 on ebay, but it's missing handrails. A quick search turned up no online sources to buy replacements, with the few places that listed them showing out of stock. Anyone know if there's a place to get some? If not, I'm not going to bid on...

Hey all. Anyone know what brand this might be? And what the best way to install a kadee in the front might be? Bought this off ebay a few years ago for my son, and want to give it access to all my rolling stock with knuckle couplers.

Hi all, I have these two postcards of my home town and am trying to figure out what locomotive types might be pictured. The back of the first one reads: "Santa Margarita, CA early 1900. Center of twon looking towards the cattle corrals at Encina and El Camino Real." The back of the second...

Hi all. I don't have a permanent layout set up, so my locos and rolling stock get handled and unpacked/packed away fairly often (several times a year). On my bachmann GS4, the wire plug from the tender to the loco needs to be unplugged to place it back in the Bachmann packaging, and, because...

Hi. I posted this in the locomotives and rolling stock section, but maybe there are more Lionel folks lurking here. My kids recently burnt out the smoke unit on our Lion Chief Scout 246x. I got a quote for a new one from Lionel ($18.50 + $9 shipping). Are there any tutorials, walkthroughs...

I'm pretty certain my kids burned out the smoke unit on our Lionel Scout this week while I was at work. I had been meaning to refill the smoke fluid. I did this morning but found no matter what I did I am no longer getting any smoke. I emailed Lionel to ask about getting a new one. Does anyone...

Hi all. A few years ago, the motor died on my IHC 2-6-0 Mogul. I found a new one on ebay and succesfully replaced it. Here is a post that gives some background: http://www.modelrailroadforums.com/forum/showthread.php?25684-How-to-remove-shell-from-IHC-Mogul&p=260593#post260593 As I...

Hi all! I've dabbled in HO on and off since I was a kid. The last couple of years I've had my stuff out at Christmas and my currently 3 year old son has really gotten a kick out of it! After I bought him his own used F7 and caboose ($20 total) so I wouldn't have to worry about something...

Hi, I'm not very familiar or experienced with DCC/wiring, etc... I got a DCC equipped SP 4-8-4 from Bachmann a few years back, and I just run it once a year when we set up a track around our Christmas tree. I just use the locomotive DC since I just have the one loop and my controller is an...

Well, last year I set my HO scale stuff up under the tree for the first time in like 15 years. My son was 6 months old and like to watch it run for short periods of time. He wasn't mobile yet and just sat there for the most part. Well, he's certainly mobile now. Mobile, curious, climbing...

I have 3 Athearn locos (GP9, GP35, and GP40) all with kadees and plows added to the front. On both the GP35 and GP40, the kadees and draft boxes are attached to the frame with screws. The plows were installed per the details West instructions, which includes some glue. As a result, the plows...

I just recently was looking for a dummy loco and found that ebay is the only place you can find them. One Athearn GP60 dummy I was watching ended up going for $38 + shipping, which I’m sure is way more than it was originally sold for! (interestingly enough, an auction for a powered Athearn...