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    nw caboose 555584

    That is, or rather was, an N&W C31P caboose. Number series was originally 518500 to 518699. I think it was the largest class of caboose on the N&W and one of the newest classes, so there are more survivors out there. NS apparently renumbered the ones they kept into the 555 series. The...
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    Loco comes to life on its own

    Do you have DC running disabled in CV29? That's what may be happening. If the decoder momentarily thinks it sees DC on the main it will try to run then say oh wait, not DC, nevermind. I have a lot fewer problems if I keep that option turned off since I never run my DCC locos on DC. Andy
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    GP18 vs. GP20

    I know they did at least one... I had a MoPac GP18 in low nose. If you mean a factory style low nose, rather than a shop chop. Andy
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    a life-like Q

    If you don't want to $$ for a Kato, the Walthers Trainline F40PH is a good choice. Life-Like's is still part of their toy trainset line, they have never done a Proto version of it. Bachmann has "improved" theirs several times and it's still a piece of junk. Andy
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    loco size question

    EMD standardized on the frame length with the SD38, SD39, SD40, and SD45 and made the frame long enough to accommodate the largest - the 20 cylinder SD45. The others have porches because they have only 16 cylinder prime movers, but the prime mover is still roughly centered on the frame. Rather...
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    GP18 vs. GP20

    As already mentioned a GP18 mostly resembles a late GP9 with 2 48" fans. The main difference is the horizontal rib radiator grills which stand off and are distinctly different from the earlier geeps' flat diamond grid type grills. The GP20 has an extra fan - over the rear radiator there is a...
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    Historic Rail 100% SUCKS!

    I think I get a snail mail flyer from them once a month. I don't know how I got on the list, I've never purchased from them. Could be Walthers, the NMRA, or any magazine I used to subscribe to. I usually just pitch the catalogs. I've occasionally flipped through and never saw anything...
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    enough room for locos?

    In 1989 I once asked a co-worker who had recently moved to the U.S. from the Soviet Union (took 9 years to get visa and green card), if he planned on ever going back. He said "yoor kiddink, right?" Yoor kiddink, right? Actually if you're just talking N&W Superfleet, that currently stands...
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    Coupler conversion on Rivarossi 6 axle

    If you have curves of 24" radius or greater, body mounting the couplers is a much better option. I'm also thinking that the Kadee kit was designed around the classic Rivarossi truck that goes back to the 1960s. If you have a newer run Rivarossi car, the arrangement may not be the same. Andy
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    Gp30/20

    Athearn never made a GP20 and they haven't made a GP30 for something like 40 years. So I'm fairly certain we're talking about the Proto 2000 models. I have not tried to swap out the drives but the position of the cab is different between the GP20 and GP30, and the P2K models have conforming...
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    problem soldering lighting kit in Walther's car

    I have used a lot of the Walthers DCC lighting kits, but you can't use them in every situation. For one thing, Walthers has not yet made a DCC version of their lighting kit for the dome car. So when I was detailing and working on an Empire Builder dome, I had to wire up my own lights. I had...
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    DCCing a loco?

    It probably has an NMRA 8-pin socket. Best case it might work; worst case it will pop the decoder. In between most likely - it will run but blow the lights the moment you turn them on. Athearn has true DCC plug n' play. Short bulb life, but not near as short as .001 seconds which is how long...
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    problem soldering lighting kit in Walther's car

    Those prongs are some kind of stainless steel - they just won't take solder. What I did with any of mine that needed to be wired directly, I took the single strand fine copper wire from a bulb, stripped the insulation off, and wound it around the Walthers prong as tight as I could. Then I hit...
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    Lowering an Athearn SD45 frame?

    Much easier to get the new one, which as far as I can tell is correct. Or certainly a lot closer than the old one. Andy
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    Nmra

    The NMRA experience is going to be largely determined by your local region and division. I happen to belong to a very active division - MCR Division 7. I don't get involved in local politics but I did attend a meeting a couple weeks ago and there were probably 200 people there, plus clinic...
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    Cab Forward

    There's also the Rivarossi Cab Forwards that were done in the 90s, with RP25 flanges - they ran very nicely too. I don't know if Riv. has re-issued it since being absorbed by Hornby, but they probably will eventually. Andy
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    Cab Forward

    They are not the same prototype - the BLI model is an AC4, the Intermountain is an AC12. I don't own one of the BLI ones, but their steam locos are usually pretty decent. They can be a bit noisy sometimes (even with the sound turned off) but they usually settle down once broken in. I do...
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    N&W SD40-2 construction

    I bought a bunch of the DW cables when they first came out with them... I gues it has been 12 or more years ago. I never did anything with them because it was so difficult to find any good photos. One thing that I've observed as that the exposed cables seem to be on newer units, and older...
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    model-train-help

    If Warren is Obi-Wan, then I guess Lou Marre is Kwi-Gon? Andi-Wan Anchovi
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    model-train-help

    First to choose, then to fund purchase of, a high quality slide scanner with an auto loader. I bought a Nikon slide scanner some years back - LS2000. Used a SCSI interface and it would scan single 35mm slides, or strip film up to 6 at a time, positive or negative. Unfortunately it was about...




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