DC operators

[montanan]

I can tolerate the sound, but not like many of my friends. They do have the sound turned up to unrealistic levels but...its their layout!

I too, have experience with a PFM sound system and for my money the whistle is the best! Sound does, however, give me a headache after a while. It has done that since I demonstrated a PFM one at a three day mall show, right after they were released for sale. I did the demo for 12 hours a day for 3 days! By the end of the 3rd day, I didn't care if sound advanced or not. Even today, out of 30 locos, I doubt that I will install a personal system again. I have one sound equipped loco, for my grandson. When he's not there, its cut off!

Years ago (20 or more) I used to go up to Great Falls, MT to help the model railroad club during state fair. Their layout is right on the fairgrounds and their only rent is having their railroad open to the public during state fair. It was extremely easy to hook up the PFM in their control tower and it ran great. The people visiting loved it. That was really a novelty back then. I had a Northern Pacific Z-5 Yellowstone equipped with sound pulling an 80 plus car train around huffin and puffin with everything weathered and it sure got a lot of attention.

 

[fcwilt]

The fox decided that the grapes were probably sour...

Perhaps after you've pulled a helper locomotive up behind a train struggling up the grade...

 

[Iron Horseman]

Years ago (20 or more) I used to go up to Great Falls, MT to help the model railroad club during state fair. Their layout is right on the fairgrounds and their only rent is having their railroad open to the public during state fair. It was extremely easy to hook up the PFM in their control tower and it ran great. The people visiting loved it. That was really a novelty back then. I had a Northern Pacific Z-5 Yellowstone equipped with sound pulling an 80 plus car train around huffin and puffin with everything weathered and it sure got a lot of attention.

hmmm that brings up two more thoughts. It was PFM sound that kept me in the "DC as Primary" power system for several years. I mean I got and played with and learned CTC-16 but that was the secondary controller that I connected to "cab D" sometimes.

Then a completely unrelated thought. The museum that I volunteer at has a "Silly Saturday" once a month where those of us with enough accumulated volunteer hours can take in our own equipment and run it on the museum rails. While they technically don't "require" sound, it is very hard to get a set of locomotives approved for Silly Saturday without sound. The visitors to the museum really get a kick out of the sound, plus it helps the engineers track their trains in the hidden parts of the layout.

 

[montanan]

The fox decided that the grapes were probably sour...

Perhaps after you've pulled a helper locomotive up behind a train struggling up the grade...

I have a 3 percent grade on my layout on purpose just so I can used helpers. Most of my locomotives I have lettered for my own road are older Atlas units, Alco RS1s, RS3s, RS4-3 and RS11. They all run great together. I ended a block at the top of a grade where I have a passing siding and it works great, but I am a lone operator.

 

[fcwilt]

I have a 3 percent grade on my layout on purpose just so I can used helpers. Most of my locomotives I have lettered for my own road are older Atlas units, Alco RS1s, RS3s, RS4-3 and RS11. They all run great together. I ended a block at the top of a grade where I have a passing siding and it works great, but I am a lone operator.

Certainly with well matched locos and carefully placed blocks you can achieve good helper service - DCC just makes it more flexible - locos don't need to be matched, the helper loco can be joined up in any location, etc.

 

[montanan]

Certainly with well matched locos and carefully placed blocks you can achieve good helper service - DCC just makes it more flexible - locos don't need to be matched, the helper loco can be joined up in any location, etc.

These Atlas locomotives are well matched. If I had more operators in my area I might consider DCC, but being that I run by myself, I'll stick with the DC. One of my biggest concerns is the rewiring that would be necessary. Almost all of my track is hand laid code 70 and the switch frogs are NOT insulated. I would rather spend the time that would be required to rewire everything working on other projects being that DCC is not a necessity on my railroad.

 

[fcwilt]

These Atlas locomotives are well matched. If I had more operators in my area I might consider DCC, but being that I run by myself, I'll stick with the DC. One of my biggest concerns is the rewiring that would be necessary. Almost all of my track is hand laid code 70 and the switch frogs are NOT insulated. I would rather spend the time that would be required to rewire everything working on other projects being that DCC is not a necessity on my railroad.

Anyone who has the skill and patience to hand lay track has my admiration.

For anyone who might be curious as to what you might have to do to upgrade your wiring to DCC here is a good site:

http://www.wiringfordcc.com/wirefordcc_toc.htm

 

[Iron Horseman]

I have lettered for my own road are older Atlas units, Alco RS1s, RS3s, RS4-3 and RS11.

They might be older but performance wise I would put those units up against ANYTHING on the market today. I think they would be as good and possibly better.

I have several of each and it is always a joy to run them. I can tell you it was not a joy to install a CTC-16 decoder into the RS-3. The decoders were the size of an elephant and had heating problems. I had to remove all the fiber optic lighting conduits. I had to cut the decoder into three pieces and put one piece under each window of the cab, and one piece on the roof. There were about six wires between each piece so the cab area was a mess of wires which kept wanting to fall down onto the drive shaft. I removed one of the fly wheels and replaced it with a fan. The power transistors were then hung from the original circut board down into the where the fly wheel had been so the fan could cool them. It was actually one of the most difficult non-sound installations I've ever done. Boy I wish I would have had access to the easy-peasy drop in decoders of today. I can convert one in about 10 minutes instead of 20 hours.

 

[montanan]

There sure isn't a lot of room in these locomotives, especially the RS1 and RS3. They are such smooth running locomotives too. I haven't come across many that run better. Now you know why I'm not interested in changing to DCC.

 

[montanan]

Here are some of my Atlas Alcos. They all started off as undecorated units. Some details, such as the number boards on the RS3s were added, then painted. I added the safety striping on the pilots, and then they were lettered, one letter at a time, then weathered. I have some more somewhere on the layout, probably on hidden staging tracks. Alcos really weren't that popular on many western railroads, but I like them, and being that I am freelancing, nobody can pick any nits.

 

[Iron Horseman]

Here are some of my Atlas Alcos. .... Alcos really weren't that popular on many western railroads, .

That brings up an interesting tidbit. The SP&S always got hand me down locos from the NP and GN. As such they never experienced "good" power until the GN decided it did not like the Z-6 Challengers and sent both theirs to the SP&S. They were new, big, modern locomotives and for the SP&S a bonanza. The SP&S liked them so much that when they finally got money to purchase their own new power they became a loyal customer to the builders of those big Z-6s which was Alco. The SP&S diesel roster was full of the Alcos even to the end.

 

[montanan]

The poor SP&S was like the little kid who got all of the hand me downs. They were probably one of the few exceptions with the Alcos in the west. Alco Steam was of course very popular in the western states, but when the diesels started replacing steam, EMD were way more common than Alco.

 

[skillman]

Not trying to corrupt this thread but Montanan, My T&A railroad has very similar loco's and a very similar color scheme. Mostly Alcos and yellow color. I'll have to get some pictures and post them.

Steve

 

[montanan]

Glad to hear that I'm not the only one who likes yelllow Alcos. Get some pictures !!!

 

[skillman]

I'll do that. I think I'll start a different thread though. My locos don't have any black stripes. I really like the effect on your's but mine were just very simple paint with a little detail work and lots of weathering. I'm afraid the pictures will be just the locos as I don't currently have any layout to put them on.

Steve

 

[montanan]

One nice thingabout freelancing is that you have a blank canvas. I wanted something simple too. My choice of colors came about because at the time I had a lot of reefer yellow paint on hand. The black stripe was an after thought because At the time had a lot of black stripe decals handy. This broke up the all yellow paint job. The problem then was to find the decals for the safety striping on the pilots. I am pretty happy with the way things came together.

 

[skillman]

For me, the neat thing about freelancing is that I can use locos that I like but weren't used by the prototype roads that I model. I am an Alco-holic so it was easy for me to use these. I also have an FM or two. I also love critters and small locos so these are fun to add to the roster. When the 44 ton and 70 ton GE's showed up I added these and used the power trucks to make a number of other little switchers and powered vehicles. I also love building cabooses so my railroad has a number of unique hacks on it. I even have some rollingstock that is lettered for it. If you can think of it, you can add it.

Steve

 

[skillman]

All my little "critters" is one more reason that I intend to stay with DC. Many of these simply have no room for anything else in them.

Steve

 

[montanan]

We seem to have a lot in common with the small locomotives and cabeese. I did manage to come up with the Spectrum GE 45 tonner on ebay for $48. It is one incredibly smooth little loco right out of the box, and with the colors it shouldn't be too hard to get it looking right at home in the Logan Valley stable. The Gallatin Canyon & Western cars I lettered for a friend of mine who has unfortunately passed away. He has some custom decals made for his road. It was partially owned by the NP, that's the reason for the reversed monad on the GC&W herald. The drovers caboose (i have a few of them are from wood kits. It's been so long since I did them I can't remember who made the kit. The center caboose is a GN wood kit and the one to the right is a plastic kit. I weather EVERYTHING. If it's not weathered, it doesn't go on the layout. A number of years back I had brought a bunch of equipment up to Great Falls to help them run during State Fair and a number of visitors commented how the train looked dirty, just like the real ones. The next year a number of the club members has weathered their freight cars.

 

[skillman]

I've been digging out box's of my stuff and going through them. I cleaned up my little 44 ton Spectrum. It was a Rio Grande that I just used as is as it didn't have any roadname on it. My Spectrum 70 ton was an SP in the black and orange scheme. Just got rid of the roadname and shortened the road number. It matches the 44 ton very well. I have a Grandt 25 ton GE boxcab that I used as a "B" unit with a little Fomras brass GE 25 ton. The Fomras came out before Cliff made his little 25 ton hood switcher. It ran well but wouldn't get through a lot of the switches without stalling. The Boxcab is powered with a single Spectrum power truck from a 44 toner. This made the "set" go through the switches and actually pull enough to be usefull. My other little switcher is a much modified Hustler with a regear set. It is in the yellow scheme. I have 4 different hacks that are for the road. None the same. Still trying to decide if I want a standard caboose.
I suppose I could use DCC in the Spectrums bu I don't see any way to get it into the really small stuff. I also don't know if many of the old motors in my stuff would work well with it.

Steve