# Good News!! :)



## hoscale37 (Nov 20, 2011)

In the rediscovering of my HO trains that I had as a kid, I had a good night tonight. 

I have a total of 6 Engines. Hopefully I will be able to attach photos with this note. I have a full mix of Athearn, Mantua/Tyco, and Tyco. Now that I have been able to take pictures of all of the engines and cars.

Engines

1- B & O Dummy Engine
1- B & O Diesel
1- Larger B & O Diesel (Athearn)
1- Canadian Pacific (marked as Mantua/Tyco)
1- Tyco Golden Eagle
1- "Burlington Route" Steam Engine #99 (marked as RAM Ma Hong Kong)

1- Tyco Power Pack

I have a mixture of Tyco and Atlas Track. Tonight, I set up an circle with the 18" Radial Track and plugged the Tyco power pack in. The engines moved- the Canadian Pacific moved decent, as did the B & O engines. Even the Golden Eagle moved well. The Steam Engine broke on me when I was trying to test it


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## trainguru (Jun 28, 2011)

Welcome to the Forum! Not bad on your locomotive front. Sorry about the steam locomotive! How did it break, maybe it's fixable? -


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Ditto ...

I broken wire? Something askew with a pickup shoe?


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## flyboy2610 (Jan 20, 2010)

The steam engine broke, huh?
That's not necessarily a bad thing.
"Honey, I need a new steam engine!":thumbsup:


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## hoscale37 (Nov 20, 2011)

*RE: Good News*

On the Steam Engine- when you look at the photo, one of the small long metal pieces that helps the back wheels rotate positioned itself outside of it's placement, that is the best way I can describe it... so it doesn't move at all because that metal piece helps rotate the back wheels....

I was reading through a step by step on here on how to clean/lubricate an HO Engine. Considering that I do a lot of DIY mechanic work on my own cars- I guess learning how to get old HO scale train engines going again won't be so tough, right? 

I already have a plethora of tools at my dispense, including small screwdrivers, etc. So it will really be taking one of these engines apart as a "guinea pig" to learn on....

Does anyone have any idea- or can point me to if there is an online catalog for the old Canadian Pacific (Mantua/Tyco) as well as the old Athearn B & O Locos? I have an Executive Coach that goes with the B & O locos as well. I also have a silver colored Athearn Executive Coach that is weighted in the middle and is a fairly heavy car. 

Just curious too, with that #99 Steam Engine. Any ideas on the RAM Made in Hong Kong? I noticed last night that alot of the track I have is a mix of Atlas, Tyco, and also has markings of "Made in Yugoslavia" printed on some of them as well. Keep in mind that some of this track is going back to when my father and his brother were into trains back in the mid 1960s...

Here's another two questions.... 

* 1. * If I set up a new layout.. I went to Lowe's today just to get an idea on how much a sheet of 4 X 8 plywood is.... What does everyone else use? I saw FiberBoard that was 3/8" and 1/2" thick, as well as regular plywood, but the majority of it was extremely and badly warped.  What is the BEST option for the Base of a Layout? What have you all used? My idea for my layout is a layout that can be moved easily but not something that is going to weigh a ton. 

* 2. * Call me old school- but my layout is going to be strictly a DC setup... so my thought is this- since I have the old tyco power pack and it seems to work decent. I was going to use the majority of the old track on my layout along with the old Tyco Controller and have that control strictly the "rail yard" on my layout...while newer track and a newer controller (I've been looking at the units that were recommended to me in another thread) will form the basis for the overall portion of my layout. Does this sound like a good idea? I'd like to still use all of my old cars/engines; but strictly as a part of my idea that I have for the "Rail Yard" of my layout design. 

What are your continued thoughts? 

Thanks everyone who has helped me so far with information


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Bryan,

Some quick comments ...

Here's a nice online Tyco historical catalog/inventory site ...

http://tycotrain.tripod.com/tycotrains/

Personally, I like MDF as a base tabletop surface ... dead flat, super smooth, not prone to warping, and very inexpensive. 1/2" or 3/4". Downsides: very heavy, not something you want to get wet. Oh ... on the plus side ... sheets are 49" x 97" ... an extra inch all around.

Cheers,

TJ


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## hoscale37 (Nov 20, 2011)

tjcruiser said:


> Bryan,
> 
> Some quick comments ...
> 
> ...


TJ,

Thank you for the info-- but could you tell me what MDF means/stands for? I saw another thread that Massey had written in where he mention a platform and called it OSB.... are these differnt types of Plywood or finished/unfinished wood? 

I had thought about using Fiberwood that is finished... is this completely different from the MDF and OSB mentioned above?


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

hoscale37 said:


> TJ,
> 
> Thank you for the info-- but could you tell me what MDF means/stands for? I saw another thread that Massey had written in where he mention a platform and called it OSB.... are these differnt types of Plywood or finished/unfinished wood?
> 
> I had thought about using Fiberwood that is finished... is this completely different from the MDF and OSB mentioned above?


Different types/ the way they are made.

MDF= Medium-density fiberboard


Medium-density fiberboard, or MDF, is a manufactured wood product composed of wood fibers that are mixed with resin and wax and pressed into flat panels under high temperature and pressure. It is used much like plywood as a building material. Unlike particleboard, with which it is sometimes confused, MDF cuts well and has a smooth surface that is ideal for painting.


OSB= Oriented Strand Board

OSB Board is made by layering strands of wood in mats; exterior layers are arranged in orderly directions while inner layers and randomly aligned. The strands are fused via intense heat and pressure.


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## Gansett (Apr 8, 2011)

MDF is medium density fibreboard, basically sawdust and resin compressed under heat. Very heavy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medium-density_fibreboard

OSB is oriented strand board, big chips of wood compressed under pressure and heat. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriented_strand_board
Here OSB is quickly overtaking plywood in new house construction.

There's a variety of methods used to make your layout. From a simple 4x8 sheet of plywood to elaborate cookie cutter methods. Homasote and foam on top of ply is yet another method. None is 100% right, none 100% wrong.

Best advice I can give, and I'm new too, is read, read and read some more. Then go with what you feel comfortable with.

As for DC vs DCC. I'm going straight DC for now. DCC will come later.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

hoscale37 said:


> I was going to use the majority of the old track on my layout along with the old Tyco Controller and have that control strictly the "rail yard" on my layout...while newer track and a newer controller will form the basis for the overall portion of my layout.


That statement right there will have you pulling your hair out in nothing flat!
Why would you want your rail yard to be done in what I'm assuming when you say "old track" your talking brass, It oxidizes too fast! Way too hard to keep clean and will have your engines coughing a sputtering all over the yard!
At least on the main line you can drag a cleaning car around and keep it running fairly well, where in the yard you will have to hand clean all the rails all the time just to make it work!


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## hoscale37 (Nov 20, 2011)

NIMT said:


> That statement right there will have you pulling your hair out in nothing flat!
> Why would you want your rail yard to be done in what I'm assuming when you say "old track" your talking brass, It oxidizes too fast! Way too hard to keep clean and will have your engines coughing a sputtering all over the yard!
> At least on the main line you can drag a cleaning car around and keep it running fairly well, where in the yard you will have to hand clean all the rails all the time just to make it work!


Just wondering, though- if I clean the track before laying it down. I've read about cleaning track with Goo Gone and Isopropyl Alcohol....wouldn't this help in restoring the track at all to be used? 

Just really need some good advice as I have a mix of old track that I really would hate to just throw away. If the old track that I have can be cleaned and used, I would really like to do this and then buy additional newer track that I can use for the main part of my layout. 

Am I going about this the wrong way? Just really would like to be able to utilize the old track that I have as well...


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

You could clean the track to a spotless condition and it will still oxidize, there is no permanent cleaning solution for brass track!
Will it work yes, but in a yard that sees very little run time there is almost 0 chance it will get cleaned by a cleaning car!
Do you have a lot of Turnouts or a lot of pieces of track, I know a lot is a relative term.
New Nickle Silver flex track and Turnouts are not that expensive and they will save you a ton of abuse!


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

If you clean it well, then wipe it down with No-Ox, you'll be fine. Brass has it's problems but these young'ns around here forget that it was all there was for many years and us old geezers managed to make do just fine....I still use it.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

OK ... here's a stupid question ... brace yourselves ...

I know that Bullfrog Snot can be applied to drive wheels to improve traction, and that it allows electrical conductivity to still pass from the track to the wheels (albeit with some small loss of power). Whatever the Snot is made out of, I would think that it must block the air from penetrating to the wheels, thereby inhibiting oxidation.

Ok ... are you sitting down? ...

So, along those lines, has anyone ever tried brushing the Snot all along their old brass track rails? Wouldn't the Snot still add traction (via the rails), allow conductivity, and stop air from oxidizing the rails?

Remember, guys ... I'm not the sharpest tool ...

TJ


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Anyone willing to take pot shots at my stupid question, above? It's fair-game TJ hunting season!


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## mr_x_ite_ment (Jun 22, 2009)

TJ...I am a guy who likes to think outside the box! I always say to go with whatever works! I certainly don't know anything about brass track...I just know that I have one heck of a time to keep my nickel-silver clean! 

Chad


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

TJ,
No, I don't think you've gone around the bend.  Putting the Snot on the track makes sense and it surely could work........but......that stuff is a tad pricey!  If you have a lot of track you may need a second mortgage. 
Bob


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Actually, I had a loco with Bullfrog Snot on it, and it's must certainly not conductive, at least not to any reasonable degree! No way I'd try to put it on the track, and I'm guessing it wouldn't last long if the train would run at all.

If you read how you put the stuff on, you have to keep the wheel rotating for quite a spell for it to set and dry. I suspect that trying to rotate the track would not have the same effect.


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## hoscale37 (Nov 20, 2011)

For a minute there, I thought the term "Bullfrog Snot" was a tongue in cheek joke, kind of thing. Then I looked it up today. 

Guess it would be safe to say that Bullfrog Snot would be the equivalent to Mr. Zogg's Sex Wax (except that Mr. Zogg's Sex Wax is used on surfboards) 

I'm learning something new everyday about Model railroading!


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