# Need help - not sure what to do



## Butterball52113 (Jan 28, 2015)

Hi all - I acquired this G scale locomotive for my son but I can't get it to work. I do not have any instructions in the box. How do I take thîs guy apart to service? Are these any good? Worth getting it looked at for repair if I can't get it running? Are these any good & are they rated for outdoor use too?


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## Gramps (Feb 28, 2016)

What you have is an Aristocraft FA-1 G scale locomotive. I just got out of G and I had 2 of these outdoors and they ran great. Look on the back, there should be 3 switches for power, smoke and I'm not sure of the 3rd one. Make sure the power one is on. If that doesn't work go to the Aristocraft Forum and someone there can help. There is also an exploded parts diagram that you should be able to find there. Good luck


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Wow........that Locomotive sure is big! :thumbsup:


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## Gramps (Feb 28, 2016)

I had 2 of them. They are 21" long and 4" wide.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Ed

I saw an FA FB FA consist in the Santa Fe red and silver Warbonnet colors
on a warehouse size indoor G scale layout in Illinois. I swear it looked big enough to pull a 
real train. Had to be about 6 feet long.

Magnificent machines. Highly detailed.

Don


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## Butterball52113 (Jan 28, 2015)

It is huge & beautiful! I broke down & dropped it off at my local hobby shop for the owner to check it out. My wife and I bought it for my son at Christmas on eBay. It tested fine & I wrapped it for Christmas morning...but it didn't work. The seller apologized & told me to keep it. It's been sitting in the box ever since. I thought it was worth spending a little money to get it running. I can't wait to get it back & see my son's face light up 🚂😀


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## Gramps (Feb 28, 2016)

Butterball,
Did you go to the Aristocraft forum? It's very helpful.


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## Gramps (Feb 28, 2016)

Don,
You're not far off, each loco is 21" long and another 3" to couple both A units to the B and you are at 5'6".


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

What I failed to notice at first glance is that it is his sons little hands in the picture.
That makes it look a lot larger.

But at 6' long and without any cars attached whew! Makes O look like N.
I wonder how many have a basement or attic layout using those?


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## trains galore (Jul 22, 2013)

Wow that engine is huge!
If only I had space for G gauge! 

And yeah I agree, in comparison it makes O gauge look like n and oo gauge look like Z! :laugh:

Definitely worth getting something that nice fixed up, hope it goes well :thumbsup:


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## RonthePirate (Sep 9, 2015)

I was given that Bachmann "Red Comet" 1880's 4-4-0 set for Christmas one year.

It's B-I-G!! I love watching it go in its oval, just chugging super-slow.

If I can get enough bucks together, I want to make a shelf layout for the walls of my train room.
But I've priced track for that gauge.....yee-ouch. 

Maybe just a pipe dream............


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## Butterball52113 (Jan 28, 2015)

I did go to the aristocraft forum - but my gut was telling me take it to an expert. My son keeps me busy enough with his n scale stuff. We don't have a lot of space - just have about a 6 foot oval track on our deck. He's got my old trucks/tractors he plays with out there too & I've made a little home made layout with ornamental trees with lights, a little creek rock, home made loads out of sticks in the yard. Going to make him a tunnel out of sticks too. We don't have a lot of $$ - daddy's been selling of some of his gun collection to buy trains. He loves them and the time we spend together playing with them is priceless.


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## Gramps (Feb 28, 2016)

You can't put a price tag on spending time with your kids. It's great that you enjoy something together.

At least you know the forum is there if you need it.


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## Butterball52113 (Jan 28, 2015)

Yeah - thanks again for the info gramps.


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## mtoney (Oct 6, 2012)

Did you get the big Alco sorted out yet? There are switches on the door at the rear of the locomotive. Power switch, smoke switch. The power switch was probably in the off or #1 position. Position 2 is for lights only and the 3rd position is for lights and motors. LGB is the same way with a 3 position slide switch. I converted one of these Alco's to onboard battery power so I could be rid of having to constantly clean the track and deal with rail joint issues every spring. Going over to the "dead rails" club with battery power is something I should have done long ago. I hope the shop gets the loco sorted out soon, spring weather is finaly started to creep in here. Mike


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## Butterball52113 (Jan 28, 2015)

Yeah the shop is working on it now - it's at Tim's Trains in Letonia, KY.....great shop and the owner Tim is super cool! I'll let you know how she runs! In the meantime I got my son a brand new G scale USA trains CSX GP30 (?)....that was the first train he ever saw and where love affair with trains started....so I wanted my little man to have it.


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## mtoney (Oct 6, 2012)

Awsome, bet he will love that engine. If you ever get up in the Indianapolis area, check out Zionsville Train depot, they specialize in G scale trains, and there is a huge G scale indoors layout in Cincy called Entertrainment Junction. Up near Chicago in Valporaizo Indiana is Taltree Arboretum which has a huge outdoor garden railway and is a dealer for Hartland Locomotive Works G scale trains. Those are made right here in Indiana. There is also a large garden railway club in the Cincy area. Mike


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## Butterball52113 (Jan 28, 2015)

I haven't given him his big G scale CSX train yet - saving for special day...maybe bday in a month. I'll have to check out the Zionsville train depot...do they have more than just G scale? We have mostly N scale and a little HO and G. We have a membership to Entertrainment Junction and I take my son there 3-4 times a week. My wife's next business trip to Chicago - we're going again and I'm taking him to Taltree Arboretum on the way. Going to take him to the arboretum in Chicago too - the have a neat G scale layout there too....probably back to the Illinois Railway Museum too.


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## Butterball52113 (Jan 28, 2015)

We are headed to vacation after his bday and driving halfway-stopping in Chattanooga, TN to stay at the Chattanooga Choo Choo in one of their Pullman cars. The place looks cool but hotel gets sketchy reviews...I think my son would dig sleeping on a train car though. Take him to the Tennessee valley railway train station for a short train ride, hit a couple hobby shops for an n scale souvenir....aquarium too! Being a father is better than I even imagined! 😊


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