Large Scale Central

Almost all my dumb questions at once

General Discussion
#1

Ok, here are almost all my dumb questions at one time. I say almost because I’m sure no make that I know I will have more.

  1. is the barry on here the same one that does the Barrys Big Trains?

  2. what is the diff between a Big hauler and a annie?

  3. With Bmann if I get the more costly locos are they better then the cheeper ones or do they all suffer some of the same problems? ie. My Christmas loco a Annie only made it one season. I only spent 75 dollars on it new so not to upset but I’m sure to get it right will cost me more then that.

  4. rail clamps… better to take the old clips off or get the ones that will work over the old clips?

  5. whats out there besides rail clamps?

  6. I run track power, is/whats the best way to get R/C ?

  7. rolling stock kits? I don’t have the skill to make my own parts so are/whats the best kit to get?

  8. If I convert some of my locos to batt power can I still use track to light the cars?

  9. train ops… I have read a ton of the post on it. I’m still very fuzzy about it. Whats the best way to start just show up and hope I don’t F everything up or is there a train ops for idiots book?

  10. steam vs desiel? is it just my luck or have others had this coem up. I have only one desiel loco. It worked with out problem all christmas season. My steam locos seem to have had major problems. I tosted a LGB, Bmann and a Aristo. Some of the problems seem sto be the side rods. I thought they were there mostly for looks or is ther a big diff in the motors and gears as well?

Well that does it for now. Like I said I am sure there will be more.

thanks
Geoff

#2
  1. yes
  2. detailing (worth the extra for an Annie in my book)
  3. that depends, most are reliable but many have had Connie problems
  4. I have used a few over the rail joiner kind because I got them used in a big batch of mixed type. They work fine but I prefer the over the rail kind.
  5. If your using brass track you can solder it together
  6. The Aristo Train Engineer to control your track power is the cheapest option. The best way is to go onboard battery power but that costs much dough
  7. There aren’t many kits out there besides Phil’s Narrow Gauge and NewEngland NG
  8. Sure but you will still need to keep the track clean and connections good so that kind of defeats the purpose of battery power
  9. idk
  10. Machines with fewer moving parts are always going to have less problems. Just like the real trains.

-Brian

#3

I find it very difficult to agree with Brian about anything, so it is with great difficulty that I write this.

What he said… :stuck_out_tongue: He is correct about everything. Gees, that has hard to write. :lol:

As far as # 9 goes, the best way is to just jump in and get your feet wet. Bruce has written an handbook for idiots like me that can be accessed from inside TrainOps. Just email Bob McCown and ask to be put on the Bets tester list.

TrainOps is pretty much sailor proof.

#4
Steve Featherkile said:
I find it very difficult to agree with Brian about anything, so it is with great difficulty that I write this.

What he said… :stuck_out_tongue: He is correct about everything. Gees, that has hard to write. :lol:

As far as # 9 goes, the best way is to just jump in and get your feet wet. Bruce has written an handbook for idiots like me that can be accessed from inside TrainOps. Just email Bob McCown and ask to be put on the Bets tester list.

TrainOps is pretty much sailor proof.


Steve please keep this in mind.

I was in the Navy for 6 years so I could see the world and be on a ship.
I was stationed in my home town and they flew me any were they felt I needed to be.

hummmmm I guess if I jopined the air force they would have put me on a ship.

Thanks guys.

#5

Geoff,

That might have happened. We had an Air Force weather guesser stationed on our ship during a West-Pac, once. We called him Black Cloud, because of his Native American heritage and the fact that storms followed us from the day he came aboard.

I was in the Marine Corps/Navy for 22 years and tried for the time to get stationed in my home state. Didn’t happen. Yet, every where I went, one of the first people I met was either going there, or had just come form there.

Sigh.

#6

Thats the Navy for you. Ask and tho shale not receive.

#7

Geoff,
Go visit Andy and Ric.

#8

All he’s got to do is show up and we’ll handle question #9. :wink:

Probably can give him some ideas on the rest of them, also. But him and Andy are always fighting.

#9

When Andy’s the yardmaster everyone and Andy are always fightin…:wink:

#10
Ric Golding said:
All he's got to do is show up and we'll handle question #9. ;-)

Probably can give him some ideas on the rest of them, also. But him and Andy are always fighting.


problem is you always have them when I am out of town.

I will be there one of these times I just did not wont to be to much a pain.
Andy don’t scare me. I can still out run him. :slight_smile:

#11

Let me know the next time you are in town and free. We’ll talk.

#12
Ric Golding said:
But him and Andy are always fighting.
Hey, He always starts it............ :)
#13
Ken Brunt said:
When Andy's the yardmaster everyone and Andy are always fightin.........;)
Well, it's my yard, and yall just wanna do what ya want to do.... Besides, I gotta badge, now......... :)
#14
Andy Clarke said:
Ken Brunt said:
When Andy's the yardmaster everyone and Andy are always fightin.........;)
Well, it's my yard, and yall just wanna do what ya want to do.... Besides, I gotta badge, now......... :)
Yes Andy, we're well aware that it's 'Your Yard"..........we get reminded of it whenever we get within 10' of it...........;)
#15

:slight_smile: Ken, I knew you appreciated that…

#16

Besides, you’re bigger’n me…:wink:

#17
Ken Brunt said:
Besides, you're bigger'n me.......;)
Hey, only in Diameter, tyvm.............. :)
#18

I found battery power is cheaper then track power. Big transformer to run trains $3-400.00, rail clamps $2.00
a joint, cleaning track all the time priceless.

#19
Don & Craig Hofsheier said:
I found battery power is cheaper then track power. Big transformer to run trains $3-400.00, rail clamps $2.00 a joint, cleaning track all the time priceless.
Not always true. Depending how many engines you have: batteries are not cheap they eventually have to be replaced and if you are not good with electronics you have to pay to have it done. Yes you have to clean track but stainless track you dont have to clean nearly as much. You dont need rail clamps if you use jumpers/soder or aristo screws wich I found work fine. Electric you can run all day and not have to worry about charging batteries. Thats just my 2 cents. Of course now that I am into this for a while I am slowley going to go to battery but I still find it hard to believe battery is cheeper especially if you have to pay someone to hook it up.
#20

I have to agree with Shawn. I run some battery/RC with a trail car and also track power. My layout isn’t huge and I rarely run more than two track powered engines at the same time. I get by quite nicely with a second hand 10 Amp Ham Radio supply that I pushed to get around 15 volts out of. I think I paid $25 for the supply a long time ago. I have a couple of bigger Ham Radio supplies that have gone belly up. If I ever need more power I’ll take the time to fix them.

I only use rail clamps at cut joints and switches. The aristo rail joiners are working well for me. I sue the larger headed Phillips screw (normally used to hold the tie strips to the rail) in the joiners outside. Works better because of the washer head.