Large Scale Central

Link and Pin verses ????

Modeling
#21

David,

I am certainly not aiming for 100% closer to 90-95% I still want an A. :slight_smile:

I hear you about the compromise between accuracy and operational. I want to lean toward accuracy but also want to run the train. Actually accuracy isn’t it. . . not in the purest sense. I just love to build and love detail. It is more about the process. That why my first build is all about the hand made parts. How close can I come with strips of styrene. I have chosen on the first one to avoid many of the fine detailing parts available and instead am hoping to make them instead.

For example I can buy leaf springs for my loco from Bachmann or Ozark pretty cheap. But I made mine from styrene. There’s looks better, but I made mine. So it is about the build i get absorbed in it.

#22

I understand. I enjoy making things too. And I find if I really put in the effort, mine can look just as good as a commercial product (if its available). But most time I don’t put in THAT much effort, I shoot for "close enough. I want to have a working railroad, not a handful of museum pieces. But, again, its your hobby, and I have enjoyed watching you work. :slight_smile:

#23

David,

I have said it a bunch, But ever since I was a kid first getting into trains, I was influenced by people that supported the other hobbyist. We may not want the same for our railroads. But that doesn’t mean I cant appreciate what you have done even if I wouldn’t do it myself, and you can’t appreciate what I am doing even if you wouldn’t do it.

The guy who got me into trains was such an awesome influence. I was ten and I believe he was like 250 years old. He was the Boy Scout Merit Badge leader for model railroading. He had a spectacular layout. He was all about operation. I don’t think he built a thing beyond the road bed. He loved running trains. Nothing on his layout moved without a waybill and a purpose. He even ran passenger trains on time tables. But when I started building mine he took me to the hobby store with a wad of cash my parents gave me. When I left I had one loco enough track for an oval on 4X8 plywood and more building and rolling stock kits than I could shake a stick at. He helped me build my empire. It wasn’t his thing, his way of doing things, but he loved sharing his hobby and that’s what made it tick for me. Here I am 33 years later and that urge to build is alive and strong.

Its a big hobby. And thanks for following the build it is fun to share. And who doesn’t like a godd dose of “atta boy” for validation.

#24

Devon, you were a lucky kid. My dad…yea lets not go there.

My mom’s boyfriend talked me into an N scale monstrosity, even though I wanted HO. When I finally tore it down, it was still mostly bare plywood. One of my uncles was real into well detailed HO, but he, well, he won’t even set foot into my house, because its MY house. So, my learning curve was from magazines, trial and error, books, trial and error, and now online, and trial and error.

I build for my enjoyment, and if others like it, that’s great. If they don’t, that’s great.

Being a scratch-builder and kit-basher, I can appreciate the work that goes into a well done (and even not so well done) models. And reading how someone else did something, I can usually learn something. Many of my techniques are not my own, they are someone else’s that I adapted to my abilities and skill level. One technique that I did come up with is my lettering technique, but I am sure I “borrowed” parts of it form somewhere in my past. Feeble minds stinking alike and all that.

I think its great that Bob has this forum for us to share, advise, and encourage each other.

So keep at it Yunz guys, and I hope to get back at it soon. Now if only I could buy some motivation. Or, maybe, I could scratch-build some.

#25

I was a lucky kid. My dad could care less about trains. But he did help with the heavy construction and until my paper route ponied up the funds. He was also supportive of anything I did even if he didn’t get involved he always at east pretended to care.

In fact nothing much has changed. He will let me talk his ear off for hours about the CR&N.

#26

I, too, should be using link and pin couplers on my railroad given the era I’m modeling to be historically accurate. However, I’m primarily an operator, and ease of coupling and uncoupling is of paramount importance. So, I fudged a bit, and on my line, the EBT modernized to knuckle couplers a few years earlier than in real life.

Having said that, you do yourself no harm by having a go at using link and pins. The worst that can happen is that it doesn’t work and you have to convert your couplers. (Okay, the worst is that you get frustrated trying to put a pin into a tiny hole and hurl your locomotive halfway across the yard where it lands in a million pieces. But that’s a worst case scenario.) Since you’re starting building everything from scratch, you’ll know pretty quickly whether the link and pins will work with your design, so it won’t be much effort to change if the need arises. And if it doesn’t, good on you!

Later,

K

#27

i see one problem for link and pins (well, for any type of coupler) the longer the overhang of the car body over the last wheel, the more pronounced is the missmatch of the couplers, specially, where the first car leaves a sharp curve, while the second car is still in the curve.

#28

I use link and pin with smaller stuff on my micro (31 inch dia curves) They work. On my outdoor I have 6.5ft dia and never had issues with log cars or any other larger stuff. You could always make rooster poles to add more space.

It is ore difficult hooking trains up but I only run a few cars at a time. Plus you never have to worry about anything coming uncoupled.

#29

John Le Forestier said:

But if you’re still with me despite my eccentricities, then I would suggest to Devon that he move the trucks on those log cars closer to the ends of his cars. They seem to me to be awfully far from the ends, which creates an exaggerated end overhang.

I think you are actually referring to the photo my unfinished log cars. While I agree with you technically; the cars were built to plans of actual cars and that was the overhang in the plans…

(http://lsc.cvsry.com/LogCars/Russell_Mich-Cal_Sized-800.JPG)

#30

I had them on some On30 cars and used tweezers of forceps to install the pins. Tried for a while and ended selling all of it on EBay. To small for these old eyes and shakie hands.

#31

Kevin et al.

I agree with Kevin in that it is prototypical and I wont be running more than five or so cars a time. We will see how link and pin goes. I can always change later.