I can't run these big engines - a conundrum

My home layout is still under construction. In the meanwhile, my big engines stretch their legs on our modular club's 20x32 layout. Best option I can suggest, find a local club and run them there.

 

Gilly

 

Oh man, Paul, does this sound familiar.  I have had the following in storage for years now because they won't fit on my present layout.

 

Lionel Pennsylvania T-1 4-4-4-4 

Lionel C&O Streamline Hudson

MTH DD40AX

MTH PRR Centipedes

 

Plus, I have Amtrak Surfliners that I don't run because they won't fit through the portals of my tunnels.  But I can't bear to part with them because I keep thinking that a larger house/basement/layout is right around the corner!  Hang in there.    

 

- Mike

If you like the engines, I would keep them. When I moved here and during the construction of the layout, 6 years elapsed with no issues.

 

You never know what is around the corner.

Agreed, Keep them unless you didn't like them on the old Layout.

Right now my new MTH Challenger is stretching reality pulling only 8 cars on the carpet central. And it's far short of O-72 curves so ACK!!!

Right now everything is in storage because of my financial situation. I would love to get my MTH Reading Lines T-1 out and run it again. The other one I miss running is the Williams Santa Fe F-7 ABA set, two powered A units with six Williams 'El Capitan' passenger cars, these are from the Crown Edition by Williams.

 

Lee Fritz

I think some locomotives are too big for some layouts, and you seem to have that situation.

 

I also think that certain scales are overwhelming for certain spaces. Years ago, I built a two rail layout in a 10x12 spare bedroom, and even with small radius (36") curves, the layout had virtually no tangent tracK, and very little room for scenery or structures.

 

And the large equipment (40 and 50' freight cars and 2-8-0 locos) was too big for me In that tiny room. I tore down the O layout and built an HO layout in the same space, using the same type of rolling stock, and I was much happier.

 

Jeff C

Paul,

 

i have a point to point layout with no room for around the room running. With all my scale steam and diesels I wish I could just let them run. I also don't see it changing in the future so I run two or three times a year with a club and let my scale steamers run. 

 

Hang in in there pal, it will work out.

My problem is finding a local train club that is into O gauge trains. Every club where I am at is into H.O. or N scale.

 

Lee Fritz

 

I have about ten long locos, scale Big boy, EM-1, Allegheny, challenger, etc., etc.  Although I have track to run them on (all 72" curves) I've put so much scenery and buildings close by that they can't run without hitting something. If and when I want to run them I could remove three or four buildings, a tunnel portal or two, and several dozens trees too near the track,and there would be room.  

 

I don't do that. I just run shorter locos, nothing much over 26 inches.  I keep the big boys, so to speak, on a shelf where I can look at them - they are good looking.  I don't think I would hang on to them if I had them stored away in boxes, but when I can display them, sure . . . 

That's a timely question for me.  Just yesterday I was at a train show, and there were three 6-8-6 scale S2 PRR turbines for sale, one Lionel and I'm not sure about the others. 

 

My basement layout only has room for 048 curves, and I know perfectly well that the S2 locomotives aren't happy with that.  So what to do?  Buy one now, in the hope that at some future time I'll have a layout that can accommodate 072 curves?  Meanwhile, it would only be a shelf model.  My train budget isn't so inexhaustible that I can just shrug and say "oh, well, so what?" as I look at what is for all practical purposes only a display model.  If I can't run it, I can't justify buying it.

 

In the end, I passed.  Reality and the budget collided, and reality won.  It was the right decision for me, but I won't pretend I liked it.

 

If anyone is looking to join a club in Northeast Pennsylvania:

 

          Black Diamond Society of Model Engineers

          902 East Macada Road

          Bethlehem Pa 18017

 

Down stairs we have 3 rail O, 2 Rail O and S Gauge.

 

Upstairs is HO.

 

Always looking for new members. That is where I run my big PRR steamers.

 

JohnB 

Keep them and display them.

My lower layout has 072 radii which was a mistake. Alot of my big articulates look odd going around these curves.  I should have made everything 0-100 min. The top deck will have this.

Would it be possible for you to put the locomotives on display?  For example, on Glenn Snyder shelves or in a display cabinet like the ones for sale at York or in OGR (and maybe the "other" magazine).  I use Glenn Snyder shelves to display the trains I don't have on my layout.  Frequently, the trains on the layout move to the shelves and vice versa.

 

I'd like to own one scale articulated locomotive, e.g., an SP cab forward, but that would be out of place on my layout.  Given that I 072 curves on my outer loop, I could physically run the loco; however, my layout is only 8'x11'.

 

I used to own a UP coal turbine, but the three unit set was so long that it overwhelmed my layout.  The set extended nearly the full length of the straight away on the 11' side.  I own MTH's three other UP turbine units, but they look OK because each individual unit isn't too long.

Join a club. I don't have a layout at home and I have a big collection of Big (Pennsy S-1, T-1, J-1, M-1a) and small (H-10, Atlantic, G-50 B-6) engines. I joined a club and run everything there. I also have the advantage of a great group of guys that share the same interest in trains that I do. It's a great way to get out of the house and get rid of some stress. I recommend a train club highly to any hobbyist if he has a layout or not.

I was going to say the same thing about us on the west coast.

 

 

 

Anything closer to 19341?

If I can't run it, I don't buy it( this limits my spending habits, just a bit, no articulateds on my layout either). If I did buy it, I'd make the necessary changes to my layout son I can run it.

 

Whats the point of "waiting till you have a bigger layout", just make the **** layout bigger.

 

Otherwise, if you wait until "whenever it is" that you have a bigger layout. You may pull said big engine out of the box, only to find out it doesn't work properly.

If I didn't know better I would swear people here sit and worry about things just to have something to post to OGR.If you can't run it get rid of it or keep it for display…what ever makes you happy.Sounds like an easy decision to make on your own to me..

Just run them.  You have big curves to handle it.  My layout is only 12x18 and i run all my big stuff.  My curves are only 072. If you really want to store your locs, they should be fine.  Just remove all batteries. I have tmcc locs from the 90s and they still run good. And they are pushing twenty years.

No one has answer the question about the battery's , I will I'm getting a all of my MTH engine's out ( about 60 ) some proto 1 and proto 2 that been in the box's for 12 year's  there were no leak's , all were dead I replaced them with BCR'S only dad a trouble with one proto 2 engine and it was not battery related , I would not put power to any engine that is more than 5 year's old without putting a new battery in them ,

 

Guy 

I also recommend joining a club or modular group if you want to run big engines but you don't have the space.  You can also start a club or modular group if there isn't one in your neighborhood.  I know a lot of people who have taken this route.

 

A way to find out about groups is through the TCA, LOTS, or by posting something at the local hobby shop or on this forum.

 

 Another way to run big engines is to build a garden railroad.  The G&O located in the SF Bay Area is an example.  Here is a link to the G&O Story:

 

https://ogrforum.com/t.../the-gandamp-o-story

 

 I have stored some MTH engines for more than 10 years without battery leaks.  I replace the batteries with BCRs before running the engines when I take them from storage.  So far I have been lucky.  All the engines have run well.  I buy the BCRs from forum sponsors.  I also lubricate the engines before I run them.   

 

I have also stored Lionel engines for extended periods. Lionel engines don't have batteries to run their electronics.  Some Lionel engines have 9 volt batteries so that the sound system will be maintained if there is a power interruption and during shut down.  I always take these sound system batteries out and do not replace them.  I lubricate the engines  and away they go.  Joe

I built my layout to run anything .. No way I am buying a visionline Bigboy and just looking at it..

If it didn't fit (it wouldn't), I would run it even if it stayed on a set of test rollers (it wouldn't)

I have a RailKing Allegheny that I'm storing primarily because I refuse to sell it for half of what I paid. It's overhang is so bad it hits a bridge I have. Also a RailKing Challenger thats tender derails constantly, I'm at my wits end as to what to do with it, I can't seem to fix it.

I'm old enough that this is my last layout.

 

You have choices, best to worse, 1.  they do fit your layout so run them, 2.  don't run them on your layout but join a club & run them there, 3. don't run them but display them,  4. leave them in the boxes and hope to build a bigger layout in the future ( either # 3 or #4 take out the batteries), 5. last resort,  sell them. Think about it before you do anything but if I were you go ahead and run them on your layout, remember even real trains were all different sizes so since it fits your track curves go run them and enjoy that you can run trains that size on your layout. I only have O-36 curves for the largest curves on my size layout but I'm happy with what I can run on it.

Dennis, there's another current thread running about derailing R-K Challenger tenders.

Man I do love those huge loco's but I'll never run them. I just enjoy the videos from those that can.

 

So, if you can run them, post more videos!

 

Thank You.

Here's my personal solution to a similar situation, which may or may not help you. I really like big steam, but I have a layout similar in size to your current one. I designed the layout with curves big enough to test run everything I own, including three Cab Forwards and a 4-12-2, but I don't play trains with them at home because they look silly on the small layout. I belong to a "club" (actually a museum that in some ways runs like a club), and I run the big steamers, the 4-unit diesels, the Schnabel car, and the scale 84-foot passenger cars at public events at the museum. This satisfies my urge to play with really big toys, and at home it's Mikados, Moguls, and 4-axle diesels. Works for me.

 

4-12-2 at Gadsden Pacific Toy Train Museum 

 

 

Northern with scale heavyweights

Run 'em slower.  Problem solved.  

Re making my layout bigger - would involve tunneling through walls and installing lift out or hinged bridges for closets & doorways, all involving major capital expenditures and years of work, all the while I'd be facing job-relocation, which is what happened in the first-place and started this conundrum. That was a nightmare - tearing down 11 years of work. Boy, do I miss that layout - it was truly special.

 

I think taking the batteries out of engines that have not run in 5 years and likely won't get run for years to come is prudent. The Bipolars will be a pain to take apart.

 

What about smoke units - do they have to be kept wet with smoke fluid every few years to avoid drying out and becoming useless?

 In my experience, no re-wetting is necessary. The packing/wicks, don't seem to be affected by "drying out".

  With PW smoke tabs, a fresh pill isn't even necessary after long term storage. They start smoking again right away.

 The residue on a smoke bulb unit (fluid) that I found literally buried in the ground was at least 25 years old. Within a minute of its reintroduction to electricity the residue began smoking. 

I have a 9x20 at home and will run everything on it but do appreciate the look of the articulated engines on the 4,400 sq foot club layout

I'll tell you what  I will hold on to them for you  Run them and send pics every once in awhile  When your ready I'lll send them back

I have no home layout, so I feel your pain. ALL of my locomotives get their exercise at the club layout.