Introduction from an old-aged Newbie (and a question about Culvert/Loader and Unloader)

The car you need for the culvert loader and unloader is like this.  I have this one and one and the PRR 19485.  These work fine with my set up.

very good thanks

@mrkerr35803 posted:

Hello.  Let me introduce myself; my name is Michael and just this month, I finally took the plunge into railroading.  I’ve been interested in the hobby most of my adult life and I’ve just now enjoying a time where I have the time, the space and the money to invest in this new venture.  I also just joined your forums; I’ve been lurking for quite some time and this group of forums seems to be more active and informative than any other I’ve found on the internet.

So I’ve bought a nice 12X8 track set from The Train Station in NJ (I live in northern Alabama where there are no LHS near me), a Legacy diesel engine, a couple of freight cars and a transformer.   I used 2” foam and existing tables for my benchwork; I’ll be going into scenery once I get some of this other preliminary stuff under my belt.  I’ve purchased a few of the classic Lionel operating accessories and plan to buy some more as I go along.  I’ve also got a dozen or so Plasticville structures that I’ve been buying over the years.   So I’m just getting started.

Last weekend I set up and painted the foam and laid the track and got the engine running.  Being restricted to running Bluetooth and the app is frustrating but I have no choice but to wait until Base3 gets here.   So this week I turned my attention to accessories…and that’s where I’ve run into frustration on top of frustration.

Researching and forum searching had me decide that the first accessories I wanted were the gantry crane and the culvert loader and unloader.  I decided not to get the Legacy control versions since I couldn’t have Legacy and looked on eBay for the newest versions I could find in operating condition (the logic being the newer they were the better the technology updates behind them and the easier to adapt to things like Fastrack).   So I bought a 6-22998 gantry crane and 6-12983 unloader that were NIB and a 6-12982 that was “like new” and in “operating condition”.

I tried the unloader first and immediately realized that Fastrack wasn’t going to work without modification.  I did some research and it was suggested to use the 6-12054 operating track since it had removable sides to make it skinnier and would fit better.  So I ordered a pair of those from Amazon (since I have no local source) and left the layout for the rest of the week.

I got those track pieces and they don’t really lay well on the loader or unloader so I guess my next thing to try would be to use some tubular track and the Fastrack Transition piece so I could use the type of track the accessories were designed to use. Has anyone been successful with this or is there another easier way?

I did hook up both accessories to the Aux output of my transformer and they do seem to work.  I had also bought a culver car off eBay specifically for these accessories but the one I selected didn’t come with the ramp inside of the car that you need.  I thought the ramp came with the loader/unloader and I thought I saw it in the photos but it was in reality the ramp that goes between the exit of the unloader and the entrance of the loader so they can be used in tandem.  Do I have to buy another car now that actually has the incline piece with it or is that piece sold separately?   It’s frustrating to do the research and think you have what you need and still keep hitting these stumbling blocks.  The forums and various YouTube videos have been helpful but sometimes you don’t even know to ask a question until you actually get into doing something.  This hobby seems to have a steeper learning curve than most.

Thanks

Michael

You could cut down both the sides of a straight piece of Fastrack with a table saw to the correct width, but I think probably the easiest and best solution is to use a piece of conventional track and two of the Lionel transition pieces (6-12040) to make the connections with your Fastrack.

Hi Michael,         Welcome to the forum.  I too am an old-aged newbie and am learning the new technology since the days of my youth.  Wait till you try command control .  I'm still learning to ask the right questions.  I saw where you are planning an 8 ft by 12 ft layout and using 2" foam.  That's exactly what I'm planning.  Do you have a track plan yet?  I'm going to use tubular track as I have 8 remote control turnouts and want to use them.  And I don't want to mix fast track with tubular switches.  My first plan was to use 042 radius curves but might have to go with 036 curves to get a reversing loop in my layout.  I have tried using the SCARM software and that too has a learning curve to negotiate.  The main thing here is to enjoy the hobby and continue to learn.  Lots of great people willing to help us.   Bob

@Corvette Rob posted:

Hi Michael,         Welcome to the forum.  I too am an old-aged newbie and am learning the new technology since the days of my youth.  Wait till you try command control .  I'm still learning to ask the right questions.  I saw where you are planning an 8 ft by 12 ft layout and using 2" foam.  That's exactly what I'm planning.  Do you have a track plan yet?  I'm going to use tubular track as I have 8 remote control turnouts and want to use them.  And I don't want to mix fast track with tubular switches.  My first plan was to use 042 radius curves but might have to go with 036 curves to get a reversing loop in my layout.  I have tried using the SCARM software and that too has a learning curve to negotiate.  The main thing here is to enjoy the hobby and continue to learn.  Lots of great people willing to help us.   Bob

I'm pretty new to CAD layout.  I went with Anyrail, easiest for me.

Thanks for the inputs everyone