My New MTH Turbo Train

What a cool train.

That is so cool!  Have not seen the turbo train before, very neat!

Thanks for sharing.

Whats the MINIMUM RADIUS advertised in the Catalog??

72

Sounds great

Looks great. Can you see inside your mountain to see if something is causing the derailment?

Cool!

In the early days of Amtrak (should I say early "daze"?) they ran the United Aircraft Turbo Trains around quite a bit of the system.  I had the privilege of being invited to ride between Milwaukee and Chicago.  This was in late 1971 or so. 

 

The net result of the trial was that Amtrak bought a number of French, double ended Turbo Trains that held down regular service between the two cities and later even extended the service to St.Louis.  During those days you could, if you were glib enough, talk your way up into the cab on many trains.  I took some great photos from the cab of those trains crossing the bridge and coming into St. Louis.  From what I understand, the French built turbo trains were not rugged enough for our tracks and service conditions.  They ran them for a few years and then retired them when maintenance became too costly.

 

I don't don't recall just what happened to the United Aircraft turbos, that MTH's model represents.  Maybe they're in existence in storage somewhere.

 

Paul Fischer

These are pictures of my mountain. I have 2 access panels but the train is hitting the supports for the chicken wire & plaster which I cannot remove or I'll have major problemns

Spence
Can you add some kind of support
That will be out of the way and then
Cut out the ones that the train is hitting. Maybe some kind of extended support
Thanks, Alex

Could you provide a sketch--or better yet a photo--of the inside of your tunnel so we can perhaps come up with a few suggestions for a fix.

 

Seems to me that if you have the chicken wire and plaster already in place, the structure should be strong enough by itself, with perhaps some minor relocation of supports.

 

Glad to hear that the O72 curves are not the problem.

The Turbo Train is a way too cool train set.  I will have the CN version soon with an extra car and will provide a video as soon as I receive it.

I'll take a couple of pictures but the access areas are just about big enough to reach in & not much else.

Congrats!! I want one....maybe some day.....Thanks for showing.

Looks really great, thanks for the VID. Thanks to yours and other posts this train went from" That train looks okay" to " I MUST HAVE IT" Just ordered the Penn Central version with the extra car this morning from Jason's train shop. Should be shipped out by the end of the week.

 

 

 

 

 

I also received my Turbo train from Mercer Junction. Great service! It's a beautifully detailed model and there are several small and fragile parts on the undercarriage.  My biggest problem has been the elecrical plugs loosening up after a few trips around the layout. I've used a pair of needle nose pliers to really push them into the sockets and tonight I am going to give the consist another try. I really don't want this train to become a "shelf queen".

Well; my apologies. When I took the access panels off & watched the train go thru it was not nhitting the supports like I thought. This 72" curve is just ba little to tight & the engine & passenger car are hitting each nother on the curve & knocking them off the track. I checked all of my other curves more closely & the train barely makes it be. I would now say that it needs a little more than a 72" radius for proper running. I"m posting a couple of pictures with the panels removed,

Trainguy: what are the radii of your layout??

I guess this begs the question of what size curves are on the rest of your layout?

They are all 72" radius Ross track. Evidently I must have bent this some what when I was laying the track.

Hey Spence, I have one ordered and after seeing yours, I"m glad I did. But after hearing your problem, I"m holding my breath. It is truly a beautiful piece of equipment.  Keep us posted on the fix. Good luck.

They are all 72" radius Ross track.

That track does NOT look like 72" radius. It's probably 36" radius [072]. O gauge track is measured in Diameter and not radius.

Sorry in being "technical" but its for the greater good and to avoid confusion. That train REALLY looks Cool. I am surprised that one of the PDC cars has the single reverse red marker light [11sec in video] and the other appears to have all white lights[51 seconds in video].

Spence, I am just making sure I under the situation since I have one of these on order and will be using some O72 GarGrave sections.  Your Turbotrain has no problems negotiating any of the O72 track except within the mountain.

 

Ron

I don't don't recall just what happened to the United Aircraft turbos, that MTH's model represents.  Maybe they're in existence in storage somewhere.

 

Paul Fischer

If you Purchase Jason Shron's book on the turbos, they were eventually scrapped by 1982. Most of them by the train killers Naporano in Newark, NJ.

 

 

Ron; all my curves are 072. The train is tight on all the curves but does make it except for my one inside the mountain.

Now Ross's O72 is slightly tighter than GarGraves.  Spence have you run your fingers around that area checking for any debris and/or obstructions between the rails?

 

Ron

Ron, I will check that tomorrow; however in observing the train going around that curve I did see the two cars touching & causing the derailment.

I lament the loss to scrappers of revolutionary trains like Turbo and the M10000.  I hope someone has some Penn Central turbo photos to share.

Does anyone know if the extra cars have shipped yet or when they will ship??

Great looking train. Perhaps with the extra cars it will work better on your curves?

The extra cars are in.  We will ship them out tomorrow.

 

Spencer,

 

Sorry about the curves.  I always run/test the new trains on the outside loop in the shop and it has 89" curves.

 

Dave

Spence - I'm coming over with my chainsaw! We can get the great looking train through the mountain!

 

I'm sure you can figure out a way, that's what this hobby is all about! 

Jeff T: LOL; I needed that. It's been a disappointing day.

Well I just talked to Dave from Mercer Junction, & he told me to ship it back to

him & he will credit my account. Talk about great customer service. That's one of the many reasons I like dealing with him.I've bought several engines from him along with my DCS system & Z-4000. Who says that customer service is dead!!

Thank nyou Dave

When you watch the video on the MTH website, it looks like the cars touch. Not sure what size track MTH is utilizing.

I like the start up and shut down high pitch whine of the turbine...there should be flames shooting out the sides

Don't the various manufacturers measure curve diameter (radius) to different locations on the track? So O72 is not necessarily O72.

 

Spence, here are two things to try. 

 

(1) First loosen as much of the tunnel curve as you can.  At the point where the cars touch push the track in toward the center of the curve to where the cars no longer touch.

 

(2)  Superelevate the curve through the tunnel by sliding a shim under the outside rail,  Superelevation has the secondary effect of increasing the curve radius.  An 1/8" might be enough.

 

Fasten down the track and try it again.

 

Jan

Nice video.

 

Mine arrived today, also from Dave at Mercer Junction [huge shout-out.] Will run it down at the club Wednesday. MTH did a nice job. The articulation between the cars even tilts slightly. Can't wait 'til the extra cars ship, but the train is pretty long on its own.

Oh boy...now I am wondering how it is going to run on Atlas 072.....I bought the set and two extra cars....

 

Alan

Very cool set with a great sound file! Can't wait to see more videos of this one!