new double mainline

Now....do you have a tunnel through your basement to your outside G scale..or maybe a pet door Any way enjoyed the CSX motive

Btw..in central Fla for the winter,lots of CSX action in the Wildwood yard.

Thanks Willy. I pulled the diesels off of the new outside main to test the Allegheny. I think I'll make up 2 big consists with all diesels and video them.

 Funny you would say that about the outside. My original plans had the G scale climb up towards the ceiling down there and were to go out the window with a removable bridge. My girl didn't like the idea. When the raccoons moved in next door, she drew the line and said no way! So I re-built my shed into a garage to take everything outside. I have two mini doors on the back to let the trains out. There also were plans for the same doors on the front of the building and she didn't like that either. She was afraid I'd adopt the raccoons if they moved into the building. Heck, I'd have them ride on the trains!

Cool Joe. I like it!

You're having WAY too much fun, Joe. Nice video. Now all you need to do is run a branch outside for the O scale mains and you'll be set.

Here U go Willy, I can't run them yet as the flu's kicking my...

Matt, somehow I miss-counted when I was buying track. I have two more boxes to use!

Joe! SWEET!

Great job Joe.  This video typifies a few key characteristics of O scale:

- Trains run smooth, look more like the prototype due to the added mass of O Scale.

- Long trains are not nail-biters to run, they run reliably and stay on the track.

- There is some great modern era equipment available (although you seem to own most of it.  - Great collection).  Keep those modern era vids coming.  I need to get some of those auto racks and convert them; they look sweet all running together.

Scott Kay

Austin, TX

thanks all! Many more of my cars are stuck in the yard. Many have a coupler snapped off one end or just keep releasing. More are in boxes and as I opened them up, yep, snapped off couplers.

 I started buying extra KDs. I just can't do everything at once. I'm trying to build my own RR. I have a fleet of cars to convert. The grandkids keep breaking their's and asking if it's fixed yet? Urrggg. I moved the G below and had to have it running within days so they could play with it. I just wanna play too....

So I start the video and start the trains with quick step speed and wham, they take off from zero to 50! I got lucky the couplers held this time. Stupid thing didn't take the accel rate change I entered last time.

Joe, that's a nice long fairly straight run.  I wish I had that much space for a run like that.  But, nice video.  Love to see those long trains runnin.

Rick

Joe,

Great looking CSX locomotives. Are all of your CSX & Conrail locomotives from MTH? Did you convert the CSX AC6000CW & Conrail SD80MAC to 2-rail & how easy were the conversions? I also noticed some of the Lionel tank cars at the end of 1 of your trains. Were these the cars with Sound that Lionel released a few years ago & did you lose the sound when you converted them to 2-rail?

Thanks,

Naveen Rajan

Hello Naveen!

I converted the Lionel tank cars with sound to two rail myself. They retain sound. I can't trigger some of the Legacy effects as I don't have their controller. I like that they add another dimension to the train. The grandkids even noticed when I add them on.

Every engine in the video is MTH. I converted the 2 Ac6000s pwd and dummy awhile ago (3 yrs?) and the CR SD80MAC is my newest diesel conversion. I did not finish the Mac, as even the coupler box surround is not even painted! I did not extend the handrails either. I'm happy to get the engine I'm after sometimes, even if it's not perfect. The older MTH diesels have to have the pilots mounted to the metal frame. The newer ones have mounts on the shells to accept the pilots. Making a simple shim works, I like to cast the whole pilot when I can to get the steps correctly spaced.

Swapping the wheels out, and removing the three rail couplers is a snap. You can't mount KDs until the pilots have been fabricated or re-mounted.

Engineer-Joe posted:

Here U go Willy, I can't run them yet as the flu's kicking my...

Matt, somehow I miss-counted when I was buying track. I have two more boxes to use!

I take it you like csx.You should come to monroe n.c. my home town.The seaboard air line rr the train is still used by the railroad.Where I live I can hear the trains blowing for rr crossing.I have 1 csx sd70ace railking.I might get another one.I may even get a uhh eg dash9.

If I'm correct, there's a re-purposed small station right on the mainline where I watched trains go by in Monroe, NC??? It was in a small town outside of Charlotte we visited and it was a combined town hall or similar ? It has a viewing platform on one end.

Joe, Fantastic videos and photos! Looks like a great time for you and the grandkids.