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Sup all... Well my first post here so lets see how it goes. I am 47 and while growing up, my family had a lot of friends and we did not know one person with trains. NO ONE!!!! but I have always liked them. Back in 2009ish I picked up an HO Snapon train set to run around the xmas tree. Not knowing anything, I set it up and tried but the track kept falling apart. I didnt realize you solder the joiners together so I boxed it back up. Few years later, I see a guy on craigslist selling a ton of stuff and all i wanted was his transformer. Dual train so I messaged him. He wanted $1200 for everything but I wasnt going to pay that. He lived in my old neighborhood so he told me to come over. I did and he was moving out. Told me give him $600 and its all mine. So I did and ebayed most of it off and got my $ back and got to keep a slew of trains, altas 305 turntable and stuff. It all sat in a box...

Recently, like August 2019, my father was at goodwill and found a New In Box Lionel Christmas Trolley and bought it. Gave it to me as he knew we collected Dept56 houses. I set it up around the xmas tree in our front living room for Xmas 2019. Our best friends were over and she said... hey do you want my fathers trains. I was like.. oh I didnt realize he had trains. Her husband was like.. yeah, its all taking up room in my garage stacked in boxes. I said Id take it. Time went on and I kept procrastinating and finally I went and picked it up. All Postwar... 5 Locomotives, 1 switcher, tons of track, buildings, coal ramp, log loader, barrel loader, cow platform and car, milk car, etc...

so I started working on them. All boxed up since 1985. Learned how to tear the Locomotives apart, clean and oil them. Still not the best but still working on them and they are running. Had to order little odds and ends but most are fixed. One of my Locos, I need to get a wheel puller as the pressed in studs the screws go into are snapped..so that will be a while...

First time I took a Locomotive around the track and smoke puffed out, I freaked out. I am in IT and smoke = bad !!!! HAH.. must of been some residue left...

This got me to get my old HO trains out and buy some atlas fast track. I setup a small platform and ran a few trains, bought a bachmann dcc train (cheap one for $40 shipped). I bought the cheap train because I want to convert my others to dcc so I need a good train to start with. I setup the arduino dcc++ to run the train and it works!!!! I converted one of my trains but what a  nightmare i had. I had to reverse the wires from what they said to get it to work but it works. Train lugs on DC but on DCC runs fine...

I have only been on one other forum, but its slowing down there due to the new layout and people not happy and someone said this is a great place for O gauge.

So thought Id jump over here, say hi, and read up threads. I saw the cutting o22 track so Ill be posting in there on a question soon!!!!

 

I am not great at this, am learning and also my layout is temporary. I am redoing our master bathroom, and once done.. I want to sell our house. My next house I want more land and also a very big basement. If not a big basement, I want a big 2 story shed out back but I will make room for the trains!

my HO is all packed away but the O is a 10x6.6 layout and still toying, learning, cleaning and fixing things. adding o22 tracks, switches, and getting used to switching!

my goal eventually is 2 layers. Bottom layer a switching yard housing all of my trains with rolling stock attached. Will drive over to a train elevator that will be between 6 and 8 feet. Already figured out how I am going to build that... then the top will be where I will run the trains and setup all the buildings. But like said sell house and buy one in minimum a year. So I give it a 5y plan to be up and running!!!!

I have added some things that were missing from my friends collection like she had the coal ramp and car but no coal loader. I also bought a coaling station and i want a coal elevator. I have 6 sunoco cars, so I picked up a Oil Derrick and also 3 pre war tankers that im going to mount on styrene and paint to make a oil tank farm. So much to do!!!!

Picked up Little Joe and 5x K-Line passenger cars... last car has a bulb out so they are all out. Just gotta get a bulb.

Few youtube videos
https://www.youtube.com/channe...Ei0XuEObqTynR1UiSFEg

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jdunn posted:

Dear Riggzie,

Welcome to the OGR. I live in Egg Harbor Township NJ and belong to the Patcong Valley(HO) in Richland NJ and the Cherry Valley (O scale 2 rail) in Merchantville NJ.

John 

Mornin John. Im around the corner.. by "Geets Diner" off BHP!!!

Thx Ill check them out. I would like to find a local 3 rail O scale club...

Dear Riggzie,

About 50% of our Cherry Valley club members are 3 rail scale or tinplate operators even though the layout is 2 rail scale. They all belong for the friendship and sharing of layout building and scenery thoughts and ideas.

We have a member from West Deptford who has a beautiful 3 rail scale layout.

Unfortunately I do not know of any 3 rail clubs in the West Jersey / Philly area.

Call me when you have a chance. John 609-432-2871  jdunn8888@comcast.net

 

Riggzie,

Welcome to the group and thanks for sharing. The layout you designed looks like it will be fun to run.

I've learned that we are all "local" on this group and ready to help. Search or ask away.

When things get back to normal and the fall train season comes back, ya gotta' find train shows (swap meets). There are several in NJ. A real nice one in Allentown, PA too. It is well worth the 300 mile round trip for me every year (from Long Island, NY)

Scrambler81 posted:

I am also in South Jersey, in Hammonton, but I often work in a shop right down Williamstown Road from Geets. 
 Similar story: I never knew anyone into trains, still don’t, but got an HO set 20+ years ago, and slowly converted over to O.

i was givin a chitload of O... ive got about 12 HO trains and a ton of ho cars...

I dont care about name brand. ive got tyco, lifelike, etc. my cars are hersheys chocolate, chiquita banana, planters and named stuff like that. hah

 

oh my 13y old plays travel soccer for Hammonton so b4 this lockdown were there 2 nights a week for practice at the high school.

Last edited by Riggzie

whats up all...

Im still here. just busy. had trains out but wanted to move so put it all away. house prices are ridiculous now so ill be here longer. I want to get the stuff back out but dont want to tear it down if i we find a house.

@jdunn - ill hit you up eventually...didnt realize you gave me your number. txt good?

Funny that i made an awesome score and then wanted passenger cars and ended up buying them off ebay. after googling.. I bought 4 passenger cars from @POTRZBE... i believe. he just shipped them.

I am told the bachmann williams 400 diesel is a freight diesel but its my layout so ill run what i want lol.

I just hope the colors are spot on.

Went to go buy a zw transformer, 3 nj passenger cars, 3 RailKing cars and when i got there I saw more bags than I expected.

On top was 4long track pieces so i grabbed it all and got home.

I got more than the pics said...



$150!!!!!!

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@Riggzie posted:

whats up all...

Im still here. just busy. had trains out but wanted to move so put it all away. house prices are ridiculous now so ill be here longer. I want to get the stuff back out but dont want to tear it down if i we find a house.

@jdunn - ill hit you up eventually...didnt realize you gave me your number. txt good?

Funny that i made an awesome score and then wanted passenger cars and ended up buying them off ebay. after googling.. I bought 4 passenger cars from @POTRZBE... i believe. he just shipped them.

I am told the bachmann williams 400 diesel is a freight diesel but its my layout so ill run what i want lol.

I just hope the colors are spot on.

Went to go buy a zw transformer, 3 nj passenger cars, 3 RailKing cars and when i got there I saw more bags than I expected.

On top was 4long track pieces so i grabbed it all and got home.

I got more than the pics said...



$150!!!!!!

"Winner Winner Chicken Dinner", Great grab! FUN

@Scrambler81 posted:

I am also in Hammonton. There were quite a few times that I stopped there and the door was locked, so I pretty much forgot he was there. I went in last month, the first time in years, and grabbed some rolling stock. I need to stop in there more often.

there is a guy over by the Lake House.. buys estates and sells. bought my little joe and passenger cars from him and other things. tons rolling stock and locos..



Ill try and drive by there tmorrow and see if he is open. out of his garage. i used to txt him but lost his numbers

@Riggzie posted:

before xmas, I scored this for $50

Wow! Looks a good deal. I am in central NJ. Welcome to the forum.

I think you have to be Digital Subscriber or forum supporter to have PMs work here.

I second the above comments to check out the Cherry Valley or NJ Hi-Railers Layouts. Both are great layouts. I have always wanted to see the Patcong HO layout but never made it there. Some day.

Last edited by Hudson J1e

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