Welcome to new club member to NPS

Francine, You are so right, we need to make everyone who comes to "S" feel welcome, it makes no matter if they are Scale, HI-Rail, or toy train, they come to enjoy the hobby and have some fun. Sarcasm should have no place here.

Ray

I haven't been on here in a few days, and just saw this!  Thank you so much, Francine!   It was a lot of fun to try the converted K5 (and I will get a couple of my extra Flyer steam and convert those to run on the Club layout!)

Yeah, I really love the conventional, old Flyer.  Just the look, feel, sound, of them is something I love!  Can't wait to bring some more Flyer to the next meet I'm going to and run them!

I did love seeing the kids follow my 1948 Royal Blue Freight set around the layout as it ran!  

Servicing a couple more of my engines now so I'll have more at the ready for shows!  One of my thoughts is to take one of the 1960's "Casey Jones" engines I have and upgrade it to DCC, so it will have sound and a ton of features!  

Thank you again!  I'm proud to be a member of the group!

Ed, we missed you at the shows this weekend, but don't feel bad, we didn't have a big attendance on Sunday.  I also lost the sound on my C & O Berkshire, my favorite engine.  And yes, more variety in engines is always appreciated. 

The fun is our club is the other members and their equipment, and talking to the people who are interested.  People love S, when it's done correct.

Ed,

Welcome to the wacky world of S.  Glad you ran into Francine's crew!  I'm interested in all flavors of S, from classic Flyer to scale, but love the feel and look of the old toys.  I like to resurrect old items and get them back on the track again.  Also scratch build things, either as Gilbert "what ifs" or numbering rivets with the best of them.  Weird, right?  And Francine, DCC in a K5?  Whoa, too hi-tech for me!  (kidding).  BTW, here's my resurrected K5 (was a junk box item for $15).  Straight DC can motor, LED headlight and prototypical paint.  It actually fooled one of the scale-only guys in our club... at least for a while.

And watching kids chasing a train around the layout is one of the greatest things about setting up at a show. 

poniaj posted:

Ed,

Welcome to the wacky world of S.  Glad you ran into Francine's crew!  I'm interested in all flavors of S, from classic Flyer to scale, but love the feel and look of the old toys.  I like to resurrect old items and get them back on the track again.  Also scratch build things, either as Gilbert "what ifs" or numbering rivets with the best of them.  Weird, right?  And Francine, DCC in a K5?  Whoa, too hi-tech for me!  (kidding).  BTW, here's my resurrected K5 (was a junk box item for $15).  Straight DC can motor, LED headlight and prototypical paint.  It actually fooled one of the scale-only guys in our club... at least for a while.

And watching kids chasing a train around the layout is one of the greatest things about setting up at a show. 

Francine - I'm sorry you lost the sound in the Berk!  I hope it isn't something major and is just an inexpensive fix or replacement!

Jerry - Your K5 is gorgeous!  Getting a junk box loco and resurrecting it is an incredible feeling!  I've done it with tons of HO engines!  Francine's is neat in that the outside still looks like a stock Flyer K5, but the sound, lighting, control and all is now DCC!  It was quite an adjustment to run something that looked stock Flyer through the DCC!

I got the FlyerChief Polar Express set, which puts my Flyer operations into this century, at least!  And I will say that I think it's the best train set I've ever gotten, from the aspects of solid build quality, performance and overall feel of being like something Gilbert would have done in their peak years!  That was the one set my dad and I always looked at and said we needed to get, but we never got it while he was alive.  So some of the duplicate trains I had from inheriting his collection (HO brass and some other engines) I sold off to get that set.  I am so glad I did!

Here is the Royal Blue set in action on the Club layout.  She ran like a Swiss watch!

Jerry,

The more I hear you and see your work, the more I regret not meeting you in person at York!  My K5 is going to be updated to prototypical in the next year.  New paint, correct markings, file off cast in pipes and add new piping.  Norm, our in house Pennsy expert, has given me ideas and corrections.

Ed,

Going back to Hennings Saturday and probably being sent back to Lionel for warranty repair.  Truthfully, I think its just something loose inside, but I can't take the chance of voiding the warranty.

Also DCC has the advantage of running multiple trains (as well as flyerchief) on the same track, which gives every member more running time.  AC is strictly one at a time, unless you go back and forth on the siding.

You will love the Polar Express, as it is a great set.  The engine is a less expensive version of the standard flyerchief berk, the difference being the Polar has a backup light and the standard berk has uncoupling.

Francine,

Thanks for the kind words on the K5.  It was a fast project, and all I did was a strip, file off mold parting lines, polish up all the railings and rods, then paint and decal it like PRR did.  Otherwise, it's like Gilbert made it.  I could have gone nutso on the thing, but sometimes you gotta say "enough's enough".  I was going to make the Fall S Fest until I realized that my wife and I are sitting our 6 year and 7 month old grandsons on the Friday and working at driving one of the historic vehicles at The Henry Ford's Greenfield Village on Saturday.  I'm planing on attending the Spring S Spree in Ohio May 16-18.  So if your club is going there, I believe mine is too, and we'll meet there.  I'll buy the first round.

Eddie,

The Royal Blue looks great!  BTW, Gilbert based it on an actual locomotive on the B&O.   As most Gilbert items are, it captures the look of the prototype well, and is VERY close to being truly scale sized.  My best friend got one when he was a baby (his dad said it was his anyway) and still has it.  S may not have the most members in the respective clubs, but that's its draw.  Because we're not that numerous, we get to know each other quite well.  Hope you keep with us.

But DCC ???  Sparky stuff....

Jerry,

Oh, I'll be staying with the S Gauge!  Have been running it all my life, as handed down from my dad!

And I know quite a bit about The Royal Blue engine: my Grandfather was one of the ones who painted the engine!  He worked for the B&O in the paint shops.  It's one of the major reasons why I had to have one (as well as it being so good looking in the Flyer version!)  At some point I'll look for the other variations of the engine, but this 350 is just fine for me!

Eddie,

Then you'll have to go to York or some local train shows to pick up some usable New Haven cars and repaint them to match!   A Royal Blue passenger set was sold pre-war with stamped metal cars.  But no plastic passenger cars were painted to match the loco post war.  See?  I always like to think of projects for other guys!  Hey, I have enough of my own.  I found a bunch of shells to make scale length cars last Spring at York, so they're out there.  They're going to be painted New Haven colors.... eventually.

Hi Jerry,

You are so right.  I love to see beautiful engines, upgrades and layouts.  Because I am Hi-rail, I don't envy Scale nor look down on old unmodified Flyer, it's all good.  When I retire, I have a list of projects to do and complete:  the update of the K5 as above, completing my 2 Reading T1 tenders and converting my 290 Reading into a G1 or G3 Pacific.

I love the work you did making scale passenger cars out of old flyer.  I have that article from the net to kit-bash the cars to Reading.  I guess if I find cars cheap enough, I will do some.  If not,  American Models makes undecorated 4 wheel truck passenger cars.  My problems with them are, they have the wrong roofs and the couplers drag and decouple.  I devised a method of preventing the droup, take a piece of brass rod, bend it like a C, then drill holes near the edge and glue one on each end.  The beauty of this is, it shouldn't restrict coupler travel.

I haven't found that drive axle for the 322 AC, I thought for sure someone in the club would have one, but Allentown's coming up and NPS is there displaying.  As a matter of fact, I already have committed to spending over $100 for the upgrade to the 322 (electronics).  Nothing happens quick when you don't have alot of money.

Francine,

what is the likleyhood of finding a junk Atlantic chassis at Allentown. The axle will be the same and I would have thought the cost would be minimal. Any Atlantic will do except the late ones with a split chassis like a 21160. You need the stepped journal one.

Ok I missed something but what is NPS??   

Milan posted:

Ok I missed something but what is NPS??   

 North Penn S Gaugers

Thank you Francine. Say I have a 21115 K5 that has the same problem. That is the right rear drive wheel come off the axle. I had tried some glues or cements but did not work for long. When I have some time I am going to replace the wheel or wheel hub with a better wheel.  I have other wheels that may work better that have a better or smaller hole to fit the axle. I have owned my 21115 K 5 since 1959   Wow that's 59 years ago and I was 13 years old. I want the engine running again.

Hi Ukaflyer,

I plan to pick up an Atlantic body (if I can't find the axle).  My luck, everyone will be charging a fortune or there won't be any.  I  will be selling off old hopper bodies, and flat cars, as I want either American Models, S Helper, MTH or K-line easy rolling cars.

My soundless Berk was pulling 13 cars and slipping with traction tires.  I like 20 plus car trains, so have to get better rolling cars.

Like Jerry says if you want an S gauge Royal Blue passenger set you'll have to create your own. Using prewar metal cars makes for easier stripping of the paint as you don't have to worry about harming the plastic found in postwar cars. Add S gauge trucks, lighting and decals and you're all set.

Here's some pics of my fictitiously named "Royal Blue" cars...

The real Royal Blue ran 8 car sets so I made the same. The numbers are accurate even if the names are fake. The "Pullman" designation is whimsy on my part also.

The funny thing is the rattle can blue paint I used was from Walmart and the color name was "Royal Blue"! How's that for accuracy?

Mark

Mark,

Amazing job on the passenger cars!  I do plan on making the passenger set at some point, and yours and Jerry's photos are giving me the inspiration I need!  Thank you!

What I like is that I can do that project with some beat up passenger cars and not worry about changing over a nicer condition set!  I'll be repurposing something that was a step or two away from the trash and making it run again!

Francine posted:

Hi Ukaflyer,

I plan to pick up an Atlantic body (if I can't find the axle).  My luck, everyone will be charging a fortune or there won't be any.  I  will be selling off old hopper bodies, and flat cars, as I want either American Models, S Helper, MTH or K-line easy rolling cars.

My soundless Berk was pulling 13 cars and slipping with traction tires.  I like 20 plus car trains, so have to get better rolling cars.

Hi Francine,

Des Plaines Hobbies have a sale on S helper/MTH rolling stock, 50% off, might be of interest to you.

http://www.desplaineshobbies.c...ight-Cars/page2.html

As usual, Hennings came through with the parts.  I picked up two for insurance.

Francine,

Search MTH on the bay Mike's has these cars at $35.00 each with free shipping!!

Wonder if MTH is leaving S?

Gunny