Recent content by arealgijoe

There always seem to be photos of the (IMO Overpriced) AeroTrain model on fleaBAY.

Like I noted, its been a while. Seemed to me the drive from Bakersfield to the Tehachapi Loop was not long. I did not have GPS back then. I stopped at a gas station in little Tehachapi, topped off the car and got directions to the loop from there. I viewed the long train in action from the...

I have used that trick for many years. My well laid palns were to convert just a few locos to DCC and run mostly DC. I got addicted to DCC and have converted over a hundred locos to DCC. I use Digitrax decoders, mostly DN135/6 and SDN136 for sound locos/cars. I have a few DC locos, but almost...

PS: I was really glad I was NOT driving a stick in San Francisco. Those hills were something else. I remember seeing then in movies & TV, but never thought they were exaggerated some in the movies and shows, NO WAY, they are just as bad in real life!

"Retirement is for when the weekends just aren't long enough anymore." How true! Never thought of it that way, before. I was out Cal way about 2000. My youngest wanted to move there, us included. We hit Vegas on the way there and again on the return. Hit some of the high spots, Sandiego, (took...

YES, my AeroTrain arrived. It runs fairly well, with a few issues.The loco is heavy, OK, but the cars are light.There is a wire/plug system connecting ALL the cars and loco. ...1. I think there are like SIX wires in all of them. ...2.. The wires are on the thick/stiff side for their use...

Anyone here have any experience with the Con Cor Aerotrain? I have one on order. I am planning to convert it to DCC. How well do they run and any other insights here? Thanks

I think Z is the smallest practical Modeling scale, with N being a good bit better, .......just my tupence............ That said, not trying to completely deRAIL the dialog here, I once considered TT (1/120) a reasonable/practable size. I went with N, because there was just no viable...

First off, Long, loooooooong ago, many decades actually, I used atlas feeder wires. Long leads attached to rail joiners, quick, convenient and they work well. If you need to modify a track part/section, do the mod to the CHEAPEST part, not the turnout itself. Now that I am 95%+ DCC I do not...

I like the Kato NW2 best myself

micro-trains, IMO is by far the BEST. Bachmann have been so so at best. I also go with MT trucks, instead of converting. For passenger cars, I don't switch, I use accumate/red caboose (now fox valley) dummy knuckles with great results. I even converted almost all my locos to DCC, even my...

I found a good variety of the shorter passenger cars, good detail even, at train shows. Not too many train shows this time of year, they pick up in a few months. There is the Wheaton shows, in the Chicago area. it's a great/big show that runs every month (I think) even during the summer...

Oh its just that such novel things beg the route 66 theme. I remember seeing teepee structure/motel far from route 66 when I traveled between Tenn & Ky way back in the 60s. I just may make a route-66 like diorama somewhere on my layout. I sorely need to work more on scenery on my layout for a...

Here is a photo;

I went to the Nscale train show in Columbus OH (Hilliard) yesterday. Found NOTHING I had on my want list, overall prices were high & higher. Quality was poor to great, but often way overpriced IMO. On the brighter side, I found some very interesting structures. They fit very well with the...