The Carolina Sandhills Lines in HO Scale

[DKS]

I LOL'd.

Me too. +1

[Point353]

Yeah but it was a Bachmann Crap Master from the dark ages.  Handrails like sausages, paint a scale foot thick and a drive from a pencil sharpener.

The real gem of the Bachmann product line was this one:

[k27463]

The real gem of the Bachmann product line was this one:

Dude.  Check out those separately applied front handrails!

So far ahead of its time we still don't understand it.

[wm3798]

The HO version, though considerably inaccurate, looks and runs reasonably well.  My son has one mothballed away somewhere, along with a Spectrum GP30 in B&O paint.

I might have to hi-jack them if I find myself in northern DelaWhere?

Lee

[jpec]

I think I must have acquired three or four of these from well-intentioned friends and family members over the years.

Don't tell anyone, but I don't have any of them any more...

Was at a show where it didn't take the young minds long to figure out they'd get more bang for the buck if they held them under the turbo hand dryer in the men's room. The remaining ones were put away never to be seen again...

[davefoxx]

The last BullFrog turnout control is fully installed, including the control rod and knob through the fascia.  Of course, the recent double tracking moved some turnouts, so the original plan that avoided framework was modified.  This last turnout ended up directly over an L-girder.  Thankfully, the manufacturer offers the Sidewinder horizontal BullFrog mounting system, so that I could control this turnout.  This allows the BullFrog to be installed sideways, so that its height is reduced to 1-1/8".  I only had about 1-1/2" of space above the L-girder.  The hole in the L-girder gave me access to install parts of the BullFrog.  Success!



The next projects are to drop more feeders and to finish wiring the frogs through Hex Frog Juicers.  I have three Juicers left over from the Seaboard Central 2.0.

DFF

[davefoxx]

I was bad today.  Instead of thinking of others during the holiday season, I spent money on myself.    I found an HO scale Rapido F40PH decorated for Amtrak with DCC and sound.  I've been wanting to replace my N scale Amtrak train and have been keeping an eye out for this locomotive.  Most places are sold out, but I lucked upon one at Nicholas Smith Trains.

While this is definitely the most expensive locomotive that I have ever purchased in any scale, it is also the nicest.  In addition to the sound, the options that this F40PH has are just incredible, including separate working class lights and strobe lights.  Rapido has really set this up to be as prototypical as possible, meaning I didn't have to mess around with very many CVs to get it running the way I like.  The model is really well detailed and runs very smoothly.  I have several of Walthers' Amfleet cars, that, as seem to be usual for any manufacturer, do not roll very well, but this F40PH can handle it, even on my sharp curves.  This afternoon, I've really been enjoying JFRT.  Rapido did a great job with this model.  To top it off, the instruction book shows Rapido's usual sense of humor!



Extremely lucky in my find at a LHS (Nicholas Smith Trains is only a forty-five minute drive), I also found one of these: a Front Runner made by Walthers.  I'm not sure that the trailer is appropriate for 1983-86, but I really made this purchase solely for the Front Runner.  If I have to substitute another trailer, that will be no big loss, as Atlas offers an appropriate 45' Seaboard System trailers.



DFF

[Point353]

I have several of Walthers' Amfleet cars, that, as seem to be usual for any manufacturer, do not roll very well, but this F40PH can handle it, even on my sharp curves.

Walthers used to recommend oiling the axles. Have you tried doing that?

This post suggests adding plain/sleeve bearings made from brass tubing:
https://geekhobbyist.wordpress.com/2011/12/26/walthers-amfleet-truck-modification/

[davefoxx]

Walthers used to recommend oiling the axles. Have you tried doing that?

This post suggests adding plain/sleeve bearings made from brass tubing:
https://geekhobbyist.wordpress.com/2011/12/26/walthers-amfleet-truck-modification/

@Point353,

I did oil the bearings, and only one still squeaks.     Actually, the two new coaches do seem to roll a little better than the lounge car that I bought a few months ago.  The coaches are advertised as "Deluxe Edition," although I don't think there's any difference in the trucks.  I think that difference is the preinstalled lighting and passengers seated in the coaches!  My F40PH can easily pull three Amfleet cars and one Heritage Fleet car, so I doubt I'll go to the trouble of the brass sleeve bearings.  But it is a good idea, though, and I'll always have that link you posted above, if I change my mind.

Thanks,
DFF

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Have you played with the extended sounds on that F40PH? @rapidotrains cracks me up.

[svedblen]

@davefoxx you cannot seriosly mean that you are out (as you said in a post in a now locked thread)? Your good natured posts have been one of the reasons why I hang out here. Please...

[dexterdog62]

No updates? 

[Philip H]

Like a number of folks around here Dave is on a social media break. He and I have been in touch and he’s making steady progress. He’s just keeping it to himself for a bit - and we all need to respect that.

[Jbub]

Like a number of folks around here Dave is on a social media break. He and I have been in touch and he’s making steady progress. He’s just keeping it to himself for a bit - and we all need to respect that.

Agreed

[milw12]

Thanks for the update Phil, I was trying to figure out how ask but didn't want to pry. Not only do I miss Dave's frequent and high quality modeling updates, but more so his positive influence on the forums. Hopefully he'll be back when the time is right for him.

-Lucas