What z hell am I thinking?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

That AZL SW1500 has proven to be the trouble I anticipated.

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I'm keeping it simple. Just an oval to run the pup and some hoppers around on.

[southernman]

How big Zat layout?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

How big Zat layout?

30" x 20"

Generally fits on top of the Kallax in my office.

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[keeper]

Ahh, here you go.

Is zat MTL track or Rokuhan?

[packers#1]

Zer is plenty of room for a German heritage coal mine az well

[keeper]

Like zat one?

http://www.wymann.info/1to220/AccidentalModelling-CoalMine.html

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Ahh, here you go.

Is zat MTL track or Rokuhan?

MTL. It's what Yankee Dabbler had when I went.

Zer is plenty of room for a German heritage coal mine az well

Lol, there is. And I do indeed plan on including a mine. Well, a big open lot where there USED to be a mine. Now just a big culm pile.

[Sokramiketes]

Welcome to Z scale and all the pain that awaits.   

It's enticing, and there are things that can be done well.  I spent an enjoyable ~10 years collecting and modifying rolling stock for a modern BNSF layout, but the infrastructure hasn't caught up yet.  Here's hoping for Code 40 flex and some decent turnouts. 

Unless anyone wants to buy a bunch of Z scale equipment and take me out of my misery...

 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Welcome to Z scale and all the pain that awaits.   

It's enticing, and there are things that can be done well.  I spent an enjoyable ~10 years collecting and modifying rolling stock for a modern BNSF layout, but the infrastructure hasn't caught up yet.  Here's hoping for Code 40 flex and some decent turnouts. 

Unless anyone wants to buy a bunch of Z scale equipment and take me out of my misery...

 

No no no

I've made ALL the Z scale equipment purchases I plan on, after finding these:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203657492339?hash=item2f6aeeb773:g:C7IAAOSwrKBhbo9y

Ok. Maybe one of the MTL cabooses too, if I ever come across one.

But that's it.

I swear.

[keeper]

And have you seen this one?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203646919450?hash=item2f6a4d631a:g:IMYAAOSwKvBhZCQD

 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

And have you seen this one?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203646919450?hash=item2f6a4d631a:g:IMYAAOSwKvBhZCQD

 

Yep. But I'm safe. I'm already stuck in my own private hell of getting the N scale versions of those right.

[dem34]

.... So. There are in fact H39 facsimiles in Z already. Whatever, pretending I didn't see that.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

.... So. There are in fact H39 facsimiles in Z already. Whatever, pretending I didn't see that.

Please carry on with what you're doing.

They DO exist.

But apparently they're rare as hens teeth.

[garethashenden]

Now this violates one of my personal rules. Its fine to dabble with other scales and gauges, but they must be distinct from the primary model. So it would be fine to get some Z, but anything other than Conrail/Northeast '70s/'80s. Otherwise the efforts get muddled. Best to keep them distinct.

[Rivet Miscounter]

And have you seen this one?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203646919450?hash=item2f6a4d631a:g:IMYAAOSwKvBhZCQD

AZL will have some "proto-specific" SD40-2's coming out by the end of the year (ish).  And Conrail is on the list for the first round of releases.  Exactly *how* proto-specific remains to be seen, but it does seem they've been tackling a lot of different detail variations of late.  So "on paper" at least they sound promising.  (cue the "gawd you're an idiot they're all wrong" posts again, but I'm trying to craft the wording as flame-proof as possible.)

I'm personally ok with the Atlas Z track as far as infrastructure goes (hoping they'll add a few pieces here and there of course) assuming that performance and durability long-term will hold up.  I've taken a much more "function over form" attitude with Z, and it has made things much more enjoyable...while I think it would be nice if Atlas had done their track in Code 40, I've moved on.

I really need just a few more items to really round out my wish list:
-Dash 9's
-Trinity 5161's
-Maxi-IV's
-Decoder for the SW1500 (on the way)

Combined with a couple of Shapeways items (RD-4 Hoppers, Coalveyors, DODX Flats) and a few rumored AZL items (AutoMAX cars and 53ft Jindo containers) I would be a pretty happy camper.