Train99 Forum

Discussion Boards => General Discussion => Topic started by: pjdog350 on June 20, 2021, 04:42:23 AM

Title: Next O Gauge train project
Post by: pjdog350 on June 20, 2021, 04:42:23 AM

A few weeks ago I got a bunch of Lionel MPC flat cars from Terry. I want to make a Army train with mostly WWII Sherman tanks. I seen these available from MTH and Menards but I've not found any lately? I bought 5 Sherman 1/48 thanks from Horizon Hobby. Got two others from Japan. I already have one. So the project is now getting started. My even add a couple half tracks.

I'm going to try to use chain to hold the tanks to the cars? I think I'm the only one on the forum that does not have an army train. Jim has dozens!

Title: Re: Next O Gauge train project
Post by: pjdog350 on June 21, 2021, 04:55:00 AM

Going to start assembling the 1/48 early model Tamiya Sherman tank today.
I have 11 Lionel flat cars. Three are 2411. One of those is a camera car. That leaves 10 flat cars that need tanks.
I have one Sherman already built. I have six Tamiya kits. 4 kits are here. Two on the way from Japan. I need three
more Sherman's to make the 10 car army tank train.

Title: Re: Next O Gauge train project
Post by: Terry on June 21, 2021, 12:43:15 PM

When I was in grade school I built Bandai tanks. They were 1/43 scale. You might find them on ebay cheap.

Title: Re: Next O Gauge train project
Post by: pjdog350 on June 21, 2021, 01:55:44 PM

I was surfing Menards and saw 1/48 Jeep’s & half tracks. So I got a couple. That should fill out the flat cars.

The paint I’m using is a year old and it kept stopping. I using some super thin wire to clear the paint head but had allot of trouble. Finally I got a Sherman painted. The can seems OK now. I got more paint from Menards also.

Title: Re: Next O Gauge train project
Post by: pjdog350 on June 22, 2021, 05:30:27 PM

Started putting one of the Sherman’s together this morning. I hate being old. It’s more difficult than I thought. Plus I painted the model first. That makes the glue not as effective. Wish these where already assembled like the military stuff I ordered from Menard’s.

But I’ll get it done. I need a magnifying glass! Eyes aren’t what they use to be?

Title: Re: Next O Gauge train project
Post by: pjdog350 on June 23, 2021, 04:14:50 AM

Hey Terry - found some of those Bandai 1/48 tanks on Ebay. Also found them as Sherman models. I guess they are allot like Lionel prewar trains. The owner wanted $ 70.00 each for a plastic model that just sat there. I can’t afford those. I like them but they are for a rich man. I’m not.

Title: Re: Next O Gauge train project
Post by: Terry on June 23, 2021, 01:34:32 PM

I threw those out. Some were burned first.

Title: Re: Next O Gauge train project
Post by: pjdog350 on June 27, 2021, 03:25:38 PM

The progress on the Army train is going very slow. I took me a week to assemble a Tamiya 1/48 scale early Sherman tank. Got one done today. I have 6 more to do. I guess that means it week be another 7 weeks before I can make a video of the new army train running?

Title: Re: Next O Gauge train project
Post by: pjdog350 on July 09, 2021, 05:11:25 AM

I finished my Army train. Well - I guess I should say I have 7 Sherman tanks and 2 jeeps and one Menards half track all mounted to flat cars. Made a video of two Lionel postwar 2026 steamers double headed pulling the consist. You never have enough. I have 5 more die cast Sherman tanks in the mail. Plus 4 more Jeeps from Menards.

I'll go to Menard's web site today to get some more army stuff for flat cars. There prices are good. I found some great Sherman tanks on flat cars but the price broke my computer screen! $ 200.00.

Currently I have wire holding the loads to the flat cars. I'm looking for chain to do that job but as of now I can't seem to locate chain. If anyone knows where I could get chain please respond?

https://youtu.be/T5qDAp-R3sE

Title: Re: Next O Gauge train project
Post by: Terry on July 09, 2021, 12:03:37 PM

I think you get chain from Micheal's or Hobby Lobby.

Looks good.

Title: Re: Next O Gauge train project
Post by: pjdog350 on July 09, 2021, 03:26:11 PM

Thanks Terry. I need more of your flat cars. I liked the Marx light towers you sent!

Title: Re: Next O Gauge train project
Post by: early0electric on July 09, 2021, 03:38:09 PM

Maybe cheap jewelry chain? We did have tanks and armored vehicles go by work a couple of years ago. Turrets were pointed the other way. Don't know if that makes a difference for shipping.
 

Title: Re: Next O Gauge train project
Post by: Terry on July 09, 2021, 04:43:17 PM

The turrets always aim at the caboose so the loco is not damaged if the cannon is accidentally fired. The caboose is much cheaper than the loco.

Title: Re: Next O Gauge train project
Post by: early0electric on July 09, 2021, 05:08:16 PM

I didn't know they were prepped with live ammo! Seems a tad dangerous to me.

Title: Re: Next O Gauge train project
Post by: Terry on July 09, 2021, 07:28:53 PM

They ain't no good if they ain't loaded.

Title: Re: Next O Gauge train project
Post by: pjdog350 on July 11, 2021, 08:03:18 AM

Come on you guys! Newly manufactured tanks don’t get ammo at the factory. Besides these Sherman’s have to get to Europe or the Pacific before they are load with fuel and ammo. Besides these are MY tanks and I don’t ship them with ammo. The can point the barrels anywhere they want.

I’m going to add more Sherman’s and Jeep’s. Jeeps are already here waiting for flat cars. New M4A3A6 Sherman’s are in the mail and should be here any day. Five more Sherman’s. The Sherman being added are die cast? They looked good on the picture on EBay? Hope they are as good as the Tamiya’s I currently have. Right now the army train is getting a lot of run time. Did have a problem with a coil wound coupler coming uncoupled? Ran it for the movie an hour but the next day every time it got to the west side (garage door) it would uncouple. I always thought the coil wound where bullet proof? Never had trouble with them. Not sure how to fix it???? Not going to tell you guys what I did!!! Only thing different from the day I made the army train video is the video had 2026’s double headed. The next day I had the 2026’s triple headed. MTH Z4000 will not run double or triple headed postwar?

Title: Re: Next O Gauge train project
Post by: Terry on July 11, 2021, 11:37:49 AM

The weight pulls open the couplers. Try the car at the back of the train.

Title: Re: Next O Gauge train project
Post by: pjdog350 on July 11, 2021, 03:45:10 PM

That’s what Jim said. I’m a little nervous to do that as that car is a 2411 die cast and the half track is die cast. It’s a heavy car. Much heavier that the plastic flats I got from you. To have it back by the caboose I wonder if it would derail the Sherman cars. I’d rather not have it if it would cause the Sherman’s to get damaged. I have it working now.

Thanks for the information.

Title: Re: Next O Gauge train project
Post by: starfire700 on July 12, 2021, 04:42:15 AM

It really is best to have the heavy cars up-front. If on the rear, it can pull the lighter cars ahead of it over on curves and derail.

I have several problems with coil couplers. First, is having them opening when the shoe contacts a switch frog. It seems to be worse on 072 (T-rail) switches as the frog rail is longer and often humps slightly. If the frog rail is too high or a shoe is too low, ZAP, the coupler opens. Another problem is that vertical play in the coupler drawbar can cause one coupler to climb over another, especially with heavy loads.

I have some control over the problem with Prewar couplers. I try to make-up trains with alternate 2800 and 800-series cars, so if the auto coupler hood opens, the manual hood still holds.

The quantity of modifications I have seen over the years to pre and postwar coil couplers, wired-shut, glued-shut, tape on sliding shoes or parts just removed, makes me think this was a known issue way before us collectors inherited the problem.

I also like to run Marx and have a problem with metal auto tilt-type couplers on scale-series cars and on the cars we made as Marx Trains. The tab that hangs-down also contacts the frog-rail on switches, causes a temporary short that is enough to trip the reverse unit. Modern Marx motors have a neutral cycle between forward and reverse, but vintage Marx motors have 2-position reversers. This causes a speeding train to suddenly want to change directions, often not a pretty sight. If I bend the tab slightly this solves the problem, as I will never be switching trains on Marx uncouplers.