For a long time I owned an Echo ‘Classic Rail’ set and while the caboose used to get used a lot as a table ornament I would occasionally set it all up on the floor and play trains. I liked the fact that the loco steamed along nice and slowly and steadily even if the sound system did get to be a bit tedious after a while. If nothing else the Echo set sparked an interest in ‘G’ scale for me and I’m actually in process with quitting my ‘0’ Gauge toy train collection because I now feel ‘0’ is too small.
I have done the sensible thing and purchased a Bachman 10 wheeler, but I have also been scouring e.bay for New Bright locos and tenders. I can see that the fault with both New Bright and Echo locos is that they have to tow around 6 ‘C’ cells in their tenders when they’d be better off with the battery weight centered over their driving wheels instead. I’m hoping that with some careful modification work I can convert these New Bright locos into reasonable 1:20.3 scale light axleweight locos for my proposed logging tramway. The problem I have is that I don’t have much money to spend on my hobby, BUT I am very good at making things from scratch. Scratch is cheap, the only other thing that’s needed is time. (and by ‘scratch’ I mean old fashioned ‘scratch’ where you make everything from raw materials not buy expensive piles of castings and fittings). The way I see it is that it’s possible to buy a cheap loco and then make it a good one by spending time on it. Time I’ve got, money I haven’t. Call me silly if you like, but I happen to enjoy my workbench time and if at the end of all my efforts I end up with something that’s individual and unique it’s very pleasing and rewarding.
Wow! this is the second time in a few days that an old item from a year ago suddenly jumps back to the top!
Anyway, there is nothing wrong with scratch building. I also have a limited budget and do the same. However you want to make sure the chassis is a good runner first. You don’t want to spend 100 hours building a nice loco, only to park it up because it doesn’t run very well.
Did you know that most manufactures have listed spare parts. One of those is a “motor block” which will give you the wheels and motor all wired up ready to go. So when you build your nice body to go on top you will enjoy using it because it also runs well.
You can get a brand new Aristo 0-8-0 wheel and motor chasis for US$57 and diesel wheel blocks for less than that.
$57 will probably also buy you a lot of New Bright on ebay, but even after you put all the best bits together, it they probably won’t run as well as the Aristo one.
My first ever loco was an atriso motor block, with a loco body built by me.
yes I have newbright as my only G scale so far. And the track isn’t down due to rain again. But it got me started in G, and a dash 9 or cab forward will become my real first train, just depends on cab forward price.
As I read the responses to this topic, I am sad to see the negativity that is common in this great hobby. I know that there is a broad range of experience when it comes to garden railroading, but I believe that a recent issue of Garden Railways made this clear- it’s supposed to be fun and enjoyable- not rude and degrading.
I started with one of those $40 KB Toys G Scale Sets that my wife purchased for Christmas and I enjoyed it (as well as my 4 year old). Yes, it has it’s drawbacks, but has served a great purpose for the past two years and continues to do so. I had to weigh down the cvab of the locomotive, but other than not controlling the speed, I think we got our $40 worth out of it.
I also have a converted remote control USA NW2 Locomotive that was considerably more than our first and it runs very well. So for the most part, you do get what you pay for, but I’ve also seen expensive rolling stock that does not perform well either- so there is always exceptions.
For someone that is thinking about getting involved in garden railroading and doesn’t want to spend big bucks, you can have a lot of fun with the old $40 set, but a few tweaks may be in order- remember have fun and enjoy the outdoors!
Dave it was started by a particularly nasty little troll who later tried to convince all of us that he was a major exec at a certain very large rodent oriented company. His downfall was that while cliaming to be an exec, he also said he couldnt afford the LGB Disney forney set, which was lunch money if he was who he said he was, Rene nuked him (and his 5 aliases) in a most deserved action.
I stand by my previous comments on RC battery oped trains
Bman AC Accu USA etc etc converted to battery/rc, if you can afford it [tup]
New bright, Echo, Scientific, etc etc, [tdn][tdn][tdn][tdn][tdn]
i would rather have a HLW Mack for $40 and a used $10 bachmann powerpack any day of the year.
Hi cumudgeon
The error error bit could mean a tech dificulty.for someone
I know because after an absence the forum would not let me back so all posts that I know are mine before that have the same error error in the from box.
This one however is not one of mine.
I have a battery loco that started as a $15 toy RC Car that was built by Toenail ridge.
it just has fwd back and stop for speed control and doest what it is suposed too
not much left of the car.
regards John
My “Old Timer” serves 2 purposes. 1) run around the Christmas tree. 2) pull the track cleaning car around the layout. (two laps per month seems to do it.)
I run an 11 year old “Classic Rail” It ran quite well when it was new but has become fiesty in it’s old age so it’snow only used for occasional fan trips and the occasional photo run-by.
It noticed the wieght of the batteries hindered it’s pulling power, I solved this problem by simply converting the engine to use 9-volt NIMH batteries. It’s a simple conversion.
I also used a classic rail mechanism to build an industrial diesle switcher.
I am trying to get feedback on the Astor line. I am a collector of steam engines from
“Z” scale to large scale mostly electric powered locos including the micro-metakit line based in Germany however I am just now “breaking” into the live steam market and trying to get as much feedback as possible.
Thanks
I had an Aster-Electric Big-Boy here for a long time (like almost 2 years) getting gears made.
Call for parts, they can provide anything you want…as long as it isn’t for the electric version.
They make most if not all the special LGB items in brass.
I have an LGB/Aster Franks S. and an Aster C&S Mogul.
Good design and engineering, quality control, support.
My first was a Bachmann Big Hauler. Cheapo “RC”, but good cars. Plastic track was junk, but I gave it to my grandson, who uses it every day! RC ran fine, engine ran good for about three years. Then I put it away, and took it out a few weeks ago. Seem the motor froze up!
Got me in the hobby, and it’s been a blast ever since. I’ve got a second BH, but its power train stripped out when my f-i-L had it. It’s good for parts, though, as its motor is good!