I took the old toy trains down to colonial hobbys over the weekend.
The fellow at the counter told me they were not toy junk but I guess good quality stuff.
That was good news I think my dad must have wanted better trains.
He tested everything out and all the engines ran then he showed me how to clean and take care of them.
My kid got as cornerstone kit of a building and he is putting it together.
I bought a whole bag of backman track because he said the track I had was garbage and probably not going to work and went home and set the trains up on the floor but they do not run for me.
Going to figure this out later because today after work I am going to buy a saw and some boards to get going.
It sounds like a great day was had by all. The fella at the store was able to pass on some useful information, and you and he got to role-model good solid grown-up collaboration and discussion. Your son got to learn that his grampa didn’t play with second or third rate toy trains, and he saw that you valued what your father enjoyed and wanted to pass it on. Your son learned that he could derive as much enjoyment out of these old gifts-that-keep-on-giving, provided he was willing to spend as much time caring for them as his grandad did. That would place the day in the top 90%ile. [8D]
Always nice to find out things are better than you thought, especially when it’s locootives, which are one of the more expensive parts of the hobby.
Since you mention that your father bought the trains, I assume they are DC. Did you use a DC power pack to try and run them? When you hook up your power pack, be sure to attach to the correct posts for track.
If your old track was brass, some people still use it successfully, it does tend to need much more cleaning and most people consider it junk these days. Steel track rusts from what I have seen, even more think it is junk. Nickel silver is the current best option for most folks, though it still needs some care. There are a number of track cleaning cars and other methods to keep your trains operating successfully.
Enjoy the time working with your son and come back with any questions you have. The folks here have a wealth of knowledge and are willing to freely share it with others. They don’t always agree, but that gives you options. Some things work better for some and not for others.
New Bachmann track is pretty foolproof. Once you check the connections are correct and tight maybe suspect your powerpack. A new powerpack isn’t that expensive and improvements have been made since grandad’s day.
My “old toy trains” are from the fifties and early sixties. I took down my HO layout in the late sixties, as I had graduated from college and my parents wanted the room back. I packed everything up and moved it with me from apartment to apartment for over 30 years. I finally began building another layout in 2005.
I pulled out all the trains. I had a lot to learn. DCC was fairly new, and my horn hook couplers were fairly old. The world had switched to nickel-silver track. And, there were a lot of negatives about those ancient plastic wheels.
To my dismay, my old locomotives either didn’t run at all or ran hesitantly. The first stage of my layout was a subway, so I got a subway train and went to work.
Eventually, I got almost all the rolling stock running, inc!using replacing all the horn-hooks with Kadee knuckle couplers and body-mounting all that needed it. The plastic wheels were replaced with metal. I bought all new nickel-silver track. A few of the old engines became dummies. I couldn’t throw away my old friends, even if they didn’t work anymore.
In the end, almost everything I carted around for 30 years ended up on my layout.
As has been posted, make sure the connections from your controller (“power pack”, A.K.A. Cab) are correct and tight.
Most Cabs have two (2) sets of outputs:
DC or Track Power- -These two wires go to the track to power the locomotives. Ideally, you should use two different color wires. Traditionally the colors are Red (+) & Black (-) to identify polarity.
There is a “Direction” switch on the Cab. This changes the polarity to the rails which in turn changes the direction of the locomotive.
If the switch is set to “Forward” and the locomotive is running in the opposite direction you can swap the wires going to the track or turn the locomotive around to match the “Position” of the switch to the “direction” of the locomotive.
AC or Accessories (Access)- -This is used to power remote-controlled turnouts (switches), lights, and/or powered accessories.
DO NOT CONNECT THE TRACK TO THESE OUTPUTS!
If you discover that your cab is indeed faulty, I have one that I can donate to your cause.
Message me your email address. Unfortunately, I cannot respond through the messaging system but I will respond to you via email.
While you are buying tools a great addition is a Digital Multi Meter. An inexpensive one will suit your “current” needs (pun intended) and help you diagnose most DC power issues.
As has been posted, make sure the connections from your controller (“power pack”, A.K.A. Cab) are correct and tight.
Most Cabs have two (2) sets of outputs:
DC or Track Power- -These two wires go to the track to power the locomotives. Ideally, you should use two different color wires. Traditionally the colors are Red (+) & Black (-) to identify polarity.
There is a “Direction” switch on the Cab. This changes the polarity to the rails which in turn changes the direction of the locomotive.
If the switch is set to “Forward” and the locomotive is running in the opposite direction you can swap the wires going to the track or turn the locomotive around to match the “Position” of the switch to the “direction” of the locomotive.
AC or Accessories (Access)- -This is used to power remote-controlled turnouts (switches), lights, and/or powered accessories.
DO NOT CONNECT THE TRACK TO THESE OUTPUTS!
If you discover that your cab is indeed faulty, I have one that I can donate to your cause.
Message me your email address. Unfortunately, I cannot respond through the messaging system but I will respond to you via email.
1971_Z28 …today after work I am going to buy a saw and some boards to get going.
While you are buying tools a great addition is a Digital Multi Meter. An inexpensive one will suit your “current” needs (pun intended) and help you diagnose most DC power issues.
Yes, but there’s a lot of resistance to rational discussion in that thread. Not a lot of continuity. And irrelevant high voltage disagreements. Some people apparently get really amp’d up about the topic of multi meters. You’ll have no idea what a multi meter can do if you just read that thread…
As I see it, the whole segue from buying “a saw and some boards” to purchasing a digital multimeter is a bit far-fetched. I wish the OP well, but I don’t think that he is ready for a multimeter at this stage.
The OP doesn’t even own a saw. He has a steep enough learning curve before he needs to buy a multimeter to test a faulty power pack. He can take it to that same fellow at the counter at Colonial Hobbies for testing. Meanwhile, he will need a drill and screws, a hammer and nails, a screwdriver, a level, you name it.
The OP’s avatar indicates he is a gearhead and likes 50 year old cars. I’ll bet he has a multimeter.
Ken Patterson’s schtick is “This is the best hobby in the world” One would never believe it reading this forum and I don’t mean just this thread.
The OP’s other thread was starting a layout with his kid. It’s what my dad did with me and what I did with my sons and now grandsons. I applaud him for doing so, I am not ready to tell him he is doomed to failure for want of a saw.
It’s not condescension, and I am all for knowledge across disciplines as you put it. I own a series of analog and digital multimeters myself. But, you gotta learn to walk before you run. If the OP develops a serious interest in the hobby over time, a multimeter will be in his future. But, as I said before, he already has a steep learning curve as he starts from scratch.
Don’t be so sensitive when someone offers a different opinion than your own. It is a forum, you know.
