Model Forum / General / Railroads / February 2010

On Feb 2, 11:37 am, "Mike Smith" <m...@notquitean.invalid> wrote:

What's wrong with (current, new) UK outline N gauge? I don't have any
running problems and I certainly do not build my own track.

MBQ

Haven't bought one for about 8 years now, the Minitrix stuff still runs
smoothly, and I have a couple of Japanese shunters that run well,  but I
have several non operational GF locos from the 1970's and 80's (Jinty 0-6-0T
that thows the con rod at intervals, bought when they were new), 0-6-0PT
(non runner, cannot remember why), Class 25 (split drive cog, only
discovered 2 years after purchase as I was away at sea), Class 25 (one bogie
derails a lot I checked the B2B etc, nothing spotted), Class 37 (runs, sort
of, not drawing much current but very good slow running, in fact only slow
running, very slow). Minitrix 2-6-2 and two 'dock tanks' (which had PT kit
bodies) run well in spite of no maintenance for nigh on 20 years, as do the
two Minitrix Class 27s and, oddly enough, one of the original GF DMUs (bit
noisy but not a bad runner).

I was a carer for ten years, so money was very tight, the Jinty was saved up
for and a major dissapointment.
When I was at sea I had built up a stock of wagons, mostly from kits, last
time I looked there were over 300 assorted goods with about 15 passenger
coaches and a few parcels vans, many fitted with MBM couplers, but  I just
couldn't afford any more locos that didn't work and did not have time or a
proper work area to try an sort them out.

I sold my old camera kit and bought a couple of Fleichmann 'starter' sets
(both diesel goods) and everything just worked, perfectly -  Over time
(wincing at the prices) I collected a few more wagons and track (the early
Fleichmann track had problems with other makes of stock, I got some 2nd hand
and they will go with the German outline stuff eventually).  I built a small
layout in a shed which ran perfectly, the 7.5 inch curves were a blessing in
the small space I could use and the uncouplers work well so I could do a
spot of shunting.

Once I start hearing about very reliable UK outline stuff I'll take another
look, not least because that is what I want. There are several boxes of UK
related material (buildings, rather a  lot of kits etc. I still have some
'Treblo' figures and accessories left from my very first set).  It'll need
to be a fairly big layout to use the rolling stock and buildings.
Meantime I have this US outline stuff and think I'll give it a whirl (like
the idea of magnetic uncoupling as I can use my stock of MBM magnets). I
gather if I use truck mounted couplers they will cope with the tight
Fleichmann and Minitrix curves.

So, when the new Bachman stuff with the US type couplers arrives I'll take
another look, but I'll wait to hear some pretty positive comments on the
locos before I take the plunge and spend the money.

Regards

Mike