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MRH Author 5,541 posts Michael Tondee MRH Author 5,541 posts
Michael Tondee

When I can fight through a recent spate of dizzy spells, I've been slowly but surely making progress on building the benchwork for my new HO venture as well as acquiring parts pieces and rolling stock for it. I'm taking a little break from the benchwork to write this. So far besides bench lumber, I've acquired WS foam roadbed, some Atlas code 83 flex and and some Peco turnouts that I'll need. Also today I purchased from Micro Mark a Bachmann 2-6-0 Mogul with DCC  plus sound and a bulk pack of six Tichy undec forty foot boxcars. I got what I think is a really good deal on the loco by letting Micro Mark choose the roadname and applying a 10% off coupon I had. Roadname doesn't matter as I'll be lettering for my freelance private road eventually anyway. I just hope they don't send me one of those awful Penn locos with the red cab roof! The scenic theme and approximate prototype of the pike is still in question. Only think set so far is the layout plan and the approximate time period. That was set by the purchase of the Mogul and the boxcars today.

Michael, A.R.S. W4HIJ

 Model Rail, electronics experimenter and "mad scientist" for over 50 years.

Member of  "The Amigos" and staunch disciple of the "Wizard of Monterey"

My Pike: The Blackwater Island Logging&Mining Co.
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Prof_Klyzlr Moderator 7,962 posts
Prof_Klyzlr

Tichy/CMA +1

Dear Michael, Take your time with the first one, read thru the instructions thoroughly, and dry-fit all parts so it "makes sense" before you glue it, and you'll have a ball assembling the Tichy Boxcars. They really do put out a nice, well engineered kit, and the resulting cars do look quite good and detailed... Happy Modelling, Aim to Improve, Prof Klyzlr PS the metal wheelsets by P2K are a drop-in fit in the supplied trucks, and improve rolling qualities and low-down-weight significantly!
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lexon Prolific poster 1,211 posts
lexon

Bachmann Mogul

I have been watching the Bachmann forums ever since the Sound Value Line was announced back in 2011. People seem to be happy with this new line. If you are not aware of it, all the DCC documents, loco diagrams are at the Bachmann site including the new diesels and the monster 2-8-8-4, EM-1 steamer, plus various discussions on these loco's.

$107.95 for a SoundTraxx equipped sound loco is quite decent.

Rich
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Michael Tondee MRH Author 5,541 posts
Michael Tondee

Actually got a better price than even that

How does 89.95 for one sound? That's how I came out.  Micro Mark knocks 10 bucks off if you let them choose the road name and then I had a 10% off coupon on top of that!  The standard line of Bachmann doesn't really look super detailed but I figure I can do some of my own detailing.  The Tichy cars will be a first for me but I should be fine, I have years of experience building N scale structures and also in building model airplanes as well. One of the first cars I do will be lettered for the Gorre and Daphetid and then the next will be for my private freelance road which doesn't even have a definite name yet because I may change the one I've used for years in N.

I've had to reconcile the fact that I can't get near as much HO in my space as I did N but in the long run I think the move to HO is going to pay off because my nerves and eyesight are not getting any better. N scale will probably always be my first love but I got to where I wasn't enjoying it because the small parts were really starting to stress me out.

Michael, A.R.S. W4HIJ

 Model Rail, electronics experimenter and "mad scientist" for over 50 years.

Member of  "The Amigos" and staunch disciple of the "Wizard of Monterey"

My Pike: The Blackwater Island Logging&Mining Co.
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Prof_Klyzlr Moderator 7,962 posts
Prof_Klyzlr

Eyesight effects

Dear Michael,

Please excuse me, but I couldn't help having a chuckle,
I've heard of many modellers moving from HO to O/On30 for their eyesight,

guess it's only logical for an N scaler to move up "one step" to HO....

Hope you find joy in your new modelling scale!

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr
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Michael Tondee MRH Author 5,541 posts
Michael Tondee

Actually I'm lucky

I can actually see things better close up than far away. Eyesight was part of the reason for the move but I think it was more nerves than anything. I find it a lot easier to manipulate and install the venerable Kadee #5 coupler than it is to manipulate MT N scale coupler parts. Also, although I'm quite skilled with electronics and have built projects with surface mount components, the thought of installing sound decoders in N scale steamers was just too much for me. I couldn't handle the thought of possibly ruining my prized Kato Mikado.

Michael, A.R.S. W4HIJ

 Model Rail, electronics experimenter and "mad scientist" for over 50 years.

Member of  "The Amigos" and staunch disciple of the "Wizard of Monterey"

My Pike: The Blackwater Island Logging&Mining Co.
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