Can British trains be used in the USA? I had my model layout in the UK. It's been boxed for over 10 yrs now; can I run the locomotives in the states? Is there anything special I need to buy? Why do I need to run them? Any help would greatly appreciated
Hmm, if this was April 1st, I would think twice, but it is now the
26th.
So, you're serious.
Why couldn't you run UK prototype on the same gauge track in the US? Model trains run on low voltage, so as long as you have a US power pack (or DCC setup) you should have no problems. 12V DC is the same all around the world.
H0 in UK is the same gauge as HO in US, N is N, and so on...
I've also heard of the real (1:1) British locos traveling through the US.
Presumably, because of differences in the normal household electricity supply, you will have to obtain a new power supply ("transformer"). But otherwise, everything else is the same.
But if you came south of the equator, currents flow in the opposite direction, so you'd have to add in a reversing switch! (Only kidding!)
a) What British trains? Hornby? Triang? Dapol? Etc etc. NB that commercial UK model trains use 4mm scale on 16.5mm track, but there are issues, and they're worse with some brands than others. Read on.
b) Power: you'll need a N. American power pack, but 0-12V DC is the international standard for power at the rails. You'll have to hack a connection if you are using your old track.
c) Wheels: if you want to run your older UK stuff on N. American layouts, you will probably have to replace the wheels, and (if it's older Hornby, for example) the bogies, too. Current UK production uses wheels close enough to NMRA and NEM standards that they will run on code
100 and code 83 rail, and through most commercial turnouts. Older UK locos are a no-go on N. American track, unless you have machining skills so that you can remachine the wheels to conform to NMRA profiles.
d) Size: the OO scale bodies and locos are technically about 15% oversize, but since the UK prototypes were smaller overall, the models are the same size as HO equipment. So although they will look odd, they won't rip out lineside buildings or crunch under bridges.
e) Couplers: unless you convert, you can't couple UK product to N. American rolling stock. This may not be an issue. When UK locos visited N. America, a knuckle coupler was installed so that they could be moved in an emergency, but AFAIK, they didn't actually run with any N. American stock. (Additional info on this requested.)
f) Where are you located? There are a number of British outline modellers groups in Ontario (mostly in Toronto), and you would find a lot of help and friendships there.
Because UK commercial product doesn't use the same wheel standards as we do. Older Hornby product won't run on anything except older Hornby track, for example. It won't even run on current Hornby track!
The Brits use "OO", which is 4mm scale, but their commercial product runs on 16.5mm gauge. (Don't confuse scale and gauge - that's caused a lot of grief to newbies.) The more serious UK types use 18.83mm gauge, which is correct for OO scale. OP gives no information about his UK model railway, not even brand, so it's my guess he's unaware of the complexities of scale/gauge, the vagaries of UK commercial production, etc, and the consequent problems when it comes to running UK locos on N. American (NMRA standard) track.
Yes, both GWR King and an LNER loco (Royal Scot IIRC) visited the US.
You need 12 volts DC, as people have already mentioned. As far as the wheels and rail, I'd just order a cheap 18" radius oval of sectional track and a couple of switches and do some experimenting. That's the best way. Cheap sectional track is almost always code 100 (.100" high) and that should take any kind of wheels. I
f flanges are too deep, you can actually use the engine's own power to turn them down, if you're VERY careful. I have done this, running the engine upside down while very lightly brushing a file against the flange, but of course you run the risk of taking off too much, or getting metal particles in the motor. Once again, I would experiment on cheap stuff before ruining anything costly. I think the engine I did this to was the weird Model Power possibly-German-prototype 2-6-0 ugly thing.
In the 1970s, Ex L.N.E.R. 4-6-2 No. 4472 "Flying Scotsman" visited the U.S.A and Canada.
In 1939, L.M.S. 4-6-2 No. 6229 'Duchess of Hamilton' posed as 6220 'Coronation Scot' and travelling the USA and spent part of W.W.II chained to the track in, I think, a B&O roundhouse.
Great Western Railway (GWR) 6000 Class 6000 King George V is a preserved steam locomotive.
The locomotive was the first of the King Class, and was built in June 1927. It was shipped to the USA in August 1927 to feature in the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's centenary celebrations.
Thanks for all the info............ I have all OO stuff, Hornby Lima etc and i have tons of Track that was on my old layout in the UK. I got hold of a US power pack to test on a quick oval track i set up I had to splice the connecting wire but it works the trains run!!!
I have a assorted collection Hornby Evening Star Hornby British Rail Lady Diana Spencer Lima King George V Plus others i still haven't unpacked yet and assorted rolling stock Thanks again for the help Rick Mitchell
AFAIK, it was only cosmetically restored prior to leaving the UK.
I know that the plaque describing it at the museum says something to the effect that it was used to pull Eisenhower's "command train" during W.W.II. What a bunch of claptrap that is.
With regard to having to put your reversing switch in the other direction in the Southern Hemisphere, it's not well known that this is how the early explorers discovered where the Equator was. They carried with them a battery powered model railway, and as they trekked through the jungle, every so often they'd set up the layout and run the train, noting which way the switch was set with regard to the direction of the train's running. Of course, when right on the Equator, due to the Confucian Effect, the train would not run in either direction! The great number of native porters in the explorer's expedition were needed to carry all the batteries! Regards, Bill.
"Aceantman-Anthony" wrote in message news:e2v1u1$olq$ snipped-for-privacy@news-02.connect.com.au...
On Thu, 04 May 2006 00:22:56 +0800, I said, "Pick a card, any card" and snipped-for-privacy@iinet.net.oz instead replied:
Due to the coreolis effect, the rolling stock wheels turn in the opposite direction which requires you to wire the entire layout in reverse for North American trains. This has the odd effect of forcing the headlight to cast a shadow, the engineer's radio to listen and those big old air horns to suck.
That should clear things up for those querying about this from the Northern Hemisphere.
You could easly put forward an arguement that the loco should be returned to its homeland. As from what I see of that engine is that it would have limited use in the US as you would have to make some major mods to the engine such as:
Conversion to air brakes.
Installation of an auto coupler. This could probably be worked around by using match cars which has a hook/buffer at one end and an auto on the other.
Due to the weight of US cars the loco would have limited haulage capacity. I could imagine what damage a string of heavy weight cars could do to the frames which when looked at from the context of US practice they are very light indeed.
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