Just wondering if anyone has experience with Trix HO steam --
specifically, the Big Boy or Mikado releases that are now available?
My local hobby shop does not carry either locomotive so I can't check
them out in person, and I'd like to know if they are good runners,
have excellent detailing etc. (something one would expect given the
price of each). Would also be curious to see comparisons between Trix
and LL P2K and Athearn Genesis steam, as well. Regards,
-- Mark D.
I had a Trix Big Boy that ran excellent and had a high level of detail (I
sold it). I also have a Heritage 2-8-8-2 that runs excellent, with a better
level of applied details, but the one thing I can't get past is the fact
that LL uses a plastic shell that is molded in the appropriate colors, but
is not actually painted. For the kind of money LL wants, I think that's a
crime.
Seems there was a report on the 2-8-2 in MRR mag some time back.
They seemed a bit dissapointed in that the sound was not up to snuff for
such an EXPENSIVE locomotive..............Athearn genisis........HA! I won't
be buying any more of those. The hand rails never did go on right on
mine..........they should have sold it as a bloody kit for all you had to do
to it to get to run and track right. P2K, I love their stuff runs and looks
great! You brass importers had your chance and BLEW IT! Brass priced itself
right off the market, but I don't want to open THAT can of worms again.
John
John..
Brass did not price itself out of the market..................it is an
entirely different market!! The exception being Sunset "Prestige" and other
"affordable" brass models they are producing in both 'HO' and 'O'.
On the Trix models.....I found that the Big Boy (I have the first run) is a
fine value and runs extremely well...almost to perfection. I sent my NYC
H-6b 2-8-2 back as it was nowhere near the quality of the Big Boy...although
the sound I found to be excellent as well as running qualities. If I did not
get it at cost, I never would have fooled with it as a Key NYC or USRA 2-8-2
can be had for much less and even if you had to paint it and install state
of the art electronics.....you'd be way ahead of the game...and with a fine
brass model to boot!!
The one major fault with the Trix 2-8-2 is quite major and all of the
reviewers missed it except MR...and that was watered down (full page adds
have much influence). The wheel contacts are at the bottom of tender wheels
and make contact with frogs, crossings and switch points..causing immediate
shorts. This is fixable, but why for such an expensive model???
Howard Zane
Yes Howard it DID price itself out of the market, when people can't afford
something then it has priced itself out of the market in my book. I had
brass once many years ago but it got increasingly expensive and I COULDN'T
AFFORD IT ANYMORE. We don't all run brass shops like you do....... I never
had a brass locomotive I didn't have to screw with for some to get it to run
right. THAT is unacceptable for the prices demanded.
John......
Quite correct about tweaking....what I meant is that is just about all new
and finer older brass is going to the collector. These brass locos are
really limited works of fine art that may run on a model railroad......but
the chances of today's expensive brass models doing so...doubtful at
best!!!! It is not fair and incorrect to compare a limited production
handmade item from metal to a mass produced (made from molds) model from
China made of plastic.....or in some cases...cast metal.
HZ
.
Joining in late. I have a first run of the Trix BigBoy. T'is fantastic!!
Excellent low speed operation. Near-perfect prototype top speed. Beautiful
detail and just good all-around detailing. Another fine product from
Marklin. I recently added a LokSound2 sound\dcc decoder preloaded with good
Big Boy sounds (whistle, chuff, shoveling coal, steam, brakes, bell, and
more!!!)that makes it even better! Back EMF and wheel sycnhronized chuff'ing
make it absolute pleasure to operate. And it can pull the bumper off a Chevy
to boot. Only drawback is that it needs BIG curves, but that's obvious. Many
layouts will not support a BigBoy, but that's another story. Soon I am going
to add a middle-rail slider and replace the wheels with the Marklin wheelset
and put it on my developing 3-rail DCC layout. (This in lieu of buying a
second one directly from Marklin.)
Steve
Good morning Steve,
You mentioned the magic "Marklin" word
My wife and are getting ready to set up an old 3 rail set we inherited and
I'm leaning towards a wall mounted rail system. The set was brought over
from Germany by her parents in the 50's and is the old 3 rail type track.
At a "garage/yard" sale 9 months ago, I spotted a tall box full of HO train
stuff with a $20.00 sign on it. After removing some of the American stuff
off the top, about half way down, I noticed these funny couplers, which I
recognized. I hurt myself reaching for my wallet.
An engine and a couple of cars would have been worth the price. The best way
to describe what I found in the bottom of the box is, "multiply by 100",
including a bunch of the newer type "T" track, 3 way switches and the list
would take up a page including 6 engines.
Now that I am retired, we have time to play and I would like to know what
sources you have for materials and parts.
Was going to send an e-mail but I thought others might also have information
on wall/ceiling RR.
Merry Christmas to all
Dave & Hamilton
Wow. What a great find. I am fairly new into the Marklin world so I only
have a starter set and a couple of add-on kits in a standard layout. I am in
the (slow) process of changing over from conventional 2-rail DC to 3-rail
DCC. I love Marklin trains but I think their Marklin Digital\Delta protocol
is severely limited. They are a very proprietary company and that doesn't
fly well against today's open standards like DCC. So 3-rail Marklin plus DCC
for me. I love 3-rail. No reverse loop problems to even waste a brain cell
on. And C-Track is the best if you want to put together fast or your layout
is temporary.
But back to your question. Since I am new in this area my purchases have
been somewhat limited, but:
1) I bought my Trix (soon to be marklinized) BigBoy from an ebay store
http://stores.ebay.com/MartyHO-Hobbies Usually good prices, limited
selection
2) Starter set I bought from http://www.AJCKIDS.com . Great people, with a
personal touch. Would definately do business again. Have found lower prices
on some things at other places though their specials are usually very good.
3)Decoders, programmer, etc. I bought from http://www.trainsahead.com . This
fellow (Raman) is fantastic. Very nice, very knowledgeable, good prices and
a great communicator. He gave me a good deal on the decoders and programmer.
He sent me loads of information when I started my DIY control station
project even though he knew I was also considering buying an intellibox
control station from him. He even sent me a personally signed card at the
holidays last year!!! I will definately be going back to him for more when I
get my layout planned a bit more.
A note on LokSound2 decoders. The reason that I chose these decoders was
because:
1) They can do Motorola\DCC and analog DC. They can even do the sound output
of the chuff, brakes, coal shoveling, etc in analog DC mode.
2) They have integrated sound that can be edited and modified which is very
cool.
3) They have a good reputation among european railroaders.
4) They had a unit that is already preprogrammed with sounds for the BigBoy.
Very good sounds I think. I bought two. Took the second one, modified the
whistle to be a bit higher and throatier and put it in a Bowser Challenger
so I could have distinguishable whistles.
5) Fun factor. Modifying sounds can be great fun. One late night when I was
too giddy to be of much good, I recorded my wife's snore. I replaced the
chuff sound in the decoder with her snore and sent the BigBoy around a small
test track snoring with every wheel turn. Ridiculous? Yes, but I laughed so
hard I almost had a hernia and it woke her. She was only mildly amused.
6) Ease of use. It only took me 5 minutes to get the decoder chuffs and
brakes synchronized to wheels. There is an option to use an external reed
sensor for syncing but it was really unnecessary. Internal sensng was good
enough. Good instructions and a good interface made it easy as pie.
No. I don't work for ESU, but I think highly of their products. Only 25 more
years until my retirement and then I might get this conversion done. (I am
also working on a DCC control station of my own design. That takes some of
my time too!) Good day.
Steve
Maerklin track falls into three main categories:
- "M-track", the tinplate ballast stuff in five sub categories:
- prewar 3 rail with less printed sleepers. (early postwar also)
- postwar 3 rail with scale printed sleepers and blackened brass rail.
- postwar 3 rail with scale printed sleepers and rolled steel rail.
- "Scale model" track with stud contact, plastic sleepers, tinplate ballast and
a different geometry.
- 1956-2000 stud contact tinplate track.
All five are compatible with the exception of the "Scale model" geometry.
- "K-Track" plastic sleepered stud contact track which looks like ordinary 2
rail.
- "Alpha" plastic ballasted stud contact track from the mid 1880s -
incompatible.
- "C-Track". the M-track replacement. It has a plastic ballast base and looks
just like "Alpha" track but has different connectors and code 90 rail.
- "T-Track" Maerklin's new (2004/5) track system for two rail (Trix) which uses
the "C-track" base without the stud contacts.
Regards,
Greg.P.
Maybe this is dumb qestion, but what is a "wallmounted system"? would
it be for only display, i.e.. non operating?
I recently decided to display (only) my 1939-50 set of Lionels. Any
hints, expecially for lighting would be appreciated.
Maybe this is dumb qestion, but what is a "wallmounted system"? would
it be for only display, i.e.. non operating?
I recently decided to display (only) my 1939-50 set of Lionels. Any
hints, expecially for lighting would be appreciated.
On 23 Dec 2004 14:22:06 -0800, snipped-for-privacy@comcast.net wrote:
Rather than head to your local frame and art supply store with a
wheelbarrow full of money, see if you can turn up an article (in MR I
think) in the last year or two on valence lighting - Siskiyou Lines might
be the keyword to use - and look at buying or constructing display
shelves that will allow that.
--
Steve
Our representative government today is perhaps more representative than it
Steve replied:
*** Siskiyou Lines might be the keyword to use ***
-------------------------------------------------
Joe Fugate's Siskiyou Lines:
http://siskiyou.railfan.net/model_clt.html
Bill
Bill's Railroad Empire
N Scale Model Railroad:
http://www.billsrailroad.net
Brief History of N Scale:
http://www.billsrailroad.net/history/n-scale
Model Railroad Bookstore:
http://www.billsrailroad.net/bookstore
Children's Books and Toy Trains:
http://www.billsrailroad.net/bookstore-4
Resources--Links to 1,000 sites:
http://www.billsrailroad.net/bills-favorite-links
I have seen several over the years that were ceiling and ceiling/wall
combinations but didn't get much in the way of detail, wasn't an interest
then. Many were at Pizza parlors (an interest) and most in G scale. I
remember one that was Lionel which was a combination ceiling/wall which
included an assortment of static displays and an operational continuous
running system which passed through a couple of the static displays.(in the
70's and I believe it was in the Berkley, CA area) Lighting was strictly
ambient but with the now available "rope lights", a person could get really
creative.
A simple G scale ceiling set I see on a regular basis is in South
Sacramento's Kaiser's Cardiac/Pediatric hallway. (What a combination, one
causes the other!)
Any way, I am now interested, I have a bunch of Marklin 3 rail (DC) and a
box full of N scale "stuff" I inherited from my brother-in-law. And you'll
love this, My wife likes it also!!! It's her Marklin!
I have an electrical background and I"m going to play with 3 rail flex track
and bridge rectifiers in the pick-up circuits.
Check out the rope lights for your displays.
Merry Christmas
Dave & Hamilton
May I borrow your wife on temporary basis!? My wife gew up next to a set of
mains in the K.C. area and as a result she does not share my passion for
trains, although she does indulge my son's Thomas the Tank fascination.
Please report back on how the 3-rail flex works out. I have been thinking of
that for my permanent 3-rail layout, but I don't knwo much about it having
only been into Marklin for a bit over a year here.
Steve
Dave, there is 3-rail flex track. Marklin 2205 Flex K-Track. Look at
http://www.trainsahead.com/xcart/customer/product.php?productid 517&cat=0&page=1.
Haven't used or touched it, but I know it exists. Might save you some
trouble.
Steve
Polytechforum.com is a website by engineers for engineers. It is not affiliated with any of manufacturers or vendors discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.