Well, I went and done it...

[roryglasgow]

The local Eckerd Drugs store is selling a custom IHC/Mehano HO scale train set that features an SD-40 painted in the genuine Eckerd livery, plus a couple of box cars, a flat car with loads, a Coca-Cola tank car and a caboose. With a $10 coupon I got the set for $20. I figured, what the hey, it would at least provide me with the items I needed for a layout under the tree (pulled by my little IHC 4-4-0).

Well, I took it out and set it up for my son and I to play with. I'm fairly impressed with it! The locomotive runs really smoothly, and it doesn't look too terribly toyish. But my favorite part of the set is the power supply. It's very simple: a wall transformer that plugs into a separate throttle. The throttle has a very smooth control knob, and the locomotives (both the SD-40 and the 4-4-0) start off creeping and smoothly accelerate.

The power pack works really well on my N-scale layout, too. My old power supply is a cheapo Life-Like unit that came with a train set. Locomotives go from stop to fast with it. But the little Mehano unit works much better. I can now make my N-scale locos run a lot smoother!

Who'da thunk it?

-Rory

 

[shamus]

Hi Rory, That IHC/Mehano is a good runner, most of IHC loco's run very well for the price.
All you have to do now is stick a small Santa into a Gondola and let him rip around the tree for xmas.
Cheers

 

[Drew1125]

Way to go Rory!
Many times those novelty paint schemes become collectors items down the road.
One tear, for a Christmas train, I had 2 gondolas, one full of presents (I cut little pieces of foam, & covered them with wrapping paper) for the good kids, & the pther one was full of coal for the bad ones!

 

[roryglasgow]

That gives me an idea, Charlie... I can wrap the loads on the flat car and make them into presents. I had intended to decorate the locomotive and caboose with bows and ribbons, too. The caboose is green, so it's already sorta Christmasy. Isn't this TWO ideas that you've given this week?

-Rory

 

[Drew1125]

Rory,
Here's one I put together last year, out of a cheapo Bachman set. (N scale)
I don't know if you can see or not, but I numbered the loco 1225, & the caboose 2000. (get it? 12/25/2000)
I had decorated some other rolling stock too, but they have since gone on to carreers on other RR's!

 

[roryglasgow]

Uh, I don't get it... hehehe No, I get it! That's pretty clever. And that's the best looking Bachmann F9 I've seen. The dark paint job makes it look...well...a little less like a toy. And we don't play with toys! We are operating scale models!

-Rory

 

[Chessie 8563]

I for several years ran a IHC SD40 only 4 of the 6 axles were powered but it ran and tracked suprisingly well for such a low end loco, It was a little quiter than a Athearn but because the lack of flywheels and the plastic frame (mine was sveral years old) it didnt pull as well as a Athearn. I was amazed how well it would stay on track even with the highly lowend drive and my terribly shoddy trackwork. (didnt use roadbed back then and I used jointed instead of flextrack) It lasted about 6 years till it finally died, I didnt bother on repairing it and it eventually met its fate in the garbage can. (after being striped for parts)

 

[krskev]

About 12 years ago I built a special Christmas tree layout. It is HO but would work with any scale. I took our tree stand and screwed it to a 4'x4'x3/8" piece of plywood. I put 1x2 stiffeners on the outside edge and crossing at the center. The track goes up and over itself. (so it in a folded over figure 8) so there is a bridge at one corner and a 2 track station at the opposite corner. The track is mounted to plywood risers that have ceiling tile on them. The scenery is paper mache over foam board built up. I built a village that has a couple of houses,a farm, a diner, a church, the station, a switch tower (with no switch track but it looks railroady)and way in the back corner is a blacksmith shop representing Santas workshop. (where else would I use a blacksmith shop). A string of Christmas lights light up all the buildings. and street lights were installed also. The paper mache was painted white and glittery snow was sifted over the whole thing. there is also a skating pond made from a mirror that I put diluted white glue on to give it that frozen look.

I wired it so there is a cord you plug into the wall and a switch in the side of the scenery to turn the whole thing on. From that switch I ran an extension cord to the tree stand so lights from the tree and the lights for the buildings can be plugged in. There is also another cord running to the power packs. (one for going up hill and one for going down so the train stays at a constant speed) There is a toggle switch to turn track power off and on in case you want to give the engine a rest.

I add to it every year, more people, skaters, skiers, snow plows...etc. This year I added lighted xmas trees and a santa with a red kettle ringing a bell outside the diner.

when its time to pack it up I screw a board with casters to one side of it, cover it up with some cardboard i cut to fit (using a piece of pvc pipe in the stand to act as a stand off so the buildings dont get beat up) then tip it on its side and roll it under our basement stairs till next year.

All I do when I pull it out is clean the track and fix anything that has come loose, and then add whatever goodies i have collected over the year.

Try it!! It turned out to be a holiday tradition in our house.

Ill see if i can get a picture to down load.

Kevin

P.S. Does anyone know where I can fnd an HO scale Nativity scene. Walthers had one in their 1990 catalog from Prieser but I can not locate one now. Plesase email me if you have any clues
krskev@yahoo.com

 

[roryglasgow]

Sounds like a fun project!

Who was the manufacturer of that nativity scene? I checked Walthers, but didn't see anything. Maybe whoever made it might not be distributing through Walthers anymore...unless Walthers themselves made it...

-Rory

 

[krskev]

It was from Prieser.

Listed as a scene in the winter carnival series. It showed up in the 1990 Walthers catalog.

I live in Milwaukee and went direct to Walthers back in 1990 and ordered one but somehow they never recieved it. The following year it was not listed in the catalog anymore. I have tried to find it looking through web sites listing Prieser but no luck.

I figure someone out there has one or knows of a hobby shop that has got one on their shelf collecting dust. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

One thought I came up with was to try to buy an arab looking set and make up a scene myself. Model Railroader used a "Z" scale arab lady and put a halo on her and put her inside an HO bath tub like the shrines you see to the virgin mary. but those arab sets are scarce too.

I guess I got a few months before I need it.

Thanks in advance for any help given.

Kevin