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Problem with doing it as a GATX locomotive is that that was "back to the future" in the sixties-seventies, leased units from private companies like GATX weren't around then, they are more a late 1980's and later deal. One idea - although it might be stretching it, since the MP-15 was built in...

Yes but that's not really a realistic operation. You don't have to use full size hoppers for "all-rail" ore trains. The 24' ore cars are normally just loaded and sent throughout the country in unit trains, that's been going on since the 1960's. There's no requirement or need that the ore be...

The hardest part - which usually isn't that hard - would be ensuring that the motor is isolated from the frame. It's often just a matter of putting a piece of tape between the motor and the frame !! Otherwise it would be a straight forward hardwire installation. One wire goes to the left side...

Actually the DMIR did (and still does under CN) ship a lot of taconite in "all rail" trains throughout the US. Ore or taconite pellets can be shipped in full size hoppers - but because of the ore's weight, the hoppers can only be filled about halfway.

Rapido designed their coupler back in the sixties and didn't copyright it - in fact they encouraged other manufacturers to copy it, so most N scale stuff over the years has come with Rapido-style couplers. Now it's not uncommon to find N scale items with the kadee couplers from Micro-Trains...

I'm planning on using two non-connected shelf layouts on the new layout, the recent issue of Model Railroad Planning from Kalmbach talks about this a bit too. BTW before making your own brackets, check out the local Home Depot or Menard's or similar store, there are several commercial bracket...

"Milwaukee Road" was just a nickname for many years, they didn't start officially using it on equipment until maybe the 1930's (like on the 1st version of the new Milwaukee cabooses from Walthers)?? Oddly in the 19th c. the C.M.& St.P. was nicknamed "The St.Paul". As noted, in 1928 when...

Life-Like RDC's are very nice and run great, they're not expensive (Train World ads often have them for $19.99 each)...but they are full size so are a bit longer than your Athearn ones, but still would look OK on a small layout. Keep in mind in the fifties a number of local and mail trains...

Hmmm...the only Bachmann engine I have that came DCC equipped (a steam engine) had a lightboard with a small decoder plugged into it. I'd say what you removed are in fact decoders, a light board wouldn't have that much stuff on it. Hang on to them if you decide to change them back to DCC.

A limiting factor as to how many passenger cars an engine could pull is the engine's ability to produce steam for the passenger cars heating and cooking, or in the Amtrak era, electric power for the cars. For example an F40PH is/was limited to five cars per engine - it could physically pull more...

You can use either a decoder with the 8-pin connector integral to the decoder, or one with a short harness between the decoder and the 8-pin. BTW you don't have to match the decoder to the system you use, any decoder will work with any system - I use a Digitrax Zephyr, and have decoders from...

The MDC car was made in several different colors (apparently at the same time!). Mine is dark red. I also have a Hercules Tank Car but did it myself with IIRC Walthers decals.

Sounds good, I can think of one instance of that kind of set-up in the real world. There was a steel plant in Duluth MN that got ore directly from the mines via the DM&IR, it mainly made smaller steel items like barbed-wire fences. Interestingly, Henry Ford wanted to build a huge Ford plant...

Well a light board would normally be a medium green color, about 1/2" wide and 2-3" long, maybe 1/8" deep. On each short end it would have four silver tabs (usually with holes in them) and two silver tabs on the side. The two on the side go to the motor. On the ends with the four tabs, the...

Not to be a wet blanket, but I would really like to see you do a LOT more research before starting the ore dock project. It's really not going to be easy to "cut down" the ore dock into anything approaching a realistic N scale ore dock. I would suggest - since you're modelling in the "taconite...

Boy, in the end I think it might be easier to scratchbuild an N ore dock than to try to cut down the HO one. You're going to have to reduce each chute by almost half, redo the supports underneath so it's about half as tall etc. My hat's off to you if you can pull it off, but I think I would...

IF you had a DCC equipped Bachmann engine, the decoder would be plugged into the board already, you would have to remove it and put in the dummy plug. (I've bought Bachmann DCC equipped engines and replaced the decoder because I wanted one with more options.) It sounds like you really have is...

Unless you want to go back to a c.1900 layout with stub switches, the Peco code 83 track should be fine for a steam or transition era layout, anything from maybe 1920 onward.

Yes I believe all the Bachmann "DCC equipped" engines will run on DC out of the box with no adjustments. I'd try it first, before making any modifications. You could always go their website and "ask the Bach-man" himself of course!! Bachmann Message Board - Index

Most newer engines are "plug and play". "Plug and play" decoders come with a built-in 8 pin plug. To install them, you remove the body (for diesels) or tender (for steam engines) of the model. There will be a green 'light board' (a circuit board) with a dummy 8-pin plug plugged into it. You...