FRED's
- Thread starter nmtexman
- Start date
Sorry, I couldn't resist
Yes, John Claudino of Aztec makes them in N Scale. His website is http://www.aztectrains.com/
The circuit i used is very simple, using a 3909 chip, a capacitor, and an led. the flash rate of the circuit was determined by the value of the capacitor. it would easily fit in an n scale boxcar & cost less than $3.00 to build. mine were
run off a single aa battery & power consumption was so low that a battery would power the circuit
continuously for about 18 months. the circuit was common in electronics circuit books at the time, i believe a version appears in the kalmbach book "practical electronics projects for model railroaders" by peter j. thorne.....
Tomar, the company that makes drumheads for passenger trains, also makes working EOT's (fka
FRED's) There are a number of deLuxe Innovations boxcars being auctioned on eBay right now with
working EOT's already installed if you are interested.
Yes, John Claudino of Aztec makes them in N Scale. His website is http://www.aztectrains.com/
The circuit i used is very simple, using a 3909 chip, a capacitor, and an led. the flash rate of the circuit was determined by the value of the capacitor. it would easily fit in an n scale boxcar & cost less than $3.00 to build. mine were
run off a single aa battery & power consumption was so low that a battery would power the circuit
continuously for about 18 months. the circuit was common in electronics circuit books at the time, i believe a version appears in the kalmbach book "practical electronics projects for model railroaders" by peter j. thorne.....
Tomar, the company that makes drumheads for passenger trains, also makes working EOT's (fka
FRED's) There are a number of deLuxe Innovations boxcars being auctioned on eBay right now with
working EOT's already installed if you are interested.
Gee Bob, I wasn't really expecting a reply. But anyway, the Walthers site (www.walthers.com) has a ton of Tomar stuff (and a couple of FREDs buried in it all.)
Tyson Rayles
Active Member
FRED's are un-American!!!!!!!! A train without a caboose is like Mom without apple pie, some sort of communist plot to rot America from within.
Shame on you billk for helping nmtexman go down the wrong path! Down with FRED's, long live the caboose!!!!!!
Shame on you billk for helping nmtexman go down the wrong path! Down with FRED's, long live the caboose!!!!!! Tyson Rayles
Active Member
That was supposed to have read "Down with FRED's". Need to do better job of editing before I post.
Tyson Rayles
Active Member
billk you can call me by either name just don't call me late for supper.nmtexman, glad you like cabeese, have you considered backdating so you can run em'? Remember 2nd generation D's and newer have no soul! True story: The Graham County R.R. when it finally died around 1985 had 2 loco's, a SW-9 and a 1925 standard gauge Shay. They also had 1 caboose and it was wooden! When that Shay pulling it's consist, followed up by that wooden caboose rolled down the tracks EVERYBODY would stop what they were doing and watch untill it was out of sight.It interchanged with the Southern at Topton and when it pulled into the yard even the crew on the Southern had grins a mile wide. Now there was a railroad with soul.Now if they could have only stayed finacially solvent, oh well.Sorry about getting of the subject, Catt's probably ready to revoke my membership by now!
True story: The Graham County R.R. when it finally died around 1985 had 2 loco's, a SW-9 and a 1925 standard gauge Shay. They also had 1 caboose and it was wooden! When that Shay pulling it's consist, followed up by that wooden caboose rolled down the tracks EVERYBODY would stop what they were doing and watch untill it was out of sight.It interchanged with the Southern at Topton and when it pulled into the yard even the crew on the Southern had grins a mile wide. Now there was a railroad with soul.Now if they could have only stayed finacially solvent, oh well.Sorry about getting of the subject, Catt's probably ready to revoke my membership by now!
nmtexman
New Member
Hmmm, let's see. Last Saturday, I ran a string of containers behind two Dash-9's and an SD40-2; 10 cattle cars behind a 4-6-2; and, of course, Thomas the Tank Engine. My interests cover all eras. I'd run a steam buggy if I could find one. I just like to be accurate in whatever trains I run. I like cabeeses. I have a nice little collection (including a Chessie that cost me big bucks), and am anxiously awaiting Atlas' new MRL caboose. It would really be neat to paint it up like the one they are testing remotes with. But a FRED is essential for a container train!
roryglasgow
Active Member
nmtexman,
What do you mean by "testing remotes?" Elucidate!
I have a Thomas the Tank Engine, too. It's a really cool little model, isn't it? I've had some trouble getting it to run recently, though. It has started wobbling and doesn't go over the turnouts as well as it used to. I've been tinkering with it to try to make it run smoothly again, but to no avail. The other day one of the smaller gears slipped out of place. So, currently, Thomas is "at the Works."
-Rory
What do you mean by "testing remotes?" Elucidate!
I have a Thomas the Tank Engine, too. It's a really cool little model, isn't it? I've had some trouble getting it to run recently, though. It has started wobbling and doesn't go over the turnouts as well as it used to. I've been tinkering with it to try to make it run smoothly again, but to no avail. The other day one of the smaller gears slipped out of place. So, currently, Thomas is "at the Works."
-Rory
Rory-
http://krugtales.50megs.com/rrpictale/MRLradio/MRLradio.htm
That link shows how the MRL has been testing remotes using cabeese. Canada's been doing it for awhile, and the major US RR's are starting to play around with it.
BDC
http://krugtales.50megs.com/rrpictale/MRLradio/MRLradio.htm
That link shows how the MRL has been testing remotes using cabeese. Canada's been doing it for awhile, and the major US RR's are starting to play around with it.
BDC
roryglasgow
Active Member
I live in the wilderness where I'm lucky to get Model Railroader (BTW, thanks, Wal-mart)... So what exactly is this remote thing about? Are they controlling locomotives remotely? If so, why? Are they trying to cut down the number of people needed to run them?
-Rory
-Rory
nmtexman
New Member
Evidently, MRL and some others are testing this remote process. I think it is mainly used for yard work, allowing operators to run the process by remote control. I believe UP and BNSF tested this concept in the '80s and '90s using slugs and hand held remote controls. What MRL seems to be doing is setting up the remote control in the caboose and then attaching it to the slave unit. This means that their remote work will be limited to the amount of cabooses they have that are equipped properly.
I think that will work better than having remotes on each engine. It's bound to be cheaper, anyway. It's much easier to extend the control harnasses than to try to set control boxes on every engine. Since I own stock in UP and BNSF, cheaper is better.
Anyway, I think it's a great idea to re-utilize all these cabeeses setting around in everyone's yards. So many of these wonderful cars have been destroyed through neglect or the scrap yard. I even know a couple of people who have them in their back yards!
I think that will work better than having remotes on each engine. It's bound to be cheaper, anyway. It's much easier to extend the control harnasses than to try to set control boxes on every engine. Since I own stock in UP and BNSF, cheaper is better.
Anyway, I think it's a great idea to re-utilize all these cabeeses setting around in everyone's yards. So many of these wonderful cars have been destroyed through neglect or the scrap yard. I even know a couple of people who have them in their back yards!
roryglasgow
Active Member
That's very interesting... Sounds like some model railroaders got the ear of the RR execs. I wonder if those cabeese are DCC compatible?
Here's a place we drove by once that has three cabeese set up as luxury hotel rooms. I'd like to stay there sometime...
http://www.theantlers.com/
-Rory
Here's a place we drove by once that has three cabeese set up as luxury hotel rooms. I'd like to stay there sometime...
http://www.theantlers.com/
-Rory