I Play Hookey from Work! T Gauge Today!

rray Aug 4, 2008

  1. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    Great Armand, I hope you post more after your set arrives. :D
     
  2. Benny

    Benny TrainBoard Member

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    Robert, did the blind end HO ATSF caboose kits ever get made? I missed them if they did...you have any more? :D
     
  3. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    Hi Benny, actually, I only made one of those cabooses in HO, and it was sent to Frank ? (the guy who wrote that ATSF Way Car book) for approval, and I never heard anything from them again. That was 5 years ago. I never ordered any parts to do the run. Needed K Brake gear, Smokejack, Pre-formed Grabs, and other details as I remember.
     
  4. Benny

    Benny TrainBoard Member

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    All I needed was the Wood kit - the rest of the detail parts I can get on my own! ;)
     
  5. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    PM Me your address and contact info Benny, I have the HO parts drawings, but since I was new to Corel, I forgot to write the types of material I used on the sheets. I think it was 1/16" and 1/32" Basswood, but I use plywood now.

    Anyways, back to T Gauge. All I could think about while at work was a dining car. I blew on home, and after getting railroaded over to my neighbor's huge N Scale layout, I ran home and quickly drew up some Budd Diner car sides. Here is the test fit results:

    [​IMG]


    [​IMG]


    Oh, that blue car up top, is a powered car, and is now wearing the dinning car's skin. Bye Bye Keihintohoku Line, hello Mainstreeter!
     
    Kurt Moose likes this.
  6. Chris333

    Chris333 TrainBoard Supporter

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    Mainstreeter? I guess you have the F-units all figured out then. ; )
     
  7. Benny

    Benny TrainBoard Member

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    I just thought of something...

    If you could somehow laserprint the carsides with the paint sheme and lettering, you could end up with very crisp clean paint schemes...:D

    You might even be able to do the sides on white paper and hten cut and paste to your wood body - although that would negate the need for things like detail on the carbodys...An old 1950's HO trick!

    Robert, your HO sized cabeese looked really good. The 1/32 thickness really works out nice for details like windows. I'll send you my contacts.
     
  8. HoboTim

    HoboTim TrainBoard Supporter

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    T-Gauge Sensation!

    Robert,

    Is this eBay Japan Store the only place you know of to get the sets of cars and the loops of track?

    Have you tried emailing the company to ask about track sections without the power supply?

    I agree with the former poster that video is a must see here!!!

    Keep on Modeling Robert!!!

    Hobo Tim
     
  9. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    I order most of my stuff from Hobby Search Japan, an online hobby shop. They have announced 132mm radius, 120mm radius, and 60mm straight sections of sectional track, but is not due out for a few more months. I am on the waiting list.
     
  10. DanMacK

    DanMacK TrainBoard Member

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    Robert, looking good :D

    How does it feel to have the first North American prototype T-gauge? Looking forward to the doodlebug as well.

    How much of the power car is gear train and motor? could you possibly shorten it to get a rear-wheel drive F7? Or possibly an F7B?
     
  11. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    The powered car can be shortened to no less than 30mm, which would give about 24mm truck spacing. That's just about 38' truck spacing, a bit longer than the 31 feet or so of an F unit. I think that the F would have to be made from a non powered car, but that will allow directional lighting.

    You need to run as many powered units as possible for smooth operation, so a 6 car train of 4 powered and 2 end units would run best. I used this configuration to burn in my sets.
     
  12. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    Here is a video of it running:
    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fj_bpCC63_I"]YouTube - T Gauge NP Passenger Cars[/ame]
     
  13. shamoo737

    shamoo737 Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Robert, looks good.
     
  14. david f.

    david f. TrainBoard Supporter

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    robert! i love it! you are the man. are you going to scratch build the F unit? maybe an Alco FA would fit the chassis better. might even be easier to form the nose. we are all looking forward to what you do next.

    you car sides are really, really wonderful.
    dave f.
     
  15. Benny

    Benny TrainBoard Member

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    I think there might be a way yet to pre-paint those sides - printer style. You could then get very crisp painjobs!
     
  16. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    I think they would be very easy to do on a printer, but I have texture that the printer cannot do. I will post a close-up of my Budd Diner tomorrow, so you can see the roof corrugations and side panels better.

    The chassis lends itself well to a PA but NP ran F3, 5, 7, or 9's so I have to do surgery, and make a dummy for the front of the train. There will be several powered coaches, so a dummy loco will still work.

    I think Z Scale can learn a lot from T Gauge. The cars are so light that there is no way they could ever get reliable electrical pickup, but the Japanese solved the problem by making the wheels magnetic, so they grip the rails, simulating the weight of a much heavier car. That and all wheel electrical pickup do the trick.
     
  17. Chris333

    Chris333 TrainBoard Supporter

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    That don't run half bad, pretty nice.

    I say just stick a doodlebug in front of it for now (hint hint)
     
  18. david f.

    david f. TrainBoard Supporter

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    Robert, i just had a wild idea. remember those hallmark ornaments of previous years? the steam locos, that were too tiny for Z? i wonder if one is close enough that it could be used as the head-end dummy loco? now that would be wild -- steam in T gauge!
    dave f.
     
  19. HemiAdda2d

    HemiAdda2d Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Good call-I wonder if those are close for T guage?
     
  20. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    I have one of those tiny hallmark locos, but it is in between Z and T in size. I will try to find it to take a look, but it was a Pacific at least.

    There will be a doodlebug for sure, but I cannot remember seeing photos of them pulling more than 1 passenger car? But then, it's my railroad so I can make the rules, can't I? :D

    At least these things run OK.
     

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