New to G Scale Model Railroading!

Ken Finch May 21, 2013

  1. Ken Finch

    Ken Finch TrainBoard Member

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    I have been working with HO, N and Z scale model railroading. But I decided to get into G scale as well. My current setup consists of:
    - LGB 72441 Santa Fe Steam starter set
    - upgraded the tender to a sound enabled tender with the LGB 65000 sound system
    - added the LGB 65011 Sound Unit Power Storage to the LGB 65000 for standing sounds
    - added the LGB sound whistle trigger and LGB track magnets for the LGB 65000
    - upgraded the LGB starter set throttle to the LGB 52120 5 Amp indoor/outdoor throttle and added storm windows to the window frames and added a white LED internal roof LED to light up the dial
    - added a set of LGB ball bearing metal wheel sets with power pickups to the Santa Fe caboose with yellow LEDs installed and added lights to the cabooses marker lanterns.
    - have 3 boxes of 11000 R1 curves, 3 boxes of 10000, 2 10320 bent rail bumpers, a 19902 station track add on kit
    - added a LGB 20010 Inspectors Handrail car for my kids to run
    - added a Brekina Draisine Klv 20 VW van converted to rail use model for the kids to use
    - added a LGB 37075 passenger car to the consist
    - added a LGB 3907 limited edition passenger car to the consist
    - added a LGB 4131 beer car to the consist also added the LGB car mounted track cleaning accessory to this car to keep the track clean
    - added a LGB 4228 beer car to the consist
    - will be adding LGB ball bearing wheel sets with power pickups and yellow LEDS to both the passenger cars as well as passengers and a engineer waving a lantern on the back of the caboose
    I use this setup in my house, I set it up in a large oval that covers my entire living room and then I have two sidelines that end with the bumpers. One sideline goes to the hallway and stops in front of the bathroom with a track magnet to activate the train whistle and the other goes into the kitchen with a bumper and magnet. I have a sideline into the kitchen so I can deliver food and drinks to the kids in the living room on the flatbed car. Looking to get another flatbed car to increase the food/drink delivering capacity.
    This is not a permanent layout just a put up and takedown arrangement. On Sundays I go to the park with my kids and setup this layout in the middle of the park and power it with a 175w 12 volt inverter connected to my LiFePO4 Eagle E-Bike and run the train while listening to the Kenwood Audio System installed on my E-Bike. I can run for several hours on this setup and still have plenty of power to get home with.
    Any suggestions on further upgrades or improvements and comments good or bad are always welcome by me.
    Kenneth Finch
     
  2. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Taking your setup to the park is a neat idea. Does this seem to generate an interest from passers-by? If you happen to think about it, some day maybe you could take a picture of this when at a park?

    For what type of application was that battery originally designed? Is it a car battery? Motorcycle? Other?
     
  3. Ken Finch

    Ken Finch TrainBoard Member

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    The battery is a 48V 20A LiFePO4 Lithium Ion battery installed in my Electric Bicycle. The train setup in the park does grab a lot of attention especially kids.
     
  4. Keith

    Keith TrainBoard Supporter

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    My railroad, in the front yard, does that as well.
    Especially during summer. Although, it'll draw the
    kids AND the adults at times! And with school here
    ending on Thursday......
    Just hope i can get some much needed repairs made
    before I gotta return to work!
     
  5. Ken Finch

    Ken Finch TrainBoard Member

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    This coming payday looking to buy another box of 10000 straights and if my budget allows I may pickup the LGB Inspectors Pickup Truck that runs on the tracks. Also will see if the LGB Ball Bearing Wheel Set with power pickups is in so I can light up my two new coaches.
     
  6. Ken Finch

    Ken Finch TrainBoard Member

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    Here is some photos of my LGB Train Set. DSCF0212.jpg DSCF0213.jpg DSCF0214.jpg DSCF0215.jpg DSCF0216.jpg DSCF0217.jpg
     
  7. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    I like that little steamer!
     
  8. Ken Finch

    Ken Finch TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks. It is the locomotive that came with the set as well as the tender as well. Inside the tender I upgraded it with the LGB 65000 sound system as well as the LGB Sound Power Storage for standing sounds when the throttle is turned off. I also added on the bottom of the forward truck the whistle trigger for the sound system that is activated by track magnets. For the caboose I added a set of LGB Bearing Metal Wheels with power pickups and yellow LEDs as well as lighted marker lanterns on the rear sides of the caboose. Will be lighting up the coaches the same ways soon. And will be adding passengers as well.
     
  9. Ken Finch

    Ken Finch TrainBoard Member

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    This Wednesday will be buy seated passengers to install inside my coaches. Also once the order comes in to my local hobby shop I will be picking up the yellow LEDs and the LGB Ball Bearing Wheel Sets with power pickups so I can light up my coaches like I did to my caboose. Also not related to G scale but train related I will be picking up a Kibri Fence Kit to finish off my Noch Z Scale Briefcase Train Layout and consider that project finished. Also when Atlas starts shipping again I will be finishing off my 2 piece 3' X 7' banquet table N Scale DCC Train Layout as well later on this summer. Then I can concentrate on my LGB G Scale Train Set.
     
  10. Ken Finch

    Ken Finch TrainBoard Member

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    More photos!

    DSCF0223.jpg DSCF0218.jpg DSCF0219.jpg DSCF0220.jpg DSCF0221.jpg DSCF0222.jpg This is my lighted caboose as well as my lighted and storm windowed LGB Indoor/Outdoor 5 Amp Throttle. Also last 3 pictures are the complete train running in my living room. (needed 3 pictures because the train is too long to fit in 1 picture.)
     
  11. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Neat stuff! Very whimsical. I like that.
     
  12. Ken Finch

    Ken Finch TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks for the kind comment.
     
  13. Ken Finch

    Ken Finch TrainBoard Member

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    Photo of detailing upgrades.
    DSCF0225.jpg DSCF0230.jpg DSCF0231.jpg DSCF0232.jpg DSCF0233.jpg DSCF0226.jpg DSCF0227.jpg DSCF0228.jpg DSCF0229.jpg

    I installed tools on the tender, locomotive and caboose. I installed 4 passengers in the red coach. Awaiting more passengers from my local hobby shop.

    Kenneth Finch
     
  14. Ken Finch

    Ken Finch TrainBoard Member

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    I purchased 3 more figures and installed them in my coaches. I also bought my hobby shops last complete box of 10000 R1 straights and the fencing kit to finish off my Noch Z scale briefcase layout. Randy at the hobby shop said he just received a stock of used but in good condition LGB tracks that were stored in a unheated shed. The brass tracks are tarnished but in good condition. He will give me a good price on it because he knows I will have to clean it up before I can use it. By the end of summer I want to have in my stock 12 boxes of 10000 R1 straights and 12 boxes of 11000 R1 curves, I also want to have 2 more left and 2 more right manual R1 turnouts. My current stock has 4 complete boxes of 10000 R1 straights, 3 complete boxes of 11000 R1 curves, 1 manual left R1 turnout and 1 manual right R1 turnout. I also want to get 4 more track magnets. I have also ordered more LGB Ball Bearing Wheelsets. Eventually I want to replace all the plastic wheelsets with LGB Ball Bearing Wheelsets for a better look and better performance and less rolling resistance. I am also looking into getting longer straights so I do not have to use so many 10000 R1 straights.

    Kenneth Finch
     
  15. Ken Finch

    Ken Finch TrainBoard Member

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    I added a 200V 638uf Electrolytic Capacitor in the caboose connected to the yellow LEDs to prevent the flickering from intermittent power connections. It works flawlessly. I got the capacitor from a defective battery charger. I did not connect one to the cabooses marker lanterns because I feel they look better flickering while rolling down the track.

    Kenneth Finch
     
  16. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    If those lanterns were simulating oil burners, I'd bet they might flicker some. We're probably used to seeing them after conversion to electric.
     
  17. Ken Finch

    Ken Finch TrainBoard Member

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    My LGB Starter Set is of a Santa Fe train from the 1930's I believe. So I believe they would have used oil lanterns so I wanted to preserve the look.

    Kenneth Finch
     
  18. Ken Finch

    Ken Finch TrainBoard Member

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    Well I am out in my driveway again with an even longer and wider oval to run my LGB train on. I want to run it few a few hours t test the capacitor in the caboose. I it works out after this test I will outfit my coaches with them when I get the LGB Ball Bearing Wheels from the hobby shop. I was at the hobby shop yesterday and picked up two LGB Metal Wheel Kits and outfitted my two beer cars with them to replace the stock plastic wheels. Now the only cars with factory plastic wheels left is my flatbed car and the two coaches. Wednesday if the hobby shop has more metal wheel kits in stock I will pick up two more kits to outfit the flatcar because it requires two kits because it has four axels.
     
  19. Ken Finch

    Ken Finch TrainBoard Member

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    Well I upgraded to a LGB 6 Amp Transformer, picked up some Ball Bearing Wheel Sets and LEDs to light up my coaches. Also picked up a used LGB 20020 Fortuna Flyer for my kids. Cleaned it up and the kids love running it on the track.

    Ken Finch
     
  20. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Will we be seeing a video of those new lights, at night?
     

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