Model Train Talk South Africa
General Model Train Talk and Calendar => New Members Welcome => Topic started by: Georgecape on May 01, 2017, 11:03:46 AM
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I have been watching my grandson grow (now 3) into playing intensively with small cars (many so cheap on Bidorbuy) and recognizing cars on the road and after collecting a little N gauge truck from Morné in Som West I came home and was bitten. My grandson needs to get into model railways ;D. He is only 3 and I realise he needs to be older but nevertheless I set out and bought tracks (after deciding in ignorance) on HO and some coaches and a loco (old Mantua) on Bidorbuy and started to layout a railway on the bedroom floor. I immediately decided on battery power and RC. Read everything on Google for 2 weeks flat (retired with lots of time and fed-up with newspapers) and started ordering parts including buying tools and components from Yebo here in Bellville.
And I got it running - too beautiful for words ;D Now for rainy days when he visits I'll put the box of tracks out and we can build some - slowly but surely.
BUT I find the size too small and finicky for my eyes. Am now considering O scale and will check it out at Saturday's meet in Milnerton. It also makes sense with him already playing with Duplo and Lego.
My thanks to everybody worldwide that contributes info, videos and photos to these forums - it just makes life so much more satisfying than having to struggle with one's inherent ignorance!
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Welcome George, don't worry about him being to young, I was just over 2 when my parents started me on my hobby of a lifetime.
Got a complete layout and still have one of the trains today.
HO is fine for him, or else look at LGB which is great for kids and adults alike. You can set that up in the garden as well.
BTW I'm in Bellville.
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Thks that's good to know. I'll investigate LGB as I like to buy used and repair and make many things as well. That's part of my fun. The Lego prices are very high and I can't imagine what it cost to do some of the layouts I've watched on Youtube. BTW the Lego patent(s) have lapsed and there's a factory in Cape Town making the popular building blocks at good prices. I would love to do my own tracks if I can find a source of T-bar or even round bar etc but I'll experiment before jumping in ;D
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Good Morning and Welcome to the Forum and the Hobby.
My son is two and 4 months now and he loves his trains. My wife and I have set him up with the Wooden Thomas and track and it is perfect for him.
I have a N Gauge collection and a fairly big layout. Still way to small for him, but he really enjoys watching.
I'm in Vredekloof, opposite Cape Gate.
Cheers and speak again.
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Welcome George :thumb:
Lovely to see guys getting their kids/grand kids into the hobby. I must admit I failed with my 2 boys. If only my hobby was iPad I'd have 2 participants for life!
Ah well, come say hi on Saturday - you'll find me and Looville (Ed and Evert) there "smokkeling" trains :innocent:
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Thks, looking forward to the meet.
I discovered 'scratch build your own' on Google and that really got me fired up. Hope there'll be bogeys and wheels and motors/gears etc for the DIY type.
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Thks, looking forward to the meet.
I discovered 'scratch build your own' on Google and that really got me fired up. Hope there'll be bogeys and wheels and motors/gears etc for the DIY type.
I have 2 sets of hens teeth, but not that.
Seriously, a year or two ago I had On30 bogies and locomotive for sale... :eek2:
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Hey George
Welcome to the forum bud.
Forget what the others here say, the bigger scale is the better scale. (sorry Ed.)HAHA
Im 1 of the few here who builds in O gauge. No trains though, just dioramas. There is plans in the pipeline for anOn30 narrow gauge logging layout someday.
I have some O scale structures for you if you do decide to change scales.
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Thks Wes, I'll keep that in mind.
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Nice meeting you George. I hope I helped you well enough! :thumb:
Wes, someone was looking for you or how to get in contact. Drop me an email and I'll put you guys in touch.
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Nice meeting you George. I hope I helped you well enough! :thumb:
Wes, someone was looking for you or how to get in contact. Drop me an email and I'll put you guys in touch.
Email sent Ed
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Email sent Ed
Received, but reply bounced... ???
Passed info onwards... 8)
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Email sent Ed
Received, but reply bounced... ???
Passed info onwards... 8)
Had my old email address. Ive changed it now
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Hey George
Welcome to the forum bud.
Forget what the others here say, the bigger scale is the better scale. (sorry Ed.)HAHA
Im 1 of the few here who builds in O gauge. No trains though, just dioramas. There is plans in the pipeline for anOn30 narrow gauge logging layout someday.
I have some O scale structures for you if you do decide to change scales.
Wes, I am now changing to O scale after Ed got me some tracks from Graham. And I've bought some used diesels and coaches and now I'am waiting for the Arduino stuff from Hong Kong/China to do a full RC setup with control from my cell phone. Haha I don't know what I'am getting myself into but it's damn interesting for a pensioner and cheaper than DSTV ;D
Now I have to find the best way of selling my HO track and 9 wagons and tankers. I've wired the 2 loco's for RC and attached to an LED dimmer and batteries and it works well but of no use to normal electrified track anymore so I'll keep them as a reminder of school fees.
Anybody else into O scale?
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Im sure Ed can get rid of the stuff you looking to sell.
Keen to see the Rc setup thats on its way. Hope youll do a build log of sorts.
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Are you going standard gauge or narrow gauge?
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Wow, what does that mean?
My mind is living in the world of model trains and the track width is about 32mm - real trains don't exist for me ;D
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Photo of the LED dimmer with remote and 2 9V batteries (nearer 16V) working well.
The loco is too light so I added a 5lb sinker and now there's no wheel spin. No idea how long they will last. Grandson was dancing around with joy (I think he was born with a remote in the hand).
But my fingers are in the way all the time ;D
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Can anybody pse tell me where I can find gears for a Lima O scale train as per photo. The worn gears (I have 2 units) are on the main rotor shaft axle.
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Sorry about the photos I'll work on getting it right ;D
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Hi George,
reduce the size of the photo first in a program like Windows Paint.
Have you got a photo of the gears?
Diameter inside and outside as well as number of teeth?
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Fixed! :thumb:
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Fixed! :thumb:
Yes. Teeth = 12 and shaft dia = 2.5 and gear dia = 8mm
I am wondering if I shouldn't replace the motor wit a new type brushless. With the Dremel I can cut away the housing and make a new housing from wood and position a new motor.
The restrictions are height 35mm and width 35mm max.
Any advice appreciated :)
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Correction: gear dia 7mm
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Ouch that looks bad.
I suspect that gear is part of the shaft.
If not would be tricky to pull off and press a new one on if you can get.
If you can go the new motor route that might be a good option to explore.
I do have pullers and a press.
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Thks. I got some advice from a local model car shop and he advises me to slip in a cpte new brushed motor into the existing housing (after removing the magnetic stator) that can accept a new gear which he has. It's 11 teeth and dia 6.5 and shaft dia 2mm - not quite the same but I'll give it a try?