What are you buying this month (March 2023)?

[donzi]

Palmetto Train show booty. Kato Kobo ACL F2A/B, and Atlas ACL GP7, and Train Cat Tankcar loading platforms, stairs and bridge. Same vendor had a like new Heavy Mountain for $170 I pondered but didn't buy. When I went back for 2nd pass, it was already gone. I know better.

[SimRacin14]

Cincinnati train show haul. The locos were $50 each.

[railohio]

Cincinnati train show haul. The locos were $50 each.

But how much was the paper?

[badlandnp]

[SimRacin14]

But how much was the paper?

Book was $25. Timetable was $2.

[jhn_plsn]

Nothing fancy like trains, but plenty of layout construction material like plywood, paint, screws, brackets, and adjustable feet for the legs.

Since I now have the branchline benchwork up I can begin backdrop and trackwork on it. I look forward to working the area.

[Silent1961]

Picked up 4 sound decoders yesterday.

2 Digitrax SDN144A0's to replace the NCE decoders in two Atlas GP38-2's. The NCE decoders will be repurposed into a couple of dash 8 loco's.

2023-03-13 001 Sound Decoder Purchase.jpg

The other 2 are Digitrax SDXN146K1E's. One will go into my Kato SD70ACe I picked up at the train show last November. The other I haven't decided which Kato DC unit gets the upgrade next. So many to choose from yet. This week is dedicated to doing decoder installs.

2023-03-13 002 Sound Decoder Purchase.jpg

[gamitzu]

The other 2 are Digitrax SDXN146K1E's. One will go into my Kato SD70A

Price remain the same for them or go up like all parts in the last year?
Also i have 2 remain on my box since i pass on Loksound new decoders made for North American models. More function, more sound quality if are compared. I bought 4 pcs yesterday to replace the MRC sound decoder in my SD70ACe UP Flared Flag. In time maybe i will replace all. Way too expensive.

[Silent1961]

The other 2 are Digitrax SDXN146K1E's. One will go into my Kato SD70A

Price remain the same for them or go up like all parts in the last year?
Also i have 2 remain on my box since i pass on Loksound new decoders made for North American models. More function, more sound quality if are compared. I bought 4 pcs yesterday to replace the MRC sound decoder in my SD70ACe UP Flared Flag. In time maybe i will replace all. Way too expensive.

The SDXN146K1E decoders I picked up from the local LHS is last years stock sitting on his peg board at last years price. The current Digitrax MSRP advertised on their site is the same as what I paid. TCS and NCE decoders have all gone up $6 to $8 in the same time frame.

I have ESU decoders in a few of my factory sound installed loco's and I do love the richness of the sound, but with the number of DC loco's I'm converting it is cost prohibitive to go the ESU route. I'm having to compromise between having sound versus sound quality. No local LHS carries ESU decoders. So with the higher cost of Lockpilot and Locksound, plus shipping, adding in the additional cost of speakers and capacitors, the Digitrax option is more economically feasible for me. The Digitrax has the capacitor and speaker included plus already attached.

That being said, a majority of my fleet will be non sound. I'll be using up my collection of Digitrax DN163K1C and NCE N14A1 decoders first into my Kato 6 axles before continuing with sound upgrades. I also have 25 loco's that need wired decoders which I'm leaving until last.

[Heiko]

I believe a lot of the sound quality of the ESUs actually comes from the speaker (I think I tried one of my ESUs with the old Digitrax speaker I had installed before, but I'm not 100% sure).

So if you can find one of those sugar cubes with baffle, like sbs4dcc sells at http://sbs4dcc.com/sugarcubespeakers.html, that might be a cheap way to improve the sound quality from the Digitrax decoders (which IMHO is not the only shortcoming of Digitrax compared to ESU, at least with the older 8bit decoders, but I do see the price point)

Heiko

[SimRacin14]

Four more Kato ES44s arrived yesterday.

[gamitzu]

I agree whit expenses. I am in the same bucket. 38 SD70ACe and another 40 KATO fitted with MRC sound decoders. If i buy ESU replacements for them, it's really painfull for budget. I have 4 ACe Flared US Flag, i want to run in consist. This will be with ESU. I am still happy with MRC.

[Heiko]

My "triangular base plate sander" (is there a better English word? Translated from German, it's either "triangle sander" or "delta sander") died today. In fact, it was probably bound to die from the time I fixed up my apartment and didn't have a proper shop vac, about 10 years ago, so all the dust went into the bearings. Let me tell you a ball bearing without balls is... well, basically not a bearing anymore The manufacturer does have spare parts, but I'll need to find a supplier and I need something to get my modules sanded quickly.

So I just ordered a multi sander (Metabo FMS 200 Intec) and the adapter to connect it to my shop vac directly. And in the meantime, I finished sanding the first go by hand. I'm so looking forward to my new tools

Heiko

[SimRacin14]

Louisville train show:


Building was $20, which isn't bad for something pre-built.

[Silent1961]

I found an new old stock FVM BNSF ES44AC for under a $100 USD from an LHS. I removed the "Christmas Train" placards from the handrails that were attached then transferred the decoder from the damaged gevo into this unit.2023-03-16 005 FVM Decoder Install.jpg

[donzi]

WOT CoG Express Baggage, F-Unit parts from Kato, Loctite and primer combination supposed to glue Delrin, haven’t tried it yet. 17 Atlas 2 Bay ACL hoppers 2 MT box cars ACL and SAL, Atlas caboose in FEC, and yet more couplers for continued push to getting all motive power converted.

[MetroRedLn]

My latest acquisition from The Popular Suburban Baltimore Online Hobby Shop:




Kato Siemens ALC-42 - 'Nuff Said.

Walthers Switch Machine - Yes, @el Gato Gordo, I'm takin' one for the team!

ESM 33" .553 Metal Wheels - Replacing the chattery-sounding Intermountain metal wheels on my Athearn Auto-Max articulated autorack car. It runs soooo smooooth now!

More to come...

[spiralcity]

Some rolling stock.

[Silent1961]

Recently I keep catching my throttle cable on the DT500 with my legs causing the throttle to fall on the floor. So today I picked up a Digitrax throttle holder.

2023-03-23 Digitrax Throttle Holder.jpg

I also received my order from Trainworx for some detail parts ordered a couple of weeks ago. The first items are etched fans and covers for my sound unit conversions. Digitrax recommends the BLMA fans, which I have on order from my LHS, but I thought I'd try the Trainworx ones as well.

2023-03-23 001 Trainworx Etched Fans.jpg

Since I was already paying the shipping, I threw in a couple of packages of grab irons.

2023-03-23 002 Trainworx Grab Irons.jpg

I also included 4 packages of lift rings for when I continue with my GP9 projects.

2023-03-23 Trainworx Lift Rings.jpg

[Rodsup9000]

I just got a package from Trainworks too
15 drop bottom gondolas
40' van trailer and a tank trailer


From other sources
4 pack Athearn 3 bay hoppers
2 MTL drop bottom gondolas (will be striped and painted for WP)
All time index for Model Railroader and Railroad Model Craftsman


Not pictured
7 MTL 2 bay open hoppers
5 Atlas 11,000 gal propane cars



I think I have enough drop bottom gondolas and coal hoppers for my beet refinery now