OMG...when you pulled the magnifying glass to check the wheel position on the track...I nearly fell of my chair. The 33 percenters(of which I can happily say I am one) are the people who get all the joy out of what you're doing. 😊
Super. That was my first N scale locomotive. It ran pretty well, but was indeed "rough," however, I had minimal power pickup issues when it was moving. I left the transformer plugged in one night, slightly turned on, and burned out the motor. As I got older, I rebuilt it as a lighted dummy, and it is still part of my fleet to this day. I can't believe we are both that old. It looks super nice with the class lights, and the AT&SF paint, even though it is fake, matches my two E9 B units and Suedo Superior Super Chief. Hello from the Tracy Mountain Railway in Colorado. 💙 T.E.N.
I was lucky, about half of the locomotives and rollingstock that I bought survived my childhood to operate on my modern layout, which has HO and N gauge. The Atlas Fairbanks Morse CPA24-5 C-Liner, painted in the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe paint scheme was my first N gauge locomotive, and I accidentally killed it by being a kid and had to turn it into a dummy. But my second N locomotive, an N gauge Atlas WDT switcher, still operates on my N scale (N=Standard, HOn30, or a rideable model or park railroad) railroad, while my first and third HO locomotives, a Mantua/Tyco Plymouth CR-4 Center Cab Switcher, ($3.95 at the Air Force Commissary and Px outlet in the Philippines) and an Athearn band drive EMD F7A locomotive still haul the freight almost fifty years later. My first HO train set, after my first locomotive, was a Lionel HO steam locomotive with six train cars and a caboose, again bought at the AF Px, but only two cars and the caboose survived because our toilet flooded and caused part of the ceiling to collapse and disintegrate part of the train layout. Resale, theft, trade, kitbashing, consignment, accidental destruction, and giving some away to a good cause eliminated 33 of the 97 that I bought new, and now I have 64 solid HO and N survivor locomotives, and a lot of dummies. 💙 T.E.N.
For the one’s going on about the dirty hands, I’ve always said dirty hands, clean money. I work with my hands as well so I know the struggle. Great vid as usual!
I'm impressed with your find! I was born when this set was new and bought many of these pieces used in the early 80s. I had heard bad things about these engines but I had a pair of powered ones in PRR, which also never owned this model, with a dummy and they did pretty well. I still have that IC boxcar and converted it to Microtrains trucks because it just seems to have a presence. It's amazing how much detail the late 1960s N scale offered. Admittedly quite a few bad running items were offered but still pretty good. Amazing how that tooling kept going under different importers. Thanks for doing this video!
Nice Ron, I'm a N & Z Scaler, your videos are great, yes after you clean a N Scale engine you normally need to run if for half hour or so to break it back in. Love your videos even the wife watches them...
The old Yugoslavia played a major role in the popularity of model trains worldwide which has largely been forgotten since the nation ceased to exist. Love this video/
Thanks for the explanation of the 33%’ers…glad to say I am one of them…great video, nice find in a second hand store…I should be so lucky…a collectible for those who collect…cheers…
@@classicmodeltrains it isn't set up at the moment, and I hasn't run in some time. I'm assuming I'll have to do some work on it. We shall see. This video will be an awesome reference
I love watching your videos! Thank you for showing older trains. I like to learn about the history and experiences with these older n scale locos! Keep up the great work
My first train sets. Were N scale…I used to buy them at the base PX at joint base Andrews when my dad was stationed there…then I got them at Cameron station in ..VA…I had a bunch of engines and cars mostly Bachman…when I got older I gave them away to a buddies younger brother,,,,he still has them to this day..and he says they still run..they gotta be 40 yrs old!
I can hardly believe I sold all my mint unused condition Concor ABBA unit Southern Pacific PA engines añd about 50 Concor and Atlas freight cars. All never used in original boxes . A Riverossi 2 10 0 perfect LN condition locomotive in OB. Not many people take care of N scale trains the way I did. I always bought brand new from several Train stores and Hobby shop that were selling out of business. No used junk is probably rare and hard to find nowadays. I bought all 200 pieces or so back in the 1980s and sold it for near nothing. All that mint stuff would be worth more now I would think. I bought everything I could find in mint condition, never had a layout. I had about 20 boxes of brand new German very famous brand track Arnold Rapido, almost forgot the name completely. It was so well made and tight I could put it on the floor and it would stay together until you pulled it apart! I miss all that stuff I will never see again because we have no hobby stores here any more!
Always sucks when you think your done with a passion and sell everything off and that flame gets re-ignited years latter. Hope you find some of your treasures again
Ron I had to watch this one all the way threw after seeing you was going to be working on a N scale. I was just waiting for you to throw it but you did a great job. Better than I could do. lol
I’m a “Shade Tree 🌳Mechanic”… I think the worst my hands ever got greasy dirty was a In Frame Overhaul I did on an old “Cornbinder Tractor”… It took weeks to get that out of the cuts and nail quick, and finger prints!!!! The burnt carbon was thick as grease… lots of money and satisfaction in the finished product! But, it was a sign that I earned a living with my hands! Females, that are worth time and hard earned money look from those type of hands!!! lol And I thought it was thundering when your neighbor fired up his car!! lol
Yup Ive done quite a few in frame overhauls on Semi Trucks. Big messy buggers for sure. I wished I had a tree to provide some shade when I'm outside doing my day job fixing RV's. It sure was a hot summer this year :-)
@@judyrush3219 I'm going to be putting a lot of the Loco's and sets ive worked on all summer up for sale on eBay. Raise some funds to purchase more stuff to work on. A video will come out showing whats for sale
Hey Ron - love your videos !!! I am 33% all the way. I recently dug out all my stored away Protos and Blue box Atherns, Stewarts and Rivarossi's and even the dreded Bachmans... all needed some synthetic lube and a drink. Your instructions and inspirations got 3 stuck locos running again !! Thanks - what you are doing is working. - serious man. If you come to NJ - lets have a beer and a smoke and a nice dinner - look me up. Enjoy watching. I'm hooked.
I have worked on some N gauge stuff in the past. Never again. I’ll stick with my HO gauge stuff. Don’t worry about the dirty hands. People complain about dirty hands until they get saved by them. Keep up the great work!
Holy Moly ! You freaking made your own traction tires. Great Job! Great video Ron. Could you maybe one day give us a dictionary video. Love all your different vernacular! I finally found one of those C- Liners that ran. Yours runs well . Other versions of same Atlas loco used pickup pads to get the “Juice” from the track. Love your N- scale layout test track. I made sure to watch all the way through. Yaaay to all of the 33%ers out there
One of your 33% here. Great video. I enjoy watching you repair different scales. One thing I miss is your classic model. I can't believe someone commented about dirty hands. Maybe you can try nitrile gloves if dirty hands are a problem. Keep the videos coming dirty hands and all.
Very twee little unit, always wish Rivarossi or someone else did the 5-axle C-liner in HO just for the sake of variety and added strangeness. I recently picked up the twin-knob version of the Tech II, very smooth little DC controller/power pack!
@@classicmodeltrains If we're talking weird 5-axle diesels from this era, Hornby Dublo in England did a "Metrovick" Co-Bo diesel at one time - Even more peculiar, since that one has a cab at either end, seems like the ride would be smoother going one way vs. the other. The only one that makes any sense at all to me is the Japanese DE10, which is basically their version of an RS-3, with a six wheel truck on the long hood to spread the weight of the engine. KATO does a fantastic little DE10 model, I don't do much N scale, but I've got one of them, and the LEDs in the noses are incredible for how tiny the thing is.
The box came out very nice. I am a fanatical and shameless box saver. I have a transformer like the one you have and I still have the original box for it, too.
We dabbled in N back in the late 1960's. Most everything, except for ConCor PA's and Hudsons, ran like this or worse. It was enough that we made the decision to 1) keep the American Flyer (my brother), and 2) stick with HO for the last 55 years (me).
I'm 67 now and had this set in either 1967 or 1968. I was 11 or 12 then. I stared at this set which was high up on the wall at the hobby shop for months. I believe it was $19.95 at the time. Got it for Christmas.
I had a similar set from 1974 or so. My set had a coal car rather than a log car. It was very heavy compared to the other cars. The other cars are the same. My 2 brothers and dat all had a 060 Penn switchers (3 of them) with some Rio Grande style passenger cars, kind of originally painted to match the Durango/Silverton in a standard gauge sizing. Very cool.
Hey I really appreciated this video. I decided to jump into the hobby a few months ago w/vintage N scale. My 1st set, Lonestar Treble-O-Letric, came with extra track & a layout book from Atlas. Judging from the graphics, it that looks like it goes with that set. I also appreciate the demo cleaning on the loco. My 2nd set is MRC from Yugoslavia & I bet it's a similar breakdown.
You have the patience of a saint working in the Micro-scale! When someone brings me an N gauge loco to repair, i shudder that a spring may zing off into the ether. Good job on your set!
Great video! Good to see older stuff living young once again lol. The only folks who would complain about your hands being dirty are the ones who don't work for a living or never worked jobs that reuired hands getting dirty for the World to go around. Keep up the great work and let them hands be as dirty as they like to be ;)
@@davidandrew477 I thought so, my very first train was an N scale Postage Stamp Train set, so when I added to it of course, Atlas had some of the nicest most detail N scale pieces back then, and I remember having to undue the tape to get the cars out of the jewel box!
N scale was invented simply to allow more distance in less space for the trains. Too small for me. But you did a fine job! So much fun to watch these vids!!!
OUCH Frank :-). I'm only down to half my original output. Can I get a 50% ;-). actually the other half of my video's are on my other channel. But there not about trains.
I have a couple of FM "C" Atlas n scale marked made in Italy. They used a plastic that wouldn't take the heat of the commutators. A video is out there that shows a small square motor which can be used. He took it out to have the stator only and you had to compensate for it being slightly longer.just look for that fix.
I'm in the process of building a shed on my farm as a lounge/N scale room. Hope to have three layouts, a workbench and to be able to properly enjoy my collection of N scale stock. Even hope to custom paint up several N scale locos.
I perfected the watch... "Like #333" as a 33%'er. Blasted a laugh when you shot that first traction tire into nothing-land. I've got two HO CN A-B zebra-stripe passenger (5-axle) pairs. A DC and DCC/Sound set, so I cannot run them ABBA but I can swap them to run on DC and DCC layouts. Love your videos, Ron. Your choice of vocabulary and jargon are perfect. Awesome job on those jewel cases with the WD-40! John BC, Canada (Nee Bellingham, WA)
Glad to see you take on another N Scale project. Yeah, the old Bachmann stuff really did suck. And even this "better" Atlas offering just makes me more appreciative of the strides modern manufacturers like Kato, Fox Valley, ScaleTrains, and others have made. Seeing a single new N Scale locomotive easily pull 35 or 40 cars (without the need for traction tires) highlights what amazing works of engineering these items now are. They are going be the next generation's Classic Model Trains.
@@classicmodeltrains Pretty much all of the current Kato and ScaleTrains six axle GE locos can pull 30-40 cars on a flat stretch. There are a few videos on UA-cam about Todd Treatster's N-Scale layout - he runs 100+ car trains with 3 or 4 locos consisted together. Worth checking out....
Here's a bit of trivia. The locomotive that holds the record for the largest number of cars pulled by a single locomotive is a custom N scale unit, the Cotton Brute.
Hey brother, I learned a pretty neat trick from a machine shop teacher for cleaning up oil and grease stained hands pretty good. Use maroon colored Scotch Brite pad, Dawn dish liquid and some water to gently scrub your hands. Try it, it works pretty good for me.
Wow, I didn't even know N scale was a thing in the 60s. Pretty funny to see a C-Liner, I guess it's supposed to be standing in for the Erie-built, which Santa Fe did have; kinda similar to how around the same time Lionel was using Alco FAs as stand-ins for PAs.
Ron, I must say that I love your videos and that I always look forward to the next one. There are other train video guys out there, but some are too boring and some are annoying. Yours are neither.
You have such a fascinating presentation. You've got this inate practical mechanical ability, and its coupled with this exporatory nature. Just great :) neat to see older N. N (not then N of course) seems to have come about, like TT, as a smaller size than the main sizes of 0 gauge. N and TT were marketed at roughly the same time in the immediate postwar period, when of course the Germans were prohibited manufacturing anything that might be considered dangerous like kitchen knives, So toys were very quick off the mark. At the time there was Marklin 00 rtr, Trix Express, TTR and Hornby Dublo, and in the US rtr was Lionel 00 (basically dropped) and AF H0 and the familiar H0 kits. All of the small scales being developed seem to have been to get a true to type style train in a given space, following the concept of the grandaddy of them all: Greenleys amazing Bing for BL Table railway. TT has struggled with acceptance through most of its life, N had the false start then reinvented as 000, then reinvented again by Arnold as our now familiar N.
My mom watches the videos I make and she tells me that my bench is messy, or my hands are dirty too! Nice little N gauge set. My dad had a bunch of those. The Atlas ones, maybe the later ones, seem pretty good. That's small enough you can build an entire layout in your train room! Got to ride in a Fairbanks switcher once. The opposed engines had a neat sound. That engine no longer operates, sitting in a museum and they coated the engine door handles with grease to keep out certain people. Ask me how I know!
I would have a messier train room if It wasn't for cleaning it up and organizing for each video. I would love to hear a FM engine running. Sounds like were very similar.....I would try and open things im not supposed to also :-)
When you nail down the n scale track on top of the plywood are the track nails, easy to pull out of the plywood? Also, by the way you do a pretty good job of fixing these model trains you deserve a subscriber from me. I watched your videos and when I watch them, that’s how I learn how to fix model trains myself because of your videos, which helps a lot.
I use very small track nails. to pull them out I use a small set of diagonal cutters and grab the head and pry out. works well for me but there's a bit of a trick to it.
Greetings From Colorful Colorado, Your hands are looking extremely clean Feller. The only problem with clean hands I can think of is cracking open a cold one just doesn't taste as good as having a cold one with Man Hands. John
That's an interesting approach to the pilot in N scale. Instead of putting a big gap for the truck mounted coupler they just use The Swinging pilot found still found most O gage models.
well i kept watching because i wanted to see how well the cleanup came out and if you could do a good enough job there. also, you yourself are entertaining, a bit funny so that kept me around. i also wanted to know how hard, or simple, it is to work on small items like n scale trains. im toying with choosing either n scale or ho. i much prefer ho but its bigger (requires more space) and more expensive. there is a lot of work, maybe, involved in model railroading and am trying to see if its something i want to tackle. im 60 yo, not 20 or 30, so theres that, but i have my plan drawn out. havent spent a dime yet because i want to make sure im going for it before i buy anything. my plan isnt extensive but its more than an oval 4x8. its what i call a no-switch tear drop to tear drop loops with about 20ft double track "L" between (loops will be scenic).
Greetings Ken! Thanks for watching. Have you considered American Flyer "S" Gauge? about the same room needed for the layout but the stuff is a bit bigger. Inexpensive to purchase used stuff. Not quite as detailed but in my eye that's good because less stuff to break off with big hands. I hope you pull the plug and get a layout going. Its quite enjoyable for sure :-)
The Concor PA DIESELS run like crazy and pull 20 Concor and Atlas Boxçars like nothing at all, fast and slow and creeps well to. The Riverossi 2-10-O Steamer pulling more than 40 boxcar. I ran out of room!! Smooth as silk with 4 stock traction tires that stay on tight!! Real traction. I know that engine could pull 60 cars.
When I Started Model Railroading I was Into Ho to Start didn’t understand N Scale. I was Young But Now I Have Gotten Older I Am Modeling Ho And N Scale Just like My Wife.
@@classicmodeltrains the RS-3 Atlas/Kato are usually the least expensive to find. They are not the Atlas Classic RS-3, those are Chinese manufacture, but are very nice as well! They are more $$. I have maybe 5 or 6 atlas/kato RS-3 or RS-11 and love them. Found most on tha bay for between $30 to $50.
A friend of mine has one of these little Atlas/Rivarossi C-Liners, I serviced it for him. Maybe it would work a little better if I did your traction tire trick! Where do you get your tubing? The reason for all that friction is that the rear wheels actually rotate independently on their axles, and have an itty bitty spring that presses against the backs of the wheels. I think the idea was to improve electrical continuity, but it really increases the drag. I think they would have had a much better engine if they powered the rear truck instead of the front one, or gave it all-wheel drive.
I cant remember where I got that tubing. Perhaps a hospital visit and I grabbed up the stuff they were gunna throw away (it was unused) These rear pickup wheels are a wheel - half axle design. the axle spins in the plastic truck frame. I agree, an all wheel drive would be very cool!!
Hi Ron, enjoyed this video. As a fellow working man type I appreciate your hands dilemma. An artist friend of mine one called my hands "...those things.." as they are adapted to mainly perform physical labor without gloves. I don't always have time or patience for trimming so typically hack down the nails only after they start snagging on things and getting in the way, or just full of dirt grease and oil that won't come clean. I happen to have that Atlas cardboard box (empty) taking up space in my cabinet, but the set that came with it had a Mikado loco and different rolling stock, box stamped 80-664. It also had the contents in a blister pack, not the nice cradle insert you have. I have no use for this box, looks like you might. I'll send you a message with the details, now how do I do that?
Sorry Ron. No idea how to send you a private message. The box measures 12 1/4" x 14 1/4". I also have thee original powerpack for it that I use on my shop bench for testing and wheel cleaning. I have other better ones in storage so have this one out only since it's a beater to me but if it has value for someone else.
Hello Andrew. Thanks for you kind words on my video. Sounds like are hands are abused the same way. To message me your can goto my Facebook fan page called Classic Model Trains. Or snail mail, mailing address is in the description on all videos. I would be kinda interested in that box you mentioned. :-)
Thanks!
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!! So Kind of you 🙂
@@classicmodeltrains you are very welcome! Thank you for providing such great videos!
OMG...when you pulled the magnifying glass to check the wheel position on the track...I nearly fell of my chair. The 33 percenters(of which I can happily say I am one) are the people who get all the joy out of what you're doing. 😊
Them little buggers are a pain to get on the rails :-)
@classicmodeltrains Really looking forward to your first Z gauge video...I'm going to have to get a seatbelt for my recliner for that one. Lmao
Super. That was my first N scale locomotive. It ran pretty well, but was indeed "rough," however, I had minimal power pickup issues when it was moving. I left the transformer plugged in one night, slightly turned on, and burned out the motor. As I got older, I rebuilt it as a lighted dummy, and it is still part of my fleet to this day. I can't believe we are both that old. It looks super nice with the class lights, and the AT&SF paint, even though it is fake, matches my two E9 B units and Suedo Superior Super Chief. Hello from the Tracy Mountain Railway in Colorado. 💙 T.E.N.
Pretty cool you still have one of your childhood loco's
I was lucky, about half of the locomotives and rollingstock that I bought survived my childhood to operate on my modern layout, which has HO and N gauge. The Atlas Fairbanks Morse CPA24-5 C-Liner, painted in the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe paint scheme was my first N gauge locomotive, and I accidentally killed it by being a kid and had to turn it into a dummy. But my second N locomotive, an N gauge Atlas WDT switcher, still operates on my N scale (N=Standard, HOn30, or a rideable model or park railroad) railroad, while my first and third HO locomotives, a Mantua/Tyco Plymouth CR-4 Center Cab Switcher, ($3.95 at the Air Force Commissary and Px outlet in the Philippines) and an Athearn band drive EMD F7A locomotive still haul the freight almost fifty years later. My first HO train set, after my first locomotive, was a Lionel HO steam locomotive with six train cars and a caboose, again bought at the AF Px, but only two cars and the caboose survived because our toilet flooded and caused part of the ceiling to collapse and disintegrate part of the train layout. Resale, theft, trade, kitbashing, consignment, accidental destruction, and giving some away to a good cause eliminated 33 of the 97 that I bought new, and now I have 64 solid HO and N survivor locomotives, and a lot of dummies. 💙 T.E.N.
That thing is AWESOME! Absolutely a collectable, with a beautiful display box too!
It was a nice find for sure!
When I Watch These Videos I don’t Care Who it Is I Love It Cause it’s Educational No Matter Who And What scale It is I will Never Stop Watching These.
Thanks so much for your support of my channel!!!
Thank you for sharing. I am proud to be one of your 33%ers, enjoyed the video.👍
Thanks for your support of my channel :-)
I don’t care what scale your working on. I just really enjoy watching your video and learning from them. Keep up!!😊
I appreciate that Russ!! Thanks so much :-)
For the one’s going on about the dirty hands, I’ve always said dirty hands, clean money. I work with my hands as well so I know the struggle. Great vid as usual!
Oh and yes I’m one of the 33% lol
Thanks for your support of my channel Josh! All my buddies are tradesmen and I wouldn't want it any other way :-)
I'm impressed with your find! I was born when this set was new and bought many of these pieces used in the early 80s. I had heard bad things about these engines but I had a pair of powered ones in PRR, which also never owned this model, with a dummy and they did pretty well. I still have that IC boxcar and converted it to Microtrains trucks because it just seems to have a presence. It's amazing how much detail the late 1960s N scale offered. Admittedly quite a few bad running items were offered but still pretty good. Amazing how that tooling kept going under different importers. Thanks for doing this video!
Very cool story! Thanks for sharing.
My dad had a similar set when I was a kid . The same engine , but Union Pacific and similar but different cars . I still have a couple of the cars
Right on!
Hey I really could watch you all day,crap im 65 years old and look forward to till you next video as long as i got my Geritol.
I need Geritol in order to sit down for 2 days and produce a video :-). Thanks for your kind words!!
Great video Ron. 33%er here. Had to give up N scale years age. Just couldn't cope with such small stuff. Love your classic tunes as well.
Thanks Mark for your support of my channel Sir!!!
Nice Ron, I'm a N & Z Scaler, your videos are great, yes after you clean a N Scale engine you normally need to run if for half hour or so to break it back in. Love your videos even the wife watches them...
Thanks to you and the Missus. Z scale huh? Holy moly I can imagine :-)
The old Yugoslavia played a major role in the popularity of model trains worldwide which has largely been forgotten since the nation ceased to exist.
Love this video/
A few of my Subs are from the former Yugoslavia. Too bad they had that dang civil war over there.
Thanks for the explanation of the 33%’ers…glad to say I am one of them…great video, nice find in a second hand store…I should be so lucky…a collectible for those who collect…cheers…
you betcha and thanks for your support of the channel :-)
Im there with Ya ! I am a Tool Maker / model railroader. A BIG FAN OF RON. I am a 100% er. Keep up the great work.
Thanks so much Gary :-)
I enjoy, your videos, and have learned, much watching you fix, on these trains, thumbs up
Thank you Carl!
I enjoy all the videos that you make I'm glad you explain everything in your videos
Thank you for your kind words Richard. Another Video launching tomorrow morning (10-2-23)
I have quite a few Atlas N scale from this era, including the Fairbanks Morse locomotive. Awesome to see a set running. Thanks for another cool video.
Glad you enjoyed it. Hope yours is still riding the rails!!
Is it the UP RSC?
@@classicmodeltrains it isn't set up at the moment, and I hasn't run in some time. I'm assuming I'll have to do some work on it. We shall see. This video will be an awesome reference
I love watching your videos! Thank you for showing older trains. I like to learn about the history and experiences with these older n scale locos! Keep up the great work
Thank you very much!
Great one Ron. And for what it's worth, I enjoy your dialog as you do your magic. Cheers.
Thanks Rick :-)
Awesome. 😊
Great job on your displays!
Thank you Henry!! 😊
My first train sets. Were N scale…I used to buy them at the base PX at joint base Andrews when my dad was stationed there…then I got them at Cameron station in ..VA…I had a bunch of engines and cars mostly Bachman…when I got older I gave them away to a buddies younger brother,,,,he still has them to this day..and he says they still run..they gotta be 40 yrs old!
Pretty cool story. Glad to hear the little Feller you gave them to kept them in good shape and still has them
I can hardly believe I sold all my mint unused condition Concor ABBA unit Southern Pacific PA engines añd about 50 Concor and Atlas freight cars. All never used in original boxes . A Riverossi 2 10 0 perfect LN condition locomotive in OB. Not many people take care of N scale trains the way I did. I always bought brand new from several Train stores and Hobby shop that were selling out of business. No used junk is probably rare and hard to find nowadays. I bought all 200 pieces or so back in the 1980s and sold it for near nothing. All that mint stuff would be worth more now I would think. I bought everything I could find in mint condition, never had a layout. I had about 20 boxes of brand new German very famous brand track Arnold Rapido, almost forgot the name completely. It was so well made and tight I could put it on the floor and it would stay together until you pulled it apart! I miss all that stuff I will never see again because we have no hobby stores here any more!
Always sucks when you think your done with a passion and sell everything off and that flame gets re-ignited years latter. Hope you find some of your treasures again
Another awesome project completed successfully!
Thanks John!!
Ron I had to watch this one all the way threw after seeing you was going to be working on a N scale. I was just waiting for you to throw it but you did a great job. Better than I could do. lol
Hello Dennis! Never even crossed my mind to lob this one at the wall. Its really nice to work on!!
Great videos, Ron. Straight forward with a lot of humor.
Thanks Peter
Nothing Wrong with Old School NnScale.
Old School is Cool!!
Agreed!
I’m a “Shade Tree 🌳Mechanic”…
I think the worst my hands ever got greasy dirty was a In Frame Overhaul I did on an old “Cornbinder Tractor”…
It took weeks to get that out of the cuts and nail quick, and finger prints!!!!
The burnt carbon was thick as grease… lots of money and satisfaction in the finished product!
But, it was a sign that I earned a living with my hands!
Females, that are worth time and hard earned money look from those type of hands!!! lol
And I thought it was thundering when your neighbor fired up his car!! lol
Yup Ive done quite a few in frame overhauls on Semi Trucks. Big messy buggers for sure. I wished I had a tree to provide some shade when I'm outside doing my day job fixing RV's. It sure was a hot summer this year :-)
Fun video, you are going to make me dig out all my old n scale stuff if you keep this up!! Lol!
Thanks Jason! Better blow the dust off them :-)
Incredible Find! Running or not, I would love to own one.
Thanks. It will be coming up on the auction block in a month or so.
What are you looking for?
@@judyrush3219 I'm going to be putting a lot of the Loco's and sets ive worked on all summer up for sale on eBay. Raise some funds to purchase more stuff to work on. A video will come out showing whats for sale
Nothing.@@judyrush3219
Hey Ron - love your videos !!! I am 33% all the way. I recently dug out all my stored away Protos and Blue box Atherns, Stewarts and Rivarossi's and even the dreded Bachmans... all needed some synthetic lube and a drink. Your instructions and inspirations got 3 stuck locos running again !!
Thanks - what you are doing is working. - serious man. If you come to NJ - lets have a beer and a smoke and a nice dinner - look me up. Enjoy watching. I'm hooked.
Thank, you for the kind words and the invite Patrick!! Glad your getting some of your classics going again
I have worked on some N gauge stuff in the past. Never again. I’ll stick with my HO gauge stuff. Don’t worry about the dirty hands. People complain about dirty hands until they get saved by them. Keep up the great work!
Thanks Silvertrain. I like that expression. "get saved by them". Thats AWESOME!!!!
Holy Moly ! You freaking made your own traction tires. Great Job!
Great video Ron. Could you maybe one day give us a dictionary video. Love all your different vernacular!
I finally found one of those C- Liners that ran. Yours runs well .
Other versions of same Atlas loco used pickup pads to get the “Juice” from the track. Love your N- scale layout test track. I made sure to watch all the way through. Yaaay to all of the 33%ers out there
Finally someone mentioned the home made traction tires!! Thanks for Supporting the channel till the end....33% FOR LIFE :-) (well hopefully)
I have one of those w/the button pickups.
Love your videos man.
Keep up the great job!
Thanks Jon!
One of your 33% here. Great video. I enjoy watching you repair different scales. One thing I miss is your classic model. I can't believe someone commented about dirty hands. Maybe you can try nitrile gloves if dirty hands are a problem. Keep the videos coming dirty hands and all.
Thank you for supporting my channel!! I guess I should bring back the classic models. Just don't want to get in trouble like you can now a days.
Yah don't need no troubles your videos are just as good without. Looking forward to your next video.
Keep On Collecting those Trains Ron And Clean Em up.👍
Sounds like a good plan :-)
I still have the same set. Runs well.
Right on!
Very twee little unit, always wish Rivarossi or someone else did the 5-axle C-liner in HO just for the sake of variety and added strangeness.
I recently picked up the twin-knob version of the Tech II, very smooth little DC controller/power pack!
Added strangeness... I Love it!! Yeah I got the twin knob in a box also. Good to hear there good controllers as well :-)
@@classicmodeltrains If we're talking weird 5-axle diesels from this era, Hornby Dublo in England did a "Metrovick" Co-Bo diesel at one time - Even more peculiar, since that one has a cab at either end, seems like the ride would be smoother going one way vs. the other.
The only one that makes any sense at all to me is the Japanese DE10, which is basically their version of an RS-3, with a six wheel truck on the long hood to spread the weight of the engine. KATO does a fantastic little DE10 model, I don't do much N scale, but I've got one of them, and the LEDs in the noses are incredible for how tiny the thing is.
@@davidandrew477 Just had a look, very tempted to see if they did one of the Long Island Railroad "Battleship grey" units...
The box came out very nice. I am a fanatical and shameless box saver. I have a transformer like the one you have and I still have the original box for it, too.
Im glad I'm not the only one who fixes up and makes boxes look nice ;-)
We dabbled in N back in the late 1960's. Most everything, except for ConCor PA's and Hudsons, ran like this or worse. It was enough that we made the decision to 1) keep the American Flyer (my brother), and 2) stick with HO for the last 55 years (me).
Yup, N is a bit hard to work on
I'm 67 now and had this set in either 1967 or 1968. I was 11 or 12 then. I stared at this set which was high up on the wall at the hobby shop for months. I believe it was $19.95 at the time. Got it for Christmas.
Very cool Story!! Glad you got your Christmas wish :-)
💯 COLLECTIBLE!
Agree!
I had a similar set from 1974 or so. My set had a coal car rather than a log car. It was very heavy compared to the other cars. The other cars are the same.
My 2 brothers and dat all had a 060 Penn switchers (3 of them) with some Rio Grande style passenger cars, kind of originally painted to match the Durango/Silverton in a standard gauge sizing.
Very cool.
Right on! I never had any N as a youngster
Great video Ron! I’m an N scaler myself so i sure enjoyed this repair, looking forward to more N in the future!
Thanks NotGavin!! I have more N planned for the future
Awesome show. I hate that old tape gunk on my boxes too.
Best way I’ve found to remove old tape/stickers etc, is a product called GOOP. 👍👍👍
Thank you!
I ❤ the goat 😂😂😂 and your clean hands 😂😂😂
Very nice and funny video Ron. Proud of being one of the 33ers!
Hey Regis made it through!!! Thanks for your support of the channel My Friend :-)
Great video, Ron.
Many thanks Richard!
Man just found the Chanel ya instantly got my sub man this guy is the legit vice grip garage of model trains
Thanks so much!!
I allways finish yur videos and sometimes watch them 2 or 3 more times to see if I missed something
Thank you very much Brent :-)
Hey I really appreciated this video. I decided to jump into the hobby a few months ago w/vintage N scale. My 1st set, Lonestar Treble-O-Letric, came with extra track & a layout book from Atlas. Judging from the graphics, it that looks like it goes with that set. I also appreciate the demo cleaning on the loco. My 2nd set is MRC from Yugoslavia & I bet it's a similar breakdown.
Glad you made the leap into this hobby!!
You have the patience of a saint working in the Micro-scale! When someone brings me an N gauge loco to repair, i shudder that a spring may zing off into the ether. Good job on your set!
Thanks Darren. This loco really was not that bad. Kudo's to the engineers back then
Love N scale great job!
Thank you!
Amazing! Now you have experienced First N Scale, Next try some Z Scale!
No Z for me :-)
You can always use goo gone to remove tape goo or any sticker goo from plastic boxes including dvd/ blu ray cases too
I agree :-)
Wonderful job!
Thank you
Great Video Ron!! Excelente Colección veo en esa Vitrina que esta detras de vos !! Greetings from Argentina,
Gracias Andy. Quería cambiarlo un poco y mostrar menos Tyco y más de todo lo demás. Que estés bien mi amigo.
awesome video even like the end of it
Thank you!
@@classicmodeltrains You're welcome!
Great video! Good to see older stuff living young once again lol. The only folks who would complain about your hands being dirty are the ones who don't work for a living or never worked jobs that reuired hands getting dirty for the World to go around. Keep up the great work and let them hands be as dirty as they like to be ;)
Thank you Animalyze, I agree with your statement. Tradesmen keep everybody housed, clean, and moving about.
Hey Ron, great job on that micro train. Your hands looked great, lol!
Thanks Tom👍
The tape on the jewel box was probably put on in 1967, by the manufacturer
I wondered that myself.
@@davidandrew477 I thought so, my very first train was an N scale Postage Stamp Train set, so when I added to it of course, Atlas had some of the nicest most detail N scale pieces back then, and I remember having to undue the tape to get the cars out of the jewel box!
N scale was invented simply to allow more distance in less space for the trains.
Too small for me. But you did a fine job! So much fun to watch these vids!!!
Thank you very much!
TY
:-)
Awesome job
Thanks Mike!
Car from the original Norfolk Southern. NICE!!
:-)
about time you made another video ron
He's become a 33% video maker producer 😊🎥🤣
I keep slipping because my day job keeps getting in the way. Soon I will have the winter off and can get back into the swing of things.
OUCH Frank :-). I'm only down to half my original output. Can I get a 50% ;-). actually the other half of my video's are on my other channel. But there not about trains.
@@classicmodeltrains No worries , Ron ! All Good! 50% + 50% =100% in my book. RV's and Campers are "Super O" 🛻🚚🪛
I have a couple of FM "C" Atlas n scale marked made in Italy. They used a plastic that wouldn't take the heat of the commutators. A video is out there that shows a small square motor which can be used. He took it out to have the stator only and you had to compensate for it being slightly longer.just look for that fix.
Them N's are tough to modify like that
I'm in the process of building a shed on my farm as a lounge/N scale room. Hope to have three layouts, a workbench and to be able to properly enjoy my collection of N scale stock.
Even hope to custom paint up several N scale locos.
Right on!! A big outbuilding is always super nice for the layout "man cave" area.
I perfected the watch... "Like #333" as a 33%'er. Blasted a laugh when you shot that first traction tire into nothing-land. I've got two HO CN A-B zebra-stripe passenger (5-axle) pairs. A DC and DCC/Sound set, so I cannot run them ABBA but I can swap them to run on DC and DCC layouts. Love your videos, Ron. Your choice of vocabulary and jargon are perfect. Awesome job on those jewel cases with the WD-40! John BC, Canada (Nee Bellingham, WA)
Hello John! Thanks for your support of my channel and kind words. Yup that WD-40 did a pretty good job on that tape residue
Glad to see you take on another N Scale project. Yeah, the old Bachmann stuff really did suck. And even this "better" Atlas offering just makes me more appreciative of the strides modern manufacturers like Kato, Fox Valley, ScaleTrains, and others have made. Seeing a single new N Scale locomotive easily pull 35 or 40 cars (without the need for traction tires) highlights what amazing works of engineering these items now are. They are going be the next generation's Classic Model Trains.
Greetings Jon! WOW... I would love to see that loco you described above. must be impressive. Maybe one day I will stumble upon a really NICE "N" loco
@@classicmodeltrains Pretty much all of the current Kato and ScaleTrains six axle GE locos can pull 30-40 cars on a flat stretch. There are a few videos on UA-cam about Todd Treatster's N-Scale layout - he runs 100+ car trains with 3 or 4 locos consisted together. Worth checking out....
Here's a bit of trivia. The locomotive that holds the record for the largest number of cars pulled by a single locomotive is a custom N scale unit, the Cotton Brute.
I always had decent luck with Bachman locos, at least the diesels. Like any loco, you need to clean and service them ocasionally.
I'll take the 33% distinction. Luv your vids
Thanks for your support James :-)
Hey brother, I learned a pretty neat trick from a machine shop teacher for cleaning up oil and grease stained hands pretty good. Use maroon colored Scotch Brite pad, Dawn dish liquid and some water to gently scrub your hands. Try it, it works pretty good for me.
Sounds pretty good to me John!! Thanks
Palmolive dish soap as well. Remember Madge used to soak hands during manicure. ( Old Commercials)
@@stevenwaller192 damn that commercial goes way back
I always watch a full video tbh. Great stuff 👊
Thanks so much Mark!!
Wow, I didn't even know N scale was a thing in the 60s. Pretty funny to see a C-Liner, I guess it's supposed to be standing in for the Erie-built, which Santa Fe did have; kinda similar to how around the same time Lionel was using Alco FAs as stand-ins for PAs.
Yup mid to late 60's was when N scale was introduced to the American market.
Mekanic here too. Yeah I feel you, with the hands and working on trains, greasy fingerprints don't count as weathering unfortunately.🤣
I'm just glad I still have all my fingers. If I was full time diesel fixer still my hands would be really bad :-)
Ron, I must say that I love your videos and that I always look forward to the next one. There are other train video guys out there, but some are too boring and some are annoying. Yours are neither.
Thank you John for them very kind words Sir!!
I'm a 33% ter... lmao... love the video's Ron, keep em commin
Thanks for your support James!
Nice job
Thanks!
You have such a fascinating presentation. You've got this inate practical mechanical ability, and its coupled with this exporatory nature. Just great :)
neat to see older N.
N (not then N of course) seems to have come about, like TT, as a smaller size than the main sizes of 0 gauge. N and TT were marketed at roughly the same time in the immediate postwar period, when of course the Germans were prohibited manufacturing anything that might be considered dangerous like kitchen knives, So toys were very quick off the mark.
At the time there was Marklin 00 rtr, Trix Express, TTR and Hornby Dublo, and in the US rtr was Lionel 00 (basically dropped) and AF H0 and the familiar H0 kits.
All of the small scales being developed seem to have been to get a true to type style train in a given space, following the concept of the grandaddy of them all: Greenleys amazing Bing for BL Table railway.
TT has struggled with acceptance through most of its life, N had the false start then reinvented as 000, then reinvented again by Arnold as our now familiar N.
Thanks for your kind words and interesting lesson!!!
Great job on your video
Thanks Dave!!
Hey Ron. Great video. Glad I went HO and not N. I could never get my fat fingers in those lil locos. Hehe...33%er's are the best!!
Hello Gary! I have a hard enough time getting HO wheelsets on the rails properly. Thanks for supporting the Channel :-)
My mom watches the videos I make and she tells me that my bench is messy, or my hands are dirty too! Nice little N gauge set. My dad had a bunch of those. The Atlas ones, maybe the later ones, seem pretty good. That's small enough you can build an entire layout in your train room! Got to ride in a Fairbanks switcher once. The opposed engines had a neat sound. That engine no longer operates, sitting in a museum and they coated the engine door handles with grease to keep out certain people. Ask me how I know!
I would have a messier train room if It wasn't for cleaning it up and organizing for each video. I would love to hear a FM engine running. Sounds like were very similar.....I would try and open things im not supposed to also :-)
Nice job on it Ron definitely a lot harder to work on smaller stuff like it but definitely worth it
Thank you :-)
When you nail down the n scale track on top of the plywood are the track nails, easy to pull out of the plywood? Also, by the way you do a pretty good job of fixing these model trains you deserve a subscriber from me. I watched your videos and when I watch them, that’s how I learn how to fix model trains myself because of your videos, which helps a lot.
I use very small track nails. to pull them out I use a small set of diagonal cutters and grab the head and pry out. works well for me but there's a bit of a trick to it.
Greetings From Colorful Colorado,
Your hands are looking extremely clean Feller. The only problem with clean hands I can think of is cracking open a cold one just doesn't taste as good as having a cold one with Man Hands.
John
Hello John. It's hard cracking open a cold one with no fingernails. I didnt plan this move out very well :-)
Have two of those FMs I picked up in the 70s never got them running just didn't like the design. So, they say in a box for almost 50 years.
They are a silly looking thing
Arnold and Minitrix produced American n scale models. Those are classics.
That's a couple of companies Ive never heard of. Are they from across the pond?
That's an interesting approach to the pilot in N scale. Instead of putting a big gap for the truck mounted coupler they just use The Swinging pilot found still found most O gage models.
I did really like the way the engineers did that.
Scotch tape residue it a thing. That's the way they were shipped and sold. Got a garage full like that.
Thanks for the info
well i kept watching because i wanted to see how well the cleanup came out and if you could do a good enough job there. also, you yourself are entertaining, a bit funny so that kept me around. i also wanted to know how hard, or simple, it is to work on small items like n scale trains. im toying with choosing either n scale or ho. i much prefer ho but its bigger (requires more space) and more expensive. there is a lot of work, maybe, involved in model railroading and am trying to see if its something i want to tackle. im 60 yo, not 20 or 30, so theres that, but i have my plan drawn out. havent spent a dime yet because i want to make sure im going for it before i buy anything. my plan isnt extensive but its more than an oval 4x8. its what i call a no-switch tear drop to tear drop loops with about 20ft double track "L" between (loops will be scenic).
Greetings Ken! Thanks for watching. Have you considered American Flyer "S" Gauge? about the same room needed for the layout but the stuff is a bit bigger. Inexpensive to purchase used stuff. Not quite as detailed but in my eye that's good because less stuff to break off with big hands. I hope you pull the plug and get a layout going. Its quite enjoyable for sure :-)
I have 7 full sets 67/68 and 10 extra locos. FM and E8's
WOW!!! Sounds like a nice collection going on
The Concor PA DIESELS run like crazy and pull 20 Concor and Atlas Boxçars like nothing at all, fast and slow and creeps well to. The Riverossi 2-10-O Steamer pulling more than 40 boxcar. I ran out of room!! Smooth as silk with 4 stock traction tires that stay on tight!! Real traction. I know that engine could pull 60 cars.
:-)
When I Started Model Railroading I was Into Ho to Start didn’t understand N Scale. I was Young But Now I Have Gotten Older I Am Modeling Ho And N Scale Just like My Wife.
I started with 0-27, then HO. Dad wouldn't let me get any N when I was younger. Said it was to small.
I'm glad n gage came a long way from 1969s even in atlas
Yup! I hear ya :-)
If you don’t already you should sell a t-shirt with “ A little than too much “ across the front of it. 😂
I dont have any tee shirts yet. That would be a good one!
well i was here till the end. because it was an "N" gage. wanted to see how better it was than the bachman.
Thanks for sticking around. It was a lot better than the Bochmann.... ten fold!!
Hello Ron! Great video! Now get a 1990s era Atlas loco(Kato) loco for an improvement in design and reliability but still no massive circuit board fun!
Hello Erick!! Thanks once again. I would love to stumble upon a Kato "N". Keeping my eyes pealed :-)
@@classicmodeltrains the RS-3 Atlas/Kato are usually the least expensive to find. They are not the Atlas Classic RS-3, those are Chinese manufacture, but are very nice as well! They are more $$. I have maybe 5 or 6 atlas/kato RS-3 or RS-11 and love them. Found most on tha bay for between $30 to $50.
A friend of mine has one of these little Atlas/Rivarossi C-Liners, I serviced it for him. Maybe it would work a little better if I did your traction tire trick! Where do you get your tubing?
The reason for all that friction is that the rear wheels actually rotate independently on their axles, and have an itty bitty spring that presses against the backs of the wheels. I think the idea was to improve electrical continuity, but it really increases the drag. I think they would have had a much better engine if they powered the rear truck instead of the front one, or gave it all-wheel drive.
I cant remember where I got that tubing. Perhaps a hospital visit and I grabbed up the stuff they were gunna throw away (it was unused) These rear pickup wheels are a wheel - half axle design. the axle spins in the plastic truck frame. I agree, an all wheel drive would be very cool!!
Hy Ron. Time to think about an ultrasonic cleaner..... 😂😂😂 super video and respekt to handle such tiny stuff
Thanks. I have a ultrasonic cleaner. Great tool for sure!!
Hi Ron, enjoyed this video. As a fellow working man type I appreciate your hands dilemma. An artist friend of mine one called my hands "...those things.." as they are adapted to mainly perform physical labor without gloves. I don't always have time or patience for trimming so typically hack down the nails only after they start snagging on things and getting in the way, or just full of dirt grease and oil that won't come clean. I happen to have that Atlas cardboard box (empty) taking up space in my cabinet, but the set that came with it had a Mikado loco and different rolling stock, box stamped 80-664. It also had the contents in a blister pack, not the nice cradle insert you have. I have no use for this box, looks like you might. I'll send you a message with the details, now how do I do that?
Sorry Ron. No idea how to send you a private message. The box measures 12 1/4" x 14 1/4". I also have thee original powerpack for it that I use on my shop bench for testing and wheel cleaning. I have other better ones in storage so have this one out only since it's a beater to me but if it has value for someone else.
Hello Andrew. Thanks for you kind words on my video. Sounds like are hands are abused the same way. To message me your can goto my Facebook fan page called Classic Model Trains. Or snail mail, mailing address is in the description on all videos. I would be kinda interested in that box you mentioned. :-)