6. Retrolling StockOne of the great advantages of a retro layout is that it creates the perfect excuse to run old locomotives and rolling stock that I haven't seen on rails since I was a kid. Given the layout's small size, small locos and cars are more appropriate, not to mention my preference. Here's the complete roster so far; note that it's subject to change. LocomotivesI would have used my biggest fave, the Atlas 0-8-0 (made by Rivarossi), except I'd sold my last one without thinking about this layout. So, my second pick was a Minitrix 0-6-0 upgraded with a Spectrum tender for much-improved performance. The other locomotive in the roster is a Minitrix FM. I'd considered using the ubiquitous F9, but I prefer these little guys, and they run quite well. The Pennsy scheme is relatively rare, released (I believe) by Con-Cor. Both of these locomotives were in pristine, mint condition. Freight CarsHere's an assortment of freight cars I'll be running. Most are from Postage Stamp sets. Passenger CarsOriginally fitted with (burned-out) grain-of-wheat bulbs, these Bachmann "shorties" were retrofitted with homemade flicker-free lighting circuits. They're a very simple design consisting of four components: a full-wave bridge rectifier, a 1,000 mfd 16 volt capacitor, a 1k-ohm resistor, and a 3mm warm white LED. No matter how dirty the track and/or wheels may be, and regardless of track polarity, the LEDs glow consistently; in fact, after removing the power, they continue to glow for several seconds. For an authentic retro look, I positioned the LEDs right where the light bulbs were originally located. Hard to tell the difference. Back < Index > NextCopyright © 2017-2021 by David K. Smith. All Rights Reserved |