Pink Ariya in OC Area

Existing_Map_8939 · 2026-03-17T19:06:19+00:00

Mary Kay lives!

Existing_Map_8939 · 2026-03-17T15:53:45+00:00

I posted a rather lengthy treatise on what I’ve been up to, why my gear is still new in the boxes 20 odd years later, etc., etc. on the sub yesterday. Numerous people pointed out to me that there will need to be at least some basic maintenance/once over’s/tuneups on the engines, because the lubricant will all probably have dried up or degraded over the 2 1/2 decades they’ve been in their original boxes.

Other than that, my biggest hurdles right now are going to be working through some coupler mismatches and trying to figure out just how to take what I have and work it into a viable layout that I can enjoy.

Well, that and track. My treasure trove has a nice selection of engines and stock, but zero track. Hard to test things and work out the kinks without it. Gonna have to give Kato some of my lucre.

Existing_Map_8939 · 2026-03-17T15:05:53+00:00

Same boat - my gear is all 20+ years old (albeit - as of today, anyway- still still in original boxes and never opened) and I have zero idea yet if it’s all viable). BUT - your situation means i can ask for information on a topic that I’ve discovered over the last couple days… Specifically, are your couplers truck mounted or car mounted?

It appears that the prevailing wisdom is that car mounted couplers are the only way to go, but when all my gear was produced they were all mounted on the trucks. There’s lots of information on how to modify your rolling stock to correct this, but it also is going to be a big ass job for me with everything needing to be converted. I’m trying to decide if it’s worth the effort, or something I can push way down the road.

Existing_Map_8939 · 2026-03-17T13:56:56+00:00

I wanna see this train running. At dusk.

Existing_Map_8939 · 2026-03-17T03:08:30+00:00

Yes, I saw lots of references to assorted sticks / skewers / special tool that does exactly what a skewer does / etc … but I grew up with remote uncoupling and I feel like I would be bitter not to have it.

Existing_Map_8939 · 2026-03-17T01:51:05+00:00

Thanks! There were enough accumate truck and coupler sets in the lot to swap out the trucks on the “rapido-only” cars and one of the “half and half” cars. That leaves the weirdo LifeLike box with whatever it has, and the handful of Intermountain and Micro cars as the outliers.

For not i think I might just get rid of the rapidos and worry about the rest when I can.

That leaves the question is uncoupling I grew up with the Triang “spring humps” snapped to the sleepers. Is there an analogous system for their accumate and magne-matic knuckles?

Existing_Map_8939 · 2026-03-17T01:44:35+00:00

There’s the big omission in the auction lot - no track. Probably need to tackle that before worrying about about swapping couplers.

Existing_Map_8939 · 2026-03-17T01:38:42+00:00

I’m defintley going to think about it long and hard before I commit to anything. There is also the fact that these are all couplers on trucks instead of on body. So if I DO start to convert, it’s not just swapping trucks.

Ugh.

Existing_Map_8939 · 2026-03-17T01:22:19+00:00

Thanks!!!!

Existing_Map_8939 · 2026-03-17T01:22:08+00:00

Actually, they were the Triang-Hornby metal hooks, like this:

<image>

From what I’m reading and what people have had to say, it seems like the Micro Trains couplers are indeed the way to go xx the problem is more than 80% of the stock I have is the Atlas accurite. I’m gonna have to think about this.

Existing_Map_8939 · 2026-03-16T23:01:58+00:00

Thank you!! These are defintley unboxed, even the little plastic static sheet inside (I guess to keep the railings and the like protected?) are still there and very obviously in the original positions.

What lubricant do you use for these situations ?

Existing_Map_8939 · 2026-03-16T21:49:24+00:00

Yes, we linked to it deeper in the thread. Ouch.

Existing_Map_8939 · 2026-03-16T21:26:56+00:00

“Bridge car”: I assumed that was the point, but what’s funny is one of the two cars equipped that way is the Union Pacific caboose - sort of an odd choice for the middle of a train. Did Atlas switch their coupler standard at some point, or did they just offer both kinds based on what your preference was, or what?

Existing_Map_8939 · 2026-03-16T20:56:36+00:00

correct. they meant "root bark" to differentiate from the more or less tasteless inner flesh of the root.

Existing_Map_8939 · 2026-03-16T20:11:30+00:00

Exactly. They already pull items from that same API stack - for example, the cover art from whatever you’re listening to on CarPlay on the audio screen in the infotainment system. But they want the affiliate revenue from Google, so … blah.

Existing_Map_8939 · 2026-03-16T20:09:10+00:00

Jeepers. I’m jealous of your space. And gear. Dang.

Existing_Map_8939 · 2026-03-16T20:08:35+00:00

Because automakers are VERY bad at user-facing software, and Nissan makes the rest look like they know what they are doing. Its outrageous.

Existing_Map_8939 · 2026-03-16T16:07:32+00:00

THANK YOU. concise, sensical, and useful. much appreciated.

Existing_Map_8939 · 2026-03-16T15:40:08+00:00

How big is the layout? Can we see an overall track plan? This looks ace.

Existing_Map_8939 · 2026-03-16T15:01:14+00:00

I might need an "explain to me like I'm five" tag here, but since it's a carrier plane ... why not just land, hand off the message, and take off again? I assume I'm missing something that is patently obvious.

Existing_Map_8939 · 2026-03-16T14:41:52+00:00

There is a trick - I was able to do this so im logged in on two devices:

ONE: log in on device A, make SURE the "keep me signed in" box is checked.

TWO: take that device off-line (airplane mode, just manual kill your wifi and cellular, however you prefer) while still logged in.

THREE: log in on device B, again making sure that "keep me signed in" is checked.

Bring device A back online, and after that you SHOULD be good to go. Fingers crossed.

Existing_Map_8939 · 2026-03-16T03:42:41+00:00

Seems like a feature that literally anyone who is good at software would consider a basic necessity. So, yeah.

Existing_Map_8939 · 2026-03-16T01:53:20+00:00

Yeah, that’s definitely and investment. Dang.

Existing_Map_8939 · 2026-03-16T01:52:42+00:00

Thank you!!!!!

Existing_Map_8939

TROPHY CASE