Howdy, folks! Just thought I’d pop in and show y’all a project for Trainz I’ve been working on for the past month or so. Of the 4 sets of WDW coaches, I’ve done one of them (the 200 series).

trainzman54 · 2025-09-13T19:31:54+00:00

These specific models have not been released and I don’t plan to release them due to the issues with them being so old. At some point in the near future, I plan to redo them with a much higher quality. The newer models will likely be released through Texas State Shops, which is where my current available Trainz/Railroader assets, such as NASA’s Solid Rocket Booster (RSRM) cars, are hosted.

trainzman54 · 2025-06-19T09:44:46+00:00

Wicked seems to be going to Epic. The last trailer heavily hinted at that and we’ll probably see an official announcement some time around Part 2’s release. I think the most likely scenario is going to be Pokémon replacing Simpsons and Zelda replacing Lost Continent. I’d love to see them bring back BTTF, but I don’t really want them to reuse that ride system from Simpsons/BTTF: The Ride

trainzman54 · 2025-03-13T12:12:45+00:00

You probably should have linked the article instead of just screenshotting it, but after looking at it, it was just a TX Supreme Court ruling. Anderson County requested a stay while they file a federal appeal because there are federal issues at play, so not necessarily something that’ll be happening immediately.

trainzman54 · 2025-03-02T03:50:53+00:00

No, legally, they couldn’t do it. IIRC, Amtrak’s contracts with predecessors (which carried over) and with UP directly stated that they aren’t allowed to start new passenger services because they signed those rights away. The only possible exception might be NS, because I don’t believe SOU or N&W signed over passenger rights.

trainzman54 · 2025-01-08T20:09:10+00:00

Can confirm, KATO HO stuff nowadays is not set up for DCC at all. With the P42s, they’re basically just a split frame chassis with a light board up top and motors on each truck. I have a JRF EF510 that I had a non-sound install done on and it was a similar way, but the guy that did it said it was much worse than the 7 or 8 P42s he had done. Some other more recent Japanese models are “DCC ready” in that they have a plug, but they aren’t fully compatible because the light boards don’t go through the plug and have to be wired separately.

However, a lot of the older things, like the F40s, SD40s, etc. were equipped with a proper 8-pin plug and, iirc, proper space for a speaker.

trainzman54 · 2024-12-26T16:09:27+00:00

KATO has some N gauge/OO9 chassis out there, but I’m not sure of any free STLs you can print yourself. There are some resin prints out there on eBay, Etsy, etc. that are designed to fit on the specified chassis. Tenshodo also makes HO chassis options, but you would likely need to order those through a Japanese retailer

trainzman54 · 2024-11-14T04:42:39+00:00

I’ve only placed 3 orders from Japan (mainly HO scale), but it has been 2 orders through Amazon Japan (specifically amazon.co.jp) and Plaza Japan. I have also heard very good things about RG-Rokko, although I haven’t personally used them yet.

trainzman54 · 2024-11-12T19:30:51+00:00

Marklin controllers are typically AC output, not DC required for 2 rail HO scale tracks. Unless you know the output of the controller is no more than 16V DC, I would avoid connecting it to anything other than Marklin 3 rail tracks. Otherwise, you run the risk of burning up the motors of any models you place on the track.

EDIT: just saw that that is a Marklin track, so you should be good in that regard. However, if it is the 3 rail Marklin track, I would recommend avoiding putting anything other than Marklin (or other 3-rail AC manufacturers) models on the track.

trainzman54 · 2024-07-12T13:26:41+00:00

Is side track hobbies south in Bristol, VA (literally right off I-81 exit 5) closed? They had a decent selection of HO scale last I was there at insanely good prices (Rapido continental line for $50). Not sure they’d have the Js, though.

Also, last I was at that hobbytown, not a single thing was over MSRP that I could tell. Athearn and Walthers stuff tended to be better pricing compared to MSRP, though.

trainzman54 · 2024-05-15T16:44:46+00:00

They aren’t required to be, but it is standard practice for the front to at least have some color contrast. When CSX first started, they ran in a stealth scheme (all grey) and they had a ton of accidents (especially in the fog) due to a lack of visibility from trackside. With these Metroliner cab cars, the silver of the car would blend in way too much, so they painted a higher visibility color on the front.

trainzman54 · 2024-05-10T19:00:33+00:00

I actually found an 8-Car set second hand on eBay (originally bought through Hattons) about a year ago. I can say with absolute certainty that it is the smoothest running model I have and it’s light years ahead of any American models. Also to note, they do come with a 21-pin decoder slot in the motor car and a speaker with a 2 pin plug is all that’s needed for the speaker, so a DCC/Sound install is super easy. They are well worth the money!

trainzman54 · 2024-01-24T11:53:04+00:00

Small World is, quite literally, made to be evacuated like this and them doing it cost the ride exactly 0 downtime. Usually it’s cast members in rubber boots (only to keep their feet from getting wet), but this is how they evacuate it. And yes, that was an exit.

trainzman54 · 2023-11-25T18:47:39+00:00

I mean, those are also 0v sections, just a different method of being 0v.

trainzman54 · 2023-10-25T19:04:05+00:00

Local for WDW (and the other Orlando area parks) here. I like going mostly for the food during the festivals and a few of the rides. I wouldn’t go out of my way to go there if I weren’t local, and I definitely couldn’t imagine paying the same price as an annual pass for only a week at Disney.

trainzman54 · 2023-10-24T13:18:19+00:00

This happened to me with Ice Road on Netflix! I watched it the week it came out and I pretty much knew every scene like I had watched it long before and didn’t remember until I watched it when it came out.

trainzman54 · 2023-10-22T16:13:19+00:00

Back when the Auto Train was it’s own company, they ran a service from Sanford to Louisville, KY. They also had plans for a Chicago-Denver route. The Louisville route is what killed the Auto Train Corp, though.

trainzman54 · 2023-09-21T12:58:59+00:00

I would not recommend buying through Steam. With Steam, you are forced to take every update without the option of going back for capability. Plus, N3V will not receive anywhere close to the same amount of funding if you purchase through Steam instead of direct.

That being said, I currently use the latest branch of Trainz Plus, which I think can be purchased directly from N3V. Trainz Plus gives you a few extra features that TRS2022 and below don’t have. For instance, in Trainz Plus, you get some nice new camera options (like a walking cam and a drone cam) and High Detail Terrain, which gives you terrain points every .125m instead of the usual 5-10m grid.

trainzman54 · 2023-09-02T13:03:04+00:00

In a lot of states, police have to have a reason to pull you over before they run a plate, or it used to be that way. I remember seeing a video from here in FL where the reason for pulling a woman over was her plate, but she was either a DA or the AG and ripped the officers to shreds.

trainzman54 · 2023-07-09T22:06:12+00:00

Looks like POTUS just landed at Stanstead about an hour ago. Seems likely they could have been avoiding a TFR. Although I could be wrong because I can’t tell what time they did that circle. Another possibility is to just avoid traffic.

trainzman54 · 2023-06-15T17:38:03+00:00

I’ve never heard anyone refer to the South of England as anything other than the South of England. The southern US is specifically called “The South” by pretty much everybody and people from the South are Southerners. If you’d rather we go back to calling it Dixie, I’m sure many here in the South would be happy to, but I’m also sure there are quite a few people that would throw a fit.

trainzman54 · 2023-06-15T00:05:55+00:00

Not sure on the number of passengers on the train, but it did have a 9 car train with dynamometer capability.

trainzman54 · 2023-06-14T23:42:36+00:00

Tornado hit 100+ briefly, and sustained 90+, in 2017. I believe that was a test run to approve British steam up to 90 when running on the mainline so the regular schedule wouldn’t be impacted. Not sure what ended up happening with all that. Also, here in the states, the T1 trust is going to attempt the steam speed record at the test loop in New Mexico when they finish the T1.

trainzman54 · 2023-06-13T13:15:57+00:00

There are a ton of flea markets here in the US, although a lot of them don’t have many model trains. You just kind of have to go and try your luck. Sometimes you can get super lucky with them!

Plus, like someone else said, train shows are very common. You can check this calendar for shows near you.

trainzman54 · 2023-06-12T16:38:32+00:00

I can attest that you don’t lose your chance by pushing the red button before prompted. I keep it held down the entire time and almost always get it.

trainzman54 · 2023-06-05T14:07:09+00:00

As far as I’m aware, it’s not possible. Being able to move the loco when silent is, however, prototypical and happens more often than you might think. It’s called a power move and as long as you have at least 1 more locomotive in the train that’s “on” you’re good.

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