Category: Equipment
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Bachmann Class J 4-8-4 Norfolk & Western #602 DCC-Equipped with Econami Sound
I just wanna say a few things about this locomotive. It’s the first steam loco I purchased on its own, without a starter set. It was the second loco I purchased, after the Bachmann GP40 diesel that I love so much. And while running steam locos on my layout with my experience can be challenging,…
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Digitrax Complete Train Control
As I scoped out the Facebook user groups, The brands Digitrax and NCE kept popping up as the DCC controllers all the cool modelers were using. I checked out both websites and Digitrax inspired more confidence that the starter systems they offered were going to fit with me. I believe NCE is more popular but…
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My SCARM Track Plans for Kato Unitrack
Learning Kato’s naming conventions for its track is easy once you realize it’s all in millimeters. SCARM gives you information on each of the track parts in the library including part numbers. Every single item on the KatoUSA site’s UniTrack section was part of SCARM’s UniTrack library, so it gave me tremendous control over the…
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Why I Switched from Bachmann EZ Track to Kato Unitrack
The difference in Bachmann and Kato’s integrated-roadbed track products became clear. I got my M2 and V2 sets. I cleared the table of Bachmann EZ Track, rolled up the life-size SCARM track plan featuring EZ Track, and set up the Kato UniTrack M2+V2 track sets according to the directions. (download these directions to see components…
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My Introduction to Kato UniTrack M and V Sets
Ah, Kato UniTrack. There’s so much to say about Kato, and I will say a lot about this company and its products in upcoming posts. But I’ll start with my introduction to Kato UniTrack. UniTrack competes with Bachmann EZ Track for the integrated-roadbed market targeting beginners and casual hobbyists like myself. The similarity of structure…
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Bachmann GP40 #6001: My First N Scale DCC Diesel
About the time I was spending a bundle on Bachmann EZ Track from the Bachmann Online Store, I also purchased my first N Scale diesel locomotive. I wanted to start running two locomotives at the same time on my track, using the Bachmann EZ Command DCC controller. Since I already had the Whistle-Stop DCC steam…
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Time to Make Things Permanent!
It took about 2 weeks of oval-track-on-cardboard train-running to decide that a permanent layout was going to happen. I was becoming accustomed to running my trains every day, and needed them to run every day. Sometimes with the chuffing sound of the Whistle-Stop steamer and an occasional whistle blow, but mostly with sound off. The…
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Bachmann Starter Set Controllers (DC and DCC)
You get a Bachmann DC Controller with the Empire Builder, an elegant, sturdy power pack that delivers dependable DC voltage to EZ Track. It’s so simple to use that almost anyone over 4 can set it up in minutes by just following the directions (non-readers can just look at the pictures!) It’s total plug and…
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Learning the N Scale Ropes with Bachmann Starter Sets
I continued to use my Bachmann set-up to learn about modern N scale trains with DCC and how I can grow in the hobby. One of the first things I learned was that although Bachmann EZ Track was easy to put together, it was also easy to put together incorrectly. The joiners need to be…
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My Bachmann N Scale Train Starter Set Romance
With the combined Bachmann starter sets, Empire Builder (DC) and Whistle-Stop (DCC), I had enough locos and freight cars to keep my EZ Track oval pretty busy. I was already outgrowing my 8 feet by 30 inch table, but making it work with cardboard boxes on top because I NEEDED to use as much EZ…
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Bachmann N Scale Trainsets: The Perfect Bait…
Both the Bachmann Whistle-Stop and the Empire Builder Starter Sets were excellent investments for me. Once I had both, I had two beautiful-looking steam locomotives with separate tenders, 9 cars of different freight rolling stock including reefer, boxcar, tankcar, hopper, gondola and TWO offset cupola cabooses in different colors! Combine that with EZ Track and…
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Here’s where it Started…
In August of 2021, I bought a Bachmann Whistle-Stop DCC starter Trainset on sale via Amazon on a whim. The set was just what I had hoped it would be— complete, easy to set up and simple to use. The locomotive was TINY even for N Scale but it ran great and using the Bachmann…
James' N Scale Train Layout Project 