Model trains and RC cars

[artfull dodger]

Any other Aspies into model trains, any gauge/size or RC model cars? I have been addicted to trains since I was very little, and RC stuff since my early teens. Got away from the RC stuff for awhile, but never the trains, just got back into RC stuff again last year when a friend gave me his original gold pan RC10 buggy. I restored to look like the one I had as a kid. I just bought a Tamiya Pajero 4wd SUV kit to build and detail. Train wise, which other than my outdoor G scale garden railroad, tends to be my winter hobby with a small HO scale layout and I plan to build a small N scale layout this year. When I flip interests in the past, I would have to sell one group of trains to afford the new ones, but with being employed now, I am going to try to stop this practice as it leads to regrets later on when I wish I could flip back to what I once had. Here is a couple pics of my RC car and a couple trains. The one pic is of my live steam locomotive, burns butane gas to make steam. Mike

 

[tlc]

Not now but I was crazy into that stuff when I was a kid/teen. I always wanted to do a model railroad layout but didn't have the space. I had a bunch of HO scale stuff, 3 engines (Rock Island, Conrail, Soo). I'd ramp up the tracks and load up the cars and see how much the engines could pull. Rock Island was my first and only had a powered front truck that was weak, the others were dual drive but sometimes I'd pull out a driveshaft and experiment.

My RC cars were cheapies but fun. First one was a Sears Ford 4x4. Again I'd pull driveshafts and play with it. Next was a Nikko Turbo Escort. Drove my dad nuts and I almost threw it away because I hated getting scolded for it, eventually I just disconnected the speaker that came on in turbo mode. Then was Radio Shack Wild Ranger, which ended up being a clone of the Sears truck with different wheels and body. Eventually I ended up putting the Escort body on the Wild Ranger frame and played with that for years. The body pivoted up for access. Was fun especially in February with fields of drifted hard crusted snow which in RC scale is like the Bonneville salt flats. The board eventually got wet so I got a new one from Radio Shack and put it in and made a waterproof cover for it.

I was always intrigued by the big dog RC cars and I had several books about them. I would have liked to see a FWD Kyosha Maxxum. And this one I saw in a book, a 4x4 Wonder Dog Fighter.

There was this other one a kid in 6th grade had but I've never been able to ID it. It was a small FWD but had just a solid front axle with a motor between the wheels, on a single pivot for steering. It was white and I think kinda resembled a Nissan 300ZX. The controller actually had a steering wheel on it, a pretty big one for the size of the controller.

 

[Vanilla]

I wouldn't consider myself a true fanatic, but I do love trains

When I was a kid, I used to have a black, steam-train set. I loved that thing so much, I'd play with it for months! Haha, my mum hated it, cause I didn't show anywhere near the same amount of enthusiasm for the Barbies she would buy me. When we moved house, it seemed to "mysteriously" disappear too...

I have always wanted to ride a real train; not just one of those regular commuter trains, with too many people crammed in to them. More like the ones with private compartments, and dining carts (it just seems so magical).

 

[artfull dodger]

Kewl, I see your an Aussie, my new RC kit is a Mitsubishi Pajero 4wd that is gonna have the look of one where you live. Set up for outback travel with spot lights and survival gear on a roof rack. Mike

 

[Warwick C]

I used to have Tamiya and Shumacher R/C cars

 

[Judge]

Reminds me years ago of seeing a group of R/C enthusiasts going out to the same parking lot each Sunday and setting up their own race course. They sure looked like they had a lot of fun racing those cars.

I do miss the slot car sensation of the 60s myself...loved modifying/rewiring armatures to increase the speed.

 

[Warwick C]

Yeah I was part of that scene, we had a hall locally that we would use.

 

[artfull dodger]

Working on rebuilding my outdoor large scale garden railway along with changing the scale modeled, from 1:22.5 to 7/8ths scale still using the same track. This will simulate 24" gauge real trains. Motive power will be 2 live steam locomotives. Here is a picture of todays progress on the retaining wall, which will raise the line almost 2 feet above its current level. This will keep grass clippings from blowing into the railway and make maintaining the line easier as I grow older. Enjoy! Mike

 

[artfull dodger]

Here are the locomotives. Both burn butane gas to boil water into steam, which moves the pistons and rods to turn the wheels. They are controled by radio control. Mike

 

[The Penguin]

I find it very cool people are into this stuff hear. I also love model trains and RC cars.

 

[artfull dodger]

I am in the process of building up a supply of smaller (HO scale) projects for the coming winter months when my garden railroad is buried in snow. I am planning a new HO scale layout in my spare room. Hope to start on it later this fall after the weather turns colder. Fall antique tractor shows are just getting started, they are earlier here so the farmers can be in the fields harvesting in a month or so. Cheers Mike

 

[musclecarman]

well I don't have any RC cars (except cheap toy ones) but I wont mind one of those Tamiya Bruisers the issue is that for a kit with everything I need costs just over NZ$1000 which is quite steep. but I guess I would get it when I leave college (high school)

 

[Harrison]

I'd like a bigger version of that carrier

 

[Warwick C]

well I don't have any RC cars (except cheap toy ones) but I wont mind one of those Tamiya Bruisers the issue is that for a kit with everything I need costs just over NZ$1000 which is quite steep. but I guess I would get it when I leave college (high school) View attachment 14070

I have a vague idea they required a 3 channel to change gears. and a lot of aluminium was used.


I have noticed a lot of old kits being released as limited editions at the moment. (a number that I had as well) the super champ looks cool just like a real off roader

 

[artfull dodger]

I like that one Warwick! Thats one reason I liked the original gold pan RC10, it looked like a real off road sand rail. It had looks and race winning performance pretty much right out of the box back then. And doesnt take much to get it there agaisnt todays buggies. Mike

 

[Warwick C]

Kyosho have also reissued their buggy as well that looks like a real one.

I would hate to crash one with all the alloy.

In my time I had a grass hopper and a hornet.

 

[artfull dodger]

Fed my obsession tonight. Took some money I saved up and bought myself another brass model train, this one has been beautifully painted. Mike

 

[The Penguin]

Fed my obsession tonight. Took some money I saved up and bought myself another brass model train, this one has been beautifully painted. Mike

Looks really nice