Howdy from Maryland (and eventually New Jersey)

zach2thefuture

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Hello everyone! My name is Zach, and I currently live in Maryland in the USA. I'm a machinery technician in the US Coast Guard, so this is just another temporary home before my family and I move once again. Eventually, we'll settle down in my home state of New Jersey, but that's still some time away. (Go Phillies, go Flyers, go Eagles, go Sixers!)

I recently got back into garden railroading after being away from it for 20ish years. My dad has always had amazing G and O scale layouts, and as a child I was always in the backyard playing around with the G scale trains. With Christmas around the corner, I decided to set-up a loop around the tree and dust off my old favorite train, my LGB 2076, lovingly named "Donald" when I was a child.

It only took a day before I decided I'd tear up my tiny military base housing front yard in the spring to put a small temporary layout in our garden; I can't wait! It won't be anything fancy, just a lopsided oval loop; but it will be enough for the time being. Eventually when we move into a more permanent house, my wife and I will build a proper backyard layout.

As of now, I have my LGB 2076 ("Klein Dicke"), a 20140 feldbahn engine, a 20216 Nicki+Frank S, as well as a pair of LGB 90277/0 Daisy and Helena porters. As you can tell, it's definitely a narrow gauge affair; which I personally prefer because you aren't bound by the larger trains...and I don't have much space to work with anyway.

And also as you can see, all my engines are super old! But they're the ones my father and I have had all my life, so keeping them running after all these years means more to me than anything else. Though, some modernization might be nice...

I hope everyone here is having a Merry Christmas and happy holiday season, and I appreciate all the answers I've gotten to my questions thus far. Attached are a few pictures of the trains around my Christmas tree.
 

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Welcome to the forum Zach....
 
Welcome to the forum, sounds like an interesting job you have! You've started the right way, small, then at least you can expand. You should get all the advice you need about converting your locos, but as they're obviously of sentimental value, would you want to?
 
Welcome to the forum, sounds like an interesting job you have! You've started the right way, small, then at least you can expand. You should get all the advice you need about converting your locos, but as they're obviously of sentimental value, would you want to?
It can definitely be "interesting." I've been in for almost 15 years now, I'm getting too old for some of it hahaha

Yeah, small will be all I can do for now. Eventually I'll end up with more and more of my father's collection, at which I'll have no choice but to build something large or file for bankruptcy!

I've done a little research on DCC conversions, but honestly I still don't really understand the point of it all. I'm guessing the biggest benefit is individual control of multiple engines on one circuit; as well as better sound/electronic controls?

I'd be hesitant to dig into my old engines; like you said they have endless sentimental value and I wouldn't want to mess any of them up
 
Welcome Zach, from a fellow G scaler in Maryland. My pal in Annapolis has a garden railroad that I run my trains on - I am in a condo. Maybe you'd like to see it next summer?
 
One way to make your engines run much better on track power is to add a car/rolling stock behind the engine with track power pickups and daisy change it to the engine. Most LGB engines have a socket on the back and this is a track power connection. There are 2 types of connectors, older engines (pre 1995) have 2 separate sockets and the newer engines have a socket with a plug that needs to be removed and connect with a special LGB 2 pin connector. www.train-li-usa.com caries these connectors and is located in Reno, Nevada. Other dealers may have these also.
 
One way to make your engines run much better on track power is to add a car/rolling stock behind the engine with track power pickups and daisy change it to the engine. Most LGB engines have a socket on the back and this is a track power connection. There are 2 types of connectors, older engines (pre 1995) have 2 separate sockets and the newer engines have a socket with a plug that needs to be removed and connect with a special LGB 2 pin connector. www.train-li-usa.com caries these connectors and is located in Reno, Nevada. Other dealers may have these also.
Beware, on some LGB loco the 2 4mm banana connections are 5 volts and for connection to carriage lighting - ask me how I found out.
 
Welcome Zach, from a fellow G scaler in Maryland. My pal in Annapolis has a garden railroad that I run my trains on - I am in a condo. Maybe you'd like to see it next summer?
I took the first step today!
 

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It can definitely be "interesting." I've been in for almost 15 years now, I'm getting too old for some of it hahaha

Yeah, small will be all I can do for now. Eventually I'll end up with more and more of my father's collection, at which I'll have no choice but to build something large or file for bankruptcy!

I've done a little research on DCC conversions, but honestly I still don't really understand the point of it all. I'm guessing the biggest benefit is individual control of multiple engines on one circuit; as well as better sound/electronic controls?

I'd be hesitant to dig into my old engines; like you said they have endless sentimental value and I wouldn't want to mess any of them up
Welcome to the forum Zach though we have passed paths in other threads. You have nailed the DCC question. For my part I was exclusively DCC but then started messing with battery and finally went the whole hog only using battery power (dead rail in your neck of the woods) which takes the hassle out of track cleaning with a big or even small layout at ground level. Not all my stock has been converted as I have a small loft layout that is still track power. I see you have challenging small loco but your 99-5001 is a relatively easy one to do.
 
Welcome aboard Zach, from Southeast Pennsylvania.
 
I was born in Medford, actually!

Interesting. My uncle, Frank Santore owned a tractor-trailer that he kept at his home on Medford Mount Holly Road. He hauled bulk goods like stone and coal.
 
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