As it happens (or) new to Z

Greetings All,

As it tends to happen, another scale has lead me to Z, and the bug has bitten. Here's what happened; I bought a Z scale MT GP35 with the intent to steal the mechanism for an Nn3 project, but the more I played with it the more I began to have second thoughts about chopping the little fellow up for parts. Then I bought a MT bulkhead flat 'just to see how they looked together' (secure in the knowledge that the freight car would also become bash fodder for an Nn3 car). Bad move! I returned from my LHS just today with another three(!) MT cars and one of their structure kits! So it may not have been on purpose, but I seem to be a bit of a Z scaler now.

And this has happened before. I got into N scale because I bought a loco for the sole purpose of becoming an HOn30 engine (a Kato DD13, still have it, unbashed), and I started in HO by purchasing engines for On30 projects. Can this go on to infinity? Should I just skip this step and get some T gauge? Maybe I don't actually like narrow gauge?

Well for the time being my HO stuff is packed up (my On30 stuff long sold off) and am looking forward to building something small in Z scale (no pun intended). I've been following the fantastic work you guys and gals have been producing here on Trainboard for a while and will continue to do so. I'll throw in my two cents and show what I'm up to when I can!

Regards,

Cody from Calgary

 

Cody, welcome to Z! It is a great place to be. The people here are freindly and helpful. If you have any questions ask and usually someone knows something. My advice would be to start and build a begining layout just to get some trains runnings.

The MT buildings are very easy to build as they fit very well. My only advice would be to paint them before you glue them together. Makes life easier.

 

Thanks Folks!
John, don't worry, I love pictures too. And I'm better at them than words so you'll get more graphics than ramblings.

Joe, I've got a few ideas for a layout but am going to give it some more thought before I jump into anything. I've usually freelance my way through my model railroading and am wanting to try modeling something fairly accurately for a while, which I'm not off to a good start with. Since I though I was only buying an Nn3 mechanism, I ended up with a Montana Rail Link GP35. It did make me read up a little on the line though. It's funny where this hobby takes you.

Regards,

Cody

 

I don't know if I'll pursue MRL, but I like the blue engines too. The MT Central Vermont and Grand Trunk Engines are mighty tempting as I already have some Rutland, B&M and MEC stuff in N scale. I like the Northeast roads allot! I also like CP and CN allot, being Canadian and all...

Is the GP35 and GP7 mechanism the same beast? Maybe I'll try and trade shells with someone.

Regards,

Cody

 

Welcome Cody!

I'm a Z neophyte, and I'm sure you'll find everyone here to be very friendly and helpful. I'm in Vancouver, so if you need anything from this side of the Rocks, then give me a shout.

Scott

 

Hi Cody,

Seeing (and buying) an MTL GP35 at a hobby shop, was for me also the reason to start Z-scale US railway modeling, after being in modeling European Z-scale for a while.
But you can also continue in Zm. See next link:
http://www.zm-schmalspur.de/

 

Too Late for a Warning!

It is already toooooo late to warn you about the Z scale infestation Bug that is progressively increasing its population!!! The dirty lil bug nicked me back in the early 90's, but wasn't till the Rogue/AZL modern locos came out that the lil bug bit down hard. And to this day, has yet to let up on its bite!!!!

Welcome Aboard!

Hobo Tim

 

Thanks for the welcome Folks!

I started my MT barrack building today and am pleased with how it's going. I primed everything while still attached to their frets and am enjoying the build quite a bit (I rarely models structures usually preferring rolling stock and engine projects). A couple of in progress shots are attached.

I also have a 17.5 x 78 inch shelf to work with for a layout. Just enough room for a loop and some switching. Still not sure which direction to go for a prototype or local but that probably wont stop me from getting some track down and a train running..!

Regards,

Cody

 

Howdy folks,

I've attached a pic of where my barracks building is at at the moment. I replaced the MT steps and landing with some thinner stripwood and painted it white. I'm going for a decrepit, uninhabited look and like how it looks although it's pretty coarse. The sub-roof is glued on but and I'm thinking of doing tarpaper roofing instead of what's supplied in the kit.

Regards,

Cody

 

I've also started a small mini-layout, just 32x18 inches using some Marklin track I got in a Mini-Club set. I'm going to have to hand-lay a few sections, which I've done before in HOn30. I might try to scratchbuild a switch but I'm not sure about that yet..! I'll start a thread on it once there's something to show.

-Cody

 

Don't worry John,
Glue is drying and camera battery is charging. Hopefully I'll have a loop running before bed time.

-Cody

 

Welcome here Cody! About MTL GP35 and GP9 (and not GP7, these are made by AZL), the mechanisms are the same if one considers "new generation" GP35. First samples of the GP35 have a slightly different chassis. After a while these have been changed and subsequent GP35 are fitted with the same chassis than GP9s.

Hope this helps,

Dom

 

Thanks Dom,
I might try and swap a shell with someone soon. I think I'd much rather have a CP GP35 than the MRL (although I am warming up to the RailLink paint scheme...).

I've also got my loop of track running on my mini-layout and some scenery has started. I'll post some photos once its starts looking like something.

Regards,

Cody

 

Yipes! 16 months have gone by since I promised some progress photos, and it's not that I've been withholding them, it's that no progress has been made. I ended up pulling up the Marklin track because I wasn't happy with the kinks going into the curves, and then I spent the next year looking at the piece of plywood trying to decide what to build on it (everything from Z to O scale crossed my mind), as well as wasting time messing with various other scales. Then recently I picked up some Micro-Trains sectional track and put together a loop with two sidings, sort of like an Inglenook type plan within a loop and have been running my Z and Nn3 stuff on it. I don't really like the MT switches but have tuned them to run okay, my GP35 still has trouble with one of them and the Marklin 2-6-0 doesn't like the other. A little more work with the files should get them in order and I suspect they'll look better once painted and weathered. I handlaid two short easements into the curves using HO scale 1x3s for ties.

I've attached a quick pic of what it looks like at the moment, mostly covered in various N scale bits, a few 1/144 tanks etc., but it shows the general track arrangement. The backside will eventually be hidden by a gently sloping hill, but other than that I have nothing planned for scenery. I'm actually still not decided if this will be Z scale or Nn3...

I'll update this thread as I make progress, but as I've demonstrated, this may take a while.

Regards,

Cody

 

Good work! What's the track left and right of the "lower" straight section? That doesn't look like MTL sectional...

Dom

 

Hi Dom,

That's some handlaid easements because I didn't like the hard turn of trains going directly from the curve to strait track (and vice-versa). I think it looks much better.

Today I assembled and painted a Titchy water tower which, if I use, will make this Nn3 instead of Z scale. But I can run my Z scale train when no one is looking...

-Cody