[kq53]

I'm 54 , I live in Jerusalem, Israel and have been out of the hobby for nearly eleven years. The last two months I have been taking my old inventory (HO DC) out of storage boxes and adding new items from here and there. I still have all the track ,trains and buildings from my old layout (Fleischmann Profi) but I still need plenty of time and knowledge befor I start planning a new one.
I've been looking at a few items that I like to buy in the near future especially the Trix Big Boy . I understand Trix built it for their American market so will it be compatable with the European track that I have ? What I'd like to know is what kind of restrictions should I observe when looking for new items.
Thanks gentlemen and I look forward to my promotion from baggage handling.
Kal

 

[Brian Considine]

Hi Kal & welcome to the forum,

Trix did indeed produce the Bigboy - when you get one make sure any bridges are substancial - having a die-cast body it is a very heavy brute ! I'm not sure but it may have been available with finer wheels for the US market but even these should be OK with your FLM Profi Track (most things will run on Profi). Just allow for plenty of overhang on the curves for it !

I would tend to try to avoid older rolling stock with "steamroller/pizza cutter" flanges. Nowadays, most of the stock I buy has to have NEM pockets (I use the FLM Profi Coupling as standard) - this gives you far more flexibility with coupling choice.

Hope this info' helps - there is always plenty of advice available here - just ask away.

 

[goedel]

Hello Kal, welcome to the forum, and welcome back to the hobby!!

Regarding expensive models where there is a potential track issue then examining them in a shop would be helpful? Perhaps ask the shop to run the model on Profi if they sell it...but I can't imagine there being any problems.

Talking of different standards, just how similar are the MOROP/NEM and NMRA standards for H0 and N, DCC aside?

 

[kq53]

Thank you for your kind welcome.
I went ahead and ordered the big boy, and you are right , this is going to be a heavy one and will require special attention in layout building.
Never had to do much research on NMRA . All I know is that their HO standard is 1:87.1 as opposed to MOROP's 1:87 that we use. Never had the chance to see first hand how this affects operational compatability .
Thanks again
Kal

 

[neil_s_wood]

QUOTE (kq53 @ 27 Oct 2007, 10:44) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I'm 54 , I live in Jerusalem, Israel and have been out of the hobby for nearly eleven years. The last two months I have been taking my old inventory (HO DC) out of storage boxes and adding new items from here and there. I still have all the track ,trains and buildings from my old layout (Fleischmann Profi) but I still need plenty of time and knowledge befor I start planning a new one.
I've been looking at a few items that I like to buy in the near future especially the Trix Big Boy . I understand Trix built it for their American market so will it be compatable with the European track that I have ? What I'd like to know is what kind of restrictions should I observe when looking for new items.
Thanks gentlemen and I look forward to my promotion from baggage handling.
Kal

Shalom Kal. I lived in your part of the world for six months or so in Givat Haim in 1988/89. Some pleasant memories of Jerusalem from a visit around that time.

There were two versions of the Trix Big Boy, one for the US market and one for the European. I have the US one and it is reviewed here.

The main differences being the wheels and couplings. The us wheels are RP25 whereas the European ones will have wide flanges. The US couplers are Kadees and the European ones are NEM.

 

[kq53]

Thanks Neil,you should come for another visit, 1989 was a long time ago.
I did read your review of the Big Boy , it was the final straw befor I ordered it , actually I read all your excellent reviews . Very impressed with Brawa .
I should receive a Rivarossi Henschel-Wegmann any day now. Couldnt find a Trix . Will be interesting to compare notes with yours. Obvious you dont care too much for plastic !

 

[adecoaches26point4]

Welcome to the forum kq53

Just remember that overhead bridges need to be some what HIGHER with US HO than European HO.
I made the mistake of buying a Beautiful SANTA FE deisel,which got stuck under the first bridge it came to

David

 

[7113]

Hi Kal,

Welcome to the forum I feel sure that you will soon be joining in with the rest of us. Always feel free to post pictures of anything local.

Regards

 

[Dennis David]

Neil,

Now look what you have gone and done with your reviews.

 

[neil_s_wood]

QUOTE (Dennis David @ 30 Oct 2007, 04:35) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Neil,

Now look what you have gone and done with your reviews.

I hope it helps the buyer make a more informed choice. I find reviews of stuff like this are a bit sparse on the ground, whereas run of the mill stuff seems to be reviewed by every man and his dog.

Thanks Kal, I may visit again, I did in 1996 although I was just in Eilat for a couple of weeks that time.

No, I don't really like plastic models, unfortunately most are so this is something I have to put up with. I find it makes a big difference to the durability and traction of a model.

In regard to the comment about the size, you will also have to bear in mind that because it is articulated the body will stick out a fair bit on tighter curves. You may have to move some stuff that is close to the track for clearance.

 

[kq53]

Thanks for the valuable tips , thinking about the Big Boy and big locos in general I guess another major restraint will have to be the overall size of the layout . A small layout will simply not do them justice.