EEVblog #700 - Indiana Jones HO Scale Model Train Set - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 05, 2015, 09:12:52 pm
content: Dave rescues this awesome one-of-a-kind Indiana Jones themed HO scale model train set from the dumpster!Complete with Ark of the covenant, Petra, the well of souls, the truck chase, the raft ride, the swing bridge, the plane, the mine cart chase, and the big boulder.All he's got to do is take it apart...

author: Skimask
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2015, 09:57:41 pm
content: Borderline ridiculously and utterly cool!And, as you said, massively depressing at the same time.

author: RobertoLG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2015, 10:03:16 pm
content: Man!!! that's so cool!!! congrats

author: nixfu
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 05, 2015, 10:13:12 pm
content: dave, dave, dave, dave..... /shakes headOk the best part will be the story of HOW you scored it.

author: Dr. Frank
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2015, 10:22:27 pm
content: Dave, don't cut the rails, if you don't have spare parts..I had a Märklin HO (and FALLERhttp://www.faller.de/App/WebObjects/XSeMIPS.woa/cms/page/pid.14.17.89/agid.1127/ecm.ag/H0-Programm.htmlmodel houses..) when I was MUCH younger.. SIGH.. and it was a pain to get these parts having contact... and no chance today to get these old metal chunks .. so be especially careful , preferably try to get 'em off safely out from the ground..Good luck and a lot of time to get it goin'Frank

author: devanno
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2015, 10:33:19 pm
content: Dodgy wiring is not unexpected under most model RRs. It never ceases to amaze me how many model RRers know little or nothing of the electricity and wiring for the stuff that runs their models. I've seen some of the worst rats' nests of wires under layouts. I support a large model RR club near Chicago (Elmhurst, IL) and we've done a huge amount of work to clean up that kind of mess... after all, we estimate that under our club layout there is something like 70 miles of wire. Heck, the 12VDC switching (dual - load sharing) power supplies for lighting are rated at 17A each. Currently, (no pun intended, but it works) we're drawing only about 5A from that supply... set for the future. :-)I fear that the hobby shop may have "over done it" on displays and such... people come in to gawk and play, but probably just didn't buy. That kind of overhead drives shops to list prices, and list prices for hobby stuff doesn't "play well" in today's marketplace. Sad to see these local shops go... we lost one of our favorites just last year.

author: grahamparks
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 05, 2015, 11:03:14 pm
content: Any chance of working the phrase "And there's the Ark of the Covenant, down in there" into all future videos?

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2015, 11:28:24 pm
content: should rename it to a Daviana Jones. Change the bull whip for a soldering iron ... The nazi's can be replaced with thru-hole components.My nickname in school was Enginana jones...

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2015, 11:47:38 pm
content: You should set it up on the stand next time you do Electronex, to really confuse the industry types!

author: RobertoLG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2015, 01:46:33 am
content: Dave, did you get that lightsaber too???

author: Tinkerer
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2015, 04:53:18 am
content: I am betting that they didnt bother trying to sell some of that stuff. I am amazed at some of the junk they left. That entire scenic set took alot of work and to just leave it behind, I have to think they didnt bother looking for people to grab that stuff or it would have been gone alot more quickly or gone period.I wish I had a chance to grab something like that. I really do hope you have a nice place to put it.And as mentioned above,dont cut the tracks!They will just slide apart easy if you separate them from the surface they are on.I actually have a HO scale train set myself. Not currently assembled though, but do have some very nice engines for it.As for the amount of work, hundreds of hours if I had to guess but could be more based on technique used. You set your base out, you carve up the foam and mold any plaster, base coat the foam/plaster, possibly put a base layer of flock/sand/gravel down but definitly paint, put other layers down, various addtions like trees after that, put gravel, put your final coatings to make things stick etc etc, all done by hand. Just to give an idea of the sort of work that can go into this sort of thing. And you have to take into account the amount of time it takes paint and glue and such to dry - tack that on to the time required if you have several people working at once.

author: boffin
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 06, 2015, 05:33:43 am
content: Dave no problem to cut the tracks, you can use a couple of little joiners, or even braize them back together. The track itself is something called "Flextrack", and you need these joiners to put it back togetherhttp://www.micromark.com/Rail-Joiners-for-Code-83-Rail-Pkg-of-50,8552.html

author: eripaha
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2015, 06:27:45 am
content: This is not the type of content im expecting from your blog.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 06, 2015, 06:32:25 am
content: Quote from: eripaha on January 06, 2015, 06:27:45 amI'm sorry you were FORCED to watch it, NOT

author: miguelvp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2015, 06:43:21 am
content: Quote from: eripaha on January 06, 2015, 06:27:45 amLet me guess, you watched the whole thing?meh, I do expect off the cuff videos so yeah this one and the ones to follow get my

author: SL4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2015, 08:13:42 am
content: It's really sad to see a store like that go under - for whatever reason.The owners obviously had incredible patience and passion for the hobby kingdom, and a desire toengagetheir customers - unlike most businesses of today that are purely after shareholder/stakeholder value (no reply email please).OK, the owners chose not to chase the almighty dollar for their own reasons, but I hope they can retire comfortably, while the kids of the northwest get back to their XBoxes and Play Stations --- only as long as they promise never to create anything of their own, never imagine a real toy, and commit to make heaps of in-game purchases with mum & dad's credit card.Virtual Fun - Whoopee! Come on kids, join the vegetables and poke at lollies on screen !! Yipee!

author: digital
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2015, 08:37:43 am
content: Dave please be gentle when you take it apart to take home,the rougher you are in dismantling the display the more work you will have to do later and that would be a shame Regards

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 06, 2015, 08:45:46 am
content: Quote from: digital on January 06, 2015, 08:37:43 amYou mean like this?

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2015, 08:51:22 am
content: Surely instead of messing with joining track you could just put a new section in - I presume it's made of standard track pieces?

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 06, 2015, 08:58:31 am
content: Quote from: mikeselectricstuff on January 06, 2015, 08:51:22 amJust cutting them and butt-joining them is vastly easier, and a standard way model train sets that are designed to be moved are joined. e.g. the big layouts that people take to the model train shows.Yes it's standard HO track, and yes I could replace it, but to do so requires the rip-up of all the glued down ballast over and around the tracks, that's real ugly and would require me to redo all that and try to match the colour and type etc. The tracks do not simply lift off.

author: pickle9000
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2015, 09:08:29 am
content: How many hours in the removal?Model electric trains are EE related, practically mandatory as far a I know.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 06, 2015, 09:23:37 am
content: Quote from: pickle9000 on January 06, 2015, 09:08:29 amNot much, spent more time dicking around and rummaging through other stuff than actually taking it apart.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 06, 2015, 11:11:40 am
content: Quote from: nixfu on January 05, 2015, 10:13:12 pmThey have been closed down for months, and I've been meaning to try and find out who the owner was and a contact number (no email on website!), to see what would happen to the sets, but then I'd forget.But often when I go past I'd check to see if the sets were still there.Was driving by with Sagan the other week and he wanted a look, so there he was face pressed up against the glass looking really sad at the train set he used to play. The new store owner (lighting shop) was inside and saw him and invited us in. He gave Sagan a few leftover toys, and I asked about the Indy set. He said the local model railway society wanted it but took my number just in case they didn't.The other day, bingo, I get a call saying they didn't want it and it's mine!The moral of the story:- Be in the right place at the right time (Who was it that said 90% of success is simply turning up?)- Don't be afraid to ask

author: rollatorwieltje
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 06, 2015, 02:30:18 pm
content: This train set ++ the live camera feed...

author: mswhin63
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2015, 02:34:30 pm
content: Nice score, At least the tracks are still available so they can be replaced and it will be in a more accessible place to carry out more sensitive repairs too

author: max_torque
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2015, 02:41:47 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on January 06, 2015, 08:45:46 am^^^Proof, that if you put your mind to it, one man really can move a mountain......... ;-)

author: Barny
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2015, 02:58:56 pm
content: I think the bunker is the right place for the track.I think its place for a back to the future theme too

author: Wile E. Coyote
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 06, 2015, 04:10:27 pm
content: Dave,I think this is the perfect choice for EEVblog #700. A lot of hobbies today contain cutting edge electronics. Model railroading is no exception! Also, watching you cut a track in half is extremely entertaining for some reason.Keep up the good work!-WEC

author: miguelvp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2015, 04:50:56 pm
content: Quote from: Wile E. Coyote on January 06, 2015, 04:10:27 pmI wonder why

author: edy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2015, 05:43:54 pm
content: Nice work Dave! I enjoy this for the prime reason that it shows value for someone's craftsmanship and a desire to preserve a piece of art! It would be interesting if you could find the original artist and record their reaction when you invite them to your lab and they see it still intact and functioning! I'm sure they would be happy it had not been destroyed with the shop!I recommend you place a little camera on your train (maybe WiFi-enabled) and have a first-person train point of view shot that is continuously streaming! Like a small WiFi security cam stuffed into the engine or caboose. That would be a neat series of videos showing how you hack an existing WiFi cam to the bare bits, find a way to power it from the rails, and install it into the train and get it to stream over the web! Here is one made already for trains but you can probably "hack" your own from cheaper applications:http://www.micromark.com/wireless-micro-camera-system-with-sound-24-ghz,8776.html

author: RobertoLG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2015, 09:45:26 pm
content: take a look at this model train ride, coolhttp://youtu.be/MWQ14X6RSh0

author: German_EE
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2015, 10:53:16 pm
content: From the looks of that layout I think that Dave and Sagan will be spending many happy hours together working on the thing (well, Dave working and Sagan watching). Such a shame when places like that cease trading.

author: pretenda
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 06, 2015, 11:47:29 pm
content: Dave, if you are going to install it in the bunker, will you be able to set up an internet connection there so we can play with it too?I'm assuming getting adsl in there might be a bit of a challenge ...

author: Whales
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2015, 02:12:07 am
content: Feel free to call in for people to help you assemble it and get it back together

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 07, 2015, 02:22:12 am
content: Quote from: pretenda on January 06, 2015, 11:47:29 pmNo internet in the bunker.

author: pretenda
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 07, 2015, 03:30:55 am
content: Bummer, all good! Looking forward to some video of it going into the bunker.

author: Obi_Kwiet
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2015, 04:22:40 am
content: Quote from: eripaha on January 06, 2015, 06:27:45 amI'm confused about what kind of person gets bent out of shape when a hobbyist blog has a tangential entry once in a while. Do you have some kind of obsessive disorder?

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 07, 2015, 04:32:41 am
content: Quote from: Obi_Kwiet on January 07, 2015, 04:22:40 amWell the idea for the blog from day one has been to do a video on whatever I happen to be doing or takes my interest at the time.I'm spending a fair bit of time tearing down that train set, and it's kinda electronics related, and I know a lot of viewers are interested in such things, so it makes for a video.But the observant will realise that a follow-up video went on the 2nd channel because I know that doing a whole lot of videos on a train set is not really main channel material.My channel has, and always will be a big mix of stuff, so that's why I don't think it adds value when people complain about the topic of a single one-off video.

author: Towger
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2015, 06:15:58 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on January 07, 2015, 02:22:12 amJust bring it home and set it up in the sitting room, no problem with Internet, Sagan will be delighted and I am sure SWMBO too :-)

author: digital
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2015, 08:39:22 am
content: Dave there was never any doubt that you would remove the display in a proper manner ,er maybe a bit,well done and I am looking forward to the next video in the series congrats.

author: mux
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2015, 03:58:12 pm
content: Not really sure if this was a thousands-of-hours job. Judging from the cheap polystyrene, fairly rough modeling and lack of things like wall modeling in the inside scenes, seems more like a hundreds-of-hours job.Then again, it really depends on the age of this set. In the last 5 years it's really popular to make incredibly detailed polyurethane sets with 3d modeling and powderbed printing. Just the unpainted scenes only take a couple hours to make, the real handywork is in the painting, characters, etc. Also really depends on how experienced the people are (judging from the kind of store... probably extremely experienced).

author: stickermike
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 07, 2015, 06:38:15 pm
content: Maybe you don't have to rip the mountain off the Wall. It looks like the blue wall is not part of the Shop. Maybe you can remove it together with the blue wall and separate it afterwards, if you like.If the Wall is too big, you can cut the lower part of the wall, which is below the model to make it smaller.To make it available via the internet would be the first really meaningful IoT device ;-)You may cut from bottom to top until you reach the tracks and then carefully pull the two parts apart. Maybe there are some people in Sidney, who can help you with that.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2015, 07:56:39 pm
content: Put a webcam on the train so we can watch the scenery go past...!

author: xrunner
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2015, 08:17:46 pm
content: Well I do N scale but same issues apply - cut the track where the two are close together and straight. Assuming things don't get bent a lot you can re-assemble that part. Hard part is getting it outta there without ruining the scenery. I don't know how they constructed the mountains and all, but it might not be very forgiving to being moved. Might not fit through the doors even when divided in half. I wish you luck!