Track and electrical/DCC
Alternative to lead weights in locos; regaining what's lost when fitting DCC decoders/speakers
Has anyone had to remove weight from a loco to allow fitting of a DCC sound decoder, speaker and/or KA capacitance device? I'm wondering if anyone has tried using tungsten as a weighting material in place of lead; tungsten is less dangerous environmentally (or so I've read) and can be up to about 1.8 times the density (weighing up to 1.8 times as much as an equivalent amount of lead). The Pinewood Derby guys sometimes use this stuff to weight their cars and it seems like something good for loco weights.
Non-Sound Decoder for Genesis GP9 - Done
My Athearn Genesis GP9 just showed up at the LHS today, so I need to get a non-sound decoder for it. I've seen a few posts and videos on the subject on various other forum sites, and I do have one friend who messed around with some things getting his decodered some time ago. I didn't find a totally clear solution.
how to wire my reversing loops
i was revising my wiring plan and i found one additional reversing section that left me confused...
on the center of the plan there is one reversing loop and on the right side i was seeing just one but there is two. How can i wire the reserving loop. I will use DCC and autoreversers.
can someone help me out?, where should i place the gaps?
A Tsunami that has become separated from its packaging
I have a Tsunami TSU-1000 decoder which has had its packaging misplaced (don't ever open one until you are ready to install it!). It is a steam decoder but I don't know which flavor (I have several but not even a process of elimination will help me here). I've looked at the definitions for the various CVs but I haven't found anything that would help me tell which model this is.
Deciding what type of Insulation Displacement Connector to use for DCC
Many years ago I purchased a bunch of 3M Scotchlok Insulation Displacement Connectors and the male counterparts to the IDC's. The local model railroad club was in need of more of these to finish a project, so I donated them for the Club's use. This presents an opportunity to revisit, for my home layout, what type of IDC's to use.
decoder problems
I have two decoders that are not responding to the motor commands from the Power Pro. One decoder is a TCS and the other is a Tsunamie. Both of the decoders respond the the motor commands from the power cab.
Sometimes I have to turn the Power Pro on two to five time to get the throttles and locomotives to act right. Am I trying to power too many locomotives, ( I do have a bunch of locomotives on the track) or is there something else I am doing wrong?
The Rio Grande in Alamogordo, NM
Roger Bodwell
strange happenings
I am having trouble with two of my decoders. One is a Tsunami, and one is a TCS. Both stopped taking motor commands from my Power Pro, but still take motor commands from the Power Cab. I have tried the resets from the DCC cheat card as mentioned in the MP15 question. The other locomotives act normal.
The only other thing I have noticed, the Power Pro sometimes has to be turned on more than once for every thing to work properly. Sometimes the Power Pro acts normal on the first power up, and sometimes it takes up to four or five power cycles.
Code 55, RP25, and HO?
Looking for the voices of experience here, please.
I'm thinking of laying all of the track for my new layout in code 55. It's HO, standard gauge, and code 55 is the closest readily available rail to what I know was used on the railroad, at least in 1917. I'm guessing that it wasn't much different in 1940, and in any case it would definitely give it that lightly built short line feel. If I do it, all the track (including turnouts) would be hand laid using PC ties and/or glue, so no spike heads to worry about.
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