Track and electrical/DCC

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Source for ME weathered/stained wood ties?

Sun, 2021-07-18 07:10 — IAISfan

I'm finally getting around to ordering track supplies for the new layout and realized that I'm not finding Micro Engineering HO Scale full-profile wood ties for sale anywhere. Does anyone have any tips on where I could find them in both standard and turnout lengths? I'd prefer weathered/stained, but unstained is okay in a pinch.

Thanks very much for any guidance you can offer.

9 comments

Sound Improvements to Older Kato Locomotives

Fri, 2021-07-16 13:23 — duckdogger

I have two 10 year old Kato HO locomotives which reflect the then state of the art in terms of DCC sound. The main limitation, in my opinion, was the beautifully detailed but solid Kato shell restricted the sound escaping to reach our ears. Actually, there were several members of our club with similar locos which share these feelings.

Rapido Rotary Beacons

Fri, 2021-07-16 09:29 — duckdogger

I have received my initial shipment of the very impressive Rapido rotary beacons. Even though the lights are essentially straight forward, a base, the LED module with power leads, and the globe (your choice of red, yellow, or blue), there are no instructions or information. While the assembly is easy to figure out, there are a few unanswered question with regard to resistance and configuring the light properly on the decoder.

DecoderPro TCS WOW and PROTO THROTTLE settings

Thu, 2021-07-15 14:56 — rsbodwell

I am having trouble finding information on recommended setting for the WOW Diesel decoders, and the matching settings for the Proto Throttle. Does any one know of a source for this information?

Thanks

Roger Bodwell

2 comments

routes with Walthers switch machines

Thu, 2021-07-15 09:46 — mmunts

I am considering Walthers new servo switch machines for my new layout.Has anyone set routes using these. What I mean is want be able to align all the turnouts for a particular track in a yard with a single button push. Has anyone done this with the Walthers switch machines and if so how did you do it?

Mike

2 comments

Reconditioning Peco Turnouts

Thu, 2021-07-15 05:36 — railandsail

Quite a number of years ago I bought up a whole collection of Peco turnouts,...mostly new, but a fair number of previously used ones also. I was convinced by forum discussions and in person interviews that these were some of the best commercial turnouts. I have become quite a fan myself as I build my new layout with almost exclusively these turnouts. Their curved diverging legs and their curved turnouts have allowed me to construct a pretty compact layout in my limited space.

Digitrax DCS51 strange error solved

Mon, 2021-07-12 15:32 — saunders1221

I get a "-bA-" on my Digitrax DCS51 display. Anyone know what that means? I can't find any info in the manual or Digitrax web site. Thanks!

8 comments

BLI Steam Locomotive Upgrade and Decoder Comparisons

Mon, 2021-07-12 01:47 — amsnick

Larry Linger does both superb upgrades to locomotives and superb videos of the process. I want to share this with you so that you can see the possibilities for not only BLI but other steam engine upgrades In addition, Larry does two comparison videos of the major brands of 21-pin decoders that you might find interesting. I don't think the Scale Sound Systems speakers will be the weak link....

LokSound 28 or 128 Speed Steps

Sat, 2021-07-10 23:31 — SD70M2

Just curious, but have been wondering what speed steps most of you fellows with LokSound decoder equipped models use when operating your layout. 28 or 128?

I currently own 6 models with LokSound decoders and always use 28 speed steps. I program them using CV's 2, 5, and 6 so that at speed step 5, I'm running at 10 scale miles per hour (model takes 6 seconds to move 12 actual inches). Since my layout is a freelance end of branch switching layout slow and easy is the order of the day.