Track and electrical/DCC
DC, Digitrax Zephyr, and Old Brass Engines
Hi everyone,
Part 1: I am evaluating my brass purchases from the past several years to get them ready for rebuilding, painting, and DCC. I have one United 4-6-0 with an open frame motor and two Samhongsa, one 2-8-2 with a can, and one 2-8-2 with an open frame.
Part 2: I am testing my Digitrax Zephyr for the first time. I have used the PiSprog for several years now and wanted to have something that was more plug and go. All of my assorted DCC units (Athearn and Proto mostly) run fine on the Zephyr.
Yard Ladder Questions
Hello, in the process of doing a layout with my grown Son . He has a nice size basement. The footprint of the layout is 22FT long by 15 FT wide. Bench work done (L girder) and now starting to put down the road bed. This is a DCC system with tortoise switches. I have some small DPDT toggle switches and a bunch of Bi color (Red\green) led's. Very new to the hobby (at least the building part) and need help with my ward. I would like to build a control panel for the yard. I could use some help in the placement of the switches and led's that make sense. See Below.
How do you determine that your rails and wheels are really clean?
Joe’s article on track cleaning is a very fine piece of information. It’s well worth reading.
https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/magazine/mrh2019-05/publishers-musings
I was just curious about how you determine that your rails and locomotives wheels are clean and that you have good electrical contact. When do you determine it’s time for a cleaning?
Nick
Peco Switch/Crossing Question
I have a quantity of Peco "Streamline" code 83 #5 and #6 switches.
I have been to the Peco website, but I have yet to unearth information as to what angle of crossings would be needed to schematically accomplish this for either the Peco #5 or #6 switch angle:
(Note: The above illustration was lifted from a vintage Atlas "Custom Line" track planning book, thus uses Atlas geometry and not Peco geometry.)
Hesitation When Decoder Sound is on?
I have an interesting issue. I have two Stewart Holies locos, both with Cannon drives, and both with Loksound decoders.
These and my Kato’s are my best running locos...just crawl along at very low speeds. Recently my Stewart’s run fine when the sound is muted (F8), but with the sound on they hesitate constantly...both the sound and the speed.
Any thoughts???
Tom
SoundTraxx has a Career Opportunity!
We're reaching out to the modeling community with a career opportunity! SoundTraxx is seeking a Product Specialist to join our team in Durango, Colorado! This is a terrific opportunity for a train/model train aficionado looking for a chance to work in the industry. Please go the the job posting on our website and follow the instructions if you are interested!
https://www.soundtraxx.com/jobs-sales.php
Human Resources, SoundTraxx
Ballast
I hope y'all don't think I'm strange. (I may be, but that's another issue). Has anyone ever successfully ballasted without glue? Is there any kind of ballast that could "possibly" be used that 1>won't blow away 2> isn't magnetic? The reason I ask is simple. Most of us get a layout to the point of running. And want to do so for a while to make sure the track and wiring is trouble free. Then, we consider ballast. And once that ballast is glued (Elmer's being the preferred glue), it is more or less permanent.
Help removing and replacing track
I have several sections of old brass track and turnouts that I need to remove from my layout and replace with nickel-silver track.
East Coast Circuits Grade Crossing Flasher
In getting my layout up and running, completing the last major scenery work, I was ready to invite other operators in to see and operate the layout. I still have some details to add, but one thing I needed was to put the grade crossing signals into operation. I did not have the signals operational at the recording of this video.
Wiring ? Help
Hey everyone,
I have this building with some led lights above the bay doors, I want to tie them all into two main buss wires,not sure how to secure the two buss wires I’m using and was looking for some suggestions. Hopefully the picture explains better what I’m trying to do.
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