Track and electrical/DCC

duckdogger's picture

JMRI/DecoderPro issues

On Windows 10, my Decoder Pro has been w DecoderPro orking fine for a long time in conjunction with an NCE Power Cab.  When I booted the laptop today, Kasparsky noted an important update on Java so I downloaded it. While at it,  I checked JMRI and found an update there, too. Downloaded it and ran the install check utility. All was fine. 

Slow motion switch machine with DCC

Hi all,

In last newsletter form MRH i saw advertising to MRServo. OK, it is not that bad device, little expensive, but why not. I done lot of experiments with servo. You can see some of my servo decoders, some of them have NMRA certification etc (you can buy them with various sellers in EU). But I can not say I'm satisfied with using servo as a switch machine (especially in mode when it trying to operate same as tortoise).

kirkifer's picture

closed frog switches

Gang,

I found a junk box of old tru-scale track and the #8 switches were the old one piece frog/points. Surely that way they are constructed is not prototypical, but I was intrigued with the way the frog works and believe I have seen this on the more important heavy duty mainlines.

Geoff Brigham's picture

Question on Laying Walthers Flex Track

I’m getting ready to lay my flex track starting off the outside radius of the turnout and I have a question to all who read this.  Is it really as easy as spreading the adhesive, putting the track down with thumbtacks and adjusting the ties before the adhesive sets?  Videos I have found are laying flex track on straightaways or using Micro Engineering track that you curve beforehand.

Back to Basics DC Walk Around With Memory

Im thinking of going back to basics with layout control. My layout is a simple single track branchline. The locomotives on the layout will be mainly Geared steam brass hence my desire to keep it simple.

Im looking to build 2 controllers that are DC only but with memory for continued operation when un plugeed and moving to the next point of the layout.

Does anyone have a simple DC control schematic with memory that they can recomend?

jimfitch's picture

What is the truth about Peco code 100 "large" turnout number equivelent?

Apparently the truth is a bit fuzzy on the Peco code 75 and 100 turnouts.  According to a PDF turnout information document, actually all three - small, medium and large Peco turnouts, in the above code rail types - have 12 degree frogs.  That seems odd because small, medium and large Peco code 100 turnouts seem to have varying sharpness of turnout curve radius's.  Here is the link to the PDF I am referring to:

Digitrax pr4

Does anyone know if the digitrax pr4 if installed can you still use the computer normally to search the web and what not?

GregW66's picture

Fast Tracks Turnout gaps

I am about to embark on a 20 turnout building spree. Rail arrived today! Fast Tracks suggests using a Jeweler's saw with a fine tooth blade to make gaps for frogs. I am wondering if this is the best way? Have others used this or what have they used? It isn't an expensive tool but if I don't have to buy one I won't. Although I love an excuse to buy another tool. lol

GregW66

 

Another track cleaning post -- can you ever get it clean?

After a few months of not running my trains as I worked on scenery my track has gotten very dirty.  Yesterday I spent a lot of time cleaning it.  I used a brightboy, then metal polish, then alcohol and finally Act 6006 track cleaner. No matter what I did I could never seem to get a clean rag when I wiped the track at the end.  I took one 18 inch segment and spent 15 minutes on it and still never go a clean rag when I wiped the track for the last time.  Is my experience typical or am I missing something in my cleaning?

Turnout Control Options (manual vs electric)

Hi everyone,

I am making some considerations before starting to lay tracks on my new layout. How to control the turnouts.

I am considering three options.

1. Manual everywhere (cannot have fascia led control and cannot link turnouts with signals)

2. Tortoise on mainline, manual elsewhere. Here i ll be able to have panels & signals for mainline only.

3. Tortoise everywhere (possibly the best solution, but is it an overkill to put tortoise everywhere including industrial sidings?)


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