Trackwork
Unusual Short on Adjacent Tracks
I have encountered a situation I have never seen before. While helping a friend isolate a track loop for installing a reversing module we discovered a short circuit. When performing a continuity test from A to B rail over all track sections on the layout, except the isolated reversing loop, the short was present. We disconnected all of the drops and started from scratch to try and determine where the short may be. We reconnected one track in a yard to the bus, placed a loco on the track and no short on that track. The loco operated as expected.
Question about Builders In Scale "Switchmaster" turnout control......
I recently purchased some at a good price on eBay and recently installed my first ever electrical switch machine on a mainline turnout on my O scale 2 rail layout. The installation was pretty easy and it seems to function well. I'm planning on using 3 on the turnouts that control the route of a train while all the rest are easily reached manual turnouts using HO scale High Level Switch stands with hidden microswitches for frog power as I described before. The Switchmasters will be connected to a "hexfrog" juicer.
NEW UNIFROG PECO CODE 83
General interest:
The all new UNIFROG PECO Streamline Code 83 Number 6 Turnouts
See the video presentation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osJbmNrDEnc
Photo screenshot:
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There's never time to do it right but there's always time to do it over (Turnout replacement and switch machine control)
When I was making the push to get to driving the golden spike on this version of the Black N' Blue and I got to the end of the line that is the two stub end staging tracks in the closet, I ended up shoehorning in a left handed turnout where the flow of the track work really called for a right. I thought it would be fine, its an unscenicked hidden area so I wasn't worried about looks. For the time being, I had just temporarily fixed the points in the diverging direction and moved on with other things.
Gaps for rail expansion
I soldered three sections of code 70 Peco flex track together that make up a 42 in radius curve with an easement.
Where should I put in expansion gaps?
Atlas track
Has Atlas track gone by the way side? I have been waiting two months to find Atlas track. I am seriously thinking going to Fast Tracks and with Peco I don't understand their angle of the turnout. I am tired of seeing Out of Stock. I am in need of help.
Tom
HO code 100 and Code 73 on same line?
First post. Resurrecting my layout. Lots of code 100 from old layout I had to tear down due to move, but want to use Code 70 in new layout in areas that are more visible. Are there any products such as a transition track that serve as a "connection" between the two Codes?
What's on Your Workbench - February 2021
Here we are in February! Thank you all for sharing lots of interesting projects over the last few months. Let's keep the shares rolling with the latest from your workbench and layout!.
Eric
Eric Hansmann
Contributing Editor, Model Railroad Hobbyist
Follow along with my railroad modeling:
http://designbuildop.hansmanns.org/
Something new - building my own switches
I've managed to acquire most of the items I need to build my own switches. One hang up was that I had a bunch of stuff shipped to a friend's PO Box in Blaine Washington (just over the border from us) to save on postage as there is a significant difference between shipping in the US versus to Canada.
Ballast ideas
I have some questions based upon various videos. Recently viewed a guy that used playground sand and coffee grounds mixed together. And the traditional white glue adhesive. What is a little confusing to me is where in the U.S. could such a color be? Ballast has too many options in color. And if one don't live in the exact vicinity of the area he/she wants to model, is there an accurate source? Google Earth don't get a close enough view.
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