Everyone was such a big help with my question on bench work I thought I would pick your brains with yet another question.  I just purchased a Lionel steam engine and a couple of their cars.  I like the Scale Trax brand track but will the Lionel equipment run on it ok? The reason I am asking is the flanges on my rolling stock are Very large! I really do not like the Real Trax with the plastic ballast! Thanks!

I have been unpacking all of my rolling stock and engines over the past week and checking them all out for performance. I came across a Rivarossi (AHM) 0-8-0 engine that was in pretty bad shape but I worked on it for 2 days and got it running. If I remember correctly I bought it in a junk box of other items and it is missing parts (2 front drive rods). Searches of the web got me the parts diagram but no parts available. So I side lined it and began unpacking more stuff. Lo and behold I came across another Rivarossi (AHM) 0-8-0 engine - brand spanking new. works like a charm.

This tool was in another photo I posted and a few asked what it was so I've started another topic.

The original photo, the underside of the car.

Looking at the top it all becomes clear! It carries my iPod running gradient measuring software.

Set across the tracks it measures the cant or super elevation.

Within the past week, I have encountered a low voltage short on my railroad. I use an NCE dcc system and have the railroad divided into 6 power districts - this short only occurs in district two - the main yard. Any locomotive that enters the district produces a nice warm glow on the cp-6 circuit protector and as you increase the throttle, the glow gets brighter.

Anyone have any thoughts before I begin the hunt this weekend?

Thanks,

Dan Spencer