General questions about T

cjhilinski May 12, 2022

  1. cjhilinski

    cjhilinski TrainBoard Member

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    I am new to T after decades away from model railroading, when I did N. To see if I could do the things I want to do in T, I ordered the Beachcomber set. It has arrived. I have started building some stuff and I have some questions.
    1. Track. Running an engine on the stock layout, it's moving very stutteringly. I've found places where the rail wasn't properly fitted in the clips, but I've corrected all of that. I still see places where the engine seems to labor. Maybe there's a track fitting tip I'm missing. Is it generally better to use flex track rather than the snap-together stock stuff because of fewer joints?
    2. Couplers. The stock couplers are terribly tight. I've been thinking about designing a hook/circle type connector that provides a looser coupler connection. The tight couplers might be causing the issue I'm having with question 3 below.
    3. I've designed and printed several pieces of rolling stock and attached those to the adjustable chassis. I've used the weights. But the things still tip over extremely easily. I haven't been able to pull them one loop around the track yet because of this. Any suggestions here?
     
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  2. cjhilinski

    cjhilinski TrainBoard Member

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  3. martink

    martink TrainBoard Member

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    A few possible answers:
    1 - Usually dirty track and/or wheels. Unexpected with a new loco. Cleaning the track is straightforward, but for the loco check the wheels and most especially the bearings where the wheel faces touch the brass bogie sideframes - lint tends to collect there and form an insulating pad. Long term, it pays to permanently wire two locos together so that you get 16-wheel pickup.
    2 - To couple up, use a pair of fine tweezers to squeeze the couplers together properly. Otherwise they can lift the carriages off the track. It is worth removing the coupler springs entirely.
    3 - I found it better to omit the weights, especially if you have removed the coupler springs. If they are even slightly off-centre, you will have a balance problem.
     
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  4. cjhilinski

    cjhilinski TrainBoard Member

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    MartinK, thank you. A couple of follow-up questions while I'm learning. I was thinking that more weight would help, not less. I have some 6.35 square brass bar that I was going to file into a long triangular shape and insert into the bodies. But I'll try going weightless first because that makes sense when thinking about balance being off. Related to the couplers, I find that the ones on the adjustable chassis fit way too tight with the Class67. I'll try removing and losing the spring in the carpet. I'm interested in knowing about wiring two locos together. It seems you could accomplish the same thing (gaining more electrical contacts) by wiring to a dummy with electrical pickups just to hold down on cost. Is there enough of a benefit to running two motorized engines in tandem over using one with a dummy engine that's there just to add more contacts? Is there a time-tested way of wiring two together?
     
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  5. martink

    martink TrainBoard Member

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    It has been a few years since I have done anything with conventional T, having gone down my own weird and wonderful path with linear motors, so this advice is a few years out of date.

    For weights, it really comes down to trying it both with and without to see what works best for you. With my first 3D printed models (OzRail's from Shapeways), I did use them and had similar problems so in the end removed them.

    I found a related issue was haulage. With Sarum Bridge, I needed 2 and eventually 3 power cars to get medium-length trains up 1:50 (2%) gradients, and removing weights helped there too. The extra power cars really start to make an obvious difference when the track and wheels start to get slightly dirty, typically after half a day or so of exhibition running. Note that the 4-car HST set has 2, and the 9-car has 3. There isn't any standard way of doing this, and mine was a bit of bodge appearance-wise.

    Using a non-powered car for extra pickups would be tricky - their bogies don't have pickups, their wheels aren't magnetic, and the lack of weight would actually matter. I suspect getting it to roll smoothly would also be difficult, and can imagine it getting dragged sliding along the track.
     
    Last edited: May 13, 2022
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  6. Kurt Moose

    Kurt Moose TrainBoard Member

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    Love your EMD loco!(y)

    Show some pics when you get a chance!;)
     
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  7. cjhilinski

    cjhilinski TrainBoard Member

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    I added a couple of photos on the Thingiverse page https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5383827. One shows printed/unpainted and the second one is painted. The paint job looks really horrible up close...I'm learning.
     
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  8. Kurt Moose

    Kurt Moose TrainBoard Member

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    Almost a Milwaukee Road look to it, nice!(y)
     

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