Finally made time to run a couple of units around AND get pics and videos. Fun! I have had a bit of time here and there to just run a train around to keep the tracks clean, like about once a week! But today I drug out a pair of ten-wheelers to pull two sections of a freight around. The NPBH bought another good used one from the B&O, put it right to work without even painting out the lettering yet! A couple of weathered freight cars in front of more backdrop, And a couple of the videos,
Yes they do. Will need a bit more refinement as I go along. A bit better resolution camera and a reduction in size of the image will help it be even better.
That is a bit of 'sand' for added traction! Actually, it is a bit of weight for balancing alloy auto wheels. I have them on the tender due to the wiring putting 'up' pressure on it until I feel like tearing into it a bit and correcting that issue.
Did some repairs to track joints yesterday morning. It never ceases to amaze me just how much the track joints need resoldered due to temperature variations out there. So, after the section crew finished, the Empire Builder made time,
badlandnp you could solder a wire across the solder joints to alleviate that solder joint problem( the joint would still be un soldered so to speak but at least it wont lose conductivity . just a small piece would work like a ground strap sorta .....
Like this? It is a good method I learned somewhere, maybe here. I found another few splits elsewhere, which will be obvious in the videos I made this morning earlier. Uploading those now...
And so this morning, I did a couple of more repairs where trains were having hiccups, then started a bit of fun switching. Here's some longish video's of said 'fun!'
And in the switching at Cabin Creek, I discovered another cracked solder to be fixed.... You can see the trouble it causes here n there in the switching..
no dont solder at the joint just at the ends of the wire so the joint is free to move with expansion ect
Note that the wire should not be straight across the rail joint, but have a bit of slack, as is shown in Sidney's graphic. That way the rail ends can move apart a bit without loosing electrical contact by breaking the wire or one of the solder joints.
Yes a U shaped wire with flats at the top works best to release stress at the solder joint. Put the loupe down under the ties to hid them. That's what we used for O gauge.