@gjslsffan Thanks! That is beautiful work. Depressed center flats with High Wide loads loads have long been on my list. Your MOW train looks great! Thanks for the info on the couplers. @Mike VE2TRV Thanks for the info on couplers...and...your enthusiasm.
Progress on garage HO layout is currently on hold due to damp & chilly Southern winter weather so on "expanded dining room table" have temp-delved into so-called "HO slot-cars" instead! Fast set-up and keeping grandkids busy 24-yr-old son likes it too. Spoiler: Recently Acquired (2) '70 Chevy Malibus as Well While currently running '60s style ModelMotoring track have "adaptors" on the way which allow for connections/expansion to newer type layouts AND, having just discovered "free" PC software called "Race Coordinator", I've decided it's high time to delve into "Arduino Uno" programming which will prove useful come resumption of R.R. construction.
Ok ok can't resist got to ask . . Could this new, tiny DCC chip designed around the "Carrera Digital Slot Car system" be adapted to DC trains as well? (The spec-sheet is here) Using WIFI, instead of track signal, IR diodes and G-Hz frequency modulation the 6-wire throttle/track sensing light-emitting diode hookup is straightforward enough with 3 extra conx-plugs for light functions as well. Spoiler: FT-Slottechnik!! Micro scd 2022 chip While only $45 unsure how control, sound and/or reverse could work? At very least AM BECOMING HOOKED know a 1/64 slot will run on 1/32 track so how fit this in an HO car too? While certainly no "entrepreneur" I suspect there'd be a Huge Market for "HO Digital Slot Tracks" too! (ps: the "hobby" has become very technical/expensive this article entitled Slot car racing for the rest of us really set me off) The "Carrera" system is much more challenging one can have up to 6 cars - each trying to pass the other - On The Same Lane/Track. Is it possible homestyle 3-D printing can ever compete with traditional injection molding? All You Need to Know About ABS for 3D Printing
Dug this out of my box of ancient treasures tonight. New wheels, one knuckle coupler, and a couple of ounces of extra weight, and she's ready to take to the club on Sunday. My only concern is that the plow doesn't allow the trucks to turn very much.
Well, I got a little bored today. Still waiting on a few parts for my steamers, so I can't finish those. So, I started digging around the shelves and found an old MRC Prodigy Express set up that I received from a friend who passed away. My layout is Digitrax now, but MRC was my first DCC system. They work well and are very user friendly. I then had an epiphany. I took some old Kato unitrack, attached a female JST plug to it, and then glued it to a piece of 1x4. Then I attached male plugs to my PR3 programmer and the MRC system. I also attached a female plug to my decoder tester as well so it can plug into the MRC unit to test decoders. It works great. Now I can program, test, and break in locos right on the work bench. It was a good thing my wife didn't have any chores for me today. The locos on the track in the photo is just to hold the track down while the glue dries.
Some time ago, I saved some caps from HP printer ink because they vaguely looked like a weird kind of industrial cam. So, I found a suitable shaft for them, as well as a couple gears that I salvaged from a trashed USB/battery camping light, and paited them a nice, industrial looking battleship gray (actually "reefer gray"). Next is the challenge of assembling them into a package that fits on a flatcar but stays under maximum height for total clearance. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk
Cool! That's why I save plastic and metal gears and other mechanical parts, and some oddball parts. They can make loads, scrap, or details on buildings.
Decoder install in a Proto GP18. Got this Proto 2000 GP18 second hand. The shell doesn’t seem to be from the early runs of this model, as the sun shades aren’t mounted to the roof of the cab… However, it wasn’t “DCC Ready”, there was no dummy board in it. Perhaps the chassis was swapped at some point. Anyhow, I attempted to put an NCE D13SR in it. All wires were attach per the instructions. I did flip the motor leads so it would run LHF. Decoder would read and write on the program track, but would short on the main…. Isolated the motor, checked on program track, all good… shorted on the main again, what the heck?….. back to program track, now it won’t read on quick read, but it will read back individual CV’s…. Probably fried something, but I’m out of time this weekend. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I worked on a Bemo ABe 8/12 Allegra for several hours yesterday. Removed and tested the motor, dis-assembled the truck gear train on both ends of the powered unit, relubed everything and re-assebled. Also tested the motor on DC battery power while installed in the powered unit. Found out the decoder was the culpret all along after it failed while running after all of that work.
I just finished decaling these for Canadian Pacific. The numbers aren't prototypical for the C.P.R., but neither are the locomotives. But they are close enough for me. They all have Soundtraxx decoders installed as well.
Nice stable of iron horses! As the saying goes, and of which I'm a solid partisan, don't let perfect get in the way of good. Looks plenty good!
I got a good deal on an Arbour Models Allegheny due to the fact it was missing the front frame and front bottom plate. After sitting for a while, I decided to try and utilize the back frame to make a two-part silicone mold and molded a a frame with Miliput 2-part putty. Once I got it to the correct dimensions, I cast several copies. After a few failures, I decided to but some piano wire in for supports while casting the mold. The result can be seen in the pics.These kits have a really bad rep but I've built the Allegheny, 2-10-4, and 2-8-4, and all run very well. They're not a kit for a beginner and it usually takes me a few weeks to complete one but when done, they make an impressive model.
Nearing completion on a MOW car for our QA&P protolance layout. It's a water car that combined a Roundhouse old time tank car and a Central Valley NP flat car kit. The flat car is pretty detailed: grab irons, individual gussets and trusses under the car, etc., all had to be assembled. The tank was taken off of the frame, modified a little, and placed on wood saddles on the flat car. Tom Holley--a fellow forum member--supplied the decals and quite a few ideas. All that is left is to paint the trucks, overcoat the decals and do a little weathering.
