The "dead spot" you are referring to is called the frog. The frog is isolated from the rest of the turnout to keep from shorting the turnout. The Peco turnouts mentioned above are ELECTROFROGS, not all Peco turnouts as implied. Peco manufactures two types of turnouts, those being Electrofrog turnouts and Insulfrog turnouts. Electrofrog turnouts are power routing, that meaning that power is routed only(!) to the line that the turnout is set for. If it is set for the diverging route, only the diverging route is powered and the straight route goes dead, and vice-versa. IIRC, Electrofrogs can be made to have both routes powered at all times by adding wire drops to both routes from a main bus, but require the two frog rails to be isolated with insulated rail joiners. I am going sheerly off of memory here, so I would recommend  looking it up before trying it.

All oddities of asking how many wheel drive a 4-4-0 locomotive would be, there are many variables that determine a locomotive's pulling power and maximum allowable grade. I would hold off on building the hill until you have the locomotive (or at least details of its pulling power from someone), determine how many cars you want him to pull up the hill, and how steep the hill can be for the loco to still be able to pull the cars up. THEN build the hill.

Quote from: Santa Fe buff on November 17, 2008, 10:54:39 PM
Ewe, sorry GG... I'm not using any RDCs, I know what your talking about too. I'm using F40PHs... Bachmann Spectrum's. They're currently out of order, but I'll have them running. It was only going to be a 3-car commuter train anyway. Here's my plan, and thanks to GG, I've got some figures to work with. A 18" radii inside loop on a separate transformer for housing the Amtrak w/ a station that is facing inward. On the outside, a 20" radii loop with 2-3 spurs on ends. If the whole 2nd track idea is a bust, then I'll run it like real-time. The freighters wait while Amtrak roll by. If I don't have the proper equipment for more then one locomotive per pack, then all derail the freight unit by setting the wheels off the rails, but so it looks like they're actually on the rails. I've considered insulation joints, but I can't do that on this size system without it begin to protect a car on a "for-fun" spur. All in all, I've got several plans and sizes, but I can't really decide.

EDIT:

RAM,
   I talked it over with my parents, no. We can't put the block in the center. It's seems much too small.

Let me get this straight, your parents won't let you put a view block in the center of your LAYOUT because it seems too small?

Jim,

Bachmann HO scale DCC ready and Equipped locomotives (with the exception of the old spectrum 0-6-0 switcher) come equipped with an NMRA 8-Pin plug. All you need to do is mount the speaker in the tender, unplug the decoder from the socket on the circuit board (and save it for later, for possible use in other locomotives), and plug the Tsunami's 8 pin plug into the socket. Making sure the pins are lined up correctly. IIRC, the red wire on the plug should go into socket 1, which is marked on the circuit board, program your decoder, and run.

Its also at the top right, just below "History Made Every Day."

I will have to try and watch this series. Hopefully I can get the DVD also.

Quote from: SteamGene on September 07, 2008, 05:40:22 PM
I find it easier myself to use the cab number.  There is no real difference in the difficulty of adding a four digit address than a two digit one.  With four digits it's less likely to have a duplicate. 
Gene

I agree. I prefer to just be able to think "I want to pull train "x" out of staging. Train "x" is headed by locomotive #473." Then I just punch 0473 into my throttle, and roll her out of staging. As opposed to "Which number is loco #473? Is it address 24? No..."

Get a protractor and measure the smallest (closest to being completely closed) angle.

Quote from: kenp on August 07, 2008, 06:59:00 PM
Unfortunately, it looks like the 4-8-4 boiler with a different frame, and of course, not spectrum. I'd love to se that SP 4-10-2 in spectrum, but it's probably to "road specific" for them!

*cough*That'showtheprototypeoneswere*cough*

Look, there is basically a 0.001% chance of Bachmann venturing into the HOn2/HOn2.25 range. If you want narrow gauge that bad, go buy a white metal kit or scratch build the engines. I for one DO model narrow gauge, and I have to deal with limited availability, and high prices. 1 HOn3 freight car costs close to the price of one of your locomotives. And almost any single HOn3 locomotive (this includes non-brass!) would cost close to, if not MORE than your entire roster. I have many other interests, ATSF Steam/Transition Era for one. Much more stuff available, and for much lower prices, but I choose to model HOn3, so I deal with what I have.

Any dog that will make less noise than you do.



Jake "So a Pomeranian is out of the question!" S.

Quote from: Yampa Bob on May 14, 2008, 05:17:01 PM
You may find this humorous.  I recently ordered some electrical parts from Litchfield. In the box were a couple small packages labeled "Litchfield".  I thought they might be silica gel they use to keep moisture out of electronic stuff so I just tossed them in my parts box. 

While cleaning my shop, I started to throw them away, but detected a familiar odor. I opened a package and it finally hit me.  They were mints, made by the Litchfield candy company.  What a nice touch. 

Yep. Last time I ordered from them I got a couple of mints and some rock candy. (BLECKH) If you are buying anything DCC, I would strongly recommend Litchfield.

Quote from: Jim Banner on May 24, 2008, 06:26:27 PM
Here in Canada we often have the same kind of problem - US shippers wanting $25 for shipping an item in a standard envelope.  If asked, they explain that the extra charge is for something called "handling."  I figure it this way - $1 for a stamped envelope.  $23 to write my name and address on the envelope and fill out the little green export tag.  If the seller is a little slow, that might take 5 minutes.  If my math is correct, that is about $288 per hour for monkey work.

       

Where do I sign up?!

Quote from: Santa Fe buff on June 29, 2008, 04:49:08 PM

Quote from: RAM on June 28, 2008, 02:42:35 PM
Santa Fe rebuilt one of those ugly engines 4197 in a beautiful locomotive.

I don't think any train, or locomotive, is ugly, and I wish there was some more of these locomotives were produced in the most famous scales, HO, N, G, On3, and Z. By the way, are any of the real versions of the locomotives surviving in museums, or some kind of place?

You'd never see a B&M locomotive in On3...

I think so.

Quote from: kevin2083 on June 24, 2008, 11:24:10 AM
The air lines can be closed off at the hose connection (the name is somewhere in my head, but won't come out). That way, the cars can be left with the brakes off for whatever reason.

IIRC, the term is 'angle cock'.