Jim-

I've certainly seen the Rislone name around for many years but I don't know if it is plastic safe. Most lubes are
safe for nylon gears but it can get splashed around on the styrene and other plastics where it could lead to difficulties.
I wouldn't use it unless it's marked as plastic safe.
                                                                            -- D

Quote from: Irbricksceo on January 03, 2015, 08:33:43 PM
I had no idea that Horny had that much history behind it!

Irb-

Actually, he's not. And his name is the less descriptive Hornby,

                                                                                    -- D

Bill-

I remember when the General Manager granted me territorial rights to an extra bedroom for a train room. What a wonderful feeling! And now you are the recipient of the same great news. Congratulations!

And now, not from envy, I swear, a small monkey wrench in your plans: Four-by-eight tables and ping pong tables are rarely the best for layouts which have their own rooms. An around-the-walls arrangement almost always provides more and better raw area for a layout, longer mainline runs, superior operations and better access. Such layouts are often less expensive to build, too. May I urge you to at least consider an around-the-walls layout?

And some help, too. Check any recent MR, RMC or MRN and you'll find an add for a company t(he name escapes me right now) which makes modular pieces for assembling model railroad frameworks. I suspect the system is more expensive than using raw lumber but you may be willing to pay for the convenience. However, I can assure you that there is very little complexity in building comparatively narrow shelves along a wall with products from a lumber yard. You could conceivably use the prefab units for wider areas and stick-built narrow (anything up to 18" or so) shelves to connect the more developed or scenic parts.

Whatever you do, please let us know how things are going.
                                                                                          -- D

Quote from: Jerrys HO on January 02, 2015, 05:54:11 AM
Bill to get an attainable incline, I usually go 1/2 inch every 9 inch track piece

Jerry-

A half-inch rise per nine inch track section is 5.5 inches per 100 inches which is 5.5%. That is an exceedingly
steep grade for a model railroad. Prototype railroads, other than some narrow gauge lines, would never
even consider it.
                            -- D

Jim-

Free warranty service applies for the first year only and to the first owner only. Thus, you would need your original
receipt and warranty card to substantiate your repair claim. It looks like you can buy a replacement motor for considerably
less than the cost of the out-of-warranty service. Seems like a no-brainer to me.
                                                                                                                         -- D

Jerry and ACY-

Let's all try to play nice. It seems obvious that you each focused on a different aspect of the OP but that needn't be cause for conflict.


Graham-

There have never been any through narrow gauge railroads along the U.S. east coast or anywhere else in the country. The large majority of narrow gauge railroads were built to serve small, isolated communities which, in most cases, needed transportation but didn't warrant full size trains. These areas were almost exclusively mining and lumbering regions in mountainous areas. Most offered some passenger service but it was focused on local needs or connecting to a larger railroad for people who needed to travel beyond the immediate vicinity.
                                                            -- D

Quote from: msherrod@hot.rr.com on January 01, 2015, 10:33:07 PM
The height seems OK as the couplers (even with the metal stem that hangs down from it) do not touch anything as the train moves along.Mike

Mike-

The main importance of coupler height is that couplers at the same height are much more likely to stay coupled than
couplers which are at different heights. If they don't match, they can detach due to the normal irregularities in track
or, especially, at the beginning or end of a grade.
                                                                           -- D

casey-

May I suggest that you refrain from purchasing any more train sets until you have a better idea of what direction you want to go with model railroading? Train sets are designed to be inexpensive, easy entries to the hobby. Consequently, they typically have components which are of less than highest quality. This leads to short lives and a lot of frustration before they prematurely give up the ghost. In short, they can prove so frustrating that they drive some folks away from the hobby who might otherwise have enjoyed themselves.
                                  -- D

Quote from: Billm10454 on January 01, 2015, 11:09:53 AM
If you are going to use an LED you really don't need a lense

Bill-

Not always true. If you use a SMD LED you will probably want a lens because the SMD won't look good. They are
small so they fit in headlight castings but they are also square, which is very unusual for a locomotive light.

                                                                                                                     -- D

Quote from: WoundedBear on December 31, 2014, 08:59:51 PM
Happy New Year....here's hopin' 15 is a sight better than 14 was.Sid

Sid-

Amen to that! And a happy, prosperous new year for everyone.

                                                                                     -- D

Roger-

Strip brass, styrene or thick paper. Paint before installation. Piece o' cake.
       
                                                                                                    -- D

Quote from: caseyjones on December 31, 2014, 08:49:27 PM
Ok.  So I'm still trying to configure a couple of branch or spur lines to park an engine with 5 cars while I run the second engine and five cars.  The pattern is a standard oval big enough to have a spur line on the inside of the oval for each train.  I got the insulating plastic couplers and a metal couplers with a length of wire soldered to it and wired in an Atlas SP ST switch. I did the dead stop thing. I worked all the hook up possibilities and wrote down the instructions the guy from our local Hobby Town gave me and I still cant seem to cut the power to a spur while running the other train on the track.  The idea would be to power up the spur when I want to park the train running on the track, and run the train parked on the spur. I'm combining two Bachmann train sets to make this work and the pattern is like a pattern on the back of the box. Mr. Bach Man, any ideas?  Anyone?  Please?  This all Bachmann stuff.  Which is fine by me.  Smiley  If it cant be done, then that's fine.  i'm just trying to find my way.  I'm sure its something I'm doing, or not doing.  But not sure what.  Thank you in advance for your ideas.

Casey-

Double posting won't yield a better answer or a quicker one. It will only plug up the system, insult the people who
try to help you and irritate others. Please try to live with our little courtesies.
                                                                                                                   -- D

Quote from: MrMoose on December 31, 2014, 08:04:18 AM
Picky,Picky....

Moosie-

Not really. There are many opportunities for miscommunication when all we really have is short discussion board
messages. Using accurate terminology mitigates this a little bit. Now if we could just get to proper grammar we might
really have something!
                                     -- D

Bill-

The documentation with your decoder should tell you what current is put out on the yellow wire. You shouldn't need a resistor but I can't say for certain without knowing the yellow current and the LED's need.

I think (but check it out in the documentation to be sure) that you can do Rule 17 lighting with your Digitraxx decoder.
                                                                                                                                                                               -- D

Don-

The 52" wheels are just about 6/10" in diameter, rim (not flanges)
to rim. The 63" wheels work out to a shadow under3/4".
                                                                                         -- D