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Messages - Steve G.

#1
General Discussion / Re: Decoder installation problems
August 22, 2008, 04:23:08 PM
I had a similar problem installing a Digitrax decoder in a Doodlebug.  When I removed the old jumper plug from the PC board socket, the guts from the #1 socket connector came out with the plug.  Seems like the person that prepared the socket got a little too close to the connector with the cutoff wheel and damaged it. >:(

In my case it was the orange motor lead that was open.  I could get lights but the Doodlebug would not move.  Now, if a similar thing happened to your #4 or #8 (Red or Black track power circuits) you would get no track power to your decoder.  But, the decoder would work fine in another locomotive as mine did. ???

I removed the old 8-pin socket and replaced it with one that was carefully cut from the stock strip.  Why didn't I just solder direct?  I have an additional function only decoder in the Doodlebug for the passenger compartment illumination.  The plug and socket connection facillitates making changes and programming.  The motor decoder and the function decoder have the same address and you don't want to program them at the same time.
#2
General Discussion / Re: GS4 Daylight #4449
August 22, 2008, 03:10:52 PM
I just got a GS4 and noted among other things that the axel gear and idler gear would slip by each other when the geared driver was pressed to one side or the other.  I disassembled the locomotive and removed the geared driver.  It was obivious that the driver gear was out of place as some of the axel shaft knurling was visible.  I used a NWSL gear/wheel puller to move the gear to within 0.003" of center.  Placing the driver assembly back into the frame revealed an alignment problem with the idler gear.  I pressed out the idler gear shaft and removed the gear.  There are shoulders on this gear and one side of mine was wider than the other.  I flipped the gear over so the fat shoulder was on the opposite side from the original installation.  There was still some slop (the gear was free to move side-to-side) so I added a thin metal washer to reduce the endo.  After fixing the interference problem with the valve gear reversing hanger and the main rods, the loco runs fine.  It now will move about 6-9 inches in 15 to 20 minutes. ;)  That's what you call creepy :D