Quote from: Grapevine Flyer on July 31, 2016, 02:16:02 PM
The board in E-Z Apps manages train direction and isn't concerned with the polarity of the rails (just like in DCC). So auto-reverse loops should not pose a problem.

The big question is how it would act when the auto-reverse switches the polarity. It could just keep running normally like a decoder does, or it could see the polarity change as a power interruption, and go into shut down, or it could just lose the control signal but keep running away, requiring an emergency stop. The only way to be sure is to try it out, but my modules aren't presently set up to allow me to try it. Maybe Dave Rees will see this thread and comment (or we could email him directly).

Bill in FtL

Quote from: drhenze on July 09, 2016, 09:14:44 PM
I have 2 ezapp locos they tend to stop for no reason then have to be restarted

I also have two E-Z App locos, and they have stopped on rare occasions, but only when going at a very slow speed and usually when the track needs cleaning. Usually, turning the throttle to zero, and then cranking it back up to the desired speed does the trick for my engines. Have you updated your boards software to the current version? Do your locos both stop in the same locations on the layout? Check all your rail joiners to make sure they are tight and providing good continuity, plus make sure the loco's wheels are clean.

Bill in FtL

Quote from: cdat1963 on June 30, 2016, 05:54:58 AM
I bought a used SD 45 with dcc, the sounds work but loco barley moves. At full throttle the wheels seem to spin and it struggles to move an inch or two. I have a gp 35 that works fine. What could be wrong with the SD?

Sounds like it may have a split universal socket that is disabling one truck, and the resulting drag from the dead truck is causing the wheels on the other truck to spin.

Bill in FtL

I had similar thoughts about switching shells on an EZ-Ap FT with an F7 to gain a Pennsy or possibly WM unit. Does Bachmann sell decorated shells separately through their parts department?

Bill in FtL

If you treat the reverse loop like any properly wired DC layout controls a reverse loop, things should work out fine. As for automatic reverse loop controls, I know that EZ-Ap locos work fine on DCC powered rails, but I don't know how they would work on a DCC controlled auto-reverse loop. I suspect they would behave like any DCC loco, but I haven't tried it myself (you might get a clue by running your loco on a test track using DC wired though a dpdt reverse switch and see if flipping the direction has any ill effect on the EZ-Ap locos direction). Warning: Only switch direction once, so you don't cause the EZ-Ap board to try to switch into analog DC mode.

The only reason I can think of to justify running an EZ-Ap loco on DCC, is if you are adding that loco to an existing DCC layout, but adding DCC power to your existing EZ-Ap or DC layout just to control a reverse loop probably wouldn't justify the expense & complication. However, if you are running just EZ-Ap locos on your layout, wanting a reverse loop might be a good enough reason to consider adding on-board battery power (also known as "dead rail") to your locomotives.

Bill in FtL

Now that Lee Riley has so sadly passed, I wonder how much longer we will see Bachmann continue to produce any On30. As a modeler, Lee had a different perspective than most other corporate executive types, which was fortunate for all of us in the On30 community.

I had long hoped for an upgrade to the old 2-6-0 (as was announced last year, with metal gears!), and also an upgrade of the Davenport side rod gas-mechanical similar to what was done on the Porter 0-4-0's and 0-4-2's a couple of years ago. However, the loco I most want, but doubt I'll see, is really one of the SR&RL prairies (preferably #23 or #24), which would go so well with the already produced Bachmann On30 Forneys.

I agree that sugar cane equipment (both locos and cars) would be a welcome addition, as well as a banana transport boxcar, all of which could go well with the 18' shorty car series. One thing we haven't seen, which sort of puzzles me, is new paint & graphics on the already available rolling stock (more Maine 2 footers, for instance). Maybe the warehouses are just too full of the current roadnames that aren't moving.

Bill in FtL

Quote from: UPTODAY on April 18, 2016, 05:08:48 PM
Hey,railtwister, thanks for the update on the chuggington cars.I want to buy three of them and add log bunks from DETAILS WEST,#235-171,metal,4 pcs.,$4.50.BUY them from
Walthers.
HAVE FUN,
UPTODAY

Hi UPTODAY,
I'm thinking about a culvert load made from the plastic spindles adding machine paper tape comes on. Two or three will fit on a Bachmann container flat (now discontinued), using some black or green chart pack tape for strapping (looking for the tape now). If I get really energetic, I might try to turn the ends down so they fit together, but I just might get lazy and use them as-is...
Bill in FtL

Today (Monday), I checked with Chicagoland Hobbies regarding the Sodor Mail car they had listed on eBay, and as I suspected, they had used a stock photo of the version with the older graphics in their eBay ad, the one actually for sale was the one with the winged envelope icons.

Bill in FtL

So far, all I've managed to do is open the packages and test the coupler heights with one of the Thomas red open gondolas. The Chuggington flat cars fit in well with the Thomas cars, although they are a bit longer (and heavier). My LHS' distributor was sold out of stock on most of the other Chuggington items, but at least I was able to score two of the flats. I'm still waffling on changing the deck plank direction, and also whether to use them behind my On30 industrial diesel...

Bill in FtL

In looking for the lost eBay item # link, I spotted two other mail cars also listed for sale, both using the "Sodor" version photograph, likely from the Bachmann catalog. One of them had pictures of both the Sodor and the current version with the winged envelope icon, so it's likely that the seller is just using artwork on the main photo that was lifted from a catalog, his other photo shows the current version in the blister pack, and it looks like a photo the seller may have taken himself. The other listing is from a major hobby retailer who is listing the item as new, so I suspect that the his may also be the newer version as well. Hopefully the bidders check with the seller before going too high on their bid, otherwise they may be disappointed.

Bill in FtL

Strange, today I couldn't find it by the item number either. i wonder if the sale maybe fell through? Anyway, I went back to my emails from eBay and was able to access the page from there:

<http://www.ebay.com/itm/381591739848>.

To save anyone the trouble of looking it up, the hammer price was $112.50 (I stopped bidding when someone else went up to $46, my own limit was $35). Actually, I thought it was a bit more and that the original winner had over 3500 transactions credited to his account, (it's likely he may have been a dealer), but now he doesn't seem to show up at all on the bidding record - very strange, guess my memory is going. In any event, the listed winner looks like he placed a high automatic bid early in the game, since he got in on the bidding when it was at less than $2.

Bill in FtL

Wow! A used Bachmann mail car with the original "Sodor Mail" graphics just sold on eBay for a rather staggering price! See eBay item #381591739848 for some serious sticker shock...

Looks like there are some pretty serious Thomas collectors out there.

Bill in FtL

What type of plastic does Bachmann use for the shells in its Thomas line? I have made some modifications to some of my Thomas items, and I have noticed that my solvent cement is not as effective with the Bachmann plastic as it is with other models, such as Athearn. This makes me think that they may not be made of styrene, but possibly ABS. Can anyone with Bachmann confirm the type of plastic?

Bill in FtL

My local shop says that their G scale railroading business has all but dried up, and they are stocking very little, because they can't afford to tie up inventory dollars if the product is not moving. O three rail has slowed down a lot, too, and it does seem to coincide with the slowed economy. I think this has a big bearing on the limited number of new items coming from Bacnmann as well, both in G and On30, which I also model in. G has a particular problem because of its large size, which makes tooling costs geometrically more expensive. At least Bachmann is bringing out new items in HO and N gauge, but the prices do seem to be getting out of control, I know I'm having to cut back on new stuff and also need to thin the present collection down, too.

Bill in FtL

Last night I updated my two locos (an FT & Rs3) along with a third loco belonging to a friend (a GP 35), and it went just as it was supposed to.  All locos are now quieter and seem smoother, too. I really like this system's simplicity a lot better than all the complications of DCC!

Bill in FtL