Quote from: Ken Huck on December 14, 2018, 09:16:06 AM
Yay !  I can now see the pictures !  Only the last four though.  But, I can see 'em.
Keep them coming...

Ken

Yep, I'm back to Photobucket! I don't mind the watermark either.

I also shot a video this morning for my YouTube channel...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIt7vAx9SzY

Got me a new Bachmann engine...


A Bachmann Spectrum Baldwin Consolidation steam locomotive, in the ATSF roadname of course! This is the mid-2000s DCC-ready version. Aside from missing a couple details, when I first got it I was told it had a short in the tender, but it turns out it was because the wheels in the tender trucks were positioned incorrectly. So I re-installed them as shown on the diagram, plugged a TCS DPX2-UK decoder into the board, and now it runs very well. (Though after plugging in the decoder, I had to remove the original yellow capacitor as instructed on the TCS website, as the decoder has its' own capacitor built in.)
Very nicely detailed, and the shell even feels metallic. (Was it die-cast or something?)
Bachmann still makes this locomotive today, but it's no longer branded as a Spectrum model, but still has the same high quality.


Hey look! Santa Claus is in town! But wait, is it REALLY Santa? The neighbors say it's just the father of the kids living in that house, and every year on Christmas Eve he dresses up as Santa and goes down their chimney to lay the presents under the tree.


The Consolidation pulling my Christmas train through the town as the BNSF local freight passes on the other track.


Another nice shot of the Christmas train with its' new DCC motive power. It's so real-looking!

Well, I re-positioned the wheels in the tender trucks as shown on the diagram, put the decoder back in the proper way, and NOW the engine runs like it's supposed to! My hunch was right; it had something to do with the tender wheels.

Quote from: rich1998 on December 12, 2018, 08:38:53 PM
When you cut the cap, nothing shorted on the PC board? Last I knew the cap was a yellow blob.
A shoirt does not sound good. Did you try on the program track? The program track usually protects the decoder. Good idea even with a new decoder. I mis-wired a Bachmann 4-4-0 using a Tsunami Micro once. Reversed orange and red wires for a hard wire install the small tender. That saved my decoder.
When you go to program again, do a decoder reset. You should see the the decoder I.D. After you cycle the track power, the headlight should flash sixteen times as I recall and the loco run on 3.

Rich

Yes, the cap was pretty much a yellow blob, just like on the website guide. How would I reset the decoder using the E-Z Command unit?
Hmmm, I looked at the tender wheels, and noticed the insulator thingy on the axles was on the same side on both rtucks on the tender. I think they are actually supposed to be set so on one truck, the insulators are on facing one rail, and the other truck has them facing the other rail. Should I swap them out?

The decoder arrived today! I plugged it into the tender following the instructions, including removing the capacitor as mentioned on the website. But the locomotive is having trouble working; it just makes a hum as if it were still analog and won't operate. I think there's a short somewhere in the tender; now I just have to find it and fix it!

That's not a bad idea. From my latest post, the images come from here...
https://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?p=2346656#post2346656

Well, I ordered the TCS DP2X-UK decoder! AND the locmotive came in the post today, and yup, it matches the photos with the same 8-pin plug. The thing on the tender the hook attaches to had broken off in transit, so I glued it back on and am letting it dry until I get the decoder. This is going to be my first DCC steam locomotive on the layout! (I have plenty of other DCC locomotives, but they're all diesel; some are Bachmann, and some are from Athearn and Walthers and Life-Like Proto 1000/2000 with TCS decoders.)

Christmas is coming to the layout!


A photo I took almost a month ago before prepping it for the holidays, showing my auto-carrier train passing the regular freight train. It consists of the Bachmann BNSF GP40 (again, this was my first DCC locomotive), an Athearn auto-carrier car, a TYCO auto-carrier car and a Life-Like auto-carrier car, followed by the Bachmann BNSF caboose.


My current Christmas train consist. An IHC Santa Fe Consolidation 2-8-0 steam locomotive and tender (analog) pulling an AHM Holiday 1979 boxcar, a Bachmann Merry Christmas boxcar, a Mantua/TYCO Season's Greetings boxcar, a TYCO 50th anniversary boxcar, a Bachmann animated reindeer stock car, a Life-Like Christmas gondola, and IHC Santa Fe streamlined cupola caboose.


The downtown train station has been decorated with a "Santa's Landing" roof!


Christmas at the town church!


An apple orchard at the farm!


There's also a farmstand out front now, too!


The freight train loads coal into the hopper as the Christmas train chugs past.


Both trains passing each other.

I recently ordered on eBay a Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0 steam locomotive and tender (in ATSF road name, of course) and it's DCC-ready. But what decoder should I use? I'm going to run it with my E-Z Command unit and I don't want anything to fancy.
I've been eyeing this one, as I've often had good luck with TCS decoders on my layout and E-Z Command system...
http://tcsdcc.com/installation/ho-scale/bachmann-spectrum-baldwin-2-8-0/dp2x-uk

Anyone ever try this decoder with E-Z Command? If not, any other alternatives? Would any of Bachmann's own plug-in decoders work? (It would have to be the 8-pin version.)

Quote from: Joe323 on July 09, 2018, 08:51:56 AM
Wiley:

Long time no hears. Hope all is good

If your last post was supposed to have pics I can't see them

Joe

The Tyco Forums have been down for some time now; they host my images. That's why they've disappeared.

You're welcome!
Also, here are a few more updates, especially since I gave a demonstration of my layout to my dad's friends last weekend...


I got more adhesive roads from Walthers/Busch, and laid them out on the remaining blank spots of my layout.


Another shot of the coal yard.


Just another shot of the railyard at an interesting angle.


The Amtrak train rolls through the residential section of my town.


Busy evening at the drive-in theater!


The Amtrak train speeds past a small campsite in the woods...


Another shot of the Amtrak train stopped at the Life-Like Snap-Loc commuter station.


Another overview, from a different angle I don't think I tried before.

I can tell you right now that the dimensions of the L shape are 11x8 feet. It was originally going to be a 12x8 C shape, until we compromised on the size. I will see if I have to modify my old C shape diagram of the layout to show the current L-shape. Once I find it, I'll upload it.

Quote from: bbmiroku on April 29, 2018, 07:48:45 PM
Just curious.  What was the movie?

The first and third pictures are just drive-in intermission trailers/advertisements. The second is a clip from "Dracula, the Dirty Old Man," which is a really cheesy adult horror film from 1969. Definitely feels like drive-in movie fare, even if it has nudity (the clip I showed doesn't have any), and even has a scene taking place at a drive-in theater!

The Skyview Drive In Theater is up and running!


Yep, I got the ticket booth and the snack bar built!


A train passes by the drive-in as a cheesy horror movie plays at the drive-in! It may not be "Hot Shot Eastbound" (as the train is too modern), but it still looks cool!


An attempt at taking a photo without the flash as the Amtrak train speeds by the drive-in as a snack-bar advertisement plays during the pre-movie intermission.

New photos again...


Just a couple of blissful family moments can be seen here.


A funny sight, courtesy of Woodland Scenics's "Accident Waiting to Happen" HO figure set.


The TYCO hopper car unloading set getting some use.


Both the BNSF freight and Amtrak passenger train pass each other.


Another shot of the BNSF freight in the railroad yard.


Testing the drive-in theater screen with a tablet that fits into it!