I just got a Streetcar off the bay that appears to have been sitting for a few years, and it's not running well.

I opened it up and replaced the old gray grease with the pink stuff, put heavy gear oil on the motor bearings, and cleaned the contacts.

It will eventually go full speed after a little back and forth motion on the track, but what speed is ideal for a long break-in run?


I also have my eye on a New Old Stock 2-6-0 that I imagine will have the same problem.


Thanks in advance!

I'm planning an expansion to my layout that will leave parts of it unreachable by hand; as such I would like to get a track cleaning car.

The one that intrigues me most is the motorized one with vacuum, scrubbing, and sweeping functions sold by Atlas and Dapol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKMExevHZjc

Does anybody have experience with this model or have another DCC-compatible motorized cleaning car they can advise?


Also, what's a good yet inexpensive cleaning fluid to use?

Hello Bach-Man, I'm wondering if the DCC version of the On30 2-6-0 chassis can be used with the bodyshells from the older analog versions?

The reason I ask is because I'd like to use one or two of the Hawthorne Village sets on my DCC layout, but I'm not too confident in my soldering skills.

I sent an email to the On30 Support email address last week and have yet to hear back from them.

Is that branch of the site still active?

I'm planning an upgrade to my double reverse loop layout that will include a total of 5 locomotives and extend the far loop even further away from the feeder, which will doubtlessly exceed the single amp power supply included with my E-Z Command controller.

Rather than spend $200 on the DCC booster module, is there any reason I can't simply use a 5 amp 16v AC power source for the E-Z Command controller I already have?

I've made my own curved insulated gap E-Z track, but I want to silence the wheels as they pass over the gaps.

I bought some styrene 'beams' that are the same height as the rails, and I want to paint them to match.

The stores in my area have "Metalic Silver" Enamel paint that looks perfect for the job, but will it conduct electricity and negate the progress I've made or should I order something else online?

I'm looking to permanently connect a car to my locomotive, but I'm unable to find any products that will mount inside the existing coupler pockets.

Have you guys ever come across something like that?

I bought a replacement bunker to use as a tender for my porter, but I can't differentiate the two leads on the light.

I'm used to them being different lengths to indicate positive and negative.


Alternatively, what's a safe voltage to test them with a battery?

I'm going to be attempting my first modification soon, and I want it to be done right.

The mod will be shortening an On30 gondola into a 'shorty' flatcar roughly 2 inches in length.

My current plan is to remove the walls and middle section then join the two ends together; Simple enough, but I don't know which cutting tool I should use nor which bonding agent will work best to marry the two ends together when I'm done.


Also, it would help to know which brand and color of paint most accurately matches the black plastic Bachmann uses.

Bach Man, is there any chance we can get some 18" Radius E-Z Track curves with insulated gaps in the near future?

I want the tender I'm building to have power pickup from both rails without changing the height of the donor flatcar's body-mounted couplers.

Bachmann's replacement part pages show that the tender trucks from the 2-4-4-2 and 2-8-0 Consolidation are the two candidates I can choose from.  Are either of these the same height as the Arch Bar Freight Trucks used on their flatcars?

So my Porter decided to stop working last night.

I suspect that the problem is the circuitry since I get the same problem in DC and DCC mode: Jerky/stuttery motion (if any) and the light isn't on unless it's moving.

Rather than send it in for repair, I would like to bypass what I imagine is the DC/DCC converter board and try re-wiring it for DCC-only operation with a standard decoder. (And possibly build a tender with a reversing light and additional power pickups while I'm at it.)

However, the wires leading into the loco aren't color-coded and I really don't want to take the thing apart to see where they connect.


Can somebody provide me with a diagram or schematic of the circuit board so I can re-wire it correctly?

Are there any plans to make a caboose that matches the 18' freight cars?

They look great behind my Porter, but my caboose at the end of the train looks 'out of scale'.

I'm looking for ways to get my little loco to pull another car or two without the wheels slipping, and the only solution that comes to mind is adding weight to the locomotive for increased adhesion.

My web searches have turned up "dress up" kits, adding weights, and replacing the cab with one made of heavier materials.


Do any of you have suggestions I can add to this list?  Or stories/advice regarding how you added weight to your Porters?

So I was reading the documentation that came with my new locomotive, and it says the warranty will be voided if I don't lubricate and maintain the thing properly.  However, there were no instructions regarding what kind of oil to use, which parts need it, nor how often to apply the oil.  I didn't see any mention of what else was implied by 'maintenance' either.


I assume On30 needs only 'Light gear oil' and 'Conductive contact lube', right?   Will taking my locomotive apart to access the gears void the warranty?


Is there any other maintenance I should know about?

I want to have a 0-4-0 porter with a headlight (and its supports) from a 0-4-2.

I imagine the easiest way to accomplish this is to swap the cabs and footplates between the two models, but how much disassembly is involved?  Do I just have to remove the wheels and a few screws?


I assume it's easier than putting a replacement 0-4-2 boiler assembly on a 0-4-0, right?

I'm making a layout with a reverse loop at each end and I would prefer not to wire the two loops together.

Will using two reversers create a conflict with each other or the controller?


(I only intend to run one train at a time on the layout.)



Thank you.

Do the DCC-equipped non-sound Porters support directional lighting when running in either analog or DCC mode?


I want to build a tender with a reverse light on it and I'd like it to operate instead of the headlight when the loco is going backwards.  Will the default decoder support this or will I need to replace it?


Thank you.