Hi,

I would.check the axles for hair or carpet fibre that may have wrapped around them and cause binding as they tighten.

I would also check the gear on the motor to see if it is slipping and moving and causing a bind in the gear box area.

Nm-jeff

Just a tip,
if your train gets too long you may also run into "string-lining" this is where the train acts like a string being pulled at both ends and straightens out, you know this is happening when the cars in the center of the train derail towards the inside of the curve.

This happens on tight radious layouts, is cause by a few things rolling resistance, and the rolling stock being to light.

Nm-jeff

They should work just fine.

I use the same bachmann modules for N scale and G scale I just adjust them for the respective scales.

NM-Jeff

Those are the ones I was considering, are the true to the pictures?

Or better?

Nm-jeff

Everything looks normal on my computer and kindle

Check the setting in your browser.

Nm-Jeff

I'll make it  bit easier to find for others.

Looks nice I may hav  to get a couple of these.

Heres a more direct link to his review.

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/90483-bachmann-0n30-whitcomb-diesel-locoarrived/

Nm-jeff

The locomotive maybe lifting on one side and not making good contact you will have to look very close to see if this is happening sometimes material has to be removed from the frog or track to make them level.

It woild be best is you used an electrical meter to make sure both rails have power.

Not a cure here but a trouble shooting technique I have used is to tape some weights on the top of the loco (nickles) then see if it will run through the switch, the added weight keeps.the wheels in contact with the rails.

Once I determine it is a wheel lifting problem then I work on the switch.

NM-Jeff

Hi, i use these very simple timers to stop and start trains.

All you have to do with this set up is place a gap in one of the rails far enough apart for the loco to cross the gap and  stop before the next gap.

You simply connect a wire from the main track to the isolated section of rail

When the wheel of the train crosses the gap the time disconnects power to the isolated piece of track.

When the timer runs out the rail re-energizes and away the loco goes, when it crosses the other gap it does shut the rail off again but sense the wheel is already on the main track the loco keeps on moving.

http://www.artisancontrols.com/Product_Details.aspx?PID=47&Type=Timer

Nm-Jeff

Hi,
Regardless of the materials you end up using I would cut the peices at 4'6" and then butt them side by side 4' to make the 4'6" by 8' you are trying aiming for.

I would buy length of piano hinge to join them underneath in the middle so it would simply fold in half for storage.

I know this is more costly but it leave you with a nice simple platform, the remaining plywood could then be cut into supports to lift the platform to the height you want.

Myself for the height I would just get 7, 5gallon plastic buckets and place one at each corner and then two at the edge in the middle and for stability one under where the tree is.

Nm-Jeff

I really liked the switches/turnouts with the one rail swing across the entire track.

But talk about a wiring hassle if you modelled one.

Nm-Jeff

Thanks Bachmann,

I will store that info in the ol brain can as fact no longer fiction.

NM-Jeff

The krylon brand paint colors always seem to match, I dont know if it is myth rumor or coincidence I thought i read that the prototypes are painted with krylon then the manufacturing plant match it from the prototype, but I also think I read.that wasnt true...

Either way I have had good matches with krylon colors.

One other thing to consider is if your cars have a sllghtly different shade to them, they are more proto typical.

In the real world cars got shuffled around and painted at different times, so as a Result most were not the exact same shade of a particular color.

Nm-Jeff

Im not sure ive ever seen a Grape industaies railroad, overall its a small portion of produce, I imagine you could have a spur lead to an agricultural area up to a warehouse.

Nm-Jeff

I have a forney and converted it because it would not run on any 15" unless it was flat and perfect and thats without a car attached, with a car attached it would run down a straight section and as soon as it went into the curve it would fling the car off the track. Dont get a foreny unless you plan on larger radius on your layout and larger switches/turnouts.

Also forget running it into a siding unless you have.  Section of straight between the turnouts, it cant handle the "S" created by a back to back set.

Just my $0.02 based on my OWN experiances.

NM-Jeff

My nephew was having an issue with a temp christmas layout, he lives on a busy street.
He mostly just lets the train run around, he likes to run it at scale speeds so once in a while it would stall, to help keep things running smooth we wired in some fairly large capacitors I had laying around and placed them in a stock car.

That pretty much cured his issue. Btw dc Not dcc.