Can anyone tell me what the dimension of the foot of the Bachmann large scale brass rail is? I need to know if the joiners will join onto the track I already have, which has a foot 6mm wide

Check out the post here; [http://www.mylargescale.com/Community/Forums/tabid/56/afv/topic/aff/8/aft/115539/Default.aspx]

I know that QSI list decoders for Large scale but are they actually available or are they still having problems with them? It's just that you don't see anyone posting anything about them on any of the forums.

I had a similar problem this morning. The problem was the little connector which plugs into the larger connector which plugs into the rails, I have to wrench it about before I get the current to flow. As a last resort I will strip out the wires from this little plug and attach small crocodile clip connectors directly to the metal parts of the connector clip and the bared wires.

Take the 9V battery you have in the tender (for the sound) and connect it directly to the 2 rails, if the loco runs then you know the problem is with the power pack, or most likely the wires between it and the rail connector.

You didn't really answer the question properly Which of the 2 sizes mentioned in the question is 31mm?

I have a porter with an MRC decoder; but with no sound. Never run it though as I don't have a wireless receiver for it yet - I run with battery on Cliff Barker rail. http://www.cliffbarker.me.uk 

Most of my track is on 4% grade & so not much can be pulled behind my 4-6-0's; I made a wooden template to fit my Annie and then used it to make a mold; the lead weight I cast weighs five & a half pounds - can I confidently say the gears will strip quite soon? any ideas how strong the gears are on the (type 5) annie?

To date I have been buying the QSI sound & control systems for my connies and K27. I have a few older locomotives which are not worth getting such expensive sound and DCC systems; are there any suggestions for sound and DCC suitable for large scale which are affordable?

I have some small relay switches which draw 40mA on the coil side and which can power up to 10A on the output side. Do you think that piggy backing a second decoder with the QSI Magnum / Aristo and powering the smoke box and auxiliary lighting through the relays wired to the second decoder will overload the QSI receiver?

I have a K-27 which is getting a QSI Quantum Aristo decoder, battery power & using their Air wire remote control. I would like to be able to control the smoke unit and other lights (not currently supported by the board) remotely as well and was thinking about using another, cheaper DCC decoder, wired along with the Quantum Aristo to control these functions. (I have a few HO TCS 4 function decoders in a box somewhere)

Has anyone ever tried this? I don't know how something like this would be wired up. I also imagine it involves changing a lot of CV,s. I am supposing that the smoke unit would need to be connected to the second decoders motor controls, which cater for the higher amperage than the circuits for lights?

I noted in one of the manuals packaged with a spectrum locomotive I purchased that the voltage should not exceed 16volts to the smoke unit to prevent damage. I was always under the impression that all the equipment operated on 18volts, up to 22 volts (some manufacturers seem to have even higher ratings). So what is it?

Are the smoke units wired differently from the motors to protect them from anything over 16 volts?

Does anything over 16volts render the speed of most locos prototypically too fast & therefore there is no point in exceeding 16 volts?

Does using battery power make any difference? (less voltage drop across a few inches of wire as opposed to many yards on track power)

Great! I like the suggestion about using the Accucraft couplers. As for the rolling stock I think I will keep the Bachmann boxes and just drop in Kadee #900 couplers.

I have a few Spectrum 1:20.3 box cars, flatcars etc with the higher, body mounted couplers. I plan at some stage to change all couplers to Kadees. Currently my Spectrum 2-8-0 cannot couple to any of the new cars; the consolidations couplers are too low. Will the Kadee #781 conversion correct the height?

Are the Kadee 830's the best bet for the new Spectrum cars?

My aim is to standardize couplers and I would prefer to use Kadee (G couplers as apposed to #1) couplers throughout. Which Kadee coupler gauge is the correct one in this instance?

Good idea and thanks for the suggestions, I will see what I can find which fits. Not keen on cutting and modifying too much at this stage

I was planning on running my 2-6-6-2T using the Quantum Aristo board, wireless receiver and batttery. Where is there space to put batteries and what type and size battery. I am hoping to get a minimum 2 hours running time.
Thanks
Red