It shouldn't matter as the mechanism for the Ho 2-6-6-2 and the On30 version is the same one.

Had a visit from napa15 on Wednesday. Just hope he didn't get scared away by the mess!

He brought over a Southern 4-6-2, and I showed him what he could do to improve the appearance of it.

Glad that was cleared up for you.

I just checked my program and it had 2 versions of the track in it. Ho, & N. There was even something else labeled Bach-n.xtp, but I don't know if that was structures or track.

When I'm using it to design a layout for someone, generally the only parameter files I load are the NMRA ones only. That way the client can use just about any make turnout or track he wants.

Make sure you follow the demos, they are located under "Help".

There are on-line tutorials at;

http://www.xtrkcad.org/Wikka/HomePage

There's another good tutorial here;

http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?106277-Drawing-a-Track-Plan-with-XTrkCad

Quote from: Nathan on February 03, 2013, 08:27:46 AM
There are many threads about this on this Forum.  Each person had their favorite.

...

As Nathan said, each person has their favorite. I personally prefer XtrackCad. Its a free download, has as many track libraries as all the others, in just about all the scales. There are structure libraries, etc as many others have. There's even a lumber library, to help you design your benchwork. Don't know about Cadrail or Anyrail, but after your layout is designed in XtrackCad, you can "run" trains on it to check out the operations aspect of the plan.

I found it easy to learn by following the demos that are part of the program.

If you click on the link in my sig, you'll see my layout's trackplan, under the title of "My Layout".

Generally the term "keep alive" refers to a capacitor that can hold a charge long enough to get a loco over either a dead spot, such as a frog, or over a short section of dirty track. It was used originally in just sound decoders to prevent the decoder from shutting down until the loco got across the problem.

How well it works, I really can't say, as I don't have any sound units, and on the RR that I operate on a lot, the locomotives are bigger or have enough pickups that this isn't a problem.

Best thing to do is to tin the wires to be soldered to the pads. Then heat the wire/pad after its placed into the holes in the pads. The tinned wires, (in combination with the solder on the pads), will have enough solder on them to make a good bond without getting additional solder "spilled" over onto other pads.

Quote from: wb2002 on February 02, 2013, 05:24:11 PM
I have 2 Bachmann F7A's & F7B's locomotives however the couplers are too long. When in a 4 loco consist, it doesn't look right with the distance between locos. Is there a coupler or modification I can use to shorten the distance between the units?

Thanks

wb2002

I would go to the KD website, and download their conversion list. It gives you what coupler would fit the locomotives. At one time KD made a complete close coupling kit for Bachmann F units, similar to the ones they made for Stewart units. I don't know if there has been a change in the setup of the loco that would make this set obsolete, and no longer sold. It wouldn't hurt to look.

http://www.kadee.com/

Was the Bachmann Northern a Spectrum? If so those should be a matter of attaching a plug in harness to the decoder, (if a Tsunami), and plugging into the board in the tender. The hardest part of one of these installs is the mounting of the speaker.

The Rivarossi install, at least the installs I've done into Rivarossi engines, were all hard wires. The engines I installed the decoders in were not DCC ready. If the loco was a model run that came in a red box, it should at least be DCC ready.

How old are these locos?

One of the problems with using under track magnets, is that if any of your cars have steel axles, at least the KD magnets, are powerful enough to actually pull the cars over the top of the magnets, and can cause unintentional uncoupling.

This may or may not be a problem for you. I personally don't use them for this very reason.

Quote from: fs2k4pilot on February 04, 2013, 03:08:32 AM
For the EZ-track #4, #5, #6, and wye turnouts, how many degrees do the tracks diverge, and what radius are they?

A turnout # is determined by taking a unit of measure, for example an inch, and measuring down the straight side of the turnout, then over 1 unit. For a #4 turnout, that means that for every 4" measured down the straight side, or what would be the straight side, then measure out 1" gives you a #4 frog.

For the angle, the NMRA RP 12.3 turnout dimensions gives you the angles. Here is the link directly to the page. Find the block labeled "Frog Properties" and the first dimension is the frog angle given as degrees and minutes.

http://www.nmra.org/standards/sandrp/rp12_3.html

Quote from: jbrock27 on January 26, 2013, 08:12:15 AM
I prefer the 148s bc they have 2 whiskers on either side and will therefore self center in the draft gear box.  The 5s are good too, but you have an extra piece to contend with -the metal spring clip.  To me, this makes the 148 easier to use.  Bachmann also makes couplers, less expensive but similar to the 148s.  Not as sturdy many will say, but they have worked for my uses.

...

Hope this helps you.

Jbrock;

On many of the entries on the charts, KD will list something like this #5, 148, MCS.
In the notes at the bottom of the page is this;
MCS = Medium Centerset Shank (NO.5®, 28, 58, 118, 119, 148 or 158 Couplers)

This means that any of those couplers could be used.

Are you wanting to just change the cab number or the whole lettering?

Quote from: Doneldon on January 12, 2013, 11:03:50 PM
AC-

I'm impressed, but where do you find the time?

                                                              -- D

I'm retired. I can work on it when I feel the need.

Go here;

http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/coupler.htm

On the top "toolbar" you should see "conversions" click on that. A drop down menu will come up. Choose "HO coupler conversions", and a PDF of what coupler to use on which brand of car or locomotive, will appear. Find the make of car and it will tell you which coupler to use.