Just picked up a Sealed Yard Boss set for under 50 bux.....(yea ebay)

This is my little review of the set.

The cars look nice,Metal wheels a big plus,the new couplers work and look much better than Rapidos.

The little loco (new run of 0-6-0)runs great and after a hour or so on the tracks and a slight lube job its amazing how well it will crawl....on 2.5 to 3 volts.Stalls around 2 volts.(analog meter hooked to track as loco was running)

Smooth and quiet engine.

There were/are a few issues with the tender pickup,The wheel wipers were binding the wheels.....so i fiddled with it for a bit and its rolling now.

It may be a issue running slow through turn outs ..if the power is intermittent from the tender.

The tender coupler sits just about half a knuckle too high....though it stays coupled and the tender looks level.

Overall,I am impressed with how far Bachmann has improved their line of train sets and Standard line Locos..

Nice work guys!

The track (EZ) is great for setting up a loop on the table or for the Christmas Tree ect...Great for kids too.

The solid state speed controls are sweet....I like them allot better than the wire wound resistor types....

And i found a trick to help quiet down the track noise...electrical tape run underneath the track sections,stuck to the bottom of the roadbed opposite the track, stick it on after putting the loop together....helps a bit.

I'm very happy with the little set,much nicer than the old F unit rapido coupler set i had years ago...coffee grinder Santa Fe HighBaller.

Now to build that table top micro layout!

I'll save the EZ track for a Tree mounted circuit this Christmas!

Thanks Bachmann!

Jim Hail

Ok....per title...MRC Sounder 1665 and NCE PowerCab.....

I knew i shouldn't have bought them....

But i did....

First they worked fine but would not ops mode (POM).....any cv's

Then after getting them to ops mode and take cvs.....and running for a few min....2 of them no longer make the idle loco hiss....they still make random effects while idle but in between its dead silence...

When running they make all the correct sounds....

I tried cv 125 reset....no good...
Unlocking mode no good....
I tried recovery mode ....no good...

Instructions list no info..... website and PDF were no help...

I'm afraid my NCE must have hit on a hidden CV and took out the "white/pink" noise?...

Anyone know of a fix?......I'm stumped as everthing else on them works ....

And #3 is working fine but I'm afraid to install it.......

Help please......this is the only time i have ever had a DCC install problem....

Jim

Guess next time i will heed the warnings........Ugh

How about it Bachmann?.....HO scale  STEPHENSON'S ROCKET

Or a larger scale......

I would buy it in a heartbeat...if it was NOT standard line........

Jim

Hello old Freinds......

I just have taken a small break from any layout work and this board for no real reason ....I have ran my trains a bit to keep em working...and had old Marx 666 027 under the Tree last year.

I got back into stationary Live steam engines and such ,and have been tinkering with them...Wilescos and Kit boilers from PM Research ect.

I'm getting back to work on the layout/stock soon...I just ordered 3 sound only decoders to get me going on installs of trains that are running already with a non sound decoder.

And am working on a second Mehano (pre IHC) Hudson kitbash to Freight service (mini chefs Pres Choice Canadian loco).

I landed 5 mint/un-used engines and tenders in Canadian National  green trim. (2 with all rolling stock from the set also)....So i have a lot to tinker with...they come with can motor/flywheel/seuthe smoker locos,just like IHC makes em and calls em Premiere...

Anyhoooooooo 

Hello to all the new members and old freinds.......

Jim

My Brand new Heavy mountain started making a funny noise like a wheel wiper dragging.....Nope.....it was the worm shaft endplay letting the shaft (belt pully end) touch the frame casting.

There are NO thrust bearings ect to keep the shaft endplay at bay......this is also where the surging comes from in worm driven locos.......Worm shafts MUST not have eccessive (.010 to.025 thous.) endplay!!!

I pulled the driver frame from the motor/belt frame and installed a small brass shim,formed in a L shape between the frame and the worm shaft and pully taking out the shaft endplay and BINGO.......problem solved.

There were also little clear yellow shims on the driver frame where it mates with the motor plate/frame around .003 or so thick (that look like stickers)used to set gear mesh....these can get loose(adheasive and gearbox lube mix ruining the adheasive and the shim may float around if its loose and not pinned down by the frameset ) and foul the gearbox/pully also if not secure....Use a hobby knife and dip the tip in CA and wick into the shim/frame to secure.


Att:  Bachmann factory........Worm shafts need thrust bearing surfaces....Basic 101 drivetrain "math" folks.

This has been a issue in train gearboxes since dirt was made.....!

Lots of Endplay and Worms don't mix....The worms get upset 8oP

Jim Hail

I just opened my third DCC Equip. 2-8-0 Spectrum...After a complete lube (screeching bearings on worm shaft outa the box same as #2) and setting address shes
running good so far with 2 hour break-in.And CV 2 (start volts) set to 31(max)and running in 28 step.

Had loose crank arm (?) screws....all three had this.....were the nubbins index the crank arm ,the crank sat crooked and screw was loose.

Wheel clack is gone with this one......and the wheels seem truer on the axles....

So far its a keeper.......

Thanks for everyones suggestion to return to dealer........2 weeks later i have a runner.

Jim Hail

Hello Guys........Breaking in my new Spectrum DCC Consolidation ,She has a issue.In reverse with a consist of 4 boxcars and caboose...2% grade going up hill.She gets a bad clicking wheel hop...Like its out of quarter?....I have checked the drivers and the spring travel on the drivers that float in the chassis(2 sets have a floating sprung axle in this chasis) and all is well....It seems the second wheelset from the front hops once every revolution just enough to make a rail click.

And the decoder is notchy and horrid speed resolution........as well as the lack of programming options.

Wish it ran as smooth and quiet as my 2 New Hudsons (mehanos).....Im bummed....2 bad connies in a row for me from Bman.

After running for a few hours its no better......Should i keep fiddling or send it in guys?...

Jim

Hello "old" friends . I have put the Airplanes away for winter.....Getting back to work on the layout and just laid 2 tracks around the Christmas Tree tonight,,,,EZ track to the rescue!

Anyhow im gonna cruze the boards and catch up!

I joined a RC airfield last summer and flew every weekend almost.......Layout was dead,no work done until last week or so.

Powercab fired up fine and i didnt even clean the track!  All is well.

Jim

I just installed a NCE Powercab and im very happy with it...1 amp system for my small 4x10 is perfect...Programming on the main even while the loco is running ...sweet.

Power can be upgraded to this system up to 3 amps i belive....I got the powercab and four  NCE d13 series(4 lighting function/Effects) decoders all for $200.

Only drawback is it only retains 2 engine addresses at a time....but for my small layout its not a problem.

I installed decoders in;;;;

Bachmann Spectrum K4: nmra plug to j plug on decoder

Bachmann Standard UP 4-8-4: hardwired loco to j plug removed smoke unit

Bachmann Plus F a unit:(and added flywheels) hardwired to j plug

ModelPower Metaltrain F a unit:  j plug dcc ready loco, plug in decoder and wired lighting effects ect.

So far the system runs everthing fine and im very happy with it....and glad i can program CV's ect.

Great System....The powercab itself can be had for around $120....with its 1 amp switching power supply.

Jim Hail