DCC Down

 I recently purchased an NCE Cab06 because 1) when I build the new layout I'm going to want another cab for the yard and 2) I needed something to test the PowerCab out with and this seemed like a good time to fulfill reason 1.

It got here, I plugged it in and...nothing. It powers up, it shows the address, and it refuses to respond to any inputs at all. Looks like the issues I had with the WFD-31 does indeed end up being PowerCab problems.

So on to other things. I wanted a Digitrax Zephyr system to run my HO with so that I wouldn't have to unplug the NCE to use there and, as I said last time, the only other DCC system I have (Bachmann, made by Lenz) is problematic. On to the auction site, oh look there's one for $100, win the auction and anxiously await its arrival.

When I looked on the porch today I found HURRAY! It's Here!!! Open the box, unpack the system and...

the little gray plug on the back of the unit that the tracks hook up to is not there. Would maybe have been nice to know that so I could have ordered one.

So, I have a plug on order (I actually ordered 2 because 2 is 1 and 1 is none) and maybe by Tuesday it will be here. At that time I can hook the Digitrax up to the layout and box the PowerCab for delivery to NCE. Once that gets repaired and returned I can then hook it up with the WFD-31 and maybe get some cell phone throttle action going...which is where we started this saga.

I would have just run the layout on DC but apparently the TCS decoders I have installed in the Atlas GP7's don't play nice on DC, probably because my DC is PWM. I could hook up the old MRC analog throttle and see, but I don't want to work that hard.

That's enough crying for now. I'm going to go run some trains.

Well...damn.

 I got the 1.65B EPROM for my PowerCab, installed it and...the WFD-31 still doesn't work.

I am in contact with the manufacturer, he is right on top of things and hopefully he can figure something out. Right now he suspects there is an issue with my PowerCab cab bus, but since I've only ever run it as a single unit without any other throttles attached I can't say for sure. What I can say is it isn't communicating with the WFD-31.

It is still working as a stand-alone unit, so I'm not dead on the rails anyway. I sure wish it would work though because I was really looking forward to using my cell phone as a throttle. I am hopeful the manufacturer can figure something out, but I have a sinking feeling it will have to go to Oz to find out for certain. I have an equally disturbing feeling that once the WFD-31 checks out my PowerCab will have to go to NCE to be checked out as well, leaving me with the choice between the Bachmann DCC system that has proven to be problematic and running DC.

In other news, I made another dual gauge turnout.

Believe it or not this one was even tougher than the last one because all the fiddly bits are between the standard and narrow gauge stock rails. In particular, look how the narrow gauge stock rail from the points to the first frog (the middle rail that runs from all the way to the right to where it ends at the bend) has to narrow to a point in order to clear the standard gauge straight pathway as well as the narrow gauge curved.

All of these gaps are super tricky and critically essential. I spent a lot of time with the files on this one before soldering on the new pieces, but this time I was smart about it and soldered everything in from the outside to the inside, including the points onto the throwbar.

I'm happier with the way this one turned out as compared to the last one, the rails are straighter and the guard rails better aligned.

But of course...it was supposed to be a left hand turnout and it's a right.

I'm certainly getting in a lot of practice though.

Well, That's Disappointing

For my birthday the lovely Mrs. Hades purchased for me a WiFiTrax WFD-31 wireless interface for my NCE PowerCab DCC system.

I installed it as per the directions, hooked everything up and got my cell phone to connect to the WFD-31. It's not happy to do so because there is no internet, but I'm not ready to put my train layout into the Internet of Things so I'm fine with that.

I opened the Engine Driver app on my cell phone, set it up to communicate with the WFD-31 and selected my locomotive. With bated breath, I dialed up the throttle...

and nothing.

Turns out, the WFD-31 only works with NCE PowerCab version 1.65B. I have version 1.28C.

Fortunately there is an upgraded EPROM available for the PowerCab (and has been since 2012) to incorporate V1.65B, and it isn't too incredibly spendy. So it is on its way, and maybe by this time next week I will be happily wi-fi throttling my trains.

Until then, it still works like it should as a tethered system, so I'm just going to go run some trains to make myself feel better about it.

It's Ugly

...but it works...finally. Sort of.

When last I posted, I had used my new Fast Tracks Code 40 N/Nn3 jig to build a dual gauge right turnout with rails to the left. It took a while but I finally got the physical turnout built. The electrical isolation will come later. I had a few issues during the build, compounded by the fact that there really aren't any instructions with the jig.

The instructions, such as they are, that are available are for HO dual gauge turnouts. They basically just list the order in which the rails go in. Since the N/Nn3 dual gauge fixture uses a slightly different rail arrangement from the HO/HOn3 fixture these are of limited use. The first problem I had was with the check rails between the standard and narrow gauge, there just isn't enough room to reach in there with my soldering iron. What I finally decided to do was remove the standard gauge stock rail on the dual rail side first in order to put them in, but the NEXT time they will go in immediately after their adjacent stock rails.

The second major issue I had was connecting the points rail for the standard gauge rail on the double rail side. There just isn't a lot of room to play with there and I kept soldering the rails together. I finally solved the problem by wrapping paper around the stock rails to isolate them. Then I put a spacer under the throwbar so I could hold the points rails down onto it and get the solder to stick. The paper kept the solder from sticking on to the stock rails while allowing the solder to flow from the points rails to the throwbar. Having a more delicate soldering iron for this definitely would have helped, but I have what I have. Perhaps I can find one with a smaller point in the future that would be better for this job. I considered removing the standard gauge stock rail again to do this, but decided against it because the points rails on the dual gauge side have to be synchronized. For my next attempt I will put the points rails in immediately after their stock rails are installed and solder them to the throwbar at that time; both standard gauge points first and then the inside narrow gauge point rail and stock rail.

The next issue I had was adjusting the gauge here and there to clear flanges and whatnot when testing with MicroTrains standard and narrow gauge trucks. I had to move some stock and check rails out to increase the clearances, and file some of the rails at the frogs (that's a tricky little bit there, too much and the wheels drop into the gaps, too little and they won't go through the check rails). This took a while to do, but both of the trucks will now go through the frogs without (much) issue. Next time I will take a bit more time working with the file to try to create a more precise fit.

I was concerned that the standard gauge trucks with the "pizza cutter" wheels would hit the ties, as happens with Atlas code 55 track. I am pleasantly surprised to see that doesn't happen, but I haven't put the turnout into actual service yet so I haven't run any locos through it. I am assuming that newer locomotives won't have too many issues but I'm not so sure about some of my older ones. I have checked some of their wheel flanges with a micrometer and I am somewhat surprised to learn that most of them measure around 0.035", so as long as my solder joints are not horribly large they may just run OK.

But, before I can do that I will have to cut the isolation gaps. Once again, lacking clear instructions, this will take some looking and planning to see where to make the cuts. I think I have it figured out...but something I also figured out is that the saw I have used to do this on my code 55 Nn3 turnouts is just not adequate for the job. So, I have the appropriate saw on order and it should be here soon. In the meantime I'm working the turnout over with some jeweler's files to clean up errant pieces of solder and smoothing some of the transitions in the frogs and check rails.

At first I was a bit sad that the jig wasn't made for code 55 to match Peco flextrack, but I did understand that the clearances just weren't adequate for the check rails using code 55 rail. Now that I've actually built the turnout that understanding has been massively reinforced. I can either join it up to code 55 or hand lay code 40 track when I finally build the yard where they will be used, but that will be a while yet.

I am sure that the next turnouts will go easier, but I am initially satisfied with this one. When the turnout is complete I will mount it up and try running some locos through it under power. I'll let you know how that goes when it happens.

 

In other news, as of today I am eligible for senior's discounts. So I have that going for me...