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...

Dual Gauge Woes

When last we met the TCS decoders out of the newly acquired Atlas GP7's had been removed and sent in for repair. They have been repaired and returned and I'm happy to say they are now working flawlessly. They have been hauling freight in and out of Clarinda as scheduled (meaning, whenever I feel like running a train or two).

The HO scale decoder came in and was installed in the Mikado. It is working great as well. The decoder out of the Mikado is in the Geep and is also working great. I've also picked up a couple of other steam locos, an AHM 4-4-0 in V&T livery named Reno, and a Rivarossi 2-4-0 in Beauford and Moorehead paint, at a train show and picked up some rolling stock to match it. I haven't decided if I will repaint the 2-4-0 for the holiday railroad or not, but I'm certainly considering it. I may or may not put DCC chips in those two, at this point I haven't really decided.

So moving along, I am anticipating some N scale dual gauge construction soon, so I got the Fast Tracks fixtures for that purpose. Today I attempted to build the first one.

I failed miserably.

Well, maybe not miserably. It is together and works, except for the fact that there isn't a throwbar installed and for the life of me I can't figure out how to attach the standard gauge point rail on the double rail side to the throwbar. There is plenty of room to attach the narrow gauge and shared rail points, but that standard gauge rail, because there is so little room to get the soldering iron down in there, won't heat up enough to melt the solder.

On a similar note, the guard rails for the standard gauge between the dual gauge rails is also nigh unto impossible to install, and for the same reason.

I'm having to figure out all of this as I go because there is absolutely no direction on the Fast Tracks site for N/Nn3, and using the HO scale dual gauge turnout guide pictured above has the narrow gauge stock rail (#3) going in before the standard gauge point rail (#4), which once again doesn't leave enough room to solder it to the throwbar. So that means I will have to do something different.

For my next attempt I will build the dual gauge side from the outside in. On the dual gauge side of the turnout the standard gauge stock rail (#1) will  go in first, then the standard gauge guard rail (all of them are labeled #13; the HO template shows two of them but the N scale one combines them both into one), then the standard gauge point rail (#4, which is formed from the same piece of rail as the narrow gauge stock rail past the points). 

Paper will then be used to isolate the stock rail from both the point rail and the throwbar, and the point rail will get soldered to the throwbar. After that, and only after that, the narrow gauge stock rail that runs past the points (#3) can go in, and that should get all the necessary parts in between the standard and narrow gauge stock rails. The tricky bits past that point are the many pieces of the dual frogs. The rest of the build went OK, so I'm not expecting any problems from that.

I think I can salvage my first attempt by removing the standard gauge stock rail and soldering everything in before reinstalling it, but that will have to wait until I feel like torturing myself again.

Not A Happy Camper

The TCS decoders arrived for the Atlas GP-7 locos that I acquired last post. I put them in and...

The redbird is slow to respond to the throttle, it starts to move a few seconds after it is throttled up. After it runs for a while it gets better, but there is still a delay between rolling the throttle on and a change in speed. The lights come on immediately. CV3 and CV4 are both set to zero.

The blackbird, on the other hand, does not move at all nor do the lights come on.

Both decoders have been removed and sent to TCS for repair or replacement and the motors have been hardwired to the light boards, so once again the GPs are DC only.

So for now a LifeLike GP-20 handles the southbound train and the black SD is back on point for the northbound train. The GP-20 is in red, I really wish LifeLike would have released the GP-20 in the black paint scheme so I could have GPs on both trains, because like I said the SDs really don't like the curves.

Maybe I'll have the decoders back after Christmas and the GP-7's can be back on the job.

In other news TCS has shipped the new style connectors for the HO locos and Micro Mark has shipped the SDXH166 decoder. My plan is to install it in the Mikado so it will have a slightly different sound than the Consolidations and I will then install the Mikado's SDH166 decoder into the Mehano GP9 that I got from Mrs Hade's uncle. It has a GP-38 sound scheme loaded into it, but all diesels sound alike to me anyway.

And that's the state of the railroad for now.

Going Analog

 Motive power on the Clarinda branch of the PVRR has long been a pair of vintage Life-Like 6 axle SD diesels, one SD7 and one SD9, that are mechanically identical and differ only in their paint.

The problem with running 6 axle diesels on this layout is in negotiating the sharp curves. To put it mildly, the SD's do not appreciate the curves going into the meat packing plant or into the team spur by the freight station, and they are not really fond of the end loops, either. These curves are, by any measures, tight, and in fact the packing plant and team track both have to be switched using another car as a handle because the fixed couplers on the locomotives will not even attempt to line up with the talgo couplers on the cars.

I have been eyeballing a couple of Atlas GP7's in paint schemes matching the SD's (one red, one black), and I finally pulled the trigger on them. They arrived Monday and were quickly put to work.

The N scale locomotive encyclopedia has good things to say about the Atlas GP7/GP9, and I have to say I am in complete agreement. The locos run strongly and pull very well. More importantly they both negotiate the tight curves much easier, although they still use a handle when switching out the packing plant and team tracks due to the same fixed vs talgo coupler issue. Being analog they are both very very fast, requiring only a third of the DC PWM throttle in order to achieve realistic road speeds. Slow speed operation is excellent for both of them, they both start at about the same throttle setting although the black one is faster at the start, and remains so through the mid range. Top speed is about even on both, but when the throttle is chopped back to zero the black loco drifts a little farther. The black one has an older frame as evidenced by the lack of motor contact tabs, so I'm guessing the blackbird is a first-run (1995) model and the redbird is a 2004 version with the "slow speed" motor. Either way, there will certainly be no consisting of these locos as long as they are analog.

The redbird is perfect in every way other than the meteoric top speed. I expect that putting DCC in it will tame the beast very well. I especially liked the black treads on the walkways, the SD redbird has gray. The contrast is very noticeable. It has bright white LEDs for its headlights and they illuminate the number boards excellently. The decoders that replace the number boards for this loco (TCS CN-GP) also have white LEDs so that will be a good fit.

The blackbird had some gray showing through the cab windows, but this was easily and quickly taken care of by removing the cab and touching the shell up with a bit of black paint. The LEDs on this one are yellow, so they don't illuminate the number boards as well as the redbird does. That issue, along with the top speed and speed match, will be easily corrected with a decoder installation.

Unfortunately the black loco started out being troublesome. You can see in the photo by looking at the frame rail stripes how the back porch drops past the shell, the front did the same but it wasn't as noticeable. This made the pilots at each end scrape the tracks, worse at the rear. At first the way I attempted to correct this was to file the bottoms off of the pilots, but after running the loco for a while I had issues with it remaining coupled to its consist and losing power when it went over certain areas of track (my trackwork, sorry to say, is less than stellar) because the rear pilot would contact the track and lift the rear truck off the track. Worse still, when operated in reverse the rear pilot would drag on the tracks and produce the most ear splitting squeal.

I took the shell apart and after fiddling with it a while (bend the porch, compare to straightedge, reassemble the shell, darn it it's bent again, WHY?!?!?!?!?) I realized that the problem was the screws holding the couplers in. The frame rails are a separate piece from the walkways and the couplers attach to the frame rails, the problem is the screws were too long. When assembled the screws hit the bottom of the walkways, bending the frame rails down. Once I discovered this I clipped off the ends of the screws and now the black loco is just as flawless in its operations as the red one.

Decoders have been ordered and will be put in as soon as they arrive, until then I have the choice of running the SD's on DCC or running the GP's on analog. As soon as the locos are chipped the SD's will be retired completely, they may make their way out at train shows occasionally but the old Life-Likes have done their duty very well and have earned their rest.