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downloadStandard edion - Landscape
Looking for the Portrait version? Click here ...
SoundTraxx car decoderMicro-layouts SP GP9
indexcontents
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Front Cover: Neil Schoeld shows
how he built and detailed his HO
Agway Feed Mill in this issue.
Youll pick up lots of ps and
tricks you can use on any railroad
industry project from Neil in this
issues cover story.
ISSN 2152-7423
Editorial StaJoe D. Fugate, Publisher and Editor
Don Hanley, Assistant Editor
Producon
Pay Fugate, pasteup and layout
Joe Brugger, copy eding
Mike Dodd, copy eding
Technical Assistants
Je ShultzJimmy Simmons
Adversing
Les Halmos, Account Manager
Daniel Nava, Adversing Assistant
Jean-Franois Delisle, Markeng Assistant
Columnists
Richard Bale, News and events
Je Shultz, News and events
Les Halmos, Modular railroadingKen Paerson, Reporter at large
Bruce Petrarca, DCC
Special Correspondents
Joe Brugger, Quesons & answers
Charlie Comstock, Contribung editor
Published for the glory of God. Whats this?
Cover and MRH masthead
Issue password: Sep2014
Issue 55
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MRH-Sep 2014
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MRH Sponsors - 1 MRH Sponsors - 2MRH Sponsors - 1 MRH Sponsors - 2
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Table of Contents - 1
TOC - Main Features
Click title
to view
Table of Contents - 2
Designing for operations Publishers musingsbyJoe Fugate
MRH Staff Notes Hobby movie needs your helpby the MRH staf
MRH Q - A - T Questions, Answers, and Tips compiled byJoe Brugger
Hobby Marketplace Vendor ads
Derailments Bizarre facts / humor (allegedly)
TOC - Other Features & Columns
Click title
to view
Layout building productivityGetting Realby Mike Rose
SoundTraxx SoundCar decoder DCC Impulses by Bruce Petrarca
21st column for MRH Whats Neatby Ken Paerson
Subscriber-only extras(subscribers click here to access)
Turntable bridge with an archAdd this arch to your turntable
By Mike HollyN
July 2014 St. Louis RPM meet reportA meet coordinator looks at this years St. Louis RPM
byJohn GoldenAll scales
Agway feed millScratchbuilding a modern-day feed millby Neil SchoeldHO
Minimum space layoutsHaving more fun in less space
From the website by Carl Arendt and Gert WierbosAll scales
SP GP9 commuter locomotiveBuild this unique Southern Pacific locomotiveby Koos FockensHO
First Look: USATC S100 steamerSide-tank steam loco from Rivarossi/Hornbyby the MRH StaHO
September Hobby NewsIndustry news, product announcements, and eventsby Richard Bale & Je ShultzAll scales
Dead frog society Reverse Runningby Charlie Comstock
Benchwork, roadbed, track Up the creekby Charlie Comstock
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When you look at a track plan, can you readily iden-
fy every tracks purpose? Real railroads dont selecttrack arrangements because they look cool, they
put tracks where they do because every track has a purpose.
Iremember the very rst track plan I ever drew. First, I just knew
the plan had to t onto a ping-pong sized table, so obviously it
needed to be a loop of track. Next, I thought a crossing would be
cool, so I tried to work that in. Then I had an excing prototype
photo of a double-track line with a crossover, so I added a sec-
ond track and a crossover
Iended up with a total mess, crossings and crossovers helter-
skelter on the plan. I had no sense of why those track arrange-
ments existed, except that they looked cool.
Inow realize that I had no sense of how a railroad really did what
it did. I didnt have a clue of how to do a decent track plan that
would give me a sasfying layout.
So whats it take to learn how to do track planning right, where
every track has a realisc sense of purpose and no track is
wasted or excess?
Assistant Editors editorial - 1
Reader
Feedback
(click here)
Publishers Musingsby Joe Fugate
Designing for operation
Making sure every track has a
well-understood purpose
indexcontents
MRH-Sep 2014
http://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/publishers-musingshttp://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/publishers-musingshttp://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/publishers-musingshttp://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/publishers-musingshttp://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/publishers-musingshttp://model-trains-universe.com/am3/cgi/index.php?req=am_track&tracker=1985&campid=8mailto:rapido3@rapidotrains.com?subject=Question%20...%20(MRH%20ad)http://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/publishers-musings7/24/2019 Estao Cimenteira.pdf
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many hours and dollars of wasted resources building a layout
that you just get to tear out because it isnt sasfying.
From operaon experience, you will learn about facing pointand trailing point spurs, runaround tracks, passing tracks, cross-
overs, staging tracks many kinds of tracks and their purpose.
You also may encounter things like a helix, reverse loops, wyes,and how model railroads use them to manage the ow of
trains on a layout.
You should also make sure to try dierent jobs at these op ses-
sions. Try running through trains and compare them to runninga local or a turn. Also try a yardmaster switching job. If the posi-
on is available, try an industrial area switching job, or an engine
hostler job.
From this, you will learn what all these dierent kinds of tracksare for, and you will have a much beer sense of what a good
track plan needs.As for books, check out John Armstrongs Track Planning forRealisc Operaon. You can get it on Amazon here: amzn.com/0890242275.
John takes you step-by-step through the dierent kinds of trackarrangements on the prototype and what your opons are forrepresenng them on a model railroad track plan.
From my own experience of running trains in op sessions like this,and from studying Johns Track Planning for Realisc Operaonbook, it dawned on me that you should be able to do some com-putaons on any track plan and be able to somewhat determineits operaonal potenal.
Turns out, someone else came to that same conclusion aboutbeing able to apply mathemacal formulas to determine a trackplans operang potenal. Dr. Roy F. Dohn, way back in the June1968 issue of Model Railroader,published an arcle Layout Plansby Formula. I took Dr. Dohns formulas and updated them to
Assistant Editors editorial - 3indexcontents
MRH-Sep 2014
http://amzn.com/0890242275http://amzn.com/0890242275http://model-trains-universe.com/am3/cgi/index.php?req=am_track&tracker=1984&campid=8mailto:rapido3@rapidotrains.com?subject=Question%20...%20(MRH%20ad)http://amzn.com/0890242275http://amzn.com/08902422757/24/2019 Estao Cimenteira.pdf
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work with state-of-the-art layout design techniques. Next month,well present my updated layout design analysis formulas (I callthem Operaonal Potenal Stats) so you can do this analysis.
In my October editorial, Ill discuss how these OperaonalPotenal Stats can be used to evaluate dierent layout designsand their operang potenal.
In the meanme, go get yourself invited to some operang ses-
sions! Barring that, at least get some of our Ops Live videos, andstudy whats going on in them. The newest Op Live volume onMike Confalones Allagash Railway is just being released, so makesure to and check it out!
Reader
Feedback
(click here)
indexcontents
MRH-Sep 2014
http://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/publishers-musingshttp://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/publishers-musingshttp://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/publishers-musingshttp://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/publishers-musingshttp://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/publishers-musingsmailto:service@fast-tracks.net?subject=Question%20...%20(MRH%20ad%20in%20Apr%202013)http://model-trains-universe.com/am3/cgi/index.php?req=am_track&tracker=1952&campid=12mailto:csdept@atlasrr.com?subject=Question%20about%20ad%20in%20MRHhttp://model-trains-universe.com/am3/cgi/index.php?req=am_track&tracker=1978&campid=153http://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/publishers-musings7/24/2019 Estao Cimenteira.pdf
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Hobby documentary project needs your help
Sara Kelly, an independent video journalist, embarked on
making a video documentary about model railroaders a
couple of years ago.
Saras not a model railroader, but her goal is to tell an accu-
rate story about who model railroaders are, and why they nd
the hobby of model trains so fascinang. Sara has been on the
MRH podcast twice (see mrhmag.com/podcast/episodes.
We believe Saras doing a superb job conveying what our be-
loved hobby is all about, and frankly, were thrilled to see this
project happening. Theres a good discussion thread about this
project on the MRH website, see: mrhmag.com/node/18965.
Aer geng some inal footage in the can, Sara now needs
funding get over the hump on this project. If youve ever won-
dered how you could help promote the hobby with the public
at large, heres your chance to make a dierence.
Sara has a Kickstarter project to get the added funding she
needs to complete her video documentary. Kickstarter is a new
crowd-sourcing website that allows all of us donate funds to
worthy projects wed like to see go forward.
MRH sta notes - 1
Notes from the
MRH StaffHobby project needs your help, Yes Its a Model
siesta, would you like a
hard copy and more ... Reader
Feedback(click here)
indexcontents
MRH-Sep 2014
http://mrhmag.com/podcast/episodeshttp://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/18965http://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/staff-noteshttp://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/staff-noteshttp://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/staff-noteshttp://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/staff-noteshttp://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/staff-noteshttp://model-trains-universe.com/am3/cgi/index.php?req=am_track&tracker=2010&campid=7http://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/staff-noteshttp://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/18965http://mrhmag.com/podcast/episodes7/24/2019 Estao Cimenteira.pdf
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MRH sta notes -2
MRH feels this project is very worthwhile and weve donated
funds to it. Wed like to challenge all of our readers to likewise
donate a few dollars to this project.
We have 30,000 subscribers and an esmated 70,000 read-
ers if just 4% of you will donate $15 to this project, Sara will
have all the funds she needs. But you will need to hurry, sinc-
Saras Kickstarter project ends by September 4th.
Is it worth $15 for you to see one of the most important
video documentaries on model railroading to date get
out to the public? We certainly think so. Thanks to this
Kickstarter project, its possible for all of us to do some-
thing to pass on something of the joy of this hobby we all
love to everyone else.
To see more, visit modelcizensmovie.com.
When talking
to hobby
vendors,
pleaseremember
to mention
MRH.
The ve top-rated arcles in the August 2014issue ofMRH are:
4.8Rustbucket weathering 4.6DCC Impulses: HO DCC sound installaon ps
4.6 Geng Real: Layout building producvity, part 1 4.6Whats Neat: Signal tower scene design
4.6Building your rst resin house car
Issue overall: 4.8
Please rate the arcles!
Click the reader feedback buon on each arcle and select thestar rang you think each arcle deserves. Thank you!
August 2014 MRHRangs
indexcontents
MRH-Sep 2014
mailto:information@caboosehobbies.com?subject=Question%20...%20(MRH%20ad)http://modelcitizensmovie.com/http://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-08-augmailto:information@caboosehobbies.com?subject=Question%20...%20(MRH%20ad)http://model-trains-universe.com/am3/cgi/index.php?req=am_track&tracker=1915&campid=157mailto:office@model-trains-video.com?subject=Question%20about%20video%20(MRH%20ad%20in%20Apr%202013)http://model-trains-universe.com/am3/cgi/index.php?req=am_track&tracker=1968&campid=161http://model-trains-universe.com/am3/cgi/index.php?req=am_track&tracker=1967&campid=161http://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-08-aughttp://modelcitizensmovie.com/7/24/2019 Estao Cimenteira.pdf
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Yes Its a ModelsiestaWere taking a one-monthsiesta with Yes, Its a Modelto allow us to t some other
content into this issue. In onesense, we can make an issue
as large as we want, thatstrue. But larger issues takelonger to build and proof, soonly so many pages will t
into a month.
This issue has more than
enough content and there
are fewer images for this
month than wed like, sowere going to skip a month.
Yes Its a Modelwill be back
next month, with a full col-
lecon of great modeling and
superb photography.
Jeff Johnstonslogging caboosesarticleSpeaking of changes to this
issues lineup, Je Johnstons
logging cabooses arcle has
been postponed to the Octo-
ber issue. Jes arcle is nice
and big, and the magazine
MRH sta notes - 3
was just geng a bit too fat to sll get done in a month, so we
pushed this arcle to next issue.
The monthly issue gauntlet is a balancing act. In the case ofMRH, we dont have as many limitations as print, but we stillhave the same number of hours in a day as the print maga-zines do!
Would you like a hardcopy?Model Railroad Hobbyist has tradionally been all-digital, but
thats going to change come 2015.
First, were going to start making our eBook titles availableeither as eBooks, softcover, or hardbound. Thats right, youwill have your choice, with each of the versions priced ac-cordingly.
Were also looking into making it possible for you to order
a hardcopy version of the magazine. Naturally, a paper copyof an issue of MRH wont be free, and youll not only haveto pay for the cost of the printed edition, you will also becharged shipping.
But if you absolutely feel you need a hard copy, well bemaking it available for a price.
Of course the digital version of MRH will remain free, as al-ways.
Whats new on the MRH websiteIf youre not vising the MRH website from me to me, youre
missing some great content. Many of the MRH website regulars
say thats its like geng an extra free magazine each month.
Heres some of what you are missing:
Vercal easements and rigid framed steam locos
mrhmag.com/node/18775
indexcontents
http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/18775http://model-trains-universe.com/am3/cgi/index.php?req=am_track&tracker=1981&campid=67mailto:railroad@microscale.com?subject=Question%20...%20(MRH%20ad)http://model-trains-universe.com/am3/cgi/index.php?req=am_track&tracker=1980&campid=67http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/187757/24/2019 Estao Cimenteira.pdf
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Lone wolf modelers
mrhmag.com/node/15229
Decoder Pro and QSI BEMF
mrhmag.com/node/18810
Roadbed with Chris
mrhmag.com/node/18862
Bridges on a grade?
mrhmag.com/node/18819
Help building an HO exterior staircase
mrhmag.com/node/18830
Drill press for small bits
mrhmag.com/node/18827
Opons for underneath the layout fascia
mrhmag.com/node/18729
Second deck support on the 8th Sub
mrhmag.com/node/4446
Turnout control state of the art for 2014?
mrhmag.com/node/18826
Lets talk mirrors
mrhmag.com/node/10313
Modern lights
mrhmag.com/node/18471
Adventures in soldering
mrhmag.com/node/15313
MRH sta notes - 6
September 2014
Bonus Extras!Available to subscribers!
DVD and HD quality versions of this issues videos,
plus:
Zoomable Agway Feed Mill plans
Prototype plans of USATC S100 side-tank steamer
Click here to access
indexcontents
MRH-Sep 2014
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Best roadbed for quietness
mrhmag.com/node/18525
Layout engine rosters
mrhmag.com/node/18748
How to scale photo backdrop correctly?
mrhmag.com/node/18860
Helpers on helix
mrhmag.com/node/18962
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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Stripping a metal locomotiveQ. I have two diecast metal engines I want to strip and paint.Whats the beer approach, alcohol or a soda blaster? Myconcern is the alcohol reacng with the zinc, and causingdamage to the loco body.
Rered Alex
A. Were talking about diecast metal [1] here. Think Bowser,Hobbytown, Cary or old Penn-Line models. This answer maynot help with brass or plasc models. Some techniques thatwork perfectly well on cast metal will damage brass or plasc.You have been warned.
Ken Rickman:Ive never heard of alcohol reacng with metal.Its a prey innocuous paint stripper, so thats what Id use. Asoda blaster is nice for stubborn bits of paint which dont want
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MRH-Sep 2014
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to come o any other way, but Id hate to try to use one to stripa complete model.
Doug M. agrees:Ive always had success with alcohol. It hastaken paint o of some GHQ white metal vehicles before. Bothof those had thin coats of paint on them to start with. Let itsoak overnight and then start scrubbing the paint with an oldtoothbrush. Once you break into the paint, the alcohol will
penetrate beer and it will be easier to strip. I use 91% isopro-pyl from the drug store. It seems to work best as far as all theconcentraons go.
Ghost Train:Of course, it all depends what type of paint (and
primer if any) was originally used on the item. When in doubt
test your method on a small area not normally seen.
Doug M. and Glen Wasson:Other household items will also
strip paint. Windex, Castrol Super Clean and somemes Simple
Green may also work.
1
1. Rejuvenate an old engine like this metalHobbytown Alco by stripping it with household itemsand repainting it.
Quesons, Answers & Tips - 2
Tim Warris of Fast Tracks:My go-to paint stripper has always
been Easy O oven cleaner. Use the full strength stu. Soak the
body thoroughly and let it sit in the sink for 20 to 30 minutes.
Clean the paint o with a toothbrush. Works great and doesnt
harm plasc.
Easy O requires more aenon than alcohol. I didnt sug-
gest Easy O, since the OP asked about alcohol, but that wouldbe my rst choice as well, Ken Rickman said. It is somewhat
more reacve than alcohol, so some tesng and care would
likely be in order. I nd alcohol to be quite safe.
Ralph, who goes by CN6401, added another cauon:There
are two types of Easy O, one that gets sprayed on the oven
and the oven turned on its very corrosive and the gas is
dangerous.
The other works on a cold oven. The fume-free version is cur-
rently sold in a blue container. So read the instrucons to avoid
buying a can of the wrong stu.
The second type is the one that works for modeling. This type
is sprayed on, let sit and then wiped o. It works the same way
with models. Its less corrosive but it sll gives o gases, so
dont lean directly over the model while youre scrubbing with
that toothbrush, Ralph said. I suggest you wear latex gloveswhen handling the model. It washes o with water. Open a
window and run an exhaust fan to get some venlaon.
With these suggesons, Rered Alex ran his own tests. I took
leover parts and sprayed one with oven cleaner and soaked
the other in a container of alcohol. Both worked without doing
any damage to the diecast, which was my main concern.
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Oven cleaner No-name brand from the local Independent
Grocery store, works cold or at a temp of 200 degrees in the
oven. I used it cold, sprayed the part and let it sit for two hours.
It turned the paint back to a liquid (gummy) state and was eas-
ily washed o, some picking required in corners and around
ne details. Overall not a bad result; however, it did leave the
metal with a very dark gray, dull appearance.
Alcohol I didnt have any 91% on hand so tried just the 70%
strength. Soaked the part in a tub of alcohol for two hours. At
rst glance it appeared to do nothing, but when handled, the
paint came o in sheets. The alcohol seems to have aacked the
bond between the paint and the metal. A lot of picking will be
required around ne details, but I have a couple of brass brushes
in my outdoor workshop and will try them. It also le the metal
with a bright shiny appearance, almost like brand new.
Brake uid is an opon. Some brake uids remove paint.
They dont damage most metals but can make styrene plasc
brile. Brake uid can be washed o with water. Keep it away
from painted surfaces and furniture. Because so many dier-
ent plascs are used in models, it has become less popular for
stripping paint. Some brands feel greasy and are hard to wash
o completely.
Don Andrews reported losing a shell that he stripped,cleaned, washed and repainted.The brake uid that had
been absorbed into the plasc caused a chemical change in the
plasc polymers that ruined the shell. The damage was not
apparent unl someme later, Don said.
Brake uids have changed since modelers adopted them
decades ago for stripping paint.
Quesons, Answers & Tips - 3
Rob in Texas reports,I have used brake uid in the past, DOT
3 type, and the paint falls right o. I rinse the items in water
and in fact soak them in a container lled with water for a few
days ... It cleans models very well. Aer they soak in water for a
few days I rinse and let them air dry and repaint.
Alex, aka Drewrail,adds, If you go the brake uid route you
need to make sure the label has a warning about not to spill
it on the paint. Newer types of brake uid no longer have the
chemical makeup that will harm the paint. I used the store
brand from Auto Zone.
Ken Glovers paint stripping saga:
mrhmag.com/node/13642
Stripping paint from metal:
mrhmag.com/node/18190Advice on preparing metal:
mrhmag.com/node/14495 MRH
Q. What are special instrucons? Mike B.
A. Special rules or system special instrucons cover situa-
ons that are specic to a parcular area or situaon on a rail-road. They are detailed instrucons that call for acons overand above those required by the company rulebook. Heresthe usual warning: dierent railroads have dierent namesfor these things, and special rules on one railroad will possiblycover dierent topics than on another ouit.
Many model railroaders create their own metables and rulebooks, but its a rare model railroad that also has its own set
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2, 3
of special instrucons. Somemes theyre just folded into theemployee metable. Special rules can be a very useful tool formodelers because they spell out exactly how to cope with localcondions.
For examples, well look at the Union Pacics Special RulesNo. 17 [2, 3] for the Idaho Division of the NorthwesternDistrict. They were eecve Sunday, July 10, 1966.
Every employee whose dues were in any way aected by theinstrucons had to have a copy with them while on duty.
2-3. The Special Rules cover tells what part of therailroad they cover, and when the rules go into effect.Special instructions call for actions in specific situa-tions, like modulating whistles as much as possibleor using the locomotive warning bell in the GlennsFerry ID industrial district.
The document, the same size as an employee metable, runs20 pages. Secons include special rules for all subdivisions,rules for specic terminal areas, rules for each subdivision, andtonnage rangs for diesel locomoves in freight service forspecic track segments.
Some subdivision rules tell where trains must receive clear-ances to proceed several subs in this district were operated
by metable and train order. Others talk about posioningheavy cars in trains to protect bridges or lightly built branchlines. Other instrucons say where extra brakes have to be setto keep cars from rolling away on sidings, or spell out wheresubstandard clearances are a hazard.
It sounds like a lot of informaon to absorb, on top of a rulebook and metable, but the instrucons are for crews workingthe same areas day aer day. For example,
NOTE:At Monida, train crews must know that apron on loading
plaorm Simplot track is clear before moving cars past pple.
Any guesses how many loading plaorm aprons were
crumpled?
Others relate to specic local condions:
Flag Protecon
99 (T). Trains may be relieved from protecng against following
extra trains by Example (7) of train order Form E, only on thebranches named:
... and it goes on to list eight branches which only merited
one or two daily scheduled trains in normal operaon. It also
includes:
99 (U). On following branches, between 6 A.M. and 6
P.M. daily, all extra trains must move at restricted speed
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approaching and moving on curves and where view is
obscured, looking out carefully at all points for track cars and
men working on track without ag protecon ...
In other words, the secon gang will be working somewhere,
and if your train is not on the metable, they have no idea
youre out there. The instrucon also calls for frequent whis-
tling of the - 0 - grade crossing signal in the same situaon.
As a help to crews, new instrucons in each edion were set in
italic type to make them easy to see. MRH
TIPSRevive a pin vise
Aer several years of use, my smallest pin vise chuck had worn to
the point that it would no longer close on very small bits. Rather
than replacing it, I renewed it by grinding away a lile of the inside
faces of the jaws using a very thin diamond blade in a Dremel tool
[4 next page]. This restored the sharp corners of the jaws, allowing
them to close down to 0 again.
Ken Rickman
Soldering track joints
I dont know if this is a new p but it was shown to me by a mem-
ber of our Zephyrhills Railroad Museum club. When soldering a rail
Quesons, Answers & Tips - 5
5. Clips on either side of a soldered rail joint draw heataway from the work and keep plastic ties from melting.Ronald D. Smith photo.
4
5
4. A thin diamond blade refaces worn pin vise collets.Ken Rickman photo.
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MRH-Sep 2014
j i t [5] i t k t h t t ith id f th
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joint [5] in ex track, use two hemostats, one on either side of the
joint to absorb the soldering guns heat and protect the plasc track
es from melng. Ronald D. Smith
GET $25 PER TIPWe pay $25 USD for each tip we publish.Send your modeling tips to Model Railroad
Hobbyistand well get payment to you upon acceptance.
Just think, for only a few minutes effort, you could fundyour next piece of rolling stock or even pay for an entire
train if you send in several tips and we publish them!If you include any photos with your tip, we pay a bonus of$10 per photo we use with the tip.
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Up the Creek Column - 1indexcontents
MRH-Sep 2014
Benchwork roadbed
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Benchwork, roadbed,and track come toBrowningA regular report onthe construction of a
1950s-something layout
Up the Creek columnby Charlie Comstock
Or: Micro Engineering flex track 101...
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Ifyou read the July 2014 Up the Creek column, you might
be wondering how my new backdrops are working out.Im glad to report theyve turned sky blue and are work-
ing just ne.
Aer the June and July op sessions, BC&SJ crews reported
a signicant increase in their sense of isolaon while on the
high-iron (or nickel-silver), and the ops sessions are quieter.
Crewmen dont shoot the breeze with someone on the far side
of a backdrop, and the backdrops block outside sounds.
More benchwork
Plywood sub-roadbed had been propped in place in Browningand along the Toledo branch for some me, leng me seewhat the aisles would be like. I held o permanently install-ing it because leaning over two or more feet of benchwork toinstall and paint a backdrop seemed wrong. However, with thebackdrop in those places complete, it was me to get cracking.
Up the Creek Column - 1indexcontents
MRH-Sep 2014
There was nothing tricky about cung plywood for the2
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Up the Creek Column - 2
There was nothing tricky about cung plywood for theBrowning sub-roadbed. The joists protruding from the helixtable had been deliberately made low because Brownings nalelevaon wasnt known. It turned out an extra 2-3/4 of heightwas needed added by piggybacking pieces of plywood on topof the original joists [3].
1. After the July 2014 Up the Creek column was writtenin late May, my work crew spent quite a bit of time in
(as my wife would put it) the train dungeon. As a result,the July op session featured sky blue backdrops insteadof the old brown color, and the benchwork around theelevator in Browning was taking its final shape. The newbackdrop, visible behind the South Jackson yardmaster,made a huge difference in terms of making ops crewsfeel more isolated and in reducing the decibel level ofan op session.
1
2. The areas with benchwork, sub-roadbed, and trackwork in progress are highlighted in yellow. Next Illremove the temporary Salem staging area, and com-plete the backdrop and benchwork to the end of thepeninsula. Once the mainline is installed, it will be
golden spike time. Each grid square is 24 inches.
Before gluing 2-3/4 strips to the tops of the joists, I proppedthe plywood roadbed in place and located the tracks, turnouts,and structures. Somehow, it seems, despite my best eortswith 3rd Planit (my model railroad CAD program of choice), Ialmost always see a beer way to lay out out tracks when Imdoing it full-size. Brownings trackage was no excepon.
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MRH-Sep 2014
Aer a week of doodling tracks and industries on plywood and4
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Up the Creek Column - 3
Aer a week of doodling tracks and industries on plywood andcollecng mostly construcve cricism, the track plan was ascomplete as it would get unl track laying commenced. Duringa work night we double checked that turnouts werent locatedwith their points directly above joists a problem when install-ing switch machinery under the track. Aer a clean bill ofhealth, we glued the 3/4" plywood joist risers in place, thenscrewed down the roadbed.
3. 2-3/4 auxiliary joists riding on top of the Browningsupports raise the plywood sub-roadbed to the correctheight. Theyre attached with Liquid Nails. I set the aux-iliary joists back from the edge to make room for a creekwhich will border the fascia in places.
3
4. I dislike installing cork roadbed and track in a cave. So
I installed lower-level elements before installing the mainline between Bear Creek and Oakhill. This area looks alot different with the backdrop in place and painted.
Id installed a couple of pieces of ex track leading from TOH
Juncon (Top Of Helix) to Browning back in 2013. A month
later, this track was covered by the main line and Siskiyou
Branch roadbed and track. Now, in July 2014, it was me to
extend it into Browning.
Iusually use 1/4" (actually 5mm) cork under the BC&SJ main-
line. I started laying it where the lead to TOH Juncon poked
out of the backdrop [4]. In short order, this will be topped
with Micro Engineering track. I use code 83 for the mainline
and code 70 for the siding. In the past I would have used code
55 for spur tracks but those turkeys quit making the stu! I
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MRH-Sep 2014
prefer ME ex track for visible locaons because of its superior5
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prefer ME ex track for visible locaons because of its superior
appearance.
Marking center lines
The MidWest Products cork roadbed I use needs to be split in
two along a pre-cut diagonal. Then, the two pieces are glued
in place back-to-back with their beveled edges (more or less)
simulang a ballast prole.
If care is taken to closely align the cork roadbed when gluing it,
the seam between the two pieces can be used to guide track
placement. But I always lightly sand the cork to smooth the top
surface and this makes it hard to see the center seam.
5. With the sub-roadbed in place, I started to gluedown cork roadbed. This area of Browning is on a 1%grade, descending toward the backdrop.
For a year or two Ive been marking the edge of each cork strip
with a Sharpie black marking pen. Now the center line is clearly
visible aer sanding [6, 8].
Ispread yellow glue, then smoosh the cork into the glue and
hold it in place with map tacks. Aer the glue dries I remove
the map tacks, and use a 16 long block of parcle board
wrapped with 60 grit sandpaper to smooth the top [7]. Using
a long sanding block helps keep the corks surface at. I also
lightly sand the outside edges of the cork to remove roughness
le when I split the cork into two pieces.
Up the Creek Column - 4indexcontents
MRH-Sep 2014
ME flex track 101 With ME track, both rails are loose enough to slip (just a lile).
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Up the Creek Column - 5
6. Marking the edge of the cork strips before installationmakes the seam where they join obvious to the casualobserver. I use a black Sharpie marker.
6
ME flex track 101
Some folks say Micro Engineering ex track is dicult to install.
I have found that with a lile care and an inexpensive tool itsnot tricky, but it does call for some paence.
Most of the issues with ME track involve geng it to form asmooth curve, or once bent, geng it straight again.
ME track is s and will hold its shape, while Atlas ex track isoppy and wont hold its shape unl it is fastened down. WithAtlas track, the rail above the connuously connected end ofthe es is held rmly in place, and the other rail is le loose
to slip through the spikes. When Atlas track is exed, the esdont bind.
, g p (j )The zig-zag paern [9] lets the ME tracks es move around as
the track is curved. When they become diagonal instead of par-allel the gauge is decreased by an iota or two. This increasesthe fricon of the rails sliding past the spike heads. If the place-
ment and angles are uneven, so is the fricon. The friconmakes ME track hold its shape. The uneven fricon seems likethe reason its tricky to form ME track into a smooth curve.
Ive been using ME ex track for a long me. With paence I
can always coax it into shape. Then my local hobby shop ownerturned me on to the Track Tool from MLR Mfg [11]. This handy-dandy gadget is placed on top of the rails and makes curving
ME ex track a lot easier.
Before I start installing the track, I lay it out upside down anduse my sanding block, this me with 200 grit sandpaper to
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MRH-Sep 2014
7
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remove bumps and ash from the boom of each piece. These
could cause rises in the track when its installed.
Iput a piece of ex track on the roadbed where it will eventuallybe glued down. Then I slip the Track Tool over the rails [10] andapply a bit of twisng pressure while sliding it back and forth.
Easy does it here. I dont try to force the track into nal shapeall at once! With each pass I add a lile more curvature, movingfrom the end of piece of track toward the middle. When one endis rough-curved to shape, I start at the other end.
Up the Creek Column - 6
7. Sanding gets rid of high spots and rough edges.Sanding with a long sanding block reduces side-to-sideand up-and-down dipsy-doodles in the cork roadbed.
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MRH-Sep 2014
8 9 Atlas ex track e paern
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Up the Creek Column - 7
8. The center seam in the cork roadbed is clearly visibleeven after the cork has been sanded.
I like to solder two pieces of ex track two pieces of ex track
together 6 long double pieces reduce the number of unsol-
dered rail joints. I work on a 6 piece unl I get it curved to
approximate shape. Then I put it in posion and use the center
seam or a track center line as a guide and tweak it into shape.
I line up the new track with any previously laid pieces and work
on geng the rail ends to mate smoothly. I almost always need
to do some trimming. I use ush cung nippers to cut the rail.
Cung with nippers always leaves sharp edges behind. I care-
fully le these smooth. If I don't, the ght-ng ME rail joiners
hang up and refuse to slide over the rail ends. If this process is
hard to visualize, check out the video accompanying this arcle.
9. Note the different tie patterns of Atlas and ME flextrack. Atlas track is designed to curves smoothly butwont hold its shape. ME track is trickier to curvesmoothly but once curved holds its shape.
Micro Engineering ex track paern
ME rail has a thinner cross secon than Atlas, one of the rea-sons I like it. ME track tends to swim around inside Atlas join-ers. Micro Engineering sells HO rail joiners sized for code 55,
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MRH-Sep 2014
70, 83, and 100 rail that holds ME rail ends in precise align- Dealing with out-of-place ties
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ment. Theyre also small good if you care about the appear-
ance of your track.
Iuse Atlas joiners if I need to connect Atlas and ME rail.Forcing wider Atlas code 83 rail into a ME joiner usuallycauses the rail joiner to split. I carefully hold the ends of the
rail in horizontal and vercal alignment with tweezers when
soldering these joints.
10. Curving ME track often results in the ties losingposition and becoming misaligned. I work the ties backinto alignment once the track is laid.
10
Misaligned es fromcurving the MicroEngineering ex track
Up the Creek Column - 8
Curving the ex track most likely le the es spaced unevenly
[10]. I run a blunt instrument such as the non-working end of a
set of tweezers along the es, snapping it over each one. This
gradually moves the es towards the desired alignment. If a e
doesnt cooperate, I nudge it into posion. This sounds harder
than it is. It doesnt take long to get the hang of it.
With the rails trimmed and rail joiners holding the rails in
place, I mark the cork where the es stop at both ends, and in
the middle. These marks let me know how far to spread the
caulk I use to hold the track in place unl its ballasted.
Feeder wires
When installing a double piece of track, I mark the locaon of
the central rail joiners. If Im not installing a6 double piece of
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MRH-Sep 2014
ex track, I gure out where I want the feeders and mark that
l ld f d h b f h l
12
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Up the Creek Column - 9
11
11. This simple tool from MLR Mfg. costs only a fewbucks and makes shaping ME flex track into curves easy.
locaon. I solder feeder wires to the boom of the rail join-
ers or rails to hide them these lines show me where to drill
feeder wire holes [12].
Next, I set the ex track to the side and drill holes for the
feeder wires. I use 22 gauge solid wire for feeders, color-coded
red and black. I strip the wire ends, make a 90obend about
3/8 from the upper end and thread the wires into the holes,being careful to match the color-coding to rail polaries [12].
Ikeep the holes small, but big enough to have the wires slide
through them. Having a lile slack here will help prevent the
solder joint from failing if track expansion doesnt match the
roadbed. I leave the wires poking out well above the roadbed
at this me. When I apply the caulk, this helps keep the stu
o the stripped wire ends.
12. Putting the feeder wires in place before fasteningthe track serves two purposes. First, it lets me avoidgetting caulk too near the stripped end of the feederwires. Second, I drill holes for the feeders directly belowthe rails and solder the feeders to the bottoms of therails or joiners). In the past I have glued down the track,then realized Id forgotten to install the feeder wires.Putting the wires in before the caulk helps to preventthat sort of thing. If you look carefully, you can see redlines marking the sides of the rails above the holes.
Gluing down the track
Iuse gray latex paintable caulk to hold the ex track securely
in place unl I get around to applying ballast. This interval is
somemes measured in years.
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MRH-Sep 2014
Istart by running a bead of caulk down the middle of the road-
b d h d i i h h d h d l U i14
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Up the Creek Column - 10
13. I use paintable latex caulk to glue down ME flextrack. I prefer gray because it more or less matchesthe ballast color. I got this tube from a local big-boxstore. Once the track is bedded in this stuff I haveabout 10 or 15 minutes of working time.
13
bed, then spread it with a homemade notched trowel. Using
too much caulk is a problem. When the ex track is bedded
down, it can rise up over the top of the es, making a mess.
Using too lile is also a problem, leng the track pop up out of
the caulks grip.
Mylile notched trowel lets me spread the caulk very evenly
and avoid excess glop syndrome (EGS), but sll have enough
to hold the track in place. I make sure not to get caulk on the
14. I use this homemade itsy-bitsy notched trowel tospread caulk. After almost 15 years of use, it may begetting to be time to make another one. It started asa small scrap of .060 styrene. I sharpened one edge
like a chisel, then made notches with a tiny triangularjewelers file.
14
feeder wires or go past the es at the end of this piece of ex
track. I clean any excess o the sides of the cork.
Bedding flex track in caulk
Once the caulk is spread, I push the feeder wires down unltheir 90obent tops are on top of the cork and slip the end of
the new track into the adjacent tracks rail joiners. Then push
the track into the caulk. Dont wear long sleeves while doing
this. Youll likely end up with gray caulk all over em.
Then I work the track with the MLR track tool, nalizing its
alignment while pressing it into the caulk. This is a place where
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MRH-Sep 2014
S h J k GA clipping from the
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South Jackson GazetteSpace is curved say leading scientists!Previous research by scientists fromSouth Jackson suggested our uni-verse curves around on itself. Now
scientists have uncovered evidencesupporting a progressive creation-ism theory.
When reached at the South Jacksontavern, they explained, For a longtime we believed the universe beganin one spot and has been spreadingout from there. Now research showsthat instead of spreading out omni-directionally its been expanding in
a single direction. But the directionof expansion has been inconsistent.Its almost as though some entityis using a cosmic crowbar to bendthe universes expansion path backand forth.
At this point local, Horace Fitherstook over, It all seems to be goinmore or less in a full circle and willbe comin back to where it done
begun! If these gray heads are cor-rect for a change, the universeshould start back-lling and growcounter-clock-like in addition togrowing clock-like.
Horace paused for a swig of rootbeer allowing Dr. Lee to resume.Were expecting the ends of theuniverse to meet sometime in the
next few months. Although werenot positive where that will hap-pen, it seems possible it will be rail-
road west of Bear Creek.Other locals listening to the discus-sion sniggered. Jest ask em howbig the universe is gonna get? Theysay itll have about a ve-mile cir-cumference! Thats a mighty smalluniverse!
When reached, Charlie ComstockBC&SJ Superintendent of NearlyEverything, in Oakhill, com-
mented, Five miles may be smallon a galactic scale, but weve beenliving in much smaller universesfor the past 17 years. I expect vemiles will seem plenty large, andit will be good having the endsconnected. Now we wont haveto waste time turning trains at theends of our railroad. Well justlet em keep running.
* Enjoy the Gazette? Read more atbcsjrr.com
Up the Creek Column - 11
Playback problems? Click to try a different version.
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MRH-Sep 2014
15
http://www.bcsjrr.com/http://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/video/utc-me-flextrack-tips-1-althttp://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/video/utc-me-flextrack-tips-1-althttp://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/video/utc-me-flextrack-tips-1-althttp://model-trains-universe.com/am3/cgi/index.php?req=am_track&tracker=1422&campid=122mailto:query@cvrco.com?subject=Question%20...%20(MRH%20ad)http://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/video/utc-me-flextrack-tips-1-althttp://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/video/utc-me-flextrack-tips-1http://www.bcsjrr.com/http://model-trains-universe.com/am3/cgi/index.php?req=am_track&tracker=1894&campid=1007/24/2019 Estao Cimenteira.pdf
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Up the Creek Column - 12
15. Flooring installers lay linoleum or tiles usingnotched trowels to apply just the right amount of mas-tic to the floor. If its good enough for them, its goodenough for me. My home-made trowel leaves littleridges of caulk behind, enough to hold the track, but notso much that the track floats in the stuff.
ME tracks ability to hold its shape really helps. That, coupled
with the caulks tackiness, makes precise nal alignment and
curve smoothing fairly easy. I easily get more than 10 or 15minutes of working me, more than ample.
Inplaces where the track is straight, I hold an 18 metal
straightedge against one of the rails as a guide, and use a n-ger on the other side to press the rail against the straightedge.Aerward I sight along the rails looking for wiggles and makeadjustments, repeang the process unl no wiggles are visible.
House Ad
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MRH-Sep 2014
Tosmooth the curves I place the MLR track tool on the rails,apply a ny twisng force (not enough to bend the track) then
the next piece of track. I leave the canned corn on overnight to
ensure the caulk is fully set
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Up the Creek Column - 13
apply a ny twisng force (not enough to bend the track), then
slide it along the track. This lets me feel places where the cur-vature changes. Using minimum twisng or side to side pres-sure I gently nudge the rails unl the track feels smooth when I
run the tool along it.
Sighng along the rails is a good idea on curves, too. If youcant get your eyes into posion, try pung a small mirror ver-cally on the track and sight along the reected rails.
Weighting track in place
Once the track ows smoothly through the curves and the
straights are straight I weight it in place using cheap cannedcorn from the local discount grocery store. Then I move on to
16. The Canned Vegetable Express. I use the cheapestcanned vegetables carried by WinCo to weight a lengthnewly laid flex track until the caulk sets up. I generallyleave the weights on overnight just to be sure.
16
ensure the caulk is fully set.
Soldering feeders
Once I remove the track weights, I n the stripped ps of thefeeder wires, twist them under the track, and solder them to
the boom of the rail joiners or rail.
If youre smart, pre-n the boom of the joiners with solderbefore installing the track. This makes feeder soldering mucheasier. Somemes Im smart. I nd pung a 90obend about
1/4" from the end of the solder makes it easier to apply it
under the rail.
Whats next?
As I write this nearly all the trackwork remains to be added in
Browning. Ill need to build a bunch of custom turnouts plus acrossing, and the Fast Tracks jigs will also get more use, too.
I dont plan to work on structures or scenery at this me. My focus
remains on compleng the mainline.
Once I nish the track in Browning, Ill hit the Toledo branch and
then the part of Juncon City that has benchwork. Aer that, Ill
nish the benchwork and backdrop on the peninsula before com-
pleng the mainline.
I remain hopeful that the gold spike may get driven someme inSeptember. Horace and Gaston are wondering what kind of cake
well have for the celebraon.
Reader
Feedback
(click here)
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MRH-Sep 2014
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MRH-Sep 2014
SoundTraxx
S dC D d
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SoundCar Decoder
DCC tips, tricks, and techniques
Freight trains can stretch a mile long. Once the sound
of the locomove has vanished, the ongoing soundsremain: wheel clack, at spots, onboard generators,
ange squeal, etc. Brake sounds abound: cranking the brakes
on, air rushing through the lines, the pop of air hoses coming
apart, the squeal of brakes slowing the train.
Unl now, these sounds have not been addressed in the DCC
market. The release of the SoundTraxx SoundCar DCC decoder
has changed all that.
Imust admit that I was a bit taken aback by the announcement
a bit ago. Okay, Why do I want that?
Well, I got a look at one of the rst units shipped and I can see
a lot of uses. Way more than just going clack-clack as the car
goes down the track, as I had rst assumed. For example, your
DCC throle can control these neat tricks:
DCC Impulses columnby Bruce Petrarca
A first look at an innovative decoder ...
Reader
Feedback
(click here)
DCC Impulses Column - 1indexcontents
MRH-Sep 2014
Caboose - Super-detail your caboose with a lighted interiorand exterior marker lights, perhaps even a re ickering in
2
http://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/di_soundtraxx-soundcar-decoderhttp://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/di_soundtraxx-soundcar-decoderhttp://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/di_soundtraxx-soundcar-decoderhttp://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/di_soundtraxx-soundcar-decoderhttp://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/di_soundtraxx-soundcar-decoderhttp://model-trains-universe.com/am3/cgi/index.php?req=am_track&tracker=830&campid=24mailto:sales@railmasterhobbies.com?subject=Question%20...%20(MRH%20ad)http://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/di_soundtraxx-soundcar-decoder7/24/2019 Estao Cimenteira.pdf
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DCC Impulses Column - 2
1. UP freight at Red Rock AZ, January 8, 2010 - a pairof mile-long freights meet. Bruce Petrarca photo.
1
g p p g
the stove.
Mechanical reefer - The sound of the refrigeraon unit willadd interest to these fellas as they go past. The generatoreect can be programmed to cycle on and o as might be
needed to keep the car cool.
Modern freight cars - A FRED and operaonal sound from,
for example, a container car.
Passenger cars - Four sets of lights (salon, two bedroomsand the kitchen, for example) can be controlled, as well asthe connuously running generator, or a cycling air condi-oning unit. All under DCC control.
Cab control cars - If you have a Tsunami-equipped locomo-ve, you can wire the opposite end cab control car with a
SoundCar decoder and copy the locomove program into
the sound car to handle the horn, bell and lights exactly as
the locomove does. The braking funcon in the SoundCar
will mimic the response in the loco if they have the
same programming. I nd that the Nathan K5LA sounds
like what I heard in the cab of the Sounder in San Diego
headed for Oceanside.
Let your creavity dene more uses. There are some ideas
in a video done by Ken Paerson, who should be no stranger
to MRH readers. The video is on YouTube. youtube.com/
watch?v=yaz2MzmS5Vc.
Lets get into the details of the product. You may also wish to
visit the SoundTraxx site. soundtraxx.com/dsd/soundcar.
2. SoundTraxx Tsunami SoundCar DCC decoder.SoundTraxx photo.
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MRH-Sep 2014
Mechanically The SoundCars dimensions are 1.85 x 0.55 x0.33 inches (47 x 14 x 8.5 mm). They are small enough to t
The lights draw whatever you design for. The decoder israted for 100 mA on each of the 4 light outputs. Thus, a sin-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaz2MzmS5Vchttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaz2MzmS5Vchttp://www.soundtraxx.com/dsd/soundcar/soundcar.phphttp://www.soundtraxx.com/dsd/soundcar/soundcar.phphttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaz2MzmS5Vchttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaz2MzmS5Vc7/24/2019 Estao Cimenteira.pdf
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DCC Impulses Column - 3
inside N-scale cars. They have 9 wires coming through a miniJST connector and out of one end, and a 2-pin socket on theother end to connect the SoundTraxx CurrentKeeper. They are
shrink wrapped for heat management and electrical protec-on. There is a magnec sensor on the board. For reasons wewill discuss later, the recommendaon is to mount the decoder
on the ceiling of the car and as far away from the speakersmagnet as possible.
Electrically The SoundCar will withstand G-scale voltages, trackas high as 22 volts. They are opmized for an 8-ohm speakerload, but will stand higher. The audio output is one wa.
The unit I received draws about 10-20 mA in a quiescent state
enough to trigger any block detector. Sound and lights addmore current. To deliver 1-wa, the sound could consume as
much as 100 mA.
3. SoundTraxx Installation drawing.
3
gle decoder could draw as much as amp (100 mA for thedecoder and sound and 4 x 100 mA lights). However, with 10mA LEDs on all four outputs, Id expected the nominal maxi-
mum draw to be about 0.1 amp (100 mA). Tesng conrmedthis, with the nominal current consumpon with the defaultvolume sengs to be about 50 mA without any lights acve.
SoundTraxx recommends one decoder for every 3 or 4 cars for
the opmal experience. This could have a 20-car train drawingclose to an amp: 7 SoundCars without lights drawing 100 mAeach and a couple of locos drawing 100 mA each. Realiscally,
I think a through freight will have each car drawing about 50mA. However, it is something to think about when consideringlayout design and eet operaons.
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MRH-Sep 2014
Tsunami technologyThis new decoder is based on 10-year-old Tsunami technology.
Once you have the power pickup inside the car, you will need
a speaker. My recommendaon is to mount it with the sound
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DCC ImpulsesColumn - 4
y gyIt works and plays well with a loco that has a Tsunami decoderinstalled. Thats ne for backwards compability. I mustassume that there is a new generaon of sound decoders com-ing some me from SoundTraxx. It would be very short-sightedof them to not design this new product to work with a newloco decoder line.
InstallationFor a look at one installaon, see Mr. DCCs Workbench aerthis arcle.
You will need track power connecons inside your cars to con-nect the SoundCar. In my September 2013 column on passen-ger car lighng mrh-2013-09-sepI discussed some methods ofadding power pickup to a car. Im sure you will think of moreways, too.
coming out the oor, and use the car body as an enclosure. The
decoder gets mounted on the roof.
Wiring is straighorward and the decoder uses NMRA standard
colors. Be aware: the wires on my unit had very tough insula-
on, Teon, I believe. Beer have a really good pair of small
gauge wire strippers on hand. Teon is very chafe resistant,
witness the diculty stripping.
The SoundTraxx installation diagram is shown [3]. I must
admit Im baffled why someone would want four lights
inside a box car. If this were an installation in a cab con-
trol car, I can see a headlight and (red) rear light, and even
ditch lights.
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MRH-Sep 2014
Intelligent consisting
This is another feature that I didnt get when I saw it on paper.
Now every SoundCar will react to whatever DCC commands
it is programmed to understand: speed, functions, etc.
mailto:support@blackstonemodels.com%20?subject=Question%20...%20(MRH%20ad)http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/magazine/mrh-2013-09-sep/di_lighting-rolling-stockmailto:kevin@berretthill.com?subject=Question%20...%20(MRH%20ad)http://model-trains-universe.com/am3/cgi/index.php?req=am_track&tracker=1869&campid=141http://model-trains-universe.com/am3/cgi/index.php?req=am_track&tracker=1988&campid=118http://model-trains-universe.com/am3/cgi/index.php?req=am_track&tracker=1987&campid=118http://model-trains-universe.com/am3/cgi/index.php?req=am_track&tracker=1962&campid=118mailto:support@blackstonemodels.com%20?subject=Question%20...%20(MRH%20ad)http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/magazine/mrh-2013-09-sep/di_lighting-rolling-stock7/24/2019 Estao Cimenteira.pdf
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g p p
It took some playing to fully comprehend the genius of this.
Here is why you want to mount the decoder in the ceiling of
the car and in a consistent locaon throughout your eet.
Let me walk you through it. You are making up a mainline
freight and have several cars that will be in the freight that
are SoundCar equipped. You work around in the yard untilyou have your consist ready, including, perhaps, a caboose.
Simulate a brake test go down the line and hold a mag-
net to the top of the SoundCar-equipped units. They will
respond with the sound of the hand brake being untied.
Then you press F8 on the locos throttle four times within
one minute of when you waved the magnet over the first
SoundCar. You will get a brake bleed-off sound from the
consisted cars.
DCC Impulses Column - 5
Yes, you can remap the F8 enable within each SoundCar
decoder, if you so desire.
Say you get to the ice house and set out a string of reefers
for icing. When you spot the cars, wave the magnet over
the decoder-equipped ones. You will get the sound of a
hand brake being tied down, and the car will stop respond-ing to the locos address.
CurrentKeeper support
Most easily achievable power pickup methods will only have 2
or 3 wheel contacts per rail. In the real world, the result will be
errac operaon in the real world. So, here comes SoundTraxx
energy storage module, the CurrentKeeper.
4. SoundTraxx CurrentKeeper energy storage module.SoundTraxx photo.
4
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MRH-Sep 2014
This module is about the same size as the SoundCar and, with abit of care, both could t into an N-scale box car.
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DCC Impulses Column - 6
This energy storage module is similar to several that havebeen introduced recently and are similarly priced. TheCurrentKeeper will plug directly into the SoundCar. The combi-naon will keep making sounds smoothly on the most dicultof track. In good news for garden railroad fans, unlike somesimilar modules from other manufacturers, the CurrentKeeper
is rated for track voltages up to 22 volts.
With the CurrentKeeper connected, the SoundCar connuedto generate loud sounds for almost 30 seconds aer the trackpower was removed. Then the sound abruptly died. I triedremoving the track power with the wheel clack sound running(loco set for full speed). There was not a hiccough in the soundwhen the track power was removed, just the abrupt stop aer
about minute.
5. DecoderPro sounds screen. Capture by Bruce Petrarca.
5
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MRH-Sep 2014
Sound quality
Myrst test was with an 8-ohm, 8-inch pager speaker in an
While you are there, vote awesome for my work, if you feel soinclined.
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DCC Impulses Column - 7
angled bae from the 60s or 70s. The sound volume was
enough to run you out of the room and the sounds were crisp
and clear. There was a bit of hiss audible, but when the master
volume was reduced to a reasonable level, that went away. My
take is the sound is just ne for the intended use. The horns
and bells are loud and crisp.
DecoderPro support
SoundTraxx supplied an early copy of their technical manuals
to the DecoderPro folks and there was a preliminary denion
le available even before the rst SoundCars shipped. Alain Le
Marchand modied the exisng Tsunami les. As of this wring
(mid-July 2014), the les are available, but a bit tricky to install
by themselves. The next producon release of DecoderPro will
have them included.
Looking at the DecoderPro sounds screen [5], one of the most
important sliders is labeled Moving Sound Scalar. This is where
you synchronize the wheel clack and at spot sounds to the
speed of the car. I found that 100 was too fast. Seng it in the
30 to 50 range worked well.
Sothere you have a quick look at what I believe will become
a new trend in decoders: sound for your cars, and lights, too.Now that SoundTraxx has thrown down the gauntlet, Im sure
others will follow. I can see them now, packing their recording
gear and heading out.
If you enjoyed this column, please join in on the aer the
show fun online. Just click on the Reader Feedback link at
the beginning or end of the column to go to the MRH website.
Connue to Mr. DCCs Workbench for details of an installaon
for this decoder system.
Until next month, I wish you green boards in all yourendeavors.
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From Mr. DCCs workbench
Putting the SoundCar on the pike.
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Iliked the reefer cooler sound (they call it a generator), so I decidedto put the test unit into an Athearn 50-foot mechanical reefer forour clubs layout pcmrc.org.
Working to replicate the SoundTraxx installaon drawing [3],I mounted the SoundCar in the center of the ceiling and theCurrentKeeper directly below it. The speaker was centered in theoor of the car. No lights were connected.
Imilled a slot in the center of the metal weight, about inch wideby about 1 inch long. Using that as a template, I cut a matching slotin the plasc car oor. If you dont have access to a mill, a half-dozen inch holes in the area below the speaker cone will suce. Holeswere also drilled to pass the power leads through the car oor. forthe power leads to pass through the oor were drilled, too.
DCC Impulses Column - 8
6. Interior view of SoundCar and CurrentKeeper installed ina 50-foot HO box car. Bruce Petrarca photo.
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MRH-Sep 2014
While I was at it, I painted the metal weight at black and usedthe A-line Bulls Eye Drill Jig & Tap Jig to secure the coupler plateswith 2-56 x inch machine screws.
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DCC Impulses Column - 9
with 2 56 x inch machine screws.
Using a bit of caulk daubed on the boom of the plasc oor, Ilightly stretched some black pantyhose material across the open-ing. Aer I daubed a bit of caulk around the mang surface of thespeaker and posioned it, the metal weight was put in place and aclamp held the sandwich together while it dried overnight.
Iplugged the CurrentKeeper into the SoundCar and held themtogether with a bit of the 3M tape. Then the two modules werestuck to the center of the ceiling of the shell.
Power pickups were built using phosphor bronze wire runningthrough the truck bolster and wrapped as shown [7] to contactthe axle of live axle wheels. I used Intermountain wheelsets,but any similar metal-axle wheelsets will work. The installaon
required replace-ment of someAtlas wheels withplasc axles thathad been usedon our layout.
When the caulkwas dry, thedecoder waswired to thepickups and the
speaker.
Bench tesngshowed that theCurrentKeeperwould keep theSoundCar alivefor a minute
7. Detail of the power pickup on the trucks,ready to mount and solder feed wires tothem. Hint: Make sure the insulated sidesof the wheels are on the same side of thetruck. Bruce Petrarca photo.
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without track power. Even withfour LEDs acve in a dier-ent installaon, I expect 20+
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, pseconds.
This fella will now take hisplace on the club layout. Illreport back reacons in afuture column.
Parts list
SoundTraxx SoundCar
SoundTraxx CurrentKeeper
Black pantyhose material
28 x 40 mm speaker
0.01 diameter phosphorbronze wire
Intermountain wheel sets (4)
3M gray outdoor mounng
tape
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Layout Building Productivity
Part 2
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Modeling real railroads and what they do
Last month I documented a scenery eort that took placein September and October 2013, in me for a Novemberop session. That went extremely well and the eorts
were well received, but it was not lost on me that the scenery-free area on the opposite side of the peninsula was now evenmore of an eyesore by comparison.
I was determined to get that enre aisle fully foamed andbe done with the giant mess of cleaning up the foam carvingentails prior to my next op session, in March of 2014. This wasambious, because even though it covered an extra month, italso included the holidays and a trip to Florida for Prototype
Railsin Cocoa Beach.
Getting Real columnby Mike Rose
Determination can be a real motivator ...
Geng Real Column - 1
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I was determined to get thatentire aisle fully foamed and bedone with the giant mess priorto my next op session ...
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