estação cimenteira.pdf

7/24/2019 Estao Cimenteira.pdf

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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

indexcontents

MRH-Sep 2014
http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/magzine/dedicationhttp://model-trains-universe.com/am3/cgi/index.php?req=am_track&tracker=1905&campid=10http://model-trains-universe.com/am3/cgi/index.php?req=am_track&tracker=1780&campid=10http://model-trains-universe.com/am3/cgi/index.php?req=am_track&tracker=1779&campid=10http://model-trains-universe.com/am3/cgi/index.php?req=am_track&tracker=1781&campid=10mailto:[email protected]?subject=Question%20...%20(MRH%20ad)http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/magzine/dedication


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MRH Sponsors - 1 MRH Sponsors - 2MRH Sponsors - 1 MRH Sponsors - 2

Looking forsomething?

Check our HobbyMarketplace!

Take me there

Want your logo onthis page?

Click to find out how....

100,000+ unique device

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views per month...

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MRH-Sep 2014
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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

indexcontents

MRH-Sep 2014


5/154

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:[email protected]?subject=Question%20...%20(MRH%20ad)http://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/publishers-musings


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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:[email protected]?subject=Question%20...%20(MRH%20ad)http://amzn.com/0890242275http://amzn.com/0890242275


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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:[email protected]?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:[email protected]?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-musings


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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/episodes


10/154

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:[email protected]?subject=Question%20...%20(MRH%20ad)http://modelcitizensmovie.com/http://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-08-augmailto:[email protected]?subject=Question%20...%20(MRH%20ad)http://model-trains-universe.com/am3/cgi/index.php?req=am_track&tracker=1915&campid=157mailto:[email protected]?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/


11/154

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:[email protected]?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/18775


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Lone wolf modelers


Decoder Pro and QSI BEMF


Roadbed with Chris


Bridges on a grade?


Help building an HO exterior staircase


Drill press for small bits


Opons for underneath the layout fascia


Second deck support on the 8th Sub


Turnout control state of the art for 2014?


Lets talk mirrors


Modern lights


Adventures in soldering


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
http://mrhmag.com/node/15229http://mrhmag.com/node/18810http://mrhmag.com/node/18862http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/18819http://mrhmag.com/node/18830http://mrhmag.com/node/18827http://mrhmag.com/node/18729http://mrhmag.com/node/4446http://mrhmag.com/node/18826http://mrhmag.com/node/10313http://mrhmag.com/node/18471http://mrhmag.com/node/15313http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/bonus-extrashttp://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/bonus-extrashttp://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/bonus-extrashttp://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/bonus-extrashttp://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/bonus-extrashttp://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/bonus-extrashttp://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/bonus-extrashttp://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/bonus-extrashttp://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/bonus-extrashttp://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/bonus-extrashttp://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/bonus-extrashttp://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/bonus-extrasmailto:sales%40eastcoastrailroads.com?subject=Question%20...%20%28MRH%20ad%29http://model-trains-universe.com/am3/cgi/index.php?req=am_track&tracker=2000&campid=163http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/user/registerhttp://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/bonus-extrashttp://mrhmag.com/node/15313http://mrhmag.com/node/18471http://mrhmag.com/node/10313http://mrhmag.com/node/18826http://mrhmag.com/node/4446http://mrhmag.com/node/18729http://mrhmag.com/node/18827http://mrhmag.com/node/18830http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/18819http://mrhmag.com/node/18862http://mrhmag.com/node/18810http://mrhmag.com/node/15229


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Best roadbed for quietness


Layout engine rosters


How to scale photo backdrop correctly?


Helpers on helix


Enjoy the September MRH!

Were notmind readers.

Please

click readerfeedback

buttons onarticles!

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MRH free?Then clickon Ads!

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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

Quesons, Answers & Tips - 1indexcontents

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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.


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:


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

Quesons, Answers & Tips - 4indexcontents

MRH-Sep 2014

hi d i d h i i


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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


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.


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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Aer a week of doodling tracks and industries on plywood and4


22/154


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


23/154

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.


MRH-Sep 2014

ME flex track 101 With ME track, both rails are loose enough to slip (just a lile).
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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.


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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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


27/154

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


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


28/154


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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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
http://mrhmag.com/magazine/mrh-2014-09-sep/video/utc-me-flextrack-tips-1


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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


Playback problems? Click to try a different version.

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MRH-Sep 2014

15
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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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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

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MRH-Sep 2014
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MRH-Sep 2014

SoundTraxx

S dC D d
mailto:[email protected]?subject=Question%20...%20(MRH%20ad)mailto:[email protected]?subject=Question%20...%20(MRH%20ad)http://model-trains-universe.com/am3/cgi/index.php?req=am_track&tracker=1897&campid=23http://model-trains-universe.com/am3/cgi/index.php?req=am_track&tracker=1897&campid=23http://model-trains-universe.com/am3/cgi/index.php?req=am_track&tracker=830&campid=24


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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 ...

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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
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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-
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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:[email protected]%20?subject=Question%20...%20(MRH%20ad)http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/magazine/mrh-2013-09-sep/di_lighting-rolling-stockmailto:[email protected]?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:[email protected]%20?subject=Question%20...%20(MRH%20ad)http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/magazine/mrh-2013-09-sep/di_lighting-rolling-stock


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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.


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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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.
http://model-trains-universe.com/am3/cgi/index.php?req=am_track&tracker=1991&campid=54mailto:[email protected]?subject=Question%20...%20(MRH%20ad)http://model-trains-universe.com/am3/cgi/index.php?req=am_track&tracker=1992&campid=54http://model-trains-universe.com/am3/cgi/index.php?req=am_track&tracker=1990&campid=54http://model-trains-universe.com/am3/cgi/index.php?req=am_track&tracker=1989&campid=54


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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.

Reader

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MRH-Sep 2014

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.


6. Interior view of SoundCar and CurrentKeeper installed ina 50-foot HO box car. Bruce Petrarca photo.

6

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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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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.

7

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MRH-Sep 2014

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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MRH-Sep 2014

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

Reader

Feedback

(click here)

I was determined to get thatentire aisle fully foamed and bedone with the giant mess priorto my next op session ...

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MRH-Sep 2014

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estação cimenteira.pdf

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