Got to the Chicago area yesterday for the big sale at Des Plaines Hobbies. They were doing a land office business, but I still managed to leave some money behind, mainly for decoders. Now I just have to get them all installed...!
I ran my RRM 0-6-0 for the first time on the DPV layout; very impressive but I could be biased! (Disclaimer - For the uninitiated, Dan Navarre and I started River Raisin Models in 1987 and were partners until 2007. Dan remains one of my best friends. I still "help" him on occasion and did part of the 0-6-0 pilot model review especially for operation.) After checking out the 0-6-0 thoroughly on DC operation, I dismantled it to convert to DCC. I added a Tsunami decoder for "Light Steam", #826101. I ended up with the decoder in the boiler and a DLG8 bass reflex speaker in the tender. It resulted in a few more two pin connectors than normal but the results are worth it. The whole group at DPV had several big laughs with my method for "manual" speaker volume control!! <GRIN> I chose option #7 for a whistle because I liked it - I don't know what is correct for an NKP 0-6-0, so anybody out there with prototype information feel free to "chime" in... One tip that might save a bit of frustration... Boo Rim Precision uses 1.5 V, 15 Ma bulbs and installs a circuit in the tender and boiler for directional operation in DC. That circuit is unnecessary for DCC and can actually hinder lighting. When installing DCC, I remove that part of the light circuit. Sam McCoy prescribed 820 ohm resistors on each bulb. If you want dimmer lights and longer bulb life, go with a larger resistor. I wish I would have installed a 910 ohm resistor on the backhead light, just to dim it down a bit... Anyway the result works fine. We enjoyed the little beauty chuffing around the layout and switching a few cars... The evening also saw an AM Trainmaster set up for DCC sound with a LokSound decoder, and a straight DCC installation in an AM E unit. All in all a great evening! Jim Kindraka Plymouth, WI
