Tacking on to Bob's message...
This week's activities involved mostly doing maintenance on the layout.
I have a very small layout, yet maintenance is still an issue. Although
I long for a much larger layout, the thought of maintaining it does
present a dose of reality!
a) I recently completed a two-lane road with wooden crossing boards in
between the rails. It turned out that the SHS NW2 has very low
clearance, so it would get stuck on them. I'm filing the wood down as
needed and testing with the engine.
b) The Tsunami decoder in my SHS NW2 would not make sound from time to
time; one session it would, the next it wouldn't. I took it apart and
found one or more wires to the decoder are probably broken. It is in
such tight quarters in the engine, that I decided to pull out all
electronics and just replace it with a Digitrax DZ143. After
programming, the engine runs wonderful again. I've had problems with
this engine shutting down at train shows, even when it is not moving, so
there may be something else wrong with the Tsunami, or it is just
overheating, I don't know.
c) I think I have made the decision that sound in engines isn't for me.
At home I usually turn the volume way down, or off altogether. At our
club shows the ambient noise is too high to be able to hear the sound
these engines make, even with the volume maxed out. The complexity and
cramped-quarters isn't worth it to me.
d) I took some new overall photos of my layout this week, which I posted
on my web site: http://pmrr.org/Layouts/Chartiers/index.htm
e) I started building the PRS box car kit I e-mailed about before (no
web site photos yet). This will be my "hobby time" focus this weekend. I
won this item on eBay and it did not include instructions, so it is kind
of a puzzle to figure out what part goes where and in what order they
should be installed. I'm enjoying the kit, though. I have decided, by
the way, to make it a PRR X37. Any inconsistencies will be flagged under
"good-enough". I have decals on order from Des Plaines Hobbies.
f) Received the Smokey Mountain Model Works stirrups I ordered the other
day. They look nice.
Have a good weekend!
- Peter.
On 04/27/2012 9:28 am, Bob Werre wrote:
It's not too early to discuss plans for the weekend starting this Friday
night.
Bob Werre
PhotoTraxx
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Peter Vanvliet ([email protected])
Houston, Texas
http://pmrr.org/ (my model railroad - RSS feed <http://pmrr.org/rss.xml>)
http://fourthray.com/ (my company)
http://houstonsgaugers.org/ (model railroad club)
http://nasg.org/
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