Hi Bob: You make good points - the chance of achieving flawless operation diminishes as the layout gets larger and more complex, and the roster grows. But I have a very modest layout - it has eight track switches, all within easy reach of the front of the layout, all of large numbers (7, 9 and 10), and all hand-thrown (sort of... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQPRFAST1ws). I also have a small roster. I'll top out at maybe two dozen pieces of rolling stock, with four locomotives (two 4-6-0s and two 2-6-0s). They're all built by the same person (Simon Parent) and they run beautifully. Also, I've replaced ALL the wheel sets on my rolling stock with NWSL sets so they're all the same wheel profile and I've checked the gauge on everything. Cheers! - Trevor
--- In [email protected], Bob Werre <bob@...> wrote: > > Well I do hope you can achieve all that, but there is a thing called > Karma (remember that program just a few years ago on TV--Earl was the > guy's name). > > A) And speaking of Earl, when Earl Tuscon lived here, he would come over > to run some trains. These are trains that I had just been running, but > he had a derailment or two right off the starting mark. I think Don > Hand had the same thing happen just this past Friday. Put them back on > the track and they did fairly well. > > B) More than once, I've thrown an older twin-coil switch machine only to > have half the mechanism drop to the floor! So after everyone left, I'm > down under the layout pulling down and replacing one of those machines. > > C) So you like slow motors--well I had one give up on me. The motor > itself works fine, so it must be one of the diode's that determine what > direction to run. Obviously this wasn't due to sloppy construction but > nevertheless makes for flawed operations. > > Once after working under the layout (pre-scenery days) I must have > broken a solder joint on a feeder wire. We were running my pair of > brass OMI FA's. Every time, they would pass this particular point they > would short out or stop for a second then continue along the route. > First thing that comes to mind is a dirty piece of track--well it wasn't > that. So happens the feeder wire would short out on the brass side > frames as just a couple of the individual strands stuck up and touched > them while passing. I discovered that problem a couple of days later. > The problem wasn't evident with my AM engines even though some had brass > replacement side frames, it didn't happen with my Alco models diesels, > and it didn't happen with my OMI E unit either. > > So the jest of my response is that if you own many engines and many > cars, just look at the mathematical possibilities that will quickly come > into play! Add to that the geographical factors, track radii, car > weight and several other factors. I've generally add a handful of cars > and maybe an engine per year. I also go about changing wheel sets, > trucks, couplers if I think they are needed. Of course, every time you > do this you may upset the odds (better or worse) of actually getting a > train from point A to point B. > > The real railroads are dealing with this all the time. They have slow > orders for bad trackage, add pilots in unfamiliar territory and a host > of other means of dealing with the odds. There is an excellent coffee > table type book authored by Fred Hyde and published by Hy-rail > publications that shows the Milwaukee Road in it's dying days. In one > photo the fireman/brakeman is shooting back at his train as it derails > coming out of a tunnel. The wrecking crews in the area would go out and > not return for months just fixing derailments. > > When I've been on operating sessions (always HO scale) where there has > always been a derailment or two due to bad order cars, not to mention > operators not being familiar with the territory. I can operate my > railroad a whole night often without any problems, because I know all > the little things that could happen, while a guest operator will > certainly have problems. In my case many of the problems have to do > with my mountain grades, where part of my train is going up a grade > while another part is going downgrade--again something the real guys > deal with, with experience. > > I consider all this a part of modeling, perhaps a little frustrating at > times, but I solve my problems in time. > > One of the most frustrating things are the seemingly random uncoupling > that can happen on straight tangent track and likewise more often on > grades. I check coupler height and then after a few feet, I see one is > lower/higher than the other almost to the point of uncoupling. Put it > back on level track with a coupler gauge and everything is within a > tight tolerance. Another problem that seems to pop up is my use of Ace > Arch bar trucks. I have one SHS car and one Mainline truss rod boxcar > where I've replaced the supplied trucks with the Arch bars. If I have > one derailment in a train, 9 out of 10 says it will be those trucks. > I've used correctly gauged NWSL wheel sets, smoother Delrin bearings and > follow the three point mounting of the trucks. The only difference that > I can see is the shorter wheelbase on the truck itself. > > Anyway here's to smooth running! as he hoists a diet Coke in the air > > bob Werre > > > > On 6/11/12 2:31 PM, Ed wrote: > > > > >>> I'm shooting for zero derailments, zero unwanted uncouplings, zero > > table-thumpings, etc. It's a lofty goal <snip> but it can be done. > > > - Trevor Marshall > > > > Trevor..... > > > > I'm with you on this one. It CAN be done !! > > > > There is an HO fellow here with a large layout running hundreds of > > cars and dozens of trains in a typical op session with about 18 > > operators. He has achieved what you and I are striving for. > > > > I believe one of the necessary ingredients for making this come to > > pass is the attitude of: "I will do whatever is necessary to make it > > happen." It sure makes life easier if you know your goal and can > > accept that it requires more effort than merely gluing some parts > > together. > > > > But when flawless operation is achieved, the joy is immense. My HO > > buddy gave up on commercially available turnouts and builds his own. > > He claims that is the only way to get them in the proper gauge > > throughout their entire length. And he manually regauges each and > > every wheelset to be exactly mid-way between the acceptable extremes. > > But darned if it doesn't pay off in the long run. > > > > Good luck at reaching your heaven.....Ed L. > > > > > ------------------------------------ Yahoo! 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