Success ! I can report that, tonight, neutral observers saw a Pennsy through freight and a PRR way freight running smoothy on my layout's main line, with the through freight and its F7A-B lashup leading the parade and burbling and blowing its air horn under DCC control.
The way freight was especially sweet, because it was made up of cars that up until this evening had been bad-ordered. As I had one problem after another this week, it began to sink in that it was coming mostly from specific rolling stock -- a mix of AM and SHS -- that had joined the fleet since my return east and therefore had never run on the Oregon layout. A number of cars went to the bad order track. Some examination and testing this evening led to a tentative conclusion that their common theme was kingpin-bolster hole-truck screw combinations that were so tight that trucks swiveled reluctantly and had no ability to rock for equalization, even with the truck screw backed off the recommended half-turn. Some time spent reaming plastic bolsters and filing metal bolsters with a round file seems to have totally solved the problem and the former bad performers are now behaving nicely. Of course, several spots of tight track gauge got fixed too. What are the odds that this all continues to work for another week? (We're open 11-3 on the Sunday after the convention.) There is nothing like an upcoming open house to drive layout work. . . and to bring out gremlins. Lee Rainey
