Help Need HO Scale Steam Locomotive that steams and whistles

[Woody Elmore]

Regarding solder blobs - I haven't read through some of the previous postings. Radio Shack used to sell coils of a copper braided wire that is used to remove solder. All you do is heat up the solder blob by putting  the braided material between the blob and the soldering iron. The idea is that the softened solder will attach to the braided material. Putting a dab of flux on the braided material improves the process. This could also be done with plain old stranded wire - again with a little flux on the wire.

[jbrock27]

I haven't read through some of the previous postings

Really?  Why not?  Which ones did you read?  What criteria did you use determine which previous posts you would read and which ones you would not read, Woody?

[Martha]

Woody gave good advice on the solder blobs, thanks, now would that method work for un-soldering the joints? This layout has it in for me I'm telling you! Yesterday I noticed one joint on a curve as soon as the left front wheel comes to it, it rises up and off the track. I have looked at it at all angles and can't really see why, then I noticed the opposite side of the track at that joint doesn't look good. I think I warped the track. Also the track just before this one is the power track, sorry guys don't know what it's called. It is the wide plastic thingy with the track in the center and the 2 prong connector hooks to it to supply the rails with power. That one seems to have a problem too. Right smack in the middle of it I finally noticed what appears to be a good deep scratch in the brass. When the loco gets to it, it stops, with a little prodding it will continue on, until it gets to that next joint and then derails. So I have another power track and another curve track I was going to replace and hope that fixed the problem. Now I can't seem to get the tracks undone to replace. I got frustrated and walked away so I wouldn't get angry and tear the crap out of it. The track joints are all soldered, glued down to the track bed and I was working on the ballast when I noticed this problem, not sure how it got by me before this. So any suggestions? First how to get the joints apart and second that power track, would a scratch on the brass be the cause it stops there? It only stops there when I run the train on low speed. Thanks in advance. I know I will get answers and help in solving this new development.

Yesterday I happened to catch this show, never seen it before Extreme Collectors. This one caught my eye as a guy built his home to house his train collection. Here is the link, there is four segments to the show hot wheels, trains, bottles and Mr Peanut collections. Trains starts about 8:01 into the show, just thought I'd share it.

http://youtu.be/bCRIP1wMAeE

[jbrock27]

I thought I had given the same advice, much earlier in my post of 9/6.  Oh well.     Look there for ideas on how to get soldered tracks apart as well.

The black piece you describe, with the prongs, is a rerailer with terminals on it.  I have only seen these come in brass or steel rails.  Stay way from the steel.  Sounds like it is damaged and cannot be fixed.  Time to toss it.  Having a rerailer makes it easy to put cars and locos on the track.  If you need it for that, find a new rerailer piece.  But you do not necessarily need to find one that also has the prongs bc, since you are getting good at soldering, you can get your power to the tracks by soldering a power wire to either rail (the side profile of any other section of track) then connect the other end of those wires to the DC side of your power pack and walla, you have powered the rails.

[Doneldon]

Martha-

The braided wire will pull melted solder out of joints the same as it pulls unwanted solder from other places. It's usually easier to just melt the solder and quickly pull the tracks apart before the solder resolidifies. That's also much cheaper than using the braided desoldering stock.
                                                                                                                                                                       -- D

[Martha]

jbrock27, you did give me advice on the soldering, and I had forgotten who had given me it. I mentioned woody as he is new to replying to me and I do appreciate everyone's replies. You, Doneldon and Jward have given me the most advice, help, opinions and ideas and I honestly couldn't have done what I have done without all the help. Still a bit unsure of myself and my soldering abilities. Is there a how to video on how to straight wire the track as you have described? I have the old style power supply box, turn the little plastic dial left or right for forward or reverse. It does have one connection for DC power and one connection for AC power on it  I get the DC side two wires run off of it to the 2 pin connector plug that goes to the rerailer. What do you hook up for at AC Side? Never quite understood that. So you are saying I can solder wire on outside of the rail and connect it to that power supply? hmmm something to think about. rerailer, so that is what it's called. See I keep learning from all of you.

[jbrock27]

Thank you for that Martha.  Glad I can help.

AC is for lights and switch (turnout) machines and not for track.  The DC is for powering the track.

What brand power pack do you have?
If I read you right, the rerailer you are having the troubles with, has 2 pins on the wire end that fits into 2 holes at the rerailer end-is that right?  If that is the case and you decide not to replace it exactly, you can (with the power off) snip off that black connector end that plugs into the track and seperate the wires.  Strip about  1/4 inch off each end.  How long a distance do you need the wires to go from the power pack to the piece of track you are going to use to "power up"?  Depending on the distance and how you want to connect it all up, there are some different ways to do this.  It also depends on what tools you have.  You can use "bullet" and female connectors to connect the wires you have now, to 2 additional lengths of wire, this way you can remove them easily from being connected from the power pack to the track.  This will require having a crimping tool.  At the track end, you can strip a little less than 1/4" off each piece of wire and solder these ends to the sides (different) of any piece of track you chose.  You could also solder these wires to the bottoms of 2 rail joiners and use these rail joiners to join track.  You could also permanently connect lenghts of wire by soldering them together and covering it with heat shrink tubing (put the tubing on first, not close to where you are soldering the 2 wires together then slide over solder joint) or by cimping them together with a crimp connctor then wrap in electrical tape.

Doc, the first time I goofed soldering 2 sections together, there was no way I thought I could get both joiners hot enough at the same time to be able to pull the pieces apart.  Is this possible?  It is much different soldering them on one at a time than to be able to get both hot enough to be loose.  What's the trick?

[Doneldon]

Doc, the first time I goofed soldering 2 sections together, there was no way I thought I could get both joiners hot enough at the same time to be able to pull the pieces apart.  Is this possible?  It is much different soldering them on one at a time than to be able to get both hot enough to be loose.  What's the trick?

Jim-

Two soldering irons and quick reflexes.

                                                 -- D

[jbrock27]

 
Thanks Doc but I know I don't have 2 of the same wattage and not too sure my reflexes are that quick, anymore.  Do you think many people have more than 1 iron of the same wattage?

[jward]

the way I used to unsolder track sections (all mine is handlaid now so I do things differently with it) was to work on one joint at a time. heat the joint til the solder melts, pull it apart as far as it will go, then heat the other rail and do the same on the opposite joint. repeat as many times as necessary.

some good prep work on your track will minimize derailments. I always take a file and bevel the ends of the rail where the wheels will run. top and inside edge, a couple of light passes with a jewelers file will do the trick.

once I lay the track I run trains over it and fix any derailments that occur before I permanently fasten things down. with sectional track, I aalways nailed things down, never glued the track. it is easier to adjust things when they are nailed to a good soft wood like pine. not sure how you'd do this if your track is on foam.

the cause of derailments is often not where the wheels come off the rails, but a bit further back. watch your trains carefully at low speeds. anywhere you can see a wheel climb on top of the rail you have a problem. wheels can sometimes ride the rail tops for quite a distance before they drop onto the ties.

[jbrock27]

Jeff, how are you able to pull or loosen the track apart when only one side is melted and the other still locked in with a solid solder joint?
I thought filing the tops of the rails as a no no bc it leds to scratches that then led to dirt and crud collection in the scratches?  I did not think that properly set sectional track needed additional tweaking to get wheels to run properly over the rails.  If they are not, I would be looking to the sections of track for twisting of the rails, warping or being out of guage or the joiners not being true, causing problems between sections.

[Martha]

I have thrown up another white flag! I believe I have come to the final conclusion that this old brass track mixed in with a piece of nickle silver flex track is done, finished, out of here! 12 curved pieces plus 2 brass straights and one flex straight is just too many joints (32 rail joiners) and too much frustration for this gal! I might be mistaken in this matter but I think I should be replacing it all with nickel silver flex track? Please! What the heck should I do? The total oval is 12 ft. I find most flex track is 3 ft per section so I would need 4 sections right? Do I need a power rail to supply the power or can I just straight wire it as Jbrock77 has discussed? The Brass curves I have now are 9 inches, no idea what radius that is. It takes 6 on each end to make that oval. I have found nickel silver flex track by Model Power for 7 dollars a section (3 ft). Is that a good price? Also will Bachmann EZ track rail joiners work with this flex track? I have lost all patience and a few marbles fighting this track, if it isn't one section it's another, one section it goes fast another slow, it derails at joints that didn't get tight or moved while the glue dried. Glue is the only way I see adhering to the foam and I think less joints the better it is for continuity. So my MR's buddies help! I am sure there is more than one way to go here and to save my sanity. It saddens me when I go to how to's on youtube and see these trains just traveling the rails and they don't derail, stop, go, slow, speed up, spin wheels in place. they just go smoothly down the track and pulling several cars behind it! My possessed monster......
jbrock77 asked about my power supply, its a Bachmann model 6607, old as the hills I think.  I tried to attach a picture of it but said it was too large.

[jbrock27]

M, if you look on the underside of the curved track, you should see imprinted what radius it is.  Tells us what you find, it may be that with the width you have to work on, you can't have enough space for the curves you are using.  You are using the flex track for straights correct, not to make curves?  On the Model Power track, make sure it truly is nickel silver and not steel.  Ebay sellers for example are notorious I have found for not knowing the difference but knowing enough that advertising something as n/s will get them more $$ than advertising it as steel.  One way to tell, if it is not clearly marked in unopened packaging is to ask a seller what happens if a magnet is put to the rails.  If the result is it sticks, then the rail is steel, not n/s.  
That power pack should work fine for the amount of track you are powering.  Did you understand what I was saying about the wiring?  Did you have a back up rerailer that has the same type of plug set up as the one giving you the trouble?  If so, it may be easier for you to use that than fiddle with the wiring.  I don't wish to add to your being frustrated.
I am sorry for your frustrations.  Time to walk a way for a bit and give it a rest.

One last thought, based on your mentioning the possibility of going with all n/s track-while it will be a greater expense to you, it may be easier for you to purchase and work with the Bachmann EZ track-grey roadbed with n/s rails and use all EZ track instead.  You can hot glue or caulk the plastic road bed to you foam board.  And there is a great series I found on line on using it to set up a layout.  Give me some time and I will post it here for you to view.

[jbrock27]

Didn't take so long...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-LxY-P2n-g

[Doneldon]

Martha-

Four, three-foot sections of flex track will, indeed, traverse 12 feet of railroad. You might consider using flex track only. Thus, you would only have eight rail joiners on the whole pike. If it turns out you have a little over 12 feet, use one of your pieces of sectional track. The use of all flex track will allow you to install the broadest curves which will fit on your board and make little wiggles if you can't quite make a perfectly straight run. Keep in mind that flex track comes without roadbed so you will need to use some to get your rails up to the level of the sectional track. Cork will work and everything will match once you add your snow and ice ballast.

I would feed power to four pieces of flex track by using rail joiners with power feeds to connect for each of the two pairs of tracks, and then solder the rail joiners to their rails. That will mean you'll have power direct to every piece of track so you won't have to worry about aging rail joiners.
                                                                                               -- G