PD,

Here where I live in North Easterly Oklahoma, 60 miles North of Tulsa on HW 75 and only 11 miles as the crow flys South of the Kansas state line, the jackalope haven't migrated this far South or West.  Out in the panhandle of OK and Texas around Guymon and Amarillo you start getting West enough to see the jackalope.

I think we get too much annual rainfall for the jackalope here.  We are however starting to see an increase in the numbers of hoot'n'nannys. I imagine there are folk on this forum who have heard of these animals but have no idea what they are.  The hoot'n'nanny is the offspring of a Winter mating of a Horned Owl and a female goat, aka doe goat, dam goat, nanny goat.  Goat ranchers have been overheard in many coffee shops expressing sorrow at the loss of spring milk goats due to owls & nannys mating.  They're usually muttering or swearing, "Does dams nannys goats!"

honest.

Rick

marjer,

Does your decoder look like this first one on the left - DHWPS?

         

Green and Violet are for extra use for other decoders.  Tape and secure the ends so they won't short circuit.

Here is the 9-pin plug to 8-pin plug conversion per the instructions with your decoder.  The DCC Medium Plug will be a connector made of two rows of four solder joints.



Anything look familiar?

Tender with "DCC Ready" plug removed:



Tender with "DCC Ready" plug inserted:




Rick

Or "Make it yourself."

Has anyone had any experience making mold(s) from liquid latex, wax or plaster and casting your own trackside figures? (trash piles, animals, car loads, etc.?)  I sent email to Woodland Scenics re: bulk purchse of cattle figures.  I want 200 minimum. The reply was they'd be glad to sell be 40 catte scene paks of 6 each at regular price.

I've seen latex used for rocks & rock side / cliff side molds.  Plaster cast & sculptured glued on.  I'm thinking of molding some cattle I already have using liqiud latex & greased or oiled cattle - about 10 per mold.

Anyone expert in doing this?  Ideas?

Rick

"And OlieRick, maybe I should have bought an American lathe.  The one I have is from Asia, and you have to stand on the ceiling to operate it.  And it doesn't help that all the clocks in my shop are digital (clockwise? counterclockwise?  What's all that about, eh??)"[/i]


I imagine you have an Asian lathe for the same reason they started placing them in the shop I worked in - economics, so they said. Little did they know they weren't saving dollars - they were saving some kind of some currency based on the metric system.  As if the whole world except the US was metric system based! The ceiling mounted units are ok as long as you get a verticle station machine - not horizontal. Sorry about your digital clocks - that was my poor choice for an analogy.  Take heart, you could have metric digital clocks.  One last point, "Uh..."


Happy trails to you
Until we meet again.
Happy Trails to you
Keep Smiling until then.

an Okie

Bob, all I know about Canada is the water swirls the wrong way if you flush the crapper or watch it go down the drain.


I guess I better go get started on my taxes before the deadline arrives.  I'm stumped though, and TurboTax has no input field for all my new wealth.  I need to know how to declare the 80% of AIG I recenty acquired.  I'll call U.S. Guv'ment tech tomorrow and find out.

Fill your hoppers...

Rick

If you don't have an empty socket or socket cover...

Do you have 8 - two rows of four - solder joints on your circuit board?  NMRA color code standards are as follows.  You have to locate Pin 1.  This could be rotated differently in your tender.





Thanks - not blame - to the employees of the Yampa Valley Rail Road.


Okie Rick

Jim, you need to re-tool your setup.

"Bob, I must have done something wrong.  I had the same problem.  Chucked the knob in the lathe and turned it down a bit.  Still the same problem.  Turned it down a bit more.  Same problem.  The final time in the lathe, I turned the knob down to nothing.  But my trains still go too fast when I turn the throttle up. "


Let me help if I can.  What brand lathe are you using?'  When I worked for TRW we used Warner-Swasey or LeBlond - American made lathes.  Are you using an import?  Are your OD tools in the turret or tail stock or crossfeed?  You want the machine piece to turn clockwise providing the front of it is not facing the machine if using tools mounted from above.  Using the crossfeed your OD tool(s) should be at the right height & moving away from you.  Machined piece should be rotating counter clockwise 'back' into your tools.  Again your part should be facing away from the chuck.

I still have my setup man's book I put together if you need more assistance.  I'm only certified on turret lathes, automatics and engine lathes of US manufacture. 

luck
OkieRick

Dayna,
I would like if you could mail it, but I have a question about that. What postage, if any, is there? I'm a bit cautious about sending out my address, but I will consider it. I'll let you know of further updates such as if I would like to have that mailed or not. Also, is there return postage?

Thanks for your time again, and the suggestions.

Joshua

What do you guys think?


I think you were thinking when you asked about s/h on a sample.  I would assume they'd be free but I don't get offers of samples often.

Rick

I'd like to find 200 or 300 head of cattle for a little Santa Fe station called "Hulah."  I'd like to do a simulation of a cattle yard loading up a Steam train of cattle cars headed north for KC or Chicago.

Twice a year cattlemen from this area of OK and KS swarmed the station to get thier beef to market by rail.  This was at the turn of the century when big ranches were going great guns here.  The Hulah story is interesting - I'll try to find some good info on it.


Rick

I called Walthers tech about adding DCC and possibly sound to a late 1980's Proto Life-Like 2000 Series GP18.  Describing what I had in hand he said it was the old "Athearns motor" type.  The tech advised against upgrading it as it was a poor prospect even though it was a new in box loco.

I'll lubricate it and let it run the DC rails of my layout - a work in progress.  I only have a 4'x6' oval DCC track for now and still have to get my daily "train fix" if all I do is chase a Steam Loco with a yard Switcher.


Rick

Woodland Scenics has some 2" nails - Foam Nails that have 70-75 in a pkg. 

"These special nails are designed to hold foam sections, roadbed and other features in place temporarily. Easy to remove, they allow you to refine your track plans and scenery without damage to the surface."

I don't know what diameter they are so can't say if they'll go through your track or roadbed.

Rick

Right now Walthers has some structures on sale (this is thier new weekly sale.)  These are plastic glue-up.  They have a stayion platform, coaling tower and city water tower.  The coaling tower is sharp looking - I've been 'aging and weathering' on mine for some time. The city water tower looks good on the website - it's the 4-legged steel domed top type you've seen hundreds of. It comes in silver or black with lettering decals. ( http://www.walthers.com/exec/bargain )

Also in thier Technical Reference area they have a pdf of several structures -  Cornerstone Modulars ( http://www.walthers.com/exec/page/technical_resources ). A handy person could build what they want with these plans.

Fwiw...
Rick

Chris350

The tan wire is for optional Cam use.  You will have "chuff" without being connected to a Cam - it is an included sound.

If you're Heck Fire bent on using a Cam instructions are given on Step 7 of the Tsunami installation pdf.  Soundtraxx has what you need and the part # is given.

Rick

Soundtraxx Tsunami1000 EMD 567 has the description of being able to convert a GP18.  My hopes are to go from DC to DCC and Sound as this GP18 has no circuit board on it to replace or plug in to.  I left a message for tech support.

I've a feeling it will be a motor isolating hard wiring task.

Yampa Bob and Tsunami took me through my first upgrade, perhaps I can draw the same pair.

Rick

How many different manufacturers of motors for HO scale locos are there?  Does one mfgr provide motors for different name brand locomotives?  I don't mean antiques or collectibles or any gage other than HO.

All the major players appear to be describing the same motor - 5 pole skewed etc...


jus wunnerin...
Rick