Caution: Mouse wire can be unsuitable as the primary design concerns is flexability and minuscule current is involved so the wires may be undersized for this application.

I may  be able to help. Send me an E-Mail so I can contact you off line.

You have identified your location within 60,000 square miles.

To answer your question we need to know your approximate location or within what area you are willing to travel.

The following is based on my personal experience.

Successful model railroaders have developed a range of capabilities.

A capability is being able to successfully apply knowledge to achieve a goal

Statistics I remember from adult education courses I took 35 years ago are that 15% of your usable knowledge comes from reading or listening to instructions. 25% comes from what you watch or see and the remaining 60% comes from actually performing the skill.

A good example is soldering. Many people are almost as confused after reading a "how to" article. More will have some skill after watching a demonstration or video. Receiving hands on instruction while actually soldering will achieve a level of confidence quickly.

Depending on the capability to be learned the classroom may not be the best environment.

Setting up a lab with work stations to teach could be cost prohibitive

Clif
I'll try some blind long distance trouble shooting.
My suspicion is that it is an electrical pickup problem.
Sideways movement of the drivers is necessary to negotiate curves.
This movement could cause loss of contact only on left turns as the front and rear drivers are forced to the right and the center drivers are forced to the left. Opposite to a right turn where there is no problem.
When stalled in a left turn try to wiggle the boiler over the drivers.
If pickup is momentarily restored my hunch is confirmed
good luck.

How long we have been waiting.
Envy we have for the other scales.
Imediate gratification we anticipate.
Satisfaction that Bachmann can deliver.
Long wait we have endured.
Extacy we are anticipating.
Repeat business securing Bachmans future.

The model poles that are available are representative of telegraph poles. These have cross arms and insulators to tie down open (non insulated) copper wire.

The telegraph was a necessity for the railways communication and the excess capacity provided a lucrative side business.

These pole lines followed the right of ways.

With the upgrade to radio the telegraph lines were abandoned.

The value of the copper as scrap has caused the removal of the wire leaving the prototype for wireless pole lines.

This is an example of rule # 1-A (Anything can be justified).

See the new thread I started as a tutorial.

This is being written for the self admitted electrically challenged members and visitors.

A multi meter will be on most long time modelers list of essential tools.

The following assumes you will be working with safe voltages, less than 20 volts.

The multi meter consists of 3 major parts, test leads, selector switch and read out.

The TEST LEADS transport the electrical source into the meter to enable measurement.

The SELECTOR SWITCH adjusts the input to a small direct current proportionate to what you want to know about the electrical source.

The READ OUT converts the small current into a visual calibrated display, analog (Needle on a meter scale) or digital (numerical read out created by an analog to digital converter)

A multi meter is capable of providing measurements of voltage, current, and resistance.

VOLTAGE-(Electromotive force (Pressure)) The meter utilizes a low current to deflect the meter in proportion to the voltage drop across an internal resistor. By selecting the size of the resistor higher or lower currents are sent to the meter in proportion to range selected. When measuring alternating current a rectifier is inserted ahead of the meter.

It must be remembered that resistance alone does not cause a voltage drop without current flow. When looking for power loss in a track layout a load (such as a test lamp) at the affected location will create a detectable voltage drop across the problem.

CURRENT-Amperes (Volume or amount of electricity) To measure current the circuit must be opened and the test leads inserted so that all the current to be measured flows through the meter.  All current flows through an internal resistor creating a very small voltage drop and sending the resulting low current to the meter.

RESISTANCE-(Ohms) Unlike voltage and current that use power from the circuit, resistance measurement uses an internal battery as a power source.

TURN OFF POWER TO CIRCUIT BEFORE MEASURING RESISTANCE, external voltage/current could damage meter on Ohms scales.

Calibration is required to achieve accurate resistance measurement and is achieved by shorting the test leads and adjusting a rotary control to "zero" the meter. You should note the resistance scale reads backwards because the higher the current the lower the resistance. The meter should not be stored in the resistance mode to avoid draining the internal battery.

The resistance scale is most useful to trace wiring; by locating zero resistance between the ends of a wire you know both ends are of the same wire.

The above descriptions are generic and exclude many factors such as auto ranging.

OK it's your turn to question or?

RE60 and all

I have JPEG images of the gallows turntables in Laws (Bishop) CA and Carson city NV. (similar design)

Send me your Email or I can send them to some one else for posting

Thomas

Sorry, my dyslexia is showing, it is on the other left (right) side.

Left hand side, 3 &4ft from top.

If this turnout came from the "inside" loop you would end up with a double track "oval" around the perimiter.

This would enable the unattended running of 2 trains, if desired, while operating within the engine terminal.

Some observations;

Reconfiguring the turnout at 8 across & 3+4 down would provide a double main line around the outside loop.

I couldn't find a reverse loop but be aware that the 2 TT lead tracks are of oposite polarity.

My other observations have been covered.

Keep us posted.

Tyler

It appears that my reply is not understood.

It boils down to an understanding and the application of Ohms law, the relationship between voltage ((E) electrical pressure), current ((I) amount of electrical flow) and resistance ((R) restriction to electrical flow).

Basic Ohms law is E=IXR. Without sufficient current flow the voltage will not be changed by resistance.

Increasing current flow through a resistance will create a proportionate voltage drop across the resistance.

A short circuit will create maximum current flow creating a major drop in voltage or a safety feature will shut off power.

OK back to your problem, measurements indicate that voltage is present thought the wiring when no load is applied.

Connect the volt meter as close as possible to an accessory. If you have full voltage, attempt to operate the accessory and observe any voltage change. The accessory will either operate or the voltage will drop. A voltage drop indicates a resistive open between the power source and the volt meter.

A probable cause can be an inadequate (resistive) connection.

The location of the problem can be found by relocating the meter closer to the power source and checking for voltage drop. When no voltage drop occurs the problem is between your last two measurement points. Fix the connection and things should work.

Good luck!

Tyler

It is a little understood electrical fact that a resistance in a circuit will not show a voltage drop unless there is current flowing through it. With a resistive (poor) connection and no load (current flow) the minimal current draw of a meter will not show a discernable voltage drop.

It is likely that the voltage can all but disappear when you attempt to operate an accessory.