I would like to carry the light from LEDs to head/tail/ditch lights through fiber optics.  What fiber optics size/diameter is recommended for any of those lights, and where can you buy these fiber optics for model trains without ordering 50 ft online from Radio Shack?

Thanks

Tom:

Thank you for you help.  as a follow up, let's say I want to use a 4 light functions only decoder (no motor control) for ditch lights, like TCS FL4:
1) Will the fucntion decoder "know" which direction the engine goes and use the appropriate light set (fwd or bkwd)
2) Can you program ditch the lights so that they automatically "pulse" when you either play the bell or the horn?

Thanks

Hi:

I would like to install ditch lights and other effects on some of my locos.  When you read that a decoder has 4 or 6 light functions, what does it really mean?  From what I understand it seems that 2 functions are for head/tail lights, and only 2 or 4 are really left for special light effects.

Also, it seems that with ditch lights you need 2 light functions per pair.  So, for instance if you want front and rear ditch lights, you need a 6 light function (6AUX) decoder, 2 for head/tail lights, 2 for front and 2 for rear ditch lights.  A 4AUX would only allow you to have front ditch lights.

Do I understant it right?  Any help is greatly appreciated.

   

I have rolling stocks from Bachmann Silver Series, Athearn, Atlas, Walthers, Intermountain, Accurail.  Of those, I think the Bachmann rollingstocks are the best rollers.  Only problem is they come a little short in details and variety.  Also their trucks are not compatible with the other brands of rolling stocks.  I am looking some good aftermarket brand of truck&wheels to replace the ones on my Walthers cars that do not seem to roll at all.  I even tried to use "truck tuner" from Micromark, but did not help much.

Any suggestion?

I have a SD45 and a Dash 8 40CW spectrum locomotives.  Compared to some of my other diesels from Atlas or Athearn the seem to start moving after 6V in DC (with decoder removed) and half a way on the throttle in DCC (with both Bachmann and digitrax or QSI decoders before changing any decoder configuration - out of the box).  I know that you can tinker with the DCC speed and change the "feeling" on the throttle (change the speed curve).  But I am just curious if anybody else has noticed the same.

Related to the above, I also have a Spectrum Class J that start moving only around 7-8 volts, and only after lubricating anything part that moves.  Have I been unlucky, or the motors are a little underpowered? 

Is there a metal coupler that fits the Bachmann Silver Series Freight Cars?  Kadee #5 or #148 seem a bit too thick, and require replacing (or filing) the gear box.

Rich:

I have a similar gear extractor from Micromark.  However there is not enough room between the motorcase and the gear to insert the puller between the two.  How do extract the flywheel then?

Thanks

Hi:

I need to remove the flywheel from an Atlas HO motor to change the engine mount.  Is there a way to do it wothout damaging the motor?

Thanks

I need to replace handrails and other details on a NS loco.  Is there a particular tone of black that would better match the black on the shell? I know floquil makes "engine black" and "csx black", but I do not want to start ordering a bunch of colors before I know any of them is close enough to the NS black ....

Will Bachmann ever make a HO double crossover?  The alternative of using 2 single crossovers requires too much track length if you are limited in available space ....

I am thinking about installing a QSI sound decoder on a Dash-8, using a high bass oval speaker with enclosure, like the one at

http://www.ulrichmodels.biz/servlet/the-419/1.55%22-x-.72%22-x.32%22/Detail

that would fit under the loco body behind the cab.  I know some recommend a round 1.1 in speaker instead.  Where could you find the room to install the round decoder (without chopping too much of the inside if the loco)?  Any suggestion, lessons learned?

Thanks

I just got a N&W auxiliary tender, and I noticed that the pick-up contacts on the wheels cause quite a lot of friction (limiting the number of cars the engine can pull). 

Is there a way to limit that, like a lube that would still keep the current flowing?  The spectrum passenger cars do not seem to have the same problem.  I know that a tender needs to make a very good contact with the rails to send power to the engine, but the auxiliary tender only needs it for for the front and rear lights (plus, may be a function only decoder) , and a little flickering can be adjusted with a capacitor ...

Any suggestions?  Thanks   

This is a follow up to the topic "Spectrum vs Blue (box) Line"

What locos that used to be "Spectrum" are now sold in the "Standard" blue box?
I know about the Baldwin 2-8-0, and I think (not sure) that the GP30 used to be sold as a spectrum.

Also, do they still have a flywheel? Some new standard spectrum with DCC do not and I am not so sure how they would run with DC ....

I am afraid I used the wrong title.  As BaltoOhioRRfan correctly guessed, I was asking about for a comparison of Spectrum vs. Standard (Blue Box) line, although I did not mind to hear comments about BLI loco.

I have a spectrum dash-8 ans a SD-45.  I was just wondering if Bachmann had come up with anything new.  I have NS trains passing by where I live, and the only ones Bachmann offers are from the Standard line.  I would not mind upgrading them myself with sound and details, but I would like to know how they run and how much work I have ahead of me to before I get one.

Thanks to you all for your comment!

I noticed Bachmann is no longer making Spectrum diesel engines.  Does anybody know how the new blue line compares with the spectrum in terms of:

a) Motor (they advertise the new GP30 as having the five pole skew-wound motor - super quite - like the diesel spectrum used to have)
2) Detailed interior cab/Engineers (yes, I like to have that too)
3) Exterior details

Thanks to you all

Andy