ok, sorry about the hidden email (I didn't check to see if it was) also I found in another forum that my suspicions were right, the default wireing is screwed up.

There is no blue wire, I have 3 small diagrams that I tried to upload so people can see what I'm faced with but when I click post I get a message saying I am unable to upload my pic's. So if anyone wants to see them then let me know with an email and I will send them to you (something doesn't look right in the wiring on the locomotive and that makes me think where the problem is.)

ok, my next question is there are 4 bulbs (2 for lights, 1 for numbers on the back and 1 for the cab) the number and cab lights still work so I just need to replace the head and tail lights with LED's, the LED's that I have come with resistors what color wire does the resistor go to and what color wire does the other end go to?

Thanks again in advance.

Hello, I have 2 Proto 2000 Series GP38-2 Locomotives (wich says they are DCC ready) and I installed the TCS DP5X decoder in them, I put them on the track and select locomotive 03 and turned the power to the track on there was a short burst of light from the headlights then they went out. The locomotive still moves and the number lights and cab lights work but the forward and reverse lights don't work at all (I think they burnt out.) Plus when in reverse I get the engine moving then move the controll to zero and put it in neutral but the engine keeps creaping backwards and will continue untill I move the switch to forward and give it a bit of throttle and put it back to zero then it will stop. I have never experienced anything like this before. I have 2 AC4400's that work perfectly. So for the two questions, I have LED's that I want to install but don't know how to do it (what wires do what) and what could cause the locomotive to creap when the throttle is at zero and only in reverse, and what can I do to fix it? There is no model railroad club in or around my area and there is no dealer in or near my area to help me.

Sorry for all the questions, I am really new at this and the learning curve for me is really steep.
Thanks in advance.

Corey.

Hello, I will probably for now just mount it on the truck cause SteamGeme has a really good point on the last part. I bought 2 brand new grain hoppers and sitting on the track with my other stock it put them to shame. I will probably use the old stock with new couplers on the trucks untill I can afford new stock. I'm saving right now for that DCC stuff ( It's going to cost me $661 for 2 locomotives, 2 decoders, and 2 controllers, ouch, lol.) The controllers I'm getting is the Zephyr Starter Set and the Digitrax DT400 Loconet super throttle, I tried them both out (along with other controllers) and found them to be the best for my layout (right now has one staging yard on each side, a mainline connecting them with sidings along the way for 3 industries, so lots of switching and lots of coupling and un coupling.)

Hey Gene, yes it does look like a sickle and have a long straight bar pointing towards the track, the hole where it pivots is very small compared to other coupler pivot holes. They mount to the truck, you pull the truck off and then just twist  a bit and it pops straight up. I was looking at upgrading all my couplers to Kadees cause of the magnetic uncoupler (I think it is a really simple but cool idea.) I am also saving to run DCC but I need to buy the locomotives and two controlls (one for me and one for someone else to use at the same time.) Talk about expensive for 4 locomotives and two controlls.

Hello, I finally got my track together and assembled, after a few wiring headaches (cause I'm running analog controll.) It's all finally up and running. (well, kind of.) My 2 locomotives and cars came from two different beginner train sets from two different companies. One has the newer magnetic knuckle couplers. But the other one has a different coupler (It was an older trainset.) It has a different coupler. I want to switch it to the new knuckle type with magnet but I have no Idea who made this trainset and engine and cars. The only info I could get from the engine was on the side it had '5506' as the engine number under that it had 'GR 20' on the bottom it said 'Lifeline' and had '19306' stamped on the bottom as well. I know this isn't much but if anyone has any ideas. Please let me know.

Ok, now I'm a little fustrated. I got my track and started putting it together when I found out the layout won't work. When assembled there is a space that is 2cm wide (in other words the track is too short to fully connect.) I checked around and no one here has the book (or even heard of)  'E-Z model railroads, The E-Z track planning Guide & layout book' I can't even find a digital copy that I can buy and download. Does anyone know where I can go to find E-Z track layouts (and supply list for the layout) cause I used RTS 8.0 for my initial layout and even though it said it would work, it didn't. I also tried AnyRail with no luck making a layout that would work. Any help with this would very greatly be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Corey

I will deffinately check out that homasote, I got my new track today (EZ track) and am curious, I was using all Atlas before and now The only Atlas part is the Selector switch, I was looking at the wiring on the remote turnouts it has a green wire (that I know goes to the switch) but it also has a red wire. I am configureing it out so that I can run 2 engines. It has a total of 10 sections that have the terminal rerailers to power to each section. Do I need to use the red wire still on the turnouts? or can I just use the green one?

Thanks again.

Thank you for the info. I went ahead and ordered EZ track (holy cow it is going to cost me onver $500.00 CDN) I will look into other ways of secureing the track and find out whats best for my layout. I keep hearing about an EZ track book that explains a lot of stuff on model railroading with EZ track. I will look for that book and buy it. I get all my parts on Tuesday and will let you guy's know how it went (with putting together and securing the track.)

Thank you guy's so much for the information, I just have one more question. I did some research and found out I can do my layout (a little bit modified) useing EZ track from Bachmann, how easier would it be to use that and then nail that to the board? and what size of nail would I use? Advantages and dissadvantages about useing EZ track  compaired to the track I'm useing now? Yes I'm using sectional track, I found that (and this was before I even started to nail the track down the first time) the connections were not smooth, I checked, double checked and even tripple checked all the connections were laying in the joiners (not on.) I was told all the track was the same guage, what could cause that.

Thanks a bunch again.

Corey.

P.S. It's guy's like you that make a new person feel welcome to model railroading and feel like we can do it even if we are totally beginners. I just hope that in the future I will have enough knowledge to help new people as well.

so should I use all 3 holes or just the middle hole?

Hello and thanks for the welcome, First yes it is Atlas tracks, under that is the cork, under that is artificial turf (the fake green grass.) then under that is plywood for the table.  I have the right size of nails for it. How many nails do I use for each track section? I was putting one at each end of the track, the cork is perfectly flat. My problem is comming from where each track joins it makes a dip cause of it being nailed down. I am going to solder the tracks after I get them assembled. If you have 'The Atlas Beginner's Guide to HO MODEL RAILROADING' Book #9 the setup I'm useing is the one on page 40 and 41 (also called 'The Yardmaster') But I'm thinking about modifying it so there is two yards and a mainline.

Hello, I have a model railway laid out and up untill now I was useing it with the track just lieying on the surface. But after a few problems with the track moving when the train goes over it I decided to TRY and secure the track to the board. I went out and bought some cork to lay under that track (cause that was what I was told that I would need) cut it and laid it under the track, I go and start nailing the track down and after a while I found that the track was starting to get uneven (it would go up and down, and lose it's original shape) plus I was having trouble when the nail head would become flesh with the top of the rail (and could bairly get it to go in the rest of the way.) Can someone please give me step by step instructions on how to secure the track to the base or point me in the right direction on how to do it.
BTW I also checked around and unfortunately there is not model rail club around where I live, so I'm pretty much on my own here.

Thanks in advance.

Corey.