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+--- Thread: Charlie b's layout (/showthread.php?tid=2463)
Re: Charlie b's layout - Steamtrains - 07-26-2010
Holy Mollee....You're going to have some awesome trains running on that empire....
I'm green with envy....
Re: Charlie b's layout - nachoman - 07-26-2010
that is going to be a HUGE layout! 4 track main line?!!?
Re: Charlie b's layout - cn nutbar - 07-27-2010
Hello Charlie---I looked at page 1 of this thread and saw all the parts of your train room laying on the snow covered ground and then fast-forwarded to your latest entry---you must be feeling pretty good with the progress you've made---and it will get better and better
. Nice choice of motive power for your first consist. 
Re: Charlie b's layout - doctorwayne - 07-27-2010
Great progress, Charlie.
I look forward to seeing it in person, too. 
Wayne
Re: Charlie b's layout - faraway - 07-27-2010
It must be a great fun to lay track in such a huge space. Good luck for your dream layout
Re: Charlie b's layout - Charlie B - 07-29-2010
I got the first loop of the main line layed good enough to try a train
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mPqEMT-78Q">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mPqEMT-78Q</a><!-- m -->
Charlie
Re: Charlie b's layout - Charlie B - 07-29-2010
doctorwayne Wrote:Great progress, Charlie.I note you said "seeing". Wrong....roll up your sleeves and prepare to play.
Wayne
Charlie
PS I'm using the Wayne wiring method and it works just as well with DCC (2 18 ga. feeder wires for 156 feet of track, 4 sound locomotives and 12 lighted passenger cars for a test.) I am going to install lots more feeders, but I'm surprised how well it works.
Charlie
Re: Charlie b's layout - doctorwayne - 07-30-2010
That's some nice, smooth running, Charlie: exactly what I would have expected.
Wayne
Re: Charlie b's layout - Charlie B - 07-30-2010
doctorwayne Wrote:That's some nice, smooth running, Charlie: exactly what I would have expected.It needs some tweaking but I think it is pretty good. I had several spots that had some dips that had to be fixed. that served to remind me why we lay track first because they were sure easy to fix.
Wayne
I debated doing some of the scenery first but I just had to have a train running.
Charlie
Re: Charlie b's layout - Gary S - 07-30-2010
Nice video Charlie. I'm not a passenger train fan, but I admit that your locos and cars look very good, and to see them actually rolling along was nice. Thanks for sharing that.
On the DCC: Charlie, I'm sure you know the following, but I'm throwing it out there for the benefit of any newbies who may be following along. Have you tried the "quarter test" yet? You mentioned you will put more feeders which is good. Even though the trains will run perfectly fine with minimal feeders and a relatively high resistnace, the issue is with shutting down the booster on a short circuit. Because DCC alows us to run multiple trains, the booster overcurrent protection is typically rated 5 amps or even more. Five amps is enough to melt stuff and cause fires if a short circuit occurs and we don't get it shut off.
We need all the feeders and bus wiring to keep the resistance low enough to allow the overcurrent protection to work. As an example, say we use small wire to feed a track which is quite a distance from the booster. If we have a short circuit and the overall resistance is, say, 3 ohms, with a booster voltage of, say, 13 volts, then the current flow through the short circuit will be 4.3 amps. This will not shut down the booster and the 4.3 amps will continue to flow which could melt stuff and start a fire. And that is why we need the extra feeders and bus wiring.
And, it isn't that DCC wiring is more complicated than the simplest DC system, there is just more of it. And compared to a block controlled DC system, DCC is much much more simple.
Re: Charlie b's layout - Charlie B - 08-02-2010
The second main track is laid and ready for some tweaking. I ran a couple trains around with no derailments so I feel pretty lucky.
Here is a picture at the curve at the summit where there will be 4 tracks to the mainline when I'm done.
I have decided to finish the track laying before I do any scenery. I think it is easier to fix the track without the scenery in the way.
Charlie
Re: Charlie b's layout - P5se Camelback - 08-02-2010
Charlie ...
The video is just toooooo cool! I loved the sound, those EMD prime movers grumbling along ... and the bell is sweet ... but ...
... the Mars light blew me away! Seriously! My jaw dropped!
Now, that's tooooo much!
I am abso-freakin'-lutely going to require myself to have DCC ... with sound!!!!!
I can hear that five-chime Reading Company steam whistle now!
I can ... I just went to the Digitrax website and listened to it!
Re: Charlie b's layout - Charlie B - 08-02-2010
Another video, the quality leaves a lot to be desired, but it shows some of the track, and some that needs tweaked too.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU3TUppq_TU">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU3TUppq_TU</a><!-- m -->
Charlie
Re: Charlie b's layout - nachoman - 08-02-2010
Very nice!
Re: Charlie b's layout - P5se Camelback - 08-03-2010
Very cool, Charlie! What a nice long run!
What kind of sound decoder are you using?
That bell is loud!