Can anybody help?

I just installed a decoder in a brass sharknose and It has a short that occurs when the locomotive is placed in speed step 1 in either direction. It does not short until this is done. The light works and the headlight function works fine, but when speedstep is applied it shorts out and trips the circuit breaker to the track. I can't find any wiring problems but I am wondering if this is a problem with brass locomotives. I found a few shorts when I was checking the locomotive before I installed the decoder.  (this is install 65 or 66 so I am not new to this) 
Charlie

Brand new from Baldwin, October, 1948.      
Charlie

I've been digging enthusiastically into Big Blue over the last few days and that's inspired me to make some purchases and get rolling on some railroad-related activities.

First I saw the layout section and thought that I ought to update my video tour of my layout from front-of-the-engine perspective - I've done quite a lot since my last recording using my son's helmet camera laid on a flat car (shown below).

   

Problem was....  I haven't charged the camera in a couple of years and the battery won't take a charge.  Having a new battery sent to me....

Seeing all the blue (maybe it's just the background) has inspired me to create the first Conrail blue item on my layout (I'm modeling 1976 when not much stuff had received paint yet) - decided to buy an N5 caboose (in Pennsylvania RR livery) from ebay plus decals from K4 (also on ebay).  Another project!

In my research over the past few days I also continue to see Kartrak stickers on a bunch of photographs.  (Kartrak was one of the forerunners of Bar Codes).  Decided I needed to buy some Kartrak decals in HO (K4 on ebay).  Those are going on most of my rolling stock as I weather each car.  Speaking of weathering, I put up some photos of my weathering of two CNW 40-ft semitrailers decorated for the Bicentennial.  Turned out pretty well I think. It's on the weathering section of Big Blue.

I was contemplating what I wanted to do for the next two days prior to leaving for Texas.  Tomorrow is Independence Day.  I model the summer of 1976, and last year I bought a pair of CNW 40-ft trailers to place on my 96-ft flat cars to simulate TOFC trains.  They are Walters units decorated for the Bicentennial and they are absolutely PRISTINE!  

   

It made me think.  Were these trailers brand new in 1976, or were the trailers just repainted?  Personally, I'm trying to weather most of my rolling stock to reflect the era - 1976 was NOT a good time for railroads, and I model early Conrail when stuff was held together with bubble gum and a prayer. I really wanted to find some grimy trailer examples.  Time for a web search...  Found this one....

   

So, the one on the trailer looks like the bicentennial paint was applied after years of trailer use, which was really what I was hoping for.  The prototype also has corrugated sides versus the flat sides on the Walters version.  I think I'll just ignore that difference. I figure that I'll tape off the red, white and blue stripes and other markings and apply most of the weathering treatments to each trailer and then give the stripes a dusting...  More photos of the process coming.

Occasionally a Kadee coupler will lose it's spring.  You're left with a coupler that at random points lets go of the car ahead of it and if you aren't paying attention, you have a train to reconnect.

I have spare springs, but either I mess them up trying to get them to seat on the coupler spring posts, or they go flying off into Never-Never land.  They are small and are like wet fish on the end of a hook.  Has to be a tool for insertion, but I haven't seen one.  Any luck?

Trying to keep cool on this hot day in Leetown

P1470251 by Ed Creechan, on Flickr

as mentioned on the campfire started another bash from an orphan that was given me with a bunch of some one's junk. this started out as a revel maintenance shed that had seen better days got rid of what was left of the tie pile took out the speeder tracks and made an oil change pit kept the drum storage rack added a waste oil barrel and made a tire changer spindle also added a burn barrel that will have a 1.5 mm light amber led at bottom. the paint i wanted to reflect age, like the owner old and kind of well used the pit will have a grid cover the one in photo is too heavy will find lighter one.

Jim
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Found this site a few weeks ago and thought I'd try joining.

I'm 55 and have been modeling in HO since my boyhood.  It's been fits and starts until around 2006 when I decided to devote some of my basement office into a model railroad.  Still a lot of fits and starts, but some progress has been made.  The website in my signoff line is devoted to the creation and ongoing efforts.

I model the "Rainbow Years" of Conrail in the Lehigh Valley Gorge - former bankrupt railroads amalgamated by the U.S. Gov't.  All diesel, nothing under wire, no diesels newer than 1975. 
Who would have thought that eventually this monstrosity could turn a profit and get sold off to CSX and NS?  

My formative years were spent in the Poconos of Pennsylvania where I regularly saw the mainline of the Erie Lackawanna and could travel south and see the Lehigh Valley, the Reading and the Penn Central.  I could travel west and find the Delaware and Hudson.  Then (eventually) came Big Blue and many changes in rail lines near my home.

Track is laid and I've been running trains for more than 10 years while I add scenery bit by bit and do things like weather my fleet.

I like to share techniques and learn from mistakes - thought joining this site might be useful for both!

WPMA-40 makes a shove down Packer Ave.

Bruce