Jeepy

Hi folks, This may be a very basic question to some I think but I'm new to DCC so here goes!.... All I want to use DCC for is train control but would like to control turnouts, signals etc by the anologue method of a controller/transformer supplying power via switches to slow action turnout motors for turnouts and possibly servos for semaphore signals, in the case of turnout control I was considering either Tortoise or cobalt which I understand have built in switches for changing frog polarity so would the turnout motor need to be the digital type or anologue type please? I guess what I'm trying to get my head around is although the motor will be moving the turnout under anologue power will the motor still cope with changing the frog polarity on DCC supplied track/rails therefore also the frog? For instance in the case of cobalts there is an anologue version (classic) or a digital version or is that only appertaining to the method of moving the switch blades? Thanks ever so much! Best wishes, Jim.

..... Only joking! Some interesting info in this thread!

That's useful information about the cant in the rail, thank you........ I would like to have a go at some copper clad assembly at some stage so the gauges I have would more than likely be fine for that it seems, I've got a lot to learn! Best wishes Jim..

Well, first of all I am very grateful to all of you that have contributed to this thread (Despite the storm I may have induced! Lol!) because as a newcomer to EM gauge I have gleaned 3 important things, 1) The track is fine! 2) Don't trust some EM brass roller gauges, although the ones I have may be OK, not sure on that one yet! And 3) Handy hints on using my digital calipers. I am not put off at all from EM gauge and I am very much looking forward to trying a small project once I receive the 2 turnouts I have pre ordered...... As for the whole box of flexi track I have it'll probably last me a long time lol! My main permanent shed layout is in OO code 75 bullhead (Peco) so my intention on the EM gauge side of things will only be small projects like scenic shunting puzzles, working yard scenes etc and hopefully will get better as I build up experience then maybe later on in life create a larger EM layout but I'm just going to quietly get on with it and have fun whilst pestering the rest of you with silly questions! I do hope I may eventually be able to contribute in some way too! Best wishes, Jim..

Thank you! I'm not put off at all, it's nice to know now that all is OK, being a member of the EM gauge Society I would have got in touch with them and asked the same thing but earlier in the thread I got the impression that had already been done so was just waiting for further comment or confirmation one way or the other..... Looking forward to getting on with something now! Best wishes Jim

Hello, That has now confirmed to me that the track is as it should be, being a beginner as far as EM is concerned I just wanted to be sure, I haven't tried running any stock on it yet because I haven't got any, but i'm in the process of building a wagon kit which will be to EM gauge so should be ok. Just waiting patiently for the turnouts to become available...…. Thank you, Jim.

Hello, I'm a new member on here and have been reading this thread with interest as I purchased a box of the EM gauge flexi track at the Spring expo in Bracknell, (I was lucky as it was the last box!) I was playing about with it in the shed and for some unknown reason I decided to place an EM roller gauge across the running rails but it would not easily slot onto the rail heads and I had to use a little force to do so (This was on a straight piece) and it seemed like the rails had to spread a tiny amount for the gauge to fit..... I thought it's probably just me and inexperience of just how tight the fit should be but then I found this thread and now I'm wondering if there may be an issue?........ Interesting, I shall wait and see what happens, thank you! Jim.

Thank you! Inspiration certainly seems to be in abundance on here! I forgot to mention the shed layout will be South Eastern based in the late 1950s to early 1960s and I've been doing a lot of reading about and searching for stuff online concerning the Allhallows on Sea branch which interests me a lot but while I haven't got the room to do it justice I have in mind some thing based on it, although it closed around 1961/62 I would like to portray my version of it as if it had thrived as intended by the Southern Railway when it was built in 1931/32 and by the time we got into the late 50s early 60s it was still a very popular holiday destination for some, also a popular place to live with a decent sized community including commuters to London but as I've said I'm still seeing what will fit into the space and I don't want to crowd it out with too much track.... I would just like to create a certain atmosphere I think, I have started purchasing stock and loco's such as an H class with a push pull set, a C class, an E4 tank, a birdcage 3 car set and a few wagons, future purchases would be a Q1 maybe a 2MT and an early class 33 diesel but I think I'm going to concentrate on infrastructure for a while now....... Best wishes, Jim.

Hello everyone, My name's Jim but the registration process said I'm unable to use it as a display name, tried Jimbo too but with the same result as someone else is using those understandably! So I thought i'd try the name of one of my other interests and it worked! LOL! I've been lurking around on the forum reading some very interesting threads for a while so thought I would join up just in case I had something constructive to interject with occasionally! I've been into model railways since childhood and am now into my 50s but never really completely finished a layout project with life getting in the way, apart from a couple of small N gauge ones in the distant past, also a OO loft layout in our previous house that was at least all up and running until we decided to move around 9 Years ago! I got into N gauge and 2mm for quite a while again and built up quite a collection of loco's and stock and tools etc but although the smaller scale still holds a fascination for me I started finding it harder after needing glasses both for reading and driving so I have now sold most of it (I still have some stuff) which has funded my return to 4mm in the guise of a new OO gauge project in a purpose built slightly bigger shed and a recent dipping of a toe into the EM gauge side of things by joining the Society but I am concentrating on the OO gauge project at the moment in the form of an 'L' shape semi-permanent fiddle yard to terminus layout, 10ft along one wall and 14ft along the other wall, the 10ft part being a 5 road traverser off scene and the 14ft bit being the scenic part. The traverser and baseboards and backscene are all built but no track laid as yet because i'm still fine tuning a track plan mostly in my head and scribbles on bits of paper! I have purchased 2 Peco OO gauge code 75 bullhead turnouts and 5 lengths of the flexi track to play with but will inevitably will need more, also an NCE Powercab so i'm going DCC! This has been funded mostly by the sale of my N gauge loco's and stock, interesting times ahead!...…...I've been a member of other forums in the past under different guises as either Stumpy or Jimbo so you may or may not have had the dubious pleasure of being acquainted with me and I've found forum dwellers to be a fascinating, friendly and helpful bunch along the way, there's certainly some characters around too! Bless you all and I hope to be able to contribute something sometimes as well as pestering the more knowledgeable on here occasionally, thank you! Jim.