MichaelE

ESU determined the decoder to be bad. The dealer refused to replace it, however, ESU told me that the dealer should have replaced it and then received credit from ESU for the bad decoder. Unfortunately, ESU could not help me with this dilemma since they were already in possession of the decoder I sent to them. They are out of stock of the decoder and has been backordered with no expected date. Swell. In the mean time, I have removed the backing pieces that block the vents on the decoder cover on the roof of the Allegra and hope this will help with the heat issue. If I ever get a replacement.

No. I have a Lokprogrammer and would not like to see that being wasted.

Work on the loading dock and access road mockup.

I used the grey ballast. There's not much contrast between the ballast and the painted cork. I got a free bag of mixed ballast from MU in Germany that I'm going to use between the tracks. It's more or less a single layer and is finer than the track ballast. Almost like large gravel. The foundation of the station sits within three layers of cut card stock. This helps bring the ground level up to rail head height and also reduces the distance between the door threshholds and the ground level. I will still need to add steps to the front and side doors, but they aren't quite as high now. The narrow platform in front of the station was cut from Auhagen brick plastic stock as was the other side of the tracks. However on the other side, the brickwork is just a narrow strip and there is blacktop surface for another few feet. This was made using foam-core board 1/8" thick. The edge of the plastic brick work was glued the the top edge of the foam core and it rests right on the sleepers. It has been CA glued to the sleepers. Underside: Here, all of the small station accessories can be seen in their installed locations. These are from Tom at Swiss Model Rail. He does a wonderful job creating the specific RhB pieces for the stations along the line. I still have the rest of the loading dock to build onto what the kit came with, but it's going to be a bit shorter than the prototype due to space restrictions. Also have to build the access road that runs along the side of the station. Unfortunately, it goes no where after crossing the tracks except straight down. I may at a later date modify or add on the the layout and install the whole road.

I was looking at that cover thinking of modifying it to allow heat to escape. I'm hoping I just got bum decoder. I don't think that was good planning on Bemo's part to place the decoder in such a confined area with absolutely no way for heat to escape.

I sent the decoder back to ESU in the States for replacement.

Current does increase, to over an amp, while voltage drops.

Yes. No change with a normally operating locomotive. The only time there is a slight increase is on a grade, and then a subsequent decrease when descending the grade. I'm going to swap the decoders and see if the decoder is the problem or the locomotive. I'm also going to remove the decoder cover on the roof of the power unit and see if that makes a difference with some airflow. I've taken the power unit from the Allegra down to component parts and found no binding, it is properly lubed, and drivetrain rotates freely.

I believe this is a heat issue that is slowly damaging this decoder. The decoder is in such a small confined space there is virtually no way to cool it and there is no airflow for heat to escape. It ran fine for about 30 minutes earlier, and as soon as it started to heat up, the lights started flashing and it stopped. As soon as it came to a complete halt, the lights remained on steady but it wouldn't run again.

Previous Page Next Page QuoteEdit Post by michael on 1 minute ago Please watch this video I made this afternoon and let me hear your thoughts. I do not know what is wrong, but the Allegra is now doing what the ABe 4/4 III has been doing for months now. Measured RMS track voltage is what you see in the video when standard gauge Roco and Peko locomotives are running. I can run up to five DCC sound locomotives at a time using the NCE Powercab, but I get what you see in the video trying to run one DCC sound Bemo locomotive. There are power drops every 4-6 feet on the meter gauge track and voltage checks good. I don't understand what is wrong with these Bemo locomotives. Any ideas or suggestions would be welcome. I'm on the verge of sending both of these units back to Bemo in Germany for service, but I hesitate because I probably won't see them for the better part of a year or more. Previous Page Next Page

Frog Juicers indeed took care of the irritating problem with the locomotive pausing slightly on the turnout frogs. In addition, I just ordered a bunch of RhB-specific catenary items from SMR for the Sommerfeldt order that is coming from MSL. I also ordered a lot of detail items for the Langwies station building. Tom at SMR also just released the information board that is on the west side of the station and I got one of those too. Running smooth through the turnouts now...

First Train moving through the station. I have some Frog Juicers to be delivered today to take care of those pauses on the frogs. Overall, pretty pleased with operation. The inside track curve is a little tight for Allegra, so it probably won't use that track very often.

I laid track this afternoon after the Caboose Industries throws arrived. They work very nicely. I had to enlarge the holes in the throw arms of the Tillig turnouts, but it was pretty effortless. All of the frogs had to be insulated and the tiny little insulated joiners that Tillig included with the points wouldn't go on the rail very easily at all. I tried the insulated joiners I bought with the Peco track and those didn't work well either. I ended up using code 83/100 insulated joiners and regular metal joiners in that size too. They were used just to hold the track together long enough for me to solder the rails. No bumps this time mixing rail codes. I didn't do any wiring today. That will take the better part of another afternoon. I really could have used another foot in length for this project. I don't like the way the inside track curves around to the front of the station but I had to get that turnout in for the storage track, the track had to be straight at that point to get the turnout in before the station, but allow enough room for the road crossing. Past the station, I was lucky enough with the track spacing that the crossover points were directed connected with no short track between them. The contact adhesive worked out great for gluing the track to the cork. It was very tacky and dried very fast. All I had to do for the curves was to hold it in place for a few minutes and it was dry. I'm going to paint the cork grey before I ballast the track, and then the details begin. This might take many months to complete along with the catenary.

It is a fiddly task even using wire. I use a set of hemostats and bent-nose tweezers and a lot of patience and a steady hand.

I use a single strand of wire from a piece of 22 gauge strand.

Oops is right. Did they determine if the points were closed properly?

Started this morning on Langwies again by removing all of the catenary along the main line. This catenary will be replaced by multiple track truss spans along the length of the station. Some masts will be reused as pull-offs on the outside track of the station, and one or two for the short storage tracks. I did a final check for evenness along the edge of the existing sub-roadbed and placed two shims on the supports on the east approach. A final sanding for high spots with the orbital sander and I was satisfied. Drilled, countersunk, and attached the new sub-roadbed to the supports. Afterwards I used a spray adhesive and attached the new cork for one continuous surface upon which to build the station area. The two main turnouts were installed, and it can be noted where the standard gauge rail was removed. The east approach has a curved turnout into the station area as I didn't have quite enough horizontal length to work a straight turnout into the track a bit farther west. This would have conflicted with the additional turnouts that haven't yet arrived that connect the other tracks. Trains were tested and I'm satisfied with operations. There's a little bump on the west turnout due to the difference between Code 70 and Code 83 rail, but it's hardly noticeable.

Hi Paul. I didn't know about that forum and just signed up. Thanks for the link.

I also found it useful. Thanks for the link. I do wish it would zoom in closer for a more accurate measurement, but it gets close enough.

Peco Code 75 track is arriving today from Modellbahn Union in Germany. I probably won't get to laying track until this station is finished. Sometime next week if all goes well.

I decided to install the underlying wood boards that make up the roof under the slate. It is not etched with individual wood boards, but it does look a lot better with it than without it. It would have been simple for Faller to cut another wood sheet with the slats engraved with the individual boards and then assembled a piece at a time between the fascia and the front of the building. Makes me wonder why they produced such a very nice kit but didn't include these important details. It is pretty obvious even at a distance with the cardboard roof sitting on the rafters that something is missing under there. Another detail left out was the stringers at the front of the roof supports that tie these together just behind the fascia board. These are also located on the gable ends and is more obvious that it is missing. Not so much on the front. I will not be adding these details to the rear of the roof since absolutely no one will be able to see that. The foundation perimeter has been completed too except for the loading dock. There is going to be another 2"+/- added to the length of the dock to match the actual station grounds, so I will take care of the rest of the foundation when I build on the extension.

Been working on the fascia board and foundation for the slope. New statirs will have to be built and also extensions for the balcony supports. There is an 8mm difference in height from one end of the building to the other. Have to fix the loading dock foundation too.

I ordered track today. Modellbahn Union had what I needed in stock so I went with the Peco code 75. One left, four right, one left curved point, 8 sections of 914mm flex track and rail joiners and insulated joiners.

Almost finished. I still have to assemble the roof and paint and install the shutters. The foundation has to be made from scratch using some left over pressed cardboard. I will have to cut it to match the grade.

I have two benches that I'm going to move from Michaelstadt to Langwies. They are identical after I cut the armrests off and repaint them. I looked at Swiss Modell.com but he didn't have anything that matched. The two billboards with the chalet roofs behind the station will be in an order from Modellbahn Union.