HLT 0109

Rather than lining the compartments, I suggest it is better to wrap the fabric (or something else benign) aroound the coaches/locos before putting them into the compartments so that any rubbing is between the compartments and the fabric rather than the coaches and the fabric. That helps avoid snagging on fine detail.

If you place each piece of rolling stock on a piece of tissue paper and the bring it up the sides so that you hold the item within the tissue paper, that will protect the item from snagging on the foam. Best to use acid-free paper so that there is no reaction of it with the paint on the items. Harold.

Without knowing the design of the folding mechanism, it is difficult to make a meaningfull suggestion, but could it be that there is some slack in the hinges? If so, new (or better quality) ones might do the trick. I am not sure whether alignment dowels work with folding boards but the picture suggests the boards are solid and that would make it difficult to drill the necessary holes accurately. Pieces of waste wood top and bottom across the join and held togeher with a G-clamp over the join might work - but it will always be on view. Harold.

The centre cap regulates the amounnt of fluid that is dripped on to the cleaning pad, the further it is opened, the grreater the flow - i see that the instructions for mine suggests 10-15 drops per minute, but it would mean removing the skid pad assembly (I think) to check it. In use, I open mine just sufficient for the rails to feel damp immediately behind the passing wagon. Just below the screw thread on the cente cap is an O ring - if that is damaged, perhaps it could be causing the resistance. If the O ring is OK perhaps a smear of lubricant on the screw thread might overcome it. The filler cap must be opened a little to allow air into the tank when fluid is required to flow on to the pad (otherwsie a vacuum would be created in the tank) but failure to do that would not cause a resistance to the opening of the centre cap. You may find the problem lessens as the machine is used again. Harold.

An interesting article. However, whilest I am sure there is no perfect solution, I that find paraffin leaves a deposit of its own on anything it touches. Since Isopropyl alcohol evaporates quickly, I wonder what it is that is said to cause the buildup of gunge? I have used Googone as a track cleaner in the past, but that definitely leaves a residue.

I am using 13mm wide copper tape on my new N gauge layout which is about 2m x 1m in a horseshoe shape. The layout comprises four boards and I am using the tape to pass power between the boards by attaching it to the vertical faces of the meeting frames, which are bolted together. This has been done because the boards sit on a table at home and, so far this has proven effective in that situation but also when sitting on the legs if the layout is used elsewhere. I realised however that, if used exclusively, it would be necessary to route the tape over all unerboard braces so, instead, I have stuck separate lengths of tape on the underside of the boards and joined them with wires passed through the braces and soldered to the strips. The advantage over using only wire is that the tape provides lots of space to solder droppers and feeders for point motor decoders. As Phil says though, there is a lack of adhesion and it is best to use some form of glue - sealing the board did not appear to help in my case. Regarding the comment by 2FS, by using separate pieces of tape joined with wire, positioning is esier and can be dotted anywhere that doesn't interfere with the positioning of essential hardware. My multimeter, shows no voltage drop anywhere on the layout and I am able to run two N gauge A3s.

That's correct. Just looked at mine (which also has not been used for a long time but was left empty). The filler plug is in fact the airhole and the centre one, as you say regulates the flow to the pad, and it has no washer - sorry for my incorrect comment. If you remove the centre plug it comes out with the control valve (as a single casting) so, unless the valve is stuck, I can't see what can stop the flow, as long as the filler plug is not fully closed. I note you have not said what cleaning fluid you last used. but I wonder if some substances could leave a residue once dry. I have always used Isopropyl Alcohol which leaves no residue.

It's your choice. The main purpose of the power bus is to avoid relying on rail joiners to transmit power. Bearing in mind that you should have droppers from each piece of track, you will need lots of connections between them and the power bus so it is practicable to have more than one bus wire. Again it is a matter of choice whether the bus wire(s) are continuous or spurs. Mine are spurs and run (under the baseboard) roughly under the route of the rails - that helps keep the droppers short. so, in your example I would split the power bus by means of terminal blocks close to where the power supply comes to the baseboard, then run a wire under each of your three circuits. You could run them all the way round or you could fan them out so that that they run in the same direction on opposite sides of the baseboard, stopping them without joining the the ends (if you see what i mean). I am sure you will have comments from other contributors. Harold.

The CMX Machine is not a Dapol item and is made entirely of brass, except for the washers that seal the filler plug and the airhole at one end. If the airhole is blocked, then nothing will come out of the outlet on to the cleaning pad. Both plugs unscrew. I guess it is possible the corduroy cleaning pad has stuck itself to the outlet so removing that might be another thing to check. Once removed, it can be cleanied in water and soap/detergent before putting it back. Harold.

I have a Bachmann class 37 (catalogue no 32-776DS) factory fitted with a Loksound 3.5 decoder and it has always run slowly. Running it through my speedometer shows a maximum scale speed of about 60mph, but it only reaches that speed when it has warmed up. I have had it ten years so it is not as if it is new. I had a retailer check it but was advised that everything was normal. Is this similar to your experience? Harold.

If the problem is what RAF96 has suggested, surely the solution is to upgrade the controller's software - but OP is using Elite rather than Select.

Sounds as if the R8247s are faulty but, to have two with the same, unusual problemis is strange. Something to try not mentioned previously would be to swap the wires from output 1 to output 2 (and vice versa) and see if the same point displays the problem or if the problem moves to the other one. If the problem moves, then the R8247s should be returned for repair, exchange or refund - easier of bought from a retailer rather than a private seller.

Can't think of anything but a bit more information might help: what point motor(s) are you using and what DCC system arer you using? Have you fitted the R8247s to different points or are you replacing one decoder with the other on the same point? Do outputs 2, 3 and 4 work properly? Are you sure the decoder is firing again or is the point rebounding with the aid of the spring? What make of points are they? Sorry for so many questions - thinking aloud really! I have about a dozen R8247s and not had your experience. Harold.

Have a two-level layout with each prototype on a different level. Twice the cost but twice the interest!

Art, By the time you have ballasted the track and got your scenery in, you may find that the boards are stuck together, making it difficult to dismantle the layout - in which case having inter-board electrical connections becomes a waste of effort. If you want to maintain the possibility of separating the boards, I think you would have to complete track laying and scenery on each board individually, as I am doing in my portable layout. I have not tried dismanting a permanent layout but I imagine it is difficult to cut the track accurately without damaging the scenery and structures. Harold.

Many thanks Nigel for such a detailed and well-reasoned reply. I calculate that I need a stay-alive that will last for a distance of 5mm (to be on the safe side) at a scale 10mph. Now, if my schoolboy maths is correct, that requires a stay-alive that will last for one-twelvth of a second - assuming good pickup function by the motor bogie, I did muse on the possibility of skids as pickups but then realised they would need to follow curved track and not short on points. Beyond my abilities I think. In order to test the motor bogie I am awating delivery of a switched battery box that will take two AA batteries - I can then see how it works on 3v DC. Harold

That's amazing TWG. Many thanks. Does that mean that, If I were to use the DCX65, I wouldn't need a resistor to reduce the voltage - or does the danger of a reset decoder still cause a problem when the motor stalls?

Interesting! I look forward to reading the results of your test in due course

Thank you Phil & Nigel - very informative indeed. I will see what I can do. I would need to use the smallest available decoder and thought of usding the Zen Nano 2 function from DCC Concepts (ZN8H). I see it is supplied with a Stay-Alive - I wonder if that has sufficient capacity to take the bogie over a dead frog. Thanks again, Harold.

I bought the motor bogie identified above, for a DCC layout i am building and then discovered that it is designed to run on a 4 volt system. Clearly I cannot run it as it is, using Power Cab but I have seen a video of someone fitting a resistor in the power supply to the motor of this bogie, for a DC 12v system but I don't know how to work out what resistor would be required for my DCC system (I don't remember the video giving the rating for the resistor used in the 12 volt DC system). Can anyone please tell me what I would need? A separate issue which may prove impossible to overcome - the wheelbase of the bogie is 10mm - the frogs on two of my points are about 13mm long, and there may not be enough room for a stay alive as well as a DCC decoder in the loco body. Perhaps I am seeking the impossible but I don't want to give up without giving it a try. I should appreciate advice - many thanks, Harold.

Could be that adjusting the CV values in the Stirling Single would help - particularly the motor control ones. Careful reading of the appropriate decoder manual will guide you through the process.

Alan, What I use is Hob-E-Lube Lite Oil by Woodland Scenics. Mine has the code HL654. Harold.

If you disconnect the point motor physically from the point (but keep it connected electricall), you can test the motor without a load. If it works smartly, then the trouble is either friction in the point itself or mis-alignment of the motor with the point. If the disconnected motor does not operate well, then it could be the rod sticking as it passes through the solenoids. A tiny amount of suitable oil on the rod may work - but make sure it is suitable for plastics and very thin. If the point itself is sticking, a little of the same oil on the sleepers across which the switchblades move, may cure it. I have had trouble after ballasting, when the PVA has run down the pin onto the rod; a little oil has cured it. Prevention being better than a cure, I now remove the pioint motors before applying glue to ballast and refit them afterwards. Harold.

Does it make any difference if you rotate the TT 180 degrees before you run the loco up to it? Alternatively, have you tried switching the power feeds to the TT?

Mark, I have had the Heljan turntable for a number of years but have not had the problem you describe. However, when I had a different problem I foound them to be very helpful. I suggest you contact them direct about the problem. Their website quotes this email address: Heljan@Heljan.dk Harold