Christmas in July, Oh man!

SleeperN06 Jul 11, 2014

  1. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    A screw through foam could work. I'd worry a little, as if slightly over tightened, the track would suck into the foam, and could get a little twisty.
     
  2. SleeperN06

    SleeperN06 TrainBoard Member

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    I think you're right about that. I had that problem a few years ago.

    Anyway I may not have to do anything because I cut it to fit the outside rails and I had my daughter notch out for the ties. She made them pretty tight and had to press them in. I had to turn the whole thing on its side to add more foam for the waterfall and the track is not coming out. I am going to have to pull some of it out to solder on some wires and kind wished I would have already done that.

    I ordered a couple of bumpers for reversing my Bump-n-Go Trolley and wonder if there is a way to connect wires to it?

    LIO-6-62283-1.jpg
     
  3. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Do you mean wires to the bumpers? They should draw power from the track, when they clamp on. I used to make that end of a spur an insulated section, and wire it to a transformer accessory terminal, so the light remained on constantly. Otherwise they dim and go out, every time you close the throttle.
     
  4. SleeperN06

    SleeperN06 TrainBoard Member

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    Oh I’ve actually never seen one before and thought I might be able to use it to power the track if I can get a wire soldered to it. I just don’t want to use a track lockon and I will probably solder the wires to the ends of the track.
    I don’t think I’ll be varying the voltage since it going to be for the trolley and it will just be going back and forth for the display. I don’t have a lot of time to deal with it now, but maybe someday I’ll figure out a way to have it make timed stops.
     
  5. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    They may have changed the way these bumpers attach and contact track, so soldering a wire could be possible. Otherwise, maybe consider soldering to the bottom of a rail?
     
  6. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    The first question I should ask is who made the trolley that you have?

    I was just thinking about this. Usually a Lionel trolley has a reversing unit in it, controlled by the bumper. It will collapse and reverse the trolley. No need for special circuits unless. If you have a trolley that operates on analog DC. Then it depends on the bumper and the system within the trolley.

    I will need to look into this perhaps a oogle google search. IMSMC...I thought Bachmann, made a On30 reversing trolley. Thinking it runs on HO track and they have a wired in reversing unit for the trolley. My memory isn't clicking here and I will need to look this up. Back in a bit.

    Oh and those bumpers, seems to me they can be hard wired but I'd have see the underside of them before I say so... for sure.

    Here we go. I wasn't to far off base.

    Regarding the Lionel Trolley, I found http://www.lionel.com/Products/Finder/ProductDetail.cfm?ProductNumber=6-21969
    And:
    http://www.lionel.com/media/servicedocuments/4005728418250Trolley.pdf

    From Bachmann the following:

    [video=youtube;VOislSp9t5Y]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOislSp9t5Y[/video]

    Does that help?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 23, 2014
  7. SleeperN06

    SleeperN06 TrainBoard Member

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    Hi Rick,

    I have the MTH Rail King O 30-2585 Bump N Go Trolley, Pittsburgh #4383 according to my receipt. The only thing is that I can’t find it at the moment, but I hope it shows up after pulling out all my Christmas stuff. I thought it was in my train room with all my Lionel stuff, but it might be with the Christmas decorations and it might also still be in the USPS shipping box. :rolleyes:



    LG200904589.jpg

    [video=youtube;GJJZ5gY_CUU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJJZ5gY_CUU[/video]
     
  8. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    The MTH Bump-N-Go would be the better of the two-three rail jobs. You shouldn't have any problems with reversing it as it to is controlled by the bumper. We had one of these on the O & S Rail Link. We ran the heck out of it until we jarred something:rolleyes: loose inside it.

    Have fun. Send pictures.
     
  9. SleeperN06

    SleeperN06 TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks Rick, I used to have the Bachmann On30 Trolley and I loved having the HO track next to my O Fast track, but I had so many problems with that trolley that I finally had to pull it all out. I’m really counting on this Bump n Go to work well.
     
  10. ScaleCraft

    ScaleCraft TrainBoard Member

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    I have a brand new Botch oh-en-thirty Christmas reversing trolley.
    Put it up last Christmas....after having to use an industrial heat gun to heat the tie base to get the horrible bow out of most of the tracks....cleaning didn't help the operation any. Had to have a push stick (36" dowel) handy to prod it when it quit for no apparent reason and various places.
    This year, I just laid a loop of ancient Atlas brass snap track, so no more reversing, glued a string of old lead weights on the floor between the seats...and we'll see how it works.

    On the 0 trolley...like has been said, anything with a bumper that moves when you push it is self reversing. Even a long deck screw at end of centre rail vertical into benchwork will do...quieter if you slip some rubber petrol line over it.
     
  11. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    Looks like the edit feature shut me off. Here's a correction: "" If you have a trolley that operates on analog DC. Then it depends on the bumper and the system within the trolley."" Starting over. If you have a trolley that operates on analog DC you can set up a circuit in the track where it slows the trolley to a stop. The trolley will remain at station, depending on the time duration you programmed it and then with two bells, comes to life up to speed to cross back to the other station repeating the same process. My favorite way to operate a trolley.

    I'd spent the day editing my blog and was tired when I found your thread. Not thinking clearly. Sorry about that.
     
  12. SleeperN06

    SleeperN06 TrainBoard Member

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    There is a fella over at the O-gauge Railroad forum H Lee Willis that has written a couple of books on trolleys and SuperStreets. One of his books shows you how to remove the rectifier and use DC to operate trolleys for better control. http://www.hleewillis.com/
    I’m not that into it and only want it as Christmas display so I’m just going to set the speed and let it go back and forth.
     
  13. SleeperN06

    SleeperN06 TrainBoard Member

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    Oh I sure wish I would have done this in July like I planned. Now the clock is ticking and I still have so much to do.
    I had planned on using my portable steamer to get up all the foil, but I just found out that it’s broke. I lent it to a coworker a few years back and I don’t think he emptied the water.:crying:

    [​IMG]
     
  14. SleeperN06

    SleeperN06 TrainBoard Member

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    I didn’t get as much done today as I had hoped. My neighbor’s elderly aunt died and there was a lot of distraction.

    Anyway I did get the trolley track soldered up and installed. One thing I never noticed before while working with the rigid foil covered insulation is that it stinks with the foil removed. I like the texture because it’s more like actual soil, but when using a hot knife to cut it fills the house with a rotten fish smell. I finally got the place aired out, but I need to seal the foam with paint as soon as possible.

    I still have a river to cut in and and a water fall into the harbor to form.

    [​IMG]
     
  15. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    That's interesting. When we began finishing our daylight basement, I used the 2" to line the foundation and knee walls. I didn't notice a smell. I wonder if it could be an adhesive which bonded on the foil?

    Eeeeuuwww. My wife would have strangled me. :(
     
  16. SleeperN06

    SleeperN06 TrainBoard Member

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    I thought I would give an update just in case anybody is still interested and I don’t like to leave threads open without an ending.:)

    OK well I wired up all the tracks by soldering 12” leads of #18 to the track and dropping them down through the foam. I have a loop of #12 wire under the layout that I’m connecting them to.

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    I also decided to purchase a Lionel 6-12714 Automatic Crossing Gate and I modified the road crossing track to activate the crossing gate.

    6-12714_5887.jpg

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    I can’t finish the trolley just yet because I bought a Lionel 6-62283 Die Cast Metal Bumper set and it has screws that fasten it to the side of the track. I also ordered new track pins that haven’t arrived yet and the track is just so loose that I don’t want to chance it to stopping conducting. I’m seriously thinking of soldering all the pins in place and I may do just that by the end of the day.
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    I bought some GREAT STUFF spray foam to fill between the tracks and I plan on using a razorblade to level it off flush with the track then Paint it black or something. I don’t know if it will work or not, but I’m going to try anyway. I used Acrylic Spackling for the old On30 Trolley line before and that turned out to be a disaster from cleaning it and I hope I don’t have the same problems with the tubular track. I know I took photos of it because I posted a thread about it falling apart, but can’t find it now.

    Anyway I got the foam painted and the river in but have a little more painting to do on it. I thought I could save some money by buying a small J-B WELD ClearWeld Epoxy Syringe thinking that I didn’t need that much, but it turned out that I needed two of them. It actually worked pretty well except that it don’t go very far, but for a small n-sale pond it would be perfect.

    043425501127lg.jpg

    The houses are next to do and I wanted to put in a road around them, but I just don’t have the room plus I’m running out of time before this needs to be done. The lights for the houses are a problem because I can’t climb under the layout anymore due to my bad knees and back so I’ll to have the wife plug them all in underneath.


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  17. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    I'd never heard of anyone using JB Weld for waterways. How much working time did it allow? Can we see a closer in view of the results?
     
  18. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    I like what you've done with your Christmas Layout. Looking mighty fine. This should attract some oow's. aw's and wow's.
    Nice choice of bridges.

    In Awe in Big Bear Country.
     
  19. SleeperN06

    SleeperN06 TrainBoard Member

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    Oh wow Bob, I didn't get any notice of this replay, Sorry for not checking in sooner, but wasn't sure if anybody was watching.

    Anyway the JB Weild dries in 5 min so you have to have it planed out before hand. its not good for large bodies of water but it took two packages for my little river.
     
  20. SleeperN06

    SleeperN06 TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks Rick,
    So this is what I got done for my 2014 Christmas train display. I'm a few weeks overdo and I’ll be making a lot fine adjustments until after Christmas, I’m sure. :)

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    Also I finally found my RailKing Bumper Trolley that I bought 2 years ago and had misplaced. I should be receiving my track bumpers tomorrow (Monday) and I’m anxious to see it running.

    [​IMG]

    So Rick do you remember this new addition to my power supplies?

    [​IMG]
     

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