You are correct -- an SD-35. I bought a (DC) pair two to three years ago. These are the ones with wired trucks. They didn't play well with my Kato #4s on a temporary set up when I bought them. I haven't laid out my yard and engine terminal yet (all with #4s), so we'll see if anything has changed. They run nicely otherwise and have no trouble on my mainline (which is all with #6s). How has your road been coming along?
Seeing your track removal tool inspired me to go thru my software boxes which I have been procrastinating doing for a few weeks now. Found another along with some other "goodies" in my operating system box in preparation for moving.
If you ever make a video, would love to see a thru the double crossover! Sent my new one back to Atlas for the 4th time and bought it new last April. Incredibly poor performance thru it and turnouts. I really like that you created a thread with your railroad progress. Kinda wish I did the same thing. Overall, very happy with the train layout, especially since adding the DS64 turnout decoder, but with the exception of loco's. Started some design thinking about another panel free layout; larger, lighter, and more portable. My greatest fear is buying another loco and finding it has either QC or design issue. Batting 0 for 4... After 4 brand new loco's all having something, really hesitant to buy anymore. Anyway, thank you for watching. Spending a little more time on board since construction has ceased until I move.
The layout is on the coffee table. The last thing done before breakdown is the 4 pushbutton assembly and wiring for a 2nd way to throw a turnout. A few pictures... Unsure if you seen this but its probably the best video for the overall layout. Taken prior to the installation of the DS64 pushbuttons and a factory structure which conceals the switches with just the black plastic tops peaking thru the roofing having sufficient distance for depression of any button. Think its hard to tell its not a detail unless close up?? What do you think? Thanks for the incentive, reduced 5 boxes down to one. Sad thing is that I have ISO images of most of this software on my file server and that's backed up too. Have you finalized your bridge heights?
Wow, that looks great! I like the trackplan. The Unitrack crossover is just the ticket. You can run one or two trains and you can enjoy some switching too. Your layout should survive the move well. Yep, bridge height is settled and I reduced the height of seven Kato piers to suit. I can work on the track segment with the bridges now or later because they're on an alternate route around the layout. I think I'll work next on the yard/engine terminal and get it in place once I'm done wiring the mainline turnouts.
Before breaking down, running 3 locos at the same time. What a blast. and, one needs to be really on there toes running 3 on a small layout. Tremendous fun. The 30 min youtube video is the best and last session recorded. I flipped and moved it numerous times since taking it off the high 48" legs. Plugged it in, put locos on track, and away we go. No issues with track flex. No derailments. I believe the solid, plastic attached roadbed helps and will be using unitrack for the DCC EX Rail switching layout as well as the next full size layout, if one is built. I love the Dxover. It was the focal point of this layout's design and necessary to fit the double ovals and, from the moment I saw it, the decision to use it was absolute. Been thinking about doing a switching layout with 4 of them. DCC decoders capable of driving them are few. I have an Arduino sketch, think from 1 of the guys from the DCC EX team, to control Kato turnouts using Arduino and motor shield. Unfortunately, with the move all but exploring DCC EX Rail is the only hands on MRR that I'm presently doing.
I understand almost nothing about the advanced digital technology you and others enjoy. Although my layout is primarily DC, I have two DCC locomotives and the layout has a basic DCC throttle (an MRC Prodigy Advance) that I can toggle in so I can run DCC. I like electronics and used to enjoy computer programming when I was young, so maybe someday I'll be interested in messing around more with DCC.
Electronics, my first love and hobby as a kid. Explored alot of different areas. Was into amateur radio and still hold active license, telephones-put in a old Western electric 1A2 system and then in early 90s newer Electronic Key system- easily trigger relays eg to open garage door, and of course MRR. Kinda lost doing anything in electronics when switching to an IT career. The computer hobby took over everything. As a consequence of this focus, I can't come close in the other areas, like woodworking, modeling that you and many others can do. Remember, maybe mid last year, you posted a pic of 2 CNJ locos that you painted. Thought then, wish I can do that. CNJ loco's, in dark color, so hard to come by... Adding to Kato. While the unitrack has continued to perform after numerous flips... Have not found satisfactory locations for the handles. You can see one, close to the bottom, in the first picture. Have another opposite and on 1 short side. But still need to grab a framing member to rotate. Probably some unwanted stresses and a little concerned over long term if better locations are not found. Any ideas where to mount the handles for a smoother flip using only the handles?
Last ancient picture, promise. It may be helpful for some.. Found this Allen Bradley resistor color code chart. I got it new think at least 40 yrs ago but incredibly well done, IMHO, for either determining resistance values from resistor or finding the color bands when the value is known.
That is very cool artifact -- how neat that you saved it. Many years ago I wrote a program to run resistor calculations, allowing entry of colors or values. The program would then display the result in full color. I even attached an audio tone to each color so that it would play a three note tune with each run. Yeah, it was a lot quicker to look at a chart, but not nearly as much fun.
My career was in supply chain in heavy manufacturing. I held in high esteem the Engineers and Electrical Maintenance people who, at 2AM, were able to troubleshoot circuit boards, replace individual components and get our equipment up and running. Others would call to request a new circuit board to be flown in and be done with it. As an aside, I was always amused when someone would call me with a rush request and say, "Send it ASAP!" My standard reply was, "So then you want me to charter an aircraft, say an SR-71 Blackbird?" That always resulted in a better plan, with reduced transportation cost related to the actual need.
My heroes in supply chain were the guys who, when I answered “Uhh, yes, actually,” to that kind of question, were able to get what I needed shipped on the Concorde.
I had a Radio Shack resistor chart. It was printed on newsprint, and about 15 years ago it deteriorated into cornflake-like fragments.
One company I worked for told us to never use the term ASAP. There reasoning was, it has a different meaning for most people. For some, As Soon As possible meant, when you can get to it, add it to the queue. For others it means immediately. Instead that company said to always ask for a date and time, as in I need that report Thursday (Month/Day/Year) by 2:00 PM. When I was in the USAF, we had to memorize the resistor color chart and had a little saying to help us remember: Bad Boys Red - Yes this word was edited. Our Young Girls But Violet Green - Yes this word was edited. White - Yes this word was edited. Then it was just a matter of multiplication, you start with 1 for black and multiply by 10 for each of the following positions.
I keep this one clipped over my workdesk. I think I got it with packages of resistors bought some three years ago. It's made of durable cardstock.
You forgot the last two lines: for Silver and Gold. Then SMT resistors came out, with a a numeric code printed on them (usually significant digits and an exponent.) Until they got too small to even do that (or see one without a microscope. If you dropped one on the floor, forget about it! Composite resistors were banned in our work decades ago, except in specific pulse-power-handling situations. Metal film resistors took over the market for precision, longevity, performance, and eventually size and cost reasons.
Oh my gosh, I'd forgotten all about that! Back in a day when things were less uptight, our high school electronics teacher told us that one.
