Hi, Im looking to put some crossing gates on my N scale layout. I model late 40's and what to know what colors the gates arms should be? Are they red and white? or black ans white? Need to know what to order... Tks Can't believe I can not find the answer to this ? via search,,,,
It looks like at one time the NKP may have used white gates with black stripes. Here is a link to the The Linden depot Museum web site.http://lindendepot.com/lindenphotos.html Scroll about halfway down the page for a photo of the gate that once stood at Lafayette, Indiana. I'm sure I've also seen similar gates in some of Emery Gulash films from the early 1950's.
From memory, crossing gates in the 40s and 50s were all black and white on the B&O and Pennsy crossings in my area.
Black and white were used by the Southern Pacific as well, though I do remember the "mix and match' specials that were done on a number of signals, partially because of bad drivers going though some of them (one of them being one of my many late aunts).
Now if I could figure out why my Atlas GP9 w/ factory dcc ran great for about 11 months and now ( it does run) but when I let it set for a couple of hours after running it, I can full throttle the thing and it just sits. The lights work and then after about 2 mins. it will start to move with the most amazing slow speed that I can't even begin to achieve with programming. Really cool. But not really. And it doesn't take much longer and it is at full speed. Whoa.. back it down time.. Then it will run fine for as long as I'm running trains around. Let it set for a bit and it does it all over agian. ???? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Set CV's 3 and 4 to 0. Check operation and then adjust up to desired setting. I don't readjust these CV's and leave them at 0.
It's NCE, at least that's what it says it is the case. I did a reset to factory settings ( option 7 on the power cab) using programming track. thought that might fix it, Nope, I'll give setting CV's 3 & 4. a try.... Ok so all I get now is can't read CV. So I just kept pressing enter and it goes into paged programming. I then set short address to 3, I get can't read CV after each entry in paged mode programming but after going through all the entry options I now have a working loco again but still have to wait for it ( to warm up) If the loco had sound I could use this start up delay for all the cool sounds before heading out. But I did notice that if I get the thing running first. then, go back to programming It has no issues reading the decoder and I can program away. But still after messing with CV 3 & 4 it will do the same thing if left to set for awhile.. Technology is great when it works... But when it doesn't GRRR... Looks the a new decoder has to go in. Anyone know what sound decoder would fit the master line GP9 ? I know MRC has a drop in one, But I don't want to go there. And I don't think anyone else offers a drop in for this loco, What do you think?? What would be the best way to go for adding sound. And if you could point me in the direction of how to's that would be awesome, Tks Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sounds to me it just needs a good cleaning, and then some good light weight oil. This has nothing to do with the CVs or the decoder. The Atlas scale speed motor works great but if there is old dried up lube, it will cause some drag until everything warms up.
I don't do DCC and have never had any problems with my GP7s. The only "CV"s I deal with are a couple of Central Vermont box cars !!!
1952-1955, SOO LINE in my hometown of 20,000+ population: There weren't any crossing gates through town. At the 2nd busiest grade crossing in town there was a Towerman protecting automobile traffic 24/7. All trains - passenger, freight and switch movements stopped before reaching the grade crossing. The towerman lowered a counter-weighted log blocking traffic in one direction. Then he walked across the tracks (main line with parallel sidings on both sides) and flagged auto traffic from the other direction to a stop before the train proceeded. At night the towerman hanged several red glass-topped kerosene burning lanterns from the log. When the log was raised the lanterns went up with it, pivoting 90 degrees as they hung. He stopped auto traffic using the log and his own hand held/waved red lantern. Freight and Switcher movements provided a similarly equipped flagman to protect the side of the tracks opposite the towerman. The tower at the top of a nearly vertical staircase was Spartan - a simple wood table, chair and a telephone. No stove. One of these towermen was a Korean War veteran who lived in our basement with his family as he attended college a couple blocks from our house. In the Winter when the temperature dropped to 30-40 degrees below zero, my Dad a WWII naval officer, would place a cut down burn barrel in the back of his pickup, light it up and add about a dozen large stones on top. With me in tow, he would drive about a mile to that protected grade crossing, leave the pickup and burning barrel for the towerman and Mom would pick us up with the car. I didn't discover until I was a teenager that one of my uncles, my dad's baby brother, had been an 18 year old Marine in Korea. Then it dawned on me why dad did some of the things he did, and why he had treated the family in the basement in such a fatherly fashion. As far as that log, I don't remember when that crossing had electric lights installed but it was before I started driving legally in 1963. That long derelict log laid in the tall grass alongside a chicken wire fence where the tower once stood for many years. It was still there in 1977. I was taught from an early age to roll down a window and STOP, LOOK and LISTEN where ever you approached crossbucks. There were no gates. The first electric alternating red warning lights I can recall were installed at a Great Northern Rwy grade crossing of two US Highways. That was 1955. There were others installed around town at busy street crossings by 1965.
Awesome story. Thanks. I am modeling late 40's. My layout is based on a real Western Maryland town ( Fox Gap) it has no railroad that I recall but During the Civil War My Great ( times a couple) Uncle died in that battle. I was about 13 years old the last time I visited the area... My layout is a fictional Western Maryland road through a real town. Although the town I have modeled looks nothing like the area. I have a small park in the center of my town with two CSA cannon and bronze statues of those brave young men ( my uncle ) included that lost there lives on that feild.. My way of honoring them.. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
