My amateur improvements on a Bachmann 0-4-0 dockside

critinchiken Mar 12, 2017

  1. brokemoto

    brokemoto TrainBoard Member

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    You could work and release the brakes on the car manually with the brake wheel. Still, the hose might be a better idea when using chains, because if the locomotive accelerated a little too quickly (steam locomotives are not as easy to control as a diesel or an electric), you did not want the car to smash into the locomotive or have the slack in the chains foul the track and cause a derailment. Street trackage is generally pretty crummy as it is, the slightest obstacle easily could cause a derailment. When switching, you do not always build up pressure in the brake system on the cars. There are times when you do it, but not always.

    Still, I would suspect that you might want to do that if you were using chains.
     
  2. umtrr-author

    umtrr-author TrainBoard Member

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    I just read through this entire thread. Wow...

    You'll really like the NCE PowerCab. It's been my choice since going DCC. It helps that the NCE folks are a short drive away.
     
  3. critinchiken

    critinchiken TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks! I'm still waiting on the shrink wrap I forgot to order with the rest of my DCC components. Soon as that gets here I'll be able to finish this project. Oh yeah... and the mail man hasn't delivered the Power Cab yet. I'm dying to play with the Bachmann Berk I picked up a few days ago LOL!
     
  4. Mike C

    Mike C TrainBoard Member

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    After you compare your Berk to the 0-4-0 soundwise , you'll probably be replacing the sound decoder in the Berk .......
     
  5. critinchiken

    critinchiken TrainBoard Member

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    Just a short update today. I completed the decoder install a few days ago leaving all the wires long for testing, however the Power Cab wasn't at my doorstep until today. The Power Cab sets up fast, but it's real clear I have lots to learn. I set it to programing track and then put my project on the tracks, energizing it for the first time. Seems I got it right, thank God! Now for the hours of reading I'll be doing to get myself familiar with both the Power Cab and the TCS functions.

    So far I was able to get some very basic things done. I set the short address to 98, which shows on the screen as '098'. I also played with the decoder functions, setting a bell, blow down, and whistle to specific function buttons, as well as set the chuff sound and rate. There are a TON of things that can be programed on this decoder, it's a bit over whelming to be honest, but I'll let that go for now. My only goal was to make sure it worked and set an address.

    Since everything is working as it should, I now need to shorten wires and tidy up the hack interior for final mounting of the decoder, keep alive, and speaker. Speaking of the speaker, the housing has a notch for the speaker that just sort of snaps into place. I watched some videos of other people's sound install and just about all of them glued the speaker to the housing. Is this necessary for a seal to provide better sound or is it not required for my set up?

    At any rate... soon as I get everything finalized, I'll get some completion pictures and post the end of this build. My guess is a day or two depending on my free time. See ya'll soon!
     
  6. Mike C

    Mike C TrainBoard Member

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    Since you are getting into sound , I would suggest that you get the NCE USB interface and download JMRI . It will make programming sound decoders SO much easier !
     
  7. critinchiken

    critinchiken TrainBoard Member

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    NCE USB and JMRI are absolutely the very next part of my DCC (R)evolution... just as soon as I build a layout LMAO! That work as already begun, the base is completed... an 18" x 48". It's small, but I've read far too many bad stories about being overly ambitious and attempting to build a basement empire as a first layout. This will give me something to practice and learn from, as well as something to play with while I decide how to better use my computer room as a layout room as well.

    Speaking of practice, I started to build a (very) small diorama to use for the final pictures of my build. I used caulk to glue down the roadbed, and too much caulk (lesson learned) to glue down the track. The caulk oozed up between the tiny railroad ties, but was able to work with it. I also did some wire trees (not sure I like them as much as SuperTrees) as well as ballast. In my haste I skipped a critical step (again, lesson learned) and didn't realize it until it was too late. I forgot to use 'wet water' before I started putting glue on the ballast. The result was watching in horror as my ballast (real stone) mover all over the place and got sucked into the glue that just beaded up on top of the dry ballast rather than soaking in. I had to ruin a paint brush trying get the ballast back in good form, and it worked for the most part but it was a major PITA!

    To me after looking it over once more, the ballast seems a bit wide. So I'm wondering how wide you guys do your ballast, main line and sidings. Anyhow, here's two pictures.

    Thanks again, more to come!
     
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  8. critinchiken

    critinchiken TrainBoard Member

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    OK, on to completing the decoder install!

    Today my NCE Power Cab showed up and I was finally able to test my decoder install, so I got to work making things neat. Here are the decoder and keep alive soldered up. the excess wire was rolled up for testing purposes.

    The track power and motor wires first run under the decoder, to be used to keep the decoder off the copper contacts on the tender base. Here they are secured with kapton tape.

    The wires coming from the locomotive shell just kind of do their own thing, and I need to tidy them up so they are less of an eye sore. To do this I used reverse tweezers to pinch the wires, and gently grouped them up tight with needle nose pliers. To get them to stick together, forming a sort of ribbon, I used a nice heavy coat of paint, doing only about 1/8" at a time. Once it dried, I moved the tweezers, grouped the wires up again, and painted the next 1/8".

    With the wire ribbon finished, I plugged the harness into the decoder and cut short the wires I won't be using for this build (lighting). I did leave enough wire to use in the future should I decide to add lighting or use the decoder in a different project, and I painted the ends of the wires I cut with liquid wire insulation to prevent any shorts from happening. I used Aleene's Tacky Glue to secure the speaker housing to the shell in hopes that it would make it easy to remove down the road.

    And last but not least, here are the decoder, keep alive, and speaker in their final position. I used Aleene's here as well.

    I've learned so much from this project, and yet it seems there is still so much more to learn. There's some small touch-ups I need to do, and I'll be finishing up the small diorama to get some nice final pictures of this project. I may even invest in a decent camera. Once I get all that completed, I'll get a video of the final product so you can here the sounds!

    Thanks for sticking with me all, still a little bit more to come!!
     
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  9. Detroit

    Detroit TrainBoard Member

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    Looks great! Definitely keen to see it running...
     
  10. MaxDaemon

    MaxDaemon TrainBoard Member

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    For a tiny layout, John Allen's Time Saver is a classic. I've built two of them, the latest a little larger than the first.

    I was about done with it, and my wife dropped the bombshell of saying "Well, you could use the wall of the theatre room for a layout" and me standing there open mouthed. So, my Time Saver expanded to a 14 foot dogbone layout with two 4 foot wings.

    BUT, that said, I've had fun with my original TimeSaver (showing slightly behind the new one in the pic) off and on for over 30 years. It was originally only six feet long by nine inches across. Small enough to fit almost anywhere...

    IMG_3158.JPG

    Also, a nice little article:

    http://s145079212.onlinehome.us/rr/timesaver/

    Please forgive me butting in, I just saw you talking about building .. and it sounded like maybe a small area.

    Your little switch engine is PERFECT for a TimeSaver. Just sayin'. :whistle:

    .
     
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  11. critinchiken

    critinchiken TrainBoard Member

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    I've been considering a TimeSaver for a few years now. I can't remember for the life of me where I found it, but it talked about playing with a deck of playing cards. Each car was numbered and each industry identified by hearts/clubs/spades/diamonds. Sounds like a waybill generator to me.

    I've been working on a starter layout and like I said, I built the bench work already. It's a 18" x 48", something to sit on my desk and easy to transport. The problem has been that I've never built a layout and I have no vision. I've been smashing my face against the keyboard trying to come up with something original that works, but I think I've final settled on something. It's just big enough for one small steamer or diesel, has two industries, and a car float. I don't want to waste time on something flawed so please, by all means... be critical!
     
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  12. MaxDaemon

    MaxDaemon TrainBoard Member

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    Oh, far be it from me to criticize anyone's layout ideas! Mine are pretty much only in my head - I can SEE the final results, but getting there, well - I guess we'll see.

    Interestingly enough, with the addition of a yard with four tracks, your layout is kind of a mirror of mine. At least the middle portion. It's 2X8 and beyond that it's got a lake at one end to give me a reason for having an overpass and a bridge .. it's an open slate. I do have a set of service tracks, and one long one that's going to be "long term storage" where the crane, the snowblower and various other implements of construction will be kept.

    I've been looking at converting an RDC or a postal car for a cafe - up on blocks and with steps going in. I think that's going to go down at the Winery though - for the tourist trade. Of course, nothing says I can't have two. I do seem to have two spare postal cars.

    It's funny, I have a good solid handle on the Winery end and the City end - but beyond the lake, I can't even get a start on the middle section. Maybe you'll inspire me and I'll steal all your good ideas!

    What did you use for layout drawing? I tried the Atlas system, but I can't seem to make it work for me. I mean, I do computers for a living and I'm defeated by a simple layout program ..
     
  13. MaxDaemon

    MaxDaemon TrainBoard Member

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    BTW, I fell in love with this one - it just didn't fit my era or my needs, really. But the center section might do what you need and it's very picturesque - plus it's the right era for your locomotive!

    http://mrr.trains.com/how-to/track-plan-database/2012/04/corkscrew-gulch-rr

    Also, I don't take MR, so I can't actually download the plan without paying for a subscription. ;-)
     
  14. critinchiken

    critinchiken TrainBoard Member

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    I did this with the free version of AnyRail. A VERY nice program IMO, you're limited to only 50 pieces of track in the free version, and registered is $50 I think. I use the free version and just build modules for bigger layouts. There are tone of user submitted stuff from industries to box cars and it covers all scales. I like it lots!
     
  15. critinchiken

    critinchiken TrainBoard Member

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    Funny you should point that out, I've been trying to expand upon that very plan to turn it into a 10 x 9 L
     
  16. MaxDaemon

    MaxDaemon TrainBoard Member

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    I'll give the AnyRail a try.

    And - two minds of but a single brain? ;-)

    .
     
  17. badlandnp

    badlandnp TrainBoard Member

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    Your little switching plan looks good! It provides a source for car exchange via carfloat and gives you two industries to 'play' with. And it is even set uo well enough to be added in to a future layout when the time arrives. Looks good, now lets get her built!
     
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