The next locomotives will be built from something like a kit. The frames will be etched in two layers, and that means there are opportunities to make extensions between the frames as well as outside them. Between the frames, I will place temporary spacers to keep all aligned while the mechanism is under development. These will be removed or gapped once the insulation is epoxied … Continue reading More thoughts on loco frames
Happy Easter! What is the AAR-approved method for tying giant Easter eggs down anyway? You’ll note in the cover photo that I still haven’t put #10’s tender back together. After the recent Battle of Pembroke Hill, I drove this little train into town. To say it was a success would be overstating matters significantly. Despite tuning, the engine is still not smooth, and singularly fails … Continue reading Cutting my losses on #10
Of course the vertical transition curve at the top of the hill in Pembroke had to include a turnout. So I wasn’t surprised when the dust settled after the Battle of Pembroke Hill to find that removing this transition had transformed the turnout into a bit of a basket case. I was, however, surprised by how much rail needed to be removed – about three … Continue reading The Basket Case of Pembroke Hill
Well, I won’t say it was easy, but I believe I’ve managed to get the roadbed pretty flat through the north end of Pembroke. As I mentioned, the roadbed was glued and screwed (from above) onto the benchwork, and the screws particularly made the work tough. I also found that the contortions I had to undergo to work above my workbench were severe (though not … Continue reading The Battle of Pembroke Hill
After all that work on #10, she can now stomp out of town with her passengers in tow. Unfortunately, when she gets back in to the station, the physics of backing back out of the station are too much for her, and she slips her drivers. The real yard at Pembroke was on a gentle hill, following the grade of the Muskrat River valley. Back … Continue reading Flattening out Pembroke
My colleague, Darryl, came by my office at the end of the day on Friday. He’s been following my thinking about control systems for steam locomotives, and is considering doing some inventing of his own. His ideas have more to do with counting ties and trying to keep automated trains from running into each other. However, it was more fun to kibitz with him for … Continue reading DCC decoders are too smart
As mentioned a little while ago, Pembroke didn’t have a programming track until recently. For most of the past couple of weeks, the programming track has been a section of flex track on my workbench. This is clearly not sustainable, and so, I have now lifted it off the workbench. Six and three-quarter inches off the workbench, to be exact. I found a nice piece … Continue reading A new test track
