The Carolina Sandhills Lines in HO Scale

[davefoxx]

"The trick?  She is done."  I really like the added daylight showing between the trucks and the shorter fuel tank.  The prototype has an even smaller tank!  But, I think I'll live with this, because too much exposure under there might highlight the lack of details and I'd have to cut and file the metal frame to make a tiny tank look and fit correctly.



I noticed some tiny plastic slivers in the parts from Atlas that are probably supposed to be the piping at each end of the air tanks.  Instead, I used piano wire that I bent and glued into place, which will be much more resilient to my clumsy hands:



DFF

[davefoxx]

Here's my new setup for my locomotive programming.  I rolled a cabinet that I use for storing rolling stock under Aberdeen yard where it fits nicely.  I hooked up the laptop and LokProgrammer to a few pieces of Kato Unitrack for a programming track.  It's easy to move rolling stock from under here to the layout.  The stepstool doubles as a seat when programming.



Sadly, while my NCE command station is on a shelf directly over the cabinet, the USB cable is too short to reach from the command station to the laptop, so I can't run JMRI without stacking the laptop on something (a close look will spot the USB cable hanging from under the benchwork over the angled brace).  Oh well, I'm enjoying playing with the LokProgrammer right now anyway.  The question is do I buy a new longer USB cable to reach the laptop or a USB extension cable?  Either way, I would have to worry about the computer recognizing the cable, since I already purchased two USB cables before finding one that the computer would recognize. 

DFF

[peteski]

Most USB cables have standard length (6 feet?).  USB extensions are "dumb" cables (just a cable with copper conductors and connectors). No need to worry about the computer not recognizing it.

[mcjaco]

If it's not recognizing it, it's likely a driver issue.  Not a USB cable issue.  You can get USB cables in all sorts of lengths.  Check Amazon.  I got a set of four lengths for my phone for about $12.

[davefoxx]

If it's not recognizing it, it's likely a driver issue.  Not a USB cable issue.  You can get USB cables in all sorts of lengths.  Check Amazon.  I got a set of four lengths for my phone for about $12.

Agreed.  The first cable I had included a CD, but my Mac doesn't have a disk drive.  There were no drivers online to be found to run that cable, so that one didn't work for me.  It was cheaper to find a new cable than to buy an external drive that will likely not be needed again.

I think @peteski answered my question about the USB extension, which, hopefully won't confuse the computer's recognition of the existing USB cable and will extend the cable the necessary two feet.

Thanks, guys!

DFF

[peteski]

Agreed.  The first cable I had included a CD, but my Mac doesn't have a disk drive.  There were no drivers online to be found to run that cable, so that one didn't work for me.  It was cheaper to find a new cable than to buy an external drive that will likely not be needed again.

I think @peteski answered my question about the USB extension, which, hopefully won't confuse the computer's recognition of the existing USB cable and will extend the cable the necessary two feet.

Thanks, guys!

DFF

Correct. I think I mentioned this in your LokProgrammer thread.  USB *ADAPTERS* (not plain USB-USB extensions) cables which convert the USB interface to another (like to serial "COM", or parallel "LPT" ports) are more than simply "cables". They have built-in microcontrollers which can only work properly when the appropriate drivers are installed on the PC.

[davefoxx]

Correct. I think I mentioned this in your LokProgrammer thread.  USB *ADAPTERS* (not plain USB-USB extensions) cables which convert the USB interface to another (like to serial "COM", or parallel "LPT" ports) are more than simply "cables". They have built-in microcontrollers which can only work properly when the appropriate drivers are installed on the PC.

Damn, Pete.  That simple explanation finally made it clear to me as to why they have chips in the cable.  Got it. 

DFF

[davefoxx]

I bought a 3' USB extension cable tonight and have already got JMRI running on the new laptop.  I figured out how to export the JMRI roster on my Mac, so I could email it and download it to the new laptop.  As a test, I'm reading the decoder on a locomotive to update the settings that I changed on the LokProgrammer.  It all appears to be working, and I've got JMRI and the LokProgrammer running on the laptop.

DFF

[peteski]

I bought a 3' USB extension cable tonight and have already got JMRI running on the new laptop.  I figured out how to export the JMRI roster on my Mac, so I could email it and download it to the new laptop.  As a test, I'm reading the decoder on a locomotive to update the settings that I changed on the LokProgrammer.  It all appears to be working, and I've got JMRI and the LokProgrammer running on the laptop.

DFF

Sweet!

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Most USB cables have standard length (6 feet?).  USB extensions are "dumb" cables (just a cable with copper conductors and connectors). No need to worry about the computer not recognizing it.

You can find all sorts of lengths out there though through Amaze-on.

[davefoxx]

Well, my adventures in trying to get a TCS motherboard continue.  Yesterday, I drove more than a 1-1/2 hour round-trip, trying to find one in stock at a LHS.  Unfortunately, the website wasn’t accurate, but the merchant ordered one and will ship it to me for free.  That was a nice offer.  I did also buy a second ESU decoder, so, by the end of the week, I should have the parts in hand to upgrade two Atlas B30-7s from old QSI technology to ESU LokSound Select decoders.  I was going to sell these locomotives on eBay, but I decided that the hit I would take on these old units wasn’t going to get me the return I would hope, justifying the upgrade, since the body shells are detailed nicely and the locomotives run well.  Their downfall was the poor sound, which I hope to improve with the upgrade to ESU.

In the meantime, I did some terraforming to set this warehouse into the landscape, rather than floating on top as you often see in many model railroads.  I’m not finished, obviously, but this should give you an idea of what I’m trying to accomplish.  This method requires small steps sometimes, so the initial applications of lightweight spackling can set up without being disturbed.



It may be hard to tell, but I formed a swale to allow drainage away from the foundation and towards the drainage ditch near the track:



DFF

[davefoxx]

Tightlock couplers, bitches.  Try that in N scale. 



Seriously, the system that Sergent Engineering created to mount their couplers on Walthers' passenger cars is pretty ingenious.  The key in getting the couplers to function is by setting them at correct height above the rail.  Since they're tightlock with little to no margin for error, you must shim the couplers and/or the car at the bolster to set the height correctly.  So, check this out.  You file down the bolster and install a screw.  Install a screw before the truck, you say?



Yes, then the truck gets a magnet glued over the screw hole (which is bored slightly oversize to fit over the shoulder on the screw head on the bolster), and the magnet holds the truck on.  Nice.



The trucks do not fall off and are also easily removed.  The beauty of this installation is that the screw in the bolster can be screwed in or out to set the body (and hence the coupler) with minute adjustment.  Very slick.

These take a while to install, so I only have one car done so far and cannot really test the "tightlock" feature yet.  The car runs well with my standard Sergent Engineering couplers, but we'll see what happens when I couple up another passenger car with tightlock couplers.  I'll probably find a few spots on the railroad where dips and valleys in the trackwork will need to get smoothed out.  We'll see.

DFF

[Point353]

Any potential issues if you want to run your equipment on a layout with Kadee uncoupling magnets?

[davefoxx]

Any potential issues if you want to run your equipment on a layout with Kadee uncoupling magnets?

I don't know.  Probably, but I don't see that happening, since everyone I know locally is in N scale. 

DFF

[peteski]

These take a while to install, so I only have one car done so far and cannot really test the "tightlock" feature yet.  The car runs well with my standard Sergent Engineering couplers, but we'll see what happens when I couple up another passenger car with tightlock couplers.  I'll probably find a few spots on the railroad where dips and valleys in the trackwork will need to get smoothed out.  We'll see.

DFF

Yes, the problem with in-scale couplers lie that is that your track has to be built to the same precise standard that 1:1 track has. Especially when the track transitions from flat to grade up or down.  That has to be a very smooth and gentle transition. That requires lots of distance (just like real trains need). It might be tough on a small H0 layout to have that much real-estate for that.  Unless you have flat right of way with no grades.

Not trying to knock those couplers (and they look awesome) - but it more complicated than one first imagines.