Weekend Update 12/2/18

[GhengisKong]

Went to the 42nd annual Oklahoma City Trainshow this past weekend with @samusi01 and got to run my stuff for the first time in several months on our club's NTrak layout. I finally got to run my first kitbash attempt, an SP U33C, after completing it last year. Photos by my wife.

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[trainforfun]

I’m going to put this here, because probably a lot of people won’t see it in the DCC forum.  So, in case you ever wondered, here’s what a Keep-Alive can do for you (this is a TCS KA4):

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Personally, I was very pleasantly surprised.  I count about five seconds from the time the locomotive is pulled off the rails until cutout, and that’s with the motor running and the lights and sound on!

DFF

This is quite incredible ! Thanks for showing us that .
I knew it was designed to go over a spot of dirty track but that is quite a dirty long spot .
When you change the speed of the loco does it takes 16 inches to respond ?

[Cajonpassfan]

Inspired by Randgust and his doodlebug repowering thread, I nearly finished my 24000 series MStL outside braced boxcar. It will be used to carry Express behind a converted troop sleeper baggage car and Doodlebug. Because the ends will be very visible in this function, I wanted to include uncoupling levers and some of the finer end details. Yet to be installed are MT True Scale couplers (and paint/decals). It started as a ConCor (Kato) old time boxcar with new ends, roof and a modified MT underframe. I had to cut the underframe, splice a section in and remove a couple of feet off the ends in order to move the wheel base out a few feet. I might also add end marker lights because in all the pics I have seen of this train, extra boxcars were always behind the baggage car, carrying the markers. The doodlebug is next!

Tom L
Wellington CO

Tom, that's a great prototype, nice job on the ends and roof. I don't suppose you made castings, did you?
(An entirely self serving question)
Otto

[craigolio1]

I picked this “not working” Rapido GMD-1 with Loksond up for $100 when BLW (I think?) was closing out a bunch of odds and ends. I figured maybe I could fix it, or at worst get either a decoder and some parts or a DC loco out of it. Either one would be worth the investment.

  I put it on the track and fired it up. It had sound and lighting but wouldnt move. I tried a factory reset and that didn’t help. I took the shell off to have a look for possible wiring issues and it turns out the issue was that the wires on the motor outputs were shorted. Thankfully the ESU decoders have protection built in for this. I spread the wires apart at the solder points and voila. Runs perfect.

[chicken45]

I’m going to put this here, because probably a lot of people won’t see it in the DCC forum.  So, in case you ever wondered, here’s what a Keep-Alive can do for you (this is a TCS KA4):

/>
Personally, I was very pleasantly surprised.  I count about five seconds from the time the locomotive is pulled off the rails until cutout, and that’s with the motor running and the lights and sound on!

DFF

It's that mysterious hand again!

[davefoxx]

This is quite incredible ! Thanks for showing us that .
I knew it was designed to go over a spot of dirty track but that is quite a dirty long spot .
When you change the speed of the loco does it takes 16 inches to respond ?

No, the locomotive still responds instantly, well, depending on the momentum setting.  But, that has nothing to do with the Keep-Alive, which just provides temporary electrical power for several seconds in the event of a dirty spot of track or a dead frog.

DFF

[peteski]

No, the locomotive still responds instantly, well, depending on the momentum setting.  But, that has nothing to do with the Keep-Alive, which just provides temporary electrical power for several seconds in the event of a dirty spot of track or a dead frog.

DFF

Yes, it is sort of like a short-duration backup battery for the locomotive. But if the decoder no longer receives DCC packets, it will not respond to to the throttle commands. However most decoders have a setting which will cause them to come to a stop if the DCC packets are not being received (even if they are still powered up).

[chuck geiger]

Fun kit - Walthers Industry Office the Dirt City yard office. BTW Happy learned to putt...TAKE PICTURES after all these years. F stop is your friend.

[JMaurer1]

I finally was able to do some train related modeling the last few weeks. Not sure of the scale, but the kids loved it. Can you believe that some towns still have parades?

[C855B]

I finally was able to do some train related modeling the last few weeks. Not sure of the scale, but the kids loved it. Can you believe that some towns still have parades?

Parades are a very, very big deal here in Flyover.

[mrhedley]

Went to the 42nd annual Oklahoma City Trainshow this past weekend with @samusi01 and got to run my stuff for the first time in several months on our club's NTrak layout. I finally got to run my first kitbash attempt, an SP U33C, after completing it last year. Photos by my wife.

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The shadow cast on the backdrop looks kind of ominous for a train show in Tornado Alley. 

[Caleb Austin]

Caleb great shot. What camera and settings are you using? - We see most of them. I have a 2012 Cannon Rebel T3I. I am trying
different settings. Also which lens are you using? Also downloaded Helicon Focus 7 - Learning curve here. Some new shots with
settings I have been working on.

Hey thanks Chuck, I'm using a Canon T2I for these shots, with a Samyang 20mm f/1.8 lens. When I'm using Helicon Focus I usually shoot at around f8/f11, with a low ISO. That's the sweet spot for sharpness. Without Helicon I just go f22 to maximize depth of field.

Caleb.

[chuck geiger]

This shot was F22 ISO 100 with 18/55 Cannon Lens. What can I improve? Lighting?

[nthusiast]

This shot was F22 ISO 100 with 18/55 Cannon Lens. What can I improve? Lighting?

The foreground lighting and backdrop lighting do not match. You need to flip the foreground light to the right. This should also eliminate the shadow of the phone poll. I might also try a slightly lower light angle to suggest late afternoon -- again, to match the backdrop.

[chuck geiger]

Thank you...