Superior & Seattle Railroad Build

[S&S RR]

Glad to see that you have a normal modeler's work bench!! 

Thanks Dave

Every new project starts with a big mess!

For me, every project starts with a clean workbench, and -very rapidly devolves- into a big mess!


dave

Well the bench was clean just before I started the project - then everything I needed got piled on top. 




I just ran a locomotive under DCC control!  Very cool! It had been a long time coming.

[ACL1504]

John,

Congratulations on the conversion to DCC! I had a friend who said, "Tom, I'll go to DCC with no sound before I ever go back to DC"!

Tom

[bparrish]

John......

DCC is one of those things that you never stray very far.......... ever after.

There is so much cool stuff that can be done with locomotives once you have made the jump.

Consisting is EASY...........  Depending on what system you chose.......... matching locomotive speeds and performance.

Tailoring each locomotive to hide various idiosyncrasies like low speed operation, starting voltage, maximum speeds and of course, speed tables to notch up through.

It's all cool stuff.

What system did you choose?

see ya
Bob

[S&S RR]

Thanks Tom and Bob

I have been running DCC equipment on friends layouts for  years but this is the first time on my layout. It has been six years since I was running trains on my old layout using DC. It has been the plan since the beginning of this layout to go to DCC as soon as I got the lower level track running with DC.

I'm using the NCE system and most of my engines have sound decoders. It took about 20 minutes to get the system out of the box and hooked to a piece of test track (actually one of my sidings which can be isolated by throwing a couple switches). So far I'm very happy with the NCE system - I have been around computers and control systems all my life so I'm finding it very easy to make the switch.  I will be hooking up the rest of the layout a block at a time.  Tomorrow I plan on getting the computer boards with the reversing loops and short detection electronics installed and ready for the complete layout tests to come.

I had decoders installed in all the locomotives from my previous layout plus I have ordered about 10 new locomotives so the Superior & Seattle will have a good start with motive of power.

[ak-milw]

Nice going John. I have had DCC for about 5 years now and still can't get a thing to run with it, Folks come over and they run it fine so I know it works, it's just I can't get it to work. I am glad I can run at least one DC loco with it.

[bparrish]

John..........

NCE is a good system.  There are two here in the valley and I have driven both.  I'm not good at setting them up but you sound pretty confident with it. 

My only lesson from other modelers is to encourage you to have a separate test / programing track.  It is easy on some systems to accidentally send a programing signal to a random loco when not expected.  I know of a Digitrax guy that accidentally reset all of his loco to factory.  As it 3 and neutral everything else. Fortunately he had a good log of which was which and he had it back before long.

Sound will be great with all of that super scenery that you are building.  Very cool

see ya
Bob

[bparrish]

Andy......

What system are you running?

There shouldn't be a sound reason for you not being able to run your own railroad.

Clean tracks............ clean wheels............... no plastic wheels............ 

Then what happens? ? ? ? ?

see ya
Bob

[BandOGuy]

Folks having DCC problems might want to check the Yahoo discussion groups. I know there are groups for DCC in general and specifically for NCE and Digitrax. The posters all seem to be knowledgeable and friendly.

[S&S RR]

Folks having DCC problems might want to check the Yahoo discussion groups. I know there are groups for DCC in general and specifically for NCE and Digitrax. The posters all seem to be knowledgeable and friendly.

Bob

Thanks - I may need a support group - when I closed my eyes last night all I could see was wires, all different colors, going in every direction, and at the end of my dream Slim was standing there with a fire extinguisher.    

[deemery]

Folks having DCC problems might want to check the Yahoo discussion groups. I know there are groups for DCC in general and specifically for NCE and Digitrax. The posters all seem to be knowledgeable and friendly.

Bob

Thanks - I may need a support group - when I closed my eyes last night all I could see was wires, all different colors, going in every direction, and at the end of my dream Slim was standing there with a fire extinguisher.

That officially qualifies as a nightmare!


dave

[bparrish]

Anything with Slim in it constitutes a nightmare....

see ya
Bob

[S&S RR]

I just did a very dumb thing.  I needed a break from the wires and went up stairs and casually told my wife I was taking a break because my eyes were starting to cross. She informed me that cleaning the carpets would help - took two hours to run out of carpet shampoo.  No more breaks - even if I have Slim nightmares.

[bparrish]

John.....

This is why I have my own radio and refrigerator up stairs in the RR room...... Never come down unless you want to get ambushed ! ! ! ! !

Voice of experience

see ya
Bob

[ak-milw]

Bob, I don't want to tie up Johns thread but it is some sort of mental block when it comes to new devices. I can sit with the instructions for hours and it won't work. My daughter walks up, hits a few buttons and away it goes. It took me forever just to make a computer work. and don't even ask about cell phones.

[S&S RR]

Bob, I don't want to tie up Johns thread but it is some sort of mental block when it comes to new devices. I can sit with the instructions for hours and it won't work. My daughter walks up, hits a few buttons and away it goes. It took me forever just to make a computer work. and don't even ask about cell phones.

Andy

I have an Uncle that is the same way with electronic devices. I have tried to get him to use his cell phone and it is still sitting in a drawer. It is just the way some people are wired. If you can enjoy your layout without it then who needs it. Model on!  Thanks for following the thread.