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    Rheostat sizing

    Can someone please advise me on which size wirewound rheostat to choose to operate an HO layout. I operate doubleheader Bowser steam locomotives. I think 3-4 amps might be needed. I see many for sale on eBay but not sure what to buy. Too high a rating and it will just run at full speed. Too low...
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    MRC 1400 repair and upgrade

    Ruined the pot in the unit by doubleheading Bowser K4 Pacific's pulling 20 Ulrich metal cars. The POT is marked R1378817 The Regulator(?) Chip is marked D1192 8B3 Replacing the pot would be easy but Can anyone advise me about choosing different components which would give a higher amperage...
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    "S" Scale turntables

    I built a large bridge-type HO turntable directly on top of an Atlas HO flat powered type. Doing so solved several problems: 1. Got it built cheap. 2. Pivot point is secure and reliable. 3. Indexing is provided, I added extra storage tracks between the auto-indexed ones. 4. Power to the bridge...
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    Does anyone remember this structure?

    Is this it? Plasticville made it. Bachmann owns that line now, i think.
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    Need an HO turntable part

    My antique Williams turntable came with a plastic bridge. But there is no tall center arch, or support structure for the wires to connect to. There would be a set of contact rings to carry power out to the motors at each end. Or, in my case, to the rails. Anyone know of a manufacturer of this...
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    Fixing Atlas Custom Line turnouts

    There are two methods here. One way connects the rail to the rivet, the other is rail-to-rail. Both function well, though I guess the rivet one could give a problem if it corroded a bit. A little black paint will help it dissapear just before ballasting.
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    Wire size

    Thanks Greg. I am now using hi-flex 28 stranded wire. And you're right, a wire chart showed the 30 might not handle the current. This A-B-B-A set will be connected thru all the units to improve pickup with the old wheels. So it's likely at some point both A unit motors will be drawing current...
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    Fixing Atlas Custom Line turnouts

    My Atlas turnouts have the old rivet-pivot points. I have soldered jumpers across the gaps eliminating the stalling. The jumper is very fine stranded wire, stripped of insulation and twisted as into a little rope. It is very fine work. Prepping the areas of the rail to be soldered by cleaning...
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    Wire size

    I am rewiring Athearn blue box f7's to get rid of the metal strip and put in LED headlights. I have 30 ga stranded wire. Is this wire too skinny, with the original motor? Thanks.
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    Noisy Bowser engines

    I have a small fleet of Bowser steamers that sound like coffee grinders. Worm and gear alignments are good. It's just the old design. I would like them to run quietly. Any suggestions?
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    Train detection

    The loops at each end are fed voltage at a fixed polarity, one loop the outside rail is (+), the other loop outside rail is (-). A DPDT latching relay is activated at the same time that turnouts are thrown. Power for the center section is fed into the common terminals of the relay. The feed to...
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    Train detection

    No. HO scale, 12vdc, factory motors in mostly Athearn and Bowser equipment
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    Train detection

    Can someone please advise me on an alternative detection method. I am using reed switches mounted between the rails to change turnout position and reverse center section polarity on a point-to-point track. Reverse loops at each end. The reed switches are passing 5vdc. I must use engines that are...
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    Building a layout from scratch (Need Advice)

    I built a layout in a similar situation, which led to an unusual solution. The room had doors on two opposing walls. One door, seldom opened, had a bridge mounted to it with a swing-up short section at the hinge jamb. I had to slide the rail joiners into place each time it opened...
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    O Rail production

    Re: O rail Thanks for the sound perspective, and the M.E. source. Rusting is definitely a consideration, and a Sun Kink is a possibility too. I may just have to buy good rail. Sometimes I like to think I can save a buck, then later regret trying to be cheap. I'll have enough to do trying to...
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    O Rail production

    Happy New Year everyone. Can anyone with sheet metal forming expertise advise me about continuously forming Signode Strap (banding) into O rail?. I need rail. Lots of rail. I propose to circumnavigate my privacy-fenced yard with track at waist-height for fast running of big consists. Say 400...



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