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Finally having waited many years to unpack all my boxes of inherited HO goodies I have the time and some square footage to dedicate to a layout. I have some ideas in mind but of course several questions i am hopeful someone here can help with. Im currently in the stage of evaluating all the locos i have and their acceptable turning radius. And as to weather there DCC upgradable and if there worth upgrading. I have settled on Peco83 flex track and i was thinking to make up a couple circles for test track on 6’x6’ table. I know from past experience running some of these DC units that some don't like the 24” radius. So i figured to go the next step or two up in radius.
Would that be 28” ?
Also is there a standard spacing for dual tracks ?
Thanks
Other than the UP Big Boy locomotive, I'm not aware of any HO scale locomotive that will not run on a 24" radius. In fact, I think even the Big Boy can negotiate a 24" radius. With that locomotive though, bigger is always better.
NMRA Standards has best practises for track spacing on curves and straight track. IIRC, 2-1/8" is the absolute minimum center-to-center spacing for 24"-22" curves running 85' wagons.
Welcome to the group K&Srwyco.
With 6Ft width, you could easily go with a 34" outer and a 32" inner radius. With those radius curves you wouldn't have any issue with
whatever you want to run. You can also build easements in and out of your curves. It will make your equipment run and look much
better.
Finally having waited many years to unpack all my boxes of inherited HO goodies I have the time and some square footage to dedicate to a layout. I have some ideas in mind but of course several questions i am hopeful someone here can help with. Im currently in the stage of evaluating all the locos i have and their acceptable turning radius. And as to weather there DCC upgradable and if there worth upgrading. I have settled on Peco83 flex track and i was thinking to make up a couple circles for test track on 6’x6’ table. I know from past experience running some of these DC units that some don't like the 24” radius. So i figured to go the next step or two up in radius.
Would that be 28” ?
Also is there a standard spacing for dual tracks ?
Thanks
Welcome
K&Srwyco!
BigBoy ( 4-8-8-4 ), Challenger ( 4-6-6-4 ) and Decapod ( 2-10-0 ) *might* navigate 24" radii. Pretty much depends on the manufacture, and if the wheels are in gauge. Slightly over and the wheels squeeze the rail, on the ground you go. S-Curves are out of the question. With dual track, the BigBoy is the ...um.... biggest problem. The cab extends way out to the outside of the curve. Pilot, not so much. Challenger's cab not as bad. Some 2-10-0's have blind drivers for the center 3, some do not. Watch for that. Ya, know that 2 were not mentioned in the OP, but my fingers just kept going.
6' x 6' table - 72" across. 34" radii is darn close to the edge. I would not attempt it. 33" might be enough for the loco and/or cars just to fall on the table if something drastic happens instead of that giant canyon. 32" even better.
When it comes to track radii in MRR - bigger is better!
L8r
RANK AMATEURS OF THE MODEL RAILROAD FORM FOUNDER
Welcome to the from K&Srwyco!
Thanks for all the great input and straight up answers. The 6’ width is just where i will have the tables beside each other for testing and eventually for a large loop at each end of the layout if it works out the way i am hoping. So far i have 4, 3x6 tables built that i intend to join together and mostly have them length way along the 2 longer walls of the room. As 3’ seems reachable for working on and i can have the 6’ sections in an area where i can get to at least 3 sides of them.
My previous experience with the derailments with some of the locos may of been caused by poor track work i guess. A lot of the stuff from my father in law is late steam and early diesel. I recall a great working 4-4 diesel switcher and some smooth running Athern F1s. Ill get into the boxes today to better identify the steam units.
I picked out i guess my top 10 hopefuls from the lot
On the left Athern JD 4-4, unknown 4-4 BNSF switcher i remember works really well., Hobbycraft Canada lifelike products 4-4 F1 (i think), A couple from Hornby 2-10-0 (Evening Star) and 2-6-4 (Flying Scotsman) on the right 2 Southern Pacific engines a 4-8-2 Spectrum and 4-8-4 from Lionel, and 3 CN units a 0-8-0 from Proto 2000, and 2 from Mehano 4-6-4 Hudson & 2-6-0
I have several more John Deere units from Athern. I would be interested in folks opinions particularly regarding the brands and if they are generally an entry level machine or fairly sturdy and proven reliable manufacture.
When one is looking for DCC decoder chips to install would there be an small inexpensive one that is generally good for many locos or does it get super specific where i need to try and track down more data about the engines to make sure i get the correct one?
Thanks
Can't help with DCC opinions, but I do have that same BNSF SW1500 switcher, its been a good runner for me.
I made up my little test table with a 22” & 26” radius circle and was able to get all but one running there is some kind of problem inside i need to investigate as you hear the motor spinning but the wheels dont turn it is the orange SP one.. most ran on the 22” track but the 4-8-4, 4-6-4 & 2-10-0. Required the larger radius interestingly the two Hornby locos have power from the tender and just push the locomotives around (but need to be connected to them) because they have one power pickup on the loco and the other rail on the tender. They also kinda ran jittery & sketchy so i guess there bound for the display case.
I found apparently a DCC ready mikado 2-8-2 Athern Genesis amongst more boxes but it appears to have a broken lead going to the dummy dcc board they have it plugged into so ill have to take that apart and see where that needs to be connected. Hopefully thats why it sits dead on the powered track. From what i have been able to suss out it looks like its only a matter of getting a decoder to fit inside the shell and your good to go.
Would anyone have any pointers or tips regarding doing a DCC upgrade on this locomotive? It is a Mehno 4-6-4 Hudson. I got a few screws undone on the bottom and was able to kida loosen the wheels and drive components partially from the body. But got it open enough to the point to see if i kept lifting it out i was going to start pulling apart the guts and wires to headlights.
I was able to get the previously mentioned mikado opened up enough to hook the broken red wire back and it runs really well now..
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Congrats on getting the Mikado running! Best of luck on the Mehano.
Diesels have a different method of counting axles than steam. 2 on a truck is "B" and 3 on a truck is "C". So for example a 6 axle is a "CC" wheel arrangement. If you want advice on choosing decoders, the best way is to open up a candidate, take a good clear picture from the top and post it in the Wiring, Electronics and DCC subforum.
Thanks i didnt know that. I guess i was kinda mistifyed by all the letters in there description i assumed they had to do with the motor. I eventually got into this Mehano and replaced the headlight with an LED and had a wiring harness left over from the previous installation that i was able to get into the tender. So i now await the arrival of another decoder chip to see if i was successful.
got it open enough to the point to see if i kept lifting it out i was going to start pulling apart the guts and wires to headlights.
It might be a good idea to save that project for later, after you’ve completed a few others and gained some experience. Start with the one that seems easiest to tackle. I can’t say which that would be, but there are plenty of others who can help you figure it out.
You could have two separate, isolated tracks: one for DCC and another for DC.
Welcome to the forums, we are glad to have you with us!
It might be a good idea to save that project for later, after you’ve completed a few others and gained some experience. Start with the one that seems easiest to tackle. I can’t say which that would be, but there are plenty of others who can help you figure it out.
You could have two separate, isolated tracks: one for DCC and another for DC.
Welcome to the forums, we are glad to have you with us!
Thanks Louis. I think i got it sussed out as i had a spare wiring harness left over from the other installation that I did and have that wired into it now. I have a chip on order should be here soon.
I had considered setting up a separate DC track for all the older locos. But after evaluating them and finding 10 that i was interested in running. As well deciding what kind of a setup we wanted to have being able to both have a train doing looptey loops on an outer track and a second one more on the interior that was DCC the track plan just looked way to busy. I have 6 DCC equipped now and 2 more decoders on order it will give us plenty to play with.
Kim
Another option to consider if you have both DC and DCC would be to set up for both, with power packs for each and a DPDT switch on your control panel. Obviously, you can't run both at the same time, but by carefully labelling the toggle, you can select the power mode. I have too many DC locomotives to try to convert them, either financially or timewise, plus having enough DCC units so I needed to rig for both. As I have trouble walking and chewing gum at the same time, this works for me, running one train at a time.
Thanks i didnt know that. I guess i was kinda mistifyed by all the letters in there description i assumed they had to do with the motor. I eventually got into this Mehano and replaced the headlight with an LED and had a wiring harness left over from the previous installation that i was able to get into the tender. So i now await the arrival of another decoder chip to see if i was successful.
What resistor did you use for the LED in the Mehano? And what decoder did you find that will fit? I'm trying to resurrect my dad's old 4-6-2 Pacific and may decide to use DCC for it. Originally, was the incandescent headlight bulb just kinda floating behind the nose plate? My unit was undecorated and I just picked up a Microscale decal set for generic Canadian steam loco's of that era.
www.microscale.com
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