Smudge617
Well-Known Member
Sounds like someone may have swapped out the decoder and not programmed the correct address, if it's no 03 or the cab No. just reading the decoder on your programming track will tell you the answer.
Narrow Gauge Diesel conversion from HO.
- Thread starter 747flier
- Start date
I got that sorted out but there were other issues. One has a working headlight (With F0) but the other does not. Biggest issue and I will have to send it to Blackstone, the drivers on one side do not pick up current, leaving only one truck in the tender for that side, as one can guess it doesn't like frogs. The other one the previous owner broke off the pin and screw which holds the wire connectors between the cab and tender in place. As this is part of the frame, aargh. But I think I can make a tube and plate from brass and set up a screw, maybe... The KATO which I have a DCC in runs fine.
I printed a new series of shells and painted and yesterday installing lights. I am waiting on tiny surface mount LED's (for ditch lights) and resistors from Amazon. Perhaps I should not rely on them, such tiny items shouldn't take a month-six weeks to ship if they supposedly have them in stock. I have one that is currently DCC mobile equipped and it runs really well, interesting how one can adjust the momentum etc. I think the next one I will try a sound installation.
I printed a shell in the old style and am doing a little surface repair with putty and will re prime today. For the headlight the 1.5 mm LED with resistor attached works OK but for the rear lamp the resistor get in the way, being somewhat "fat". For the lower headlights (ditch lights?) on the newer ones still waiting for Amazon to ship them, I expect she. other items from digikey will arrive long before the other will even ship.
On this loco shell I'll try a different green, the Tamiya green is perhaps a bit too dark. Often small holes shrink and fill in so in this print I enlarged them for the hand grabs then ran a fine drill thru. Looks like it will work well.
Tom
On this loco shell I'll try a different green, the Tamiya green is perhaps a bit too dark. Often small holes shrink and fill in so in this print I enlarged them for the hand grabs then ran a fine drill thru. Looks like it will work well.
Tom
Smudge617
Well-Known Member
Tom, you realise you only need one resistor for both lights, not for each one.
Yesterday was a bit of a day for the old "Train Platz". It has been downstairs in the workshop in the garage area taking up a parking space that may be of convenience this winter. With the help of my girlfriend we moved it upstairs in the studio. Not as easy as it might sound. Too big to get around the corners and up the stairs, I made a ramp of sorts, to reach the small deck off the second floor end. A wide board with cross boards, the slid it up, resting it on the crosses, till we could pull it up and over the rail at the top. Surprisingly the track work endured successfully and my one (so far) DCC diesel makes happy circuits and switches. Theoretically tomorrow my tiny surface mount LED's and resistors arrive. After some snipping with Brenda at Digitrax over the correctness of my paperwork, the smoked one is being replaced and has been shipped. Coming along nicely with yet another GE shell, maybe I'll get another KATO NW2. There is a guy who sells the cheap (used) but wants almost $30 to ship them. The last one I bought from someone was shipped for about $11.
I'll try wiring the small LED's in with the headlight as ditch lights which the rebuilt one's had.
I'll try wiring the small LED's in with the headlight as ditch lights which the rebuilt one's had.
Received my SMED's and test wired them in series for the three front head lights, also the replacement decoder from Digitrax. With three LED's no resistor is needed so I should be able to do the three forward lights as such but will need to add a resistor for the aft single light. So I will wire the second chassis w/o sound and maybe order a sound decoder for the third diesel. The Tsunami 2 is an attractive unit but possibly beyond my understanding on taking advantage of it, the Digitrax unit comes with speaker and capacitor for power interruptions.
Harrumph! My replacement decoder arrived and I started to install it in another chassis. Doing neat work this time routing the wires and holding them in place with a little silicone caulk etc. Seemed to program fine, but just sits there.
Roundtuit, I'll hook it up to DC and see if it runs in that mode then reset it to factory settings (CV8 set to 8) and proceed from there. Must be getting power OK as it programmed on the program track.
The adventure continues!
Roundtuit, I'll hook it up to DC and see if it runs in that mode then reset it to factory settings (CV8 set to 8) and proceed from there. Must be getting power OK as it programmed on the program track.
The adventure continues!
Back to having the DCC working OK, for some unknown reason I think NG trains look most convincing creeping along at 15-20 mph. My current settings have it using 15-20% throttle. DCC would allow me to set speed ranges, and maybe I'll use the road switcher range of settings. Right now the scale speed is just a bit below the throttle percentage.
I have a fourth cheap used KATO on the way to NG so I'll probably have two in the new model shells and two in the old ones. I received some clear resin so will have a thrash at printing the curved front windows. I might or might not have room to mount a speaker in one of these, I think either on the back of the loco, in the cab or probably best by removing the fuel tank part of the chassis. Some major saw work!!
Tom
I have a fourth cheap used KATO on the way to NG so I'll probably have two in the new model shells and two in the old ones. I received some clear resin so will have a thrash at printing the curved front windows. I might or might not have room to mount a speaker in one of these, I think either on the back of the loco, in the cab or probably best by removing the fuel tank part of the chassis. Some major saw work!!
Tom
I got one of my Blackstone K-27's back from Soundtraxx where Norman Carnaby fixed its issue which was not getting any electrical pickup on one side of the drivers. However I wonder if some lube got on the drivers as my modest grades which it used to climb fine pulling cars, just gets a lot of wheel spin. Perhaps I'll try cleaning with alcohol? My Diesels are spoiling me with their pulling power, which is due to their weight, about. a pound!
Cheers: Tom
Cheers: Tom
Well (deep subject?): I obtained a small bottle of Testors metallic silver to do the front cab window frames. The printed windows turn out to be hard to polish clear so a very flexible piece of 3D printer FEP sheet seems to be a great solution. This curves nicely around the inside of the cab.
The K27 is finally over it's traction issues though it's not a great puller like the GE shovel nose. I really doesn't like a couple of my turnouts!
Surprisingly my local Michaels Craft store has some HO scale trees, bushes, cacti and turf/grass products.
Tom
The K27 is finally over it's traction issues though it's not a great puller like the GE shovel nose. I really doesn't like a couple of my turnouts!
Surprisingly my local Michaels Craft store has some HO scale trees, bushes, cacti and turf/grass products.
Tom
Received two decoders back from Digitrax so I will be able to DCC two of my KATO's and have three of the four in service. The fourth one I think I will slice off the cast on fuel tank and use that space for a speaker, maybe. They sure are smooth and powerful runners, mostly due to the weight, coming in at about a pound each. Currently have it set up on switcher mode which gives a very convincing momentum effect, but may change to road switcher speed profile which is a little faster.
I've smoked a couple of these mini decoders, so maybe I'll try some physically larger ones. When they run they run nicely! Adding sound would be nice as I like it in my Blackstone K-27 but the KATO NW2's absolutely fill the smaller GE narrow Gauge shells. Great as far as tractive power, are there any heavier Narrow Gauge locos? As someone said, they can pull the wallpaper of the wall!
I received two larger Soundtraxx mobile decoders and am installing in two of the converted locos. I'm hoping that these physically bigger units will be less liable to smoking. I have one of the units running it's test laps and it seems to eb doing fairly well. I did have to disassemble it completely including the trucks as drivetrain units and wheels when modified sometimes loose their pressed on fit and need to have a drop of CA added to eliminate internal slipping. I let these things run in for several hours while I work on other things which exposes any mechanical issues with the loco or track work.
I would really like to install sound in one of these, maybe the one I haven't unboxed as yet.
I would really like to install sound in one of these, maybe the one I haven't unboxed as yet.
A disadvantage of Narrow Gauge is the tolerances are much tighter for reliable operation. The tolerance for re gauging the trucks seems to be a couple of thou at best. So it takes a little bit of tweaking and running in to get really reliable operation with each loco. Enough to drive one "loco". They do get to where they can run for hours without issue.
