Layout maintenance
Track maintenance
Want to open a discussion. We keep hearing about cleaning track. And how some things scratch the rails. How some stuff can harm plastic. Etc. Notice that the latest What's Neat/Ken Patterson video shows him using a file to clean points. Ouch. I suppose it depends on how often you need to, and how much you run. But I like to do a quick clean with some acetone, wipe just the top of the rails. Then wipe very lightly with graphite. Do this as often as I can find time to do it. Once a week? Try to run cars every day, or at least every other day.
Using Rapido's RailCrew switch machines
I am familiar with standard solenoid switch machines (like Atlas) and stall-motor machines (like Tortoise) and have used both. The RailCrew machine appears to be a solenoid device but the documentation shows what looks like a dpdt toggle switch that does not use all of the contacts. I am missing something here...
Sandflex Block
I found this Sandflex block in my local hardware store, Burbank Paint and Hardware. It comes in coarse, medium and fine. I bought the fine. It isn't nearly as scratchy as a Brightboy. It doesn't make any of the "hard" scraping sounds my brightboy does. The Sandflex whispers over the track, and in a few strokes the rail is shiny. When I run my finger over it, the track feels smooth as well.
What's on your workbench? February 2020
January was a rough month to start the year off with and I'm ready for work this month, albeit a few hours early. That extra day on the end will certainly make a difference! Let's see what you've got.
Downsizing OSCR - turnout removal as per prototype
When I talk about downsizing, I'm not saying the overall size of the layout. In fact, the Ontario South Central Railway has grown 4 1/2 feet with a long staging/Interchange since its inception at its first location. My issue is turnouts. I have about 4 I have to replace. About $150 worth. And as a musician and near min. wage job I can't afford to do that. So...what to do?
To choose KD 148 or 158
A modeler getting interested again after 60years has accumulated a couple dozen cars which have horn hook couplers, truck-mounted on plastic trucks.
The choice must be made to forever go with one of the two KD coupler types:
#148(whisker spring version of KD#5) or
#158(semi-scale, whisker spring)
Are there ideas and suggestions?
RGBW LED
Has anyone used rgbw LED ambient lighting for their layout and if so, what type? All of the lower end tape lighting is low lumen output. You can get higher lumen stuff, but you move up to construction grade and the price goes way up. I really want to do a day night cycle for operations, but want some dramatic effects during dawn and dusk periods.
Creating a workable trainroom space
I'm realising when working in the train room there is a lot of mess sawdust, wiring bits, plastic shavings, etc. So to get rid of this I pull out the vacuum cleaner, the problem is that it cleans the visible mess and then leaves an invisible filtered dust in the air which over a couple hours falls down on the layout structures trees and track. The metal part of the track doesn't matter because we can easily clean that part but the rest we can't. So the fine dust lands and with the moisture in the air it cakes a very fine layer on the scenery.
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