Archive for April, 2011

Yup you read right.  As stated in my previous post still nothing going on with my N scale layout yet but there is a couple things to report on in my HO modules and Loco’s. I’m getting my modules ready for the Moncton Train show toward the end of the month and finally painted the base for my water on my “bridge” module. I started looking for figures for swimmers but wont be able to get any until after the show so I’m at another standstill there. For now I’ll get the modules set up and and vacuum the cat hair off them as I have discovered I have them spaced far enough apart while in storage that my cats can walk right through them leaving some hair behind each time. By the looks of “what is left behind” this must have been their Trans Canada Highway!!!:-?

I have two HO steam engines with sound in them that I planned to eventually detail a bit to  better resemble (but not necessarily perfectly) the CNR versions. One of them is currently being leased to the Bayside and Tidewater Railroad. Liking the sound I decided that that my CNR Atlas Classic RS3 (in Green and Gold) should also get sound and a deal was made to purchase a sound decoder for this unit. At the same time I finally decided it was time to put a decoder into my Proto 2000 CNR SW9 and one was purchased last week. Last weekend I installed it in my switcher thinking this would be a fairly simple project and I’ll have it running in a short time……….hmmm not so much as you will soon find out. This little problem is what started my “infection”!!! Read On.

The install was easy even if this was my first one. Now I also have never programmed anything before on my Zephyr. I bought this Zephyr on ebay a couple years ago and figured I better learn how to use it as DCC to me (other than running on someones layout) is still a bit of a mystery. I found the book that came with it and started to read, this is when I discovered there are pages missing from the manual . Now off to Digitrax website to download the manual, read missing pages and realize this should be easy. Well I was able to program in the number of the unit and it would read it back but for some reason I could not get it to move no matter how hard I tried. The next night is “Train Night” so I take it with me to see what I have done wrong. Within a two hour span of getting there is when I became “sick”.

First Trevor looks at my work and says it looks good so he put it on his track and tries it with his Lenz system, It works!!! He puts it on his Zephyr…. it works there!!!!! I still haven’t revisited my Zephyr yet but I know it worked before so maybe I had a loose connection or something…I hope. This is about where I started to feel “I’ll”.

I mentioned that I wasn’t changing the cab light to an LED as it is quite a job to take it apart. Trevor had it apart in less than 2 minutes. Now I’m looking at the inside thinking everything is black, Luc is building a brass caboose at the workbench and I mention I should paint the interior green and the men as well. Luc perks up “While your at it why don’t you change the stacks, put the proper horn on it, add a bell………..ect, ect.” I’m thinking OK maybe this isn’t so bad, then it gets worse!! We realize my RS3′s body is pretty solid and there is no real area for the sound to come out. Once again, Luc chimes in with “No problem! You can file out the fan and replace it with a brass one drill out the screen in the exhaust, put on a CN bell, proper numberboards……..ect, ect.” Now I know I’m ill ’cause I’m gonna do it.

Once I get the parts I’ll start taking pictures…. Wish me luck!!

See Ya

I know, I know!!! More than one person has mentioned I haven’t posted anything in quite a while and….well……. basically there hasn’t been much going on with my layout to report on. I am currently redesigning the layout and once I have something to show I will post my results. I will however bring you up to date on other happenings though.

On February 20^th Luc, Trevor and myself went to PEI for a day of operations on Derwin’s Canadaisle RR and Scott’s BS&T. We had so much fun that day I just realized I didn’t even take any pictures! We left Moncton around 7AM and headed toward Aulac to stop at the Big Stop for breakfast then continue on to the Island. The weather wasn’t the best that morning with a bit of a snow storm going on but we took our time and got there safely but not without a couple tense moments. One person thought we were going to slow and decided to pass us on the highway with low visibility and quite slippery road conditions. The other was while on the island, if you have never been there, there are a lot of open flat fields which can cause drifting and whiteouts across the roads. One such incident we were heading for a meet with an oncoming transport truck, a whiteout and at least a two – three foot drift across the road. I got slowed down a bit just before hitting the drift, Luc was clenching the dash as hard as he could and I didn’t look in the back to see what Trevor was doing. We hit the drift at about 50 KM and it was like it wasn’t even there….WHEW!!!! The rest of the day was pretty good driving as the sun came out and ended up being a very nice day. We had such a great time I forgot to pick up my Red Pepper Jelly that Scott picked up for me a few days previous. The only place I can get this brand is on the island.

On March 19^th the guys from the Island we going to Halifax for a day of operating so I asked to tag along. We met in Aulac and headed for the Halifax area. We operated on the Fall River Eastern Railroad and the White River Southern and had a visit to Nottingham Subdivision. It was a fun day for sure.

I would like to thank everyone involve in both these operation days for their hospitality and friendship!! We’ll have to do it again

See Ya

Al