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Friday, November 28, 2014

CMX+ Clean Machine Track Cleaning Car

I've used the Tony's CMX+ Track Cleaning Car on the "Original" JJJ&E (over 9 Years) and the "new" JJJ&E  (6 years). It is the best track cleaning car on the market. The CMX+ track cleaning car is heavy. I use two Atlas Train Masters to pull the CMX + track cleaning car over all the track on the layout. It really gets your track clean as advertised.







CMX+ THE BEST RAIL CLEANING SYSTEM (N)

When used as directed CMX+ will clean your track better than any other method available or your money back.

THE CMX CHALLENGE
Clean your track by any method then perform the "white glove" test. Notice black lines. Then use CMX and perform test - no black lines.
FEATURES
  • Precision Machined Parts.
  • Solid Brass Construction.
  • Non-unraveling pads.
  • Body mount Kadee couplers.
  • Easy Fill Design.
  • Leak proof valve and fill port.
  • Heavy weight does the job.
  • Quick Change Pads.
  • Drag pads won't catch on switch points, frogs, and any other pieces of trackwork.
  • Spill resistant design.
  • Solvent proof design.
  • Both solvent/abrasive options.
  • Large reservoir.
  • Multi-directional (push or pull)
  • Controllable dispensing rate.

Thursday, November 27, 2014

The Museum Of The American Railroad In Frisco Texas

Being a resident of Frisco Texas has its rewards. It is the fastest growing city in the United States with a population of over 220, 000 people.

Now for a little bit of history of Frisco Texas. Frisco is located where the Chisolm Trail started in Texas in the 1860's. Cattle drives originated from this point on to rail heads in Kansas and Missouri in the late 1860's. A great motion picture to see about this part of the country is Red River starring John Wayne and Montgomery Clift (1948). It is often seen on cable TV.

 In the last two or three years The Museum Of  The American Railroad was built and now resides in the center of Frisco Texas. They do have one of the last remaining Big Boys  #4018 that has been fully restored. It traveled from Lake Park Texas to Frisco in the past six months on BNSF tracks where it is on display. It is a magnificent piece of equipment and is fully restored



                                          Photo # 1  UP "Big Boy" #4018 On The Way To Frisco Texas From Lake Park Texas. Photo Taken By Ken Fitzgerald Of Dallas Morning News

    Photo 1A UP "Big Boy" #4018 On The Move To Frisco Texas


  Photo 1B UP "Big Boy"  #4018 Is Almost Home In Frisco Texas

   Photo 1C UP "Big Boy" #4018 Finally Makes It Home To Frisco Texas


                  Photo 1D The Crew Of UP "Big Boy" #4018 Can Now Finally Relax

                                          Photo #2 UP "Big Boy" #4018 Number Board

Valerie Wigglesworth reported on the move of UP "Big Boy" #4018 to the National Train Museum in Frisco Texas.


Update at 2:15 p.m. July 19: Officials with the Museum of the American Railroad said today that the Union Pacific Big Boy will move on Sunday.
An exact time has not yet been set. But expect the task of towing the largest steam locomotive ever built to take most of the day.
Crews with the Dallas Garland & Northeastern Railroad and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad will handle the move. There will be five railroad cars in front of the 1.2 million pound Big Boy followed by another five cars behind it for braking capacity. All will be pulled by one locomotive.
I will be following the locomotive’s 55-mile journey from Fair Park to Frisco on Sunday. Keep an eye out for details at www.dallasnews.com.


Update at 9:20 p.m. July 20: Moving day for the behemoth locomotive has finally arrived. A crew from the Dallas Garland & Northeastern Railroad is scheduled to arrive at Fair Park at 7 a.m. Sunday, July 21, for final preparations of the Union Pacific Big Boy steam locomotive.
Big Boy’s departure is scheduled for between 8 and 8:30 a.m. I’ll be following the locomotive as it makes its 55-mile trip north to Frisco. You can follow along on Twitter and join the conversation using #BigBoyTrain or at www.dallasnews.com/friscoblog.
Officials with the Museum of the American Railroad welcome rail fans to watch this historic event but urge people to keep safety in mind. People should not enter railroad property or board rail equipment at any time during the move. They also ask that people respect the personal, private property of surrounding homeowners and businesses and don’t trespass.


Update at 2:30 p.m. July 21: Big Boy’s move planned for today was canceled. “Due to last-minute concerns arising from the need to wye the Big Boy in southeast Dallas, today’s move of the engine has been postponed,” museum officials said in a statement.
Museum president and CEO Bob LaPrelle said that the Union Pacific Railroad was reluctant to put the Big Boy on its main line without an inspection. Even though the Big Boy has already undergone several inspections by other railroads, UP officials wanted to take a more cautious approach. “It’s the nature of the business,” LaPrelle said.
Dozens of people turned out at Fair Park early Sunday to watch the move. The historic steam locomotive had been coupled with two diesel engines and 11 other cars for what’s called a hospital move, which travels at less than 10 mph. It waited for several hours for clearance before the move was canceled and the Big Boy was parked back in its spot in Fair Park.
Museum officials hope to try again next Sunday. Stay tuned here for updates.

Published:











The Union Pacific Big Boy locomotive is the only museum piece left at Fair Park.
The move of the historic Union Pacific Big Boy locomotive is scheduled for this Sunday, officials with the Museum of the American Railroad said Thursday.
Logistics, including bridge repairs, track upgrades and inspections, have delayed the move several times already.
The Big Boy is the last piece in the museum’s 40-car collection that remains at Fair Park, which has been the museum’s home since the early 1960s. The museum is moving to a larger site in Frisco.
At 1.2 million pounds, the Big Boy is the largest steam locomotive ever built. Only eight such locomotives still exist, and rarely do they travel on the tracks. The locomotive’s move is expected to generate crowds when it hits the rails.
Departure time will be between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m. Sunday from Fair Park. The move is expected to take most of the day. Stay tuned here on the Frisco Blog for details.
Museum officials want to remind folks coming out to view the historic move to keep safety in mind and not trespass on private property.
Good viewing spots include Fair Park, Union Station and the museum’s new site along the Dallas North Tollway off Cotton Gin Road.
In Frisco, access to the end of Cotton Gin Road and the area immediately to the north is prohibited. A tented viewing area will be set up just inside the museum’s fence for the public to gather. Parking will be available at the Frisco Discovery Center. Access to the Museum’s site will be through the contractor gate along Cotton Gin Road. Parking along Cotton Gin Road is prohibited.
Click here to learn more about the museum and its move to Frisco.


Below is a photo of The Museum Of The American Railroad Site Plan



PRR GG1 #4903


                         Joe Bohannon Took Both Photo's Of The PRR GG1 #4903

Build Date: 1943
Builder: Pennsylvania Railroad
Current Status: Static
Road: Pennsylvania Railroad
Configuration: GG1

The GG1 was designed and built by the Pennsylvania Railroad to pull 12-14 car passenger trains such as the famed Broadway Limited on its high speed electrified Northeast Corridor between Harrisburg and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, New York City, and Washington, DC. Its unique center cab design was intended to provide safety and visibility for the crews, but industrial designer Raymond Loewy refined the design with an all welded carbody and distinctive paint scheme with 5 gold stripes. The locomotive drew power from the 11,000 volt AC current transmitted in overhead electrical lines and developed 4620 horsepower, easily allowing speeds of 100 mph. After more than 50 years of operations, the last of the 139 GG1s built were retired in 1983, with 16 remaining in museums today. The example displayed is notable as one of the locomotives (then numbered Penn Central 4903) which pulled the funeral train of Senator and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy from New York to Washington on June 8, 1968 when thousands gathered trackside to pay their last respects. Amtrak later renumbered 4903 to 4906. The locomotive was obtained in a trade with the New York Central Museum in Elkhart, Indiana.


   Frisco #4501 4-8-4



Build Date: 1942
Builder: Baldwin Locomotive Works
Current Status: Static
Road: St. Louis - San Francisco Railway Company ("Frisco")
Configuration: 4-8-4

The 4501 was among the last group of steam locomotives built for the Frisco. Because of World War II, the War Production Board limited  production of most new diesel locomotives other than switching locomotives used in rail yards, and severely limited steam locomotive development by requiring the use of existing designs. Frisco's 4500 class was constructed based upon the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy's O-5b class. Numbers 4500-4502 were built for passenger service on the "Meteor," an overnight train between St. Louis, Tulsa and Oklahoma City. The new locomotives were delivered in a paint scheme of zephyr blue, white and gray, with "Meteor" spelled out on the side of the tender in bold, red letters. While the passenger locomotives were built to be fired with cleaner burning oil, locomotives 4503-4524 were built as coal burners for freight service but were also used in passenger service. New diesel locomotives arrived in 1947 to power the streamlined "Meteor" and "Texas Special," demoting the 4500s to trains such as the "Will Rogers" and "General Wood." Still wearing it's colorful Meteor scheme, 4501 powered a portion of President Harry S. Truman's July, 1948 whistle stop campaign through Missouri. Several of the 4500-class engines were rebuilt and stored near the end of steam in 1952, but remained behind St. Louis' Lindenwood roundhouse until scrapping or donation. The 4501 was donated by the Frisco in September 1964.



           Frisco #4501 Has Arrived  (From Every Day Frisco)



 The Museum of the American Railroad’s Frisco steam locomotive #4501 arrived in Frisco from Fair Park at 11:00pm on Sunday, May 26 2013, and performed flawlessly.



Some background on the #4501:
The St. Louis-San Francisco “Frisco” Railway steam locomotive #4501 pulled one of the line’s premiere passenger trains during a pivotal period in the nation’s history. Built in 1942 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia, PA, #4501 provided motive power for the overnight Meteor between Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and St. Louis. One of three locomotives designated for the route, #4501 could be found traveling at speeds of up to 90mph pulling the “Zephyr” blue Meteor. The train provided a vital connection between Texas, Oklahoma, and St. Louis – a gateway to destinations north and east to cities such as Chicago, Washington, and New York. The locomotive was a regular sight at the massive, bustling St. Louis Union Station, the eastern terminus of the Meteor.
Painted in a patriotic red, white, and blue scheme, the #4501 represented the state of the art in steam locomotive design, but enjoyed a relatively short career. The locomotive operated during the twilight period of steam. Following World War II, diesel-electric locomotives replaced steamers as railroads introduced sleek, new streamlined passenger trains. By 1947, just five years after delivery, #4501 was bumped from passenger service and repainted in Frisco’s basic black scheme, then relegated to freight service. In 1952 Frisco became an all-diesel line and the locomotive was placed into storage at the Lindenwood, Missouri shops. This was a common practice among railroads as a way to maintain a reserve fleet of locomotives to cover traffic surges. Few steam locomotives were ever reactivated, however, and their next stop was usually the scrap line. The #4501 is one of the few survivors.
Frisco #4501 was a “Northern” type steam locomotive, having a 4-8-4 wheel arrangement. This configuration was widely used throughout North America, and was at home pulling freight or passenger trains up mountain grades or running at high speeds over the prairie. Despite #4501’s relatively short career, the locomotive was a sound design, providing safe and reliable service on the Frisco railway.
After over 10 years of storage, #4501 was officially retired in 1964. Later that year following a letter writing campaign by one of the Museum’s founders, Everett L. DeGolyer, Jr., the #4501 was gifted to the Museum. In 1965 the locomotive was moved dead-in-tow to Fair Park where it was placed on display at the Age of Steam Museum (now the Museum of the American Railroad). Ironically, the #4501 passed through the small town of Frisco on its way to Dallas in 1965. The locomotive will travel in the opposite direction to the Museum of the American Railroad’s new home in Frisco, now a thriving city. The line through Frisco, Texas is now part of Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway, which acquired the Frisco Railway in 1980.
Frisco locomotive #4501 was recently repainted in the line’s striking Meteor scheme, based on research of original drawings and plans. The locomotive is resplendent in its original appearance when steam locomotives reigned supreme at the head end of the nation’s flagship passenger trains.









The roster also includes four diesel electric locomotives,  10 passenger cars, one freight car and numerous railroad artifacts.

The latest restoration project is a ATSF F-7





In 2000, the Museum embarked on an ambitious plan to recreate the iconic diesel-electric locomotive that once adorned Santa Fe’s great fleet of Chief streamliners.  While the railroad used several different models of locomotives to pull these trains, the General Motors Electro-Motive-Division F-7s were the most popular and successful versions. 
Santa Fe’s Texas Chief of 1948 to 1971 was no exception when it came to the dominant form of motive power being EMD’s model F-7.  Along with the rest of Santa Fe’s famous Chief streamliners, the Chicago-Houston Texas Chief could be found with up to six of the locomotives on the head end in cab or booster form.  The iconic Warbonnet paint scheme just seemed to lay naturally on the curved features and stainless steel flanks of the F-7. 
After several months of searching for a good candidate for acquisition and restoration, Canadian National F-9A #9167 was located at National Railway Equipment Co. (NREX) of Dixmoor, Illinois.  No original F-units survive from Santa Fe’s passenger service with the exception of a cab and booster unit now on display at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento.  CN #9167, originally built as an F-7, was an ideal candidate, having the same carbody features as the Santa Fe versions. 
Following purchase from NREX, the locomotive was shipped to Texas on its own wheels via Chicago and St. Louis.  Funding for acquisition was made possible by a lead gift from the Hillcrest Foundation, which enthusiastically supported preservation and restoration of the unit. 
The locomotive was painstakingly restored, with extensive body work and painting completed in 2005.  The scope of work called for the unit to be cosmetically restored back to the 1952 appearance of an F-7.  This required only modest changes to the exterior, which had been remanufactured to F-9 specifications in the early 1970s.  Work included the application of stainless steel panels to the exterior of the locomotive’s carbody at the location of those on original Santa Fe passenger units.  Paint and graphics were applied using DuPont’s Imron Polyurethane Enamel.  Restoration of the locomotive was made possible by a lead gift from the Muckleroy Foundation.   
The locomotive received mechanical repairs including extensive work on its 16 cylinder 567C 1,750 hp diesel engine, and replacement of the four D-77 traction motors that had been removed by NREX.  The F-9 mechanical upgrades, performed by GM of Canada, were left intact.  Restoration was completed in 2006.  The unit is now in serviceable condition and operates periodically at the Museum and at special events offsite.

We wish to thank the following organizations and individuals for making Project F-7 possible:

ACQUISITION
Hillcrest Foundation – Founded by Mrs. W. W. Caruth, Sr. (Lead Gift)
Eugene McDermott Foundation
Mr. E. Lee DeGolyer
Bill & Angela Barrett
Mr. & Mrs. Otto Wetzel
Robert & Tracey Willis
Mr. Elton Vaughan
Jerry R. & Nancy Stricklin Willis
Jerry C. Willis & Family
David & Lisa Gilmore
John L. & Mary Radovich
Mr. Joe Huffman
Mr. Robert LaPrelle
Stanley & Yvonne Smith
Scott & Cathy Luedke
Mr. & Mrs. Joel Price
Mr. Paul Kurilicz
Mr. Bud Weatherson
Union Pacific Railroad
CSX Railroad
Dallas, Garland & Northeastern Railroad

RESTORATION

Dani Muckleroy – in Honor of Dr. Robert Muckleroy (Lead Gift)
Metal-Rehab, Arlington Texas
Mr. Gerald Cochran, NRE, Chicago
Mr. Mark Williams, Kansas City Southern Railroad
Mr. Barry Bledsoe, Bledsoe Brace Systems
Mr. Bob Lavry – Fort Worth & Western Railroad
Mr. Bruce Meyer
Dr. John B. McCall
Mr. Stan Kistler
Mr. Walter Gray, State of California Parks Service/California State Railroad Museum
Mr. Doyle McCormack
Dale & Richard Brand – Brand Sheetmetal
Mr. Dave Eyerman
Mr. Doug Nichols
Mr. Ron Chamberlain
Mr. Jeff Phelps
Mr. Ted Phelps
Mr. Roger Meyer
Mr. Richard Wainscott – CMO, Museum of the American Railroad
PROJECT MANAGEMENTRobert H. “Bob” LaPrelle, CEO, Museum of the American Railroad
Robert A. Willis, Trustee, Museum of the American Railroad

Link For The Museum Of The American Railroad

http://www.museumoftheamericanrailroad.org/

Programming The Walthers 130' DCC N Scale Turntable



Programming the new Walthers 130' N scale turntable is slightly different than the first generation Walthers N Scale 130' turntable. These instructions were emailed to me by the chief technician of the Turntable division of Walthers  (Dennis Yacowatz). If you follow these directions exactly, you won't have any problems programming your 130' N scale turntable. The instructions look complicated but they aren't.


Programming The 130' Turntable Instructions

Customers call us and say "I've done a reset and Calibration, now what do I do? This question made us realize that even though the menus have been described we forgot to tell the customer how to use them and in what sequence, when it came to operating the turntable. The following example has been written to do just that.

The example will demonstrate how to:

1. Program a track stop
2. Drive the bridge from one track stop to the next
3. Delete a track stop and reprogram it

A 130' HO scale turntable will be used in this example. The open end of the bridge will be used to program a track stop. If you're using the 90' HO scale or 130' N scale turntable you will use the cabin end to program the track stop.

Before we start we want you to know that there is no need to program both ends of the bridge unless you have a reason to do so. Turning an engine end for end would be an example of this. A typical scenario would be a customer who wants to drive an engine from the approach track onto the bridge, turn the engine end for end, and drive it back on the approach track. That's when you would program both ends of the bridge.

If you have no need to do that, then programming one end of the bridge will suffice. And remember to use the sensor end of the bridge when doing so.

Also, before we begin, a reminder: When you begin programming the track stops, keep the bridge moving in the same direction from start to finish. You can move the bridge back and forth when lining up the rails. But, after you save that position continue moving the bridge in the same direction as before.

Once power is turned on CAL is displayed and we're ready to begin.

We'll start by Resetting the turntable's electronics.
We push an arrow button on the control box and scroll to the Reset (RES) menu.
Then we refer to the instructions that came with the turntable: step 3, Getting Started, Resetting the turntable.

Once the turntable is Reset, we will Calibrate the turntables bridge.
We Push an arrow button and scroll to the Calibrate (CAL) menu.
Thenw e follow the instructions in step 3, Getting Started, Calibrating the bridge.

When Calibration is complete, the open end of the bridge is sitting just to the side of the sensor in the pit and CAL is displayed on the control box.
Now we Press an arrow button and scroll to the track menu. tr1 is displayed.

Now we're ready to program a track stop. We're going to move the open end of the bridge from tr1 to our first service track. In our example we will move the open end of the bridge from tr1 to our first service track. in our example we will move the bridge clockwise to get to our first service track.

This is a good time to talk about starting at tr1. When your turntable is new and void of any track stops you will start programming from tr1,  this si the benchmark so to speak, the reference point from which all counting takes place. Every time you move the bridge to a new location around the pit and save that location, that location is x number of counts from the reference point, namely tr1. This how the electronics knows where the bridge is in the pit. Without a reference point, indexing wouldn't be possible.

But what if you've already programmed several stops, say 3, 4, and 5. The you go off and do something else. When you come back to do some more programming, would you start at tr1? No, you would rive the bridge to the last track stop you saved and start from there. In this example it would be tr5.

With that said, it's time to scroll from the track menu to the Program Menu and program a track stop.....


"Programming a Track Stop" 

We'll leave the track menu by pushing an arrow button on the control box and scroll to the Program (Prog) menu.
We press go/set once, Prog flashes.
We press and release the UP arrow button to start the bridge rotating clockwise.
We press and release either arrow button to stop the bridge from rotating.
Now we press the arrow buttons to move the bridge back and forth until the rails on the bridge line up with the rails on the service track.

We make sure that the final movement of the bridge is clockwise.

Now that the rails are lined up its time to save the location.
We're still in the Program menu...

We press the go/set button once and p3 appears in the window.
We press the go/set button once more and Prog appears in the window.

Position #3 (p3) has just been saved.

At this point we're going to leave the Program menu by pushing an arrow button and scroll to the Track menu. Tr3 is displayed.

Summing up....

The open end of the bridge is sitting at position #3 (p3) on the pit. The service track at that location is track #3,  tr3.

Now we're going to see if what we've done so far is correct. We're going to drive the bridge from tr3 to tr1 and then back to tr3.

We verify that tr3 is displayed in the window on the control box.
We press the Go/set button once, tr3 flashes,
We press the down arrow key until tr1 is displayed.
We press the Go/set button once more and watch the open end of the bridge rotate to Tr1.

Next we'll drive the bridge back to tr2.

We verify that Tr1 is displayed in the window on the control box. 

Then we press the Go/set button once and tr1 is flashing.
We press the UP arrow button until tr3 is displayed.
We press the Go/set button once more and watch the open end of the bridge rotate back to tr3.

When the bridge stops moving tr3 is displayed. We then look at the rails on the bridge to see if they line up with the rails on the service track. If they do, we'll return to the Prog menu and continue rotating the bridge in the clockwise direction to subsequent service tracks. To do this we return to  "Programming A Track Stop"

If the rails don't line up, we'll do three things:

1 Delete position 3
2 Calibrate the bridge
3 Program p3 again.

 Before we delete p3, we will verify that the open end of the bridge is sitting at tr3, and the bridge rails are misaligned with the rails on the service track. We'll also make sure that we're still in the track menu and that tr3 is displayed in the control box.

Now we're ready to delete (DEL) p3.

We push an arrow button on the control box and scroll from the Track menu (tr) to the Delete (del) menu. Then we refer to the instructions that came with the turntable; step 3, Getting Started, Deleting A Bridge Stop (Track Stop).

Once p3 is deleted we'll calibrate the bridge:

We push an arrow button and scroll from the Delete menu to the Calibrate menu (CAL)
Then we refer to the instructions that came with the turntable; Getting Started, Callibrating The Bridge.

When Calibration is complete, the open end of the bridge is sitting to the side of the sensor in the pit and CAL is displayed on the control box.

Next we'll scroll from the Calibrate menu to the Program menu.

Once in the Program menu, we'll rotate the bridge to the service track that we misaligned and save that position. This time we'll make sure that we do a better job lining up the rails.

To do this we'll return to "Programming A Track Stop"

"Programming A Track Stop"

We'll leave the CAL menu by pushing an arrow button on the control box and scroll to the Program (Prog) menu.
We press  Go/set once, Prog flashes
We press and release the UP arrow button, to start the bridge rotating clockwise.
We press and release either arrow button to stop the bridge from rotating
Now we press the arrow buttons to move the bridge back and forth until the rails on the bridge line up with the rails on the service track.

We  make sure that the final movement of the bridge is clockwise.

Now that the rails are lined up, its time to save that location. 

We press the Go/set button once and p3 appears in the window.
We press the Go/set button once more and Prog appears in the window.

Position  # 3 (pr3) has just been saved.

At this point we're going to leave the Prog menu by pushing an arrow button and scroll to the Track menu. Tr3 is displayed.

SUMMING UP:

The open end of the bridge is sitting at position #3 (pr3) on the pit. The service track at that location is track #3, tr3.

We verify that tr3 is displayed in the window on the control box.
We press the Go/set button once, tr3 flashes.
We press the down arrow until tr1 is displayed.
We press the Go/set button once more and watch the open end of the bridge rotate to tr1.

Next, we'll drive the bridge back to tr3.

We verify that tr1 is displayed in the window of the control box.

Then we press the Go/set button once and tr1 is flashing.
We press the UP arrow button until tr3 is displayed.
We press the Go/set button once more and watch the open end of the bridge rotate back to tr3.

When the bridge stops moving tr3 is displayed. We look at the rails on the bridge to see if they line up with the rails on the service track. If they do, we'll return to the Prog menu and continue rotating in the bridge clockwise to subsequent service tracks. To do this we return to 
"Programming A Track Stop".

If they don't line up return to the instructions: IF THE RAILS DON'T LINE UP, WE'LL DO THREE THINGS".

This concludes our example of operating the Cornerstone DCC turntable.



Sunday, November 23, 2014

How To Replace The Pit Electronics In A Walthers N Scale 130' Turntable

When my first generation N Scale Walthers 130' turntable failed, one solution was to replace the  Pit Electronics in the pit of the old turntable. I wasn't able to do this because the opening under the bench work wasn't large enough when I first installed the turntable on the layout. If you buy a new Walthers N scale 130' DCC turntable, make sure the opening under the bench work is at least nine inches square, which will give you plenty of room to remove the pit electronics of the Walthers N scale 130' turntable. Usually the electronics in the pit doesn't fail but it can happen.

In my case I had to remove the turntable from the bench work, lifted all 24 stall tracks and 12 holding tracks which allowed me to remove the old turntable from the layout. I had to purchase a new Walthers DCC 130' turntable because Walthers no longer supplied the electronics from the first generation Walthers 130' turntable. However the electronics in the pit of both turntables are the same.

Below are the instructions that the Walthers chief technician in the Turntable Department sent me if I wanted to remove the electronics from the old turntable pit.

Replacing the Pit Electronics

Turn the new pit upside down and loosen the four screws at the center of the pit.
Make sure the plastic channel is free to move. The channel runs along the bottom of the pit and holds the wires that connect to the sensor.
Turn the pit right side up and push the sensor housing out of the wall in the pit.
Turn the pit upside down and remove the round plastic housing that holds the fingers.
Be careful not to pull the wires off of the sensor or fingers when handling the sensor.
When installing the new electronics in the old pit, hold the round plastic housing in place and tighten the screws half way.
Insert the plastic channel under the round housing. Make sure it can move freely.
Next, push the sensor housing into the opening in the wall of the pit. There’s a ledge on the front of the sensor housing. Sometimes it is a tight fit so take your time.
After reinserting the new sensor make sure the housing is flush with the inside wall and the bottom of the pit.
Tighten the screws.

Thats all there is folks.

Stay cool and run steam.........

Sunday, November 16, 2014

An Interesting Thing Happened When I Tried To Operate My Walthers 130' Turntable


Last week I had some old friends over to the house to run the "new" JJJ&E. None of the folks in attendance were model railroaders. The layout ran perfectly for about one hour when I decided to show how the 130' turntable operates. There was a ATSF 2-6-6-2 small mallet on the turntable bridge. I  then started to operate the turntable and all was going well when everything stopped as the turntable ground to a halt. I couldn't get the turntable up and running again as I noticed that the power red light on the controller was flashing constantly. At least everybody saw the turntable rotate about 90 degrees. The rest of the operating session concluded about an hour later uneventfully.

I decided to wait and take a look at the turntable the next morning. I still couldn't get this turntable moving so I examined the bridge and decided to take the inner workings of the bridge apart. Under close examination none of the four gears were broken. There were no pieces of ballast any where in the gear mechanism. I then carefully oiled the gears with a light plastic compatible La Belle Oil and put the inner workings of the turntable bridge together. I also used an electrical contact cleaner to clean the bottom of the turntable bridge and eight contact fingers in the center of the pit. Still no luck getting this Walthers 130 foot turntable to operate. I had purchased this table in 2007 and had seven good years of use out of it. It was in full operation a few days before this last session.

That day I called Walthers and was put in contact with their turntable expert. When I explained to him what had happened, he then told me the bad news that that the turntable had died. I asked if there were replacement parts for this first generation Walthers 130' turntable that was first distributed in the 2005-2006 period. He told me there were none and would have to buy a new DCC controlled Walthers 130' foot turntable.

He told me I could use the innards of the new turntable if I removed a small square plate with four screws under the old turntable pit and removed the eight sensor fingers, inner wiring and led extension wand from this now defunct turntable.

When I installed this turntable in 2009  thru four inches of foam and a 3/4 inch plywood base, I cut about a two inch opening in the foam and plywood base for the intricate wiring from the turntable pit to the controller mounted on the fascia of the layout. I then realized that this square plate with four screws much larger then the opening I had under the bench work.

So then I came to the unenviable decision, to remove the turntable from the top side of the layout. I was able to left 24 stall tracks off the lip of the turntable in front of the Roundhouse and 12 service tracks on the other side of the turntable. I then was able to lift the turntable pit  off the foam base without any damage to the 36 Peco code 80/55 tracks that I used around the turntable lip.

I looked underneath and saw that this small square plate wa actually about almost seven inches square. Unfortunately when I get the new turntable on Monday or Tuesday, it still will be mounted on the foam and plywood base using the same two inch opening. There is too much wiring that surrounds the perimeter of the turntable pit under the bench work to enlarge this opening to at least eight inches. I'll be happy to get another seven years out of this new turntable.

Fortunately I was able to order the new DCC controlled 130' Walthers Turntable from Brooklyn Locomotive Works on sale for $239. That's the lowest price I've seen online for the turntable. Pete shipped it to me two day Priority Mail on Friday which is usual the USPS shipping and I should have the new Turntable by late Monday or early Tuesday.

It will take me about another week or so to re-install the 36 tracks around the perimeter of the turntable lip. That entire part of the layout has to be reballasted. I still have three full bags of Arizona
Rock And Mineral natural rock Dark Cinder Yard ballast, so that should be more than enough ballast to finish that area. I also have three or four three foot sections of Peco code80/55 flex track if I need to replace any of the track that had to lifted off the turntable lip.

Moral of this story is easy. If you're building a new layout  that will use a 130 foot Walthers turntable, make sure you leave at least a ten inch opening under the turntable pit under the bench work. Then if the turntable fails, it wouldn't be necessary  to touch any part of the finished layout above the bench work. The only caveat is: will Walthers have the parts available  even if they come out with a newer turntable in the out years to come. You will only know this in the fullness of time.

So Stay cool and run steam...........

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Future Floor Wax - Ideal For Making Rivers, Streams And Lakes In Model Railroading

I've been using Future Floor Wax to model streams, lakes and Rivers in Model railroading for many years. It's very inexpensive and can be purchased at any Home Supply or Super Market. Future Floor Wax is easy to use and the results are very rewarding.

Some photo's of the use of Future Floor Wax on the "new" JJJ&E:















Below are other uses for Future Floor Wax in model railroading:

1 - As a gloss coat on models before adding decals

2 - As window glazing on building windows and on portholes of "E" and "F" units

3 - Creek beds, lakes. rivers and streams

4 - Creating a glossy finish on locomotives before applying Dull Cote

Read all about Future Floor Wax at the link below.

The Complete Future