Dave

Could it be this - http://www.soundtraxx.com/surround/index.php ?

That's the one!

There is an American sound system available. You place speakers above the layout and the sound follows the loco around the layout.

I can't remember the name of it but it would only be suitable for layouts that go around the room.

It could be the back to back on a set of wheels. Test with other locos to eliminate it. Ring me if you need help.

Built my baseboards today using 50 x 40mm redwood and 9mm birch plywood (top of the range). This ply is high quality and poses no risk of warping or twisting. Glued and screw to the strong frame it doesn't require and intermediate runners. I'm not sure on whether to cover it with cork even though I have already bought it but I'm looking forward to starting to lay some track this weekend.

Don't bother with the cork Tony, it doesn't reduce noise that much. Try PU foam or closed cell foam, this won't degrade over time and is excellent at reducing noise.

I use it quite a bit and recently used it on a layout where the client required it to be as quiet as possible. I covered the entire baseboard that way the ballast does not touch the baseboard and transfer noise back to the baseboard. I glued the track down rather than pin it down. Works a treat!

Hi Bill, is it all locos this happens with or just one?

Wow John, that's stunning! The chuff is excellent.

Making up baseboards for new layout today. Will be using 9mm ply on 44 x 32mm redwood framework. Is painting a baseboard a waste of time or are there any benefits? If so, grey or brown?

I find its a waste of time, a layout will be completely covered when it's finished with ballast, roads and scenery so it shouldn't be seen.

When I'm doing grass or scenic areas I paint it mud brown or green underneath but I never paint the whole thing.

Nice work Noel. Did you seal the speaker back up after cutting it back?

Dave, since I have used electro-frog points throughout I just have no experience of wiring. I want to get it right before I fix track to my baseboard.

You'll don't need to modify an electrofrog point they work just fine straight out of the box, just fit insulated rail joiners on the vee of the point to stop any short circuits as the vee switches polarity as it switches.

The only real need to modify an electrofrog point is if your weathering and painting the track, this way you need to fit an auxiliary switch to the point motor and isolate the vee from the rest of the point and the switch powers the vee and the blades therefore you are no longer relying on the blades bringing power up the point into the vee.

On the majority of layouts that I build I leave the electrofrog points as they are and they work fine.

I am considering sending a layout drawing to Peco Technical Advice for wiring advice but wondered if there was anyone on the forum who is equally familiar with the wiring expertise, who would be willing to help.

 

I have a drawing with all Peco points shown.

 

Any takers?

You'll be waiting on a response from Peco! They are quite bad at responding to enquiries.

What particular area do you need help on?

Thanks lads,

Dave its been months in the planning and just couldn't get the time to build it. It's great though when it gets to this stage, still have to wire it and fit the MegaPoints point control system.

Thanks JHB, I wanted something that I could leave a train running and be able to do some shunting. The plan is to have a lumber yard and a grain depot with a small loco depot.

The era I'm interested in modelling is late steam early diesel

Bit more progress over the Christmas period. A busman's holiday!

The code 55 track is down and the next step is wiring. I took my time on getting the sleeper spacing's correct at the joints and at points and makes a massive difference.

Would a layout measuring 2400 x 300 for shunting end to end be adequate?

There are about 8 points contained in it.

Absolutely, you could even have an O gauge layout in that space!

OO gauge shunting layouts are very popular and the inglenook design will keep you occupied for hours.

I have built Baseboards for 4' x 1' shunting puzzles.

Thanks. Interesting thread! I admit to being quite surprised when I first picked up the Hornby train set controller. Very light.

 

 

It only happens when I stop the train. I could run it for a few minutes, speed it up, slow it down, speed up again, then stop the train. Then when I go back to it, maybe a couple of minutes later, maybe only 30 second later, the controller won't work. I might have to unplug it a couple of times before it will work again.

 

Odd.

Is it the Hornby select that you are using? How old is it? The older models are not NMRA compliant but the newer ones are and the older ones can be firmware upgraded, this could be a short term solution.

I sell Roco multimaus DCC controllers and find them excellent, very easy to use and cheap enough too.

Dave, thanks I think thats a good choice then. In my experience Peco point motors are quite noisy, do you know if the smaller Peco point motor that fits beside the lever on top is any quieter?

The surface mount is a bit quieter but there is a much better and smoother system out there. Check out my website and my YouTube channel on the Megapoints system.

By the way, you have specified Elecrofrog points - is this the most suitable choice for this layout?

Electrofrog points are much better than insulfrog, with a live frog there is no dead section in the point and when shunting with small locos the won't stall on the point as they would on the dead section on an insulfrog point.

New track, new locos. Hornby controller (basic).

 

Sometimes, I run my loco with or without coaches for 10 minutes or so, then go do something around the house. I come back, turn the dial and nothing happens. I unplug, re-plug, pull the cable from the controller, put it back in and nothing changes. Then I randomly unplug and off the loco goes as of nothing happened. This has happened to me with the Hornby Santa's express and a Virgin train...

 

Any ideas? Is this a common problem with these controllers or could it be something else. These are brand new locos...

 

You can tell I'm new to this can't you?

When you leave are the locos running, then when you return are they stopped? Have you stayed with it to see where it stops?

What controller and track are you using?

Well... it's about time as it's only been 3 years since I dismantled my last one. I've gone all the way to the dark side, N Gauge American!

The baseboard is 1500mm long x 850mm wide which will have a simple twin loop with shunting sidings. It will feature a lumber yard, loco yard and an undecided siding.

My girlfriend bought me an Athearn Big Boy DCC with sound for Christmas and I have been collecting for a while. I set up a simple Tomix oval but I am starting to lay Peco code 55 track tomorrow and hope to have the layout fully functioning in the next few days.

Here's a pic

Welcome to the forum ModelrailwaymanOO

Happy Christmas guys

An easier solution is to use an automatic signal controller. Its a small module with and infra red detector that you place between the sleepers, as the train passes over it the controller switches the signal to red and then a timer starts then switches back to green. Available on my website for €20

The finer details really bring it to life. Looks great.

Hi Peter, welcome to the forum.

Firstly I wouldn't recommend a starter set, a lot of my clients that have started into the hobby have regretted buying them as they only really used a small portion of the set and the loco or rolling stock may not be suitable.

Also the track being code 80 is really big and bulky and is nowhere near to scale, code 55 streamline fine scale track looks far better and is more true to scale.

I find set track has a train set look about it.

I have code 55 in stock and I can bring it to a show so you can have a look at it.

If you want to go DCC then take the plunge from day 1, no point in getting a DC controller then changing.

With regard to points electrofrog are a better way to go, in the starter set you will just get insulfrog and small 0-4-0 or 0-6-0 locos can stall.

I'm in Bray this Sunday at the train and model fair if you want to stop by and have a look at the code 55 track.

Hi Karl. You can't get concrete sleeper code 100 points. They are only available in code 75 and even then they are only the medium points!

Looks great Eoin. It's really taking shape. The fine details really set it off.

I'd say CM is delighted!