Adventures with a 9v battery and some bad soldering

[andruec]

Thanks for the thoughts, guys. At this stage I don't think it's the incline to blame. It was crawling even on the straights and was reluctant to even get moving. At the point it stopped all coaches were on the straight so it had pretty much done the hard work. It also didn't seem to slow to a crawl before stopping on the incline. Hard to be sure because it never did move very fast but it just seemed to get fed up, switched off its lights and just quit.

It has since woken up so it's not damaged but honestly it just feels like it got fed up and decided to go on strike

I might try another DCC fitted loco tonight and see if that behaves any differently.

[Walkingthedog]

DCC locos will only run with a 9v battery if DC running is enabled, and then it is doubtful it will move.

EDIT: didn’t notice your post Brian

[brian1951]

Thanks for the thoughts, guys. At this stage I don't think it's the incline to blame. It was crawling even on the straights and was reluctant to even get moving. At the point it stopped all coaches were on the straight so it had pretty much done the hard work. It also didn't seem to slow to a crawl before stopping on the incline. Hard to be sure because it never did move very fast but it just seemed to get fed up, switched off its lights and just quit.

It has since woken up so it's not damaged but honestly it just feels like it got fed up and decided to go on strike

I might try another DCC fitted loco tonight and see if that behaves any differently.

Trying to run a Dcc fitted loco with a 9v battery is a total waste of time.

[andruec]

Thanks for the thoughts, guys. At this stage I don't think it's the incline to blame. It was crawling even on the straights and was reluctant to even get moving. At the point it stopped all coaches were on the straight so it had pretty much done the hard work. It also didn't seem to slow to a crawl before stopping on the incline. Hard to be sure because it never did move very fast but it just seemed to get fed up, switched off its lights and just quit.

It has since woken up so it's not damaged but honestly it just feels like it got fed up and decided to go on strike

I might try another DCC fitted loco tonight and see if that behaves any differently.

Trying to run a Dcc fitted loco with a 9v battery is a total waste of time.

I think you're right, Brian. As luck would have it (nice for one good thing to happen today) a courier just delivered my NCE Powercab. Using that the offending diesel (a class 56) is now raring to go. In fact I don't think I have enough straight section to risk getting it to top speed and it barely even noticed the inclines even pulling six coaches.

The two other DCC fitted locos (both class 33) are shorter diesels and they two were happy. Although neither of them could match the longer diesel for top speed I assume that's gearing for realism.

The only fly in the ointment was that the class 56 derailed once on a curve and looking closer there's a short gap in the rails. It looks like I've fitted the curve a bit too tight so will have to do something about that.

[Walkingthedog]

Hence the advice to pin the track down temporarily.

Good to hear you have things moving.

[andruec]

Hence the sdvice to pin the track down temporarily.

But it's glued 'temporarily' anyway. You seem to think that after being glued it's difficult to lift the track and it simply isn't. Just spray some water then use a jeweller's screwdriver to pry up a couple of sleepers at one end then slide a trowel along to lift the rest. Takes about ten seconds to raise a length of Streamline. Looking at what's left after lifting shows that there's almost no glue actually underneath the sleepers so that's probably why it lifts so easily. If you want a more permanent bond I think you'd need to actually run the bead of glue under the track then drop it back down.

The only downside to the method is that you have to leave the glue to dry for a day or so before you can run trains. If someone was working on their layout continuously day after day that would be annoying but as I'm only working on the layout sporadically that's fine. I can glue track at night and will then have no more time to work on it until the next evening and even then I may just prefer to slump in front of the TV if it's been a trying day at work.

[Walkingthedog]

Fair enough but I can guarantee that eventually you will damage some of the track. Each to his own as long as you get the end result you are after and are getting enjoyment out of the hobby, which I’m sure you are.

[andruec]

Fair enough but I can guarantee that eventually you will damage some of the track. Each to his own as long as you get the end result you are after and are getting enjoyment out of the hobby, which I’m sure you are.

Oh I am, and I hope not to have to move track very often. Latest issue though is that my Class 56 stutters going over a diamond and one of the turn-outs. Seems odd given that it's a new Dapol like the others but it does have four wheels per bogie. Anyway first step is to get some nail varnish and test for shorts I suppose.

Just like programming - always some little thing that trips you up

[Brian]

This video shows one of the problems with the Peco Insulated frog diamond crossing and a relativity simple fix... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm6Pu7R ... rdJunction

[yelrow]

I have Never Glued any track over 60 years of track laying. Personally think its crazy. I dont pin either, I use tiny screws, so easy to switch found/ change. I know most people pin, but tiny screws make more sense to me.