have an interesting problem

have a online friend who is interested in running basically a `normal' dc train on an outdoors track

he hasn't found anyone who has had much success longterm without going to battery power/rf controlled loco's

he wants to stay with straight dc rail powered (ie store bought) esp as he is thinking a ho scale one that is both in and outdoors (ie a garden loop off from inside to outside)

it occured to me that the biggest problem is bad pickup (a quick google seems to support this) ie dirt and corrosion on the rails

so I took a leaf out of the dcc handbook and thought- what if I upped the voltage to the rails?

what I am thinking ATM is a track line voltage of about 60-90v (this is both safe enough that putting a finger on the track wont `bite' and high enough that light surface dirt/corrosion will not be a problem- I think....)

with a PWM controller that gives an `effective 0-12vdc' supply to the motor

question- if I design such a beast for him- does anyone `here' ie local to me in nth qld, australia- have an outdoor track already set up that could be used as a test bench- and any observations from anyone who has run an outdoor dc supplied setup would also be very appreciated as well from anywhere

Hello Everyone---During the steam era on the Canadian National the railroad rostered a total of 497 Mikado type locomotives.Various builders included the Kingston Locomotive Works,the Montreal Locomotive Works,Alco (Schenectedy),Baldwin and even their own shops at Pt.St.Charles in Montreal. Many of the CN Mikes remained in revenue service until the end of the steam era in the late months of 1961.Fortunately 4 of these beautiful locomotives have been preserved:S-1-A 3239 at Delson Quebec,S-1-B 3254 and S-1-D 3377 at Steamtown,Scranton PA.,and Grand Trunk Western S-3-A 4070 ( ex CNR 3734).
Without a doubt,the CNR Mikes are my favourite class of steam locomotives.All my locomotives were custom painted by my good friend Doctor Wayne.Here's a sampling of my Mike roster for your review

S-1-A


S-1-B


S-1-D


S-1-G


S-2-A


S-3-A


S-3-A

some one's insurance is about to go up,,,
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I decided to run a train of souvenir cars -- convention cars and other commemoratives. The location is the end of the dirt track on Hambly Bank.
   
   
   
(well, the white one is the official souvenir; the tin was scavenged from a caboose on a fantrip at the convention.)

Here's a bit more about LED's in case you're confused or just interested. Browse the rest of their site if you have time, there are all sorts of interesting topics , tutorials and tips abundant.
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...to cast your vote(s) in Big Blue's Spring Kitbashing Challenge.


There are fifteen entries from which to choose, and a potential 15 votes for every voter. Where else are ya gonna find an offer like that? Even better, where else are ya gonna find such a good-looking slate of candidates?
C'mon, now, there's no excuse to be sluggardly, and you don't even have to go outside and start up the car, either. A look at some top-notch work and a chance to choose your favourites is only a couple of "clicks" away.

I'm sure that some of you remember this annoying character from the old Zealot forum, and wished that I'd left him there. However, don't force me to do my impression of a public television character asking for your support - it's even more annoying.

Wayne

Brand new in box test run only (and it runs smooth and quiet like intermountain should). Only selling as I have a number of A-B sets already and no room for the additional B unit as its unlikely I will ever be able to run an A-B-B set on my layout . yours for the taking for just $70 shipped to anywhere in continental US or Canada

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Does anyone know of a common source for nickel silver sheet or bar stock? I want to use some on some electronics projects, and was hoping to avoid having to order large quantities of the stuff. I had a similar question on where to get phosphor bronze, and someone on this forum pointed me to common weather stripping- a great suggestion. I was hoping for a similar good idea on what common items are made from nickel silver that I could find at the local hardware store. I was looking for dimensions about 1/4" wide and 1/16" thick. I want to use it for touch switches, and worry that regular brass would oxidize over time and become unreliable.

....As I was messing around with my latest craftsmen building project, I happened to notice a funny sight....look at the various methods of weighting panels, walls, etc to prevent warping while glue and paint are drying....barbell weights, heavy candles, salt shakers, jar of stain and on and on

What object do you find yourself borrowing from the house to weight your projects???

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