Testing for gremlins
What new gremlins await my model railroad whenever I make changes to the track and wiring?
For several months I have been weathering some of my bright and shiny Kato Unitrack using felt tip paint pens from Woodland Scenics. I paint the steel rails a brown-black color and some of the wooden crossties (sleepers in UK rail terminology) a dark brown color. That makes the track look a lot more realistic, but the paint must be removed from the top of the rails, the rail joiners, and certain parts of the switch points in order to maintain electrical continuity between the trains and track. After the paint has dried, I rub an abrasive Bright Boy along the tops of the rail, the metal portion of the Unijoiners, and the inside surfaces of the switch points.
I snap the Unijoiners back onto each piece of track and connect each weathered piece of track with my test rig. The 12 volt DC power is fed via the blue and white wires from my power supply to an unpainted S62F feeder track upstream from the items to be tested. In this case, I am testing a right hand #6 switch and a piece of curved track to make sure I have continuity. The red and black wires control the switch motor. I run the engine forward and backward on each route of the switch several times to insure a good electrical path. All of my newly painted track is tested on my work table before I install them on the layout.
I have finished painting the visible portions of my westbound (lower) staging yard, my entire mainline, passing siding, and industrial tracks. Next I must paint the visible part of my eastbound (upper) staging yard before I install it on my layout. It is easier to paint and test track before installation. Then I need to temporarily remove all the track from my layout, install Styrofoam sub-roadbed in order to elevate the track above the streams I plan to build and connect the lower and upper staging yards by a long 2% grade on my mainline.
Testing for gremlins
What new gremlins await my model railroad whenever I make changes to the track and wiring?
For several months I have been weathering some of my bright and shiny Kato Unitrack using felt tip paint pens from Woodland Scenics. I paint the steel rails a brown-black color and some of the wooden crossties (sleepers in UK rail terminology) a dark brown color. That makes the track look a lot more realistic, but the paint must be removed from the top of the rails, the rail joiners, and certain parts of the switch points in order to maintain electrical continuity between the trains and track. After the paint has dried, I rub an abrasive Bright Boy along the tops of the rail, the metal portion of the Unijoiners, and the inside surfaces of the switch points.
I snap the Unijoiners back onto each piece of track and connect each weathered piece of track with my test rig. The 12 volt DC power is fed via the blue and white wires from my power supply to an unpainted S62F feeder track upstream from the items to be tested. In this case, I am testing a right hand #6 switch and a piece of curved track to make sure I have continuity. The red and black wires control the switch motor. I run the engine forward and backward on each route of the switch several times to insure a good electrical path. All of my newly painted track is tested on my work table before I install them on the layout.
I have finished painting the visible portions of my westbound (lower) staging yard, my entire mainline, passing siding, and industrial tracks. Next I must paint the visible part of my eastbound (upper) staging yard before I install it on my layout. It is easier to paint and test track before installation. Then I need to temporarily remove all the track from my layout, install Styrofoam sub-roadbed in order to elevate the track above the streams I plan to build and connect the lower and upper staging yards by a long 2% grade on my mainline.