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4 Responses to 2 Short Model Railroad Questions
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John,
I would pursue the conversion process. I just bought a Kato SD40-2. My local train vender wants and extra $150 for DCC conversion and sound card. I did the conversion myself and spent $23 for the DCC part and $42 for the sound part. Saved about $75. I found a youtube video that went step by step on the installation process. I carefully disassembled the shell as the hand rails are delicate.
He recommended the Digitrax as a good staring point. No problems works great. If you go to the Digitrax website, it will tell you which board to use for your make and model loco. I would take it a step further and contact Digitrax or any other vender with how old your locos are as there may be a PC board fit problem. Venders make changes in the shell configuration over the years. Visit Youtube very helpful. I started with Tommie Part 1 the basics.
Good luck,
Ray
Hi Phil,
My mistake and called you John.
Just got back from 4 days in the desert doing some trail riding, am a little tired from the drive back.
Ray
The 12V narrow strips or rolls of SMT LEDs are much brighter and simpler to use (need to be used in multiples of 3 LEDs).
They are available in cool or warm white. (Warm white is the colour of ordinary household lights.)
EL wire runs from 600 volts, and so requires a small high voltage adaptor from 12V DC. This may be difficult in HO scale cars and below, but no problem in layout buildings.
BUT !
Keep the 600 volt wires well clear of anything metal (and very well clear of any place you will put your fingers !)
Multiple 00 Point motors The answer is in the control system in use. If DCC then the wiring is a simple exercise of ensuring that all point motors and their associated directions are coded identically. The bus bar local to the point motors should be capable of taking the surge if snap action or adequate current if slow action.
When using analogue systems I use domestic house lighting wire generally 1mm dia. as the conducting cable, this reduces voltage drop over distance. If using sequence operation a quick sketch of the wiring and addition of diodes at the point motors if for snap action, otherwise use the built in switches of tortoise or similar slow action drives.