Keith wants help from others and asks:

“I have 6 Hooker O Chemicals tank cars #20-96187 from 2009 in which the black snap on foot board and railing assembly has become broken. I had a unit train of Hooker tank cars and it was parked at the edge of the board. My cat (Cinders) jumped up on the train layout and knocked 6 cars to the floor and the catwalk railing broke off. I have tried MTH but they said they had no repair parts. Can anyone suggest a source for parts.”

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Denis asks readers for assistance:

“How do you wire a 3-way turnout (Peco 3 way points) for DCC. There seems to be several ways. Is there a place for using a juicer?”

Scott is hoping for some advice from readers:

“I purchased the Lionel Polar express O gauge for my son for Christmas.  Unfortunately it appears that the train engine is broken.  The transformer is working, as the other cars are lite up, but the engine doesn’t move, whistle, or light up.  Any ideas on how to troubleshoot this train set?”

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Graham has an OO layout and asks:

“What’s the best glue for fixing scatter powder to layout boards?”

James has an N scale layout and asks:

“What are the differences between code 55 and code 80 track and can you combined then on a layout Thanks”

Add your answers below if you want to help.

Sundaram would like some advice from experienced model railroaders and asks:

I am facing the following HO problems:

I have a DCC fitted layout. Zephyr DSCS50 and Digital DS64 Digital Command Control –

1.  The mobile decoder (Digitrax – 123HD) failed all of a sudden – seems to have burnt out, because a hole is been on the plastic sheath covering the electronics.

2.  The turnout machine keeps switching even when not activated. This specially happens when a non- DCC engine is operated.

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Jack asks readers for help:

“I plan to convert my HO from DC to DCC, so how do I know what decoder to purchase for my engines? How do I match an engine model to a decoder and sound system?”

Doug asks readers:

“Can I run DCC equipped trains on a regular lay out?”

Joel asks:

“Can anyone direct me to a wiring diagram to operate 3 LGB semaphores in a block signal situation? Simple track oval no DCC or similar. Train power from track Semaphores from transformer and track.”

Steve sent in this question hoping someone reading this blog can help him:

“I have a Lionel layout with three separate tracks operated independently from a Z transformer (each track is connected to a separate circuit). I apparently have developed a short which I cannot find but strangely it has affected all three tracks/circuits which doesn’t make sense. Anyone have any suggestions to help me locate and solve my problem other than starting over?”

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Ralph is experiencing derailment problems and asks readers for advice:

“I have a curve in a tunnel. When the train runs right to left on the track all is well. But when I run the train left to right I obtain a derailment. I have manually changed the curvature a little. The area is somewhat accessible. There is no problem either way with small engines just with the longer engines.”

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Edward has a question for readers:

“How do I check for a warped rail or track twist or a small level change? My trains uncouple once in a while and leave cars behind.”

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Damien kindly sent in this tip:

Years ago my father explained to me the advantages of building a grid vs. flat layout when it comes to grades. The grid layout offers both + and – grades. What is advantageous here is that if your trains have bridge or other types of over crossings, then the grade angles can be cut in half. The over crossing could be a +1.5%, where as the under crossing could at – 1.5%. Effectively this equates to a 3% grade on a flat top layout. The distances leading up to and going away from the crossing is now a shorter distance for both the over and under crossing tracks.

This works really well as the gauges go up in size. Just think of O gauges crossings and the clearance you need to clear the trains at the crossing. By cutting the distances to and from the crossings you get more bang for the buck in layout size. And the 1.5% grade sure is easier on the motors too. Of course the grades could be increased to 3% for over and under crossings, and would still be reasonable for the motors, while decreasing to and from distances even more.

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Regular reader Ted has been involved in the hobby for 31 years and sent in this tip:

“In my opinion the gears are the most important parts of your model train mechanics and must be inspected from time to time to identify missing tooth, poor lubrication and damage. I recommend oiling the wheels lightly at least twice in a year but you can oil the wheels whenever the running noise of your train increases. Avoid oil spreading to the traction tires because oil will reduce the grip of traction tires, resulting in the overturning of the coach. And remember oil attracts dust and dirt so you don’t want too much oil anywhere. Use an electronic track cleaner to keep your tracks clean so that tracks can maintain its conductivity. When you lubricate gears use a plastic compatible grease, because oil will simply get thrown off the gears when at high revs, and it  will cover everything, whereas the grease will remain in place. However, never over lubricate the gears! Labelle make a lubricant or you could use AJ’s Magic Grease #0197 which is a non-petroleum based lubricant with Teflon. AJ’s Magic Grease works well and sticks okay to plastic surfaces.”

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It is a shame William didn’t build his HO layout in modules as he has struck a common problem. Click the link to add your comments to this posting if you can offer some suggestions for William:

“I started with a basic figure 8. But we put our home on the market, and will be moving soon. So I stopped adding to my layout. My problem now is what or is the best way to take it down for the move??”

There are lots of excellent tips in the ebook for building modular layouts at http://www.modeltrainclub.org/club.html

Regular blog reader John makes a wonderful contribution to the model railroading community by sharing his ideas so others in the hobby can benefit. Here is John’s latest article:

A common cause for a derailment is that the track was not put down properly. This could be an upturned rail joiner, particles from the ends of cut track that have lodged in the wheels of the locomotive or cars, dirty track, a “foreign object” that parks itself in the right-of-way, and pinched curved track that does not form a smooth, even circle. This problem becomes even worse when the wreck occurs inside a tunnel.

The first task is to get the cars out of the tunnel. If the tunnel is fixed in place and you model in a small scale, there might be a problem getting your fingers far enough inside the portals to reach the cars, but this can be remedied. Using a soft-bristled toothbrush, attach the non-brush end tightly with tape to a coat hanger to get the length, then SLOWLY and CAREFULLY pull the cars toward you with the soft brush. It might help if a flashlight is put at the other end of the tunnel to see the trapped cars. Once everything is out of there, put the same toothbrush in a bottle of liquid track cleaner and clean both rails inside the tunnel.

The last step is to check the track and to make sure the portal and tunnel is tall enough and wide enough to accept the largest car in the roster, especially around curves. Also inspect the wheels of the cars to ensure that they are riding on the rails properly, as one misaligned wheel can derail a whole train.

Thanks John!