Here are two brief questions from readers:

o-scale 
Frank asks readers: "When installing the fixed voltage plug the switch will not activate the switch track(0-22 switch track). What am I doing wrong?"

Tool Needed
Elton asks readers: "Where can I locate an HO track gauge? I have been looking at my hobby shop for six weeks and he cannot locate one for me."

Bill is having problems soldering track and asks readers:

“I have brass track and every time I try to solder I either get a blob of solder, or it’s so thin it doesn’t hold. I use brass because I have something like 300 feet. I’ve tried two different soldering guns and different solder. Is there a iron or gun that works best and what type of solder works best on brass?”

Add your comments below.

Mike is hoping for some free advice from others in the hobby and asks:

“Why do I get a dead spot on one of my tracks? Its only half a section, and the Locomotive light will go off. If the train is going fast enough, it plows through and gets a live wire…but if its going slow enough it will come to a halt. Obviously, I checked the rail and connectors.”

Add your comments below.

Bruce wants help from more experienced model railroaders and asks:

“Hi, I bought a prewar yankee 616w which I have up and running. The engine runs well but it will not pull the 3 cars. It runs great on its own and will pull a car, but each additional car slows it and three cars will not move. The wheels spin but it does not seem to have the traction. It has a whistle which works but I do not know if it is original. My one thought was that maybe the whistle was too heavy and off loading the engine wheels. I do not know if there was ballast or weights to add traction. Any advise would be appreciated.”

John has several question for experienced model railroaders to answer:

“I have just built my first HO layout in the shape of a 1/2 dogbone with the two outside ends being 40″ wide. This limited me to a radius of approximately 18”. I have two Seaboard passenger locos with 6 wheels on each set of trucks and am experiencing problems with the locos de-railing going around only some of the curves. Am I doomed with these locos? What can I do to make them work? Does this sound like I may have an issue with my track at these locations? How can I make my track curves be more perfect?”

Add your comments below.

William operates an 00 hornby model railway and has a question for readers:

“My question is how can I cure my locomotive from doing a wheel spin? I am not sure if I am attaching too many coaches (ie 3 coaches ) would appreciate any suggestions.”

Add your comments below.

This is a question that has been asked several times before. Ed asks readers:

“I have three engines that have been stored for a few years and will not run. Can someone suggest what I can do to get them running.”

Add your answer or comments below.

Richard needs help from anyone experienced in wheel traction and asks:

“I have problems with driver wheels slipping on grades when I have more than 4 coaches. Is there any way to increase loco driver wheel adhesion? I have weighted my locos as much as possible. Is there some treatment for the driver wheel surfaces that would prevent slipping?”

Add your comments below.

Phil has a Polar Express and asks readers for help:

“How can I make my engine (an o-guage,polar express) to run smoothly at low speed? Also will it help if I remove the rubber tires?

The Polar Express RTR has a couple of extra short straights to make a slightly bigger oval for under the xmas tree. It get’s to the far end of the oval and starts to slow down and almost stop.

I’ve cleaned the track, wheels. I have easured ohms, voltage. I tried a friends loco, does better, but it’s dual motor and alot lighter. I took my loco to a LHS and tried it there and it runs fine. I tried bigger power pack, jumper wire to the other end of the track. I also checked the track connections. I’m becoming very frustrated with it.”

If you can help Phil then add your comments below using the green comments link.

Answer below if you can help this reader with his question:

“This may be hard for your readers to answer without seeing a diagram of my layout. I am doing whats called in the book, a ‘Monopoly/Octopus’ layout. Its setup so you can be going one direction, switch to another track and end up going the opposite direction. At one point when the track comes to a ‘X’ crossing, the power stops. If you switch direction on the power supply, it can continue on its way. Why am I losing power at this point? I heard it has something to do with plastic rail joiners in this area, and maybe adding in a switch to cut power. This is confusing to understand for me. Any ideas on what little info I just gave you.”

Add your comments using the green Comments link below. Register first (if you haven’t aleady done so). It takes only 2 minutes.

David wants someone to help him and asks:

“I have constructed a layout with inclines going over girder bridges — double track. I have used foam to support to the gradients, because I found that the Hornby supports were too steep.
However, I find some locomotives will not not climb the inclines. These tend to be those OO locomotives without traction tyres. I would be interested in what others think?”

Add you comments below.

Barry recalls the days when life was less complicated and writes:

I was a boy, about 5 years old at the time. We lived on a farm, with a railroad and a river running through it. Needless to say, our parents were always worried we (brother and sisters) were either going to drown or get run over by a train. For myself, they thought I was going to be run over by a train, as I was seen always sitting on a fence post, waiting for the trains to go by.

It was the 1950’s, and so there was still steam engines running down our railroad line. The engineers had gotten to know me well as I was always sitting the fence, waiting for them to come by. We would always wave to each other, and say hi!

On this particular day, they slowed down sooner than usual and stopped the engine right in front of me. The engineer came over to talk to me. He asked if I would like to ride up in the engine with him and his assistant. I said, “yes” and raced to the engine. I watched as he backed the train on to a siding and disconnected it. He then put the engine back on the main track and backed it up to the water tower, where he proceeded to fill the boilers full of water. This was about a fifteen minute job, so we talked as we waited. We then hooked on to the cars on the siding and then proceeded out of town.

What a thrill to be able to blow the horn as we left the town. We got back to the point where he picked me up and that is where he dropped me off.

I continued to come back to this fence post everyday to watch the train go by and wave at them, but it was with an exhilarating experience and with a profound love for trains and what goes with it. I was very fortunate to experience a steam locomotive as a year or two after that, it was replaced by diesel locomotives. Also, in today’s climate of distrust and pedophiles, this would never happen where a engineer stop and give you a ride on a engine.

I was very fortunate to have an experience like this. It never transformed to a career, but it helped developed an interest in model railroading. What a great memory to carry for the rest of my lifetime.

Michael is experiencing a problem that most in the hobby will face from time to time. If he searches the blog he will probably find similar questions and answers dealing with the problem trains running erratically. If someone would like to give Michael some suggestions please use the green Comments link below Michael’s posting to add your thoughts. Here is what Michael asks readers:

“I have a DCC layout it all work OK for 10 to 15 min then the trains begin to stop and start in random places on the layout. Can someone help me?”

O Guage Track Connectors And Signals

Charles has O gauge and would like to hear from others who have some experience with signals and using track connectors. Charles asks readers:

“Is it possible to have an O Guage train operate 151, 152, 153 signals without using track connectors”

Fast Verses Regular O Gauge Track

Larry also has a question for anyone into O gauge railroading and asks:

“Can fast track be joined with regular O gauge track?”

If you think you are capable of assisting either Charles or Larry with their O gauge layouts please use the Comments and Feedback link to add your thoughts. You will need to register first – don’t worry it takes only 2 minutes and then you can participate in future model train blog discussions.

Here are four short questions you might want to help fellow railroaders with. Add you comments and feedback below this posting.

Gary asks readers about wiring:

Wiring For DCC

“How do I wire my y turn out? it’s a DCC layout, although I do run some DC right now also.”

Train Motors

Zachary asks readers about train motors:

“Train motors that haven’t been used for along time, do they still work?”

Power Supply

Derik has a question on train power supply for readers:

“I got an marklin train set for free, but the loco is not responding to the power, it only makes an clicking sound and the light comes, nothing more, what can be the problem and what should the voltage be?”

Making Trees

Fred want to hear from anyone with experience making pine trees:

“How do your readers suggest a means of making pine trees?”