The Express

 

Newsletter of the Tinplate Trackers, Austin, Texas

November/December 2001 – 32nd Edition

A newsletter will be sent out every two months to the current members, past members, and visitors of the club.  Please contact Steve Wise at 512-444-3310 or E-Mail him at swise@aoot.com if you have any information you would like to have included in future newsletters.  All comments/submissions welcome!

From The Editor

 

Happy New Year! 

 

I sincerely hope all of you had a great holiday season!  This edition of The Express is smallish since we had no club events in Nov/Dec.  However, we do have some events coming up in Jan and Feb to keep us busy!  Also included are a few tid-bits contributed by members.

 

Enjoy!

 

Stevo.

FUTURE CLUB EVENTS

 

Club Workday January 25th and 26th, 2002

The club will get together at the Branch Creek Estates clubhouse Friday and Saturday Jan 25th & 26th, 2002 to work on the layout, and perhaps run some trains.  The current plan is to setup and work Friday night, and work at least 10am-2pm Saturday, then tear down.

 

Bring your work tools if you have any.  We will need some soldering guns, power screw drivers, drills, utility knife, Dremel Tool, Volt Ohm meters, lighted cars, 4' level, wire cutters and strippers, Squares, tape measures, Track Pliers, Plane, paint brush and paint, drywall screws.

 

To Do List (in no particular order):

  1. Adjust vertical alignment of switches on Switch modules.
  2. Adjust horizontal alignment of Diamond Crossovers on Switch modules
  3. Deep grooves on diamond crossovers
  4. Find power problem on corner and Scott’s modules that were near corner at Burnet
  5. Confirm siding and main powers are in phase
  6. Add track E to one corner module that does not have it.
  7. Wire power into track E on all corner modules.
  8. Build two new corner modules
  9. Clean all plugs
  10. Add wheels to another crate.
  11. There are some spots on some of the corners that need to be filled, to replace the top layer of plywood, Fix leg sockets, Adjust track alignment on switch modules

 

Directions to the Branch Creek Estates Club House:

Take Parmer Lane east from I-35 to Dessau Rd. (Stop light with gas stations on the corner), turn left (north), go over the top of the hill and turn right into Branch Creek Estates 2nd (north) entrance.  Take this road in, east, several blocks till you see a big building, parking area, trailer pool, mail boxes, you are there.

 

More details will be sent via email to the club.  See you then!

 

SAMRA Train Show – San Antonio – February 2nd, 2002

We are confirmed for the SAMRA show at the Live Oak Center on Saturday, Feb 2nd.  More details will be provided as we get closer to this date, but mark your calendars now!

 

GATS – March 2nd and 3rd, 2002

Ron talked with GATS and visited their web site to check on status of this event.  So far they have completed floor plans for shows through February 17 and probably won't complete the floor plan for the Live Oak show for a couple of more weeks.


Bottom Line - Nothing has changed.  They have our application and eventually they'll let us know if we're invited.

 

New Braunfels Train Show – April 20th, 2002

Ron contacted the rep for the New Braunfels show recently and they are going to have a meeting Thursday night (Jan 10th, 2002) to finalize a lot of the items for the show.  For right now nothing has changed on the status.  Stay tuned though, and Ron will email the club when more information is gathered.

 

2002 Club Event Schedule

Here is the latest schedule for 2002.   This schedule is now maintained on the club web site.  Check the web site for the latest information on our events schedule.  There are obvious conflicts on this schedule, but until the group agrees what goes and what stays, I’ve left in the conflicts (EG:  a BCE event conflicts with Czhilispiel/Jamboree weekend).

 

Please submit comments as well as news about any other prospective events to the TTAT members email reflector, ttat-members@aoot.com.

 

DATE

SHOW

PLACE

STATUS

Jan 25/26

Club Workday

Branch Creek Clubhouse

Confirmed

Feb 2

SAMRA Train Show

Live Oak

Confirmed

Mar 2/3

GATS

Live Oak

Pending

Mar 15/16

Club Fun Run

Branch Creek Clubhouse

Pending

Apr 20

Model RR Jamboree

New Braunfels

Pending

Apr 26/27

Club Fun Run

Branch Creek Clubhouse

Pending

Aug 17

Train Show

New Braunfels

Pending

Aug 24/25

Rail Fair

Burnet

Pending

Sep 28/29

AMRE Train Show

Live Oak

Pending

Sep/Oct TBD

Annual Club Meeting

Luby’s Cafeteria

Pending

Oct 25-27

Club Fun Run

Branch Creek Clubhouse

Pending

Oct 26/27

Czhilispiel

Flatonia

Pending

Oct 26

Austin Jamboree

Round Rock

Pending

Nov 30/Dec 1

GATS

Fort Worth

Pending

Dec 6/7

Club Fun Run

Branch Creek Clubhouse

Pending

OTHER NEWS

 

Greatest Hobby Update

The club is now on the www.greatesthobby.com web site.  This site is sponsored by Kalmbach publishing.  If you go to their home page/assistance directory/clubs and
then either go through the list or do a search, you'll find our club info.  

 
They also have a link to our web site and e-mail address.  Hopefully it will generate a little business for us and you can also use it to find other clubs and hobby shops in a specific area.

 

Lionel SC2 Switch/Accessory Controller News

By Scott Smiley

I finally got my SC2 units to replace the SC1s that malfunctioned whenever AUX1 was pushed.  When I was testing these, I noticed that there was a power leak on some of the terminals.  I got a hold of Tech support at Lionel and they confirmed that the no. terminal can have a power leak in it.  They had not heard that one of the others had a smaller leak.  I hope to hear back from them soon. 

 

Switching Yard Control Console

Ira Schneider

I completed the control console for the switching yard.  The console sits on a shelf attached to the left-hand transition module and is connected between the accessory power box and the transition module.  Figure 1 shows the console mounted on shelf on the switching yard module.

Figure 1 - Console on Switching Yard Transition Module

The accessory power box now contains one Lionel PowerMaster and three Lionel RW transformers, one providing power to the sidings, a second providing constant voltage for the turnouts, the UCS (uncoupling tracks), and 15 volts for accessory line 1 (gray), and a third providing 10 volts for accessory line 2 (blue).

Figure 2 shows a close-up view of the control console.

Figure 2 - Switching Yard Control Console

The toggle switches and indicator lights near the turnouts control the direction of the turnouts and indicate what direction the turnout is currently set for (green indicates the straight track and red indicates the curved track).  The toggle switches below the legend “SIDING x” control power to the corresponding siding – UP for mainline power (TR 2, 3, or 4 on the CAB-1 controller), DOWN for siding power (TR 5 on the CAB-1), CENTER for no power.  When the toggle switch is in the UP or DOWN position, the corresponding green lights indicate power is applied to the siding.  The DIRECTION push button interrupts power to all four sidings, regardless of the settings of the siding power toggle switches.  The ACC 1 and ACC 2 toggle switches control power to the accessory lines (ACC 1 controls the high voltage, or gray, accessories and ACC 2 controls the low voltage, or blue, accessories).  The two push buttons on Siding 3A control the UCS (uncoupling section) tracks at either end of the siding.  You may use either these push buttons or the push buttons mounted on the switching yard modules in front of their respective UCS tracks.

Here is a suggested operating procedure for changing trains using the switching yard:

  1. Make sure the power is off on all sidings by checking the green lights on the console.  Set all siding toggle switches to the center position to turn them off.
  2. Assemble your train on the appropriate siding.
  3. Set the siding PowerMaster to 0 volts by pressing TR, 5, AUX 1, 0 on the CAB-1.
  4. Apply siding power to the siding by turning the corresponding toggle switch to the DOWN position on the console.  Press TR, 5, BOOST, and turn the knob on the CAB-1 clockwise until your engine or lighted cars light up.  If your engine uses Lionel command control, turn the knob on the CAB-1 clockwise several times to put maximum voltage on the track and use the ENG nn sequence to address your engine.  Use the DIR button on the CAB-1 to cycle your engine into forward or reverse to move the train slightly, ensuring that all the cars are on the track.  Put your engine into neutral after reverse using the DIR button.
  5. Bring the train on the mainline to a stop (i.e. put it into neutral after reverse) just before the turnout for your siding.  Switch the turnout to allow the train to enter the siding.  You may press the toggle switch on the console to the DOWN position to change the position of the turnout.  The corresponding light will turn RED.  Note that sidings 3A and 3B have two turnouts that must be set correctly.
  6. Apply mainline power to the siding by moving the corresponding toggle switch to the UP position on the console.  Use the DIRECTION button on the console to cycle your engine to forward.  (Note:  an engine with a sensitive e-unit may cycle to forward when you change the position of the toggle switch.)  Move the train onto the mainline.  The turnout will automatically switch and the indicator light on the console will turn RED.
  7. Use the DIR button on the CAB-1 to stop the train which just left the siding and to start the train which was on the mainline.  When the train is completely on the siding, you can use the DIRECTION button (or the siding toggle switch) on the console to stop this train without affecting the train you just moved to the mainline.  Remove the power from the siding by moving the siding toggle switch to the CENTER position.  The green indicator lights will go off.
  8. Switch the turnouts to allow your train to run on the mainline by pressing the toggle switches on the console to the UP position (the lights will turn GREEN) and restart the train on the mainline using the DIR button on the CAB-1.  You may now remove the train from the siding.
WHAT’D I GET OVER THE HOLIDAYS?

 

Steve Wise:  Two Lionel Std. O freight cars!  A Katy boxcar, and a Koppers Unibody tank car.  Of course, that Cab-Forward I bought in Flatonia was part of my Christmas presents too!  J

 

Ron Fiebelkorn: Rumor has it that I got a Gabe The Lamplighter for Christmas but Santa hasn't delivered it yet.  He claims he's been sick and is running a little late on some of his deliveries.

 

Bob Stettner:  Just a couple of cars - MTH BNSF long tank and Alberta grain hopper.  You know me...I liked the BNSF colors and saw a ton of the blue Alberta cars in Canada last summer.  That was my reason to buy.  I saw a bunch of stuff I would like from $660-$1200.  Not this year...

 

Scott Smiley:  My big box had the first 4 new remake Madison cars in it.  These are Lionel Lines in Tuscan.  They complete a set of the new cars for a total of 12 to go behind my Hudson.  (I guess there is one more the baggage car out there though). I bought some new crossovers and will try to get to Ira's sometime soon to see if I can replace the ones that a so bumpy.  These seem to be straight.  I replaced some track on one of my modules track 3 and 4, removed operating track and replaced with continuous rail.  Hope it helps with power.

 

Rob Reynolds: My son, Grady, got a US Navy set with some extra cars.  He can't wait to run it.

 

Ira Schneider:  I got a couple of new items around the holidays.  I got the Lionel traveling aquarium car and the MTH American Freedom car.  I also got some new accessories – the Lionel Carousel, Ferris Wheel, and Red Baron Pylon.  I also have the MTH Operating Diner.  The Carousel, Ferris Wheel, and Diner are HUGE!  I would try to bring them to San Antonio if I had some place to set them up.  I have been toying with the idea of making one or two 4'x1' trackless modules to set up accessories.  However, I haven't decided whether or not to make any of these "accessory" modules.

2002 TEXAS TRAIN SHOWS

 

January 19 & 20, 2002 – GATS at the Astrodome/AstroArena – 8400 Kirby Drive, Houston.

 

January 19 & 20, 2002 – Dallas Area Train Show at the Plano Centre, 2000 E. Spring Creek Parkway in Plano.  The show is open to the public from 10am to 5pm.

 

February 2nd, 2002 – S.A.M.R.A. Model Railroaders’ Train Show.  Saturday 8:30am – 4pm.  Admission $5.00 ($8.00 family).  Various Vendors:  All Scales – Supplies – Books – Displays – Museum Info.

 

March 2 & 3, 2002  – GATS at Live Oak Civic Center, 8101 Pat Booker Road, Live Oak.

 

March 16 & 17, 2002 – GATS at the Rodeo Center, 1818 Rodeo Drive, Mesquite.

 

April 20th, 2002 – Model Railroad Jamboree – New Braunfels Civic Center - New Braunfels, Texas.

 

May 26, 2002 – 22nd Lone Star Railfair at the Will Rogers Memorial Center (Amon G. Carter Exhibit Hall) in Ft. Worth.  Doors open from 10am to 5pm with over 50,000 spuare feet of air-conditioned dealer space and will also include operating layouts.  For more information contact Terry Adams, 4220 Shannon Dr. Ft. Worth, 76116. Phone: 817-732-2117; e-mail: tadams1@worldnet.att.net

 

August 17th, 2002 – Train Show – New Braunfels Civic Center - New Braunfels, Texas.

 

September 28th & 29th, 2002 – A.M.R.E. Train Show – Live Oak Civic Center, 8101 Pat Booker Road, Live Oak.

 

November 9 & 10, 2002 – GATS at the Pasadena Convention Center Complex, 7902 Fairmont Parkway, Pasadena.

 

November 30 & December 1, 2002 – GATS at the Fort Worth Convention Center, 1111 Houston Street, Fort Worth.

 

All GAT Shows are open to the public both days from 11am to 5pm.  For more information and a $1.00 off coupon go to www.GATS.com