John Carmichael

Ray, Do you know yet how much the down payment will be for preorders? Will it be the same percentage for all items?

Hi Ray: Do you know when you will be able to start taking pre-orders on the new Daylight? thx John

Hi Razor: I have a new USA Hudson and the tender has always squeaked. When I first heard it I thought it was coming from the engine, but after listening more carefully it was definitely coming from the tender. Could it be that you are hearing the squeak coming from the tender and not the engine? It is almost constant and is not rhythmic. It doesn't bother me too much as it sounds just like real wheels that squeak on the rails of real trains. Adds a little realism I think. Even though the axles are well oiled they still squeak. I think it is caused by the power pickups in the tender that rub against the axles. Ray, if you are reading this, have you heard this? On your faux coal question, I use black aquarium gravel. It is made from a lightweight stone like basalt and is painted black, but looks like real true to scale and shape real coal.

Please excuse me Joe, I forgot that Bridgewerks has an AC outlet and that many of you have Bridgewerks. So you are right, it wouldn't be that expensive for Bridgewerk owners to make the changeover. The cost of an AC power supply is a big issue with me however, since I don't have Bridgewerks, and you can see my trepidation since I have no experience with diodes or bridge rectifiers. I did not mean to post false information. It just seemed very expensive and difficult from the initial info I got from Ray. Ray: Thanks for photo of diode and clarifying additional info. But isn't there is still a problem if we need a polarity switch to change directions because we wouldn't be able to use the phone app remotely from a distance to reverse if we are not standing next to the switch, right?

Mike sure made it sound simple and easy, and it seemed like a great feature. But If what you say is true Ray, then running conventional DC engines using the premium app would involve a major expensive and difficult modification to our electrical systems. Not only would we need to replace our power supplies, but we would need to educate ourselves on diodes, rectifier bridges, and polarity switches, then purchase and install them and hope that it all works. Nobody is going to do this, certainly not me!

Thanks Ray for sharing the video. Can't wait to try the WIU updated app! Two things were of special interest to me- one was mentioned by Mike, and one was notable because he didn't mention it. At about 4:25 minutes into his talk, Mike told us that the premium app will allow users to control conventional non-MTH engines, and he showed what the new screen display for this would look like. (Although I couldn't see much detail because the video was shot from a distance. All I could see was a vertical line with some markings on either side). I'm guessing that this would just give the basic control of speed and direction by varying the track voltage. This would be a fantastic WIU improvement! Then I could run all my engines on my phone. What is unclear is if the TIU can be connected using the fixed voltage ports or if it will need to be connected using the variable ports for this new function to work. Any thoughts on this Ray? Notably missing was any mention lash ups which can't be done on the current version of the app. I wonder if the premium app will allow us to do them?

Jerry- I buy the 4 inch long ones and like to use that length if possible. With LGB track, four ties will fit on one 4" block. It has been my experience that the more ties you support with one block, the more solid the support is. Occasionally, I need to cut them shorter because of some obstruction under the ties (electrical wires for instance). If you screw your ties to a solid roadbed, put the shim block under the tie you will be screwing so that the plastic tie doesn't bend from pressure exerted by the screw. The screw passes easily through the rubber block.

I'd like to share with you an excellent product that I use to fine tune the leveling of my track. It's great for both grade leveling and super elevation. They work with any track that rests on something solid, but I don't think it will work on "floating" track that rests on just ballast. I use them on my trestles and HDPE Flexible roadbed. Neoprene rubber setting blocks are made for glass window installation to support and shim windows. But I've been using them for years to shim the track on my railroad in our blazing Arizona sun. They are extremely durable having UV protection and last longer and are easier to handle than wood shims. They are black and come in all different sizes and can be cut to the desired length with scissors. The size I use most is 4" long x 3/4" wide x 1/8" thick. The 1/16" thick ones are good for very fine leveling, and the 1/4" thick ones (or two 1/8" ones glued together) are good for major leveling. I apply a bead of Marine Goop on the bottom of the blocks (so they don't move around over time) then slip them under the ends of the ties that need raising. The company that makes them is C.R. Laurence at http://www.crlaurence.com/apps/sitesearch/search.aspx?query=Neoprene Setting Blocks I buy mine on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001G0ZMRE/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Joe- Are you keeping the MTH DCS controllable protocouplers on your engines and only changing the MTH couplers on your cars? I love the MTH protocouplers and they work great with KD G scale.

Since I'm fairly new to the forum, I'm under the impression that most forum MTH engine owners only make trains using matching 1/32 one gauge rolling stock with 1/32 one gauge couplers. I totally understand their desire to have both engines and stock and couplers in the same scale. So I almost didn't post this coupler conversion thinking nobody would be interested. I would have bet that there are many MTH engine owners like me who already have lots G scale rolling stock and would prefer to use their existing G scale stock with MTH one scale engines, even if the scales don't match. My goal in this coupler conversion was to be able to make a lash up with the Hudson and the Triplex and use my G scale stock in a train. By the way, I think there is an added benefit in using the G scale Kadees with MTH engines- They mate up better than the Kadee 1/32 one gauge couplers do with the large MTH Protocouplers which look more like G scale anyway... I wonder if Sean and I are about the only ones who need G scale front couplers on our MTH engines?

Here is how I modified the drop down USA Trains Hudson front coupler so that it has a working G scale Kadee #904 straight shank coupler. I drilled a 1/8" hole 3/8" from the end of the shank and sandwitched it between two 3/8" flat brass washers. Using a longer version of the existing steel bolt, I tightened the bolt snugly, but just tight enough to allow side to side swivel. Then I oiled it. A smaller hole was drilled near the knuckle for the chain fastener. The coupler no longer functions as a drop down which is unavoidable with the large Kadee G scale knuckles. Only the smaller Kadee 1 scale (1/32) straight shank couplers can be used as a drop down. This arrangement has a 22.9 degree range of motion (11.4 degrees left or right). It allows me to push or pull my other Kadee equipped cars without derailing in my tightest curves (R = 5 ft.). I used a somewhat similar arrangement for the Triplex front coupler (left side in photo below. It is coupled to the protocoupler on my USAT Hudson tender on right):

I'll bet anything that that ballast is glued in place like the HO guys do. Otherwise the vacuum would suck it up. I can't read the German text, so it might explain that glued ballast is necessary with this vacuum car. I LOVE the glued ballast on my garden railway. I also use a lot of natural rocks, pebbles, stones, sand and dirt in my landscaping. I glue all that too. I never have detrailments because of gravel or rocks near the rails. I can clean the roadbed, paths and landscaping of my entire railroad in about ten minutes with a leaf blower. It blows off all the leaves, dead flowers, wind blown trash, etc. using a leaf blower. And the ballast always looks perfect and in place. You could NEVER use a leaf blower with unglued ballast! It's one of the best things I ever did to my garden railroad. I used small (about 1/8 in diameter) black aquarium gravel for ballast. It looks much more prototypical than the 3/8" gravel everybody in our club uses. I make my glue solution using one part Titebond III + two parts water + one drop dish soap (well shaken!) I gently but thoroughly wet the rocks with a spray nozzle attached to a garden hose at low pressure before I apply the glue solution. This aids glue penetration. I use an old glue bottle to apply it. (don't let it wet the moving parts of your switches.) Let dry without touching for 24 hours. I have rocks that have stayed glued now for five years! One big extra bonus is the mice and chipmunks can't dig holes in anything that has been glued. I leave a small unglued area around plants so that I can water them. The glue slows down soil water evaporation too which helps the plants. Try it!!! I can also use my shop vac to vacuum out debris that the leaf blower doesn't get from switches and crossings. The Titebond III solution is great for making natural looking crossings out of sand too. Here are some photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jlcarmichael/

That a real shame. I was very happy with the high quality and reasonable price of their streamliner set that I got from their first shipment. They had made improvements over the Aristocraft design. And another g scale company bites the dust. When that dust settles, I wonder who will be left. We'll have to buy everything on Ebay!

Hi Yardtrain: I began my layout using Crest Train Engineer and most of the guys in our club still use it. (Crest Revolution is now out of business I hear.) The Crest trackside receiver had a switch that let you choose between PWM and Linear Power. With this old system, I was able to run my MTH engines on Crest's linear power setting only. The power from my power source was fed into the Crest trackside receiver which sent it into the TIU before it went out to the track. I could run an MTH engine on either conventional DC (using the variable current from the Crest receiver) or on MTH DCS. The DPDT switch seen in my electrical diagram above was not needed in that old setup because there was no PWM power coming from the Train Engineer. I have a feeling that like Ray, most of the MTH owners in this forum only use a remote (specifically an MTH remote or android or apple device with WIU) when they run their trains using DCS, and that they do not use any remote when running non DCS engines on conventional variable DC. I bet they operate their non DCS engines using the throttle on their power source (like a Bridgewerks throttle)- not a remote. But I'm just guessing... I still think you can configure your electronics box to do both: use a popular PWS trackside radio controlled receiver with a hand held remote for conventional DC, and use an MTH remote for DCS control for the MTH stuff- but not at the same time. And I think the safest way to do this is by isolating the two systems simply by using a DPDT switch. That way, you have the best of both worlds and have hand-held mobile remote control for all your engines, not just the DCS ones! John C.

Yardtrain: Do you have a way to run conventional DC engines on your own layout using a hand-held remote in conjunction with your Sorensen DLM? If so, what remote do you use? I wonder what type of hand-held remotes the Forum Bridgewerk guys use when running their conventional DC engines? It would be very limiting to have to use the stationary throttle on a Bridgewerk power supply. I wasn't too impressed with the specs on Bridgewerk's "keychain" remotes. Ray, if you are reading this, what remote do you use? Since I like to walk around my layout, I can't imagine having stay glued to my electrical box. From what I understand, it is possible to run a conventional DC engine using an MTH remote, but only if the power source is AC. (I might be wrong about this) john

Because Bridgeworks doesn't quite fit in my electrical box, and they are expensive, I've been using an MG Electronics PS-10AD Regulated and Filtered Power Supply. It's similar to the higher end model made by Bridgewerks in many ways. It's clean DC output works well with TIU and all brands of PWM radio controls. Very Powerful and doesn't overheat. But it's heavy! http://mgelectronics.com/power/power-supplies/bench-top/bench-top-dc-output/13-8vdc-bench-top/10-a-ps-10adps12c/ Input 110 Volt 60Hz Output 13.8VDC Adjustable 0-20VDC 10 Amp constant Input fuse protection Short circuit protection with auto reset Built-in voltage surge protection Low ripple Heavy duty housing Illuminated on/off switches Multi-color bar coded display packaging Universal binding post terminals Extra heavy duty grounded line cords AMPS/Constant: 10 AMPS/surge: – Wattage: 320 Dimensions (L)X(W)X(H): 7.88” X 3.94” X 9.06” dual meter system Weight: 19.62 lbs

Jim: Looking closely at your video, I see that the black passageways between units (where people walk above the couplers when moving from one unit to another) do not touch. In the 2015 MTH catalog on page 11 http://mthtrains.com/sites/default/files/catalog_files/2015_rk1_v_1/html5/index.html, all the passageways of connected units touch each other. (except on your model where they didn't connect the couplers before they took the catalog photo) I bought a new F-3 set on Ebay a few weeks ago, and the passageways are flexible in the curves and have little springs. They also touch each other very nicely- even in the curves. Why is there a gap between yours? Did you change the factory installed couplers by any chance? Are the F-7 passageways flexible with springs like the F-3s? By the way, what is the technical term for these coupler "passageways"? Please excuse my ignorance! thx

Beautiful! And it sounds great. Does anyone know if the new F-7s have the same protosound file as the old F-3s? thx

For sale on Ebay: MTH One Gauge GS-4 Daylight 4-8-4 - G Gauge Steam Locomotive 70-3005-1 see: http://www.ebay.com/itm/172292597571?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT Daylight coaches for sale: http://www.ebay.com/itm/301954301193?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT and http://www.ebay.com/itm/MTH-70-65028-I-Southern-Pacific-Streamlined-Passenger-3-Car-Set-Smooth-/291814895346?hash=item43f185eef2:g:E-wAAOSwygJXgYFu

Thanks for those great links Joe. It's nice to know that those prints were saved. The Triplex reminds me of the Spruce Goose of Howard Hughes or Ford's Edsel.- a great idea ahead of its time with a flawed design.

I've always been curious as to how MTH was able to create its model design for the Triplex since all the original Triplexes were scrapped many years ago and none existed when MTH came out with the models. But a few old photographs still exist. Wouldn't MTH have also needed copies of the original engineering blueprints? Does anybody know if they designed the models using just the old photographs or did they have the original blueprints too? just curious...

Here is an electrical diagram showing how I isolated the power from the TIU from the power from the trackside Railboss 4 by simply using a 3 position DPDT toggle switch. You could use this to isolate any PWM power source from the TIU. This way, I can run either DCS engines or conventional DC engines. But you can not run both at the same time!

Have you tried the multi-train feature???

I'm absolutely in love with my Railboss 4 radio controls (both the trackside and the battery ones)- for non-MTH engines only! The MTH and Railboss 4 don't play well together. http://www.gscalegraphics.net/store/c1/Featured_Products.html To summarize quickly: The little keychain style remotes are a pure joy to use. They are so small and comfortable in your hands and can fit in my shirt pocket, yet they do so much with only six buttons. You won't miss having a remote screen. Their range is much longer than Crest and the signal is more powerful and can even go tough a double brick wall. The trackside receiver is slightly smaller than Crest and doesn't need a fan or antenna. The boards are easily programmable with many great features including acceleration & deceleration control and station stops. The on board battery setup is a breeze with their battery conversion module: http://www.gscalegraphics.net/store/c5/Battery_Conversion_Modules.html Station stops can be programmed into both the trackside and battery versions. I love these since they take away the monotony of just going round and round without stopping. You can connect your existing sound system (in my case-Phoenix) to the Railboss boards allowing you to activate bells and whistles with your remote. My old Train Engineer couldn't do that! And it's less expensive than Crest was. But there is something really cool it does with the battery version if you have it in two engines- The Multi-Train Feature. Both engines run at the same time and both stop at the station either randomly or on each pass- and the trains NEVER collide with each other. It works almost as if by magic. This is because the boards in both engines "talk" to each other and each engine "knows" where the other engine is. The boards are actually transmitters and receivers and communicate with each other. Seeing this in action is almost hypnotizing! It uses the same track magnets as my Phoenix Sound does. Here is a video a guy took that shows this amazing feature on his layout. http://www.gscalegraphics.net/videos.html VERY COOL! If interested in these, be sure to read the well-written on line manuals. http://www.gscalegraphics.net/manuals--documents.html

Railboss 4 is an excellent replacement for the Crest Train Engineer (Revolution). I had a feeling this would happen so I replaced my old Crest Train Engineer with the trackside radio controlled Railboss 4 about a year ago. Railboss 4 also makes an excellent on board receiver for battery operation.