picture and video taking

[enginear joe]

Some times I just want to run trains. Sometimes it feels like when the camera is on, everything that can go wrong, will go wrong. Then some magic happens and everything goes right. So after some time, I feel that I should share. I get the trains out, I get the camera set up, and then mother nature rolls in her hand. I look up to see where the sun went. One of those big thunder clouds has rolled overhead and I have to make a decision. I put the stuff away to be safe.

 As I'm typing this I can't help to note how dark it is, and yet no rain is falling. So I have to re-assure myself that I made the right choice. Cause heaven knows, if I kept running, I'd surely have to pay for it.

So sorry, I am running, but nothing to show for it today. Makes the times when all things goes right, that much better.

[Rayman4449]

I know that feeling.  Normally my issues arise when I have people over or have an open house.  

[enginear joe]

My triplex although bought used that was cut up by someone, usually runs flawlessly. My brother was over last week and asked why I wasn't running trains. I put her on the track, and she picked a switch that nothing ever derailed on? My signal was suffering because of a wiring change that I made this year, and I kept losing control in areas. Finally a couple of hoppers that I was pushing to clean the rails, also jumped the track on another switch and I threw in the towel.

 Now that the wiring is fixed and trains are running, I grabbed last year's problem child and threw her on the rails. Today she ran perfectly? I did add wipers and that helped maintain control.

 

[enginear joe]

and then the clouds rolled in again!

[du-bousquetaire]

Its the same here fellows, we seem to have the same breed of Gremlins in France. Although it would surprise many, it would seem that running in live steam is more reliable than running electrics.: No track cleaning, no slugs that creep around the tracks in the cutting and wreak havock when a low slung motor block derails over them (Or at least with live steam the worse that can happen is a derail...). No fear of rain or residual humidity (very common, here this year in particular). Although my DCS is now quite stable since I followed Raymonds advice: 1. get a Bridgewerks, 2. protect with 5 amp fuses in case of shorts. Most of my pointwork is homebuilt and has continuous current through the entire point, with results that if a switch is thrown in the wrong direction and you run into it from the frog end you will short when you reach the next point (On crossovers). On some afternoons because of distraction I can change 4 fuses! And it all is worse when friends come along or at Get Togethers. But I wouldn't change hobbyes for a fortune.