HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: sra@bistromath.mitre.org (Stan R. Ames)
Subject: Command Control Standard Working Group Status Report
Organization: The MITRE Corporation, Bedford, MA
Date: Thu, 2 Apr 1992 16:52:56 GMT

The NMRA Command COntrol working group is currently attempting to
develop a strawman for a standard command control system.  The standard
will be confined to the information that is transmitted over the rails.

Currently the Marklin Digital= system is is being used as a basis for the
standard.  

A second system, CTC16000 being developed by CVP products (Keith
Gutierrez) is also being considered.  The RAILCOMMANDER(CTC 16000) system
has addresses for 1024 locomotives and like the Marklin system is a digital
system.  Whereas the Marklin system can operate on conventional power
the railcommander system has ben designed to be backward compatable
with the various CTC systems. 

A detailed report on the Railcommander system will be provided in a few
weeks.

A third system the Onboard digital system has also been considered.

Whereas this system is a high quality system, and Bob Keller can be
credited with getting this standards effort initiated by initially
proposing this scheme, both the packet format and the mannor it is encoded
on the rails was judged inadequate to be the basis of a standard.

The initial results of this effort are to be presented at a clinic at the NMRA
convention in Columbus this summer.

Should any one on the net know of a digital system that should
also be considered please contact me directly.

Stan Ames
From: sra@bistromath.mitre.org (Stan R. Ames)
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
Subject: New Vendor of Command Control Equipment
Keywords: command control
Date: 15 Apr 92 22:21:19 GMT
Article-I.D.: linus.1992Apr15.222119.4335
Organization: The MITRE Corporation, Bedford, MA

A new US company SMW (Fax 302-454-7812) is shortly going to market the
LENZ Digital Plus system in the US.  Although costing has not been finialized
I was told that receivers would be in the $50 range.  Initially the products
will be for HO gauge and G gauge.  However, the complete line including N
and Z will follow shortly.  LENZ makes the Marklin Digital= and Arnold
systems.  The Digital Plus system differs from these only in that more
or the capabilities already present will be exploited.  For example
the Digital= system has 64 speeds (actually only 56 but thats another story)
built into the receivers.  However the Marklin central unit is only built to 
transmit 16.  The system from LENZ will make all speeds available.  

This places LENZ in direct competition to Marklin and Arnold.  That should
be interesting.

From the catalogue I have extracted the following information.
 
LE100S  1.5 Amp continuous 3.0 Amp peek, 1 switchable function for directional 
lights (100MA),  intended for general purpose motors, available 2/92.

LE100M  1.5 Amp continuous, 3 Amp peek, 1 switchable function for directional 
lights (100MA), 2 switchable auxiliary functions (.5 Amp) intended for AC 
motors or motors with no permanent magnets, available 5/92.

LE100F  1.5 Amp continuous 3 Amp peek, 1 switchable function for directional 
lights (100MA),  intended for can motors, available 11/92.

LE200S  3 Amp continuous 6 Amp peek,  intended for LGB type motors, 
available 5/92

LF200s allows four functions for large scale equipment.  This allows for 
complete separation between motor receiver and function receiver.  
Available 5/92

LG100 transmits the 00 code that automatically stops all trains at a 
preset rate within the block. Available 9/92

LV100 52VA booster (can be made much bigger with an easy conversion)
Available 10/92

LH100  Walk around throttle that can control both engines and accessories.  
Available 10/92

Zentral The central unit for the system. Available 9/92


I have no connection with LENZ or SMW.  The information surfaced as part
of the command control standard information that I have been gathering.

Stan Ames
From: macman+@pitt.edu (Dennis H Lippert)
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
Subject: Re: Helix headaches
Date: 6 Apr 92 16:34:35 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh

In article <1992Apr6.095429.1@woods.ulowell.edu> andradee@woods.ulowell.edu writes:
>In article <45460001@hplvec.LVLD.HP.COM>, js@hplvec.LVLD.HP.COM (Jon Sawyer) writes:
>4-8-4's, 2-10-2's, even a few 6 wheel models although rare) Mantua (?) I
>believe makes a Challenger that can take 18" curves. You would have to shop

Bowser makes a Challenger which I believe needs a 24" radius.  Rivarossi's
plastic one can take down to an 18, but it looks mighty strange there...

>in good shape. The other driven equipment that I have has been nothing but
>trouble. In fact I have a Boswer (sp? and I think this is the company that made
>it) 4-8-4 "Nigrara" (major sp) that I bought at a train show for $40, that
>usually sells for $80. So I thought, "Oh, this must be a good engine if it
>normaly sells for so much." But I was wrong, with in a mounth of light use,
>maybe about 12 hours running time, It died. I opened it up, and "what to my
>wondering eyes" did I see. A cheap plastic motor that could not be repaired. I

Funny, how unrepairable was it?  I have the stuff at home to do major surgury
on mine (it went up in smoke, I wasn't *about* to put more than a few
bucks into... it *is* pretty much garbage.

Please be careful with names here.  The Niagara was a BACHMANN, not Bowser.
The Bachmann drives can be screwy, but with care and patience they can be OK.
(care = *extremely* light lubrication... only when they begin to squeal...
patience = don't run them all day, they *will* overheat under stress).

As for the name of Bowser, their kits are sometimes difficult to assemble.
Sometimes hard to get to run right.  But once one's built right, it'll run 
forever (defn:  forever = many many many many many years).

And for the record, Bachmann has already announced a new drive for the big
4-8-4's which will be on the market soon... it's mechanically identical to
their Spectrum 4-6-2 drive... i.e. WONDERFULLY smooth and quiet and durable.

-- 
===============================================================================
Dennis Lippert - macman@unix.cis.pitt.edu
The "Mac Maniac" operator at the Hillman Research Lab - Univ. of Pittsburgh
- all comments are mine, don't use them without proper identification.
From: 1k1mgm@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu (Christopher Gunn)
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
Subject: MRC7000 power pack tinkering?
Date: 13 Apr 92 16:36:25 CDT
Organization: University of Kansas Academic Computing Services

Today got my hands on an MRC 7000 'Sound and Power' unit and have
decided that despite a few problems this is a Neat Thing.  Steam sound
is more than adequate, and is fairly easy to synchronize with
locomotives (more about this later).  Diesel sound leaves a little
to be desired:  in its 'ramping up' mode, it has a strange science-
fictiony character that reminds me of bad sound effects in some
particular old movie (I think it was "Invaders from Mars," the
original version, but I'm not positive).  At speed, it's not too bad;
probably a better speaker with more bass would help.

A few problems exist, however, when the momentum feature is used
on the throttle.  Sound kicks in quite late (i.e., when the voltage
is high enough to have some probability of moving the locomotive),
as it probably should.  Sound-start/engine-motion is just about
right for some of the Bachmann things I've got, but my Atlas/Kato
SD7 (N scale) is WAY down the track before the power pack thinks
it should be moving.  (Also, shouldn't a diesel rev pretty high
*when* just starting?  I expect the MRC folks saved a few bucks
by using the same basic throttle-coordination circuit for both
the steam and diesel sounds, about which I guess I can only complain
a little.)

Has anybody out there tinkered with the guts of these things (MRC
7000s) to adjust either the trigger levels of the sound or maybe
the overall voltage ramp shape?  Since they're relatively new,
I don't have a lot of hopes that much evisceration and re-working
has gone on, but since I'm probably going to void the warrantee
anyway putting a momentary switch on the horn (to complement the
volume/tone slide lever that's on it now), I'm willing to try
at least some benign things.

I'm not an analog electronics person by any means, though;  any
help would be appreciated.

Christopher Gunn	Molecular Graphics and Modeling Lab
SPAN--KUPHSX::GUNN	Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Malott Hall
913-864-4428 or -4495	University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS  66045
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
From: jsm@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (John Scott McCauley Jr.)
Subject: Re: Cambridge
Originator: news@ernie.Princeton.EDU
Organization: Princeton University
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 22:49:59 GMT

In article <1992Apr9.211102.8993@linus.mitre.org> sra@bistromath.mitre.org (Stan R. Ames) writes:
>In article <8APR199221184373@vax2.concordia.ca> charlan@vax2.concordia.ca (M.CHARLAND) writes:
>>
>>I will be in the Cambridge, MA area next weekend.  Can anyone suggest a hobby
>>shop where I can get N-scale track, etc.  In particular, I am interested in
>>finding switches at less than the Canadian price.  Is there a discount 
>>rail hobby market in the USA?
>
>You might try Charles Ro in Malden.  They are a national mail order
>house and specialize in O and G guage.  However their HO prices are also
>very good. I know they handle N but I do not know their price structure.
>
>Stan Ames

I looked at Charles Ro two years ago and got the impression that
their N stock was the result of buying out another store.

I think the prices were reasonable. Better call them ahead of time
to make sure they still have an N-scale inventory! The O and G scale
part of the store dwarfs everything else!

	Hope this helps,

		Scott
From: waldin@concerto.lcs.mit.edu (Earl Waldin)
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
Subject: Re: Bowser/Bachman controversy (was Re: Helix headaches)
Date: 7 Apr 92 15:14:00 GMT
Reply-To: waldin@lcs.mit.edu
Organization: Laboratory for Computer Science, Massachussetts Institute of Technology

In article <1992Apr7.142425.9173@uc.msc.edu>, wes@uf.msc.edu (Wes Barris) writes:
|> In article <1992Apr6.202008.21085@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>, ggg9y@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU (Garth G. Groff) writes:
|> |> RE :  Bowser/Bachman controversy
|> |> 
|> |> Be advised that English's Model Railroad Supply (a division of the same
|> |> company that owns Bowser) offers replacement mechanisms for Bachman steamers.
|> |> These seem to be the same engineering as the excellent Bowser kits.  Not
|> |> for the beginner, but not impossible for the average guy.  Check ads in
|> |> MR or RMC for details.
|> |> 
|> 
|> What is included in the "replacement mechanisms"?  Just the motor?
|> 
|> -- 

The replacement mechanism includes quite a bit.  If I remember right it
includes a frame, motor, drivers, side rods and a few small items.  What
you keep from the Bachmann is the shell, valve gear and leading and trailing
trucks.  From the diagram in the Bowser catalog it looks like you modify
the (Bachmann) tender so that electrical pickup is taken off of the tender's
wheels, which means you run a wire from the tender to the locomotive.

Prices run about $38-$40 (plus shipping) from mail-order discount places
that advertise in Model Railroader.  The regular retail price is about $45,
but you'll likely have to order it from your local shop because they
usually don't stock them.

I haven't bought one yet, but I'm thinking about it.

	Earl Waldin
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
From: wey@cbnewsb.cb.att.com (william.e.yoder)
Subject: Re: Need RAILBENDER for G-gauge
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 12:22:45 GMT

In article <2007@h.cs.wvu.wvnet.edu>, muth@a.cs.wvu.wvnet.edu (Wayne A Muth) writes:
> 
>   Several times recently, it has been noted [in this forum]
>   that one needs to use a RAILBENDER when laying own track in
>   G-gauge.  I will be using either long pieces of rail from
>   LBG or shorter pieces gotten from LGB or Aristo track sections.
> 
>   Can someone give me a vendor name (and address or phone?) for
>   a suitable RAILBENDER -- and/or please identify product
>   name or manufacturer ... thanks.  Wayne.


The Lindsay Machine Works advertises a railbender in Garden Railways
magazine. it lists for $72.95 + $4 p&h. It is the most popular one
that I have heard of. 

G guage flex track can be bent and nailed down, as in smaller guages,
if a wood underbed is used, and the radius is not too small. LGB and
Aristo track is code 320 and rather heavy. If you use code 250 brass 
track, it is even easier to bend. Aluminum track also bends easily.
I haven't used the railbender but plan on borrowing one if the need
arises.

Bill Yoder
From: wahl@merton.enet.dec.com (David Wahl)
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
Subject: Re: Question about Atlas Snap-track usage
Date: 15 Apr 92 18:24:50 GMT
Reply-To: wahl@merton.enet.dec.com (David Wahl)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation

--
In article <1992Apr14.194859.4267@sal.wisc.edu>, jwp@bernie.sal.wisc.edu (Jeffrey W Percival) writes:
|>The problem:  The 19" curve does not clear the switch motor of the
|>second turnout.  I tried removing the tie ends near the base of the 19"
|>curve, and managed to get it to match the intended center of curvature,
|>but then the rail is so close to the switch motor, no car will clear!

Hi, Jeffery.

I solve this by adding a short piece of straight track between the the
two switches.  Either cut up an existing straight track into several short
lengths (and file the rails to be true, etc.) or purchase the "miscellaneous"
Atlas snap track collection which has several pieces of odd length and use
the short ones as spacers between switches.

Regards,
Dave Wahl
===================================================================
Digital Equipment Corporation
Database Systems Research (CXN1/2)
1175 Chapel Hills Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80920-2080

Tel 719-260-2758
Email: wahl@cookie.enet.dec.com
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
% The opinions expressed are my own, not Digital's.               %
% "I suppose you would have to be very well educated to get that  %
%  kind of job."                                                  %
% "Extremely well educated.  Typing, everything."                 %
% -- Donald Barthelme, "The Emerald"                              %
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: dawdy@tellabs.com (Dan Dawdy)
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
Subject: Alco GIF's posted
Date: 6 Apr 92 22:27:55 GMT
Organization: Tellabs, Inc. Lisle, IL

I have placed 5 (Sorry, I got carried away) GIF files
in Alt.binaries.pictures.misc of current Alco power.
Descriptions follow.  Again, if some of you don't
recieve that group I can send the pictures to you.  Just
send your request and give me a few days to reply.
I can not FTP from here so if anyone wants to put
these on a site, that's fine with me.
To answer a few questions, All pictures were shot by me
with Canon equipment (FTb/F1/A1) on either Kodacolor or
Ektar film.  Scanning is done on a H-P ScanJet II which
is new to me so hopefully the quality will continue to
improve.  I have had many requests to scan out of rail
books.  I have held off on this because of copyrights
although that does not seem to stop people on the other
binaries pictures groups.  Maybe later. 
Next week: Miscellaneous meanderings thru rail yards.

GBW_308.GIF
Resolution.......798x550x256
Size.............201,908
Green Bay & Western RS20 No. 308 started life as an RS3 and was
rebuilt by the GB&W w/2000 h-p engine.  Engine was captured
in Green Bay yards August 1985.

GBW_309.GIF
Resolution.......798x550x256
Size.............212,447
Green Bay  & Western RS11 No. 309 shown sitting in Green Bay
yards in August 1985. Built in 1956 it's the only one of its
kind still on the roster.

GBW_312.GIF
Resolution.......800x567x256
Size.............205,797
Green Bay & Western Century 424 carries the unusual cheveron paint
and the name "Homer E. McGee" under the cab window.  Picture was
shot in GBW yards Stevens Point, WI August 1988. This is a great
place to shoot the Alcos as they are always working the paper mills
in the area.  Easy access to yards and fairly friendly personnel.


GBW_319.GIF
Resolution.......800x562x256
Size.............212,998
Green Bay & Western Century 424 with local leaves Stevens Point, WI
in route to Plover with customery Alco smoke.  Photo taken June, 1987.

LSI_1604
Resolution.......795x560x256
Size.............276,087
Lake Superior & Ishpeming RS3 No. 1604 smokes it's way out of
Munising, MI on a beautiful autumn day.  Running long end first
with crew standing on the front (back) porch.
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
From: andradee@woods.ulowell.edu
Subject: Re: Helix headaches
Organization: University of Lowell
Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1992 14:54:29 GMT

In article <45460001@hplvec.LVLD.HP.COM>, js@hplvec.LVLD.HP.COM (Jon Sawyer) writes:
> 
> I am trying to plan a modest sized HO layout, and would like to
> solicit the wisdom of the net regarding minimum radii.  Adjacent to my
> "train room" is a small room (the furnace room) in which I have
> tentatively planned to put a helix (I am planning a multi-level
> layout).  My motivation is simple:  the train room itself is not large
> (7'x16'), and if I can move the helix out, I'll have that much more
> room for scenicked layout.
<TEXT DELETED>


You left out some info that would be helpful, like what type of engines are you
going to most likely run. If it is steam engines, the better ones are made to
take a mim of 22" curves in most cases. This is for the larger ones (like
4-8-4's, 2-10-2's, even a few 6 wheel models although rare) Mantua (?) I
believe makes a Challenger that can take 18" curves. You would have to shop
around and ask or read literature but out by the manufacture of the engine you
are looking at as to the mim radius. They do vary. 
Athern engines can take 18" radius curves with out blinking. Some can even take
sharper! So Athern should have no problem taking your 20" radius curves. For
relatively cheap, good running engines, that can pull a fair amount for their
class, Athern is the way to go. In fact I swear by Athern. I have a small
variety of equipment from different manufactures, and Athern is the only one
that I have found that I can afford, that will last and last and last, and stay
in good shape. The other driven equipment that I have has been nothing but
trouble. In fact I have a Boswer (sp? and I think this is the company that made
it) 4-8-4 "Nigrara" (major sp) that I bought at a train show for $40, that
usually sells for $80. So I thought, "Oh, this must be a good engine if it
normaly sells for so much." But I was wrong, with in a mounth of light use,
maybe about 12 hours running time, It died. I opened it up, and "what to my
wondering eyes" did I see. A cheap plastic motor that could not be repaired. I
did not have at the time, the ability, time, or willingness to by a remotering
kit, and put a new motor in. So I went to my local hobby shop, and had a new
drive unit put in, and so on and so forth. So, I learned a lession, and I hope
everyone else has learned something from this also. 
I know that I drifted of the subject a little bit, but I hope that I did
answer some of you questions.
From: jpc@philabs.philips.com (John P. Curcio)
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
Subject: Re: Mountains
Date: 17 Apr 92 14:12:56 GMT
Organization: Philips Laboratories, Briarcliff Manor, NY.

In article <1992Apr16.174205.25835@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU> ggg9y@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU (Garth G. Groff) writes:
>RE:  Styrofoam for scenery
>
>Aside from the moral/ecological implications of using ozone-
>destroying styrofoam for scenery, consider that the dust from
>cutting and shaping this stuff is dangerous.  If you choose to
>use styrofoam, be sure to wear a dust mask.  Keep a vacuum
>cleaner handy because this stuff gets all over the place quickly.

Contrary to your belief, styrofoam does NOT harm the ozone layer in any
way, shape, or form.  Previously, CFC's were used in the forming of
styrofoam, but they are no longer used-- inert gasses are used.

-JPC

-- 
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
John P. Curcio                  Go Bruins!                 Philips Laboratories
jpc@philabs.philips.com                                    345 Scarborough Road
(914) 945-6442                                       Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
From: ggg9y@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU (Garth G. Groff)
Subject: Re: Bowser/Bachman controversy (was Re: Helix headaches)
Organization: University of Virginia
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1992 15:34:37 GMT

RE:  Bowser/Bachmann--2

These are complete kits that include, motor, drivers, frame, rods, valve
gear, pilot, etc.  They will take some tinkering, but will probably run
far better than the original mechanisms and will probably outlive the
builder.

--Haridas
From: schallen@possum.den.mmc.com (Eric Schallenmuller)
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
Subject: Re: 6 axle Athearn diesel's
Date: 8 Apr 92 22:56:09 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Martin Marietta Astronautics Group, Denver

I have an Atlas 4 axle GP-40 with frame mounted couplers (horn-hook,
unfortunately).  It hated 18" radius curves and threw all of my 
lightest rolling stock off the curves.  I found that banking the
curves helped alleviate the problem somewhat.  The real solution was
going to 22" curves.  I still had some banking in the curves, and no
easements.  I tore that all up, so I can't verify it, but I believe that
the trouble point was the end of the curve, in which case easements on
an 18" radius would probably have solved the problem as well.

Eric
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
From: jon@shell.com
Subject: Re: Mountains
Originator: jon@spjerint
Organization: Shell Oil
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 92 13:20:03 GMT

>What do people find the best for making hills, mountains, etc.  Paper mache?
>Foam?  Something else?

I've tried the "ceiling tile rocks" with good results.  Its described
in the Kalmbach beginner HO book.  You cut acoustic ceiling tiles into 
six inch wide strips, then score (not cut) and break these into strips
an inch or two wide.  This will result in a rough looking edge.  Stack
these together, and nail or glue, and you'll get a realistic looking
mountain face.  I was pretty surprised at how good it looks.  I cut some
pieces at an angle, and used these for the bottom, resulting in the
whole thing being tilted up, since I'm modeling the Rockies.  

Jon Holdman, jon@shell.com
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad