HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: ardie@UIUC (R.D. McClary)
Subject: Re: Re: Bachmann motor
Organization: Department of Plant Pathology
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1992 17:08:44 GMT

>
>
> A DC motor >relies on the current travelling in the same direction to 
>maintain a direction of rotation. If AC were applied to it, it would try to 
>oscillate. 

Not so!  1.  Many of these motors are "universals" that can run on AC or 
DC.  There may be a few odd-balls out there that do mess up, but it is not 
always obvious.   2.  Direction for a DC system depends on polarity.  I 
don't know how electronic reversers for AC work, just how to hook them 
up.  (The old AC motors with field windings reversed direction by reversing 
the order in which current flowed through the motor - field first, or 
brushes first.(


>Also, the motor detemines the current draw. The motor will not 
>draw 5 amps unless there is something seriously wrong with it. 

I know that!  The question was, can the motor handle that much current 
before it gets fried.  (Actually, the Baldwin is the one tinplate loco with 
a motor that couldn't handle enough load.  Although the motor windings might 
survive, the heat often melted the loco body or the brush solder.)

>I think you need to brush up on your electronics a bit before you proceed.
>
>-Anthony Prattico
>
Agreed, but then, don't we all?
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
From: ehr@ecsvax.uncecs.edu (Ernest H. Robl)
Subject: Re: Improving HO ConCor superliners
Summary: tinting windows
Organization: UNC Educational Computing Service
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 1992 01:33:30 GMT

In article <57452@olivea.atc.olivetti.com>, pesce@flash.ATC.Olivetti.Com (Leo Pesce) writes:
> In article <1992Dec26.215207.18013@newstand.syr.edu>, cwebster@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Chris Webster) writes:
> 
> 	[deleted]
> 
> > the correct trucks and diaphrams, but what can I do for interiors
> > on this and other superliners?  Can I tint the windows somehow?  |Is
> > that prototypical?  Suggestions for adding kadee couplers?  
> > 
> > Thanks for all your suggestions.
> 


One easy way to tint windows in passenger cars would be to use 
the so-called gel filters used for photographic lighting.  You should
be able to get these through professional photo stores or by mail 
order.  These filters are used in front of lights, not camera lenses,
to alter color of lights.  They come in a huge variety of colors.

The material is a bit difficult to describe, but it's like very 
thin and strong cellophane.  It normally comes in sheets, but
many photo stores should also have small sample books which are
often given away for free or sold for a dollar or two.  Rosco is
one of the better known brand names.  Their products are called
"cinegels."

In many cases, a single sheet of this filter material should be enough
to fix dozens of passenger cars.  You would need to cut this filter 
material slightly larger than the existing window material and cement
it to the insides of the car.

-- 
"My other computers are Nikon N8008s and an SB25." -- Ernest H. Robl
Ernest H. Robl (ehr@ecsvax)  Durham, NC, USA   +1  919   286-3845
                                         FAX:  +1  919   286-1696
This .signature meets plate C specifications (for rec.railroad fans)
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
From: wes@uf.msc.edu (Wes Barris)
Subject: HO locomotive tractive effort list
Reply-To: wes@msc.edu
Organization: AHPCRC, Minnesota Supercomputer Center
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 16:19:23 GMT

I have determined the relative pulling force of a number of HO locomotives.
I thought this may be of some interest to the net so I am posting it.  This
was done by connecting a spring to the coupler and measuring the maximum
distance the spring was stretched as the engine wheels slipped.  This is a
proper measure of force since a spring behaves linearly where the distance
stretched is directly proportional to the force applied.  The units shown
are the distances each engine was able to stretch the spring.  The distance
was measured in ties.

Engine Type		     Distance
-----------		     --------
Tenshado O-8 Mikado		40
Bowser Challenger		40
Bowser Mountain			40
Rivarossi Cab Forward		31	(traction tires)
Mantua Mikado			27
Tyco 0-4-0			24	(traction tires)
Rivarossi Mikado		22	(traction tires)
Athearn F7			22
Rivarossi Hudson		21	(traction tires)
Bachman N&W Northern		21
Athearn GP9			19
Rivarossi Berkshire		18	(traction tires)
Mantua 0-6-0			14
Lifelike 0-4-0			 8

As you can see, the brass Tenshado and Bowser steam engines had the greatest
pulling force.  This is because of their weight.  The Rivarossi steam engines
are relatively light, however, the use of traction tires make up for this.
The surprise is the Tyco 0-4-0.  It has one traction tire that apparently
works quite well.

-- 
                                       o O O O O o o o o o o o o . . . . . . .
 __________    ___           ___      __                _
/_______|--`--|_ _|--=-==---|_ _|--,_|__|_             |-+-------`____________,
| ||_| /        -  |        / - \  |      || ________  |                      |
|_|___/------------|----__---------|------|||__|__|__| |Southern Pacific Lines|
|_|____________/-------{__}---------------{__}_______|=|_________     ________|
/_(o)=(o) ( )( )( )( ) [__]  ( )( )( )( ) [__]--(o)     (o)(o)(o)-----(o)(o)(o)
===============================================================================
Wes Barris                                                   PH: (612) 626-8090
Minnesota Supercomputer Center, Inc.                         Email: wes@msc.edu
From: pesce@flash.ATC.Olivetti.Com (Leo Pesce)
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
Subject: Re: Marklin HO questions
Date: 1 Jan 93 13:43:49 GMT


This is a follow up to my previous post. I wouls like to add a 

		HAPPY NEW YEAR to ALL.

There. It's January 1st, 1993, 5:30 am. What am I doing here anyway.
Must be my love with trains. 

Leo
From: romeo@niagara.Tymnet.COM (Michael Stimac)
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
Subject: Re: rec.models.railroad Fortnightly FAQ
Date: 29 Dec 92 00:07:29 GMT
Organization: BT North America (Tymnet)

>>The standard scales, listed in approximate order of popularity, are:
>>
>>OO      1/76.2 (4 mm to the foot, mostly used in the UK)

>>TT      1/220 (common scale in the former GDR, only produced by Zeuke in
>>               Berlin)
>
>OO uses the same track gauge as HO (16.5mm/ft). HO stands for Half-O,
>European O-scale being 7mm/ft. TT is actually 3mm/ft, scaling out at
>approx 1/100 for British Triang (no longer produced) or maybe 1/110 for
>Zeuke. Triang TT track was 12mm gauge, which was horribly out of scale,
>and I think Zeuke uses 14mm (maybe 14.5mm) which is a lot nearer to scale.

This is UK (and European) practice. TT had a surge of interest in the US
during the early 1950s; Kemtron and Dance were among the suppliers. This
used the scale of 1/10" = 1 foot. The model track gauge was 0.471"
(1/10" is a ratio of 1/120). The "TT" was alleged to stand for
"Table Top" as very small alyouts could be built.

I'm not aware of anyone modeling in TT in the US at this time.

Also the comment that "00 uses the same track gauge as H0" is only
true for UK. US 00 gauge is wider than H0 - 3/4", and a scale of
5/32" = 1 foot has been often used.  This is a tad smaller than
the 4.0 mm scale also used - 3.97 mm.

00 remains an active scale in the US, albeit used by a mere
handful of modelers.

Michael Stimac
-- 
Michael Stimac
(415) 355-8889
romeo@tymnet.com
These opinions are not necessarily anyone's but my own.
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
From: ardie@UIUC (R.D. McClary)
Subject: Apology - AC/DC
Organization: Department of Plant Pathology
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1992 12:43:00 GMT

     I admit I was confused concerining can motors, AC, and DC.  Without 
trying to sound like I am trying to justify myself, I shall try to explain 
the cause of my confusion.
     1.  I recently converted my Sugami (?) powered American Models FP-7 
from DC to AC by adding a "reverse unit".  Without advertising this fact, 
the board obviously included a rectifier.  (My planned conversion was to 
include this same board since a yard switcher that runs in only one 
direction is only slightly more useful than it is on the shelf!)  (On the 
cheap, a bridge rectifier diode costs about a dollar at Radio Hack, but I 
would still be one-direction-only.)
     2.  The idea for the conversion came from an article in the Jan-Feb, 
1990 issue of S-Gaugian.  The author neglected to mention a few things 
here.  He must be running on DC!
     Conclusions?  As I have the Bachman motor already, I could mount it in 
the Baldwin chassis, hook up about 4 cars, and run it for about 2-5 minutes 
and see how hot it gets.  If it doesn't get too hot, I can wait and save up 
for a REAL motor.
     Thanks to all that replied.
                                                   Richard
Xref: sparky rec.models.railroad:2760 rec.railroad:10246
Organization: Arizona State University
Date: Monday, 28 Dec 1992 15:29:01 MST
From: Barry Murrill <ICWBM@ASUACAD.BITNET>
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad,rec.railroad
Subject:    ALCO DL-109 Drawings Wanted

     I would like to get a photocopy of the ALCO DL-109 A & B unit drawings
in the Kalmbach book "Model Railroad Cyclopedia Vol. 2, Diesel Locomotives".
I purchased a Con-Cor N-Scale DL-109 powered A unit and an unpowered A unit
from a hobby shop that went out of business. The powered unit runs really
well and I would like to try converting the unpowered A unit to a B unit. I
was told that drawings exist in the above mentioned book (I haven't seen it).
I'll gladly pay any associated costs. Any other sources of information on
the ALCO DL-109 would be warmly welcomed. I have MicroScale decals to finish
the units in the Santa Fe Warbonnet scheme. Thanks.
---
Barry Murrill                 Government Documents Service
Arizona State University Hayden Library       602-965-3387
BITNET: ICWBM@ASUACAD   INTERNET: ICWBM@ASUVM.INRE.ASU.EDU
**********************************************************
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad,misc.wanted
From: thssjms@iitmax.iit.edu (Jeff M. Steele)
Subject: Traction Wanted
Organization: Illinois Institute of Technology / Academic Computing Center
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 92 19:45:35 GMT


Posting for a friend without USENET access:

* Desparately Looking for HO Russ Briggs Design's South Shore Line
  interurban kits, UNBUILT.  Will pay.

* Willing to Trade in O scale:
--> 2 Car Works CTA 5-50 series cars with Current Line Power Trucks,
    for a pair of Car Works Flat Door 6000's (powered or unpowered).
--> A Q-Car Chicago Rapid Transit/CTA 1800 series wood "L" car, for
    a Q-Car 4000 (or something else $).

Please email me any responses.
Jeff Steele
thssjms@iitmax.iit.edu
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
From: scum@pcthree.com (Steve Monroe)
Subject: good reliable 'n' gauge mail-order source
Organization: PC Three
Distribution: rec
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1992 14:20:45 GMT


A friend of mine is starting up (a lapse since childhood)
and is trying to decide whether to upgrade (?) to 'n'
gauge.

Can someone recommend a good mail-order source?  What do
prices run?  How about 'z' gauge?

Thanks for any help.

I've got to get him net access so he can ask his own
questions....

--
Steven C. Monroe            VOICE:(703)406-2082                PC Three, Inc.
scum@pcthree.com             FAX:(703)406-2078                  P.O. Box 1644
                                                              Herndon, VA 22070
-- 
Steven C. Monroe            VOICE:(703)406-2082                PC Three, Inc.
scum@pcthree.com             FAX:(703)406-2078                  P.O. Box 1644
                                                              Herndon, VA 22070
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
From: johnh@tigger.rl.af.mil (John Hawthorne)
Subject: Re: good reliable 'n' gauge mail-order source
Organization: Rome Laboratory, Network Design Facility
Distribution: rec
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1992 19:16:40 GMT

In article <1992Dec29.142045.8953@pcthree.com> scum@pcthree.com (Steve Monroe) writes:
>
>A friend of mine is starting up (a lapse since childhood)
>and is trying to decide whether to upgrade (?) to 'n'
>gauge.
>
>Can someone recommend a good mail-order source?  What do
>prices run?  How about 'z' gauge?

I've been happy with service from Toy Train Heaven and Standard Hobby,
but would also like to relate my experience with The Train Master in
Albany NY.  They are N scale specialists who seem to have a good
selection.  Last winter I ordered 2 cabooses from them that I could
not find elsewhere.  They processed the order against my credit card,
then notified me that the items were backordered.  They later informed
me that the cabooses had never been in stock and would not be, due to
problems at the manufacturer.  They issued me a credit instead.  When
I called and asked that the credit be applied to my Visa account, they
said that I would have to write them a letter asking for a refund, since
they would not do this by phone.  I think it is reprehensible to charge
me for items that were never in stock, and then make it so difficult
to get a refund.

John Hawthorne

P.S.  I finally found those cabooses last month at Ed's Southern Trains
in Johnson City, TN.

From: myers@hplred.HPL.HP.COM (Tom R. Myers)
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 20:52:50 GMT
Subject: Re: Thanks for all the "Help with a Lionel Transformer"
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Palo Alto, CA
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad

>   I used a file to knick the two at one place.  Then
>  I put a "dot" of solder across the knick.  Seems to work fine.


Good idea, though solder is pretty soft, and your fix may not
last long mechanically. What might work better is to get some
copper braiding used to desolder, and fill your "nick" with
braid fragments, then solder. This will give your fix some 
internal structural strength. May be the thing to do if your
initial work does ever wear out.


trm
From: dermer@convex.csd.uwm.edu (Marshall Dermer)
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
Subject: HO Guage, 63' Corvettes on Sale at ...
Date: 1 Jan 1993 19:03:45 GMT
Organization: Computing Services Division, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Distribution: wi
NNTP-Posting-Host: 129.89.7.30
Originator: dermer@convex.csd.uwm.edu

I visited the "Everything's A Dollar" store located next to the Ease Side
Pick'n Save on East Capital Avenue in Milwaukee this morning.  On a wall, on
the west side of the store, I found a rack of 1963 Corvette Hardtops, HO
scale (1:87), highly detailed, and distributed by Monogram Models of Morton
Grove, Illinois.

Unfortunately, all the cars are red but this would be easy to correct.  We
bought two cars; my son intends to paint one blue.

Shall we open up a Corvette dealership?

Marshall

                                            ___________ 
                        ll         ll       l  ____  l
           ]------------------------------  l  l__l  l 
           l...   Marshall Lev Dermer  .. \_l Dept ofl\
        [  l..  dermer@convex.csd.uwm.edu   l Psych. l_\  ]
        [__l_______Milwaukee, Wisconsin_____l________l__l_]
       @[_/<_>==<_>\_________________________/<_>==<_>\___]@
From: ed@stauff.UUCP (Edward L. Stauff)
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
Subject: Re: HO Train and Accessories Quality
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 92 22:48:20 EST
Organization: Minstrelsy & Lutherie

romeo@niagara.Tymnet.COM (Michael Stimac) writes:

> As to this sort of book, I recently purchased _Easy-to-Build Electronic
> Projects for Model Railroaders_ by Peter Throne. I'd like to warn
> beginners to be wary of this book, because the information is
> rather incomplete. Many of the projects described included circuit
> diagrams, but no parts values ! The text includes references to
> "parts lists", but there are in fact no parts lists. Unless you're
> comfortable with scoping out a circuit diagram and guesstimating
> parts values, this book won't be much help to you.

I just wanted to set the record straight by mentioning that I have two
books by Peter Thorne, "Practical Electronic Projects for Model Railroaders"
and "34 New Electronic Projects for Model Railroaders", and neither one
seems to have the problem that Michael reported in "Easy-To-Build...", which
I have not seen.  Caveat emptor!


=============================================================================
Edward L. Stauff, Nashua NH; ed@stauff.UUCP *or* uunet!mv.com!gozer!stauff!ed
        "Specialization is for insects." -- Lazarus Long
From: czl30@duts.ccc.amdahl.com (Chris Lee)
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
Subject: Re: rec.models.railroad Fortnightly FAQ
Date: 28 Dec 92 20:21:25 GMT
Reply-To: czl30@DUTS.ccc.amdahl.com (Chris Lee)
Organization: Amdahl Corporation, Sunnyvale CA

In article <rec-models-rail_725523302@tahiti.cs.brown.edu> rjm@cs.brown.edu (Ralph Johnson Marshall) writes:
>Archive-name: model-railroad-faq
>
>
>The standard scales, listed in approximate order of popularity, are:
>
>HO	1/87 (actually 3.5mm to the foot, or 1/87.1)
>N       1/160 (1/152, 2mm per foot in the UK)
>O       1/48 (but see below)
>G       1/22.5 or 1/24, or whatever the manufacturer decides
>S       1/64
>OO      1/76.2 (4 mm to the foot, mostly used in the UK)
>Z       1/220
>No. 1   1/32 
>TT      1/220 (common scale in the former GDR, only produced by Zeuke in
>               Berlin)

OO uses the same track gauge as HO (16.5mm/ft). HO stands for Half-O,
European O-scale being 7mm/ft. TT is actually 3mm/ft, scaling out at
approx 1/100 for British Triang (no longer produced) or maybe 1/110 for
Zeuke. Triang TT track was 12mm gauge, which was horribly out of scale,
and I think Zeuke uses 14mm (maybe 14.5mm) which is a lot nearer to scale.
>
>In O scale, track has been traditionally laid to scale 5'0" gauge
>instead of standard.  O scale modelers divide into three groups
>according to how they handle the discrepancy between gauge and scale:
>
> a. most O scalers live with the discrepancy.
> b. some model at 1/45 scale, keeping the traditional O gauge.
> c. some model at 1/48 (known as Proto:48) and narrow the traditional guage
>    to standard, but these models will not interoperate with the other
>    two groups.
>

d. European modellers use 7mm/ft, with 32mm track gauge (the fine scale
   folks use 33mm). 32mm gives a scale gauge just less than 4ft 7in, and
   33mm gives marginally over 4ft 8.5in.

Kadee couplers
--------------

Which couplers to use? must be a frequently asked question, and between
the rec.models.railroaders we must have put Kadees onto most kinds of engines
and cars (this is a hint!). Maybe this deserves a FAQ in itself?

Number 5 is a good start, but some engines do need other couplers:

Stewart Hobbies F- units use number 460, which is specially designed to
give prototype spacing. They come with comprehensive instructions including
how to remove the body from the chassis, which Stewart don't tell you.
This probably invalidates the warranty. Once you read the instructions it
is easy.

Atlas RSD4/5. I used number 5 eventually, but had to trim the drawgear box
to fit, even now the centering spring protrudes in front of the pilot so I
am not very happy with this and will replace this when I can find something
more suitable. Until then, I have blackened the spring so it's not too
obtrusive. I had a similar problem with a Bachmann Spectrum switcher.

Chris Lee
Xref: sparky rec.models.railroad:2791 soc.culture.canada:9715
From: PLAWS@UAFSYSB.UARK.EDU
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad,soc.culture.canada
Subject: Ken Goslett: Email??
Date: 2 Jan 1993 12:28:01 -0600
Organization: University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

      Does anyone have an Email address for Ken Goslett?  Lives in the Montreal
area.  Writes for _Railroad Model Craftsman_.  Thanks in advance...

PS- tried netfind to no avail...

Peter Laws              |"The '90s are gonna make the '60s|plaws@uafhp.uark.edu
n5uwy@ka5bml.ar.usa.noam| look like the '50s"--D. Hopper  |plaws@uafsysb.bitnet
From: urf@icl.se (Urban F)
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
Subject: Re: Bachmann motor
Date: 22 Dec 92 07:51:52 GMT
Organization: None. On USENET I speak only for myself.
X-Alt.reply-Address: n.g.u.fredriksson.swe2001@oasis.icl.co.uk

ardie@UIUC (R.D. McClary) writes:

>>
>>maintain a direction of rotation. If AC were applied to it, it would try to 
>>oscillate. 

>Not so!  1.  Many of these motors are "universals" that can run on AC or 
>DC.

It is true that an AC motor will run fine on DC, but when you
reverse polarity, it will still run in the same direction.
Thus we can determine that a motor that reverses direction on
a DC system, will not work on AC.


>>Also, the motor detemines the current draw. The motor will not 
>>draw 5 amps unless there is something seriously wrong with it. 

>I know that!  The question was, can the motor handle that much current 
>before it gets fried. 

The two main things that influence how large current will be
drawn, is the type of motor, and the voltage applied. There's
no way to get a 1 A motor to draw 5 A without applying excess
voltage.

The question to ask is: Can the motor perform the amount of
work required without overheating? I've had trouble fitting
small can motors in large locomotives, but no real burnups.


But back to your problem. You could install it and run it,
provided it only gets DC, and never encounters track that
has AC across it. (And if your system reverses direction
by high-voltage pulses, never give it any of those.)

In my opinion, it would be too much trouble having both AC
and DC on the same layout -- but that's OK, as you can run
the AC motors on DC. Then you "just" have to keep two ways
of reversing directions.

I know people who does this on Marklin track, as they 
started out with Marklin, but then some other manufacturer
made a model they wanted (in DC), which they put a centre
rail shoe on.

With AC, you can also have real cheap two train control by
running them on half-wave rectified AC, and with diodes
mounted in different directions at the motors.

(Still, all in all, it's probably easiest just to find a
suitable AC motor to put in.)
--
 Urban Fredriksson  urf@icl.se  
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad