Sunday, March 23, 2025

March Updaate

This month a few things have been achieved and included: New Project, Bill Black, Loco Maintenance, Tasks completed & scheduled. My next Op Session is 31st March.

New Project

Last month I indicated details of a new project and this month I have purchased some track ready for future work.

Bill Black Visit

I have been to Bill's Animas & Lobato Southern Sn3 layout twice and he finally got to come to see my layout. Bill drove a train through all the mainline tracks and stayed longer than expected. It was great to see him, thanks Peter for bring him over.

Bill and Me

Loco Maintenance

Last month I detailed that I had a consist fail during the session, the offending locos were removed to the workshop and the decoders were factory reset, and programming info re-written using JMRI.

The QSI V7 decoder had failed and caused the issues.

I have ordered a new Tsumani2, it has arrived, and I installed it see below.

The failed QSI V7 decoder

QSI decoder removed

Kapton tape used to hold decoder in place before wiring

Checking operation and direction

I had not installed a new decoder in a long time and forgot the QSI decoder had resistors for the LED lights on board, so I just wired them directly and on first operation destroyed both headlight and backup lights!

I could not find my golden white LED's, so I had some white ones that I "doped" to get the golden light. Added resistors to legs and bend and soldered to old legs left on the PCB's and heat shrunk black tube to mimic the original.

Wires neatened and kapton taped down

The body shell was refitted and couplers remounted then placed on the test track and speed matched to my standards. Following this the acceleration and braking was set to match its mate in the consist.

The consist was test run then local consist, used in the Roco System used on the test track, was removed using JMRI ready for them to be placed on the main layout and using the NCE Advanced Consisting before being put back in service