Here’s an interesting way to not do train automation:

I had been at the museum to examine the RDC in the morning. The passenger train had two coach cars. Jim came by during the afternoon and suddenly ask me if I removed one of the coach cars since the train had now a single car. No I didn’t. How was that even possible?

Today we’re running something a bit different:

The Doodlebug is back to replace the RDC which is currently dismantled on the bench.

The Amtrak GE unit is back with two coach cars. Jim spend quite some time checking the cars were carefully weighted and made sure they would stay on the track.

This was rather unexpected:

The passenger automation currently runs with two UP engines. Then once the passenger train goes back to the station, the RDC goes out. Although they use the same track, they shouldn’t be on the same block at once.

For a change of scenery, today’s Saturday running has the TGV Atlantique in Multiple Units:

The TGV going over a wooden trestle bridge is a contrast that I enjoy every single time:

Four days ago, a derailment of the Amtrak train occurred. This was left unattended for a while. The end result is that both trucks on one of the Amfleet coaches melted. I didn’t even have a remote idea this was possible. I did not get a chance to see the damage first hand nor how it occured. One possibility I can consider is that there was a short and it lasted long enough to somehow produce heat and melt the trucks.

Photos: J. Evans.

That left me speechless. Not for long though.

From the always excellent Gurries’ web site:

https://sites.google.com/site/markgurries/home/dcc-general-best-practices/wiring-planing/snubbers-rc-filter

One thing I have experienced a few times at Randall are unresponsive engines. Luckily it is not a very frequent thing and each time I have seen it only on very specific engines. My first TGV unit using a custom LokSound V3.5 had the issue -- when running it after a while on very busy Saturday ops days, it would sometimes cease to reply. I “fixed” the issue by switching to another decoder, a newer LokSound V4.

However I have seen the same issue with other operators’ engines. Very very specific ones, and luckily not that many. I can think of a handful of cases.

A while ago that made me think whether using “snubbers” (RC filters) would be a possible choice, and if yes, where should they be located. Thus the link to Gurries’ web site above.

Unfortunately, when I read his “ideal bus wiring”, it seems to me that the Randall’s wiring is hitting all the wrong spots.

Description of Issue

Reports of trains stopping on turnouts T370 / T371, between bridge and signal on Summit.

Tried running two engines (GP9 5913, F40PH 506 from automation) and easily encountered the issue.

Measured voltage when engine stops: there was none.

Pushing the rails or the points (even so slightly with the voltmeter) immediately fixed the issue.

After what took like forever, the Randall’s RDC engine is finally working again. This is what it looks like:

You’d be right to ask “what the heck am I looking at here?!!”. Very fair to ask. You are looking at a Rapido RDC SP 10 disassembled, with the motors being in the process of being replaced.

Let make me this clear: if your Rapido RDC stops running, save yourself some trouble. Contact Rapido’s support, and ask them to fix it for you. You’ll save yourself a lot of trouble.

Description of Issue

There are two totally unrelated issues that make turnout T05 hard to use. Make that three issues.

Toggle button issues:

• Turnout toggle button is loose. It rotates.
• Turnout toggle button is a 3-position and not a 2-position.

Frog issue: Second issue is an incorrect polarity on the T05 frog.

T05 is a double cross-over. When straight, the frog in mainline track 1 tested as having the same polarity as the lower rail.

What should be expected:

• There’s supposed to be a gap between the track 1 & track 2 segment cross-overs.
• The frog is controlled by a Fulgurex to draw power from either rail A or B.

Here’s an interesting experiment for the Branchline automation: using a Doodlebug.

This one comes courtesy of Martin Perry, who bought the Doodlebug and coach back in the 2000s. In 2005, he relettered both cars and donated them to the GGMRC for the Branchline operation, so it would be quite fitting to have it run today on the branchline automation. The engine is part of Bachmann’s Spectrum line and ten years later still works like a charm.

Since I have no record of when maintenance was done on it, I should probably open it and lubricate it before using it for daily automation. Right now it’s on “probation” to make sure it works and does not derail on the branchline dual-gauge turnouts… these have been doing fine so far but I’ve had some not-so-great experience running a previous 2-6-0 engine right there a couple years ago.