Model Railroad Podcast
hosted by: Ryan Andersen & Will Ayerst
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Model Rail Cast #12
Sat, May 10, 2008
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| Posted by: Ryan Andersen |
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Notes for Show #12 Coaling Tower Branch Line Interchange Tracks
Other Links http://www.trainweb.org/railnuts/yard.html
Download the enhacned (ACC) version of the show for iPod and iPhones, with chapters: MRC Show 12
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Posted by: Jay Smith
 on Mon, May 12 2008
neclayout.webs.comGreat show,
No hobby shops in Guam, but still found a way to get the word out there: http://neclayout.webs.com/modelrailcastsupport.htm Keep up the great work, and have a great trip Will! ~Jay |
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Posted by: Ryman
on Mon, May 12 2008
www.modelrailcast.com/Scott J,
Thanks for the blog post on your site! It was great talking to you. I look forward to your dioramas. -=Ryan |
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Posted by: sajay
 on Tue, May 13 2008
bs-and-t.comI had a great time! It was fun!
Hmmm... the dioramas. I'll have a post on my blog next week about how all that goes. Hopefully it will work out ok. Scott |
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Posted by: don on Tue, May 13 2008
www.passingloop.com
great that you all talked about DCC. I have seen them used in model rail shows and love the "geek-i-ness" of walking around the layout with a handheld! I dont have a dedicated layout but planing on a small diorama based on the small layout link in your shownotes. cost is also a factor. i know ryan mentioned 18$ decoders but do they do sound? Will also talked about lights, bells etc. Are those decoders expensive?
anyway, another great show! at least you all got me thinking about DCC. I downloaded the flyer. Looks very professional and nice to see Will's Diesel on the header ;-) |
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Posted by: Will
on Tue, May 13 2008
www.modelrailcast.comI basically class decoders in three categories:
Basic decoders - 2 or 4 function $20 decoders. These do things like speed curves, momentum, etc. and can power two/four sets of lights (i.e. front, rear, mars, ditch) Expensive decoders - as above, but things like capacitors/batteries for uninterrupted power, BackEMF, etc. (i.e. Lenz Gold) Sound decoders - as above, but with sound decoder functionality, which normally consists of an extra set of wires leading to a speaker/enclosure. If you want sound the easiest option is to get it preinstalled like on the Athearn Genesis or Atlas Gold ranges, otherwise you'll need to purchase a decoder like a Tsunami or Soundtraxx and mill the loco frame to accomodate the plastic enclosure and speaker required and do the wiring yourself. What I'm going to do is use a Broadway Limited loco which comes with the wiring and speaker done for their witchcraft decoder setup, then gut it and replace with a Soundtraxx one.. |
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Posted by: Jay Smith
on Tue, May 13 2008
neclayout.webs.comAn idea for the next show, maybe have the "Bulletin Orders," just a review of books or magazines that you guys have been looking at?
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Posted by: jimsmodeltrains on Wed, May 14 2008
www.stanfordhosting.net/jimsjunction
Enjoyed the show. Look forward to hearing more in future. Another great advantage of DCC (I don't remember you mentioning it) is that it is normally easier to wire a layout for DCC than for DC.
Jim |
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Great show; now I'm inding myself gradually downloading each preceeding show- I wasn't quite expecting the educational quality.
Incidently, the advertising spots came off very nice- a female british voice (Will, is that your girlfriend?) is hard to beat! The second spot kind of jumped out a little; but what a fun show. |
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Posted by: Will
on Wed, May 14 2008
www.modelrailcast.comI'm glad you like the advertising spots - Vicky (my other half) wasn't sure whether she would connect with our American and Canadian listeners - it's good that her fears were unfounded!
I'm also very pleased you're finding the older shows good to listen to as well, we try our best to make sure each show is 'complete' without requiring too much reference to earlier shows, so with that in mind I too think they stand equal. :) |
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Posted by: dmcree
on Wed, May 14 2008
www.tamvalleyrr.comI enjoyed the podcast - you guys are getting better with each and every one. All this talk by Will of operations got me motivated to finish the trackwork - I had two bridges out while I finished the Palisade Canyon crossing of the Humboldt River area. It was a fiddly bit because it had a stream, two tunnels and a lot of rockwork. I ran the first revenue train over the line - a cab-forward freight of course! I put a picture of it in the Photo Gallery under Listener Layouts/Tam Valley RR (or go to the webiste, URL above). I especially like the smoke. I used an old trick of wiggling some black cotton on a wire while the picture was being taken. I know others just use Photoshop to make smoke, but I can't get over the feeling that is "cheating". Operations are fairly simple - a bunch of trains are queued up in staging at each end of the railroad and run over the summit on a time schedule. Since the line represents two division points at each end, the staging just represents the rest of the world. If I had more poeple then I could do some local switching and make up trains from industries. I ran 5 total trains before the operating session was over. It was good to finally make some revenue after all the red ink of building the railroad (ha-ha).
Cheers, Duncan |
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Posted by: Ryman
on Wed, May 14 2008
www.modelrailcast.com/I am noticing that when you guys post your comments, that sometimes the comment shows up 2 or 3 times... and I cannot figure out why, so please give me some feedback on this?
Are you clicking the submit button more than once? Or are you typing in the 4 digit code wrong, then correctly the 2nd or third time? Thanks -=Ryan |
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Posted by: Ryman
on Wed, May 14 2008
www.modelrailcast.com/Thanks Jay I will test that out and see if we can get it fixed.
Hmmm just tried it with this comment: I posted it, then clicked edit, may changes, then saved it and only one copy shows up. So? |
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Posted by: Will
on Thu, May 15 2008
www.modelrailcast.comDuncan,
I'm glad that all the operations talk has helped someone out - we've got a real doozy for show number 13 - keep tuned in! :) |
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Posted by: tcoiler
on Thu, May 15 2008
http://www.pupman.comHi Will.
A note about your DCC plans. I got a Soundtraxx decoder. I think it was an LC101. Will confirm later this evening. Anyway, I put it in a Kato SD70-MAC (HO) locomotive. It went in easily without any modifications to the frame or body. I replaced an NCE DS14R decoder which worked well but had no sound. Upon testing it, I was dismayed to hear the thing buzz at low speeds. I tried various settings for PWM but that only changed the pitch of the buzzing. I believe that I had trouble setting up a consist as well. What I ended up doing was setting up the Soundtraxx so that it only got power and signals so it could drive the speaker. Then I replaced the NCE decoder and I've been happy with it. |
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Posted by: tcoiler
on Thu, May 15 2008
http://www.pupman.comIt was an LC101 as I thought I remembered.
Think I should move this to the forums. Chip |
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I can not believe you guys are only on show #12. Your podcast format/organization sounds so professional compared to some of the others I've heard. And they are on show #246. Keep up the great work.
Ryan and Will rocking the model railroad scene since 2008. Douglas |
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Great show guys comment about your show if you want a more high tech system look at railroad and co's system it uses any booster and plugs into a computer but their handhelds are usb ran and fully digital with color screens. have a lot more buttons and its like having a palm pilot
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Here is a good comparison of DCC systems
http://www.tonystrains.com/productcompare/dcccomparison.htm |
| A Model Railroad focused podcast/blog. For railroading beginners and seasoned line veterans. |
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