March 2003 Fun Run

["Steve Wise" <swise@aoot.com>]

We had a pretty good turn out for the fun run this weekend!

Setup was complete by around 11:30am.  We put up a 5x4 layout.  This included
my new siding modules with RCS O72 switches on main 4 into 2 siding modules
complete with MTH operating oil and freight buildings.  These seemed to work
great, and several members had fun trying to do siding operations.  Bob, what
was that manuver we had to do?  It involves pulling a car sort of fast,
decoupling before the turnout, letting the engine through the straight path of
the turnout, then switch the turnout so the car coasts through the divergent
path of the turnout via its inertia.  Great fun!

Scott's rework on his modules seemed to help.  We saw no voltage problems on
the tracks.  Scott, we used all three of the modules you worked on.  We did
have an accessory power problem that turned out to be a dirty Jones plug on one
of the club siding modules.  We need to get some more cleaner spray and spray
every time we setup, perhaps...

Saturday attendees included Ira, Stevo, Ed, Rick, Ricky, Bob Stett, Bob Miller,
and Adrian.  We ran until around 5:30pm or so.  Sunday: Stevo, Stevo's dad
(Larry), Rick, Ricky, BobS, BobM, Adrian, Randall/Ryan, and Rick's brother
(Tim?).  We ran until 4pm.  Thanks to Ed and Randall for towing the trailer.

Adrian, how did the corner cradle work out during loading?

We had problems with the MTH signal strength on all tracks.  I could never get
track 4 to work, and track three was intermittently successful at best.  Track
two had a few problems but seemed better than 3 & 4.  I think we're gonna have
to get into the habit of wiping the track with cleaner before each run.  And
note: we should not use the abrasive cleaner any more.  The new corners seemed
to have a lot of rust.  Ed attributed this to the abrasive cleaning.  I'm not
sure that was it.  There was still tinplating on the track.  And none of the
other modules were rusted like the corner.    Maybe we have a leak in the
trailer?  Or maybe the K-line track rusts more?

Another problem we experienced wrt DCS was using different handhelds.  Ira and
I brought our home MTH handheld to use and found out that even though we had
the same engine added on our home handheld, we had to re-add the engine to get
things working.  I don't quite understand why this is.  It might have had
something to do with the signal problems as well though...

I think we should run the main 2 TPC in conventional mode always.  We had an
instance where Rick was trying to get a conventional mode train going and the
fact that you have to power up the track via the TPC caused a spastic start due
to the TPC being in command mode and instantly going to full power.  This
happens if you dial up the voltage on the MTH handheld BEFORE powering up the
TPC.   There's really no need for it to be in conventional mode IMO.  It's
safer, and just as easy to dial up the power manually instead of hitting boost.
The additional benefit of this is that one can run conventional trains via the
cab-1.  With the TPC in command mode, you must use the MTH handheld to run
conventional trains...

Anyway,

Great run guys!

Stevo.