Extra 10 North Holds the Main

I’ve been making steady progress toward eliminating derailments on the main track. However, the passing siding has seen wheels only a couple of times in all these years because, frankly, there hasn’t been a need to use it! So, to create a reason to use the passing siding, and also to get the equipment off […]

Little Sister

My post about the engine lead buildings prompted me to pull #10 out of the roundhouse, where it’s been languishing since giving up its decoder to #622 some years ago. This was the first time I’d ever seen #10 next to #1120, and the difference in size was so stark, I wanted to share it. […]

Pretend engineering

Before we proceed to make a decision about the best path forward for attaching wheels to axles here in North Vancouver, I have one more round of experiments to share. I still believe that a keyed wheel will be superior in holding onto the axle compared to any sort of a glue bond, but the […]

Three ways to wreck split axles

Both #10 and #622 have split-frame current collection whereby the wheels on each side are connected electrically to the frame on that side. This means that the two ends of the axles are in turn isolated electrically. In the case of #10, I used split axles available from the EM Gauge Society, while for #622, […]

A Photo for the Railway Modellers’ Meet

This is the first time in a while that we’ve had a photo display at the Railway Modellers’ Meet. Consequently, the organizing committee decided to task ourselves with ensuring there is something to see; we each need to bring something. This is not a problem for someone like Marc Simpson, who not only knows how […]

Split-frame tender design

When I built number 10, I included a detailed underframe, complete with boards and the stringers. You can’t see it, and frankly, the tender frame is a bit of a weak spot. Not only that, but I didn’t think about how to get current from the trucks to the decoder until very late in the […]

The book on #10

In light of recent posts about #10, it’s a bit ironic that the book has finally become available through Model Railroad Hobbyist. It’s been in the works for something like 18 months now. Despite my decision that I really need to go back and rebuild the chassis, there is still plenty to learn from this […]

Cutting my losses on #10

Happy Easter! What is the AAR-approved method for tying giant Easter eggs down anyway? You’ll note in the cover photo that I still haven’t put #10’s tender back together. After the recent Battle of Pembroke Hill, I drove this little train into town. To say it was a success would be overstating matters significantly. Despite […]

Tuning an ESU LokSound Decoder

An unanticipated consequence of replacing #10’s decoder was that performance would degrade. It says right on the box that your locomotive needs to work flawlessly before you go installing decoders, but still, a certain amount of back EMF compensation is known to smooth out the occasional foible. The old Zimo decoder worked fantastic right out […]

Debugging #10

It seems to be two steps forward, one step back on #10. No sooner had I fixed the quartering issue that had popped up, than I discovered that the engine truck weight was dragging and catching on guard rails. After I resolved that, I triumphantly placed the engine on the track. Where it sat. Silently. […]