That’s how I roll but many operators hate it. I’m in it for the realism but I don’t really “operate” very often. A good way to manage coupling maneuvers is to keep the throttle at 1 or 2 and keep the brake on. Toggle the brake on and off to achieve slow controlled movements.
I'm getting started on a AMB caboose kit that I got from Robert recently. Any one have any recommendation on researching a prototype I can use for reference. I'm not very good at this kind of research yet. I'm planning on doing something similar to this http://s3.amazonaws.com/rrpa_photos/137303/SLSF Caboose 642 frbw.jpg. The instructions that came with the kits says that this model was manufactured in the 1920's, but I can't find much more information on this series.
I’ve built a few and they lend themselves to plenty of modifications to fit certain prototypes or darn close to them. A couple of mine were built just as your photo shows. I scratch built the side door Frisco caboose #777 after I built the two AMB kits and became emboldened. Very fun and inspirational models. Good luck. Don’t forget to add working marker lamps and interior lighting as well.
I got the DCC-EX command station built and set up JMRI on a Raspberry Pi. Thanks to @klrwhizkid for the help programming my decoder.
Did my presets including the Braking function seem to fit your idea of how the locomotive should operate? You will want to adjust the chuff rate so it is synced with the drivers. Using Operations Mode (mainline) programming, start the locomotive moving slowly so you can count the chuffs and see the connecting rod position. In Decoder Pro, on the Sound Tab, move the Engine Exhaust Control slider to 60 and click on Write Changes on Sheet when the connecting rod is just at either 12:00, 3:00, 6:00 or 9:00. The decoder will take a snapshot of the motor control waveform and BEMF and remember those as a sync signal. If the chuffs start to lag the four positions, then move the Engine Exhaust Control slider to a higher value and click on Write Changes on Sheet when the connecting rod is once again just at either 12:00, 3:00, 6:00 or 9:00. If the chuffs come faster, then move the slider to a lower number and repeat. At some point you will find the number that makes a chuff happen every 1/4 rotation and will stay on sync with the connecting rod location. Another adjustment that should be done with Operations Mode programming is setting the DDE Load Offset and DDE Load Slope on the DDE tab. With the locomotive moving at speed step 1, move the DDE Load Offset slider to 255 and click Write Changes on Sheet. Then go to speed step 40 and once the loco speed stabilizes, move the DDE Load Slope slider to 255 and click Write Changes on Sheet. You can then stop the engine. The decoder takes a snapshot of the motor load BEMF at both points and creates a graph of motor load for the unloaded locomotive for all speed steps. It writes its calculated values for DDD Load Offset and DDE Load Slope into its memory. It uses the load graph to determine if the locomotive is pulling a load (cars or going uphill), drifting, or being pushed by a load (going downhill). Based on that determination, the decoder will increase or decrease chuff volume and intensity. If you go to the programming track, you can read those values of DDE Load Offset and DDE Load Slope into the Decoder Pro roster file for the locomotive.
The braking seems to work just fine. I'm not sure what idea I have of how a locomotive should operate, LOL. We talked about the DDE in our call and I plan to do that. Thanks for writing up the instructions to help me remember. I didn't know you could sync the chuff. Man, you can do some cool stuff with DCC.
Especially with the SoundTraxx Tsunami 2 decoders. Diesels will automatically notch up and down based upon load, while running a constant speed based on throttle position.
I'm certainly interested in adding working marker lamps and interior lighting. Do you have any good resources on that? I've never done it before.
To be honest I think I just Googled LED HO scale caboose marker lamps. The interior light I used (over the conductors desk) is a grain of wheat bulb or something similar. It’s been a while. I used pre wired trucks on one caboose and scratch built power pick ups on another. I use a sound car decoder and have all my lights hooked to that so that I can use my NCE throttle to control the lights.
These 0402 Pre-wired LEDs will fit almost anywhere and you can use 1K 1/8w resistors for voltage dropping/current limiting.
Awesome thanks. I've done a little bit of research on the interior layout, but haven't been able to find any Frisco specific. Anyone have good resources on that? My Google-fu is pretty good for IT stuff, but not so great yet for this stuff.
I'll race you to completion. I have a four year head start, but am sure it will be pretty close.... Your video should inspire me to finally finish this one up! -Bob T.
LOL, It can be really difficult to feel inspired to finish up a project when there are so many other exciting projects to get started on. I'm feeling that way about my lumberyard right now. I need to start the interior details, but it's going to be hours of cutting and assembling stacks of lumber. I'm trying to figure out what color to use for the roof. There are no color pictures of prototypes from my era and I'm never sure if the newer color photos have the same paint scheme they did originally.
Here’s how I finished my roof. Can’t recall my references or if I had any at all. I’m pretty sure the roof was black tarred “mule skin”.
Some of the mule hide roofs on these caboose were replaced with wood or metal. The instruction sheet might for this model may indicate this! John
Here is a thread where this was discussed: https://www.frisco.org/shipit/index.php?threads/wood-caboose-roof-question-what-is-mulehide.4657/
I guess I wasn't reading closely enough. The sheet does talk about black for mule hide covered roofs, although in the step by step instructions it refers to it as a canvas roof. Perhaps mule hide does refer the company as discussed in the thread @rjthomas909 provided a link too and it was a canvas based product. Just speculation from me. I'll go with a black roof and do a little aging/weathering on it. Next I need to figure out the interior layout, wiring/lighting, markers, and undercarriage.
