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Post by trainman9 on May 6, 2022 14:09:10 GMT
I just wonder what we will do when the company’s no longer have parts. This is not an isolated case but is prevalent with all of them, Lionel, MTH, Atlas and others. With respect to Lionel go to their website and look up some parts for newly built engines.
You may find that there are no parts available. So, what do we do. Now you have either a shelf queen or take out all the electronics and replace them with e-units. Of course you lose all those nice features you paid for.
As for me I may either abandon the hobby altogether or just go conventional.
Now, one of the things you can do to help prevent electronic failures. First if you are using PW transformers, install fast acting fuses. Second, regardless of which transformer you use install Transient Voltage Supressors on all inputs and outputs. These will protect from voltage surges. The TVS I would recommend is the bi-directional 1.5KE33CA. They sell for about $1.00 and will provide protection from surges over 33 volts.
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Post by curtis on May 6, 2022 18:18:38 GMT
We revert to what how they use to play with trains originally. You place hand on engine or locomotive and push it around and say Choo Choo!
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Post by trainguyken on May 6, 2022 19:55:31 GMT
This is one area that the smaller gauges have figured out better than us. The DCC control system is open source, which is to say the standards are readily available and anybody can make decoders, controllers and all the rest. No one company has a monopoly on the system, so decoders are relatively inexpensive ($50 compared to $125-250) and abundantly available from several different makers. As much as I like DCS and TMCC/Legacy and am planning to keep my trains running as long as possible, the command-control HO locomotives of today have many of the same sound and control features with a more long-term supportable platform.
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Post by Adam on May 6, 2022 21:08:33 GMT
This is one area that the smaller gauges have figured out better than us. The DCC control system is open source, which is to say the standards are readily available and anybody can make decoders, controllers and all the rest. No one company has a monopoly on the system, so decoders are relatively inexpensive ($50 compared to $125-250) and abundantly available from several different makers. As much as I like DCS and TMCC/Legacy and am planning to keep my trains running as long as possible, the command-control HO locomotives of today have many of the same sound and control features with a more long-term supportable platform. There have been a small handful DCC of decoders and controllers made for O Gauge. It would be interesting if some of these vendors resurrect these systems. I, for one, would have no issue shifting to DCC as electronics in my modern engines start to fail. In fact, one of my back burner projects is to build a DCC system with open source SW, a Raspberry Pi, some higher voltage DCC decoders and other hardware and a Williams engine. Just need to find the time and motivation to get back at it.
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Post by firewood on May 10, 2022 4:21:48 GMT
Thanks! As I've posted elsewhere, I'm looking at battery dead rail RC control in the future even though I'm a low-interest-in-electronics guy. I also have to do some researching into replacement motors that don't depend on the whims of OEM manufacturers. In the meantime I have a package of TVS diodes to attach to my very conventional cab control blocks.
Dave
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Post by dennym57 on May 10, 2022 11:35:51 GMT
I think you're over reacting.
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Post by sdivtim on May 10, 2022 16:48:41 GMT
Buy Donor Cars like I've been doing.
Engines, I have no idea.
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