KC & D RW

3/4/09
Have my Bachmann ready for RC/Sound and battery power, ordered items from http://www.tonystrains.com and again they send wrong items;
Order was:
qsi-asc 1 QSI Aristo Speaker Cable
qsi-gwrcv 1 QSI GWire Receiver
qsi-hp350s 1 HP350S QSI High Bass Speaker
qsi-mgnm 1 QSI Magnum -3010 542
qsi-scc 1 QSI Steam Cam Cable

And they sent PnP Aristo QSI sound card but no magnum adapter to wire into non Aristo loco.
And they did not include GWire flat cable to hook GWire to QSI card to work.
I would understand if a dealer had these issues, but for the manufacture to get these items wrong again makes me wonder if I am purchasing an item that will be around for a while
KC
3/4/09
personal call from Tony today, they are sending items need to complete order. should have them is a few days.
KC

Just information on my Bachmann 2-8-0 consolidation conversion to battery power.
It was the easiest conversion yet besides the Aristo battery switch.
In the tender all you need to do is remove the screws holding the track pickup wires.
On the loco I just removed the bottom 4 screws holding the rear pan and that exposed the circuit board with the track, motor connections. Then you just cut the two wires with the loco pickup wires to board plug. I then cut and spliced the tender input wires to the plug to the motor. This will allow we to put RC and batteries in the tender using the two track feed wires to the circuit board for motor power.
Really very easy.
The sound still has its two-wire connection to the tender so that will all work.
I really don’t like the wire connections between the tender and loco and am thinking of converting that over to a CON-640 plug between the loco and tender, it will be stronger and only require 1 plug to connect.
Now I am waiting for QSI to create a G scale card for this to use. There will be plenty of room in the tender to place the QSI card and Gwire receiver and batteries.

KC

Updated my USA NW-2 cow and calf to onboard battery power, GWire receiver with QSI soundcard. I am using the AirWire 9000 for transmitter.
I almost completely gutted the wiring on these locos, eliminated the smoke units and took out the switches that are factory.
I wired the two loco to run combined or individually, depending on need. I used an All Electronics CON-640 6-wire plug between the two for power, motor, directional light or trailcar battery power. this is running 4 motors together as combined unit.

The cow unit has the QSI card and GWire and sound. The power out from motor power goes to cow trucks and through the 6-wire plug back to the calf unit to power those trucks also.
2 more wires in the 6-wire connection feed light power to the calf unit from the QSI board. This way the cow and calf have directional lighting.

Placed the QSI receiver where the cow center weight is suppose to be, put that weight in the parts bin. I put the GWire receiver in the upper cab of the cow by removing the interior, then gluing the receiver to the cab rood and then reinstalled the interior. You cannot see the receiver unless you look for it. The cab has full time lighting.

I removed the center weight of the calf unit, put in a little floor and put two Aristo Li-Ion batteries in the calf with a little hot glue, wired that battery power to the cow unit.
I placed the removed center calf weight and put it in the fuel tank below to keep weight.
I also have trailcar battery feed wires (all electronics CON-240) on the long nose of the cow and the light end of the calf, that way I can disconnect the onboard batteries and power feed the unit with other batteries. This gives me the availably to run the cow as a single unit with trailcar batteries or run the combined unit with trailcar batteries from either end or run combined unit with onboard batteries. No dead batteries.

I know the amp output of the GWire/QSI card is only about 3.5 amps, but believe it will do everything I wish to do with it as a yard switcher with no trial car for control. I put the combined unit on my outdoor track and held them statonary until all 4 motors slipped on the track with thier own weight. I think it will do what I want.
It will also pull my log train around my layout.
KC

update 2/6/09
Here is a picture of the tag on the board, don’t have the skew from receipt. and I am sorry, I keep saying it is 1 inch, it is 3/4 inch wide.
Also I believe I paid about $18 a board, it is expencive.

Read more

Having fun the old fashion way at 125 miles per hour straight down

Update 2/20/09
Well I finally got the system back and installed
It seems to all be working, getting good range and the sound is fine.
As far as the motors go, the range is excellent, but the bell horn/whistle is not very reliable, it seems to work when it wants.
The receiver can be close or far away, it just allows you to activate them on an inconstant timing (Update, the bell and horn only will activate when the transmitter is in loco mode, you can’t transmit to bell or horn if in speed view mode). The horn/whistle also is an on/off proposition. You need to hold the horn button down to activate it, and if you hold it to long it locks on, there are no set horn plays so it only works if you push the button, sometimes the horn locks on and you need to turn it off once you realize what has happened.
This issue needs to be addressed by the manufacture.

KC

Read more

10/29/08
New homemade kitbashed drop center flatcar for my new portable power steam engine.
The idea behind this was to give my logging camps their own power system. Roll in portable power system, and camp is powered. Got to keep those loggers happy. The KC & D is always thinking modern.

Read more

Trains are nice, but is so nice having other hobbies also.

Enjoy, I sure did

KC

last update 10/9/08

Updating RC unit from Aristo TE/various sound systems to AirWire/QSI Sound Systems.
This is a hard decision for me, mostly because of initial cost, but I hope in long run I will have better more reliable system.
Once conversion is complete, I will be selling my TE systems.

Currently I have;
Control systems
3–27 MHz 55471 TE trackside systems in trail/battery cars
1–27 MHz 55471 TE trackside system for overall track control
2–27 MHz 55490 onboard systems,
one trial/battery car.
one in Bachmann 10 wheeler tender/battery,
2–75 MHz 55490 onboard systems
One in Aristo C-16.
One in Bachmann railtruck
3–27 MHz 55001 HOTE systems
1 in Doozie railbus
2 currently not used
Sound systems
1 RS-3 sierra sound system
1 with small scale railway Climax onboard
1 with Dallee F1 sound system onboard
3 x TE 55474 Remote Accessory Receivers.

Initial Purchasing:
AirWire Throttle (T9000)
QSI Quantum Magnum
QSI GWire Receiver

This set will be installed in my USA NW-2 Cow & Calf
I wire the NW-2 cow and calf to run as a single unit. The control unit will be installed in the cow unit with MU wires to the calf unit. The main power will come from calf unit with 2 Aristo Li-Ion batteries and charger hookup installed. This way the unit will be run as individual unit and be self contained.
If this hookup works, I will then expand to more QSI/AirWire receivers to eventually convert all locos to onboard RE receiver/sound.

Current locomotive stock;

Aristo
2 x RS-3
2 x C-16
1 - FA unit
1 - FB unit
1 - Lil Critter

Bachmann
Shay
Climax
RailTruck
10 wheeler Anniversary Edition

USA
NW-2 Cow & Calf
S-4

Hartland
Mack

Delton
Doozie

Sources for DCC AirWire/QSI Control Sound Systems
Health Trains
Johns Hobbies
RLD
Litchfield Station
St Aubin

The KC& D RW today announces their new custom remade fire suppression wagon.

Read more

Here are a few new videos of the KC & D RW June 08.
Little windy, but you can hear the RS-3 and railcars rolling by

Have two Aristo Milwaukee RS-3’s, both engines with lights and smoke that have failed and Aristo does not seem to be able to fix them.
Will keep them for the power, not the accessories.

and then there is the Climax log train

KC