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Hi, I'm new to this forum, and am finding it very intereting and helpful.
I wonder if anybody can help with some advice.
I have an N-gauge layout which I have been building, with not much progress, for about 10 years. I decided to use Peco code 55 track and electrofrog points with a ZTC DCC system. I'm pretty useless when it comes to electrics so I cajoled my (very reluctant) electronics engineer husband to do it for me (yes, I'm one of those strange female modellers). However my tracklaying skills are pretty negligible too - I like scenery and buldings. I stupidly laid the track on the Peco foam underlay as it made it easier to lay, but have now found that some of it, especially the bits under the points, have started to disintegrate. I have quite a large loco stud for a small layout but most of them don't run very well on the layout which has discouraged me from further progress. Also the points, especially the older ones, tend to short out with the DCC sometimes, if there is a tiny bit of dirt in the rails, and I have blown up a couple of chips (very expensive). I know it's not anything to do with the locos or the DCC because I built a simple oval test track and that works just fine.
Anyway to cut a long story short, I'm thinking of ripping it all up and starting again, perhaps with something a bit less ambitious so I might have a chance of finishing it before I'm too old to climb into the loft (maybe not all that long) and to give me a chance of actually getting to play with the trains. I have been thinking about going for a Kato or Tomix track system and would welcome some advice from anyone who has some experience of these systems. I was particularly interested in Tomix as they do a three way point and seem to have a wide range, but I can't find out any information about it or where to get it from.
I would like to know exactly how these track systems work, how easy they are to wire up, if nayone has used them with DCC, and hoe the point motors work - are they surface mounted and if so, how would you hide them when building scenery? My current layout has 12 points on it. Does anyone know where I can get more information especially about Tomix, but I would be interested in Kato as well. Any help or advice will be most gratefully received!
Thanks in advance!!
I wonder if anybody can help with some advice.
I have an N-gauge layout which I have been building, with not much progress, for about 10 years. I decided to use Peco code 55 track and electrofrog points with a ZTC DCC system. I'm pretty useless when it comes to electrics so I cajoled my (very reluctant) electronics engineer husband to do it for me (yes, I'm one of those strange female modellers). However my tracklaying skills are pretty negligible too - I like scenery and buldings. I stupidly laid the track on the Peco foam underlay as it made it easier to lay, but have now found that some of it, especially the bits under the points, have started to disintegrate. I have quite a large loco stud for a small layout but most of them don't run very well on the layout which has discouraged me from further progress. Also the points, especially the older ones, tend to short out with the DCC sometimes, if there is a tiny bit of dirt in the rails, and I have blown up a couple of chips (very expensive). I know it's not anything to do with the locos or the DCC because I built a simple oval test track and that works just fine.
Anyway to cut a long story short, I'm thinking of ripping it all up and starting again, perhaps with something a bit less ambitious so I might have a chance of finishing it before I'm too old to climb into the loft (maybe not all that long) and to give me a chance of actually getting to play with the trains. I have been thinking about going for a Kato or Tomix track system and would welcome some advice from anyone who has some experience of these systems. I was particularly interested in Tomix as they do a three way point and seem to have a wide range, but I can't find out any information about it or where to get it from.
I would like to know exactly how these track systems work, how easy they are to wire up, if nayone has used them with DCC, and hoe the point motors work - are they surface mounted and if so, how would you hide them when building scenery? My current layout has 12 points on it. Does anyone know where I can get more information especially about Tomix, but I would be interested in Kato as well. Any help or advice will be most gratefully received!
Thanks in advance!!