Color of Smoke Box

The number of tubes is not a defining specification. Steam Engineering

Mark Newt>

IF that's a genuine question I will answer it.

Half my layout is hidden. (hidden storage - mainline of open track and tunnels - through station - mainline - hidden storage) As such half the running of every train is purely by track section/track block. The hidding sidings (5 parallel tracks) each operate on a queuing system. Individual control of each train by loco address in these circumstances would be a total pain - sure it would be possible with some tracking system, but more complicated that track block control and a total pain.

Each track section needs to be individually wired either way (DC or DCC) with detection.

Turnout motors need wiring either way. If I could find a reasonably priced turnout decoder I'd definitely us DCC to cut down on turnout control wiring. Interlocking is easier with DC. I'll admit that after 40 years of control panel building I got bored with the wiring etc, especially when revising track layouts where the panel alterations were always a step behind. Nowdays I use PC software and an interface, panel onscreen and interlocking via Basic software.

While my interface is home designed and made and my programing is my own, such things are available commercially. Blocks are swithched by relays which cost me UK78p each and my layout uses about the same number as I would need loco decoders.

Read the traffic on the DCC newsgroups - you have a whole new set of artificial restrictions.

It seems I've missed something vital here - what constraints am I facing and in what way would I be able to operate that would be far more sophisticated and complex?

So far I've noticed 'sound' and being able to block together locomotives for multi-loco operation. Sound of course is not entirely tied to DCC. OTOH there's the complexity of fitting expensive decoders with the subsequent degradation of mechanical operation (lost weight = degraded current collection and tractive effort) plus the almost insurmountable problem of loco decoder address recognition.

Sure, but DCC has it's own constraints - quite possibly you don't come up against those constraints, but I did and after years of careful consideration I concluded that for my main layout DCC did not offer enough advantages over the inherent constraints to be worth the additional costs.

It's very difficult to erect a locomotive boiler with a different number of tubes to that allowed for in the tube plates. One could miss one out, but that could result in a very leaky boiler. Adding extras is another possibility but weould be quite a difficult task. Fitting fractionally larger tubes for more heating surface is possible but unlikely. =8^)

On the subject of rivet counting, generally locos of the same type have the same firebox/boiler/smokebox rivet placement unless some redesign has taken place. Locos often/usually had at least one replacement boiler in their operating lifetimes and here in NZ many (earlier imported) locos had their original smokeboxes extended, smoke funnels changed and smokebox doors and fittings changed. On boiler replacement new superheated boilers often replaced saturated boilers. Like boilers usually had the same rivetting. (I'd say "always" but I'm sure some exception would catch me out) Tenders and side tanks wouldn't necessarily have the same rivetting, but I'd be fairly confident of each works repeating the same pattern and number for like objects.

Regards, Greg.P.

I was discussing rivet counting, I have not as far as I know deliberately set out to insult or denigrate another person as you three or four insist on doing, and in calling it childish I am, sadly, insulting children everywhere, you are quite frankly boring when you do this, so once again I ask you to desist. Valé Beowulf

According to whom? Some flaccid newsgroup troll like yourself?

Haven't got the foggiest notion what you're on about. Neither have you, troll.

Steam Engineering 101. That is English. I guess English is not something you are familiar with so I will help you out. That means 101 is the first university course on the subject. 100 is for freshman year. 01 means first course. So 101 Steam which you know nothing about per your own post means you dont have the foggiest idea about steam engineering which is not surprising. I on the other hand have a masters in thermodynamics.

Are you too young to have g> snipped-for-privacy@aim.com wrote: