December 29

Saturday December 29, 2007 8:20 am Lethbridge, Alberta

It is -15 C with a high forecast of -3 C. Sunrise 8:28 Sunset 16:38 Hours of daylight: 8:10

10:30 am

A. Morning Musings

The primary activity today will be to see if I can solve the reversing loop problem on my model train layout.

Immediate	Description	Time
Model Trains	Work on reversing loop problem	2 hr
Literature	Begin "The Tender Bar" by Moehringer	1 hr
Technology	Begin "Wikinomics" by Tapscott	1 hr

B. Actual Learning Activities

7:00 PM

I reviewed some of the comments on the three Model Train Forums that I posted my problem to. I then went back to the layout and solved the problem in about 30 minutes. Here is the message that I then sent to the Forums:

First, a very sincere thank you to everyone who has helped me with comments and suggestions.

Steamhead's reinforcement of an earlier comment that the only power to the reversing loop should come through the MRC Auto Reverse Module helped. I then disconnected the two feeder lines that were supplying power to the loop.

I now had confidence in both the attachment of the module as well as no extra feeder attachments to the reverse loop.

I then turned the power on. The pilot light on the Control Station lit up indicating I had power on the mainline. I then tried shorting out the track on the mainline. This caused the pilot light to momentarily go off. Good. I then repeated this test on the connector track that had the two red wires going to the Auto Reverse Module with the same result. Good. I then tried it on the adjacent connector track that had the two yellow wires from the Auto Reverse Module but this time there was no short. The track was dead. Hmm. I tried this at a few other locations within the reversing loop with the same result. There was no current anywhere in the reversing loop. Hmm.

The next step was the key one. I tried testing the two screws connecting the yellow wires to the connector track. The pilot light went off. There was power at the screws but not on the track. This meant the module was working fine, but the connector track was defective. I had just purchased this track so it was the last link in the chain that I would have thought would have been the problem.

I replaced the connector track with another that I had lying around and everything worked fine. The locomotive entered and left the reversing loop without any difficulty. Yes! You should have heard the blast on the horn as the engineer indicated he was heading home.

This has been an adventure, with a happy ending. I have learned a lot in the process.

Best wishes to all in 2008.

Now to settle back and do a little recreational reading.