# Endless Money Pit



## Tomahawk & Western RR (Sep 22, 2015)

we left tuesday morning for the beach and we got back today. (i could login to MLS but i had trounble responding) when i left, ruby's R/C was working fine. when i got back, it would not work WHATSOEVER. any suggestion? P.S. all servo wires are properly connected, both batteries are fully charged).

the downside of steam seems to be upon me lately.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

When I read the title I thought you had bought a boat.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

1st. I never log out, I just close the site, makes frequent returns easier. Check the Remember Me box.
2. All R/C are different, might help to know the make.
3 Always give too much info, never too little.

Good Luck Nate,
John


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## BigRedOne (Dec 13, 2012)

In my time flying radio control aircraft, transmitters had a fuse. The rear cover needs to be removed to access it.

Are you near a hobby shop which sells the same model (or at worst, the same brand) of R/C?


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## Tomahawk & Western RR (Sep 22, 2015)

it is a Fly sky (FS) CT6B transmitter with a R6B receiver. its 2.4 GHZ and the problem seems to be with the receiver.


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## Tomahawk & Western RR (Sep 22, 2015)

vsmith said:


> When I read the title I thought you had bought a boat.


boat is rather an abbreviation than a word

*B*reak *O*ut *A*nother *T*housand

dont give me any ideas . i might attach a probeller and throw her in our pool


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

All you can do is start at the beginning again. Check/charge TX and rx batteries, and then re-link the rx to the tx. They sometimes forget how to communicate.

P.S. I am typing this on the B.O.A.T that just threw the fan belt on the generator as the alternator froze. Another $$ problem. And you think a Ruby is expensive.


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## Tomahawk & Western RR (Sep 22, 2015)

fixed it! somebody in our household(i think i know who it was) put old AA batteries in the boxes of new AA batteries.


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## Mike Toney (Feb 25, 2009)

I have no idea how those old AA batteries got in the package dear. Wasn't me. hehehe!. When it comes to boats, they say the best to days of boat owners life is the day he buys it and the day he sells it. Inbetween its a hole in the water that you throw vast sums of money. On my end, I steamed Frankie in the garden last night, needed to tweak servo linkages so I just ran him back and forth. Just did a test steaming on my work bench, and I am not getting full travel on the johnson bar. Was only getting partial forward or partial reverse, couldn't clean it up with the stick trim. Need to tear the radio apart and remove the spring from the reverse lever stick so I dont have to hold her "in gear" all the time. Mike


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## artgibson (Jan 2, 2008)

Tomahawk & Western RR said:


> fixed it! somebody in our household(i think i know who it was) put old AA batteries in the boxes of new AA batteries.


Nate
You are having way too much fun
Almost time to go back to school isn't it? waht will you ever do while you are in class and the Ruby is sitting idley bye waitng for you to come home.'"like Red and Rover " in comic strips.
BTW, best of luck in classes this year.


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## Mike Toney (Feb 25, 2009)

Keep up in your studies and classes, that way when you graduate, get thru college, you can hopefully get into a career that will enable you to buy many more live steamers thru your lifetime. Mike


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

Tomahawk & Western RR said:


> any suggestion?


Yes..don't use RC.
I'm being serious..IMO, operating a live steam locomotive is much more satisfying when doing everything manually..  the simplicity of it is part of the appeal..

Scot


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## zubi (May 14, 2009)

I second that. Do not use R/C. Unless it is a very well behaved locomotive like an R/C equipped Roundhouse. Best wishes from Tokyo, Zubi


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## Mike Toney (Feb 25, 2009)

I will say that the LGB/Aster Frank S does well with RC or manual control. Obviously on my line which is not totaly flat, RC is handy to deal with the hill and to close the throttle to let her "roll" on the downgrade portion. Mike


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## Tomahawk & Western RR (Sep 22, 2015)

guys, ruby is pretty much useless without R/C except on a portable steaming track. she needs it for the mainline(which is more like an abandoned branchline that hasnt seen ballast or track aligning for 50 years). -nate


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## zubi (May 14, 2009)

Well, Nate, live steamers generally are more useful for running on a level track, and running in circles only;-)... If you managed to get Ruby under control with R/C that is an achievement in itself. Good for you! Now back to your problem, I have no idea what our R/C setup looks like, but one thing you need to remember is that electronics does not like heat. It may well be that you cooked your receiver. Similarly, electronics does not like water. So you may have drowned it. You see, heat and water are two principal ingredients of live steam, this is why myself and a few others said, stay away from R/C, enjoy manual. If you want to have R/C you need to make sure that all electronics is well protected from heat and water... Best wishes from Tokyo, Zubi PS yes, this hobby is a bottomless money sink, but which hobby is not, stamp collecting;-)?


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## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

Tomahawk & Western RR said:


> fixed it! somebody in our household(i think i know who it was) put old AA batteries in the boxes of new AA batteries.


What do you think tongues are for. You should check them first. 

Andrew


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## Tomahawk & Western RR (Sep 22, 2015)

Mike Toney said:


> Keep up in your studies and classes, that way when you graduate, get thru college, you can hopefully get into a career that will enable you to buy many more live steamers thru your lifetime. Mike


mike, your comment got me thinking about something. in say 20 years, i will be 33. but that would make you guys...how old? for example, art, you would be 1o1 years old.and i think jason will be in his 60's my dad would be 81,(yes , my dad is 61 and mom is 59) so by the time my generation grows up, arts generation may no longer be around, my dad's generation will be getting up there in age, and jasons will hopefully all be around, but its not certain.


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## zubi (May 14, 2009)

But Nate, if you will not study and get a decent career, in say 80 years you might be the last live steamer in the world, still playing with his one and only Ruby;-)... Best wishes from Tokyo, Zubi


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## seadawg (Jan 2, 2008)

Tomahawk & Western RR said:


> mike, your comment got me thinking about something. in say 20 years, i will be 33. but that would make you guys...how old? for example, art, you would be 1o1 years old.and i think jason will be in his 60's my dad would be 81,(yes , my dad is 61 and mom is 59) so by the time my generation grows up, arts generation may no longer be around, my dad's generation will be getting up there in age, and jasons will hopefully all be around, but its not certain.


Here's what you should do, (I try to never tell people what to do, but this is an exception!) get some of your friends to put down their game controllers and take a little trip outside and introduce them to live steam. Yeah, it can get a little expensive, but so can an XBOX. Us older dudes would LOVE to have some interested younger folks around (they need to understand steaming etiquette, so no trains are damaged.), we'd be happy to help teach 'em the ropes.


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## Tomahawk & Western RR (Sep 22, 2015)

dave , i took your advice and Voila! a new organization is now in existence! the YLS! the logo is a baldwin builders photo and i colorized it, and added the cab name 'Wrightsville' and added YLS to the bunker. i then added this photo effect. 

the organization currently has 1 member, but hopefully it will increase.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Love it!


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## Tomahawk & Western RR (Sep 22, 2015)

zubi said:


> But Nate, if you will not study and get a decent career, in say 80 years you might be the last live steamer in the world, still playing with his one and only Ruby;-)... Best wishes from Tokyo, Zubi


zubi, i do study and do eventually plan to go to some school after high school. What school is still uncertain, but this is a possibility
http://modocrailroadacademy.com/faq.htm

actual college is still a possibility also.


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## steamtom1 (Jan 2, 2008)

Nate,
Not a bad choice, going to work for a railroad.
Just to show that even railroad workers maintain a good sense of humor--a little true story. This morning I was sitting in a coach on Amtrak train 79 from New York Penn Station to Union Station in DC. While I was waiting, Amtrak loco # 631 pulls in, and the Engineer, (Engine Driver for those of you in the UK), gets out, and looks like he might be going for a coffee. While he was gone three of his Amtrak compatriots sneak in and completely TP the inside of the cap. I think they also wrote something on the windshield, but I couldn't see what it was. Perhaps it was his big 50 birthday.
Here's proof...







​A closer look...






Cheers, and Chuckles,


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## Phippsburg Eric (Jan 10, 2008)

I have had my share of issues with radio gear over the years! Usually comes down to poor connections. Try rotating the batteries in the holder... See if you get a jiggle in the servos. Flip the switch on and off, unplug and reset the connectors. These are the first things to mess with.


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## John 842 (Oct 1, 2015)

Scottychaos said:


> Yes..don't use RC.
> I'm being serious..IMO, operating a live steam locomotive is much more satisfying when doing everything manually..  the simplicity of it is part of the appeal..
> 
> Scot


I've always thought that operating a live steamer with a model aircraft type transmitter is much more realistic than chasing alongside it with the 'hand of god' reaching through the roof.

And I don't mean one of those horrible little box transmitters with the rotary knobs! 

What could be better than continuously operating the regulator and reverser, each with it's own lever, just like the real thing? - especially if you're sitting in a comfortable chair at the time .... .


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## Tomahawk & Western RR (Sep 22, 2015)

i must say i can see both sides of the argument. manually running one is easier to get a feel for the engine, but with R/C you can be lazy, and you can run it on track with big grades.


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## Mike Toney (Feb 25, 2009)

Manual control is fine for dead level lines or ones with very very slight grades and for geared engines like Shays, Heislers, Climaxes and the Regner easy line ect. But for side rod engines, RC is just about necessary unless you have huge radius curves. His line, like mine is probably tight radius curves. Running side rod live steam on my line with grades and mostly R1 curves, with manual control is a great way to put my anxiety thru the roof. With RC I can close the throttle and drift down the grade just like a real engine, then open the throttle at the bottom and dig in for the climb back up the other side. All with the change in stack talk and sounds that go with that. Running live steam is a dynamic process, one that is ever changing when fueling with gas as the temps in the fuel tank, the area around it can effect the burn rate. Running with the safety always lifted is a sign of waste, as is running out of steam on the grade. Both of which will get you a request to the road foreman's office with cap in hand to explain. Manual is excellent way to learn it, but RC takes it to the next level since we cannot shrink ourselves down to fit in the cab. Removal of the centering springs in the stick type RC controler is best, that way you can position the stick anywhere in its travel and it will stay there till you chose to move it again. Mike


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