Hi everybody,
Advice needed.

I have three BEEP´s running on 0-27, 0-31 and Fastrack track including switches.
By using some tape on the moving part of the 027 switch I have solved the shorting issue.
But they still hesitate or stop ,depending on speed, on the switches.
By double heading them and connecting all four picup rollers together and all commons together they run well. For one BEEP I have connected a searchlight car and use the pickup rollers on that, works equally fine.

Now, in OGR magazine 237 there is an article on BCR´s that replace battery packs.
Question - would it be possible to use a BCR to keep a single BEEB moving for the split second when it passes through a switch? Has anyone tried this?

Göran

quote:

I have three BEEP´s running on 0-27, 0-31 and Fastrack track including switches.

I had the same problem with BEEPs on O27 switches a while back, but later on decided to switch to FasTrack. I haven't had any problems with them hesitating or stalling on the FasTrack switches (O36). I can't address your BCR question, but my guess is that it probably would not be a viable solution. I imagine others here may have some experience in that regard, and with BEEP problems relating to switches, so some suggestions should be forthcoming.

BEEP BEEP Comin' Thru, IF I dont stallout!!!!!!!

Sorry couldnt resist....the lists only antiBeeper...

Anyhoo, in HO I would use an idler car between loco and rest of cars,
the loco would have a insulated lead from motor power to a 'convenient spot' on
the loco, secured there, with male end of connector. The adjacent car, uses
the female end of the wire system, easily coupled for a good conection to
the track no matter what. Believe HO items can be used unless you are
dealing with like 5 or 6 amps?

L.

The one thing I do with beeps is either double head them and/or lock them in froward only that seems to work the best. I wish they had fly wheels but I don't think we'll ever see that.

I've had the same issue with my beep and Harry Potter loco with fastrack. I've got a 36 inch switch with an accessories operating track piece attached. When the loco's go over they reach a spot where one of the rollers is on the plastic support for the operating magnet while the other roller is on the short center rail on the turn out side of the switch. Unless I've got some throttle speed up more often than not both loco's drop into neutral. As Chris noted I've locked them into forward only as a simple solution. Next step is to check the center rail of the switch to look for a voltage drop I guess, don't have any other solution....

One of the things I haven't gotten around to doing is posting some photos on how I used flue tape to solve this problem.

Flue tape is available at Home Depot and other hardware stores. It is a thin roll of aluminum with an adhesive on one side, used to seal leaks in stovepipe chimneys (flues). A small roll shouldn't be too much more than a five dollar bill.

Aluminum conducts electricity, so it can be used to cover the plastic frogs and other rails on switches and crossings and make them "live".

The challenge is that the adhesive doesn't conduct electricity, so just sticking it on the metal rail usually doesn't work. I've laid a small bead of solder to connect the rail and the tape, and that has worked well.

With this system on my switches and a crossing, I have no problems with short-wheelbase locos like the BEEPs, Docksiders, etc.

Hi all,

thanks for the replies.

To connect two BEEP´s electrically works really great, with four pickup rollers joined together and all wheels joined together I get four motors working jointly, the BEEB´s really creeps through any switch.

The flue tape idea is interesting, I will try some variation of this.
Maybe we can see some pictures of this galley_proof?

Göran

Hi galley-proof

sounds like a great idea.

Wonder what you think of these possibilites:

1: a circuit writer pen. makes conductive silver traces. dries quickly. draw over the plastic frogs?

2: micro mark sells this liquid solder. not very good for soldering permancy, but one could paint over the plastic.

I don't have the model numbers in front of me, but both are readily available for a couple of bucks

ralph

Hmm,

Probably don't want a BCR solution...you would then need a recharging solution for the BCR.

Wonder if a capacitor centric solution wouldn't be better. Someone once posted a passenger car "flickering light" solution that used a capacitor. I believe this type of solution attached to each motor might fix the stalling.

-LV

Lord Vokk,

what is a "capacitor centric solution"?
Sound interesting

Göran

Hej Göran,

Kul med en svensk till på Forumet.

I have only one BEEP and I have not run it that much. It stalls om on most of my MTH REALTRAX switches. It's waiting for a TMCC conversion and I'm thinking getting another and permanently wire them together.

Goran....

I run my single Beep's on fastrack and have had little problems in their performance on switches or trackage. I also have some double-headed (teathered together) Beep's which I like because they look great that way and also have 4 pick-up rollers on track.

Myself, I would not try to "jury-rig" any of my switches. I would go with the double-heading. You get more motors for pulling power also. IMHO.

Tex

Has anyone converted a BEEP to TMCC? If so, who did it and what is the approximate cost?

Thanks!

quote:

Originally posted by GoCan:
Lord Vokk,

what is a "capacitor centric solution"?
Sound interesting

Göran

GoCan,

First let me say I know just enough about electronic components to be dangerous....but effectively the BEEP has two can motors that should be running on converted DC electricity. (This is something that someone would have to validate, as I'm not 100% sure.)

The issue you are having, is that for a brief time you loose power. If you had a capacitor that bled voltage to the can motor for a brief period when power is lost, then the BEEP would continue to move, not far mind you but just enough to get it past the dead-zone.

You would need a diode to keep the flow of electricity pointed to the can motor so you didn't fry your BEEP's board...then a capacitor coupled with a resistor (The capacitor is like a storage tank the resistor is used to adjust the flow of electricity coming from the capacitor.)

I'm sure someone on this forum can give you a total breakdown and possibly even the correct components and how to build/install.

-LV

quote:

One of the things I haven't gotten around to doing is posting some photos on how I used flue tape to solve this problem.

Soon as I read this I thought about how they sell at auto parts stores.. (Napa Advance etc.) a repair kit for rear window heater heater grids.. its a small bottle of copper paint ! you mask the area and paint this copper coating on.. might be worth a try! I have not used it for this reason but you never know till u try..DANiel

I converted two Beeps to TMCC. Cost was about $100 each. That included sound.
Jim Battaglia (sp?) converted a Beep to TMCC and there was much discussion about it on the forum a couple of years ago.

Al W.

So the beeps herky jerky motions can besolved (in the yard area, where the most turnouts are andslow speed operation is used) by using a capacitor to collect a charge (at no charge of course) ... Then at the instant power is lost due to lack of roller contact withthe center powering rail, the capacitor automatically senses the inbalance of input voltage and AUTOMATICALLY feeds its stored juice back into the motor, somewhat solving the problem? However the posted mention of a lack of power at the time of supply voltage interruption is not sufficient to keep the Beeper running smoothly, causing the Engineer to be tossed about in his (her?) cab.

Is that the case?

Hmmmm a quick rescan of replies shows several 'solutions' to a problem existing over several years. Believe the solution is easily handled by what is called in ' the real world' as a voluntary recall by the manufacturer. If none is/was forthcoming, apparently Beep owners UNITE- time for you Beeple to ask the mfg. for a properly running locomotive for its intended use?

Apparently the machine is popular enough, one would think a recall would have been done some months or more, ago.

Good Luck

L

I doubt very much that a recall will be forthcoming. I would also doubt that there is any need for a recall. If stalling on switches is too much for one, then there are many published solutions here on the forum.

Al w.

Thanks for the Choo Choo world clarification.
As long as there are so many heads in the sand, nothing will happen on a fix, just
as it is in the 1:1 world, if your SUV stalls every time it drops below 2mph, I am
sure there will be an appropriate recall and fix.

L.

We may not have our heads in the sand, BUT they may be covered by ballast?

Pretty sad scenario. But miss a few rivets or such and the trips to the wailing wall begin en mass.

Hmmm again. Just think Ford issuing a DIY recall for stalling SUV's.......

Its time to see REALLY how many TOYS are being recalled.
These trains are TOYS folks, and subject to the pressures of the consumer
and of other venues. My Hamilton 992B says its time to join the real world?
Later.....

Apologies folks, I may have been a little off track......
A day or so hence and jumping to this blog, and it hit-
No not what you might think, but
OGR in its service to the toy train industry, with this extremely fine
and well arranged website, actually HAS provided for DIY recalls
since there are mfg. posting to this site!!!!!!!
What he said was,
now the varied importers and producers of O trains and accessories
HAVE a venue to at least semi officially post solutions to the
gripes which end users (us folks) have regarding their products!!!!
WOW Batman- now we can get that bleeping poorly sounding
_____________________________ (U fill it in) fixed with a DIY
fix ASSUMING the fix is such one can Do It Themselves....
Only thing lacking is a First of its Kind DIY Recall Catagory for
those vendors to use???

Ahhhh whatta day!

N Joy

L

Hi everybody!

Many thanks for all contributions.

I was just looking for some suggestions on how to continue with my own tinkering at the work bench,which is a substantial part of my ownenjoyment of this hobby.
So I suggest we close this thread.
Once againthanks for your attention!

Regards
Göran