Scott T Johnson posted:This would make for a very good reality TV series. Like Goldrush on the Discovery Channel only with smart people.
I think Unsolved Mysteries was taken.
OK guys, more test results are in.
My test to prove or disprove RickO's theory (see page 1) that the base needs to be powered first. It does not, both track and base power can be turned on simultaneously and the train will remain at rest with lights on.
GRJohn's wall wart ground test. Wall wart good, measured ~.5Ω from prong to outside barrel.
Dale's track ground to earth ground test. No connection, infinite ohms.
Big Dodge, hand over engine on layout test, using regular layout power supply. Engine wakes up in command mode, at rest, lights on. With hand in place, engine obeys commands sent from Cab-1 remote. Note, the area where this test was conducted is a known TMCC signal weak spot. I expected it to need my hand to run.
The test was then repeated hands free at startup. Again train woke up in command mode.
I would do Bob Bartizek's test, but I think that the Big Dodge test proved what he was going after with his suggestion.
What have we learned? The base can control a section of the layout and an engine. Both track and command power can come on at the same time. The wall wart is good, and there is no earth ground connection to the track ground network.
