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My friend owns an antique store and I thought it would be fun to set up a small display in the window for Christmas. The initial setup went OK and so far its been pretty effective at attracting people walking down the street. (Fun to see)

 

The Basic Setup is"

  • A postwar 681 Turbine with 3 cars and a lighted caboose
  •  036 Fastrack Oval from the Polar Express set
  • CW80 Transformer (I was afraid to use any of my PW transformers in her shop, don't want to burn the place down)
  • Whistle shed powered from track and triggered by the insulated track
  • Nutcracker Automatic Gateman triggered by a 153 IR and powered by the AUX post on the CW80
  • Train runs for 30 minutes on then 30 minutes off tor total run time of 3 hours per day (using a plug timer)



The first day went pretty good but we started seeing problems yesterday that I am tying to solve.

 

  1. The area the display is in gets fairly warm (glass on 3 sides) seems the heat melted 60 years worth of grease and dropped it on the tracks. Going to clean it today, but how often should I lube the engine and where/what should I apply
  2. Had trouble with the CW80 yesterday (imagine that) where the AUX side was powered by the variable side seemed dead. It seemed that the transformer went into Thermal shutdown but only on one side. Does the CW80 shut down if it gets too warm. I may bout a large giftbox with the back open around it to shield from the sun
  3. Is the Gateman setup putting too much of a load on the CW80. The Gateman is modern, not a PW one, its abut 2 years old
  4. Any other suggestions? I already have a list of things to do next year, but this was a throw together for this season

Thanks for any input, I am  hoping to post some pics of it soon as well as some pictures of the people stopping to look at it. As I am, watching it I keep thinking maybe Joshua Lionel Cowen's Idea of a moving product display was a good idea. Wondering of I can expand this idea next season to a few other shops

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I THINK Lionel used to run the display layouts in four hour shifts with two sets of trains.  At the four hour mark a service man would pull the first set and then lube/oil/check brushes while second set was running.  Repeat till closing.

 

Can you set up a motion sensor to "read" if anyone is in the window.  If the sensor has a 10-15 minute trip you could save on the wear and tear.  Not sure if the display is doing much if there is no one to see it.

 

Never underestimate the heat generated in a sunny window.  If the CW is in the window it might be over heating.  The IR sensor might also be tripped by reflected light and causing the accessory to run more often then desired.

I'd go with a 681 reproduction from WBB or other similar can motor-equipped locomotive.  They draw less amps than the postwar equivalent and run cooler overall whereas the old-style universal motors tend to heat up rather quickly (and draw more amps in the process) in comparison to today's can motors.  That might be a good start.

Yea finding a new engine will be one the list if I do this next year. Problem was she is an antique store and really wanted a 1950 authentic display. There is even a sign in the window saying its a 1951 engine

 

Right now we are unseasonably warm (High 60's) we are dropping into the 40's by Friday, hoping that helps cool the display case down.

May try to sneak in the engine from the PE set soon and hope she doesn't notice

Pics soon, it's not much right now, it was literally a Wednesday night idea that was put into place on Friday.

But I am already sketching out ideas for next year If I do this again. I am hoping to lift it up on a raised platform so I can secure things better and hide wires. The area is only as wide as a O-36 loop. The loop touches the glass on both long sides.

Good call above on using a Williams piece. Can motors are the way to go for a display layout that will see a lot of use.

 

Ditch the CW80. I am a big proponent of the Z1000. I have used them for a few years now in command and conventional display set-ups with no issues. I ran a lighted passenger train with sound along with a rotary beacon and oil derrick for three hours straight and thing barely got warm.

Originally Posted by cbojanower:

Yea finding a new engine will be one the list if I do this next year. Problem was she is an antique store and really wanted a 1950 authentic display. 

What she won't know won't hurt her. 

 

Using reproductions is very commonplace on public display layouts.  Even the large Standard Gauge tinplate layout in the upper level of the California State Railroad museum uses reproductions because of more efficient operations, not just to reduce wear & tear on originals.  They would be hard-pressed to find anybody in the general public who would even notice.

 

If it looks like a duck...

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