1  Registration of Locomotives

Before using a locomotive on the layout, the locomotive must be registered so as to ensure that there is no conflict with locomotives with the same decoder address. To register your locomotive, send an e-mail to Sergio indicating the following information:

a)      Locomotive type (SD40, AC4400, 2-8-0, 4-6-0, Budd, Oil-Electric, etc.)

b)      Road name (CNR, CPR, TH&B, GO, ATSF, etc)

c)      Road number (#4837, #55, #2695, #15837, etc)

d)      Locomotive make (Athearn, Bachmann, Proto2000, etc)

e)      Paint scheme - only required for units that have had more than one paint scheme (e.g. CN, CP, SOO, VIA, etc)

f)       Decoder manufacturer and type (Digitrax DH-163L0, Soundtraxx B280, etc)

g)      Decoder address.

Before sending your e-mail, check with the most recent decoder list so as to ensure that there is no conflict with another decoder address. You will be notified when your locomotive has been registered.

2  Locomotive Cards

Each locomotive that is used on the layout must have a Locomotive Card that includes the following:

a)      Locomotive type (SD40, AC4400, 2-8-0, 4-6-0, Budd, Oil-Electric, etc.)

b)      Road name (CNR, CPR, TH&B, GO, ATSF, etc.)

c)      Road number (#4837, #55, #2695, #15837, etc)

d)      Locomotive make (Athearn, Bachmann, Proto2000, etc.)

e)      Paint scheme - only required for units that have had more than one paint scheme (CN, CP, SOO, VIA, etc.)

f)       Decoder manufacturer and type (Digitrax DH-163L0, Soundtraxx B280, etc.)

g)      Decoder address.

h)      Functions (F0, F1, F2, etc.)

i)        Owners Name

Locomotive Cards must be printed on white paper or cardstock.

3  Rolling Stock Cards

Each piece of rolling stock that is used on the layout must have a Rolling Stock Card that includes the following:

a)      Railway (CNR, CPR, BBOL, ON, TH&B etc.)

b)      Car Number

c)      Car Type (Boxcar, Flatcar, Reefer, etc) and length

d)      "Empty return to" (this is to the cars owners discretion)

e)      Car Owner

Rolling Stock Cards can be printed on any colour cardstock (pastel colours are best).

4  Appearance

Any era, railroad, and continent are permissible.

5  Wheels

Metal wheels are required for all rolling stock, as they reduce the amount of grime that builds up on the rails during operations. Wheels must be kept clean and should be free-rolling. The contour of the wheel must meet the NMRA RP25 standard and must be in gauge with an NMRA wheel gauge.

6  Couplers (approved May 8th 2011)

There are different standards for rolling stock and locomotives in interchange service versus those in non-interchange service:

a) Interchange Passenger and Freight Service:

i) Must have Kadee-compatible couplers

ii) Couplers must be in gauge with a Kadee (or Kadee equivalent) coupler height gauge. For detailed specifications on coupler gauge, please refer to the instruction sheet for the Kadee coupler height gauge at http://www.kadee.com/html/205ins.pdf.

iii) If a member believes a particular brand/model should be banned, they can identify the brand/model to the standards committee to be considered for addition to the banned list below:

iv) The following Kadee-compatible couplers have proven problematic on the HOTRAK layout and are not allowed:

 There are no banned coupler brands/models at this time

 b) Non-Interchange Service (including unit trains, dedicated passenger consists, RoadRailers, etc):

For passenger and freight equipment not interchanged with other equipment, there are no restrictions on the type of coupler or drawbar used as long as the coupler (including trip pins) or drawbar does not cause electrical shorts and does not allow the train to break apart.

7  Weight

All rolling stock must meet the NMRA recommended practice of 1 oz plus 1/2 oz for each inch of car body length (tolerance of plus or minus 1/2 oz).

8  Headlight

Locomotives should have operating headlights rather than crystals due to the distinct possibility of having collisions while using a DCC system. This is not a requirement, but a recommendation.

9  Identification

Each member shall mark rolling stock with some form of unique identification. For example, their initials or colour coding. Location of identification is at discretion of the member.

10          Inspection

The Road Master may hold random or regular inspections of equipment to ensure compatibility. Problem equipment will be immediately removed from the layout until it is fixed.

Rolling stock should be inspected before its inaugural run on the layout and retested if it fails.