I'm trying this web based design tool while designing my layout extension. It won't work with my iPad but works ok on my laptop.

I just got it and I like it very much. Now I'm going to read all the back editions that I can find. No more making time to sit at the laptop in the basement! I will lovingly devour each issue.

I was using XTrkCad on my Mac for this, but the newer versions won't run due to library incompatibility. Now I see there is a new version released last November. There's no OS X installer, however, leaving me to possibly build on my own.

I'm going to try XTrkCad again, if I can get it built and running. But I'm interested to see what alternatives people have used.

Two I found are Railmodeller, which is $34.99 via iTunes.

http://www.railmodeller.com/

Family challenges for the past year or so included kitchen renovations and job losses to contend with. However, we have that behind us now.

I purchased two tables from a business that was shutting down. Now I have an L-shaped table and am laying out track.

I've spent some time over the past few weeks with the QD electronics cleaner with limited success. I finally took today off and got out my Xacto knife and scraped a bit of carbon from the brushes area of the Bachmann GP50. It now runs pretty well, but I think I will order a new motor for it. That should fix it right up.

The GP50 moves quite well after I removed a bit of excess lubricant - if I move the brushes first. I think ithe entire locomotive needs cleaning and lubricating. My Maintaining and Repairing Your Scale Model Trains recommends washing with a mild detergent. What so you use?

However, it doesn't work consistently. Both lights come on, but I had to squeeze the frame halves together and it sometimes ran, other times did not. I got it to go back and forth on the sections of test track I put together.

So I know it works, but I think there is something wrong. I took the frame apart and put it back together with no joy.

I am now thinking that the brushes, which supply power from the trucks to the frame are dirty or bad. I can clean them, but I can't get the trucks themselves apart.

I got a Kato powerpack as part of an M1 kit and hooked it up to my track. I was not able to get my Bachmann EMD GP50 diesel to work. I checked all connections, and used my multimeter to verify voltage across the track at various points. I removed the body from the locomotive. I verified that the front and back lights come on, but the motor armature will not turn.

After reading up on the Internet, I suspect the brushes aren't contacting the wheels properly. The wheels seem shiny enough to me.

Ok, I finally started, sans power pack. No worries, I'm saving up for it. The photos didn't look very good in this blog post, so I took them out.

I am fitting a Kato supplied Unitrack layout onto a door. Later, when I actually get the doors, I'll build the thing. Long-term I will be a second layout while I run trains on this one.

Here is the layout plan

http://www.katousa.com/track-plans/granny-kay-bonnie.html

Fifer Hobby has a page of how-tos that I find very interesting.

http://www.fiferhobby.com/html/how_to_make_your_own_lengths_o.html

I'm going to buy short lengths of Unitrack this weekend at Trainmaster Models in Buford, GA as I don't have the tools yet to make my own lengths.

http://www.trainmastermodels.com