Today was spent researching, deciding a road number and applying decals to VIA RAIL F40PH-2.

Skillfully hand made / modified standards are the major attributes of the SMJ layout. It’s pure inspiration to see the layout and search for infinte number of details added to the scenery since the construction start 1938.

I have recently retired an moved to a new home so its time to give all the track, trains, and buildings a new place to be displayed and used. two portions of the old layout were left intact and will be incorporated into the new design. The plan is to be a three level shelf setup with a helix to move trains between levels. This blog will be a running commentary of the progress. I have gained a great deal of knowledge from the folks on this site and perhaps this blog will inspire and help others as well. I have included a pdf of the main level track plan for now.

The more you learn about your prototype, the more difficult it becomes to model it accurately, and - eventually - it becomes impossible. So do you give up trying, even though you know you're doomed to ultimate failure? Do you still stretch to reach, even if you know you can never quite grasp?

OK, so this is probably "old hat" to most, I know it's been around since before I was born but it's so easy to photo detail things that I thought I'd post it here. I always take pics of my pike construction anyway. The first picture is just the tools of the trade. WS latex rubber is easy enough for me to get at Hobby Lobby with the 40% off coupon so that's what I use though I'm sure there's other stuff out there. The rocks are plentiful here on my rural lot. I cleaned them up with a hose first and then came behind with a spray bottle and a toothbrush.

I was looking for something relatively not complex and an one evening type of project to keep the modeling juices flowing.   My work for a living job has resulted in some fairly long days and my energy level in the evenings has not been where  it normally is.   The winter blahs would be a good description.

With yesterdays ice storm I was able to install the decoder and gloss coat the shell of the VIA Rail F40PH-2 in N Scale, in the early small Canadian Flag scheme.

I airbrushed several very light coats of Humbrol Clear Gloss Varnish on the Kato shell in preparation for applying decals.

Hello fellow modellers,

Finally done with the turnout DCC decoders, programming and including them in the Railroad Controller Bronze (this is available from www.freiwald.com). I also tried to use JMRI, but so far I am only comfortable with it for loco decoder programming.

The decoder for the switches was constructed using Dr. Geoff Bunza's proposal. Unfortunately as far as I know these Arduino decoders up till now only work in the 2 digit range.

https://northcountrytrains.wordpress.com/2019/02/06/scratchbuilding-a-transfer-caboose-part-1-the-body/