To All: One of my newest projects is this Diamond Crystal Salt 50' boxcar that I painted, lettered, weathered and dullcoated. I installed Intermountain Wheels, #58 Kadee couplers and weighted to NMRA specs. The car is a Details West offering. Decals are by Ricky Rupp of Modern Rail Company. Inspiration came from a photo accessed on the Web. Yours, Elvin Howland/E. St. Louis Rail Group Layout

I finally finished a huge household project, a bathroom remodel.  This was a complete tear-out, down to the studs and joists with relocation of the tub and vanity and creating a closet space.  It really turned out well and now I once again may have some time for some model railroad pursuits.

When I left off, i was working on some structures and track right-of-way.  I installed some fencing now between the buildings and track.  First is a post type fence to keep vehicles from parking too close to the track along a tavern and gas station.

My model of Iowa Interstate’s SW1200 250 just got a sound upgrade. It has a Loksound Select decoder and I had been using ESU’s 16 cylinder 567 prime mover sound. But ESU recently released a 12 cylinder 567 which is a perfect fit for the engine. 

The sound is incredible. Since the 250 is my layout’s primary locomotive, having the correct prototypical sound is very important. The 12 cylinders have a nice throaty chant that ESU captured well. 

If interested, you can hear the sound at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EYTMJWnMT0

read about it here
http://nkp765fanprrfan.blogspot.com/2015/03/yard-operating-session-31415...

I am looking for some answers to questions about wiring up an electronic circuit. I am installing a new DCC Specialties PSX-4 to replace my existing PM 42.
I also want to wire up, in-line, a DCC specialties RRAmpmeter. I have seen this done on a friends layout and he put the meter between the boosters and the PSX 4 circuit boards. 
This way he could read in an instant, the amps and volts coming out of his booster and going to his PSX 4 circuit boards. He had two of these wired up for his two boosters, his layout had four electrical blocks.

Here is his set up, and it works great.

My FB friend Joe Scaglione III took this picture of mine and added more special effects.

New project on the workbench.  Stage 2 of the painting done!

Just getting started.

I have finally got around to working on my layout again. Here is the new segment of my layout's road bed. Also, I have solved the problem of my lionel cars that are equipped with electro couplers. Since I inherited these ones, I wanted to respect them and not modify the cads in any way. I also inherited their magazine and catalouge collection, in which was a vintage Great Model Railroads MR special.

The Vermont Rails show will be in St. Albans on March 14.  Members of the North Western Vermont Model Railroad Association bring their Free-Mo modules, and other groups bring operating displays too.       http://www.nwvrailroad.org/      Pictured here are my two modules with city frontage and industry in the rear.

They happen...      This one just took place. Bother! I have to secure that roadbed!