Well it surely has been a busy summer. Haven't had much time for the On30 Mushroom layout. I did purchase a couple of 1/4" sheets  4x8 drywall for the backdrop. I installed one yesterday during an unexpected lull in the work week. Customer accidently locked us out of the house. I used that time to hang the drywall.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=H-yUvj89po4

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YCxnqqJ4Suo

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https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BuPAcW8EtIw

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https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gJDpQI6_9uU

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YCxnqqJ4Suo

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=auKFArXPSHI

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kh_EMEz4lYU

A few short videos on my Nickel Plate Road "Bluebirds" testing on our Keystone Midland Model Railrod Club layout. The City of Cleveland sleeper has a newly installed lighted drumhead. A few minor problems with some cars, but that is what testing is for anyway. Enjoy.

Another great layout that is in the Southeast Region, Piedmont Div of the NMRA. Norm's layout is part of Dixie Rails and we had a great weekend operating on a bunch of great layouts.

I've recently begun dismantling my present layout and am at the same time designing a new layout plan I hope to begin construction on soon. Before doing that, one of the MRH readers (thanks Rob from Texas!) suggested that I try running some trains on my new track plan using the virtual train capabilities built into XtrackCad. What great advice that has turned out to be! You think all the bugs are ironed out in a plan, and then you start running trains on it and realize there are issues here and there you never thought about.

I have continued to build and install risers on the main level (3/4 inch dimensional lumber pieces) and for about half of the 3rd level (either pieces of dimensional lumber or cut from ripped sections of leftover pieces of plywood). Much of the material that I am using for risers are being culled from the very large collection of lumber pieces left over from my previous layout.  

In an earlier post: http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/18236?page=2, semaphore indicated that a dome shape to the top of the rail is much better than the current track rail shapes.

While the improved performance aspect is similar, shaping the rail is fundamentally different than applying graphite which is the topic of the other thread.  This topic of rail shape, condition and material is one that I am intending to explore further.  So, it is appropriate to start a thread on the topic.