www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3j87kADmsE

As a follow-up to my article "Locking Up Your Layout", here's a behind the scenes look at how the switch locks work on my IAIS Grimes Line layout. More details are available in the December 2013 edition of MRH.

James

I've been working on my swing gate for my railroad and finally finished the track portion.  This finishes the series of blog posts.  If you would like to follow from the beginning below are the links to the posts going from the most recent to the oldest:

http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/16048

http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/15182

http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/15112

Avery is testing the trackwork in the freshly completed staging area of the BNML.

What he's actually doing is having fun switching for the first time...

One thing that is a given with me is that there are going to be mountains on my railroad layout. The bigger the better too. Even on a shelf layout I'm going to have mountains.  So it is with my latest layout.  I have a sharp curve going around the backside of my TT and the perfect way to hide it is a tunnel.  It's also a corner which is another great excuse for a mountain. I needed a break from the TT/ roundhouse work so I decided to do a little scenery. 

More great pictures and report from Chris on the operations of the BNSF in Lincoln NE.

I had a request from a Youtube subscriber to put together a video on how I do track cleaning maintenance on the LVN.  There are lots of opinions on this topic.  This just happens to be the process I use and it works on my layout.  Enjoy.  There maybe a few ideas you have not thought about.

I've been putting off doing the trackwork on my swing gate because I've never done it before, but this weekend I bit the bullet and started the process.  Since all of my benchtop is 2" foam I have to add rigid supports for the track where it crosses the swing gate in order to insure proper track alignment.

Been doing some little stuff to keep me from burning out on the major task of building the locomotive machine shop.  Weathered my little side rod loco and built some workbenches for the shop.

Hi all,

One of the main reasons I got into On30 was because I enjoy scratchbuilding and kitbashing, both structures and rolling stock.  Freelancing a logging railroad allows me to enjoy this aspect of the hobby, and I'd like to share some of the models I've built: