This video introduces what the Switch-Works System is and what you get with the "Ultimate" turnout kit. Switch-Works is a set of jigs for assembling "Museum Standard" track featuring wooden ties, metal tie plates, etched frogs and machined points.

I did a light primer coat to protect the Micro Mark rivet decals I put on and to find more printing flaws.

I tried using my "green" filling putty on some of the flaws but it was not sticking to the printed body. I will have to look into that for any future work.

I decided not to worry about some of the flaws, instead I will make it look well used when I am done.

I put a number of the grab irons on but still have more to go.

Also installed the lights I chose for the project.

Here is the track plan for my BNML. (in the first comment below)

Looking at my plan? let me know in the comments!
Feedback and suggestions appreciated.

Well the weekend is here and I hope to get my 85 tonner primed by the end of the weekend.

In the mean time I have made some side pantographs for it.

I have some general dimensions for the side pantograph and a maintenance manual picture to help out.

A bit of brass, some solder and this is what I came up with. I just about didn't finish as my solder iron quit near the end of the adventure.

One of the fellows in our round robin group holds work sessions every Wednesday evening on his HO Scale layout, and each regular member is free to pick a project and run with it start to finish, with the layout owner footing the bill. This is great for me, because I get only the joys of layout building that I like, without any cost! And there are so many that come over to help almost every Wednesday night, that this layout is better than 80% done, in just a few years.

This will be where I detail my modular layout that I plan to use as another sort of chainsaw that may or may not actually get the chainsaw.  It will depend on how it turns out.  

The main purposes of this layout are:

1)  Have something to run, test and display trains on while I begin the construction of the main layout.

2)  Test out some techniques I haven't had the chance to try yet.

3)  Display at the local hobby show and allow kids to actually run a train and move cars around.

It is extremely difficult to find HO scale cars that were quite common in the 70s and early 80s.  You can find exotics and such, but generally no run-of-the-mill cars.  And the detailing?  Generally they scream "model."