After I installed my DCC decoder in the Bachmann 2-6-0 I figured I might as well make a bear trap smoke stack. After all that is the most distinctive addition that you can add to this locomotive. I found a photograph of #22 on the internet and used that as a guide. I printed out the photo and compared it to my  until it matched close to the same size. This would be my guide for making a template. You can see the template in the opening shot of video.

To All: Many years ago I built this San Diego Passenger Station for a customer in Japan. He sent me blueprints from 1914, that were 7 feet long, to accurately build it!. It is completely scratch built and I made a special box to ship it in, as even in N Scale it is 4 feet long!

  Finally I have made some headway on the layout!  I got the last filler module glued and screwed together last night.  I drilled a largish hole for the wiring to pass thru the endplates and got all the modules bolted together.  They still need to be shimmed and then screwed to the shelf brackets.

     This elevator was originally built for one of my modules as part of a portable layout group that has since gone dormant.  I'm revising my home layout so I'm going to try to work it into the new trackplan.

I have added risers to the subroadbed I cut out yesterday. Now it starts to look more like a railroad. 

Finally updating my own website, but rediscovering some amazing photography.  Read below for more...

http://rgsrr.blogspot.com/2012/03/amazing-photos-from-ophir-loops.html

 While 90% standard gauge my layout does feature a NG branch. Mostly because some of my freinds GAVE me the equipment and track to get started. Heres a shot of the yard.

Ok you Rio Grande modelers out there I need some help in finding some more pics of this rotary dumper. The Short Line Gazette only had one picture of it, and then they published it backwards. Here it is.

The way they published it:

 And the right way: Notice lettering on car is backwards in first picture. Second picture lettering is correct caption is mirror image.

Hi All,

Well over the last week I have been getting into another new project for the JL&T.  I have purchased our first set of Tortoise Motors for the installation on the mainline.

After seeing the various threads regarding Control Panels, I really liked the idea of having a simple card stock panel laminated with the switches and LED's installed through it.

I have cut the first plywood subroadbed. I have decided to start with the east end of the railroad and work my way west.

I have made small changes already to the plan - I left out a siding because it looked too crowded - but in general my ideas seem to work out so far. It certainly helps that this is the third edition of the G&AM, doing it over and over again can improve your work!