Hello everybody! I was curious about manufacturers for signal and gate control. I was originally looking at ITT products and Signaligic's CR-2 but ITT didn't offer much of what I wanted and Signalogic offered everything I needed but they seem hard to get. I am wanting to use a tortoise to control the gates and if possible use my own crossing sound module. If anyone has a list of manufacturers, please post them here. I appreciate any help!

I began an N scale layout awhile ago. I soldered most of the track into large pieces, then stored them until I could dedicate some more time to building my layout. Today, when I pulled out the track, most of the rail joiners have started to rust. I haven't laid the track yet, I'm still in the building phase. I obviously need to clean the track with something before I permanently install it. I live in Florida and the layout will be in my garage so I see this as a recurring problem. Any ideas on how to remove rust, then how to keep it off???

Thanks-Tim

I have cinder ballast from Arizona Rock and Scenic Express. When I pass a magnet over samples of these cinders, nearly all the material winds up on the magnet. I have been assured by one supplier that there is no problem using their cinders with DCC. Has anyone had any issues with cinders from either supplier as far as operation on a DCC layout? Arizona's Yard Mix also demonstrates the same behavior to a magnet. 

I'm building a layout with a lower level of staging that feeds an upper level of 2-track main line. The staging level is almost a dogbone, but one end terminates in a "balloon" reversing loop - see the area labeled with XX and W0. Eventually the power will be DCC, but I need to have the choice of DC to run locos that haven't yet been converted.