As the first part of the lower deck I have decided to build "bottom up" and install the staging first. This is double ended and the yard sits under the town of Glanton (itself under the town of Atherton). Staging feeds Cornhill (under Mortimer) at either end therefore forming a loop all round the room and also the link between the C&A and all points East and West on the Antioch and Southern railroad.

What is your favorite signal manufacturer in HO? Furthermore, which has the best durability for modules on the move and can survive an arm or hand bump? Good bang for the buck would be helpful.

I am looking at 3-light aspect signals with individual visors, such as the SG-938 from Details West.

Save your self some grief, I used their template to make my switch,, great template BUT there are 4 frog isolation gaps, only three are circled with out cutting the 4th you have a short, found after installed on layout.  Darn near destroyed the switch trying to find, it is shown on the template but easily missed, my error.  But switch works good after finding my error. As I only needed one three way I didn't want to buy the aluminum setup but I did use the quick sticks ties, makes life easy.  And they do make great products.

I was out west and I found what I thought was some excellent tan/gray ballast. So I sifted 8 gallon containers of the stuff. When I went to use it on my layout my operators commented on the "pretty" green ballast. Ug! It is not the lighting or the glue that I use it is just green--I guess I am more colorblind that I thought.

Does anyone know of a branchline/mainline that uses ballast that has a green tint to it? (Like Pink Lady).

I would hate to dispose of all the green ballast I have, but I do not wish to have a goofy looking layout with green ballast.