I am cataloging my Rolling Stock in an excel spread sheet. Part of this is making notes on cars that need mods or weathering, etc. 

One item I am making notes of is the dates on the cars (if any) as I want to redecal cars dates to match my era better.

One of the cars I just entered is an Atlas Bulkhead Pulpwood car. The dates on this car confuse me! It has BLT 8-63 and in 2 other locations it has HAG 8-62 and PPD 8-62. I assume HAG is Hagerstown MD and PPG is Packed as in truck bearings. 

Use your phone, smart phone or tablet to take pictures on you layout? You don't need to snap the picture just use the the highly magnified screen to check details, track alignment, etc. If you have an assisted light app turn it on first and it's like watching a wide screen TV. Think of the possibilities.

I few years ago I bought these Yardmaster  Branchline box cars:

Both are generically described as HO 40' 1937 AAR Boxcar- which is my era.

However they both have build dates in the early 40s.

Question is, would these be ok to use (obviously as new condition) box cars on a 1937 railroad?

Rob Clark
Cornhill & Atherton RR

I am trying to take the existing wires for a DC layout and connecting them to bus (red/black) to go to a DCC layout.  I have a multi meter that I normally use to check for shorts.  If I put the meter on Ohms and touch the same rail with the red and black probes I see the needle swing to the full right (which I understand is Good).  However, if I place the the red and black probes on opposite parallel tracks [one being the red bus and the other the black bus\ I also get the same swing in the needle to full right on the dial.