In a recent comment, Joe wrote:

I did get several tasks done that it's only taken me nearly 25 years to get to, like completely installing all of the black-painted valance around the layout. No more back of upper deck benchwork on the lower deck! Makes the layout look a lot more finished.

Hmm, I think I was shocked.  Black?  I've been a fan of black fascias or valences for a long time but thought the common wisdom was to use a more scenic color like Pullman Green, or Olive Green or dirt color or whatever.

I'm building a new layout room. It is a shared space - trains runing around the walls. I'm trying to decide whether to use the roll of carpet I've been saving. I'm tending toward ditching the carpet and installing floating floor. The carpet would offer better fatigue resistance standing there working on the layout - kneeling underneath etc. But the floating floor is probably easier to build around, easier to clean up paint spills and solder splashes etc. The floating floor has foam underlay too, just not as thick as the carpet. Thoughts?

I'm looking for a sound decoder for a Walthers gas-electric, sometimes referred to as a "Doodlebug." Tsunami  has a sound file for the RGS "Galloping Goose", however that vehicle is powered directly by the gas engine whereas the doodlebug gas engine drove a generator that powered traction motors on each truck.

K. Gallistel