I'm in the process of teaching myself AutoCad and like to use Free-mo module designs as my test subject to learn with. My question though is how wide do I mark the roadbed? So far I've been marking it as 2" wide which includes the ballast profile, the result is a track plan that "looks fat". Should I be drawing to the width of the ties or the width of the rails instead? What is the "norm"?

Thanks

This blog is going to cover my efforts to stop a helix looking like a wedding cake.

I am doomed to fail……………

However, my objective is to use every trick, tool and all advice given along the way, to minimize the visual problem that a helix presents.

I have recently purchased two SW1500 RTR switchers, they are now DCC and run great (my first Athearn purchase).

There are a few opinions about the SW1000/1500's having different motors from the other RTR locos. I was considering a SD40-2 RTR dcc ready but I am reading a lot about Ready to REMOTOR or Rebuild, are they noisy? 

However the guy that owns the shop reckons they have the same motor as the sw1000/1500? 

Happy New Year!

I've been able to spend some time shuttling trains from my staging track to my yard area and I see a potential issue.  My east and west staging yards meet in what I'll call a junction.  My initial plan was to have the junction hidden under the second (upper (by 4")) loop, but I can see now that I would like to have this pair of turnouts visible and accessible.