Modeling topic
Sheet roadbed
Assuming a flat railroad with little vertical scenery (an industrial switching layout) with a solid plywood layout surface, my question is what to cover that with for roadbed, so that once the track locations are finalized some of the roadbed can be easily cut away to allow for a bit of drainage, ballast profile, etc. A 1/4" thick layer would be ideal. Skipping the roadbed entirely, laying the track directly on the plywood, and making do with no below track level scenery is an acceptable option, so anything I pick for roadbed needs to be enough better than that to be worthw
Loconet vs non-loconet
Question for the DCC gurus out there. I have a Digitrax based system and use loconet devices to control my turnouts, semaphore signals and get occupancy information back to the computer. I'm going to be adding light signals to the next portion of the layout.
I'm trying to decide between several controllers for the signals, some with loconet and some without. My question is whether there is really any advantage to having a loconet device for this vs just connecting it to the DCC bus to get the information.
Thanks for any help.
HO “Bedside & Hinged” Switching Layout
I found the MRH site accidentally a few days ago while searching for Track Plans for a very small HO switching layout that I've decided to build while away from home working. Kind of cool that a Google Search got me here via a picture of a track plan on Pinterest! I have a tiny room/office at my away place in Vancouver where I stay with a family. I'm hoping by documenting this, it might inspire other space challenged modelers to get building.
Building Sals Tacos for West Sacramento
Back to the Modeling Projects here is part one of a Taco Shop in West Sacramento
consisting Kato Locomotives
I have issues consisting Kato locomotives. I just received the brand new SD70m flat radiator in N scale. It is a new release by kato. Two of my engines run fine in and out of consist. The other two run so differently at factory set I can't believe they both are the same brand.. Consisting makes them run so poorly. I use NCE pro cab . They act like they are pulling each other along . Any suggestions on what is wrong let me know.
Track(s) that end at a backdrop
Just thought I'd share this solution I came up with for my staging yard. If you can't avoid having a track or tracks end at a backdrop but need to have the illusion they continue try printing out scale size car ends. These are all from Tangent's website. You can vary the depth by gluing the images to gatorboard or I also used Styrofoam and a piece of ceiling tile. The tops and sides are pretty well hidden by the highway overpass so I didn't spend a ton of time on them but if they were exposed it would be super easy to do those as well.
Design, benchwork, and some back story.
Finally have some free time with all my lumber bought and my new drill and impact ready to go...and need to have my car looked at. So I'll make another post while I wait for that before I go home and start building.
The layout will go in the living room, as I am in a one bedroom apartment. AND my fiancé is on-board with it, if for no other reason than that my train stuff takes up her side of the closet right now so I have to build it so I can move that into the cabinets the modules will sit on lol
Steam comes to The Highland
After long delays, The Highland finally got its steam program together and began testing. Watch as we explain the operating plan and then follow the trains as they run along the line.
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