I was entering my home town last evening (Waterbury Vermont, which is on the New England Central or former Central Vermont mainline) and my SO yelled TRAIN!

I pulled over, and checked it out.

For those of you who are not in the know, the NEC is replacing most of it's northern mainline with single heavy duty welded rail, a process that's quite fascinating.

What I observed here though, was something that may be of use to modern modelers who are looking for a small scene or industry.

I recently stripped an HO scale Kato NW2 using Chameleon.  All was going well until I pulled the walkway from the bath and discovered that it had broken into two pieces right at the middle.  Any feedback on what caused this to happen would be appreciated.   Also need some advice on how to make repairs that will stand up over time.

Ed Robinson

I am getting ready to lay track on my second level. I was going to go with ME cd 83 rail, but given how hard it is to work with and getting it just right, I am considering using Peco code 83 flex track instead.

I know it will not look as good in photos, but the tie detail is not bad,  and it will go down quicker and easier than ME. This will allow me to get the level up and running much sooner.

Research tells me that from the 1920s to the 1960s ATSF Depots and some other wooden buildings were painted "Colonial Yellow" for the walls, "Bronze Green" for the trim and red for the roof.  Where can I find these colors already mixed or the color mixing guidelines?  Also, what was the green for steam locomotive cab interiors?