Hi Folks:

I am facing a dilemma. That is, I have two freight cars I am about to complete and they have no matching prototypes for them. As a prototype modeler, well sort of, I try hard to make sure all of my freight cars are a close representation of specific prototypes. This is a satisfying way of modeling that I really enjoy.

   I maintain a G gauge RR at two restaurant locations. I have a problem keeping the lights on in the passenger cars and cabooses (cabeeses?). Pickups are from the factory wipers or fed from the wheels to an axle terminal, I know clean track is a must but I still get flickering in the lighted cars. There is no problem with locomotive lights. These trains run anywhere from 12 to 14 hours or more per day 7 days a week. Between 20 and 30 years of operation these engines have finally given up the ghost, seven out of eight have died.

Over on a early railroad operations forum, there was a discussion about "slow railroading", modeling the inefficiency and congestion of early railroads brought on by poor communication and no/low per diem.