Tomorrow I (start to) drive to Maryland for a new job as a fresh college graduate, and along for the ride is the layout. Even as small of a layout as it is, I manage to own an even smaller car, so about 20" got (temporarily) lopped off one end with a reciprocating saw, in what is probably the least straight cut ever.

I have just successfully won an auction on a hi top Dietz Vesta fir the Central Vermont a Railway (C.V.Ry.)!!!!! This is the local railway closest to my house, so natually I've been searching for one for some time now. I will post pictures of it soon, for now here is a link to the listing: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Railroad-Lantern-Central-Vermont-Railway-/351402766030?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item51d13caece&nma=true&si=8wkaGks%252BTpGC8VpOb170Fcu6lt8%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

This is a layout animation idea I came up that requires no motors and actually uses the trains momentum to power it. The idea I came up with uses a flat gear (rack) on the track and a gear sticking out from below the car. When the car passes over the rack gear it would move the animation. With varied rack length and teeth on the pinion (round gear) you could have almost limitless possibilities. I would try this myself but have two problems:

1. No available gears

2. I do not have a car to "butcher" and cut a hole in the bottom of.

Does anyone know of cheap water for model railroads since our club had little to no budget. If you know of a source or how to make some yourself please let me know. Thanks for your help and don't forget to check our club topic page- http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/22436