Recent content by Keith 55

Caboose Industries has just released a ground-throw that is designed just for Atlas code55 turnouts. It has a built in switch that controls the frog's polarity. You hook (+) and (-) wires to the ground-throw, and when you throw the points, the frog gets the correct polarity. I have been...

Kent, break-in is not to be underrated, and even factory fresh locos can have oils and gunk on the wheels. Clean everything, check your contacts, make sure your trucks pivot easily in all directions without binding. It'll come around, and if not, KATO will just have to make good, right?

Well, Belg, if I were you I'd go to the source of your inspiration. George Sellios is pretty well-known. His layouts have been in MR mag. several times. Maybe search back issues at the MR website, to know which issues to hunt for. There's probably a contact address on his website, too. I'll...

DON, for a lot of these it's going to be easy. In the real world, all cities, towns, streams and rivers, mountains and hills, and businesses have names. Name all these things on your layout. Then the bridge over the xyz river is the xyz bridge. The tunnel through abc mountain is the abc tunnel...

Looks like someone is awfully proud of his new signature with all the cute beavers... SHOW OFF!!;)

That looks really good!! I can't wait to see it with the trestle and waterfall. :)

Absnut, get yourself a MP or BM caboose for $3-$4 and practice on that-I'm blanking windows to make an SP RR Police bay window caboose and practiced the tape/epoxy method on a spare-waiting for the epoxy to cure right now. Keith

Wow, T! There's a lot of great scratchbuilders here, but I suspect you are a cut or three above. For the benefit of us new guys could you possibly start posting shots of some of your other fine work? I'm sure you'll inspire us all! Thanks-Keith55

Joe, If WS ballast doesn't stay in place, it wasn't glued down well in the 1st place. Having said that, it might be best to treat ballast like aquarium gravel and rinse the heck out of it in a collander and dry it thoroughly before using it. All manner of foreign matter and production oils can...

SSquirrel, that BN loco has been bugging me since I saw the pics of your free layout. I could tell it wasn't an EMD F-unit and thought it looked like an ALCO FA2, but since BN didn't use ALCO cab locos, I just doubted my eyes. Well, it's an FA2 all right, and I just found that NScaleSupply is...

I think you scored, SS! The Powerpack should serve you well until you want DCC, the trackwork looks well-constructed and as long as you keep the trains (and each car) fairly short, probably won't give you any trouble. That's an interesting group of rolling stock. good luck!!

Rick, I've heard about problems, but no specifics. Does it self-destruct? Eat your caboose or what? I do know that it doesn't touch the flanges on any rolling stock I have, from new MicroTrains to B-M locos from the late '70s, and you can't say that about Atlas. The Peco looks too european, so...

Thanks for the info, y'all. Clerk-I'll definitely have to test the ME flex and see if it'll be more cooperative than the Atlas. I have a piece of each and I guess I need to glue some down and see. Thanks for the heads up. billk, after reading your reply I checked the pieces I have and 1 of 4...

Thanks, everybody. More details: Probably ME code 55, maybe code70, Flextrack, on foam riser & incline. The ME flex seems to hold it's shape better after being curved than the Atlas, but I haven't tried the code 70 yet. -Keith 55-

Hey, Everyone! I'm going to be laying track in the next month or so and have decided to join the 21st century by not using cork. The plan is to use the black foam by WS, because I tested some and it really does cut the noise, it's cheap and unlike the other high-tech stuff on the market, all...