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Amen to Bayview Junction! And it's so easy to get there. It's right at the west end of the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton/ Burlington and you aren't near the railway tracks. Lots of action going in all directions. For Eastern Ontario (if you happen to come this way), the VIA station...

Even for us guys who are under 31, it's really great belonging to a module railroad club! Aside from the fact that I couldn't build a layout that big and have that much fun all by myself, you get the benefit of a lot of guys who have the same interests you do, but, at the same time, have...

For connections between modules, Ottawa Valley HOTRAK http://www.hotrak.ca uses a 4-wire trailer connector plug for conventional 2-track modules and a 2-wire trailer connector plug for single-track Free-mo modules. We also uses a height of 45" from the floor to the top of the track, rather...

Are you still with us? Good. Let's take this a little further with something tangible that you can understand. The Digitrax system is a Local Area Network architecture that Digitrax calls LocoNet. There are two parts to the system - the part you can see and the part you can't see. The...

Now that you're still with us, let us answer your question. What does LocoNet add to the DCC system. DCC systems usually follow two types of system architecture. this systems architecture is very technical. If you are looking for technical specs, you might want to see what the...

Hello RogerW. Now that you've visited my website and have a basic understanding of DCC and their relationship to computers, we can start to answer you question of what does LocoNet add to the system. There are three parts to a DCC system - 1) trackwork - this is obvioius 2) command...

For a simplistic explanation of what the Digitrax LocoNet does, visit this part of my website. http://www.railwaybob.com/Modules/WhatIsDCC/DCCWhatIs01.htm the first thing you have to do if you want to understand what DCC is all about - that is if you want to know more than simply connecting...

Use a butane BBQ lighter and melt the insulation. In this way, you don't cut off those critical strands of wire and aren't pulling the wire out of the decoer. Simply flick the BBQ lighter, apply it to the end of the wire. The insulation will either wither and turn black, or light up. If...

Hello again, BarraF. If you decide to build a couple of modules, it might be an idea to do it with a couple of your friends. In this way, you can start to develop the cameraderie and expertise that comes with belonging to a club. For example, I'm good at building the module frames but lousy...

Hi BerraF. I presume you've cruised some of the websites about module railroading and have developed some ideas of what you'd like to do. Your challenge is to convince your friends that this is a good idea and that the standards you propose make sense. There are a couple of things to...

The LRC cars were built by Bombardier, along with a separate Bombardier loco that "matched" the look of the LRC. However, the loco was underpowered and was replaced by the EMD (GM Diesel in Canada) F40PH which had been developed by EMD for Amtrak. The LRC cars are used on the Quebec (City) -...

Try using alchohol with a bit of soap as a surfactant. The alchohol penetrates better than water and will quickly evaporate. You can buy alchohol (known as methyl hydrate - don't drink the stuff!!) at your local building supply store in the paint department - available in quarts and gallons...

The solution in one word - flux. The heat creates an oxide between the solder and the metal. No amount of sanding, polishing, acid baths, etc is going to fix that. As soon as you bring the heat near the metal - it will oxidize. It happens with soldering irons, oxy-acetylene torches...

The only reason for putting in an easement is so that the trains don't "jerk" when going into the curve. This can sometimes be referred to as the "Lionel trains effect" because that what Lionel trains do when they go around a curve. If you are a picker of nits, then an easement might look...

The modular concept is applicable to most applications - the idea being to build and complete your layout one section at a time (ha ha - it's taken me over 18 months just to get started on the scenery); or to make it as portable as possible so that when you move to new digs, you don't lose all...

The LRC coaches by Rapido ARE out - if you can find them. I don't think they even had the chance to hit the hobby shops as they were sold directly. They've been snapped up real fast. Athearn has been offering the P42 Genesis unit in VIA colours for quite a while (or at least a reseller has...

At the risk of geting killed, Morant's Curve? Boring. Now, if you want some real action, trek about 20 km further west past Lake Louise just where the Trans Canada starts to climb over the Continental Divide. The line divides into two going west from Lake Louise - 1.8% grade on the lower...

Yup, it usually is that simple. One word of caution. The 8 pin board may not be wired correctly for the lights. You may have to do a bit of research on the Internet to see if there are any problems. Earlier versions of these boards included a short between two of the pins in the plug. The...

All of the Digitrax systems can be connected to computers as they all use the same message protocol. Remember that the Digitrax DCC system is simply a Local Area Network (LAN) which Digitrax calls LocoNet. To interface with your computer, you will need a connector and some software. The...

The recent issue of Branchline had an article by Colin Churcher on the interlocking tower at Bedell. It included a number of photos of the diamond, the station, and the platform. I managed to rustle up this photo of Bedell in 1948 when it was a busy place. The freight train is on the Prescott...