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Running DC consists if no problem if they all run at roughly the same speed for a given throttle setting. Usually 3 locos from the same manufacturer will work fine, and it doesn't matter what way they are facing on the tracks, the polarity of the current determines direction. DCC on the other...

IHC imports some of the AHM stuff.

You need a bus wire big enough to carry all the current used by all the locomotives and lighted cars on your pike. The smaller feeder wires will only be hooked up to a few locos. It's like the plumbing in your house, your bathtub only needs a small pipe to supply it, likewise the kitchen sink...

It looks perfect for a paint/repair shop for diesel locomotives or freight cars. It might not be long enough for a passenger car paint/repair shop. You could also attach it to an industry and use it for loading/unloading covered hoppers.

The Ma&Pa in my area had two axle bobbers, regular cabooses, and combines that they ran as cabooses. When they used a interburban as locomotive power, it could be followed by anything, especially milk cars. The interburban was allowed to pick up or spot freight cars on trailing spurs only.

I would say that you never have to remove insulated joiners in HO for any reason. If you have your bus wires connected to each insulated block by feeder wires, then the two blocks are electrically equivalent, the same as if you have jumper wires connected across the insulated gaps. Because you...

You can buy a black and white surveilance TV with a camera for $20 to $30. You can hook up a DVD/VCR (another $20 to $30, but I've seen them for $10), .... OR you can use the camera that comes with it and conceal it in your station and show the trains as they arrive and depart.

Very nice layout. Your staging area in the closet will have to be modified. If the track coming in thru the wall is parallel to the wall, then a 22" radius will go all the way to the wall for a 90degree turn. Your inside curved lead looks to be about a 15" radius (compare it to the arc for...

The Last show I went to at Timonium had a train composed of 115 hopper cars. I think it was the Western Maryland Railroad Historical Society modular setup. Basically what you are asking about with trains joined together is being done by modular railroaders.

I haven't been on in a month, so I have 417 new posts. Usually it's two pages, 30-50.

I am putting safety stripes on my deisels, quickly and easily, and I can change them if I decide something else might look better. Go to your LHS and get the striping that people use on model cars. It sticks on your models by static electricity, no glue needed. Run it for a while, and if you...

If you have a lot of locos, how do you remember what the number is? Do you put it on the storage box or do you use part of the locos number?

I had problems resizing photos. Local Computer shop wanted $600 for an Adobe package that resized and saved in JPEG, not PDF. Was given my daughters old computer that should have the software I need, but haven't set it up yet. The info from the others is really beneficial and I'll try them...

If you have electrically isolated places (no feeder wire, and switches that control the electricity), and you park a DCC loco there, how long does it take until the loco drains power and forgets how you programmed it. I'm assuming that all locos go back to channel 3 when they have lost power...

I hope we all can find something good in everything, and keep our criticism as constructive as possible, and have the Gauge continue to be a nice place to visit.

The problem could also be caused by the lack of a spring in the switches. A lot of people bend paper clips to create a spring to force the points against the rails. If you are not using anything to hold the switches closed, the Atlas switches could easily open up on you. Maybe someone knows...

Beautiful train, was Camden Terminal Company in N.J. or was it by Camden Yards in Balto?

Did you paint the backdrop yourself? The road looks good from multiple angles, that's rare. Usually a backdrop doesn't look that good unless viewed from a particular angle, and most of them lose a lot when viewed from higher up. Fantastic job so far.

I have one friend who regularly buys coins and rare metal items on ebay, removes what he wants from the package, then resells his leftovers back on ebay for MORE money than he paid initially for everything! We had a bookstore, "Biblelotte", that went out of business and sold everything 70% off...

On the aforementioned 6% grade, the railroad (N&W I think) was required by the state to have empty hoppers spaced throughout the train of loaded hoppers for additional braking power while descending the mountain. If you want to (or need to) model a similar steep grade, then you also could...