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I gotta ask, Rick... what do you mean by this? I'm hoping you're not... putting the cart before the horse, so to speak... :thumb: The cheapest (and perhaps even the best) tool for marking curves is a yardstick. Drive a nail in at 1" and drill holes at useful radii - say every inch from 18"...

Yes, it should be easy! Must not even have lights...right? All you need is a decoder with a decent instruction manual and you'll have everything you need. It'll tell you which color-coded wires should be hooked up to your black and white wires. Unless you're color-blind, it should be a piece...

Micore http://www.gypsumsolutions.com/htmlID/micore.asp Use this link to learn more and locate a local distributor. :thumb:

Stiffening a movable section of track... I tried the angle iron approach, but doing it AFTER installing the movable section of track was a mistake - it basically made the section permanent because it could no longer swing down freely. That's why I emphasize knowing what you want to do before...

Code 83 Flex Track :thumb: Don't let it intimidate you! You won't be sorry. Just take your time. Make sure your joints are nice and clean, which means that when you cut rail, take some time to file both ends nice and flat. If you get nice tight joints, you won't even have to solder them like...

The larger the better! Always use the widest radius curves you can for your given space - you won't regret it! :D

Movable section of track I tried a section of movable track once, and the thing I didn't realize until too late was that you could not simply use a 3 foot section of 5/8" plywood because the humidity in the basement would warp it enough to make it almost worthless. Still haven't figured out if...

Excellent diagram! Just as a reminder, this would require either a duckunder or a movable section of track to get access to the operator pit. :thumb:

Sergent Couplers They are supposed to be able to uncouple on a curve, which Kadee-compatibles can't do. :thumb:

Painting a Backdrop I can only give you some general tips to get you started, Steve. For the rest, I'll defer to the real artists in the forum. Use lighter colors to denote distance - as if lots of polluted air is between you and the farthest part away! :D You know the old problem of the...

Try it the other way... announce1I would recommend starting with what you want in a small layout, before limiting yourself to a particular table size! Do you mind having a duckunder? If not, you could use an around-the-walls design. If you don't want a duckunder, you can go with a layout that...

Atlas believes in them... Yes, they are magnetic, but they don't attract me! sign1 Seriously, the Accumates are used on Atlas locomotives, and they come in 2-parts. To me, that's on par with the older Kadee's that have their centering spring separate from the coupler. You can do much better...

Closest to prototype :thumb: If you really want a prototypical look, use the Sergent's! However, realize that they have NO trip pin, so they are not automatic. However, they do look as close to prototype as I've seen. And they are now available completely assembled, even in a draft gear box...

Yes... if... :curse: I have to say that I am not that impressed with low-relief structures. Unless you have a way to disguise the side, your visitors won't be impressed. The best you can hope for is building the entire backdrop with low-relief structures so that they hide the sides...

Alternatives :cry:It doesn't look like you have much depth to work with, which would minimize your choices as to what you can do to make the river seem to "disappear" in the distance. If you had more depth, you could have curved the riverbank to either side so that the scenery hides where it's...

Could be the manufacturer... :cry:I have owned locomotives by Model Die Casting that sounded like coffee grinders! Needless to say, they're no longer on my roster! :thumb: However, if you buy a locomotive from Atlas, Broadway Ltd, Walthers/Proto, or Precision Craft, you will be getting not...

Need a decoder! announce1You need to decide which decoder you want to install... Do you just want control & lights, or do you also want sound? Does your analog PCB include a DCC socket with a dummy plug installed? If so, you can use a decoder with a DCC plug - just pull out the dummy plug and...

A complete kit... :thumb: How about Jurgens Junk Yard by Monroe Models?

Micore - a better choice... :cry:It's too bad you didn't use Micore instead of homasote - it's designed to be impervious to moisture penetration. :thumb: Regardless, you can use any household latex paint to seal the homasote, but it would be wise to apply only a thin layer to allow quick...

How large are you locomotives? OK - here is the situation - in order to know what you can fit in the 10x9 space, we need to know how large your locomotives are - this determines the minimum radius you need in order to do loops and continuous running. Do you intend to run only small diesels, or...