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Ballast under the track could make the rails uneven. Put down cork, then the track, then ballast. I'm laying direct onto homasote, and skipping the cork roadbed, then will ballast on top of that. This makes the trackbed profile lower than prototype, but for me it was easier. Gary

The 2-8-0 will be going back. :-( Along w an F7 that is slipping its gears. Regauging the wheels was done early. Most things won't run on my layout w/o the wheels being regauged to spec. It "might" be out of quarter, but I don't have anything to check quartering, and I can't figure out...

My other one runs just FINE. This one didn't :-( But that is not stopping me from planning to get at least 2 more Consolidations. I'm not sure if lopping is the proper term, but...this is when the wheel does not smoothly turn. Rather it get "pushed" or "pulled" in spurts by the siderod...

I have 2 of these engines, one works fine, the other has a problem. On the flat the lopping was not very noticable, but on the grade at slow speed it was VERY noticable. In addition it did not have the traction my other 2-8-0 does, slipping with as little as 4 cars on my 4% grade. I decided...

TM I already have too many engines...NOT (grin) Well right now, I only have a 4x8 and anything more than an AB or AA set of F units just looks too much. I'm dreaming about the next layout I want to make, either under the house or in the attic. Then I can have my LONG mainline w flat...

Chris A word of advice as you plan your layout. As with prototype, keep your mainline grade as SMALL as possible. Most especially since you want to run LONG trains. Someone told me that each % of grade will reduce your pulling capacity by 50% of what you could pull on a flat. I have...

Daniel As the turnouts are in the back of the layout, I recommend that you really check them out for specification and reliability. What I mean are: - do the points lie flush against the running rail on both sides when thrown - are the flangways to spec - are there any parts that are...

Greg Thanks for the description. It's one thing to read in a book, its quite another to hear from someone who really did it. Gary

I used to go to a club layout, and after wacking my head more than a couple times, some quite painful that put me on the floor, I began wearing a plastic hard hat. The kids thought it was funny, and it did look odd, but my head appreciated the protection. Under my house I have a couple water...

I can't think of anything to simulate the action of the retarders. Modeling has a few other problems over the real thing - retarder, this is a bit more complex, as the retarder also has to know how heavy the car is so it can slow it down the correct amount. - mass, the prototype has mass =...

Hi Russ I would love something like a hump yard, it would be fun to operate, and VERY cool to watch. But I see the biggest problem of a hump yard is real esate, or the lack of it. As large as a yard is, a hump yard would be even larger. Only a "large" home or club layout would have...

CSX It will do 11"r curves. I have 12"r curves and full size passenger trains don't look right, especially from above. The problem is too much overhang at the ends of the car and the middle of the car. Also there will be a LOT of force against the flange when going around those curves, if...

GATS Chad If there is a GATS in your area, go to it. I picked up a Walthers SP bay window for $4 at the GATS here. Might find other neat stuff...bring your wallet. Gary

What are you guys using for yard and spur bumpers? The Atlas bumpers don't look anything like the bumpers I see on the SP trackage. I made a bumper that kinda looks like an SP bumper out of styrene, but it was a bear to make, and I need a dozen + tnx...Gary

I find N hard enough, but for variety I would like to add a short Nn3 branch line to my layout. It takes a bit or a lot more work to get those little guys to run smooth and reliable, probably in the same way N requires a bit more work than HO. And an optivisor is required (smile). There...

Tileguy My concern is access to the deeper areas. Murphey will strike and you will have derailments or switch problems, and if you can't easily access them you will be in trouble. Once you scenic the layout, you can't lean on it w/o possibly damaging something. The yard tracks will have...