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SLEKJR, you made my point about American workers. They want regular hours, 2 months paid vacations, sick leave, and full benefits like Europeans and have low productivity like Europeans. What they should get is a government job. Running trains is a huge responsibility and requires much more...

Charlie, thanks for an interesting critique on the labor situation with RR's. If we lazy Americans don't want to work on the roads, then let's bring in folks from Eastern Europe or Asia who want to work. That's what we did in the 19th century and it built the nation. Maybe it's time for that...

Slekjr & CNJ999 could be right, since the infrastructure of many RR's in the US are in poor condition. However, as the Post article confirms, they are spending huge sums to renovate rails, tunnels, yards, etc. And also the fact is that rail traffic has increased substantially as of late. I...

RR's on the North American continent are booming these days. They are adding more track, locos and freight cars, cleaning out tunnels and getting ready for the increase in business that they have started to see. It's due to the high cost of diesel for trucks and the dearth of drivers. Coal...

It's probably time to resurrect this thread for all the newcomers to the gauge. It seems to have timeless appeal for obvious reasons.

As to your original question: Easier to have a duck under section than a lift out for a perimeter set up like yours. It works for my layout. bob

My collection of steamers consists of only three, but they all look and run extremely well. The two heavyweights in my stable are the Marklin Big Boy and Mikado. And they are heavy. They can haul 30 to 40 cars without hesitation. Beautiful sounds too. They're both digital and are computer...

Thanks to all who took the time to send those encouraging letters above. There are really a lot of great folks on this forum. Today, I made a mistake and accidentally coupled my UP Big Boy tender to a UP PA double unit at very low speed. They can't run together since the codes are different...

I went out to the train house again today, feeling much better, and ran the UP Mike logging train and the NYC PA freight. Love the sound of that Mike, puff, puff, puff, puff and the PA with it's diesel sounds. This is a lot better than physical therapy, for sure. :wave::wave: I may be able...

After nearly 4 months laid up in the hospital, in rehab and at home, after a fall from a ladder while tree trimming, (broken pelvis and right wrist) I was able to hobble into my train room, with cane, for the first time today. Everything looked so good and neat and organized. I wasn't able to...

The Riv's are some of my favorites. My 3 truck Heisler, converted for Marklin digital, is beautifully detailed and runs like a champ. Glad you got it going. bob:wave:

Glen, I like your lumber stacks, they look very real. Nice job. A few years ago I found lumber stacks in the Walthers catalog and put those in my display on flat cars and trucks. They look more like the finished lumber I see daily rolling down I-5 here in Norcal, some from Canada. But, I...

I've checked my layout and noticed that there are actually several 12" radius curves and the Marklin Big Boy and it's tender plus cars all pass over without mishap. It's a combination of really good track and the articulated loco. None of this was cheap, but it really works as it should. When...

Good grief, I agree, get rid of that selfish b--- pronto. :mrgreen::mrgreen: How could you live with a creature like that anyway or even want to. Everytime I read something like that I wonder how in heck it ever got started in the first place. Hey all you young guys out there, or old ones...

My Marklin Big Boy tender with it's 10 axles easily stays on the track on 18" curves as does the rest of the 25 car train. I've yet to have a de-railment. Sure, there is overhang, but who cares, it's just a model.

I've been married for 51 years now. From the start we each have had our own bank accounts and our own bills to pay. We're both retired now. She pays for her projects, food, phone, medical, travel, her hobbies, etc. I, with more income than she, pay the mortgage, insurance, autos, my hobbies...

My Marklin Big Boy, 4 8 8 4, runs easily on 18" radius track. No problem at all. It's articulated. Bob:mrgreen:

Painted wheels look a lot better, but be careful how you do it. Maybe someone with that experience should do it for you. A friend of mine tried it himself and the loco wouldn't run at all afterwards. He had covered over the contact points on the wheels. Then the fun began with trying to clean...

Go for sound, it's more fun and adds another dimension. I use Marklin AC but DCC works as well. Listen to the puff, puff of the steamers and the roar of the diesels and all the other sounds.

Now more than ever It sure is an escape now that I'm a temporary invalid. I fell out of a large Oak, while trimming, and fractured my pelvis and right wrist the day after Thanksgiving. After 35 days in the hospital it sure is good to be home. It's a little hard to get to my train house, yet...