Jim,
Wow, I feel like Plato sitting at the feet of Aristotle...or was it the other way around?  Anyway, I've printed your response out and am starting a Jim Banner technical book.

Jim,
That is a great idea!  My old brain didn't think of painting the wire. I have already aged my posts with a highly diluted black paint, but it never occurred to me about the wire.  Your idea opens up a whole new perspective....I might experiment with silver thread with a touch of rust, or rust thread with a touch of flat silver.  Thanks for the idea.  I've had a modeler's brain freeze for about a week trying to come up with something.
Bill

Does anyone know of a commercial manufacturer that makes barbed wire or wire fencing in HO scale?  If not, does anyone have thoughts on how to make it?  I've tried using black sewing thread, but it just doesn't have the look I'm trying for.

Thanks, Bill

The HO guage newspapers were very nice.

thanks for the link.

I have a P2k 0-8-0 in which the right rear driver is slipping causing it to become out of sync and bind the drivers.  I've tried to add a small amount of CA to the end of the axle to bind the wheel to the axle, but it hasn't worked.  Does anyone have any other idea how to secure the wheel?

Thanks, Bill

Hey, you guys are great!  I rerouted my power strip and insulated the diverging rails and everything works fine.  Thanks for the tip.

Bill

I bought a Peco curved turnout at a train show and the previous owner did not know if it had an electrical frog or insulfrog.  After hooking to my layout the power transitions from the main rail through the turnout with no problems.  When I throw the switch to the diverging rails, all power stops. My source of power is from my main line coming through the frog towards the points.  I assume from this behavour I have an insulfrog.  My question is this:  Should I provide power to the diverging rail and through the frog, or should I connect power from the main line, through the points and on to the frog anddiverging rail?

I hope I have adequately exlained this.
Thanks, Bill

Bigfrank,

Can you further explain where and what you cut and what are truck retainers?

Thanks, Bill

Jim, I couldn't agree with you more.  After I converted all of my HO Code 100 to code 86 I donated it to a poor underprivledged church about 5 miles from where I live.  Two other members from my church and I built a 8 X 10 layout in an empty Sunday school room.  I donated two old Tyco steam engines and about 10 freight cars to those kids. Other members of my church donated a transformer, wiring and a few buildings.  Over two weekends we had set up a nice model railroad layout.  Those kids were absolutly elated.  I hope this may inspire some future model railroaders to our hobby.  It certainly made us feel good.

Bill

Congratulations Gene.  I will be able to sleep well tonight.  Oh, as to why the name of Hudson?  I guess because they won the war of Northern Aggression. 

Gene,

I'll take a stab at this.  I checked the Atlas website to see which connector you were referring to and found that #205 is their connector, #210 is the Atlas Twin, and # 215 is the Atlas Selector, so I'm not sure which one you have.  Number 305 is their manual turntable.

My first thought was that you had a defective connector which was not making contact, but since you replaced it with a new one, I doubt that is the problem.  My only other thought would be to make sure all terminals are connected to the same power source.  For example I use a twin MRC transformer on part of my layout that still runs on DC.  I had a similar problem using the Atlas Twin (#210) and realized I had it connected to the wrong cab control. I reconnected it to the proper controller which solved the problem.  I have found on some of my old Atlas connectors that I have to really press hard to make the connection.  My only other suggestion is to perhaps check all of your wiring with an Ohm meter.

If you find a solution, please let my know.

Good luck, Bill

Good work Kyle.  How about a quick summary as to how you weathered the box car. Pastel chaulk? Air brush? or just what?

I agree....great work.

Roger, what is the minimum radius does the Decapod run on?  Will it handle 18"?

Glad to see you're back up and running.  A great site!

Shay Fan,

A couple of weeks ago I experimented with a piece of flex track to make a 6" radius curve for part of a streetcar system I'm thinking of installing.  You have to be very careful in flexing your track.  You will have to cut several of the ties and use a track gauge and mount it little by little.  Also you will have to snip the inside rails to make them even with the next section of flex track.  It can be done, but as I said you have to take it slow and easy.  Tack your track down as you go along, and be sure you follow your center line.

Lots of luck,
Bill