Thanks ----D.
    Meant to mention your previous post also. But hit send to soon.
   Always appreciate your input.
    Ted

    Hunt:  Thanks for that site. It told me what I was interested in knowing about these date nails. Great info!
    Les:  Good information from you also!
    Now to the question of it being fake or made in China. At first I was a bit disheartened to think that someone would even suggest such a possibility. But it didn't take me long to start putting 2 and 2 together. Being the skeptical type myself, I replayed in my mind what the guy in the antique store told me. Compared that with the condition of the nail I bought.
    The display I found this nail in had some that were in pretty bad condition. I chose one that was mostly shinny and just a few spots of rust. I did notice that it didn't look like it had ever been struck with a hammer.
    The story I got from the antique dealer was that he had bought the entire collection from some guy who had worked for the Union Pacific. I suppose that guy could have been pulling these nails from used ties as a collection. But the impression I got was, it was his job to go around pulling these nails. It just doesn't make sense that UP would pay someone to pull nails from used ties that were being discarded. So there are some problems with that.
    BUT ! I'm not a serious collector and in fact never knew of the existence of these nails. For the price of $1.00 I learned a whole bunch of new info.
    Thanks all,  Ted

    I was on a road trip to Colorado and stopped at an antigue store somewhere in Kansas. There was a slab of styrofoam with about 50 or 60 nails stuck in it. These nails had numbers formed on the heads. The guy told me they were used by the Union Pacific to keep track of how long the different ties lasted.
    As a section of rail was replaced these nails would be put in one or two of the ties in that section.
    He showed me a book that also mentioned nails with code letters on them to show what type of wood the ties were made of. He didn't have any of the lettered ones, but said both would have been used to keep track of maintenance.
    I paid $1.00 for one with a 43 on it. My birthyear.
    Anybody have more info on these nails??
    Ted

Thanks Polekat. Good info!!
    Ted

Hey Polekat,
    Tell us what the solution was. People read this site to find out if others are having the same problem they are. solutions are the reason most of us are here!!
    Thanks friend,
    Ted

Clunky ?? Well, maybe somewhat! But I recently finished my first plaster casting. Downtown Deco's "Trackside Tavern". The instructions are very complete and if you follow them and make sure everything lines up right before you start slapping on the glue, You'll be real happy with the results. The details on these models are very impressive and unlike anything I've seen anywhere else.
    Enjoy,
    Ted

    Well, I'll add a little in line with what Steve Mcgee said. But it wasn't my son, it was me. I ran out of fishing weights and then noticed one of the coffee cans full of nuts and bolts collected over the years.
    I measure it all out and leave a bit of weight open for the glue to make up. Then use hot melt glue to keep them from shifting around. I don't use this where they'd be visible, but everyplace else has worked fine. And even cheaper than 5 cents per ounce.

    Good question railnut!!  I've wondered if any of them were worth their salt. I have one, but don't have enough experience in the hobby to know how much you can rely on them. Thanks for asking, I'll be watching this thread.
    Ted

    Thanks a lot Jerry, Jim and Jeff,
    Ya, all I have is an 8 X 12 oval with two dead end spurs. So I don't have any blocks, reversing loops or any thing insulated.
    Actually it amounts to this, I'm building a little town, and I have a train that runs around it. 
    This is all for practice and I expect to expand once I have a better idea of what's available. DCC will be the way to go, but I want to get some hands-on in order to make better decisions later. At the same time, I don't want to buy a bunch of expensive stuff that won't be usable later.
    Thanks again,
    Ted

   Just looking thru my December 2011 copy of Model Railroader Mag. On page 74 there's a picture of DCC equipment. It includes a power supply, but no booster..
    On page 75 there is a diagram showing what I assume is a complete DCC setup with what they have captioned "Booster and Power Supply".
    Now, are the booster and power supply one single piece of equipment or are they two separate pieces?
    Also, Once I get the Cab, Command Station, Booster and Power Supply, and a DCC equipped locomotive, is there anything else I need? Like additions to my existing track that I have been running DC, or other equipment?
    Thanks in advance,
    Ted

I guess I'd suggest that you go ahead and buy it. I bought it as a starter set and it certainly taught me a lot about model railroading. You'll learn how to tinker with turnouts to make them work properly most the time. You'll learn that you can't always back your train through turnouts where a curve is involved, no matter how much you tinker.
    But it's a good inexpensive set for learning on and for practicing weathering and adjusting rolling stock and all kinds of tasks involved with being a model railroader like wiring, weight & balance, nomenclature and on and on and on!
    Even before you get it set up, you'll be well advised to keep this web page in mind. The guys here are fantastic and will help you out of any problem you might encounter.
    Good luck and welcome to the hobby,
   Ted

 .....The ones next to the road seem to be about one sixteenth inch thinner. I guess because there's plenty of room to open the car door. Unlike in a parking lot where there'd be cars parked on either side.

    Ted

Hey Bill,
    I had the same question so I bought a Busch self adhesive parking lot application. The parking spots on it are 1 inch wide by 2 inches long.
    Ted

    Thanks -- D. 
    Nice of you to offer!!  I've been watching this and hoping someone could help the guy out. Ya know he's got to be paying full boat to get anything from a merchant here in the States. Then shipping is another hassle and all he needs is a couple small items.
    Makes me smile! 
    Ted

    Thanks Jeff! Another question answered by the always helpful guys on this board. Just as an aside, I sometimes use a coffee filter to clean my eyeglasses. I suppose they'd work for the track also. And they're cheaper than Handi-wipes!!
  Thanks again,
   Ted