A new layout!

[wiley209]

Now it's looking more like Christmas on my layout!


My Christmas train! The consist: Bachmann DCC-equipped Santa Fe FTA locomotive, TYCO/Mantua "Season's Greetings" boxcar, TYCO 50th Anniversay boxcar, A.H.M. 1979 holiday boxcar, Bachmann animated reindeer stock car, Life-Like christmas tree gondola car, and Bachmann wide-vision caboose.


The church at Christmastime.


Another Santa can be found at the drug store!


I've also modified my IHC/Mehano Santa Fe Mikado steam engine and made it into a Consolidation, as the rear trailing wheels were rather troublesome.

[wiley209]

Well, it's Christmas Eve, and things are getting busy on my layout, especially at the church!


Yep, got the Walthers Scenemaster Christmas figures (made by Noch) to use for the holidays.


Santa Claus is spotted delivering presents! But since there's no snow, it means no sleigh. So how DID Santa get there? Or is it just an impostor?

[JimJim]

Hello and congratulations on expanding your pike,

Looks GREAT!!! Keep the photos coming!!

From the, "Been there, done that" files...Go DCC now!

I'm on a 4x8 layout and before converting to DCC I had 16 power blocks with two-cab control. The cost of wire and analog controllers alone would have paid for a basic DCC system in the first place.

By switching to DCC there are now only 4 power blocks with the ability to control many more locomotives simultaneously.

Since you are in the early phases of your build, wiring at this time would be easiest and you can build-in for future expansion- -turnouts, signals, lights, etc.

Hope this helps.

[jbrock27]

JJ, Big Bad Wolf/wiley is running DCC now

[wiley209]

JJ, Big Bad Wolf/wiley is running DCC now

JimJim probably just read one of my early posts in this thread, before I bought the E-Z Command unit set.
When I built the layout, I originally planned to have two blocks with the TYCO blocking control, but then I decided not to and set it up as single-train operation initially, since I knew I would eventually upgrade to DCC, and did not want to go through the hassle of removing all those wires and insulated joiners once I did so. Plus, going with the E-Z Command control that includes a decoder-equipped locomotive made it very easy for me to get started with DCC right away.
It also helped that I researched about it in advance, like in Robert Schleicher's "101 Projects For Your Model Railroad" and "The HO Model Railroading Handbook" (1998 edition). The more I read about DCC, the more I wanted to give it a shot! And I am glad I did.
Now I just need to buy a decoder for my Proto 2000 Santa Fe GP9 (at least it's DCC-ready!)

[jbrock27]

Doubt he read any more than what was on the page he posted on today.  That's how I find most people roll on here, even if they bother to read what anyone else said before them.

Anyway, hope your impostor Santa doesn't get busted for B & E!

How's that conductive goop been working on the rail joiners?

Merry Christmas man!

[wiley209]

How's that conductive goop been working on the rail joiners?

You mean the liquid solder substitute? I used it when hard-wiring two of my Walthers Dash 8-40BWs with TCS T1 decoders, and it worked pretty well, but maybe it's because those Trainline Dash 8s are a pretty easy hardwire install job. I've never tried it on rail joiners and don't plan to, as I already have a nice set of terminal joiners on my layout providing power. They're the new Life-Like ones, as they've got slightly thicker wires than the Atlas ones, and seem a little more efficient at supplying power. Now I just need to get the booster unit, or would that be unnecessary for a layout my size when I'm only running two or three locomotives at the same time?

[jbrock27]

One of the DCC boyz can tell you for sure, but I was suspect with that few locos, that it would not be necessary to, no.

And yes I was asking about the liquid solder. Thank you for the update.

Can you tell what gauge the wire is on your terminal joiners?

[wiley209]

Merry Christmas from Roundpost Junction! Here are my Pola/Walthers Trackside Maintenance buildings I got... (A.H.M. and TYCO also used to sell them)






And of course my Christmas train on its' last day of operation for the year.

[wiley209]

Recently bought some more stuff for the layout...


TYCO chrome Shell tank car. It may not be prototypical, but it sure looks cool! I've already swapped out the horn-hooks for knuckle couplers. I also like the separate details on it.


Again, not very prototypical but what can I say? It's Conrail! (I say this because Conrail used to own the tracks running through Brockton before the MBTA bought the line; freight services here are now done by CSX.)


Bachmann tri-level car transporter. I don't plan to run it on my layout because it is pretty long; I just think it looks cool and makes a great display piece. These were made from 1976 to at least 1997. It would be neat if Bachmann started making these again!


This I got for Christmas; a Woodland Scenics Tidy Track roto-wheel cleaner! Handy for cleaning my locomotive wheels!


Life-Like moped dealership!



A couple of my freight trains in action.


Overview as of today.

[jbrock27]

Can you tell what gauge the wire is on your terminal joiners?

Still hoping for a reply.

Always had good luck cleaning loco wheels spraying some WD40 or PB Blaster on a paper towel, put the towel on the tracks and run one set of wheels then the other on the towel while the other set is powered by the track.  Easy to see how much gunk is removed by the amount on the paper towel.
Do you know how much the wheel cleaning device costs, if I may ask?  Cost of the cars, as well?  And do you bother to put coupler boxes on the cars?

[wiley209]

Still hoping for a reply.

Always had good luck cleaning loco wheels spraying some WD40 or PB Blaster on a paper towel, put the towel on the tracks and run one set of wheels then the other on the towel while the other set is powered by the track.  Easy to see how much gunk is removed by the amount on the paper towel.
Do you know how much the wheel cleaning device costs, if I may ask?  Cost of the cars, as well?  And do you bother to put coupler boxes on the cars?

Let's see, the wire on the terminal joiners are gauge #22.
The Roto Wheel Cleaner device is $30, which is a real bargain to me. Though to get power, you use the included alligator clips and attach them to either the track or the DC terminals of a power pack (I find my spare TYCO power packs to do the trick nicely; you can't have too many of them, and I find them useful for powering lights on my layout in different areas.)
The cars can vary at cost. I also got this lot at a thrift store yesterday; cost me all $25.

Not a bad bargain! I'll probably be saving the hopper unloading set for a future layout or something, but I like how it can operate without electricity. It actually dates back to 1964, from the days when TYCO was a division of Mantua. (In fact, the unloader itself says "MANTUA COAL CO." on it!)

I haven't tried coupler boxes yet; I'd need a lot of screws and the appropriate drill bits to try it out, but I am considering trying it out with one of my TYCO Amtrak cars.

[jbrock27]

Thank you for the info on the gauge of the wire.

I haven't tried coupler boxes yet; I'd need a lot of screws and the appropriate drill bits to try it out...

The kind of screws you would need are dirt cheep and the drill bits easy to find and not expensive either.  In my opinion, a better investment of your $$ than the $25 you just paid for the above.

[wiley209]

Here are some more updates!


My Proto 2000 GP9 now has a DCC decoder in it! (I used a TCS LL8 decoder; it was a pretty easy plug-and-play install job.)


The classic Pola "Aunt Millie's House" building kit (TYCO version.) I'm using this as a farmhouse for the layout's farm.


The town library so far. This is a Bachmann Plasticville Silver Series kit (sold in the mid-to-late 1990s), which claims to be more detailed than the "regular" Plasticville kits. I may do some painting and detailing to it on my own soon.


The residental area of my layout in its current state.


I've also now put the Bachmann "action caboose" loading platform here.

[GS_Train]

Great layout Wiley, what do you think of your Proto with the LL8 in it? I've been using DH165LO, but thought about trying the LL8.