It dawned on me that I could eliminate about nine feet of buss wire by running drops from the upper helix track to the buss wire already there.  This would mean that some of the 18 gauge drops would be on the order of two feet long.
Which would be better - buss the upper level and have shorter drops to it or cut off nine feet of buss wire?
Gene

Does anybody know what gray paints Walthers uses on its prebuilt railroad buildings? I have to paint over the station sign for one as the one on the model is longer than "Leesboro" would be and I have to match a kit with another built up. 
BTW, has anybody ever seen a station sign with "depot" in the name?  All the station signs I know are "Shady Branch," not "Shady Branch Depot."
Gene

=" http://www.evtv1.com/player.aspx?itemnum=1923 ">   
India´s Himalayan Railway</a>   

Enjoy.
Gene

I'm using 18 gauge wire for my drops.  How long can they be?  Here's the situation - the sceniced portion on the west penninsula is over and a bit (2") to the west of the reverse loop lead.  The elevation averages about ten inches.  Can I run leads to both tracks from one buss without sustaining too much drop in current?  If I can drop leads from the one buss, it saves running one buss line.  The reverse loop itself already has its own separate buss. 
Gene

I have several long curves coming up in the Virginia Tidewater and Piedmont construction.  I've alsways thought/been told/learned (take your choice) that the flexible rail should be on the outside of the curve.  Yesterday a friend who is excellent with track told me that I could greatly decrease the big gap caused by track curvature by alternating the location of the flexible rail before soldering the sections together. 
Comments on that?
Gene

For the U.S. citizens, today is Flag Day and the birthday of the United States Army. 
Gene

Where can I find 18-20 gauge wie, suitable for track leads in quantity at a decent price?  I know I can buy that gauge at Radio Shack and in hobby shops, but it seems rather expensive that way.  The local Lowe's doesn't have it.  Home Depot does, but for some reason, even in bulk, the small wire is twice as expensive as thicker wire. 
Gene

Accurail now offers ready to run kits.  I just received one from them, a USRA 2 bay hopper lettered C&O.  It has metal wheels, but I have not tested it or anything.
Gene

What is the name of the company who builds loads for gons and flats with the following characteristics.
They are packaged on a flat piece of cardboard, covered with transparent plastic.
They come in a strange reddish-gray color.
They are molded and somewhat heavy, though the unpainted portion almost looks like sawdust.
They are relatively heavy.
They also build track side buildings.
Any idea?
Gene

Anybody have a clue as to why Bachmann discontinued the USRA light Mountain?
Gene

Two club members who have helped me a bunch on the VT&P have different theories.  One favors soldering sections of flex track together before making a long curve, as in a helix, and the other doesn't.  Which do you suggest?
Gene

Giiven a sub-division yard with an engine terminal, would there be a tower at each end or just one in the transition era?  If at each end would the tower be called Crazy Yard North and Crazy Yard South, or would one be Basic City and the other Mean Street? 
I seem to remember that wharehouse or loading dock doors each were identified so a crew knew where to spot the appropriate car.  Is that correct?
Gene

Is there some way to tell which side is positive and which negative with the Spectrum power pack?  I have a couple of them and an old Bachmann.  I'm trying to do a temporary DC p[ower to the parts of my layout where track has been laid to test the track under power.  I'd prefer not to have a massive short when a loco crosses over a gap. 
Gene

Who was the O gauge modeler from the '40s and '50s who said that a model railroad was like a stage and the trains the actors?  I think he built the Delta Line.
Gene

Is there a way to reverse the bar for the old Custom Line turnouts? It's easy with the new ones, but the old ones look like the track is riveted to the throwbar.
Gene

I have a Rivarossi light weight bi-level sleeper whose shell got warped while spending time in our garage.  I've heard the warp can be cured by heated water or steam.  Has anybody tried that and what is the exact procedure?
Gene

Does anybody have a clue as to the potential lawsuit against Railway Preservation News?
Gene

Apparently one of my Spectrum USRA light Mountains threw a reach rod.  It appears it fastens to the valve gear hanger by a rivet.  Has this happened to anybody else?  How did you fix it?  I've been trying to repair it using a pair of thin tweezers, but no luck so far.
Gene

What is the minimum radius for the full length heavyweight and streamlined Walthers passenger cars?
Gene

Will a Bachmann 2-6-0 and passenger cars fit inside a Woodland Scenic tunnel face?  My wife wants to run her Christmas train on VT&P trackage at the proper time of year.
Since she paid for the building, I find it hard to say "No." 
Gene