I have been slowly working on my modular layout. It is made up of 4 modules. Two 2 foot by 5 foot modules, 1 corner 4 x 4 foot module and one 2 foot by 6 foot module. They are arranged in an L shape. The switches and track are going to be all hand laid with the use of Fast Tracks jigs in Sn3 (S scale 3 foot narrow gauge). The theme is going to be a West Side Lumber switching layout so I can run my PBL Shays. I am going to have a lumber mill on the 6 foot module that will cut the logs into boards.

I thought I would share my progress of installing the small SMD LEDs lights in my PBL Sn3 K-36 steam engine.

In the front of the engine I have 5 of the LEDs threaded. One goes into the headlight, two go into the classification lights (one on either side of the headlight) and two into the number boards (one of either side of the stack). 

Another LED goes into the ash pan to represent the firebox light. The tender gets its own back up light.

I have had some request to share the design of my free standing modules. I had a few criteria for my new layout.

1. Since the layout will be in a spare bedroom it will be a round-the-walls design. The space is 10 feet against the back wall and 14 feet against the side wall in an L shape design.

I am starting a new layout. This one will be based on the West Side Lumber Company (WSLCo) that existed in central California in Tuolumne county. The WSLCo was a 3 foot railroad that ran Shay locomotives. The nice thing about Shays is that they run real slooow, this will make the layout seem larger than it is.

I have been working on cars that have interiors, specifically cabooses. A caboose is a good candidate to have an interior. They were used in the early part of the last century as a mobile office. They had closets, desks, a stove for heat and a coffee pot. Some had sleeping bunks and a cupola for a better view of the train.

This is the second part of my adventure of installing DCC in my brass K-27 2-8-2. The first part involved installing a four function decoder in the smoke box. This decoder controls the headlight, classification marker lights, cab light and firebox light.

I am working on installing DCC in my engine and using surface mounted LEDs (SMD) as lighting. I am installing them in the headlight, classification lamps, cab light and firebox light.

To reduce the number of wires from the tender to the engine, I decided to use 2 decoders, the first decoder is a light only TCS FL4 decoder. This decoder will go into the smoke box. The second decoder will be a Tsunami and it will go into the tender.

The Slim Gauge Guild Model Railroad Club would like to invite you to their
semi-annual open house on Sunday June 5(10am-6pm) and Tuesday June 7
(6pm-10pm)

Layouts are S/Sn3 and HO/HOn3 and fill a 2000 square foot room in the basement.

The Guild is located on the South East corner of Raymond and Del Mar.
Just across Del Mar (South) from the MTA Gold Line Station.
web site @ http://www.slimgaugeguild.com

Address: China Factory Mall (basement)