So, I have a section of double track that is laid with Code 83 and concrete ties. There is a river valley scene that is seen in older posts. I decided that the Walthers Double Track Curved Pratt bridge combined with the Walthers 90' Double Track Through Plate Girder would look nice. Based on the height of the valley, the railroad is going to want to use the longest spans possible.

This is the 2% grade coming out of the river valley. This is going to be my maximum grade.

I wanted enough of a grade to really get use out of things like BEMF and sound decoders as locomotives will need more power climbing the grade. Long ago, I decided I wanted vertical curves on this layout for the very reasons mentioned. Most if not all sidings will be level, so I do not have to get crazy with "hand brakes", but the mainline will go up and down, just like real life. My benchwork is nowhere near perfect, but it is sturdy.

So,

I got my first little bit of spline roadbed put together. This is the double track mainline between the helix and a return loop that is approx. 40 feet long. At the return loop, one line will continue along another wall while the second main will loop back over itself and intermingle with the double track. Various view blocks and scenery tricks will keep the scenes separate. The single track spline is not in place yet but will end up in a similar position as the piece of flextrack in the bottom of the photo.

So, in this discussion forum thread, I posed a question about transformer safety. What we determined was that these neat looking power supplies are meant to be in a transformer cabinet and not exposed to small hands or even slightly larger ones that could accidentally come into contact with 120V power.

Welcome to my BLOG ! I hope this is the first post of many, many more.

BACKGROUND

Having been a modeler for the last 25 years, I have surprisingly little to show for my accomplishments. I think that is because I have collected stuff at train shows and off of eBay with the thoughts and dreams of, "someday, I'll do this..." That qualifies me mostly as an armchair model railroader.