Four years ago today I began the installation of the detection & signalling system after I decided that I wanted to see a fully functioning signal system on my layout.

Today I wired up the last dwarf signal, and completed the entire installation!

A friend of mine has an older HO scale Lifelike Proto 2000 Heritage 0-6-0 steamer.    It has a factory installed DCC sound decoder. 

Does anyone know who LifeLike sourced their decoders from for this run.   I took the tender body off, the decoder is encased in purple shrink tubing, no external markings on it.   I used JMRI to attempt to auto detect the decoder, unfortunately it comes up with about 20 potential matches, all older Soundtraxx decoders.   The purple shrink wrap is a sign that it is of Soundtraxx lineage, IMHO.

  Hi All,  Are there products that link DCC command station to boosters wirelessly without needed a loconet cable?  I'm planning to have the DCC command station feed two bus wires on one side of the room and a booster  feed three bus wires on the opposite side of the room and was wondering if there is now a way to eliminate the loconet  cable and just link the two wirelessly?  This would save me from having to run the loconet around the room and across the door or up to the ceiling and over the room and back down. Thanks for any input ......DaveB

I have recently completed track work on my small (2'× 9') switching layout. All track is hand laid and I used fast tracks jigs for the turnouts. My question is this, do I really need to gap both sides of the frog? On of the things that always drew me in with hand laid turnouts was the point rails flowing all the way to the frogs. I just think it looks better that way. Is there a real world practical reason to gap the point rails before the frog?