Just concluded an operating session on my home layout. We ran the midnight-9:00 portion of the day last Saturday. Today a different crew came out to run the 9:00-3:00 pm trick. We had a great time - and the layout performed without incident. So much so that I had the rare treat to run a couple of trains during the session! 

Some photos:

An RS-3 handles the "Rock Train" - a train that serves a gravel quarry - north of Randolph. 

After I forgot to turn the waybills for a train at an operating session on the Kanunda and Emu Flat Railway I decided that I needed a check list to make sure that I did not overlook anything again. Having every detail attended to before makes for an enjoyable session.

During the afternoon prior to an evening operating session after I clean the track then run every train on the layout and run a train through every turnout on the layout. Doing that and checking off the check list makes sure that in inspect the whole layout.

My recent Op Session gave me an opportunity to test drive my homebrew Car Card & Routing system.

The system is a modified version of the Car Card and the TIBS system.

This blog is a continuation of my entry called Blocking the BNML

I had this challenge of operating a turnout motor and simultaneously operate a signal to indicate the direction the points were set.

Since I do not use the expensive Tortoise or Cobalt turnout motors that have a set on contacts to operate accessories, I came up with this simple idea and circuit to operate both accessories simultaneously, from the same DCC trigger.