ok so recently i was gifted some old n scale trains and track by my father. not 100% sure but im gonna guess the trains and track are from the 60's-70's and being new to the hobby im wondering do i need to buy an older transformer/power pack seeing as how the trains and track are from the 60's-70's or will a new one released last year work im kinda in the dark on this

to help date the items some models of buildings in balsa wood were included when he gifted me the trains

also the track is plain no plastic road bed under it

Here’s my idea:

Place IR-LEDs in the layout’s lighting valence – driven, perhaps,
by a picaxe at 38kHz (the freq. used by tv remotes). This will
flood the layout with IR – but should be easy to differentiate
from background light since it’s not only IR but at 38kHz pulses.

I've been looking at purchasing soldering paste for a bit for trackwork (joiners, handlaid switches, etc.). My current go-to is rosin-core 63/37, 0.015" diameter, from Kester. It works fine on DCC installs and circuit boards, but it's pretty poor at putting together rails. Any advice? What's your favorite type?

Okay, dead rail is often mentioned like it’s some kind of model railroading silver bullet. Rather than be so romantic about dead rail, let’s talk about the REAL pros and cons.

What is it about dead rail that is seen as such a benefit? And let’s get beyond the hype ... can you really never attach any feeders ever to a dead rail layout? And let’s hear from more than the dead rail wanna-bees, let’s hear from actual dead rail users! Is less wiring really the only advantage?