Tools, tips and tricks

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A Coupler Lift Bar (Cut Lever) facsimile/analog used for 1 handed uncoupling during operations

Thu, 2018-02-15 10:01 — AzBaja

A Coupler Lift Bar (Cut Lever) facsimile/analog used for 1 handed uncoupling during operations.

Doodle Time

Tue, 2018-02-13 18:04 — tschwartz

The walls are all painted, part of my bench work is now in so it is doodle time.

I have tried CAD design for my layouts in the past, but I enjoy doodling ideas.

i have modified that technique by using my template and further modified the process by doodling on plexiglass over top of the scaled drawing.

The plexiglass technique I got from my wife who Doodles on quilts as she designs quilting patterns.

But enough about quilts.

Here are a couple of photos of some doodling.

Three Critical Tools to Preserve Your Pike

Tue, 2018-02-13 15:01 — gnagle

I present the three most critical things just about all of us need now to preserve our model railroad harmony:

One of these:

Some of these:

and one of these:

How do you protect your backdrops when working near them?

Mon, 2018-02-12 20:05 — MikeM

I'm looking at using photo backdrops on my layout and have decided I really need to install them before putting in track and scenery; as ham-handed as I am, trying to slide them in over the top of everything after the fact sounds like a recipe for disaster. I'm curious what order of construction others have followed when using backdrops and in particular what methods they may use to protect them from damage while working around them.

2 comments

DCC Test Track Wiring Question.

Sun, 2018-02-04 17:41 — BR GP30 2300

I have a question for those with more DCC and electrical/electronic experience then I have.

I have a NCE powercab that I would like to connect to my program track on my modelbench.

Also I have the NCE USB interface I would like to use so that I can download and use JMRI for programming.

And also I would like to set up the Soundtraxx PTB-100 .

A Special Invitation to Some Fun Clinics on Arduinos and Modeling

Sun, 2018-02-04 13:36 — geoffb

A special invitation to all interested modelers to 2 special presentations/clinics at the Pacific Northwest Region (NMRA) Convention being held in Portland, Oregon on Friday June 1 and Saturday June 2, 2018:

Decoder overheat in Penna. Loco Works (Bowser) metal shell

Sat, 2018-02-03 14:20 — ChuckG-EDO

I'm repurposing a cast metal Penna Loco Works FM shell on an Atlas H 16-44 chassis. I've outfitted it with a Loksound Select decoder and two Tony's sugar cube speakers.