• power supply needed, I think,NOT

    Posted March 6, 2011 by Barry Markson

    I see in every a"to do" book that you need to purchase a seperate power supply (24 volts) to run the switches on your trains even if you use a capacitor discharge system. I just purchased two brand new (new technology) transformer controlers that each run two trains, and each has an AC terminal on i...

  • A Good First Impression: N Scale Railroading Magazine.

    Posted March 6, 2011 by J. Douglas Fisher

    I've been an avid reader most my life. In fact, I rarely watch television, and prefer a good book or magazine over the tv anyday. As a result however, I'm very finicky when it comes to the presentation of whatever it is I am reading. Granted, if I'm reading a history book, such as David Hacket Fishe...

  • capacitor Discharge Unit and wire

    Posted March 3, 2011 by Barry Markson

    TO:CHUCK RAMSEY Chuck thasnks for reply. IM using AC and tried DC. Would rather stick with DC if OK? Have seperate transformer capable of 13.8 DCV if needed, or get new transformer. They say do not use train trqansformer to wire switches to?

  • capacitor Discharge Unit and wire

    Posted March 3, 2011 by Barry Markson

    TO:CHUCK RAMSEY Chuck thasnks for reply. IM using AC and tried DC. Would rather stick with DC if OK? Have seperate transformer capable of 13.8 DCV if needed, or get new transformer. They say do not use train trqansformer to wire switches to?

  • capacitor Discharge Unit and wire

    Posted March 3, 2011 by Barry Markson

    I just build 5 turnout ladder using a CD with it. It didn't work. The CD i used was the Peco one. I'm now told itsd only good for one turnout. Searched and found unit in England designed to handle 5-6 turnouts and that'll be here in two weeks. I used number 18 wire(which I thought was overkill) to w...

  • Taking a Few Pages From the Classic Truck Guys.

    Posted March 2, 2011 by J. Douglas Fisher

    I admit it. I'm a Chevy Truck fan. If it doesn't have a bow tie on the grill, it doesn't excite me. Being a wrecker operator by trade, I've driven them all, Fords, Dodges, Chevy's, Nissans, Isuzus Toyotas, Hinos, Mitsubishis, Freightliners, Internationals, as well as dragged my fair share of them ov...

  • Al Mayo, Walking in the Land of Giants

    Posted March 2, 2011 by J. Douglas Fisher

    This hobby of ours is truly an interesting one, and for many of the newcomers to it, I'd be willing to bet many would be surprised to learn that every decade seems to have its controversial characters within the hobby that we'd all love to talk about. Allow me to begin with Model Railroading's very...

  • Collecting Wisdom

    Posted March 2, 2011 by Chuck Ramsey

    I have left comments all over Train Life, but haven't concentrated the sharing of my knowledge anywhere in particular. I'm starting my blog entries today with the goal of collecting all of what I've shared around the site and organizing it by subject: DCC, wiring, etc.   Several of you have s...

  • Ramblings of a newbie..

    Posted March 2, 2011 by Rick Phipps

    After reading other's blogs and about the lessons they have learned and things they have tried, I thought I really had nothing to add. But, in searching for information on how to build my own layout I began to think about others who might be like me. Never had a layout, never done much in the way of...

  • Surveyors and track gang busy

    Posted March 1, 2011 by Ed Sumner

    The last two days have been good days on the M&WV, or most precisely, the Pickens & Webster Springs. The county road department has managed to put a cut through a small hill just outside of South Breece, re-routing State Road 7 and allowing for a future coal tipple on the WV Midland  Meanwhile...