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It actually worked! I've been wanting to do more in the way of making videos, some train related, some not, but didn't really have a decent camera for it. Near the end of June, I purchased a Nikon D7000, rated as EX+, from KEH.com, a well respected dealer of used photography equipment. I chose...

It's a chilly, cloudy, windy day today. This kind of weather often makes my right knee act up, so working under the layout on the wiring is not something I want to do today. Maybe tomorrow. I decided instead to start work on a project I've been meaning to get around to for quite some time...

We join this project already in progress (but not by much). I grew up in a little town called Fairbury, Nebraska. I left for the big city of Lincoln in January of 1981, so next month will be 40 years here. The population was around 5,000 at the time. It's around 3,500 now. 6 miles east of...

I have heard that the idea for this type of track cleaning car originated with the late John Allen, who employed it on his legendary Gorre and Daphetid HO scale layout. The idea is quite simple: A car (generally a boxcar) is fitted with a small piece of tempered hardboard or Masonite, to which...

They are now open! :D https://nwsl.com/

First, let me say right off the bat: Don't use this to power your DCC system. For that application, use the power source recommended by the manufacturer of the system you use. Second, these power supplies can kill you! Did that get your attention? Good! They have some heavy duty capacitors in...

And when I say wood boxcar, I mean WOOD boxcar! This is another of my treasures from the box of castaways I bought at the Beatrice, Ne. train sow last year (this year's show is the 19th of this month). And it is made of wood. The steps and grab irons are made of metal and separately applied...

At the Beatrice, Ne. train show last year (next one comes up next month, I'm so excited!) I acquired a bunch of broken and/or unserviceable rolling stock for $5. One of the items in the box was this car. I wanted a subject to use to test out the new airbrush compressor I recently got, so I...

Long, long ago, in the early years of the Second Age, I bought a small 2 gallon compressor from Menards. I have used it for a number of tasks around here. When I got into airbrushing it became my airbrush compressor. A new unit is $50, and I know I didn't pay that much for this one! I added the...

When I pre-ordered my Athearn Genesis Big Boy all those many, many long years ago, I made a boo-boo and ordered the DC version instead of the DCC/sound version. :oops: Now, I know none of the rest of you has ever done anything like that, but I do it on a disturbingly regular basis! I had hoped...

Over at MTF, a member asked a few questions about converting a Bachmann DC Overland Limited trainset 4-8-4 to DCC and sound. I have actually done this, and posted a write-up over there. Unfortunately, when P-bucket launched their extortion scheme all the photos in that write-up lost their links...

It... is... alive!

Hey, all, I was looking for a book and went to Kalmbach's site. They are having a book sale at the moment and a lot of books are 50% off, no code needed. If there's a book you've been wanting to buy, this may be a good time...

I originally created this build thread over at Model Train Forums. I used links to my Photobucket account, but when they launched their extortion scheme and broke all the links, the photos disappeared. I tried to rebuild the thread by using MTF's photo uploader, but something just isn't working...

In addition to the box of structures, I also bought from the same gentleman a box of cars for $5 (yes, five dollars). He told me "Most of these are junk." I replied "Oh, good! That's how I like them!" Let's see what in here, shall we? The F unit a dummy, and there's no way it can be powered...

I went to the train show in Beatrice, Nebraska this morning. It was an OK show, maybe 5 on a scale of 1-10. They need more parking. I was looking for a small Vanderbilt tender, plus a tender suitable to use behind my UP rotary plow (the tender supplied fuel for the plow's diesel engine, which...

I have 4 Bachmann 0-6-0 switchers, 2 are DCC On-Board models, and 2 are straight DC models. I have two each of black paint scheme and passenger service greyhound scheme. Someday I may convert the two DC loco's to DCC, but not for now. The greyhound DCC decoder went belly-up so I'll have to...

:( Oh, well. Good excuse for staying in the man-cave all day. Without feeling guilty! :p

I've had this train show treasure boxed up in the storage tote for a few years, and I think it's time to do something with it. I have already done the mundane tasks, such as adding Kadee #148 whisker couplers, and Intermountain metal wheels. It's very smooth rolling now and couples and uncouples...

I decided to build a foam lined engine cradle. I used the dimensions from my Athearn Genesis Big Boy to design it. I highly doubt I will ever have a piece of rolling stock longer than that! I have some egg crate foam from an RC transmitter case I no longer use, and thought that would be ideal...