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I'm planning a new small layout and like the look of those little 2 or 3 color dwarf signal lights. While most use them in conjunction with a turnout system, I plan to use them mainly for decorative purposes, and wish to power them using a 12VAC transformer. My plan is to hook up a two or...

When weighting a caboose, do you measure the body length only, or include the front and rear porches in the length measurement? Also, any quick/easy methods for adding weight to a tank car? Mine has a narrow spine that is too small to hide any weighting in. I've heard of inserting ball...

I recently upgraded my rolling stock with Kadee metal wheels. At times I lost track of which were the plastic wheels I removed from the metal wheels I was installing. As wheel sets are typically made of non-ferrous metal (zinc, bronze......), they are non-conductive, therefore checking...

What is the general consensus on the use of rerailers? Are they a shortcut to overcome poor track layout or poor rolling stock maintenance? I've heard some are used as vehicle crossing pads. Are they frowned upon by the rivet counter set? Are they a necessity always, or just in special...

I just attended a local train show and picked up 8 freight cars, 3 2-bay open hoppers and a caboose. None were in boxes. What's a good site to look up more info based on the rail name and road numbers? I've tried straight Google and E-Bay with limited success.

I'm about to pick up my first DCC loco (Rapido M-420 w/sound) but intend to run it on my DC track for a few months until going full DCC control. I have an MRC 1440 that runs perfectly to spec as far as voltages and throttle. Rapido says their loco is DC/DCC capable. I realize I won't have...

I'm in the process of converting an old fleet of freight cars from a variety of manufacturers to Kadees, but some some of the cars seemed spaced together tighter than others. What's a good general rule of thumb for the spacing between any two cars when lashed together?

Seems there's a mix of both plastic and metal loco railings even toward the upper end models. Call it pet peave but I much prefer metal. Are there any brands that consistently use metal for their mid/upper level diesel offerings? Any reasons to avoid metal railings?

do both transformer AC leads need to feed through these switches, or can you just feed the hot wire through the switch and run the common wire direct from the transformer to the turnout solenoid? Does the switch only control the hot wire while passing through the common feed?

I have a 30+ year old Model Power dc controller and the throttle jumps from 0vdc to 16vdc with no in between voltage. I tried hooking it up to a PWM to control motor speeds using my controller as a dc transformer only. The output on the transformer is 16vdc, but as soon as I hook it up to the...