Looking pretty good and love your UP’s with the flag’s on them. Who made your Challenger and are you HO? My Genesis Big Boy is pretty much the biggest waste of money so far. But that is another subject.
Hey don’t be so hard on yourself not bad looking at all. I gather by your eclectic collection of engines your like me modeling trains not any prototype railroad which in my o/p make it a lot more fun. Gotta love that big steam though no matter who you are. nice Challenger who’s is it?
I’m not a big fan of foam in part because I fudged up my first attempts at it so I gave up and went back to old school methods. You look like your well on your way. May I ask what are your over all dimensions of your layout?
My Lay Out & Engine Galleries have been updated! There is a updated Lay Out Track Plain!!!
My Challenger is an Athearn Genesis UP #3985
Which will be used to pull some passenger cars for its train museum.
First layout table is with the yard is 6’x16’ made of 2’x4’ tables for easy moving. Now I have added on to it in another room, yes another room. It is 2’x15’ with a 4’x8’ table attached to it.
I like to model trains but not any prototype railroad. I just went out and took some pictures and printed some things I like off some web sites to model plus I am making some of it up as I go.
Yes I am HO and my layout, engines and rolling stock never stops growing.
I also have been collecting some G-scale items as well. My G-scale collection is not as big as my HO but they just take up so much room. My G-Scale Dash-9’s have a minumim of 8’ Diameter curves. G-scale is much more expesive also.
Here is the price difference.
Athearn Dash-9 HO $75
Aristo-Craft G-scale Dash-9 $275-$350 MAYBE $215 on sale!
I hope to one day have a layout about the size of K-10 Trains! (IN MY DREAMS) [:-^]
Looking Good. The grades in the corner look pretty steep. Or is that just the way the photos make them look? How did you manage to get approval for the hole in the wall? LOL Don’t think my wife would approve that!
Well there was a small hole already there, I just made it a little bigger. This is also the 3rd story of a 107 year old building. No body but 2 of my friends and my self are every up there! 2 of the 3 rooms are UNFINISHED. Nody body really cares!
The grades are ok it must be the photos making them look worse.
Looks like it should run like a Deer![:D] How do you like your PA system? Any regrets or draw backs to it? I was looking at the PA but I might wait for the PA squared to come out.
I love the PA system, although it is the ONLY DCC system I have owned. I think if I had to do it all over I would spend the extra cash for a WIRELESS system.
Here is why.
I have a friend that comes over to run with me and I will use 2 or 3 hand controls when I run by my self any way. If you are pluged in at the same place your cords will get all tanged up.
[banghead]
The exstention plates are about $45 for a powered one and about $30 for a non powered one. ( Powered ones have a Wall outlet plug to into your 110V wall socket.) The also only come with a 10’ cord [soapbox]. I own 2 powered ones and I will be needing another 2-4 when my current layout plan is finished.
Other then that I love it.
Feel free to ask any questions, I don’t mind answering them.
Thanks James. I was thinking about the wireless too. (PA2 wireless) My layouts a 1 person thing. It’s 8x15 so I could probably live with a 10’ tether. If you get a train up and running, can you unplug your controller and move it to another jack without interruption? I could probably make do with a plain PA and 2 extra jack plates. It would be nice to reach any point on the layout with a controller in my hand for trouble shooting.
Do you control your turnouts with it? What decoders are you using? Sorry for all the questions. It’s just nice to talk to someone that has and likes a PA. I need a unit that’s pretty simple.
LOATHAR
Yes I can unplug my hand held and move to another jack with out it stoping the trains. Some times when I plug back in it gives me an erra so I just unplug and re plug it back in and walla its all good. I am hand throughing them for now. But I will be using togle switches mounted to the side of the layout for my turn outs.
As for my Decoders I am using Digatrax and MRC. They are some of the lower priced ones though and I can say you get what you pay for. But for choosing a decoder is all about what you want and how much you want to spend. I have 6-7 locos but only 3 have sound decoders because they are more cash.
DCC is not as hard as it sounds. You don’t have to remember alot of CV # and all that. Just write them down or keep all you manuals handy, I do both.
