Me too, guys. I grew up around the UP in the 40’s because my dad was a railroader for 30 years and worked for them myself in the 50’s before going to college. The sounds and smells are what I remember the most. I am 71 now and just got my first sound system (Lenz) and a handful of decoders including two sound (Soundtraxx steam) after my wife passed away last December. The challenge of it took my mind off my loss. It helped that I know electricity and programming computers.
I managed to do every thing the hard way. Had to tear a Spectrum 4-6-0 all apart and rebuild the tender, hardwire the decoder, replace a defective headlight add a backup light and firebox flicker. I run it for all the neighbors when they stop by. They are amazed. Now I am trying to design a way to put sound into a HOn3 Roundhouse Shay. The posts about reading the manuals is good advice. I have a large three ring binder that has the printout off the internet manuals from Soundtraxx, NMRA information, plus updates and ideas from the Forum. The little manuals that come with the decoders are next to worthless. A couple of the decoders I got ask you to program in binary. That was fun after thirty years since I had to do programming in that. It is great fun. TARP