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  1. O

    Turnouts

    River, you do have a point there! I have been thinking in terms of my turnouts being too far away to be manually operated, but currently thinking about my layout (still in my head!) that isn't so. I'll have to consider manual operation.
  2. O

    Getting some roadwork done.

    From a retired general contractor: Try one of the fast set drywall compounds; it will be a LOT easier to work with than plaster of Paris. Get it at a home center that handles drywall. It comes as a dry powder to which you add water. The label on the bag or box will give you a setting time like...
  3. O

    Turnouts

    Thanks for the replies, guys. I got more information than I expected and I sincerely appreciate that!
  4. O

    Turnouts

    Ok, don't want to start a war here, but which kind is most realistic? The snap-action type or turtles? Or has this subject been covered somewhere already? I see turnouts discussed all the time, and some of you like one kind or the other. But as for realism, is a fast acting snap movement more...
  5. O

    Tips for soldering feeders

    Thanks for the response on flux, guys.
  6. O

    Tips for soldering feeders

    My layout is still in my head so I haven't tried soldering rails as yet. But I have done a LOT of soldering of electronic parts where rosin core solder is the ONLY way to go. Is it really necessary to use flux in addition to the rosin core solder? The rosin is the flux for electronics. Acid flux...
  7. O

    Duckunders and lift outs

    There was a magazine article a while back on a hinged or swing-out section instead of a duckunder. I have it saved here somewhere but can't put my hand on it at the moment. The opening end was cut at an angle so the track sections met reliably without binding. This is what I plan to use at the...
  8. O

    cheap ballast

    If you go to a building supply yard you should be able to find several sizes of sand. There is also the very fine grit sold by paint stores for adding traction to floor paint. Then there is the sand sold to make sand texture on drywall, if you can still find it. Basically, if you look around you...
  9. O

    New to trains...running out of steam

    I have thought about this some myself, and I'm sure my wife is going to ask about it sooner or later. Haven't started my layout yet - it is still in my head - but I thought there might be a lot of young kids in the area that would enjoy seeing the layout, once you have it up and running. In our...
  10. O

    Is drilling from beneath wise?

    As a contractor I had that requirement many times. The simple way of doing it is to use a piece of masking tape as a flag. Put it on the drill bit where you want to stop drilling and you can see it touch the material.
  11. O

    Foam Plastic

    I have been absent some, moving to CO; note new location. Had a terrible time getting DSL service here, until they finally sent a tech to my home. He knew exactly what to do, and it was simple. Don't even need a modem! Will spend more time here as I have free time; we are still in a mode of...
  12. O

    Bus size

    A very practical outlook, from a contractor: 14 ga Romex or equivalent is easy to come by as a two conductor pair, and it is relatively easy to terminate. There is an abundance of tools made to handle it. Anything larger becomes a pain to work with; it doesn't want to bend easily. 18 ga is the...
  13. O

    Foam Plastic

    I guess the desirable foam is the extruded type. Using a toothed blade WILL generate a lot of foam dust; good point! Best I aim for a sharp blade instead. Wonder if it works to cut the foam and mist it to reduce the static charge.
  14. O

    Foam Plastic

    Hey, thanks for the inputs, guys! I understand now about the differences between the foams. I'll be doing this in CO so lack of supply in CA is not a concern. I have a couple odd knives in my tool box somewhere. One I recall has a long blade with a serrated edge; probably a "borrowed" bread...
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    Foam Plastic

    Have been absent some; we are in the process of moving to Eagle CO and the process is overwhelming! My layout is still in my head, but I do have tacit approval from my wife; major achievement! Question is I read here about various types of sheet foam for carving landscape; pink, blue, white...
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    Model Railroading Magazine

    Hi, guys. I've been off-line a few days while we moved to Eagle CO from sunny southern CA and I'm temporarily relegated to using a library computer. Bear with me; this thing doesn't spell worth a darn. In planning the basement construction here I broke the news to my wife and daughter that I...
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    One more stupid question

    Guys, I am a general contractor (just retired) and have hung many a door. The cheap doors you get at a home center have no more that 1-1/8" of wood around the edges, and it can be as little as 1". There is a block (usually particleboard) in the center of each side for a knob. The nice thing...
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    Holiday Festival of Trains

    Finally got there to see the exhibit this afternoon, and no wait at all to get in. I was a bit disappointed because the emphasis seemed to be on "O" scale and on old-time toy trains. They had it set up as a tall mound with oval tracks in steps up the side. I think there were a couple HO ovals at...
  19. O

    Holiday Festival of Trains

    I was planning to see the Nixon museum exhibit last Sunday afternoon but the ticket line was wound around the lobby and not moving. Figured it would be an hour minimum of waiting. So I left, and haven't made it back there as yet.
  20. O

    New 2-8-0-

    Both of those are great looking locos! Question, a matter of curiosity: why the orange roof on the 2-8-0? I have seen that elsewhere as well.
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