I'm really having fun exploring what I can make using 3d printing.  Through shapeways (and I am sure other outlets) you can even print in steel!  I guess the process involves printing fine steel particles adhered together with glue.  Then they replace the glue with another metal, such as bronze.  I'm told there are other methods of 3d printing in steel, or other metals.  Here is a replica Baldwin builder's plate I designed and had printed in bronze steel.  It cost about $20.

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I'm looking for a razor saw to cut an electrical gap (to then be filled in with styrene or another insulating material) in a HO nickel-silver track rail. I'd prefer to buy just one, though I see that X-ACTO makes the saw set in this link:

http://xacto.com/products/cutting-soluti...ail/X75300

Zona also sells a number of individual saws, but from its website it's not clear which is appropriate - or best - for cutting rail.

I'd appreciate suggestions on Zona models that'll do the job, as well as other makes and models.

Thank you.

Hi again.  I completely respect everyone's assistance over my pix/vids concerns. And yesterday I thanked everyone and claimed I now get it.. But (you knew that was coming !) I can not find one actually moving/animated Youtube video.. I search 'videos' and only still-pix appear.. Is this due the same explanation about the major program-crash in the past; that lots of content was lost then ? What is the reason for little if no moving pix ? Am I not selecting them correctly ? Or is it that there simply are little to none ? 
Apologies for my continuing new-guy stuff, Mark

I've had this kit for almost ten years and finally have the opportunity to build it for my layout.



It's not a large kit, about 4 1/2X 3 1/4" so it's a nice model railroad size. Especially for a home layout.




The kit comes with milled walls, strip wood and a bag of castings. It is pretty obvious that it pre-dates any laser cut kits.

I have not had much time for model railroading lately, and most of my time on a railroad forum has been at MRH forum.  I don't know how much time I'll have to visit this or any forums, but just letting everyone know I'm still alive!

Hi .. I wish to thank everyone for putting up and helping me with my (now silly) prob with locating photos.. What I believe I was doing was that I happened to open 2-3 member's posts in 'shutterbug' which just happened to be the ones where their pix were no longer available (I assume due to the website crash in BB prior [is it ?] program ...'CN Nutbar' posts are an example. 
Today I am finding lots of pix. I was simply doing the old 'new member' dance and being impatient ...
I haven't as yes found any videos, only stills.. But I am sure I'll come upon them soon, too...

Thanks again for all the attention. I think I'll be OK now....M, Los Angeles

Hi all. i just became a member a few days ago !..I don't seem to understand what the steps are to view pix/vids. I go to a post which displays them. But nearly every time I click them, 'photo unavailable' comes up... I love seeing layouts and their trains. What steps am I seemingly missing to accomplish this ? Where do members' shots open up whether they be stills or YouTube vids..? Might it be because I'm still a hobo in the group ?
Thanks, Mark, Los Angeles

Using two SPDTs, what's the proper way to wire them so that that one yard (south) can be operated independently of the other yard (north) - and independently of the mainline direction center-off DPDT?  Note: The double reverse loop operations are controlled by a mainline direction DPDT and a reverse loop DPDT, an operation that functions flawlessly.  I realize I could probably use SPSTs for this, but SPDTs are what I have, so no need to mention them. My layout is DC.

As you can see from the attached PDF diagram (a single red line = one rail gapped; two red lines = both rails gapped), I've gapped one rail of each yard between the end of turnout #10 that leads directly into the yards and the end of the yards.  However, when I connected a wire from the center-off SPDT's center lug to the gapped rail in its respective yard and a wire from one end lug of a SPDT to the track power and flipped the SPDT switch, the loco moved in only one direction.  I had to flip the switch on the mainline direction DPDT to get the loco to move in either direction within the yard - an extraneous motion I want to eliminate so that I only need to flip each yard's SPDT switch. 

My objective: to make each yard either "dead" or "alive" and electrically separate from the other - and the mainline DPDT.    

Earlier, in addition to the above two-wire trial, I had also connected a third wire from the other end lug of the SPDT to the center, power supplying lug of the reverse loop's DPDT, which resulted only in a current spike and no movement of the loco.

Obviously, there's interference from the mainline DPDT.  How do I break free of it?

Thanks for your help!

Attached Files

  Great Northern Wiring Schematic (Sept., 2018).pdf (Size: 474.68 KB / Downloads: 976)

In a recent post (SOME FREIGHT CAR MODIFICATIONS...), doctorwayne wrote:

"These TH&B flatcars were done before the Fowler cars, but the photos were somehow lost."

This reminded me that I had similar photos lost somewhere in my computer. Here are two photos of similar kits from Tichy Trains I have built some months ago into the CP livery.

   

   

I've had this weird jog in my fascia for a bit and I thought I might expand the layout a bit to smooth it out:


The current look was the result of a few other expansions, one to add the sawmill, another to add a larger station. I also didn't like the 1" fascia lip that was added between the two. So today I started to remove the fascia so I could add on to the layout.
 

It took about an hour to remove the fascia, disconnecting the wiring for the structure lights, the turntable and a few turnouts. Fortunately, most of my turnouts are manual operation.
I'm also considering changing out the fascia from the brown painted hardboard to something with some wood grain.


 And this is where I am now. When I first started I thought I'd just add a 4" strip (the green line) to the layout, but then I figured I may as well expand out the edge of the sawmill, making the new section 15 1/2 inches long on the sawmill side, 4 inches on the station side and 48" long. That way I'll have room for more structures and scenery.
I'll be cutting the plywood for the new section tomorrow at work.