IT'S ALIVE!!! After some issues with gaps (or lack of) in the pcboard ties of my facing turnouts, it's all resolved & trains are running! [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCXTi6LYy4Y"]YouTube - D&BS RR - First Train! - 7viii09[/ame] (Still working on embedding video into posts, but there's a link) There's still some shakiness going through the bottom (closer) turnout which I'll troubleshoot in a wee bit. But you should have seen the sparkle in my son's eye (& dad's ) when he saw the train go (he likes controlling the headlight). Even mom was impressed. Learned a LOT laying this first small section of track & turnouts. Will type up soon. Thanks for everyone's thoughts & feedback! Truly appreciated! Cheers! --Mark
Alright Mark! :thumbs_up: Feels good watching a loco run through your own hand made turnouts huh! Mike
Next big section of track laid! Built a fixture of two turnouts & a crossing: then a wye & siding almost back to where I started: Had a little monkey help test out the smoothness of the rails: & finally wired the sucker up & tried out [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unWVp29OYRs"]YouTube - D&BS RR to 1st Crossing & back to Queequeg's Caskets n' Harpoonz[/ame] [I forgot that there was a mic on this digital camera so you get the added bonus of an unintentional, yet totally moving & appropriate, soundtrack] Only had to check for shorts 2-3 times this go! (darn pcb ties!) I got a smaller dremel cutting disk so I didn't maul my stock rails this time, either, while cutting & isolating the frogs. I got a better soldering iron with a slimmer tip & it's made all the difference in building the turnouts! (Since I'm "cranking them out" at between .5 & 1.5 per day, you'll see them in the next posting) Well, time to paint the rails & ties! As always, feedback appreciated (things to keep in mind, different techniques to try, planning order, etc.) Cheers! --Mark
