Ray’s been in touch with his N scale DCC train set:
“Good morning Al.
I love the emails that I get from you with all the tips and sample layouts, videos, pictures, and helpful ideas.
I am amazed by some of the creative genius’ that share their layouts and ideas.
I have sent in a few things that you have posted so I figured I would try a video and some more pictures.
This is my third upgrade of my layout over the past three years and it literally takes up half my basement (I am running our room).
I run DC N scale all made up of Kato unitrack. My layout includes 25 turnouts.
I have a CSX intermodel yard and a Boston and Maine yard.
I do not have a track plan since I just put it together as I went along.
For me, I add things that I enjoy from all over the world.
I have spent time in Holland so I have a section with Dutch farms and a windmill.
I love to golf so I designed and built a golf course on my layout.
Since I enjoy fishing, I have a number of fishing areas from lakes to streams.
Since I am from Worcester Massachusetts, I built Worcester Union Station from a lazer cut kit which took me over 100 hours to finish.
I have even made a an area with my high school and football stadium.
Once again all things that are important to me that really don’t go together…but it all makes sense to me.
So I am attaching an armature video that I took with my phone to give you and idea of what I am busy with. I will also attach a bunch of pictures of different areas of my layouts.
On a side not, I am leaving to Holland today to visit my daughter and grandson.
While there, we will be visiting Hamburg Germany which was featured in your email today (miniature wunderland). I am looking forward to that and after seeing the video that was sent out I know it will be a trip worth taking.
I am sure I will come home with plenty of ideas, and probably a few more locomotives from Holland or Germany.
Please keep all the emails and ideas coming. I always look forward to getting them. Thank you!
Best,
Ray
Massachusetts, USA”
“Hi Al, just posted this video, may be a bit more interesting than the last one, I bought a Bachmann Pannier Tank Loco £45 on Ebay last week, just added new Decoder and she ran very good, so now done a little bit of cosmetic work on her i.e., painted the buffers Dark silver, painted the rear funnel in Brass (as some of these models have that ) and the handle for the front smoke box door white ,then added a couple of light`s which has improved the look of this model.
I am now sending it away for a sound decoder fitted and working lights …also just bought some GWR Clerestory coaches also from e Bay , so should make a nice video in the future ..with sound and the old coaches ..
Regards
Dave”
Now on to Jack:
“Al,
I live in Arizona. Been at this 3 months.
I read your emails religiously. Here is a satellite dish I made from a big drink lid.
A Popsicle stick that you put in Kool Aid and stick in the freezer.
A clam shell base from a HO train I purchased and 4 stir sticks.
BTW the THING is a mysterious place everyone must visit in southern Arizona.
Jack”
A big thanks to Ray for sharing his N scale DCC train set – and to Jack and Dave too.
That’s all this time folks. Latest ebay cheat sheet is here if you want copy Dave.
And don’t forget the Beginner’s Guide is you want to get off the side lines.
Please do keep em coming.
Best
Al
Al — Sorry to hear about your car. I avoid such problems by continuing to drive my 1953 Pontiac into our 62nd year together! Meanwhile, I enjoy the daylights out of the videos you present. Today’s, from “Dave”, is absolutely marvelous. Not just the incredible world he has built, but his photography — especially the “Mobius” camera retreating on one track as the train advances toward it on the main. Just great stuff! Thanks for keeping it coming! Joe Howe, Sedona, AZ, and Verzé, France
All great stuff. Can’t wait for more.
Thanks for all the hard work you do to keep this site up and interesting.
Please keep it up Al, Thanks.
this is way way cool
Ray, amazing!
Where did you get the n-scale skiers?
I have been looking everywhere.
Thx.
llwb
I am working with a table 8’x6′ I am having a hard time coming up with a track lay out old school 027 track
any help ?
alex
Hi Al,
Just wanted to say….sorry to hear about your car. I hope you can get it fixed without too much problem…..and if you can’t, hope you can get another to take its place, again, without too much problem. I’ve been there a time or two so I can feel your pain. I’m getting ready to go to EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI, flying in with my Air Force son…..and…..all at once our clothes washer goes on the blink, so now I have to delay and get the stupid thing fixed for the wife to wash whilst I’m gone. Good Luck, my friend. Gene Hildebrand, Chandler, Arizona.
I got the n scale skiers in Holland a couple years ago. Had a hard time finding them in the states myself. Keep checking eBay, you might luck out. Good luck.
Very impressive… indeed.
Love Dave’s videos could watch them all day. To Alex with 027 layout. I started out with a 9 X 5 board and it was like trying to put 10 # in a 5 # bag. It’s hard to get it to work I finally added a 3 X12 L and now it is pretty good. I still see the N and HO layouts and wish I had that room. The 027 Lionel have a lot of childhood memories for me and it makes me happy. There is a lot of on line track layouts you can look at. I found one I liked but used it as a guide. Put your big things out on the board and move them around to see how they will work. Don’t be in a hurry. You will have to live with the layout you deside on. But changing it as you learn can be fun. My biggest worry is finishing.
Steve from Toms River.
Al, so sorry to hear about your car. Fabulous pictures and love Dave’s videos as always. I just bought a new NCE Powercab Controller for my DCC HO scale layout on four 4′ x 8′ sheets of plywood.
Excellent and enjoyable videos as always! Nice touch on the waterfalls and snowy mountain. Interesting to see your beautiful layout in its beginning stages. Amazing comparison to those “before” and “after” layout video images. Agree with Steve from Toms River. One really can watch your videos all day. Already have a feeling of familiarity with your layout from watching previous videos. Music was great, too!
Keep ridin’ those rails!
I am utterly fascinated by Dave’s Layout and his videos, Please keep them coming, Dave. And to Ray in Massachusetts, kudos. the layout is stunning and goes to show what can be done with the heart instead of the mind. It gives me a lot of hope for the layout I am considering.
Great looking Setup . Loves the mountains with the water falls and the ski slop.
I really enjoy these notes and videos. I don’t have anything set up as yet, no place to do it. I have some cheap HO stuff, hope to something with it some day. I love the idea you folks come up with, like that bridge made with razors. This stuff is really helpful and I’ll be putting some of these things to use eventually.
Really love the satellite dish.An amazing recycling example. Who knows, if this had been put forward earlier, NASA might have saved BILLIONS. Keep it coming!
Al,
Sorry about the car. Hope things are sorted soon on that front.
These pictures and videos lift the spirits. Well done and thankyou to Ray and Dave. The bit that has most got me thinking is the 2007 bit at the end of Dave’s video. I wonder what I will have to show 9 years hence? My aspirations are far more modest in line with my skills and knowledge, but what a story Dave has hinted at.
Best wishes to all in this community.
Macbear, Norfolk UK
..sorry, Jack, I had intended to give you credit, too. Only when I had posted the comment did I realise my error. Thanks and best wishes to you, too!
Macbear.
Wow Dave, you amaze me every time I see a new video from you. Cheers to you! What kind of car do you own that laid down on you? Joe, from Arizona still driving his 53 Pontiac is amazing ! Thats great. I love my 1940 Ford delux sedan with flat head V8 and Columbia 2 speed rear end. Marty
LOOKS GREAT!!!
Having been born in Worcester, Mass. I was surprised and thrilled to see the old Railroad station (still there and restored). I still see it on occasion when visiting relatives in the area as I lived in nearby town for many yrs and still am an hour drive away in NH. I played ball at the same ballfield. At age 79 Memories still live on. Thanks for the memories.
Al – I too am sorry about your car. Could it be that you are driving on the wrong side of the road? 🙂
Dave – I too follow your ideas for my upcoming (someday) layout. I do love your taste in music! At least Rock ‘n Roll from back then had understandable lyrics as opposed to the garbage they listen to now.
Barry
Chesterfield, Missouri
Nice model Dave, only…please run them at realistic speeds, and the “rear funnel” is actually the safety valve casing.
You have a wonderful layout, and one you should be very proud of. I love to see it and watch trains go round it, but I really do wish they ran at a much slower speed. The pannier and three coaches are running at about 120 mph!
Could anyone please send me lists of european suppliers for Alps/Swiss/Bavarian style houses, villages, landscapes, etc , in HO scale as I am building an Austrian style HO set using Marklin trains from ERA II-III. I live in United States, Pennsylvania…congrats on withdrawing from the EU. We will be getting our country straightened out when we elect TRUMP president and he will put UK on top of the list where you belong…..Thank You
Excuse me Jack but while looking at your photos it seems to me as the outside rail is going down instead of being superelevated as with most railroads. If this is not the case, could be the way it was phographed is making it appear so. Anyway good looking layout and keep up the good work.
Beautiful work guys.
Very well done everybody. Enjoying everything.
Dave F
Canada
Great stuff Dave!!! Your layout always amazes me. Keep sending in your posts. Cheers Rossco Adelaide, South Australia
I also live in Mass great job on Worcester rail yard and rotary with station looks like the real thing
Dave,
You revisiting your youth? Nice music from the late 50s and early 60s. Me likey.
That is really a awesome layout!! Never cared for their food but the Mickey “D’s”
store front is cool!!
Ray……love your layout……..especially the golf course….”..Hit’em straight….”.
Also remember your opera house……great job…..
Dave…….that little loco is a fun engine…..
OK; I give up where’s the water accumulating from on the top of the mountain?
Other then that a nice not so busy homey layout . Small town USA.
The Critic
Dave, the ‘rear funnel’ you mention is the cowling over the safety valves. The pannier on the Severn Valley will do seven coaches up a 1 in 100 with no worries.
Rod
Hi Al:
Sorry your car broke down… Hope you can resolve the problem… Regarding the N Scale Layout.. Really Fantastic combining all those Ideas, locations together. However I spotted an Engineering Failure,,, that Walking Bridge over the RR Tracks next to the Baseball Field, there Needs to be a Support Pillar or a Column to hold the Bridge up on the Right Side. The Staircase cannot support the weight of that bridge. Either you have to add a Support Post in the middle of the bridge between the tracks or on the right side Add a column to support the bridge.. Just Looks ODD without any Support holding up the Right End. * Dangerous Dave * You again amaze us with the fine videos you produce showing a realistic view of the trains going thru the towns, villages and the countryside. Keep Up the Fantastic Work…. ~ Mike in New Hampshire, U.S.A.
~ HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL ~
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Good Morning, Ray! I enjoy your creativity–adding things many of us never include: ski slope, golf course, etc. Look forward to seeing more from you!
Alex F. Read Steve H reply to you. Also, make some footprints of some of the building you must have. It may change. You absolutely have to decide if you want your train to have a purpose to its existance. IE, it moves something to some place, an underlying theme OR the train just passes by scenery endlessly. You need to envision your train needs 2 inches clearance either side of center rail on curves. A man is approx 1.5 inches tall in 027. A car is approx 2- inches wide. Thus a street/highway needs to be 6 to 8 inches. There are some track design freeware available. Unless you can walk completely around your 8×6 table, 6 foot is too wide to reach across to right a train or fix a scene. So is 4 foot. I know because i tried to cram everything i wanted on a 4×8 table. maybe in N scale! So scaled back my plans considerably. Be aware some newer cars and engines are true scale and may not clear lionel 027 switches. They are too long and derail by hitting solenoids operating switches. Lots of new rolling stock will still work nicely with 027. Idea. Make a circle of curved track pieces. Measure it so you know what a 180 curve needs on your table top.
Looks pretty neat. Keep up the good workmanship.
Very nice, especially like the turnout. Mine is a KATO 6-stall, it adds so much operating fun to my layout. Great work!
nice layout. i like the snowy mountains.
the cathedral is incredible & love The Thing billboard, the mountain with waterfall is awesome, over all great layout
Jack,
I have seen “The Thing” just east of Benson, AZ on I-10. Very interesting museum.
Great layout and love that waterfall effect.
Ray, you said “Once again all things that are important to me that really don’t go together…but it all makes sense to me.” To me this is what this hobby is all about! When my wife and I put together a layout for her dad, we used his memories from his childhood. It meant more than anything! I can imagine you sitting there thinking of a few year gone by just like dad would do. It was quite heartwarming. By the way, your layout is quite good!!
Pete from Silicon Valley Calif.
Nice layout Ray, awesome pictures