Some of the things with which I'm most pleased are the things I didn't need to buy:
Lumber for the benchwork - scavenged from the trash piles of home construction sites: free
Roadbed & track - mostly salvaged from previous layouts: free
Paint for use in my ground goop - leftover from painting the family room: free
I'm also pretty happy with those 44-cent bottles of craft paint from Wally World.
Jim (I'd operate on a shoestring budget if only I could afford the shoestrings)
"I am lapidary but not eristic when I use big words." - William F. Buckley
I haven't been sleeping. I'm afraid I'll dream I'm in a coma and then wake up unconscious. -Stephen Wright
I have thought of a suitable reply to this question and here it is:
in order, halogen track lighting and my Opti-Visor. As I age, I need more light. The track lighting allows me to move one or more pods to where they will serve me best. And boy, are those GA10'a bright...and hot. Next, magnification is really important to get details and alignments of track right. Even installing tiny screws, or oiling the valve gear with a toothpick is so much easier with good light and about X3 magnification.
Tom was very close, though. I'd place DCC right up there.
-Crandell
stokesda wrote: The investment I have in mind, I haven't made yet, but am foaming at the mouth to do it...Last night I went to a local model rr club meeting. The topic for the day was DCC and programming. The demonstrators were using Decoder Pro to program the locos. Until then, I had never seen Decoder Pro in use, and just contented myself to "hand-jamming" in the CV's on my Zephyr keyboard. Needless to say, I was completely blown away. I feel like I know my way around the Zephyr pretty well, but I was amazed at the ease of use and potential time savings of using Decoder Pro. I decided right then and there the next investment I make is going to be the computer-Zephyr interface that will allow me to use Decoder Pro.
The investment I have in mind, I haven't made yet, but am foaming at the mouth to do it...
Last night I went to a local model rr club meeting. The topic for the day was DCC and programming. The demonstrators were using Decoder Pro to program the locos. Until then, I had never seen Decoder Pro in use, and just contented myself to "hand-jamming" in the CV's on my Zephyr keyboard. Needless to say, I was completely blown away. I feel like I know my way around the Zephyr pretty well, but I was amazed at the ease of use and potential time savings of using Decoder Pro. I decided right then and there the next investment I make is going to be the computer-Zephyr interface that will allow me to use Decoder Pro.
the best thing about Decoderpro is that it's free!..just download Java and then download JMRI Decoderpro onto your computer, hook it up with the interface needed (If you're using digitrax i think it's the Locobuffer II with a USB port.) to run your computer on your programming track, and you're off and running!
Dan Stokes
My other car is a tunnel motor
tstage wrote: For me, one word: DCC. I has enhanced my enjoyment of the hobby immensely. Tom
For me, one word: DCC. I has enhanced my enjoyment of the hobby immensely.
Tom
chuck
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.
have to say the beast thing so far....
sure I have some nice locomotives and some cool Rolling Stock , but I think the best thing has to be this MRC9500 with the two meeters.
with the power all my trains run great, I have people that use crappy packs and told me there trains run like poop
whats the best thig so far?
K