Just today/tonite, Walthers Carfloat and apron...no pics just now finished working on it not too many moments ago, just fininalizing wok on the apron and later painting.
I was pouring over my layout planning and got some answers on what to do, and my next big step is to make the Milwaukee area portion of my layout. I am just bugging to make the North Shore station but the scheme is multi-railroad so the C&NW goes in with a yard and carfloat..erm actually the Milwaukee road did that but my limited workings makes C&NW trackaghe rights on it. or maybe I add the milwaukee road into the mix somehow, I dunno.
I now have my Michigan City module fully operating/powered, working turnouts, and I did a bunch of test running with about a 35 car train with most of my road power crisscrossing over the diamond.
I found that...well, my track isnt the greatest at least in this testing, but learned what engines can take it and what can't. PCM Y6b is THE champ here with sound and crawling 3smph has gotta be a winner here. My Bachmann E33 Virginians I found had very CLOSE footboards to the track, and minor track lumps the engines hit them and stalled. Time to ease the lumps some more, but found not all snap track has the same height ties. BUMP STALL.
The Virginian EL1 jackshafts walked away with the train as well as the DM&IR yellowstone.
Rivarrossi 2-6-6-6 had trouble pulling my train so I doubleheaded with my 4-8-2, not all the cars have good rollability.
Factory direct trains had a doubleheader special on Mikados, I got the B&O's to later repaint to NKP, with sound, I ran them doubleheader, that is a trip hearing them work with the sound.
My plan now is to make a true working layout level in sync with my plans yet make a short fun loop to tidy down my running urges while I work on the real deal.
Er I have that already, well...here goes nuthin again. Pics later on the carfloat and other stuff.