Added December 2008: Its the day after Christmas and, things being slow this afternoon, I've time to update the current 'state-of-play'. All the PC boards I'll need for the hobo campfire, the two three lamp train signals, four Crawler throttles, four simulated welding LEDs, two or three, (I forget) back-and-forth tracks and one throttle for such a track and a couple of other electronic things have been completed and tested. They've been housed in the Electronic Center which has, in turn, been installed under the layout. I am in the process of completing the control panel insert that will house the control buttons, switches and such for the four throttles. Much of this activity has been preserved in photos that have been added to the photo gallery that can be accessed by clicking on this button

  .

Added April 2008: In the past six months I've done a great deal of work on building electronic circuits and preparing them for installation into my layout. I've also decided to change my modus operandi. I will no longer describe my activities in text here but will comment with pictures in the gallery that can be accessed by clicking on the "Photos" button above..

Added 21 February 2007: I've continued designing and testing circuits and ordering parts to build them and I've most of the stuff I need on hand. I'm now ready to etch PC boards. The chemicals have arrived and the etching tank is ready to go. I learned a valuable lesson on the way - don't transfer an etching mask to the copper until testing to be certain that all the parts (most importantly the holes for their solder points) fit where the diagram says they should. Several of the terminal strips I planned to use had pin spacing different from the component templates in the design software. Fortunately, I laid out the parts on a printout of the etching mask and it was immediately apparent that mask redesign was needed. It's in progress. I've continued building the chain link fence needed for the chemical plant and added a pasture surrounded by a rock wall to the farm. I'm building gates to finish that project. I've also added  lots of trees on the hill, some people to the farm and some deer in the newly enhanced woods. I intend to add a junkyard to the far left corner of the layout. That will give me an excuse to put a welding LED detail in that unused space. I'm also going to have a hobo camp with a flickering LED campfire and my farmer is going to have to do some welding repair on his tractor, too. Lots of bells and whistles are in the works.

Added 25 January 2007: The farm and chemical plants have been completed to the point where only scenery detailing remains to be done. This includes fencing the plant and adding trees, shrubs, etc. to both areas. I've added a scenic detail by laying a small section of track in the other side of the road from the yard. The "old" steam locomotive and train shed have been arranged to depict an abandoned piece of equipment on what was once a siding connected to the yard proper. Further detailing with abandoned yard paraphernalia is now possible in this unused layout corner. The trains continue to run OK on the main lines but I've been reluctant to try any switching because of the very poor control I have starting or stopping them with the Heathkit throttles. I am able, however to get them rolling at any speed I wish and to have them run at that speed indefinitely. I've discovered that I did a much better job then I remembered in setting up to make the TAT IV throttle. I've found an extensive file with diagrams, instructions, etc. I also have a Model Railroading Magazine article giving detailed instructions to a TAT V model dated 1988 in which more modern parts are used. Nevertheless, I've decided to stick with my intention to build the "Cool Crawler" throttle as the standard for the railroad. The PC board layout for the slipswitch circuitry is ready to proceed with its construction but, in view of the pressing need for better speed control, I've decided to make that project the highest priority going forward.

Added 18 January 2007: I've completed assembly of the refinery model (Model Power ) and the farm house (Model Power ). I decided that these (and the rest of the structures on the layout) should be subjected to weathering and such to make them look more realistic. After trying several recommended processes I've hit upon one that is simple and forgiving enough for my totally inartistic talents. I read that one could use ground artist pastel chalk as the coloring agent and that it could be brushed on dry or wet with an appropriate solvent. I bought General's brand Compressed Pastel Chalk (#940A-BP; Assorted Earth and Flesh Tones) and their Compressed Charcoal &Sanguine Sticks  (#9529-BP). As advised, I used fine sandpaper to create dust from the sticks and found that denatured alcohol made the best 'solvent' to apply the dust to the structures with artist brushes. It worked best for me because even after 'dry' if I didn't like the effect I could re-wet it with more alcohol and change things repeatedly until I was satisfied. Moreover, all cleanup was with water. Finally, when I was satisfied that the weathered building looked good to me I could 'fix' the colors with Testors DullCoat..

Added 12 January 2007: Well, work on the refinery has been ongoing with some weathering painting and assembly completed. Trains have been run successfully on both the main lines for extended periods. However, one of the Heathkit throttles is not performing due to some sort of internal circuit problem. With all settings to minimum there is still enough voltage getting to the track to keep a train running indefinitely at a nice pace. The other one has very little control, too. I've given up on my long term dream to build Linn Westcott's TAT throttle because getting parts for something that old may be very difficult and I've decided to go with Richard Weyand's Cool Crawler circuit. However, this project will be deferred until after the refinery, and farm house have been completed and installed and I have finished my circuit to indicate the settings for the double slip switch. I may also want to install automatic reversing circuitry at the ends of the yard tracks to provide for automatic shuttling of trains there in order to add 'interest' for visitors.

Added 8 January 2007: I'm baaaaaaack! There's been so many changes in my life since I last wrote anything I cannot detail them all. We moved to a new home a little more than a year ago and the layout moved with little damage. I'm in the process of resurrecting it now. I've attended a couple of train stuff auctions and picked up some rolling stock, accessories and tools. I'm in the process of assembling a Model Power refinery to replace the storage shed for the chemical plant. At the same time I'm working to clean the tracks and engine wheels so that the trains will run again and after more than two years of inactivity and a move this is proving to be a massive job. One of the Heathkit throttles has developed a short circuit problem that I have to "have a go" at. Yesterday I went to the Greatest Hobby in the World trade show and picked up a couple of tools and detailing bits and pieces. Yes, indeed. I am truly back and there are a million things to to to get the layout functional again and to add to its artistic elements..

Added 21 February 2004: Well, yesterday the trains ran for the first time since I started building scenery. After a little work cleaning tracks and engine wheels I was able to run trains on both main lines without difficulty. I was able to use all but one of the passing sidings successfully, too. One of the Rix switch machines has started sticking again so I wasn't able to use that siding.

    I removed the transformers from the RP-1065 throttles to mount them on the layout frame in order to lighten the throttles prior to mounting them on the control panel. While they worked perfectly when I received them, they've now decided to fail to control. I'm in the midst of trying to unravel that mystery with the help of a number of people from the Heathkit group at Yahoo. I'm now focusing on detailing the scenery and running trains a little just to see them go around and around through the scenery. For me this is a dream come true after some forty or fifty years - my own layout with 'real' mountains and tunnels!!!

Added 25 January 2004: With the work on installing the tunnel liners finished the time has come for designing and building the layout's landscape.

Added 5 January 2004: December has come and gone and, while it will be weeks before all traces of the holiday decorations disappear, there has been some progress in spite of the hustle and bustle of the past few weeks. The throttles were opened on Christmas and they've been tested. They work well but I need to add the N scale resistor to the circuits and tune them to my locos. The parts have been ordered. I've built two successful tunnel liners and installed them (temporarily). I've started ballasting track and have, through trial and error, found the process I'll be using on the rest of the layout. I've experimented with paints and dyes to begin to understand how to make the rocks I've molded look somewhat realistic (the interior of the tunnel linings make excellent trial surfaces.) I had a few guests over the holidays and I enjoyed showing off my work in progress.

Added 17 November 2003: There have been a couple of significant things happening since 25 Oct.

1. I've been fortunate enough to locate and purchase two Heathkit RP-1065 throttles from Doug Nash in Florida. They should be delivered in a week or two.

2. I found an article in the Trade Topics in the November 1969 Model Railroader indicating that Dennis Blunt had, at one time, sold PC boards for TAT-IV throttles. I contacted Dennis and, though he'd long since stopped this business, he was kind enough to send me an old, damaged PC board that I can use as a template, a copy of the construction manual he used to supply and, even more important, a copy of an article describing the TAT-V update by Eberhard A. Meinecke from the April 1988 issue of Model Railroader! I believe I may build this version to power my yard block, while using the 1065's for the main lines.

3. I've moved the layout to it's 'permanent' home and started scenery. Click here, please, to go to the scenery page.

Added 25 October 2003:  It's been a while, as you can see, since I added to this page. While there's not much to show (hence no new photos) there has been a lot happening.

1. By carefully filing the moving armatures in the Rix machines I was able to repair them so that they now operate reliably. Rix was very helpful in helping me troubleshoot the problem.

2. The trains have been running with very good reliability around the loops. There are a couple of spots where particular trucks on particular cars seem to have difficulty some times but I'm eliminating them a little at a time.

3. I had to eliminate the home-brew linkages on the cross-overs because the Peco machines didn't have enough power to push the switch mechanism. I was able to win a number of older Atlas Standard turnouts with remote machines so I just swapped out the manual machines and hooked up the new machines to the SwitchWitches already in place.

4. All the electronics on the control panel are working except for one LED where the red signal has burned out so the LED needs to be replaced.

5. I've decided to use the technique of using plaster  bandages (Carapace® "Original Formula" ) to form the initial shell for my scenery and I found a good source (after some extensive searching) where the material can be ordered directly (http://www.grogans.com/servlet/shop?cat4=521&cmd=H). I have some two inch and three inch rolls coming. With the very tight spaces in some places in my layout I believe this method will allow me to build scenery with much less mess then the dipped paper towels technique.

6. I bought the 1969 volume of Model Railroading in order to get the schematic for the TAT-IV throttle and found an excellent series on scenery construction in three of the issues. To effect the technique I needed some dry pigments. The type recommended was impossible to find locally but I was able to contact the manufacturer, Empire Blended Products, by telephone (732-269-4949). They were very helpful and they're shipping me the colors I need directly.

7. I discovered that the transistor in my LED power circuit was getting too hot and not controlling the voltage properly. I've installed a larger heatsink and added a fan to move the air around. It's working OK now.

8. I've added a new KATO GP-7 diesel to my locomotive roster by winning an eBay auction and I've spent some time lubing locomotives, cleaning wheels and generally improving the running of the line.

So my current activity consists of running trains and debugging rough spots, designing the PC boards for the throttles I'm going to build and planning scenery construction while waiting for parts and materials.

Added 31 August 2003: The control wiring is completed and tested and new layout is now horizontal in the train room. I've started working on getting all the remote turnouts functioning. I ran locomotives on both mains and in both directions. I've found only one rail joint damaged since I last ran locos on the layout.

So far the Rix twin-coil machines are non-functional because the moving armatures jam at each end of their travel when the coils are activated. I've contacted the company. The home-brew setups I constructed for the crossovers at the front of the layout are not moving the switch points. They appear to have too little power to overcome the friction in the system. This may be due to my trying to use one SwitchWitch circuit to operate two machines and a relay. Correcting this is my next priority. I've purchased all the 1969 issues of Model Railroader (the March issue has Linn Westcott's original TAT-IV momentum throttle article) and I'm actively pursuing information relating to this circuit and it's commercial version marketed by Heathkit as item RP-1065.

Added: 24 August 2003: The little layout above has been relegated to storage in the garage and progress on my larger layout has been significant. As of this date I'm in the process of the final wiring of the remote turnouts in anticipation of running the system in fully operational mode. You can sort of follow along with the construction by going to one or more of the sub-systems in the menu above and seeing the photo galleries I've included for each of them.