Just added track and power to the NP mainline into Chehalis, WA. The next step is to start building the swing bridge and gauntlet track across the layout entrance.
NP reaches Chehalis, WA
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Next comes track
I now have the mainline roadbed laid through Chehalis, to the gauntlet swing bridge. Next comes track and turnouts, some of which I will build by hand. But first comes our club trip to four Salt Lake City layouts. I will post pictures on Facebook.
New EasyMat roadbed
I purchased a new 10 foot roll of EasyMat, the tile underlayment that I cut & use for roadbed on the layout. In the picture I am using the cutting board I built from instructions in the October 2010 Model Railroader article “Make your own Roadbed”, page 45, by Jim Richards. I much prefer this material rather than using cork for roadbed.
The right solution for my SW1 decoder
While rummaging in my spare parts drawer I came upon the perfect solution for a DCC decoder for my new Walthers SW1 Milwaukee switcher, a Soundtraxx MC1H102P8. I purchased this 8-pin chip for a different engine, but it would not fit under that hood. Problem solved.
DCC conversion complete?
I installed an 8-pin plug DCC conversion harness and a Digitrax decoder in my new Walthers Milwaukee SW-1 HO switch engine. The engine is now running fine, however I’m not happy with the way I had to fold the wiring harness in order to install the decoder in an open space atop the PC board. I’m now either looking for a shorter DCC harness or cutting and re-soldering the harness wires. Likely a lot of work for a small return. Do they make a shorter harness?