Canadian Canyons Series: Part 15 – Building the panel

Ban Lake holding a piece of paper next to a layout

For part two of this mini-series, MRVP’s Ben Lake moves forward with the staging yard turnout control installation on our Canadian Canyons N scale project layout. Now that the switch motors are installed, wired, and programmed, Ben shows how to make a stylized, fascia-mounted control panel to house the associated pushbuttons and LED indicators. […]

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Canadian Canyons Series: Part 15 – Building the panel

Ban Lake holding a piece of paper next to a layout

For part two of this mini-series, MRVP’s Ben Lake moves forward with the staging yard turnout control installation on our Canadian Canyons N scale project layout. Now that the switch motors are installed, wired, and programmed, Ben shows how to make a stylized, fascia-mounted control panel to house the associated pushbuttons and LED indicators. […]

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Train Control Systems WowSound decoder

throttle

Kevin Strong TCS WowSound 5-amp DCC decoder Train Control Systems 845 Blooming Glen Road Blooming Glen PA 18911 Website: www.tcsdcc.com Price: $199.95 Five-amp capacity DCC motor/sound decoder; available for steam and diesel. Size: 3″ x 17/16″ x 9/16″ Pros: Good motor control; high-quality sound reproduction; many sound options programmed onto the decoder; prototypical braking; “Audio […]

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Visaton speakers

speakers

Kevin Strong 8-ohm Visaton speakers Available from: Train-Li 3 Kensington Way Upton MA 01568 Prices: $14.95 – $24.95 Website: www.trainli.com Moderately priced speakers for use with locomotive sound systems; size: 2″ to 3.3″ diameter Pros: Great sound reproduction even without enclosure Cons: None Anyone who has worked with sound systems knows that speakers need a […]

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Ask MRVP: Episode 26

David Popp wearing a Hawaiian shirt and standing next to a model railroad.

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Thanks to an abundance of inquiries last month, host David Popp had plenty to address in this extended-length June 2017 episode of Ask MRVP! David, along with help from Cody Grivno, Kent Johnson, and Ben Lake, tackles hobby questions regarding layout operation, turnouts, […]

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Ask MRVP: Episode 26

David Popp wearing a Hawaiian shirt and standing next to a model railroad.

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Thanks to an abundance of inquiries last month, host David Popp had plenty to address in this extended-length June 2017 episode of Ask MRVP! David, along with help from Cody Grivno, Kent Johnson, and Ben Lake, tackles hobby questions regarding layout operation, turnouts, […]

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The Salt Lake Route, Part 4 – Wiring a small layout for DCC

MRRC0310_602

Dick Christianson explains how to wire the Salt Lake Route for Digital Command Control. He concealed the system’s command station in a drawer built beneath the layout’s intermodal yard. Bill Zuback photo Fig. 1 Power feeders. Last month Dick explained how to install Kato Unitrack power feeders during tracklaying. He used plug-in sections on the […]

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Video Step by Step: Installing Touch Toggles

Gerry Leone assemble and install a simple touch-sensitive button.

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page From manual ground throws to DCC decoders, there are countless options for controlling how turnouts are thrown on your layout. In this video, Gerry Leone shares how to assemble and install a simple touch-sensitive button to swing those switch points! For additional information, […]

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Video Step by Step: Installing Touch Toggles

Gerry Leone assemble and install a simple touch-sensitive button.

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page From manual ground throws to DCC decoders, there are countless options for controlling how turnouts are thrown on your layout. In this video, Gerry Leone shares how to assemble and install a simple touch-sensitive button to swing those switch points! For additional information, […]

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The Roundhouse: Episode 28

Hal Miller, Dana Kawala, and Tony Koester

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page For the 2017 debut of The Roundhouse, host Hal Miller invited Model Railroader Contributing Editor Tony Koester an MR Senior Editor Dana Kawala to discuss layout operation that doesn’t require power to the rails. Who knew this was such an electrifying topic! […]

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