As far as resistors for the signal LED’s, what value did you use? I’ve watched a signal build video of yours along with this one, but I’ve not heard anything about resistors, and I know the LED’s won’t survive without them! Help!

please send information I'm at that stage

I like to know the company you got the helix. cost of it. height width and does Kate still sell the double track

You have the best explanation for beginners.

Showcase Miniatures are the best, most scale signals on the market. I Love their HO line. Great Quality!!

Thank you for this. Not only are the official Kato joiners pretty expensive, but they are having availability issues. I could not figure out how to get the metal joiner out of the plastic. If I can offer some advice as one who solders to IPC standards for a living. Use a mild liquid flux, and when finished use IPA and an acid brush (I cut min down to 1/4") to remove the flux residue. Flux eats the surface of the metal and it will continue to do so until it is cleaned off. It is best to apply a fresh drop of flux between tinning and final solder. Avoid bending the stranded wire at the transition into the solder. That is now the weakest point in the wire and where it will break one day. Don't give it a head start by putting a bend at that location. My personal suggestion would be to use a short length of solid core wire at the joiner with stranded wire for the bus. Last, give the solder time to cool before pulling or moving the wire. Solder is soft and gets softer as it is heated. Moving "solid" but still hot solder can form ripples that will become cracks over time. (Referred as a disturbed solder joint). This video shows very good solder technique, but that tug on the wire while it was cooling while tempting is not good idea. The pernicious thing about these issues is that they do not show up right away. The join will look and feel solid and form a good electrical join. It will not be until you have finished your layout and buried that joiner under weeks of scenery work and run trains for a couple of months that the wire breaks or the solder joint cracks and now you have a hard to access and hard to diagnose intermittent bad spot.

Thanks, just finished making 1/2 dozen feeder wires using your video.

What gauge wire?

I haven't soldered anything for a couple of decades, and at age 77, I thought this might be hard to do. It was a little harder than I thought, but when I made mistakes, and yeah, I made a few, I just tried again and made two of these. Took about an hour, but I figure if I keep making them, eventually I'll be as fast as you are. Your clamps really help. I had to improvise those, and that took up quite a bit of the hour. I also recommend practicing soldering if you haven't done it in a while. It takes a bit of a delicate touch on tiny wires. Thanks for this video. It really helped me a LOT!🙂 Oh, one more thing. I learned the hard way that 22 gauge wire is the best to use for this. Anything bigger like 18 will not fit through the plastic part of the joiner. Most people would probably figure that out pretty quickly, but I seem to have to learn things the hard way and step by difficult step!

Very helpful, and as a Kiwi, refreshing to hear soldering pronounced with the 'L' sounded. Sorry, Yankees. 😗

Did you have to put the pieces together?

Does any one out there know what size Kato uses for their male/female plug? Seems to me it is proprietary .

When it comes to trains, what scale is equivalent to 1/25 scale model kits? Thank you!

Great video what’s the back look like for the cable strain relief feeding the stuff like the PSU hate for that power cable to wear down. I covered a wonderful solution for one of my draws way back in video number 77. Needless to say with the mimic panel finally in its place that entire draw is starting to take some shape slowly but surely. Well back to the signal gantry’s I’m installing. Stay safe. And keep the solid content.

Looking great, Peter!

The mural tutorial will be great, I have a couple of feet of wall that would look good with some. Still not putting graffiti on any cars!

The murals do look great. Thanks for sharing.

Most people hide their helices; but I like the idea of allowing people to see the trains as they climb or descend the helix. Is there any way to curve the Perspex (plexiglass) ?

You can also change the notches on the throttle its self. I to have used Tim Garlands videos in programming my ESU lok sound equipped locos. I used a Accutrax speed tunnel to set my max speed at 18 scale miles per hour. Then adjusted the speed curve. I need to change the curve to have a real fast speed at the very end to facilitate wheel cleaning. Nice video!, keep up the good work. FYI, you can also adjust the brightness of the lights and a fade in/out option. Greg

I wander how these throttle fare when operating across the internet? See the live stream i have on my channel.

Nice video. I love my protothrottle. Had to make a few adjustment as you did. I use on my HO switching layout. Cheers

You can do similar with other throttles. I use Engine driver a lot and set it to jump 3 steps per button press giving 8 throttle steps. I have 60s to full speed, 30s to stop and brakes set to 50% to match older Loksounds. I also have drive hold on the throttle for coasting (doesn't work with v3.5 and earlier). It sounds great when running slow and changing between two steps to obtain the required speed like the prototype.

I really appreciate walking through the default settings and how/why you need to change them. I am saving this video!!

What Glue did you use? What I have is not working. Thanks.

Nicely done Peter, really like the ST locomotives, it’s a shame they didn’t incorporate a flashing beacon like you said. Hopefully it’s a fairly simple upgrade. I’ll probably wait to see if they come out with the BNSF patched yard paints before buying but it’s on the wish list. - Steve

Thanks for sharing. I’m wanting to get a pair of these. I’ve been looking at the scale trains but also considering Intermountain. The intermountain version says there are no ditch lights but they do have becon on the cab. I want to call the folks at Midwest Model Railroad to verify this before I make a decision as to which brand to purchase. Scale trains model is $250 each where as Intermountain brand is $228 each. Also I’ve seen and heard with scale trains, some people have demonstrated that at low speeds the locomotives have a jerking or not-smooth motion. One KZbinr staid his didn’t have that issue and another KZbinr showed how he was able to make some CV adjustments to help his new scale train locomotives run smoothly without anymore jerking at low speed. I still have not made a decision as to what brand I wish to purchase a pair of locomotives.

Nice review

They look nice!

Nice job Peter, the scene is really taking shape. I’ve never used that product for roads, rather just plaster or styrene but might have to give it a try. Did you find the edging sticky enough not to come up while pouring? Also, were you able to shape the tape for curves? Thanks for sharing - Steve

Potholed streets of that part of Chicago... I remember New York City in 1970s! And SE London is now horrendous so bicycles need much wider tyres which means wider rims to take the tyres and brakes have to cater for the wider rims.

If you are going to LaCrosse some day, please extend it a further 25 miles to Winona, MN, where I went to college, many times aboard the CM&SPRR.

Maybe I missed it early on, Peter, but what sparked your affection for Chicago? Having grown up on the great south side myself, I really appreciate the effort and realism you are putting into your layout. Ron

Great helpful tutorial! A wire broke off of a unijoiner and i managed to repair it with this tutorial.

Hi Peter, looking great. Can't wait to see the progress over the next year too - Happy New Year! - Steve

Have fun,still love that overpass

Looking really good 👍

Well done.👍

Who sells the bridges

Where can I buy the bridge from

Good tip but only for people who are very handy with a soldering iron. For the average person like myself, unless you can keep the solder a blob the exact thickness of the joiner, there is no way in hell you'll be pushing that thing back in place. After ruining 4 joiners I have decided its probably easier to to solder the wires directly to the track, the old fashioned way.

Do you have a link to those signal heads?

Hi just started watching your new layout build videos. I have experienced the Metra system a few years ago on the Elgin route. I noticed in this video you appear to be in the UK (from the power strip on the wall) I am considering moving back to the UK in the future and have been wondering what it is like to get a hold of US prototype locos and such. When I have been in Osborne models I have been more focused on UK stuff then looking at US. I currently run mostly Union Pacific as that is the mail road in the city I live in with BNSF more in the Central Valley. My current layout is many years in but been slow progress but I can railfan it still working on some ops and switching in the future.

Hi Peter - I believe you posted in the JMRI group about how to get JMRI to know the initial turnout status when you power up your layout? And I think you were given a script? Any chance you could do a tutorial on how to implement this “script” in JMRI? I have no idea what a JMRI script is or how to set one up in JMRI. Any help would be appreciated!

Fascinante

What with all the alternatively-sized pieces in there, how many signal units could you build from one of these kits?

Thanks. Even the factory issued feeders need this help sometimes, the wires seem to break off easily.

Looking good Peter, that graffiti wall will be amazing. I just checked it out on Google Earth, very cool

Are you going to add lights to your vehicles in the tunnel, headlights, tail lights...? Looking good, I really like that underpass, lots of character

Looks like an interesting plan, Peter. Look forward to seeing your progress.