fal8bw's blog

Give it a shot, literally.
  Have you ever gotten frustrated with the size of an eyedropper when securing ballast?
I have, many times! That little tube only holds just so much material...is there an alternative?

Yep. Make your way down to the local pharmacy and ask where they keep the syringes.
I know this sounds awkward, but there are a variety of plastic syringes available WITHOUT NEEDLES.

I keep a few around for multiple purposes like lubricating small items that need oil, glueing ballast,
getting isopropyl alcohol into tight places, etc., etc.

Relays with a memory

 I stumbled across this item while doing some background for my reversing loops.
 Manufactured by: Omron Electronic Components, LLC of Shaumburg, ILLINOIS, USA.

 It is a small pc-board sized relay, Dual Pole Dual Throw, Dual Coil, magnetic latching, each way.

Check it out at:
 www.Mouser.com

Just go to their website and in the search box at the top enter:

The well equipped poor mans hotwire cutter experiment

Warning and DISCLAIMER, all in one:
This entry is based on personal experimentation, and should only be attempted by ADULT, diehard tightwads, like myself.
I will not be responsible for injury or damage to life, limb, or property, if you try anything suggested in this post.

Resistor your wheelsets

This is my first blog entry so please excuse me if I mess it up badly.

I've only been collecting/modelling for about 3 years now, with a layout that is only in the planning stage.
I have the EasyDCC system from CVP, (IMHO one of the best).
CTI system for computer control and layout realism, and the Rob Paisley block detection sensors. (the ones geared toward DCC)
Presently, I have 30 locos with about 180 pieces of rolling stock.
I will list all part numbers at the end of this article, for those interested.