> Peter Vanvliet wrote: > maintenance is still an issue.
Peter..That is an interesting comment. Would you elaborate on what the various maintenance issues are? > I long for a much larger layout, the thought of maintaining it does present a dose of reality! Interestingly, I have a large layout and maintenance is a negligible factor. It is building the darn thing in the first place that takes so much time. What are we doing differently from each other? > the SHS NW2 has very low clearance, I had the same issue with the SHS F-3 diesels at a dirt road grade crossing. The dirt road mounded up just a little bit between the rails. After the F-3 A-B-B-A train came roaring through, the road had a "flat top" without going to a barber shop. While the low clearance has never been a problem with trackwork, it does contact the scenery sometimes. > sound in engines isn't for me. That makes two of us - plus a few HO guys around here. A lot depends on layout geometry. If you have a long skinny layout along the wall, you only have to listen to one engine at a time. If, like mine, the layout is a spaghetti bowl type, then you end up listening to 5 or 6 engines at one time. After ten minutes of that, it becomes quite annoying - to me at least. I am using no-sound decoders with only a few choice locos having sound. Most of my local friends think I am nutz. Some of my far away friends think I am nutz too. And then there are my kids. > Have a good weekend! > Peter. Yup. You too. Ed L.
