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Video: Kansas City Yard, grand re-opening

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A short video highlighting the new and improved KC yard along with a quick explanation of what's what.

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How to fix Proto 2000 axles -- the dreaded P2K split axle epidemic.

I have quite a few P2K (Proto 2000) four-axle engines on my layout. One of them started running erratically and acted like it was going over a stray piece of ballast every inch or so. When I looked into it, I found out that the P2K engines had axles that split, leading to operating problems. Apparently, Walthers discovered this problem right after they bought the line and sent out thousands of replacements, but are no longer doing so (at least that's my understanding.) It's a fairly easy fix to do and you don't even have to take the shell off. First, flip the engine over and locate the long plastic piece that runs between both sets of axles. It fits over four little tabs, two on each side. You'll need to get a little flat-bladed screwdriver in there to pry up on the piece where it goes over the tab. Pry up a little bit on one, then move on to the next one. Once you get one side, you can usually just "hing" up the piece off the other two tabs. Here's

How to make HO scale roads

I've used the same basic method for making my HO scale roads for some time now. I use the 2mm thick foamie sheets available from the local craft store. These are typically used by kids to cut out shapes and fill up the landfills in your area. The sheets are cheap, I think less than $1. The sheets give a nice base to the roads and have just a little texture on their own to add to the overall effect. In my brewery area, I needed a large paved area for parking plus a road that went across the tracks to the freight house. I also wanted a short section of road on the other side of the access aisle. First, you cut your foam sheets to fit the area. Then glue it down with white glue. ' I like to take plaster and blend the road edge into the base of the layout. I also use it to fill any seams between sheets. I also had to cut pieces to fit between the tracks for the crossings and then weighed them down until the glue dried. (This step was done before the plastering.)

How to make HO scale backdrops

Backdrops add a lot of realism to a layout. The key is to achieve a layered look that gives your 2D backdrop a three dimensional look. Before I go any further, I have to say that everything I learned about backdrops came from John Pryke in his great book "Building City Scenery." OK, I learned a lot by experimenting too, but the basis of my experiments came from what I gleaned from Pryke's book. The first step is to gather up all kinds of different backdrop materials -- making some yourself is an option as well -- from various manufacturers. I use the Walthers ones, homemade ones, RailScenes (not sure if I have the name right) and most recently, the great photo backdrops from King Mill Enterprises . You want to have as many on hand as possible so you can cut them out and mix and match to get the right look. Some buildings are larger than others from a scale perspective, so should go in the front. The smaller ones obviously go in the back. You can also glue the buildings

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