Some very cool permanent and temporary Christmas layouts in this thread. Great inspiration for those of us at the "novice" level.  

Maybe I'll post some pictures of my 4x8 "layout in progress" I am working on for my son and I. It started out as a Thomas and Friends "Sodor Island" layout and has evolved into a layout that in no way resembles anything related to Thomas and Friends. maybe because every time we go to the hobby shop and I would try to get him to buy something related to the Thomas and Friends Bachmann HO trains he already had, he would instead choose to buy the Army Missle flatcar, or Army flatcar with the Army Tank on it.   That's my boy!

Speaking of... I started my son's interest in electric trains with his first basic started set, the Bachmann Thomas, Annie and Clarabel train set several years ago when he turned 4 years old. Maybe still a little too young for that size... but I didn't care. The point was to get his interest peaked. So off it went from there.

I make that point because I kept that entire set and gave it to our neighbor a few houses down for Christmas to give to her little boy who is now 4 for Christmas (cough Santa cough). He loves Thomas trains as well, the wooden and battery powered kind, and LOVES coming over to our house and running the trains on our layout. So, what better way to pass on the joy of the hobby that to get that young man started proper.

And, we are awaiting a present of our own to arrive in the mail for our layout. A "slightly old" (1988ish) AHM/Rivarossi HO Southern #1401 jewel that I know has been well kept and is in great shape. I can't wait to get her in our hands, give her a good once over with the lube and grease, and get her on the rails pulling our Southern coaches. Time to get some of that old Southern Excursion glory going again.  

-Chuck

It's pretty coincidental you posted this topic...

I am awaiting my SR #1401 to come in the mail as I type this. It is an old AHM/Rivarossi model, from around 1984 I believe. No experience at all with these models, but an acquaintance had it sitting around and wanted to sell it. And I'm a SRR modeler.. so I HAD to have it. Personally, the #4501 is my lady of choice.. sadly I don't own any models of her yet.

Speaking of #610... I bought a Bachmann 2-8-0 (wanted an un-decorated, but couldn't find one in my price range) and re-lettered and re-numbered it, and slightly painted it for the SR #630 at the Tennessee Valley RR Museum in Chatanooga, TN.

It needs some weathering and more detail parts to make it more authentic... in due time.

ORIGINAL


WORK IN PROGRESS


CURRENT STATE


CURRENT STATE

I appreciate your comments - and suggestions. Very good suggestion. I am an artist by trade, who's turned into a professional Graphic Designer and Video Producer/Editor.. so I understand the concept of patience, and can see how that trait must transfer over to this hobby if you're going to truly enjoy it. And the simple process of re-lettering a locomotive takes a lot more patience than one could imagine going into it the first time.. ESPECIALLY the smallest decals on the front headlight number boards. Good night. 

Looking forward to getting some more decal sets in to complete the task, the final details parts and then get it weathered up nice.

Her is an update of my (first) re-lettering project. I don't have any proper weathering products at the moment, so that will come later. Once I found the proper Champs decals I needed, they were partial, used sets. So, there are a few decals missing from the loco right now. For instance, the "Southern" from one side of the cab, and the "630" from the same side of the Tender. I will hunt the same set of deals down and complete the job.

The decals were not a perfect match, and in some places I had to improvise with some lettering.. but I got as close as I could. Turned out pretty good if you compare with the original pics on the first page in this post.

There are some other exact details between the Bachmann engine and the actual engine that I need to correct, like the bell placement, ditch lights (correct name?) and some other stuff like that. Will be attending to those details as I go.

Please give me your thoughts.. I know it isn't perfect. But hey, I'm a rookie,

Here is a link to my page of photo's - which shows progress, from original HO logo==co to how she looks now:

https://picasaweb.google.com/102700810654735985344/Southern630HOTrainCustom

But here are a few to see here:

I've ordered some of the Champ decals from eBay. Hopefully they'll be here in a few days. Gonna start removing the current decals today or tomorrow. Always nervous about doing something for the very first time.

Thanks a TON J3a-614, that's great stuff and a huge help.

I have visited that site before. I won't stray too far off topic here.. but since you provided the links to "Southern Steam", the #630 is a cool engine to me and I like it because it is a "Southern Steamer".

BUT.. what you hit on that you are unaware of is that the engine that has a VERY SPECIAL place with me is the Southern #4501 (which is also at the same Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum with the #630) that you see on that "Southern Steam" page you linked to. That engine to me is my childhood, my grandfather, and why I love trains today... and why I want to pass that love on to my son. And, the #4501, which is a Light Mikado 2-8-2, is currently well into restoration and due to be back in service later this year (fingers-crossed). I can say that I will be there when she is under steam again, with my son and daughter.

Anyway.. sorry to stray off topic.. BUT YOU STARTED IT. 

Once again, I greatly appreciate all the advice and leads you guys are giving. That's why I posted my question here, as I knew this is where I would likely get my most direct answers. (I could have posted in another RR Modeling forum I frequent too, but prefer here). I am on the prowl for what I need and will update this thread with pictures of the locomotive - when i get get to that point. 

I appreciate the suggestions and direction. i will do some more digging and see what I can come up with. Did a good bit of painting on the locomotive this weekend to add the white and red detailing. Pretty pleased with the the results, but have to trim the cab window areas red still and am VERY apprehensive about that. I have no idea how I'm going to pull that off without messing something up. Also have a lot of detail work to do, like replacing the bell and such, lots of finer details.

OH - almost forgot this question.. Most decals I am seeing in the hobby shops here where I live, in the train section, are "dry" decals. It looks like those are for buildings and maybe even freight cars. Am I correct in assuming that I am looking for "wet" decals for this type of application? Also, since I'm likely going to be ordering online, how will I know the difference and if I'm ordering the right product? Sorry for what I'm sure appear to be rookie questions.

I am going to re-letter and re-painta Bachmann 2-8-0 Connie loco and tender, to a preferred specific favorite engine. I know how to remove the current lettering. What I don't know is what are the proper decals to purchase, or what brand/where to purchase them? This is my first time doing this and the ones I have found at my local hobby store are not the exact right size. The letters for the cab are too big, and the letters they have for the tender are too small. Also, the gold letters are too gold.. and not yellow enough to match the pictures below. BTW - the images below are of the engine I will be re-lettering the loco to.

Thanks for any tips you guys can give.
Chuck

Cool thread! OK.. you asked for it..  

Actually, I don't have all that much to show off, but I will show off some progress pictures of where my layout concept came from, it's progress, and current pictures today. The main thing is that this layout is still in the early stages.

BACKSTORY: I'm 40, with a 5yr old son. When I decided to build the layout I have in progress he was just turning 4 and I decided to buy him his first electric HO set - a Bachmann Thomas/Annie/Clarabel set. Then I saw the "exhibition" 4x8 Sodor Island layout that Bachmann built and it was on from there... and so it began.

This first image is a picture of the Bachmann Sodor Island, in case some may not have seen it. A three level, DC operated 5 independent track operated layout. It was my inspiration:


..and this is where it began:


...that's a little better


...much progress.. I decided to only go 2 levels and not 3.. also decided NOT to go with a harbor at the business end to help cut back on expenses:


..fast forward to many months later and a move to Florida. Some progress on the layout, but something is bugging me. There is a LOT of unused space in the middle of the lower level. I thought long and hard about what I could do. After some fiddling around.. it converted NICELY into a tunnel, which I will actually use as a "shop" area once all is said and done.. complete with sound FX and welding lighting FX.. ONE DAY:





..and finally just a few from how it sits now. Obviously there is a lot more on the layout than just "Thomas" stuff.. but I don't care, and neither does my son. We love trains and running them. The Berkshire in the first picture here is sound equipped with a Tsunami TSU-1000 and the outter circle of track on the lower level is now DCC equipped. The full lower level will be once I get more DCC locomotives. I also now have a Bachmann 2-8-0 Connie(DCC) - AND - I put a DCC decoder in my Spencer engine.  








SORRY - got carried away.. don't really ever get anyone to show the layout to.. and the wife isn't overly impressed!  

I am awaiting a 2-8-0 Consolidation to arrive in the mail... hopefully today. I will be installing the Digitrax SDH164D sound decoder, with the additional 8 pin harness (so I don't have to do any hard wiring). I chose this decoder specifically because it is half the cost of the Tsunami TSU-1000 Medium Steam decoder, which is what I prefer. But, I'm willing to give this one a try first. If it doesn't work out.. hey, I've got 2 other DCC ready Diesels just itching to have sound installed that the SDH164D would work well in too. 

Again, I appreciate the input. Joe, I appreciate the Accu-lites website link. I decided not to purchase a decoder from them this time, because my local hobby shop has one in stock - the SDH 164D. I did, however, but 2 harnesses for the decoder from them though with the 8-pin connector so I can just "plug and play", instead of having to do any manual wiring.

I decided to give the cheaper decoder a try this go around, especially since it's as easy as "plug and play". Worst case is I don't like it and I decide to order a Tsunami, 

Also, I have two Bachmann Diesel DCC equipped engines I bought for my son's birthday (which he will get on his birthday in June), that I will put sound decoders in as well.. and maybe this decoder will be good for that application.

Looking forward to getting my 2-8-0 in though. Thought it was gonna be in the mail today, but maybe Monday. 

Appreciate your insight. I currently have a TSU-1000 Heavy Steam in a Berk and love it. Bottom line is.. DON'T BE CHEAP! 

I just wish the things weren't $100+, and the cost of a speaker. 

I am going to be acquiring a Bachmann 2-8-0 Connie soon (#51311 - DCC/no sound) and am considering going with the Digitrax SDH164D sound decoder option. I know I can purchase this item and an additional harness with 8-pin plug so that it is "plug and play" with the Bachmann board.

I know that the Digitrax decoder is generic and has both steam and diesel sounds. I have a standard Bachmann EZ Command system, and no programming system. My concern is that if I go with this decoder, how do I set it to steam or diesel? I have looked and looked on Digitrax's site for this info but can't find it. Their function type manual and installation manual lists NOTHING at all about sounds.. but everything you ever want to know about lights.

Anyway, just thought I might get some insight here. I know I should probably just go with the Tsunami TSU-1000 Medium Steam, but I'm trying to go with a more economical approach with this engine.. so I can justify another purchase.  

Thanks in advance for any advice given.

**EDIT** Upon further inspection I have found that this decoder seems to come set to factory default to operate with the steam sounds. My question still stands, if I were to want to change the sound scheme to diesel, would this be possible without some form of programming system? If not, what would I need to get (and I'm sure that is a broad question).

As stated already, yes it is possible to upgrade them to DCC. It's way more difficult to do in the smaller engines, such as Thomas. Most people who upgrade Thomas to DCC do it one of two ways: 1). Use an N scale DCC decoder, which is much smaller, so it will fit better, plus you have to fit the speaker in the small tender box area. 2). I've seen some installations where people install the DCC decoder into the Annie or Clarabel coach and run the wires to Thomas from it, permanently coupling the coach to Thomas.

I am a rookie at all this DCC stuff and just did my first DC > DCC hardwire when I installed a Bachmann DCC decoder into our Bachmann HO Spencer loco. I used the installation instructions from the link I provided below as the guidelines, as the insides of Spencer are much the same as Henry and Gordon. I have both of those engines as well and will upgrade them soon too.

Happy railroading:

Direct link to the Henry/Gordon DCC upgrade instructions:
http://www.tcsdcc.com/public_html/Customer_Content/Installation_Pictures/HO_Scale/Bachmann/Henrygordon/HenryGordon.htm

Direct link to the Thomas Engine DCC upgrade instructions:
http://www.tcsdcc.com/public_html/Customer_Content/Installation_Pictures/HO_Scale/Bachmann/Thomas%20The%20Tank%20Limited%202002/Spectrum%20Thomas%20The%20Tank.html