Jim, you don't mention what kind of switches you want to switch.  If you are using stall motor switch machines like Tortoise, then fine wire, like telephone wire, will do.  But if you are using dual solenoid switch machines, like the ones built into Bachmann, Atlas and other switches, you should use a heavier wire, particularly if the distance is great.  Speaker wire, doorbell wire, and lamp cord will all work.  Twenty gauge doorbell wire is cheap, widely available and comes in both 2 and 3 conductors.  The 2 conductor is good for building lights etc. that require only 2 connections.  The 3 conductor is good for extending the wires on remote switches needing 3 wires.

In the real world, side rods outside cause more of a dynamic imbalance than side rods inside.  As well, side rods outside is possible only if the main rods are to the lead driven axle (as on your 4-4-0.)

On the model, putting the main rods outside allows spacing the cylinders a little farther apart which may be required to let the front truck swing enough to negotiate the tight curves we model railroaders all like to use.

I would expect the brass models to get it right, but then I would not expect the brass models to run on 15" radius curves.

I thought I would try out some of the BBC tags by sending myself a personal message (better than cluttering up the board.)  But when I go to send it, I keep getting the message:

The following error or errors occurred while posting this message:
The letters you typed don't match the letters that were shown in the picture.

What's happening here?? 

Number drills #1 to #60 are commonly available at machine shop suppliers.  If you have one locally, you can save the cost of shipping, which is often several times the cost of a single bit.

Depending on your application, a 1/16" drill may do - it is only 0.001" smaller than a #52.

Good question.  I could not find which of the service mode programming types is supported by either the full blown Tsunami or the Bachmann special version.  Most decoders today support all three (direct, page and physical modes) as well as operation modes on the mainline.  Perhaps you should give Soundtraxx a call (and let us know the answer.)

You go away for a few days and when you come back, your house is gone.

You go away for a few days and when you come back, your family is gone and have not left a forwarding address.

You go away for a few days and when you come back, your favorite board has radically changed.

My house is still here.  My family is still here.  And I like the new board.  I hope the only thing gone is the spam.

On the old board, I mentioned a better battery charger specifically for runing Sierra sound on DCC.  This circuit can charge a battery in any state between completely dead to fully charged without frying the battery with excessive current or overcharging it with too much voltage, whether the sound system is turned on or not and whether the locomotive is running or not.  This allows the sound system to be run indefinitely, even with the locomotive sitting still.  I often use this feature to keep a diesel idling in the engine house when it is not in use on the road.

Because of requests for this circuit, I have uploaded details to our Saskatoon Railroad Modellers' mirror website.  It can be seen at:

http://members.shaw.ca/SaskRailMirror/dcc/Sierra-battery-charger/index.html

(Once our regular website has some maintenance done on it, the article will be posted in the DCC section of that site.)

Jim Banner