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It's been six months, is everything okay?

Fine job explaining how all these DCC components work together. If you enjoy working with electronics DCC can be fun. I personally prefer direct bluetooth communication between a smart device and the locomotives. It requires less equipment and is more cost effective and having an actual GUI to do programming is awesome. Wireless model train control is here and more options are always a good thing.

Nice little engine. Who is the builder you mention in the video?

It's been a minute, just checking in.

1 year later - How is the Digitrax System ? I am in research mode, doing benchwork etc ... for my new layout, about a 1/4 size of yours, but will have about 600' of track. Digitrax seems to be more plug and play and offers accessories within their brand. Nice wiring job by the way. I see the blue and white wires are for DCC track coming out of the PM74 What are the red and black ? - going to terminal strips ??, and it has a power feed ?? Appreciate your response - thanks.

A most tedious and frustrating thing to do.

32:19 I'm planning to mount one of those digital levels on an HO-scale depressed-center flatcar and use it as a "track inspection" car for checking grades.

Fantastic to watch your progress.

Do you have a link for those leds?

Hi Ian...I am starting to lay out my yard turnouts and track and want to ask you what track center to center spacing you use between parallel tracks. 1 1/4"? I am also using Atlas code 55 track. Do you use the #5 turnouts in your yards? Thanks for your help! Marc

I'm not going to be able to sleep at night, knowing that extra washer is rattling around under that first helix ring... Ha, ha..On a serious note, why wouldn't you have started that first ring, 45 degrees counter clockwise, so the approach on the bottom ring would have been angled closer to the table approach track?

Beautiful layout. Gutsy to run a train with light weight flat cars in the middle. Everytime I try that, they get dragged of on curve

What size plywood did you use to cut your helix?

What did u use to put your wood pieces together

Love it! 🌟⭐⭐🤩

Wow! Excellent job showing how to connect the units together. Great job explaining each unit and how they work together. Thanks

If this is the St Croix RR near Hudson, WI I have been there a couple of times years ago. Interesting to see it again. I have forgotten what it looks like. Thanks for sharing. Do you live in area?

There are plenty of things to legitimately criticize Digitrax for on their newer products, but not having signaling logic in the SE74 isnt one of them. The only type of signaling that can really use on-node logic is ABS, and with LCC, its possible, although more complex than just doing it theough JMRI. Smails don't provide feedback to the system like the SE74 does. I'm not sure I'd buy much of anythijg Digitrax makes anymore due to their bugginess, poor documentation, and refusal to adopt NMRA standards of LCC abd RailCom, but your main criticism of the SE74 in particular just iant fair.

What happened to the steam engine that was there? #328

Hi, I'm just curious have you had any issues with the PM74 developing an issue with the 2 loconet ports?

The trains in the last two videos are so cool.

Interesting that you managed to catch "Eleanor" at both York and Newcastle. Just shows that she gets around.

Ah hadn't appreciated you'd be at the York show. I should have said hi. Hope you had a great time. I can see a Kato class 800 Azuma making a rule 1 appearance!

Awww my adopted home city of 14 years! Great to see you this side of the pond and I had I known would have been nice to say hello. Enjoy your trip! Did you see Sir Nigel Gresley the day before?

Was great to meet you and chat to you at York

Thanks for sharing your railfanning from your trip. Enjoyed !

This an old video now, so not sure whether notifications of my comment will be seen. I’ve been helping a nearby layout owner to get out some bugs in his track and wiring. He has an NCE dcc system that uses wired NCE throttles. I’d like to have him consider adding wifi capability. In Steve Todd’s website, he has a note #1 for connecting to NCE that states, “Note 1: for NCE USB autoIdentify, remove all jumpers prior to powering on.” Are there jumpers already set that have to be removed? I’ve searched without being able to find a graphic that shows any jumper connection points, yet. In the RP forums, I’ve only seen text discussions. Thanks for any assistance. Hope the shoulder is doing well.

Hi Ian - Like you my layout is in N Gauge but covering Era 3 to 5, Southern Railways in West Sussex, UK. I am fortunate than others over this side of the pond in that I have a loft that is 40' long but only 7' wide with sloping roof, so it has its challenges. Ive always wondered what I would do had I moved to the states and had a large basement, so to a degree I am living my dream through you. First its great that you have converted to N Gauge and we can truly see how awseome a N Gauge layout will look in a large basement. Secondly it amazes me that you have gone down the 3 level layout route. I have hard enough time taking in one level let alone 3. Dont get me wrong I am not knocking it, I think its great but I just cannot imagine me being able to operate on 3 levels. Just your base level would have been enough for me but maybe a lower level just as a fiddle yard, but no scenery. Thank goodness I dont have to worry about a helix in mine. Loved the last bit, all those carriages in that rake, looks magnificent and even more so in N Gauge, sorry Scale in my opinion. Cheers Chris

How can I get in touch with you?

I have been watching this series from the beginning and just have one thing to ask, I know it is your layout and all. Is there any way you can lay track while you talk. Pretty much all we here is what you are doing, then you do it off camera. Me my self is new to this and I need eyes on of how you do it, I don’t want to make you upset. That being said I love your layout

Second helix looks great!

Iain, is there a reason you're using 2 inch foam board rather than 1 inch board? You are doing a wonderful job on this layout. Thank you for all these very informative videos!

i do like a helix. I have a 2 track helix and built pretty much the same way

Congratulations on the helix progress! I still think you should experiment on painting the framework white before you do much more work on that lower level, and before you put in the lights, just to see how much it will add to the light dispersion.

Thank you for video. Anyone have trouble with using DS74 controlling routes and then causing loss of control of trains via loconet? (Trains stop responding to any commands from command station/throttle). Using all digitrax.

While in Japan were you interested in Kato only? There are other brands with equal or even better quality. Kato is not No1 in Japan.

This looks very promising. What a layout. 😮 When I built a helix I used tubes over the rods with equal length to keep the spacing level to level equal. No adjustments needed except for the first layer.

Looking good. Still amazed with your progress when compared with my club's build.

This is fun to watch..you are making so much progress. I enjoyed the helix project, it came together so nicely. thanks for all your work.

Great work. What are using on the drill to spin the nuts down the all-thread?

That's a beautiful helix, thank you so much for sharing. I didn't see your previous helix build video but I'll have to go back and find it. You're making a lot of really great progress - it's always a pleasure to follow along!

Job well done, Layout is looking good.

Making good progress. Helix looks great. Thanks for sharing.

Are you gunna put an access hole in the plywood so you can access inside the Helix incase you need to do work or rescue a train once the terrain is on ?

Really Nice !!!

Hey Iain. Great work on your very challenging layout. In regards to your concern about the time trains will spend in your Cascade Tunnel helix, I am building portable N scale layout on a 6 x 9 foot board that has a helix hidden under a mountain on one corner. It's only a two-turn helix but I wanted to see the trains moving on it. I designed a cutout into the mountain side on the top level of the helix for about 12 running inches with a tunnel portal at each end. If you are interested, I can send photos of the layout to your email address. BTW I also am planning a Leavenworth style Bavarian town on my layout which features GN, NP and SP&S trains. Dave in Oregon.

Hey Iain. Great work on your very challenging layout. In regards to your concern about the time trains will spend in your Cascade Tunnel helix, I am building portable N scale layout on a 6 x 9 foot board that has a helix hidden under a mountain on one corner. It's only a two-turn helix but I wanted to see the trains moving on it. I designed a cutout into the mountain side on the top level of the helix for about 12 running inches with a tunnel portal at each end. If you are interested, I can send photos of the layout to your email address. BTW I also am planning a Leavenworth style Bavarian town on my layout which features GN, NP and SP&S trains.

Nice work mate

What brand is your SP&S loco?

I need to do this with my rolling stock, too.