Hi, Well, I have had my first steam up on my new track. It was an impromptu one, but it had an international flair. Gauge 1 and Gauge O trains were there . Ken Matticks (local) and John Turner of JD Models of England were in the area for a wedding. (Now there are two people with their priorities straight!) :-) I finished laying down Sunset Valley dual gauge track yesterday and boiled the water today. More Gauge 1 track is on the way to finish the inner oval. Nothing fancy with the layout, but I can run whenever the urge hits me. The first run on a new track is fun!!!!! You get to see if all your work in 100 degree temperatures paid off...
Planned steam ups will come. "If you build it, they will come." At least Jim Crabb told me that!!! The steel studding with the Trex boards on it seems to work fine with the Sunset Valley track. My decking would not work very well if you were building your track with individual ties and rails unless battens were laid first. I also added 2 track walk overs as the yard does not allow access along the long sides of the layout. signed ONE HAPPY BOY! Dan Fuller Carrollton, Texas