McKinley Railway is my lifelong dream to create a model railway that is both challenging and inspiring. The Time Machine concept allows prototypical trains to run in a near true representation of formations applicable between 1956 and 1975. Join me as this layout builds into, what I hope will be a truly outstanding example of our wonderful hobby.
I make my own rust powder from 0000 steel wool soaked in vinegar for a couple of weeks. Every batch I make comes out a different shade of rust from deep red to bright orange. I also use women's eye shadow makeup I get for $1.00 at the dollar store. It sticks better than any weathering powder you could ever hope to use. And it comes in every color under the sun. I got one with brown earth tones and some orange for light rust. I also use real bituminous coal for my locomotive tenders and coal loads. I've got this huge chunk of coal I went at with a hammer and smashed it into HO scale bits. The larger bits I use for my O scale Lionel. Last step is Dull Coat sprayed out of one of my airbrushes. Cheers from eastern TN
I believe the Viessman Commander + point and block decoders can do this and more straight out of the box. Pity Version two (with wireless phone/ tablet control) has been delayed so long. The block decoders are connected to the 'red' power for a blocked section and detect anything drawing power in that block. Despite reading the manual, I'm not sure on any details. Anyone got experience in Viessman?
Excellent. Thank you for sharing. Might I enquire about weathering the yellow warning panels at each end of a diesel locomotive? Yellow is a colour that tends to fade naturally over time although the effect can be quite subtle.
Great video! I have used Kadee couplings for a few years now. The length proved to be a problem at first but over came it by using the Kadee 20 and cut to suit. The auto uncoupler for reliability I use drone motors, they are the same diameter but a little longer.
Fascinating to see the change in video resolution since this was filmed. Now we get QuadHD monitors and powerful graphics chips in second-hand laptops like I have.
Q: have experimented with RFID here, the high frequency ones I think you are using, works fine on some freight stock if kept away from metal ballast weights. have you had luck using them on locomotives or are you only tagging wagons?
I'm building a control panel and have watched 20-plus videos on control panels. My opinion is we have 19 others and one that really works and looks nice. Phenomenal. Thank You for sharing. OMG. I wrote this and then you pulled the back off. That's a lot of wires.
What a great layout, I love watching it. Two questions 1 is the wheel cleaner worth the expense and 2 how do you clean the tracks and pickups ? Thanks for all the fun.
Well done to all at McKinley for reaching this milestone. The dream gets closer and closer to reality. Plaudits to Charlie as well for the videopgraphy.
This is a great layout. I recall first seeing McKinley in 2020. So much work, and even then over 20 years work and many hands . It certainly requires a team. Fantastic stuff.
Excellent our videos share an identical journey albeit on slightly different scales HOWEVER score 1 for me NO STAIRS. I too have the option for building a layout in our shed 20x10m over 3 levels. PASS or our loft/attic 20x35m. PASS not just because of the idea of stairs which I know I will get old and I don’t want to be separated from my dream layout, but also taking great inspiration exactly the same as what you’ve done there through a Hornby catalog of which is a separate build. I’m going to do once my little once she’s a little bit older to appreciate what we’re getting up to, but my dream layout, which is underway at the moment, purely Hornby inspired, and I truly feel for the enthusiasm, dedication, passion, and lifestyle that it brings and I think if nothing else isn’t it wonderful that we have dreams in our head and we do what we can to scoop them out for me while not on the same scale some of the things I’m achieving I have always dreamed about, but had no idea how they could ever come to fruition, and the funniest thing is, even I am building and rather complicated over the top, mimic panel beyond my wildest dreams, and I don’t know how I ended up in the world of DCC concepts ESP nonsense but somehow I had to screw my head in and stop procrastinating be open to the future and except what’s coming and enjoy everything as we also strive to preserve the history, we remember with the Railways keep up the great work maybe one day you’ll be watching one of my videos. I am currently working on a section of the layout that requires me to model some materials that are in T scale and when you don’t have steady hands, operating on a scale that small oh dear, oh dear.
I have never seen this before but wow .. okay no OLE .. this is similar in intricacy to Davidson Parkway .. which is more in keeping with modem/ OLE OO gauge
hi, splendid all your video that i always follow. why you dont do a video with a train ride on the whole layout? perhaps shopping in all station and shiwing the place and layout? it would be nive to understand how the layout and tracks develop. good work to all. can you public a track layout with photo or video? ty very much
David, Wow what a trip. The "Midland Pullman" When British Rail introduced this train and it's crew all in airline style uniforms. This was the future of rail in the U.K. The magazine "Look and Learn" produced a special edition about this train with photo's and diagrams. One of the photo's had the train passing at high speed through "Bakewell" station. I even pestered my parents to take myself + my 2 brothers upto London St. Pancras to see the train. I can still smell the diesel fumes amongst all the smoke, as the train waited for the off from Platform1. Looking back now I suspect I was the only one in the family who was really interested. Monsal Head Viaduct, Slaters the model company have a large 7m.m. display that has a model of the viaduct. Many years ago I was a guest of the L.M.S. Society for a visit to view the viaduct. It will make for a brilliant model. From L.M.S. day's to B.R., passenger train formation between St. Pancras and Manchester was mainly 6 coach sets. Behind "Jubilee" or "Black Five" loco's. Thanks for the memories. Cheers, Chris Perry.
