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leapinlarry -- Thanks for your positive comments. It is a DCS layout because I couldn't get the Lionel Legacy system to work on a three-level layout this big back around early 2000's.  I now know it was because of cross talk from one level to another on the Lionel system and would have had to put foil or something to stop the cross talk to make it work. The DCS worked out of the box, because the signal is on the rails and not in the air, and that's what I have stuck with over the years, and it has worked fine.

I'm in Fishers Indiana which a suburb of Indianapolis Indiana. So about three hours from Evansville.

You're not "new" anymore, and congrats, your layout looks great.  If mine ends up half that nice I'll be happy.

@Jeff Green posted:

leapinlarry -- Thanks for your positive comments. It is a DCS layout because I couldn't get the Lionel Legacy system to work on a three-level layout this big back around early 2000's.  I now know it was because of cross talk from one level to another on the Lionel system and would have had to put foil or something to stop the cross talk to make it work. The DCS worked out of the box, because the signal is on the rails and not in the air, and that's what I have stuck with over the years, and it has worked fine.

I'm in Fishers Indiana which a suburb of Indianapolis Indiana. So about three hours from Evansville.

Jeff, if anyone is looking for a positive comment, Larry is their man! 

@Jeff Green posted:

It is a DCS layout because I couldn't get the Lionel Legacy system to work on a three-level layout this big back around early 2000's.

That has changed.  The NJ-HR club runs a 185' x 30' layout with many levels and Legacy works fine there.  However, a key element in operating that layout with TMCC/Legacy is the TMCC Buffer.

TMCC/Legacy Track Signal Booster (Dale's Legacy Continues)

Thanks @Mark Boyce, Mark for the kind words, I sure enjoyed our visit a couple of years ago, and Jeff Green, I can say you are so right about the TMCC Signal causing signal issues when one train going over another, it was so Frustrating. Actually, the man Gunrunner John mentioned Dale, with Manco products, came to my home on his way to York many years ago… We had a fun visit (a week) and I took him to many nice layouts in my area. I learned about the “Earth Ground”, another friend Bob Bartezek (possibly misspelled) told us how to use the earth ground to flatten the signal and allow the trains to run without stopping. So, I actually tore an entire layout down after a years construction do to this mess. My wife said you’re nuts for doing this but I wasn’t happy with the design. I rebuilt my present layout utilizing the earth ground and there are no issues at this time. I’m a Legacy lover.
Good luck with your scenery and keep the pictures coming, and thanks for the comments. Model Railroading is a fun hobby.

Larry-- I hear what you are saying!! Back in the day of all the command control systems being new, I want the layout to work on both DCS and Legacy. After messing with the Legacy for days, trying different things, I knew what the issue was, but no great ideas how to resolve it. I figured out that using tin foil did the trick but much like you, that really meant tearing a huge layout apart to try and fix it right. It also would work if you extended the antenna out of the engines to give them a better signal. I could run a 16-gauge wire, sticking it into the top of the antenna on a Lionel GP9, running it back on three gondolas behind the engine and it ran fine anywhere on the layout. But that was not practical as a fix to the issue. Maybe spending more hours would have led me to some of the fixes we have today but it was hard to keep spending time on the Legacy when the DCS worked fine.

I'm glad all that is behind us and there are parts now to make the Legacy system work on about anything and Lionel kept improving it.

My wife also thinks I'm nuts on more issues than trains!! The trains are actually a good financial hobby as if done right, you really lose very little money while enjoying something. My other hobbies are a blast furnace for money, so the wife may be right!!

Welcome to the Forum Jeff, you have an amazing looking layout and are way ahead of a lot of us! It is great to see layouts like yours!

I think people like pictures better than actually reading comments. Here are a few pictures that didn't make the article in the O Gauge magazine this month

Jeff, those are some beautiful pictures. Blended with the backdrop perfectly. Very nice work.

Great looking photographs, Jeff!  I agree with Rod about blending the scenery and backdrop.

Yes, just as we still don’t like reading books that don’t have any pictures!  😃

@Jeff Green posted:

I think people like pictures better than actually reading comments. Here are a few pictures that didn't make the article in the O Gauge magazine this month

Note that generally most of the pictures that are sent in for an article are published in the digital version of the magazine since we are limited to a page count in the print version.  If you are a digital subscriber, you will see starting on page 85 the extra pages of pictures, etc. in run 338 edition.

Wow, I’ve seen your article in the latest OGR THE Magazine, and I haven’t had time to read it, but looking at your track diagram, it’s a really nicely designed track plan. Congratulations on making the pages of OGR, It’s the best O Gauge magazine on the market. You are now Celebrity Status, thanks for sharing your talents with us. Happy Railroading Everyone

Welcome to the forum!  Your layout is a work of art!

-Greg