I've been away from this forum for the last five years and there have been a lot of changes here including a completely new look to the site, with different operating tools, etc. Fortunately almost all hobby forums including model ship and car restoration forums seem to use much the same software so I think I have figured out how to navigate the OGR forum's current system.
There have also been a lot of changes on my layout and in my O-Gauge collection since I was last here. My collection of locos has grown to about 140, my diecast vehicle collection to over 2,000, and I've made big changes at times to the buildings and arrangement of them on the layout.
But the biggest change is recent, and one I am very excited about. It may seem strange since only six years ago I wrote two books about using the 'Streets (K-Line Superstreets/WBB EZ-Street) system, but I am removing all the 'Streets roads I had installed on my layout and replacing them with with with-guided roads using a system somewhat like the German Faller's Company's Car System, in which cars with magnetic sensors actually steer along the roads following an iron wire buried just under the road surface. I moved to this system because it is so much more realistic than 'Streets or slot cars - no slots, rails, or anything on the roads except miniature versions of what should be there.
This system allowed me to rebuilt my downtown San Bettadaise Main Street with much more realistic streets, with curbes and gutters that have storm drains, lane and crosswalk markers, etc. The cars, and the roadway sections that I used to blend into my new Main Street, are made here in the US by a new start-up in Colorado called AutomotionFX. I also have made several car conversions from diecast models myself. I am extremely pleased about my new Main Street, shown in the video below (the first video I ever posted on Youtube - apologies if it is rather non-professionally done). I am excited about converting my Country road next and getting some big rigs and buses using this system running on that .
