George brings in a Missouri Pacific brass model caboose he painted, upgraded with new trucks, and outfitted with a SoundCar. Then Tom walks you through the correct way to reset the decoder, highlighting a crucial step that’s been missed a lot lately: cycling the power. Tune in for hands-on modeling tips and decoder know-how you can use right away.

George and Tom are back after the holidays and talkingtrains once again! This week, they dive into layout building and Tom’s plans for a new home layout, with a focus on how real railroads operate—and how you can model those same practices through thoughtful layout construction and locomotive operation.

They also highlight the beautiful work of Charlie Duckworth,sharing photos of his impressive layout for those watching the video version of the podcast. The conversation then shifts to upcoming shows, including Prototype Rails in Cocoa Beach, Florida on January 8, 2026, and Amherst in Massachusetts on January 24.

To wrap things up, George and Tom get practical with adiscussion on wire management, exploring different options to keep your installations clean, organized, and reliable.

Related Videos:

Wire Management with SoundTraxx: https://youtu.be/PtOP5-fmKuE

Tom kicks things off with an undecorated Bluford Shops Missouri Pacific caboose, sharing plans to paint it, add lighting, and install either a SoundCar decoder or a BLU-1100. George then brings in his “Rehab My Loco” Athearn SD40 to show how far a model can be elevated with some hands-on work and a new decoder. The conversation wraps up with a visit from Wes at Just Trains in California, where they talk about the hobby, running a local hobby shop, and how Blunami makes it easier than ever for beginners to get started.