Hi and thanks for your interest. Photo #2 above has all the materials shown but here are some more pictures to help along the explanation.
The upright are a combination of 'pre-war Lionel' accessory parts and new MTH copies of the telegraph poles. I bought the old at shows for $5 each or less and the new on EBAY for about $50.
THe box brass and round copper tube and screws and nuts I bought at ACE Hardware. They have a rack of these KS stock materials and sell by the piece, a lot less expensive than you local hobby shop.
The rails are simply HO rail removed from long sections of track bought inexpensively at local train shows. Makes no difference if they are brass or nickel if you are going to paint them. Initially I was all brass but did not like the look. The connectors are ATLAS O gauge track connectors. You have to slighty pinch them to make a tight fit on HO track used up side down.
There are two more pieces to this puzzle.
First, to go under a bridge as I have done, requires some plastic girders which I bought in the same rack at ACE Hardware. To put them in place at the proper location requires glueing. I used JB WELD. After using it, I stopped all the solder work on the uprights and rail and used it.
Second, This cat is only for looks. It could be electrified but I do not own those types of electric engines and I had to contend with going thru the tunnel and closet. The tunnel was easy, I used masonite with shine side down. The pantographs transition nicely from the rail outside to the masonite underneath. It take a little craft work but not hard. Picture is on my TV coming from a camera in my Budd car showing inside of tunnel.
See Hugh's other stuff! http://www.jcstudiosinc.com/BlogCategoryMain?catId=975
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