The SD90/43MAC engine being tested in this photo has not been converted to DCC yet (a little more than half of my 50+ locos have had decoders installed). The power back being used for testing on the right is a DC power pack. I bought 2 of these packs for about $25 each in 2002 when I first got into N scale and thought I'd try DC cab control.
Now I use DCC on the layout, but the DC power packs are still useful. Being modern packs they function a lot better than the old DC power packs I'd been hauling around previously (and have since given away). In addition, you want at least one DC power pack to test new locomotives before installing a DCC decoder. And the other power pack is useful for powering accessories like lighting or switch motors/machines, unless you want to control switches with DCC.
The yellow and green wires you see running from the power pack to the track are alligator clip wires that you can get in a bundle at an electronics store. These are, IMHO, pretty much a must-have for model railroader as they are so darn useful.
Finally, some discussion about the middle tier bridge. This is a useful bridge technique if you have the need to span a long distance with minimal clearance over the level below. This is, of course, appropriate only in an off-layout area where you aren't trying to model a real bridge. The base of the bridge is thin lauan plywood that is strong enough to hold comfortably the weight of the heaviest train, and has good properties with regard to gluing and retaining screws. The width should be enough for the train and some space on either side for finger access. Too wide, however, may cause the floor to bow inwards. The sides can be made out of any stiff material that attaches easily to the floor -- typically the floor material can be used for the sides, as I've done. the sides should be cut so that the bottom will be a straight edge, because that will define the roadbed level for the bridge. The top-to-bottom width of the sides needs to be sufficient to provide enough strength to hold the trains and prevent sagging.
Support for the bridge comes primarily from the plywood at either end of the bridge. To keep the surface level a notch is cut in the 1/2" plywood so that the last inch or so of the bridge floor rests on the plywood. You can see the notch area in the picture below. In order to fix the bridge in place I first verified all was level (two thin plastic shims helped here) then used Elmer's Wood Glue, which creates a very strong bond with two pieces of wood.
This photo shows the underside of the bridge and the notch area where the right side of the bridge will rest:
When constructing the bridge I was anticipating having to use the wood glue to attach the sides to the floor, but it turned out that the wood held #4 1/2" screws very well -- these are the smallest wood screws you can get in bulk at my Home Depot.
The only real challenge was holding the side and floor in place for the drill hole and the screw. For that I found these very useful:
A small table vise, and an example of the large and small C-Clamps I use. I don't suggest these are the best available. Rather, they are what I've acquired over the years. The red-handled clamps were bought to assist with my German layout almost two decades ago. If I were buying new now I'd go to Micro-Mark, where they have a lot of very slick looking clamp and vise tools.
The next step will be to revive the CMX Track Cleaning car. At each stage so far I've cleaned tracks using the tried-and-true method of isopropyl alcohol (70%) and a paper towel, with a Bright Boy eraser only to get rid of stuff like glue drops. Once clean though, the best thing to do is to keep it clean with regular runs with a track cleaning car. So, I'm going to start that process now before the staging loops get dirty again.
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