TheRailwire
General Discussion => Layout Engineering Reports => Topic started by: wm3798 on January 24, 2019, 10:25:12 AM
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Updated 4-28-2020 I've updated the title of this thread to better reflect what's happening here. The moniker "N Scale Hi Rail" isn't new, I recall my old friend John Craft using the term back when we were building the WMRHS layout, using code 55 rail and trying for a higher level of detail than typically seen in N at the time... He was an S scale modeler, and the "scale" models were differentiated from the familiar American Flyer "toy" trains by designating the latter as "Hi Rail". The comparison works well, in my mind.
Hi Railers have different goals and standards, but still fundamentally enjoy the hobby. My goals for this project have moved around a bit, starting with the idea of using old school technology to run old school trains, but that just proved to be impractical. Some of that old crap was genuinely crap. So, the focus now is on the "Hi Rail" vintage trains, cleaned up and in some cases fixed up to work a little better, but keeping for the most part their original appearance and vibe. And different from the purity of the "collector", my goal is not to preserve corpses in formaldehyde in a look-but-do-not-touch mode, but rather to let these old models stretch their legs a bit, running loops for hours on my hollow core door. Still no DCC or fine scale track, still no high-falutin' time table or car cards. Just fun old trains run in circles for the amusement of an old guy fondly recalling the simplicity of youth.
I hope you've enjoyed the evolution of this idea, and I'll look forward to sharing more progress (regress?) as the layout edges toward a more finished state.
As I have posted elsewhere in these pages, I received a substantial collection of vintage N scale track and rolling stock from my cousin at Christmas time. Included in the boxes of stuff were numerous kits, freight cars, locomotives and structures that wreak of nostalgia. You know, that heady aroma of cork roadbed, dry rotted lychen, stale gear lube and ozone that only model railroaders of a certain vintage can appreciate...
Well, this addition to my collection of N scale has given rise to a project that I hope will be manageable and compact enough to fit into my office, and my life...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/8/9-240119095221.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=8929)
Utilizing two Ntrak module skeletons that I had gotten a number of years ago from @seusscaboose and the pile of snap track that came with the collection, I've sketched out the attached track plan.
Since laying that out, I've added the obligatory streetcar line, running in a figure 8 in the middle, thanks mostly to some old Arnold (or is it Trix?) 8" radius track (a complete circle with a terminal track!)
I've also worked out some elevation changes with my handy stack of 2" blue foam, so the scenery can rise and fall around the dead level track loop that old school N scale locomotives demand to function at their optimum.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/8/9-240119101657.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=8930)
My plan is to use the retro track, including those great old turnouts with the gigantic coffins next to them, and the old school wiring techniques, setting it up for 2 cab operation and blocks. My plan is to provide for three, possibly four trains to be available for service at any given moment, plus the streetcar. I also received a bunch of those super cool "strong arm" style turnout actuators that Atlas provided back in the mid 70s, the control "tower" will have that added element of fun (provided they still work as advertised.)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/8/9-240119102057.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=8931)
The wiring plan will also (hopefully) include a master switch that lets me run my newer DCC stuff when I have a mood to do so.
As fun as it will be to run the old trains, I don't plan to go full retro with the scenery. I have a lot of classic structures, but sadly, back when we were teenagers, my cousin and I were not what you'd consider "craftsmen." I plan to rehab what I can of the buildings, and any new in the box kits (there are several) will be built to suit my current scenic ethos. I'm also taking advantage of the front corner to display my WM Cumberland Station prominently. As usual, structure lights and little eye catchers will be the rule.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/8/9-240119102241.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=8932)
While I still have a ton of Code 55 track, and lots of nice detailed models, my goal for this layout is to just have some fun running the old equipment I remember from my youth. So no yard, no branch line, very few places to switch cars (but some!) and as few maintenance headaches as I can manage.
The total footprint is a 36" corner module and a 24"x24" straight module frame, creating a porkchop shaped platform 60" x 36" The controls will be set in the open corner to the right. I've located this model on the other side of the room, away from my studio desk, so it can still serve as a pleasant burbling diversion while I'm working, it won't be in my way when I have to pull a drawing off the printer.
And for those of you taking notes at home, I still have the Canton, Highlandtown and Fells Point layout stored, and hope to one day included it as a switching area of a larger ops-oriented layout.
Now, back to work so I can pay for all this crap!
Lee
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This sounds like a lot of fun!
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My plan is to use the retro track, including those great old turnouts with the gigantic coffins next to them, and the old school wiring techniques, setting it up for 2 cab operation and blocks. My plan is to provide for three, possibly four trains to be available for service at any given moment, plus the streetcar. I also received a bunch of those super cool "strong arm" style turnout actuators that Atlas provided back in the mid 70s, the control "tower" will have that added element of fun (provided they still work as advertised.)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/8/9-240119102057.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=8931)
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A little contact cleaner (with residual lube) will resurrect those old switch control levers. One caution - they were known for not springing back all the way when pressed into the "throw" position either up or down, tho' the cleaner will help with that. Anyway, by the time you smell the plastic melting over the switch machine coils, it's too late. [Gawd, that's a memory from 50 years ago! :scared: ]
I'll try to remember to rummage through boxes for the stash of A1G track I've kept since then to send your way. Not a lot, but a reasonable variety.
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Thanks, @C855B but I have more than enough vintage track at my disposal... turnouts, however, will help me flesh out this little project. I need a smattering of Lefts and one or two rights (I'll have to review the inventory and see what's on the "to do" list...)
Duly noted on the lever switches. I'm picking up some contact cleaner this weekend. It seems a tumbler of bourbon may have been upset onto the power pack, and the direction switch has become a bit sticky!
Lee
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The lever switches came in two varieties. The original early Atlas ones were made in Italy and came with the Italian-made turnouts. They have a PC board with traces on it and a contact, connected to the lever, moves in an arc to contact the traces to throw the switch machine solenoid one way or the other. There is a flat metal spring in the bottom of the housing to bear against the lever to move it off the PC board trace after the lever is released after the solenoid is thrown so the solenoid coils don't burn out.
The second variety was also made in Italy, at first, but then made in Austria when Atlas started selling the Austrian turnouts with the two-piece switch machines. This kind has plastic rods attached to the lever to act as springs and small contacts to make direct contact with the plugs at the rear, inside.
The original Italian ones are superior in design because the plastic "springs" of the "Austrian" version, as I call them, can break and, if they do, the contacts will keep the solenoid connected, powered up, and it will burn out, taking the plastic housing with it. I had that happen, once. The Italian version is just so much more positive.
You can tell which is which by looking into the slot in which the lever moves. You will see the PC board on the left inside on the Italian version. The Austrian version won't have that and you can see the plastic rod "springs" attached to the lever.
I originally thought I could always tell which version I had in my hands by merely looking at where it was made. It will either say "Atlas Italy" or "Atlas Made in Austria" on the outside but, one time I noticed one said "Atlas Italy" and it was the plastic "spring" design and I have several more like that.
It IS possible to tell which is which by looking at the length of the lever sticking out. The original Italian version lever is longer. It's not a great difference so it takes a bit of getting used to.
I agree with cleaning and lubing. I just wash them in the sink and force dry them with a compressor and nozzle. I use LaBelle 107 oil to lube them Lubricate the shaft on which the lever assembly rotates and, on the Italian version the spring at the bottom because the surface often has surface rust on it and keeps the lever assembly from moving freely.
Wow! That got to be long! :D
Doug
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I have about four of the structures you show in your photo on my current layout.
:D
Also, if the rail ends of any given piece of sectional track are staggered, it's Rapido track. Even ends indicate one of many other brands. The rail of Rapido track is blackened although I have one piece of Minitrix track with blackened rail.
Doug
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Wow! That got to be long! :D
OK, who's going to say it?
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My plan is to use the retro track, including those great old turnouts with the gigantic coffins next to them, ...
Paint the "gigantic coffins" to match whatever ballast you'll be using.
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... turnouts, however, will help me flesh out this little project. ...
I looked, can't help. Found a RH in the box of loose track, useless - busted mechanism.
If any interest in odd bits, I have a Minitrix 30° crossing and an Atlas 15° if you want 'em.
We're on a clutter tear, so I'm of the mind to toss the rest, nearly all curves from '68-'69, no original boxes. :|
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OK, who's going to say it?
I used to, every time I looked down, Not so much, these days.
:D
Doug
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Ugh. The lever switches all appear to be the Austrian variety, and I can see one of them is already problematic.
I guess I'll have to test drive each one (I have some other switch machines I can try them on that are more or less expendable) before I install them on the real thing. I may also sacrifice one and do an autopsy to see if there's a simple way to make them more reliable.
I really want them to work.. they're awfully fun to look at!
Lee
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As interesting as those lever switches may appear, I'd opt for the Atlas slide switches instead. Easier to install, much more reliable, and available in different configurations to do different things. Plus, as a bonus, you can still get them new and they look identical to their earlier counterparts.
I used them to refurbish this retro layout. Before:
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/misc/ROCK_5030.jpg)
After:
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/misc/ROCK_0074.jpg)
http://davidksmith.com/modeling/rock-1.htm
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I was able to take one apart, it's just snapped together. I'm going to look at the actuator a little more closely to see if it can be improved. There's really just one moving part. I'll take some pictures of the disassembled pieces later to let us approach an improved design.
Lee
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Strong Arm Switch (Austria) guts...
Down position, resting
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/8/9-250119122033.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=8969)
In the "down" position
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/8/9-250119122114.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=8970)
The "up" position
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/8/9-250119122135.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=8971)
Up position, resting.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/8/9-250119122202.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=8972)
The down position "spring" is definitely the most suspect part of the operation. It's just not quite springy enough to guarantee that contact is momentary.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/8/9-250119123204.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=8973)
Here's a detail of the lever, which has a slot in one side that receives the phosphor bronze strip that transfers power from the hot leg that also serves as the pivot point, and the two contacts that go to the switch motor.
My first thought is to put a styrene spacer on the pad the spring lands on to provide just that little extra bit of resistance, like so...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/8/9-250119124152.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=8974)
The upper spring can get some extra resistance by putting a collar around the brass common leg at the top.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/8/9-250119124602.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=8976)
The trick, of course, will be to add enough of a spacer to guarantee the contact will be clear of the terminal when released, but not so much that it misses contact altogether. I also have to be cautious of "over" flexing the plastic spring, which would cause the spring to become altogether ineffective...
I'm considering a couple of other procedures that might work, but this one involves very modest and easily removable modifications should they not work. Stand by for news.
Lee
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The Austrian ones are fine to use as long as you get used to making sure the lever springs away a bit from its extreme positions. I have always moved it away from the extreme positions manually, after my one time of smelling melting plastic. Oddly enough, I caught it before the coil burnt up and I used that turnout for years with the melted part of the housing cut off and the coil showing.
As David said, the slide/push controls are more reliable. I have some of each on my current vintage (for the most part) layout. I also have some of the other Atlas switches (Selectors) on that layout, too. In the past, I have made "official" model railroad control panels with a track diagram and all that and I guess it seemed like a lot of work so now I just have the turnout controls and Selectors in a row and it's surprising how fast you can memorize which controller controls which block or turnout on the layout.
Doug
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Great pictures, Lee and yes, you don't want to do anything to put too much stress on the "springs" because they will be even more likely to break.
Let me know if you need any additional ones as I have a few spares.
Doug
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Eureka!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/8/9-250119125821.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=8980)
Plenty of gap in the resting position
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/8/9-250119125854.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=8981)
And no noticeable extra strain when compressed for contact. In fact, the spacer moves the leverage point just far enough back to make the spring more effective.
Now, over time, there's the possibility the spring will wear itself out, but I think I should get a reasonable service life out of this arrangement. Now to rummage through the stacks of stuff to find just the right diameter collar to apply the same effect to the top leg.
I agree the slide switches are far more reliable, but they do lack the "cool" factor of the strong arms. Plus, these are the bird in hand... I'd have to go foraging to find enough slide switches to do the job. I'm hoping this little modification keeps my melty plastic smells to the ties I burn up while soldering track joints!
Lee
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In looking at it, I could probably cut off all but a nub of the lower spring and replace my styrene shim with an appropriately sized bit of spring steel... But I'll do that if the plastic bit fails.
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Looks good.
Doug
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Yes, I imagine a guy could cut off both plastic springs and install metal springs in there to bear against the lever.
Doug
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How about a little bit of wire insulation to pad out the upper lever?
Yes, that will do nicely!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/8/9-250119133025.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=8986)
It should take about half an hour to fix up the 9 or 10 of these I have. I'll set up a light bulb rig to test the contacts prior to connecting to them to anything expensive!
Thanks for enduring my blitherings.
Back to work now! Lunch break is over!
Lee
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I've got six of those Atlas turnouts in a box in my garage, four of which are in original packaging and unopened. They're probably 50 years old.
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Made some progress on the right of way this week. Established the final track plan, got the outer loop corked, and roughed in enough wiring to run a couple of trains.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/9/9-270119185139.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=9042)
I'm going to sculp out some background cliffs from the foam panels against the walls.
Naturally, now that they have a proper habitat, the Old locomotives have entered a realm of existential crisis. The valve gear on my Bachmann 060 is binding, and the 040 shifter is making hellish noises.
So, to prepare for foam scenery and engine work, today I built a foam engine as part of the,scenery for my stepdaughter's school musical...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/9/9-270119185915.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=9043)
Lee
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First time posting, but frequent lurker here. This layout idea is way cool and it's nice to see the N-Scale of my youth is not dead. Always loved those Atlas switch lever actuators and hated when they melted the machines too. I'm surprised nobody has mentioned a capacitor discharge switch machine control. It eliminates (or lessens) the possibility of melting the solenoids. The capacitor stores the energy to throw the switch and won't recharge until the switch is released. You can build them to get a good, quick snap instead of an anemic buzz when you throw the turnout. Lots of plans on the 'net and they can be built fairly cheaply.
Look forward to your progress!
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Will you do an era-appropriate vertical paneling for the fascia, preferably with a dark varnish? :trollface:
Seems like a fun project, looking forward to see this progress.
-Lucas
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First time posting, but frequent lurker here.
Welcome to the gang!
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Will you do an era-appropriate vertical paneling for the fascia, preferably with a dark varnish? :trollface:
Seems like a fun project, looking forward to see this progress.
-Lucas
Bare cinder block would be apropos, too.
Doug
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/9/9-270119185139.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=9042)
Regarding the amount of track, I think you missed a spot. :trollface: Oh, and don't you dare give me crap anymore about the minimum radius of the curves on my HO layout. :D
DFF
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@davefoxx , you needn't fuss about my track plan. It's exactly what those ancient 0-4-0s need... lots of curvature to maintain good flange contact helps to prevent stalls! And really, I feel like I'm going to far just by moving the plan from the kitchen table, where it truly is most at home!
Today I successfully unbound the valve gear on the 0-6-0, and made a small adjustment to the 0-4-0 to smooth everything back out. But just to be sure, I've just purchased another Atlas/Rivarossi Pacific, the same model I reworked into the WM K-2, to pull the Rivarossi B&O varnish I've been accumulating... total foob, but I've loved that set since I was a kid. By the time I could afford it, though, I "knew too much" to buy it.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/9/9-280119192608.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=9071)
I will have to paint the engine that wonderful blue/gray myself, though. I've been eyeballing a couple on the popular auction site, but they keep floating up above my financial reach...
I've also got my eye on some other junk to add to my vintage freight fleet, but I might just go out the storage box and swap those newfangled Micro Trains trucks for the rock-solid technology of the 70s!
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Welcome to the gang!
Thanks Ed! There are some very impressive modelers here to keep me inspired. Have to finish the new train room then I can get busy on hte next incarnation of the Lenape Valley
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Good to see you put the spikes back on Lee.
Jeff
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/9/medium_9-270119185139.jpeg)
Regarding the amount of track, I think you missed a spot. :trollface: Oh, and don't you dare give me crap anymore about the minimum radius of the curves on my HO layout.
You must be flattered to see that he's using the same style of bridge (where the siding off the upper level crosses over a lower level track) that you have on your layout.
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/9/medium_9-270119185139.jpeg)
You must be flattered to see that he's using the same style of bridge (where the siding off the upper level crosses over a lower level track) that you have on your layout.
Hahaha! Touche!
DFF
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/9/9-300119123529.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=9079)
So I have had this old Bessie floating around for some time. It was good for about 4 cars on a zero grade, and prone to stalls on those good old plastic frogs I'm using on the retro layout.
Trying to be as faithful to the concept as I can, but taking advantage of what I've learned over the years, I did a little surgery to improve her performance.
First I added some weight by tucking chunks of lead wherever they would fit. This includes in the cab roof, under the walk boards, and a couple of added tanks and appliances made of cast white metal.
I also swapped out the original equipment tender for a new Bacmann model with all wheel pick up. I had to rig some wipers from the loco pickups to the king pin, but that turned out to be pretty simple using some scavenged parts from an old Life Like lead sled.
Now the Little Engine that Couldn't Do Much can pull a 10 car train around the retro loop, and can successfully be used for some switching in a relatively stall fee environment.
Of course now that it runs so nicely, it has me wondering where a decoder might fit...
Lee
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Of course now that it runs so nicely, it has me wondering where a decoder might fit...
Lee
The tender, the tender! :D
But then the layout is no longer retro.
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The tender, the tender! :D
But then the layout is no longer retro.
Meh. Don't be afraid to go "restomod," i.e., restored and modified, which often equates to better than new.
DFF
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Meh. Don't be afraid to go "restomod," i.e., restored and modified, which often equates to better than new.
DFF
Someone's been watching the Barrett Jackson auction. ;)
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Now that I'm happy with the performance of the restored Pacific, it's time to start coloring it in.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/9/9-050219215854.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=9193)
The boiler color is close enough to my eye, and the blue is pretty spot on. I have some touching up to do, then I'll spray the tender tomorrow. Then it will be time to whip up the art for the decals.
Lee
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So in all the excitement of taking the President apart and putting it back together, I have lost the screw that holds the eccentric rod in place. You know, because I'm me, and that's how my relationship with N scale steam goes... hopefully there's something in the body bags that will fit... :oops:
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/9/9-060219082200.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=9195)
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So in all the excitement of taking the President apart and putting it back together, I have lost the screw that holds the eccentric rod in place. You know, because I'm me, and that's how my relationship with N scale steam goes... hopefully there's something in the body bags that will fit... :oops:
It is likely a metric screw and, I have a sneaking suspicion that @mmagliaro might have something that would work for you.
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I jammed a styrene rod into the hole and hot-knifed it into a rivet... It's doing the job for now, but I would like to source a proper replacement...
The paint job is coming along nicely... still have to touch up the tender a bit after the spray booth, but overall I'm pretty happy with it!
Lee
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So now the family portrait. Just need to do the decals to letter it.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/9/9-070219102450.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=9237)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/9/9-070219102808.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=9238)
Here's how she looked when she arrived from the Rescue...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/9/9-070219103631.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=9239)
As I pen this missive, she's over in the corner faithfully hauling an REA Express car, a baggage, three Pullmans and an observation around the code 80 Retro Loop. The new Bachmann motor seems to have a bit more torque than the old 3-pole can, and also runs a bit quieter, although the old brass gears are still doing a fine job masking my tinnitus. I added a gob of lead to the chassis to improve her capacity. She's got a new brighter warm white LED showing the way, and of course, a devilish handsome paint job now. She is still wired for DC operation only, although conversion to DCC could follow the methodology I used on the K-2 project. Given the "surface noise" of the drive, I doubt adding sound would be worth the money.
Remaining to be done are replacement stirrup steps for the tender, a new screw to permanently repair the eccentric arm, and of course, the lettering.
As I've noted before, I've been enamored with this engine since I was a kid. I couldn't be happier to be watching it run now.
Lee
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Not sure which president will get the nod. A lot will depend on whether it runs in the right direction or just blows smoke... We'll leave it at that! ;)
How about naming that 4-6-2 as the "President Skroob"? :D
DFF
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What did you use to couple the motor to the worm shaft?
Doug
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What did you use to couple the motor to the worm shaft?
Doug
I used my Dremel to cut the worm off the Bachmann shaft (I don't have a proper worm puller ... oh no, did I just hear DKS enter the room?) and pressed the original delrin universal right to it. I had to cut the shaft back about 1/8", but it snugged on with just the right amount of friction, and the motor pulls in to just inside the cab. I mounted it sideways, which did require some routing out the inside of the shell, with a little bit of breach needing to be repaired... but otherwise it fit nicely.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/9/9-070219150346.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=9276)
I suspect I could have mounted it vertically... especially after the notorious Rivarossi zinc frame crumbled from above it, but that would have required a bit more gymnastics with the wiring. I also probably could have held the motor back an 1/8" and left the shaft be, but that would leave the motor hanging out the back of the cab.
Lee
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If you used the original universal, they can be really noisy if not aligned perfectly. Some of my stock Atlas/Rivarossi Pacifics and Mikados were that way and I replaced the plastic universals with a length of tubing and they quieted right down.
It has to do with the angled surfaces in the universal. They slip on each other and make noise if they aren't matched up exactly right which obviously happened on even some of the originals.
Doug
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That's interesting, and I'll keep that in mind for the next one I repower. I'm reasonably happy with the functionality of this one, although it is noisy... But I'm loathe to take it apart one more time!
I wonder if I inject a bit of silicone caulk between the two universals if that would provide the necessary "muffler"???
Lee
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That's interesting, and I'll keep that in mind for the next one I repower. I'm reasonably happy with the functionality of this one, although it is noisy... But I'm loathe to take it apart one more time!
I wonder if I inject a bit of silicone caulk between the two universals if that would provide the necessary "muffler"???
Lee
Don’t do that. You’ll regret it.
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@davefoxx check your email... my life is full of regrets... :facepalm:
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Don’t do that. You’ll regret it.
You have to admit it would muffle the sound... permanently.
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Isn't the tubing recommended as a quiet replacement made of . . . silicone? :trollface:
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@davefoxx check your email... my life is full of regrets... :facepalm:
Roger that, @wm3798. Email received. I'll try to get back to you in the next day or so.
DFF
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Isn't the tubing recommended as a quiet replacement made of . . . silicone? :trollface:
You may be being jocular but yes, yes it is.
:D
Doug
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But just to be sure, I've just purchased another Atlas/Rivarossi Pacific, the same model I reworked into the WM K-2, to pull the Rivarossi B&O varnish I've been accumulating... total foob, but I've loved that set since I was a kid. By the time I could afford it, though, I "knew too much" to buy it.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/9/9-280119192608.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=9071)
I will have to paint the engine that wonderful blue/gray myself, though. I've been eyeballing a couple on the popular auction site, but they keep floating up above my financial reach...
You need one of these locos:
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/06UAAOSwYpVcXMtF/s-l1600.jpg)
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Yeah, the Rapido Pacifics are great. I have the B&O, Southern, and UP versions.
Even though I have been in N scale from the beginning, I never bought much of anything Rapido, mainly because my local hobby shop, back in the sixties had Atlas. However, I have recently found a real interest in Rapido and have been going overboard buying locos.
Doug
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Is that an offer? :D :D
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An update. After removing the boiler shell for the umpteenth time to chase an electrical ghost, I finally figured out that the front driver was out of synch by two gear teeth. Upon remedying this, the engine smoothed out considerably, and now purrs at least as well as my old K 2 rebuild did. It also ironed out an odd binding that was occurring sporadically..
In other news, another boyhood dream has been realized with the acquisition of another set of shiny varnish. More news as it happens...
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So here's what's on its way to my mailbox.
A Trix F unit, Penn Central #510 (all of the paint schemes were #510 because that's etched into the number board panels) I've had this model over and over, some were repainted, some were sold, some were scrapped. But it's a sturdy, if noisy mechanism, and usually quickly revived with a little cleaning. It's cool to think about the fact that when this model was originally released, Penn Central was "contemporary" modeling.
A set of Atlas/Rowa fluted passenger cars in Penn Central to trail behind the F (I'll have a baggage/rpo combine, two coaches and a round tail observation. After Atlas imported these cars I think Con Cor did, and I always liked them. I think I read somewhere that the tooling from them was lost in a fire or in the shuffle of a bankruptcy or something, so they became sort of mythical beasts for a long time. Apparently the wave of hoarders has started dying off because they're now all over ebay at reasonable prices.
A Trix K-4 in PRR... When I was a kid I had the 2-10-0 that shared the shell like a bad fitting suit... I always wanted the 4-6-2 instead, now I've got one! This will pull the PRR consist my cousin gave me that started this whole mess...Atlas/Rivarossi heavyweights mostly but a couple of the smooth side cars with the lighted interiors)
A Bowser N5 in shadow keystone to properly punctuate my PRR local freight pulled by a Bachmann 0-6-0. Okay, so not retro, but I never could abide a Santa Fe caboose with keystones on it... :scared: Plus outside of a small fleet of vintage freight cars, (which technically still need a vintage locomotive) I've been enjoying running sections of my MT equipped freight cars. I also run my B&O local behind my upgraded Bachmann 0-4-0 with a Fox Valley Wagon Top caboose.
Incidentally, I'll be selling the Focal Orange N5 I bought a couple of weeks ago, not realizing it represented the wrong era. Check the trading post if you're interested...
The final piece of the puzzle for my Royal Blue, a Rivarossi heavyweight combine. That brings this consist to full baggage/combine/diner/3 Pullmans/Observation. I add an REA box at the head end. I hope I've added enough weight to the 4-6-2 to handle this... and I hope she doesn't mind when I add two more feet to the layout to gain some running room :)
I'm in Richmond for a few days doting on my youngest daughter who had foot surgery this week, but when I get home, I'll get everything photographed. It will be a busy day at the mailbox!
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So here's what's on its way to my mailbox.
A Trix F unit, Penn Central #510 (all of the paint schemes were #510 because that's etched into the number board panels) I've had this model over and over, some were repainted, some were sold, some were scrapped. But it's a sturdy, if noisy mechanism, and usually quickly revived with a little cleaning.
Hope you didn't pay much for it. I would have given you one of the two dozen or so of these units I have on hand...
A Trix K-4 in PRR... When I was a kid I had the 2-10-0 that shared the shell like a bad fitting suit... I always wanted the 4-6-2 instead, now I've got one!
Likewise, I probably have a dozen of these...
Need any more Trix from this era? PM me.
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$15 with free shipping...
It's funny. Most of the stuff I'm buying is going for about what the original price tags from 45 years ago say.
You don't have any PRR or B&O units do you? Oh, and maybe a B?
Lee
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$15 with free shipping...
It's funny. Most of the stuff I'm buying is going for about what the original price tags from 45 years ago say.
You don't have any PRR or B&O units do you? Oh, and maybe a B?
Lee
Got PRR units out the wazoo, and I have some B's. B&O's are rare, especially cosmetically good ones, because the grey paint flakes off and the gold lettering turns black, but I do have a few, A and B.
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If the B&Os are in reasonably good shape, do you think a shot of clear coat might preserve them?
Thoughts?
Lee
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A set of Atlas/Rowa fluted passenger cars in Penn Central to trail behind the F (I'll have a baggage/rpo combine, two coaches and a round tail observation. After Atlas imported these cars I think Con Cor did, and I always liked them. I think I read somewhere that the tooling from them was lost in a fire or in the shuffle of a bankruptcy or something, so they became sort of mythical beasts for a long time. Apparently the wave of hoarders has started dying off because they're now all over ebay at reasonable prices.
Didn't know that Rowa made passenger cars for Atlas.
Are you certain that they weren't made by Rivarossi?
See items 2666, 2667 and 2669 listed under passenger cars (select it from the drop down menu and click on 'Go'): http://www.irwinsjournal.com/a1g/ (http://www.irwinsjournal.com/a1g/)
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Didn't know that Rowa made passenger cars for Atlas.
Not sure about Atlas, but Con-Cor surely did resell Rowa cars. This whole era was a serious muddle. And the Rowa tooling, AFAIK, was lost amidst a shuffle of bankruptcies.
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Not to be railroady pedantic but, all of Atlas' passenger cars were made by Rivarossi.
:D
Doug
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Instead of thr Bowser N5, you could have gone with the Con-Cor Brass N5.
Not super old, but Pre-Bowser.
I've got the Royal Blue Combine (and a few others)
~Ian
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It's likely that they are in fact Rivarossi, because the truck mounts and the lighting rig are identical. But the "R" on the bottom is different on the fluted cars, it's more of a script R, and not the blocky "double R" of RivaRossi... Both are noted as being made in Italy, though. Not sure what Rowa's origins were.
You have to keep in mind that as a not so serious collector of the things, and really, just an old dude trying to remember what was out when I was a kid...I'm not some hotshot millenial type who bothers to research such things!
From the looks of what I see being sold, the Atlas fluted cars bear a striking resemblance to the Con Cor fluted cars...But alas, there are significant differences. And the Con Cor cars look to have nicer detailing...
Lee
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Oh man... so, if you're up for some fun. @Bob Bufkin gave me a brass N5 that is likely from your "era" and that needs some TLC.
It's yours when I find it, if you want some vintage brass to go along with this effort.
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It's likely that they are in fact Rivarossi, because the truck mounts and the lighting rig are identical. But the "R" on the bottom is different on the fluted cars, it's more of a script R, and not the blocky "double R" of RivaRossi... Both are noted as being made in Italy, though. Not sure what Rowa's origins were.
You have to keep in mind that as a not so serious collector of the things, and really, just an old dude trying to remember what was out when I was a kid...I'm not some hotshot millenial type who bothers to research such things!
From the looks of what I see being sold, the Atlas fluted cars bear a striking resemblance to the Con Cor fluted cars...But alas, there are significant differences. And the Con Cor cars look to have nicer detailing...
Lee
The Atlas car I believe is the same as the Con-Cor car that came in the 5 car corrugated sets. (Same with the heavyweights)
Con-Cor also imported the Rowa/MRC cars. As single cars and used some in the collector sets..
Thirdly, before the RR HW tooling, Concor imported Kato heavyweight cars which are shorter Japanese prototypes.
I'll post some pics tonight.
~Ian
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I actually have a vintage Key Brass RS-3 and an S-2, I think from Sunset... don't quote me on that, I'm presently 200 miles from the layout. Both are in a million pieces, the S-2 needs new gears, which I believe I have (from Bob no less!) I've been watching Randy's Jamco thread with a great deal of interest... these are nowhere near as complex as the steam engine, but they are definitely products of a different age and will need some creative thinking to put back together.
To run them on the retro rig will remove the step about dealing with decoder installation in a frame where everything from the horns to the handrails are actively engaged in the electrical circuit...
So yes, I'd be very interested in that caboose!
It might look pretty good in Jade Green... eh?
Lee
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I dig that!
It's yours.
Now to find it...
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I'll be curious how you attach rapido couplers to it.. : ) (or are you sticking with MT conversions?)
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It's likely that they are in fact Rivarossi, because the truck mounts and the lighting rig are identical. But the "R" on the bottom is different on the fluted cars, it's more of a script R, and not the blocky "double R" of RivaRossi... Both are noted as being made in Italy, though. Not sure what Rowa's origins were.
When Rivarossi used the entire word as a logo, they used a somewhat "scripty" typeface. So that "R" could be just the first letter of that word logo. Just another variation.
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I'll be curious how you attach rapido couplers to it.. : ) (or are you sticking with MT conversions?)
Are you talking about the brass caboose or the locomotives? I'm keeping the Rapidos on the passenger stuff, and I have a small consist of early freight cars that will remain so equipped. I'm in the process of negotiating for a proper vintage freight engine to work that, and have an appropriate vintage caboose in mind for that service...
Interestingly, the newer Bachmann stuff that comes with the McHenry style knuckle coupler, as well as the earlier Atlas Accumate cars come with Rapido couplers in the package that have a mount that adapts well to an MT style box draft gear... I'll have to take a look at it see what I'll do.
I don't have a lot of "switching" designed into the layout per se, so the retro train would be pretty much a loop runner. As such, I might mount a Rapido on end of the caboose and a knuckle on the other... or not. I do enjoy running my newer stuff, and have converted my two small steam switchers to knuckles... But now that I've reprogrammed my newer Bachmann dual mode switchers to work DC, I might put Rapidos back on the steamers... I dunno. The calculus on this is starting to make my head spin!
Bottom line is, the "staging" is in a box in the desk drawer under the layout... so it's not really necessary to worry about standardizing couplers. When I want to run old stuff, I'll pull it out of the drawer and put the new stuff away.
At least until I build a yard... :facepalm:
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Are you talking about the brass caboose or the locomotives?
The Brass Caboose.. (I think it's designed for an MT screw in), so, either something creative for Rapido or throw in a conversion car.
~Ian
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The blockier lettering is later from about 1971 on. The script style logo is from 1967 - about 1969/1970. Rivarossi even printed "Atlas" in the new blocky font instead of in the regular graduated "Atlas" logo on the paper inserts in the case.
And, I definitely am NOT a hotshot millenial type. :D
Doug
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Thanks for that clarification, Doug. As DKS points out, the early days of N scale importing were quite murky!
FYI, last night while in a haze from working all day in an uncomfortable chair, I accidentally purchased a set of three Con Cor fluted cars that drifted past my eyes at a reasonable price. I'll be able to compare the work of the two manufacturers more specifically shortly...
And for those of you taking notes at home, these are light weight cars lettered Baltimore and Ohio on a blue letter board above the windows.
A coach, a sleeper, and a slumbercoach... I guess I better hit the B&O pages to see just how wrong they are! I'll also need to start the hunt for a Rowa tail car with the square end...
And how about those ConCor smooth sides in stately blue and gray?
Look a squirrel!
Lee
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And how about those ConCor smooth sides in stately blue and gray?
What you simply must have is the Con-Cor B&O National Limited set with a pair of Alco DL-109 locos:
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/Kt4AAOSwxJ9cFYn-/s-l1600.jpg)
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There is also a Steam Capitol limited set with the same passenger cars, but a Con-Cor hudson.
~Ian
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Thanks for that clarification, Doug. As DKS points out, the early days of N scale importing were quite murky!
FYI, last night while in a haze from working all day in an uncomfortable chair, I accidentally purchased a set of three Con Cor fluted cars that drifted past my eyes at a reasonable price. I'll be able to compare the work of the two manufacturers more specifically shortly...
And for those of you taking notes at home, these are light weight cars lettered Baltimore and Ohio on a blue letter board above the windows.
A coach, a sleeper, and a slumbercoach... I guess I better hit the B&O pages to see just how wrong they are! I'll also need to start the hunt for a Rowa tail car with the square end...
Rowa's car constructions is quite different from Rivarossi. Their body sides and floor are single casting, with a separate plastic underframe. Then there is the interior, "glass", and roof. The trucks also different (they snap in).
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/7/2700-281018001021-78362261.jpeg)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/7/2700-281018001021-7837469.jpeg)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/7/2700-281018001023-78382025.jpeg)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/7/2700-281018001024-783921.jpeg)
They even feature window blinds.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/7/2700-281018001025-78401010.jpeg)
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Once you've seen enough of the three different brand's cars or know the construction, you can tell quickly what any given one is. Without that, however, from casual sight, it may be difficult.
Doug
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A coach, a sleeper, and a slumbercoach... I guess I better hit the B&O pages to see just how wrong they are! I'll also need to start the hunt for a Rowa tail car with the square end...
Lee
TRW member hnipper has Rowa passenger cars for sale; check Trading Post or PM. From what I know, the 10-6, slumbercoach and square-end obs were used on the B&O (the obs bought from the C&O, the Rowa coaches were never used by B&O)
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I've been bantering back and forth with @hnipper over the past few days. The negotiations are underway!
Lee
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A box of magical unicorns arrived from New Jersey today.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/9/9-010319122924.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=9791)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/9/9-010319123118.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=9792)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/9/9-010319123640.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=9793)
And looks like Ed can come over and play now.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/9/9-010319125016.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=9795)
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Holy retro, Batman! It truly is 1979 again!
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Or even 1969, except for the ConRail deal.
:D
Doug
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everything works in those Trix diesels except the defrosters
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everything works in those Trix diesels except the defrosters
Another German "vehicle" with that problem? :D
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Mahahaha!
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You gotta track one of these down. This was my first N scale locomotive.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/9/2695-010319190521.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=9799)
I was able to find this one on eBay a couple years ago. It'll never run, but nice to have in the display case.
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I can almost see the two holes in the side to hold the body on. :D
And, speaking of German cars and defrosters, back in early 1971 (January? - it was collllllld), some friends and I went up to Minneapolis to see Sha Na Na at the Depot (now First Avenue) and our friend who lived up there was going to drive us to the Depot. He had a Volkswagen and when we got in the car, he handed out window scrapers to the rest of us and we asked why. He said,"You guys have to keep the windows cleared. There's no heater/defroster."
Doug
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I can almost see the two holes in the side to hold the body on. :D
And, speaking of German cars and defrosters, back in early 1971 (January? - it was collllllld), some friends and I went up to Minneapolis to see Sha Na Na at the Depot (now First Avenue) and our friend who lived up there was going to drive us to the Depot. He had a Volkswagen and when we got in the car, he handed out window scrapers to the rest of us and we asked why. He said,"You guys have to keep the windows cleared. There's no heater/defroster."
No worse than one cold rainy day in my '63 Beetle. On the freeway, windows start to fog a little, turn on the heater, move the lever to defrost - all windows instantly fogged-over. No visibility at all. Took a verrrrrrry looooooong five seconds to realize what I had done, wiped my sleeve on the windshield enough to (barely) keep from running into the car ahead, and cranked down the driver's window to stick my head out. Ah, to be young and foolish again. :scared:
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Oh man, that F unit is HOT!
Now that you posted that it reminds me. I have a collection of "old school Conrail monstrosities" that would look right at home. Think Concor SD50.
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This cries out for a Penn Central 0-4-0... :trollface:
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Oh man, that F unit is HOT!
Now that you posted that it reminds me. I have a collection of "old school Conrail monstrosities" that would look right at home. Think Concor SD50.
Lee also has an FM in Conrail, too...
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Lee also has an FM in Conrail, too...
Be still, my heart.
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/9/4117-040319222519.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=9923)
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/9/4117-040319222519.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=9923)
Ah, the snap-on DB blister - must be an Arnold GP9! Take the blister off and you instantly have a GP7 (at least according to Arnold marketing literature). :D
In my early N scale days I custom painted one of these in late B&M scheme.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/9/2700-050319000612-9901357.jpeg)
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I have a collection of "old school Conrail monstrosities" that would look right at home. Think Concor SD50.
But, do you have one of these?
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/HpkAAOSw8IpcaZap/s-l1600.jpg)
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Today's time waster was to install directional lighting in the Conrail F-M. For little switchers, these things are stump pullers!
I have to replace the motor in the CR F unit, the spring that holds the brushes in place broke... but I've got plenty of spare parts to effect the necessary repairs.
So with the haul from DKS's Used Locomotive Lot, I can field the following:
PRR F-7 A with a dummy B to haul the growing fleet of smooth side Pennsy cars
PC F-7 A to pull the Atlas PC passenger train
B&O F-7 A-B (powered)B-A (dummy) presently hauling the Rivarossi Royal Blue (7 cars)
PRR F-M Switcher
PC F-M Switcher
CR F-M Switcher to handle various freight duties pulling the retro Rapido equipped rolling stock.
Also in the stable is the repowered RR Pacific I painted, although I'm presently in negotiations to replace that with the "real thing"...
A beefed up Bachmann B&O 0-4-0 with a new full pick up tender pulls a steam era freight, mostly comprised of my newer fleet so it's equipped with MT/compatible knuckles. It also looks good toting around the two Bachmann "old time" passenger cars I have, lettered for the NY,PB&W.
as is the Bachmann 0-6-0 in PRR dress. Both of these engines have been gifted with proper cabeese, the B&O has a wagontop and the PRR is trailed by an N5 in shadow keystone.
Coming soon will be the remotored/regeared/rewired Trix K-4 frame from @Lemosteam to take on the heavyweight version of the Broadway, some streamlined B&O cars in both smooth side blue/grey and stainless... (The F's will be pressed into service to handle this traffic) and a couple of B&O style cars that will need to be painted to match the set. I've also picked up a Lifelike E-8 in B&O that I plan to add a decoder to so I can take some of that stuff out to play, since the Con-Cor cars have flanges suitable to newer layouts.
I'm developing a system of individual felt-lined wood boxes to store the trains under the layout safely in between runs. Basically, each morning I set up a freight and a passenger rig to run loops until lunch time, then I'll swap them out to another set of afternoon trains.
I'm probably maxing out on equipment now, so next I'll turn my attention to finalizing the track plan, adding another 2' to the platform, and figuring out how I can add this little bit of magic that also came in the haul from David...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/9/9-050319115659.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=9934)
Lee
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In my early N scale days I custom painted one of these in late B&M scheme.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/9/2700-050319000612-9901357.jpeg)
The one on the left looks better. :D
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The one on the left looks better. :D
No sh!t Sherlock! :D :trollface:
I didn't have much clue of what I was doing, and that was before the Atlas Geeps were available.
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That bus system box reminds me of Desert Bus:
https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/desert-bus-the-very-worst-video-game-ever-created
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Lee, when you finish, you should take pictures and list the layout and rolling stock on eBay as a vintage collectable layout.
Retro won't sell, but someone would drop way too much money for the "collectables." :RUEffinKiddingMe:
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I sure have... :facepalm:
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Cue the Marine Corps Band. President Polk is in the house! This arrived today in a box along with a pile of streamliners to round out my B&O fleet.
I'm thinking I need to start working on Camden Station, or Queen City... Maybe Grafton and the hotel!
Such wicked thoughts...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-130319200100.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10064)
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I'm thinking I need to start working on Camden Station, or Queen City... Maybe Grafton and the hotel!
Point of Rocks, perhaps?
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f7/eb/2e/f7eb2e655aa35034abf8dfcd3d79f9da.jpg)
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Having built my TTrak boxes for the challenge, the WM Cumberland Station has officially been moved off of the Retro Layout.
Also, the focus of the retro fleet building has become almost exclusively passenger equipment. As such, I think it's time to re-think the track plan, so I present the following challenges to the assembled wizards of the Railwire for input and guidance...
Goals: House several train consists of 4-7 passenger cars on the layout that can be swapped in and out to the main line loop without a lot of handling...
Provide for a "staging" track where a train can be held while another train runs the loop.
An inner loop (9.75" radius turn) that provides a little freight revenue for the railroad - This should provide for a run around track for those pesky facing point moves) and perhaps a longer (6 or 8 car lengths) siding where freights can interchange, or a second freight can be staged.
Operations will be 100% DC cab control to keep with the retro theme, track is Atlas c80 snap track, with the occasional piece of flex to fill in a blank here and there.
Other considerations:
I have in my hot little hands a Postage Stamp Bus Track that I inherited from the DKS collection, which I'd like to somehow incorporate into the set up. The bus and the track need a lot of fine tuning to run smoothly, but so does most of this other old stuff I've gathered...
Here is a very rough concept, just the concept of a union station to serve as the passenger hub and some general locations of what I have in mind.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-180319084425.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10124)
The wide part is 36"x24", overall length is 84", and the narrow end is 24" x 48". I'm imagining a city scape at the Union station end, and a coal spur and some industry tracks at the wide end.
Here's what I'm currently working with.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-180319085640.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10125)
Bear in mind that the ethos of this layout is not hyper realism requiring sweeping curves and fine scale models, or any kind of realistic operations. It's basically a Lionel layout where trains can loop around for the entertainment of the viewer, and then be swapped to a siding for another train and looped along some more.
Because of the tight curves, the passenger trains will always run counterclockwise on the outer loop, and the freight peddlers will always run clockwise on the inner track. Crossovers can and will existing for either to reach a storage track, (backing maneuvers will be required to put the passenger trains away in the station tracks) and freight sidings can be accessed as facing or trailing points, requiring a short run around track, for those times when the operator wishes to bump cars.
There will be no grades on the main tracks, but freight sidings, bus routes, and the trolley track (did I mention the desire for a trolley track?) can change elevations to whatever extent the equipment can bear. I do plan to elevate the main tracks 2-2.5" to allow for up and down undulations in scenery.
What I've built thus far is completely in play, as it's really just tacked here and there to a piece of foam. The new plan will be built on a more permanent foundation of cookie cutter plywood over a frame, which will hopefully stabilize it a bit more.
So there is my list of parameters to bring this project to some level of completion. Looking forward to your thoughtful commentary.
Lee
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The stub trackage in the passenger terminal screams Washington, D.C. to me. Bus and trolley lines abound, too!
How do your trains like those mainline s-curves front and center on the layout? Are you running mostly truck mounted couplers?
DFF
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The stub trackage in the passenger terminal screams Washington, D.C. to me.
Actually, given the retro theme, I was thinking this would be more appropriate:
(https://www.spurweite-n.de/NDBPics/Pola/B206.jpg)
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I dig that train shed... That would look extra sparkly once it got a dose of LED lighting installed... I may have another situation you can help me with @David K. Smith , I'll PM you...
It does lend itself to a Union Station motif. I'm thinking the loop track in front of the station would be below street level, so a terminal building with a concourse behind, with steps down to the platforms. That would give me a spot for a bus and/or trolley at that end with some cityscape. I've got scraps from one of those big old German stations to rework as a head house... once I sort the track plan, I'll figure out how much space it will need.
@davefoxx I was trying to figure out a way to do Broad Street in Richmond, with the loop actually being part of the station tracks, but it would just require way too much room to pull off, or make the necessary train length too short to make fun to watch. I'd like to have a track for mail and express cars, but that might be too much like operations, although it would provide a place to park head end traffic and reduce the needed length of the platform tracks... Hmmm..
So let's think about that for a second...
The train shed looks to accommodate 6 tracks. I could make the platforms parallel to the main along the back wall, so the two mains run through, then stub the other four? Oh, and another wrench in the design machine, since we're doing DC cab control, each track would have to be long enough for 4-5 cars plus its assigned power... I'll have to be able to isolate each track electrically to be able to operate one train while storing the others to keep the operation simple. That translates to about 42".
So that would give me the ability to stage four trains and run one, then add a shorter track just outside the shed to put 4 or 5 mail and express cars... A crossover located prior to the station would allow the running train to arrive wrong rail on the freight track and pause while the next train is put together... pulling the appropriate mail car, adding it to the consist, and then pulling out onto the "right" main... Then the arriving train can be switched into the platform without having to back through the S of the next crossover... Does that make sense?
And yes, everything is good old truck mounted Rapidos, so they whip right on through that S, sending Pullman Porters flying in every direction and causing coffee cups to slop on the patrons of the dining cars.
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Also, I haven't built the 24" extension for the right end of the layout... I should probably plan to build it 26" to 28" deep to allow the inside main to be 11" r for that arrival situation described above. I could also build in an inner siding of 9.75" under the city to provide a bypass/staging track for that second freight... Let me doodle that out...
Lee
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How about this for starters? Note that I designed it just prior to your above post, so it's probably already obsolete. But it gives you an idea how much space this amount of track takes up. Also, no bus/trolley--not sure if it could be shoe-horned in or not, maybe without the turntable...
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/retro-1.jpg)
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It does lend itself to a Union Station motif. I'm thinking the loop track in front of the station would be below street level, so a terminal building with a concourse behind, with steps down to the platforms. That would give me a spot for a bus and/or trolley at that end with some cityscape. I've got scraps from one of those big old German stations to rework as a head house... once I sort the track plan, I'll figure out how much space it will need.
I also thought of Washington D.C., because you're doing the B&O.
I was trying to figure out a way to do Broad Street in Richmond, with the loop actually being part of the station tracks, but it would just require way too much room to pull off, or make the necessary train length too short to make fun to watch. I'd like to have a track for mail and express cars, but that might be too much like operations, although it would provide a place to park head end traffic and reduce the needed length of the platform tracks... Hmmm..
I once tried to design a basement layout in the late 1990s that included Broad Street Station. It quickly went out of control, but, of course, I was trying to include Acca and Bryan Park Terminal. The layout of track in that area of Richmond was genius, but, man, it takes up a lot of space, and it is difficult to compress effectively on a layout.
So let's think about that for a second...
The train shed looks to accommodate 6 tracks. I could make the platforms parallel to the main along the back wall, so the two mains run through, then stub the other four? Oh, and another wrench in the design machine, since we're doing DC cab control, each track would have to be long enough for 4-5 cars plus its assigned power... I'll have to be able to isolate each track electrically to be able to operate one train while storing the others to keep the operation simple. That translates to about 42".
So that would give me the ability to stage four trains and run one, then add a shorter track just outside the shed to put 4 or 5 mail and express cars... A crossover located prior to the station would allow the running train to arrive wrong rail on the freight track and pause while the next train is put together... pulling the appropriate mail car, adding it to the consist, and then pulling out onto the "right" main... Then the arriving train can be switched into the platform without having to back through the S of the next crossover... Does that make sense.
Sounds good to me. The tracks parallel to the mainline with the station overhead would save a lot of space. Think B&O's Mt. Royal Station in Baltimore, where you can use the tarnished and freight trains passed through. Perfect!
DFF
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Or...
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/retro-2.jpg)
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I like that second iteration, the engine shop allows the station tracks to be shorter, but adds the complexity of wiring "parking spots" for individual engines... the curse of cab control... Definitely don't want to consume acreage or budget on a roundhouse, so I'll have to chew on that a little.
I would like to have the thru tracks under the train shed, the more I think about it. At this point, the photographer's curve at the back can be sacrificed to make the passenger terminal parallel to rear edge. I like the new treatment of the front edge, though. That will smooth out the run nicely, and add an opportunity for some scenic elements in front of the track.
Lee
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Yeah, I figured the turntable wouldn't fly--I added it mostly for sh!ts and giggles. Here's another iteration with the station over the tracks.
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/retro-3.jpg)
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...each track would have to be long enough for 4-5 cars plus its assigned power... I'll have to be able to isolate each track electrically to be able to operate one train while storing the others to keep the operation simple. That translates to about 42"....
:o
Allrighty then... best I think that's practical is a range between 24 and 36 inches...
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/retro-5.jpg)
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I think we have a winner... I will probably run the street grid at about 30 degrees to the track in a rhombus so the station head house is skewed above the platforms. That might make it easier to work in a bus line above all the trackwork.
Also likely to work out a solution that doesn't involve a double slip. I'm trying to use (more or less) vintage track, and those old ones are notoriously finicky, at least more finicky than I want to have on the back side of the table.
I like the direction this is taking. Thanks, DKS! I'm glad you had a minute!
Hair Guy.
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Also likely to work out a solution that doesn't involve a double slip. I'm trying to use (more or less) vintage track, and those old ones are notoriously finicky, at least more finicky than I want to have on the back side of the table.
Actually, since passenger trains only run the outer loop, it should be fine to simply replace the double-slip with a crossing.
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Eureka!
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Could the right side of the layout also be made three feet deep - essentially a mirror image of the shape on the left side?
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OK, last rendition for the day. Did away with the "wiggle" in the mainline at the back, and gained a few more inches of passenger track length. Replaced the double-slip with a crossing, and added a full double-crossover. And, I added a bus line (it renders as underneath everything because AnyRail doesn't have these elements, so I have to render them as images without any transparency--oh well, you get the idea). The orange line delineates the raised level--I don't think you need to go to the trouble of angling the building ends, but that's up to you, of course.
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/retro-6.jpg)
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Excellent. I'll monkey around with the freight line based on the buildings I have, and report back later!
Lee
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Coal trestle FTW :lol:
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Could the right side of the layout also be made three feet deep - essentially a mirror image of the shape on the left side?
I have the layout propped up on an old desk. The narrowed bit provides a spot for my rudimentary controls, and a few square inches for the occasional quick repair/adjustment. I suppose I could go full dogbone, but that would have the right edge of the layout projecting farther into the room than the land department might be willing to cede. The extra two feet is already raising eyebrows... ;)
Lee
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This is an awesome thread to follow, and is proof one doesn't need to have the newest or highest tech in order to have fun in this hobby. Thanks for sharing your updates. When (if ever) I fire up my retro fleet I'll attempt to share my efforts as well.
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Thank you. After years of pursuing the best track, the finest running models, ultimate realism in the scenery, this project has reawakened the shear delight of just running trains I remember from my youth.
It's also fun not having the hang ups of a Lionel collector... I don't care about original boxes, original paint or even original drives.
It's fun to have the knowledge and experience to fearlessly repower an old Rivarossi steamer. And for rolling stock and structures, there's so much available, either from sellers on eBay or from modelers' junkboxes, it seems like there's an endless supply of material to work with.
It really is fun to work with.
Lee
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There's a layout based on the Broad St Station in "Track Planning for Realistic Operation" -- fig 11.9. last one in the book (the original version, not the updated cone). Says its 3x5 feet w/ 12" R curves. Leaving out the roundhouse give half a layout to put other stuff in.
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There's a layout based on the Broad St Station in "Track Planning for Realistic Operation" -- fig 11.9. last one in the book (the original version, not the updated cone). Says its 3x5 feet w/ 12" R curves. Leaving out the roundhouse give half a layout to put other stuff in.
I recall that plan. It's so twisted that you can't possibly operate it at all like the prototype. There's no staging, so where do you send the trains? Not to mention that Broad Street Station abutted SAL's Hermitage Yard and the RF&P's Acca Yard. You had ACL coming in from the south, SAL coming in from the south, and the RF&P coming in from the north. All of this converged beautifully at Broad Street Station, except that the SAL had to back in/out while the other roads were head in/out regardless of proceeding north or south. If I remember correctly, even the N&W had trackage rights into Broad Street Station at some point.
Way too much action to cram into 3' x 5'.
DFF
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Two more old Atlas/Rivarossi stainless coaches arrived today to round out my Penn Central train which is handled mightily by a single Trix F unit. All but one of the cars have original equipment lighting, which I will eventually upgrade to LEDs, maybe with onboard power.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-190319150127.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10134)
Not sure what to call this consist... I see on a 1971 time table cover that there was service from Baltimore to Harrisburg via the Northern Central, but I don't see the schedules to get the train number. (This is on the http://pc.smellycat.com/docs/passenger/index.html, better known as Penn Central Railroad On Line.
So if anyone can shed some light on what I should call this consist, I'll get to work making it smell like burnt brake shoes and stale cigarette smoke.
One of the cool things about collecting these old models, is at the time they were released, Penn Central was still a thing...
Lee
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One of the cool things about collecting these old models, is at the time they were released, Penn Central was still a thing...
Yep, and Aurora was right there in the thick of it. They launched Postage Stamp in 1967, and when PC formed in 1968, they promptly added PC to their line-up, in some cases replacing Pennsylvania items. I don't recall other companies at the time responding quite as quickly.
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Here's a question for you... In my Atlas/Rivarossi consist I have a baggage/RPO, several coaches, and the ubiquitous Gennesee River Observation lounge. Were there any other body styles in this series? Perhaps a diner or a sleeping car? I've not come across any in my auction queries...
Lee
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I think the name you're looking for is "The Buffalo Day Express" or "Liberty Limited" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Limited.
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Here's a question for you... In my Atlas/Rivarossi consist I have a baggage/RPO, several coaches, and the ubiquitous Gennesee River Observation lounge. Were there any other body styles in this series? Perhaps a diner or a sleeping car? I've not come across any in my auction queries...
No others - just the three body styles you mentioned.
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No others - just the three body styles you mentioned.
Perhaps for Atlas. But they made 6 body styles, at least that I have samples of.
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/rivarossi.jpg)
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I was speaking of the corrugated lightweight cars. I have all of the heavyweights, save for a coach, in the B&O paint. I've only seen the coach twice (so I know it's out there) but both times were from Canadian sellers, and I'll wait before I pay $18 for shipping!
Lee
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I was speaking of the corrugated lightweight cars. I have all of the heavyweights, save for a coach, in the B&O paint. I've only seen the coach twice (so I know it's out there) but both times were from Canadian sellers, and I'll wait before I pay $18 for shipping!
Oh, sorry--didn't follow the post carefully enough. Nevermind...!
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I think the name you're looking for is "The Buffalo Day Express" or "Liberty Limited" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Limited.
According to the link, the Liberty Limited ceased operating in 1957... I'm guessing that would preclude me from applying the name to my Penn Central train... Can't find anything on the Buffalo Day Express... did that last past merger day?
Lee
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Not sure what to call this consist... I see on a 1971 time table cover that there was service from Baltimore to Harrisburg via the Northern Central, but I don't see the schedules to get the train number. (This is on the http://pc.smellycat.com/docs/passenger/index.html, better known as Penn Central Railroad On Line.
So if anyone can shed some light on what I should call this consist, I'll get to work making it smell like burnt brake shoes and stale cigarette smoke.
Toward the bottom of the page in the following link, there is a photo and mention of train #549 departing Baltimore for Harrisburg in August 1970.
However, it's just an E8 and a single coach.
http://passengertrainjournal.com/short-troubled-life-penn-central-passenger-trains/ (http://passengertrainjournal.com/short-troubled-life-penn-central-passenger-trains/)
(http://passengertrainjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/ptj-penncentral-04.jpg)
Buffalo Day Express in July 1969:
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fb/PRR_4274_with_the_Buffalo_Day_Express_at_Williamsport%2C_Pennsylvania%2C_July_1969.jpg/1024px-PRR_4274_with_the_Buffalo_Day_Express_at_Williamsport%2C_Pennsylvania%2C_July_1969.jpg)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/Rear_of_the_Buffalo_Day_Express_at_Williamsport%2C_Pennsylvania%2C_July_1969.jpg/1024px-Rear_of_the_Buffalo_Day_Express_at_Williamsport%2C_Pennsylvania%2C_July_1969.jpg)
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Googled up the Buffalo train... and yes... it would do the trick! Mine is much fancier than the real one, though...
Lee
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If you put LED's in those cars, they won't be retro anymore.
:D
Doug
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If you put LED's in those cars, they won't be retro anymore.
:D
Doug
Modernized retro. :-) Prevents melted roofs. :D
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If you put LED's in those cars, they won't be retro anymore.
:D
Doug
Resto-mod, maybe 😊
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And if I don't put a new Bacmann motor in that old Rivarossi Pacific, it doesnt run!
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And if I don't put a new Bacmann motor in that old Rivarossi Pacific, it doesnt run!
And slowly the pure retro gets diluted ... actually having a pure 1960's model layout wouldn't be bad if we could also "retro" ourselves back to how old we were then.
How soon before the urge for a whistling, chugging B&O steamer takes hold?
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I have all of the heavyweights, save for a coach, in the B&O paint. I've only seen the coach twice (so I know it's out there) but both times were from Canadian sellers, and I'll wait before I pay $18 for shipping!
You just missed a pair of them:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/CON-COR-RIVAROSSI-N-SCALE-05241C-BALTIMORE-amp-OHIO-COACH-3558-A-/264193838445 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/CON-COR-RIVAROSSI-N-SCALE-05241C-BALTIMORE-amp-OHIO-COACH-3558-A-/264193838445)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/CON-COR-RIVAROSSI-N-SCALE-05241C-BALTIMORE-amp-OHIO-COACH-3558-B-/264193846506 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/CON-COR-RIVAROSSI-N-SCALE-05241C-BALTIMORE-amp-OHIO-COACH-3558-B-/264193846506)
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:facepalm:
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We interrupt this program to let you know that I'm presently operating a stainless B&O streamliner behind an old Life Like E-8... the Lead Sled variety with the plastic frame.
Apart from it needing an LED installed to correct its anemic headlight, it may be the smoothest and quietest running locomotive of any fleet I've accumulated.
Probably because it weighs 11 million pounds...
Might need to start prowling the 'bay for some more of those.
I love running the older Trix Fs, don't get me wrong.. but in my usual office background noise scenario, I appreciate the E unit's compatibility with making phone calls to clients! :D
That is all. You may resume your palaver.
Lee
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As I recall I was running a 125 car train on an N track layout, and could pull the train with ONE LL E8... (It has so much torque, that it will pull enough to burn out the motor before it starts slipping.)
(The train could also be pulled with a pair of Kato F3s)..anything else would require 3-4 locomotives.
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I tried to stop one of my Life-Like E8's when it was run away and it broke two of my fingers.
:D
Doug
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I put a LL E8 on my layout and it collapsed one of the legs. :D
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If you think the N scale LL E units are beasts, the HO ones are 4x the size and behave similarly.
I had to build a brace under the center of a module because of them. No joke.
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@David K. Smith ... in the last diagram, what is the angle of the crossover. 15? Just double checking before I add it to my shopping list...
Thanks
Lee
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If you think the N scale LL E units are beasts, the HO ones are 4x the size and behave similarly.
I had to build a brace under the center of a module because of them. No joke.
I bought two of them in Daylight colors for my Athearn Blue Box Daylight train back when I was around 20. We eventually decided to see how many cars one of them would pull at a module set up. I think the final count was 135 40' Athearn Blue Box boxcars. We basically ran out of rolling stock with that criteria.
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@David K. Smith ... in the last diagram, what is the angle of the crossover. 15? Just double checking before I add it to my shopping list...
Thanks
Lee
Correct, 15 degrees.
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FYI, MBK has an extra 5% off of track right now.
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I dig... Was very pleased with my Ttrak supplies... Not sure I'm going back to the well right away though... shipping plus Md. sales tax takes a lot of the shine off of those MBK super sales...
(http://www.wmrywesternlines.net/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/Web_761.jpg)
In happier news, I got an old friend back on the rails tonight. After a leaseback arrangement with the Nickel Plate Road expired, it came back home a few months ago. Tonight, I pulled the decoder (my original wiring was pretty spotty), fixed the headlight, and she's now burbling away pleasantly hauling a freight around the loop.
The only downside is that being a newer model, she doesn't play well on the 9-3/4" radius curves of the inner "freight" loop. So for now, the varnish has to hole up in a siding as the peddler makes the rounds.
Lee
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A retro N layout I think would probably be one where the tracks are set up on any convenient flat space, not fixed down. Buildings placed around, powerpack right next to the track, different assortments of cars removed or replaced by hand at intervals, running trains and switching. After several days (or hours), the track rearranged or added to, more running, more car change-outs. Stays in place for a couple of days, then is packed up or moved to another convenient flat space -- say, an unused floor area where a BIG layout can be set up -- and so on and so on. Even more retro-ish, everything can be packed up in one box (cars & locos in jewel boxes) so the "layout" can be taken anywhere, set up anywhere.
That's what my first N "layout" was.
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A retro N layout I think would probably be one where the tracks are set up on any convenient flat space, not fixed down. Buildings placed around, powerpack right next to the track, different assortments of cars removed or replaced by hand at intervals, running trains and switching. After several days (or hours), the track rearranged or added to, more running, more car change-outs. Stays in place for a couple of days, then is packed up or moved to another convenient flat space -- say, an unused floor area where a BIG layout can be set up -- and so on and so on. Even more retro-ish, everything can be packed up in one box (cars & locos in jewel boxes) so the "layout" can be taken anywhere, set up anywhere.
That's what my first N "layout" was.
It depends how far back Lee wants to take it. Lee didn't say that he wanted to depict his first experience with model trains (when he was a child). To me he is modeling a permanent retro layout (those did exist back then too). Maybe even a retro layout built by an adult. As I see it, Lee is going for the nostalgic look rather, than modeling his model RR infancy. Hey, even a layout depicting N scale as it was in the '80s would be a retro layout.
My very first layout was a simple oval of TT gauge track placed on 2 wood shelves butted together at the long edges (to make it wider) placed on top a cardboard box. No buildings, no scenery. My father controlled the train - I just watched. But it was mine. I have no desire to model that again.
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My first permanent N Scale layout, built circa 1969, was 2 x 4 feet with a 1 x 3 extension for a yard.
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/misc/NRF_0001.jpg)
You go, Lee! I totally get what you're doing and why.
BTW, I started a retro layout of my own last year, although the project is dormant at the moment: http://davidksmith.com/modeling/psc.htm
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I guess I should provide a little background about where I'm heading with this project.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-260319105215.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10232)
Many thousands of years ago, in a basement far, far away, my Dad would pack is family off to church on the Sunday before Thanksgiving... (he wouldn't go himself, because as he declared "I haven't sinned this week") and he would have a few hours to himself to unbuckle the elaborate system of eyehooks and ratchet straps that held 2-1/2 sheets of 3/4" plywood to the ceiling in the laundry room. As the holidays were drawing near, and as we lived in a Baltimore rowhouse, this ritual was as predictable as the basement sewer backing up when it rained.
By the time we had been properly washed in the Blood of the Lamb, and forgiven and absolved of whatever atrocities a 12 year old boy and his older brother could dream up during the week, the Old Man had assembled the saw horses, laid out the "train boards", and was busily unpacking boxes of buildings, train cars, slot cars, trees, villagers, cows and street signs that would populate our basement club room for the next 60 days.
The boards were just that. Boards. 3x4" x 4' x 8' sheets of plywood (one was cut in half to represent the suburbs) simply laid across the tops of a few old wooden sawhorses purloined from the Candler Building workshop sometime in the 1950s. (you'll be pleased to know that two of these now reside at my house and are presently holding up the metal break I use to trim our soffits...) But no fancy L girders, no lightweight framing, no spline roadbeds. Just cork glued to plywood, with track nailed to the cork. HO scale, by the way, for those of you taking notes at home.
Each board had it's own loop of track. The original was the most elaborate. A long oval, a couple of switches that formed more of a circle halfway up. This was the "belt line" that surrounded the busy village, comprised primarily of Vollmer and Faller German style buildings. When Dad was in the service in the early 50s, rather than Korea, he was shipped off to Munich to, as he glibly put it, "Defend the Beer Halls for Democracy." This gave him a tender spot for architecture offered up in the colorful boxes that lined the narrow shelves of MB Klein on North Gay Street.
The second full panel was a simple oval, though as memory serves, it may have had a siding at one end of the loop. Dad was something of a free spirit, so he didn't work from a published plan that one can go back and reference... In earlier iterations, this panel was placed perpendicular to the other, forming a "T". Despite this creative use of real estate, there was no effort to connect the two routes, sort of a cardinal rule of the Christmas Garden ethos. Later though, after the introduction of the aforementioned "suburban" square, the main panel was elevated above the second panel by about 6" (perhaps the thickness of several World Book Encyclopedias used as shims on the saw horses) creating a tunnel and the opportunity to run to Klein's to pick up that wonderful new invention "Mountain Paper."
The brilliant scientists at Life Like had come up with a way to impregnate kraft paper with a plaster slurry that was flexible enough for the product to be rolled up in a tube, like wrapping paper, for ease of marketing. Then when installed, you would crinkle it and trim it to fit the gap you were hoping to hide, then spray it with water to activate the plaster just long enough to form a more rigid surface. The paper was printed with blotches of brown, tan, gray and green, so it was natural enough to stand on its own, but it really added a sharp angle of realism to glue chunks of faded lychen... you know the kind, gray-green, crumbly, and probably should have been thrown out last year... to represent the lush foliage of the Rhine valley.
So this new board featured a smaller town, with that summer stock theater barn (if you were in grade school during the Nixon Administration you know the one) and a genuine House Afire complete with a water pumping fire truck and a simulated flickering light inside, and best of all, a parade on Main Street. Dad hand painted 76 trombones, and 101 coronets right behind. (The marching band is also squirreled away in a box in my tender care as well) My brother and I would argue over which Hot Wheels cars would carry the Grand Marshall and the Farm Queen.
The final piece at the right end, The Suburbs, was a 4x4 square that had several contemporary style houses and an A&P grocery store that my brother Mark had built from scratch as a project for his Junior High drafting class. I liked this scene the best, because Dad had built up the scenery a little bit to put the houses on little rises, with cool sloped driveways... extra fun for us Hot Wheels drivers. The hills were layered up plaster, probably wall patch leftover from 100 unfinished improvement projects, and this panel weighed a ton, despite its size. On this was a simple circle of track, and again, set at a slightly higher elevation so the main loop could pass through a tunnel at one corner, and the elevated housing development creating a wonderful cut at the side that one could easily imagine being filled with rusty shopping carts and broken televisions for the train to pass.
What made the whole thing indelible in my mind, though, was when the lights went out. Using the best available technology of the day, old strings of Christmas tree lights, Dad had meticulously surveyed each piece of real estate, located and drilled a hole big enough for a couple of wires and a small lightbulb to pass through, and wired it together with a combination of black friction tape, magic, and cigar smoke.
Over the years we added off the rack street lamps, and finally even a dimmer switch and soft blue background lighting along the wall. My god, the hair is standing up on the back of my neck now just thinking about it.
Did you notice I have hardly mentioned the trains yet?
The low line through the small town with the parade featured a Southern Railway SD-24, an Atlas model made by Roco. It was given to my dad by Phil Provens, the Washington District sales manager of the Southern Railway, who after one of our Christmas parties pointed out that there was a critical gap in our fleet. This engine replaced an old PRR F unit, probably a Mantua or some other ancient name, which had a full metal frame and a faulty motor. The main level around the Big City featured the Royal Blue. The big Blue Pacific lettered for the B&O pulled a string of Tyco streamliners, which was full of joyous passengers silhouetted in black against the window glass. How I envied them, although the flickering cabin lights might have given me a migraine.
The Suburban line was home to the Seaboard Coast Line's Bicentennial U-Boat, festooned in red, white and blue, with the road number 1776. The Old Man did add the matching caboose (a slightly off Santa Fe type, but who was splitting hairs at my age?) but didn't see the series of Bicentennial freight cars as a good investment.
Toward the end of its run, we added a circle of track to run a streetcar that was Mom's favorite, and a full city block was established by a squared circle of Aurora Model Motoring track that my brother, the budding electrical engineer, had rewired to run right hand running for two way traffic. Brilliant!
All of this combined was too intoxicating for words. The lights would dim, the trains would roar, the slot cars would whoosh, the lights would twinkle, and for those 60 days, there was nowhere on earth I would rather be.
During the summers of my Junior High years (12, 13 or so) I would be home knocking around, and when the parents were off to work and I was left to my own devices, I would crawl under the basement steps and pull some of the boxes out to just ogle at the locomotives, buildings and other details. It was like going to the B&O Museum, casting one's eyes on those great, storied behemoths, but in the stillness of memory and imagination rather than the full excitement of operation. At one point, I had left some evidence behind that I had been rummaging in the train boxes, and my dad suggested that this year we should build another board just for me, but there wasn't much room so we should try that new fangled N scale stuff.
I counted the minutes until November. We went to the lumber yard for some plywood... I suggested 3/8" mounted to some 1x, as I dreaded lugging another heavy 3/4" panel around. We trimmed it to 3' x 6' to fit against another wall in the basement, and I began studying that "Nine N Scale Track Plans"... the Old Testament, if you will, to find just the right layout. Then that Sunday came, I bounded from the Plymouth Satellite into the basement, smelled the unmistakable aroma of cork roadbed, ozone and stale lychen, and I got to work on MY layout... (It was tucked away into a corner enough that Dad didn't make me take it down in January!) Somewhere in a crippled hard drive there are photos, but I can still see it clearly in my head.
In looking at the photo that @David K. Smith posted, I believe I built the exact same plan. A loop around the outside intertwined with a figure 8. Passenger trains on the wider friendlier outer loop, and a fast freight running the 8. Mountain paper of my own, structure kits to experiment with, and a cigar box for rolling stock to be stored when not in use. Lots of mistakes, lots of frustration, but when it was good it was the best thing ever.
Long story short, (too late for that, right? :facepalm:) this is the atmosphere I'm going for. Not rudimentary in design or execution, because afterall, we've hopefully learned from a lifetime of model railroading mistakes, but nostalgic in its simplicity, it's magic, and its ability to transport me back to a place of wonder that seems harder to find the older I get.
I've got two trains running right now, in opposite directions, at slightly different speeds. It sounds just like the surf working up and down a beach on a warm, calm day. Perfect background noise for a busy couple of weeks.
All the Best,
Lee
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A retro N layout I think would probably be one where the tracks are set up on any convenient flat space, not fixed down. Buildings placed around, powerpack right next to the track, different assortments of cars removed or replaced by hand at intervals, running trains and switching. After several days (or hours), the track rearranged or added to, more running, more car change-outs. Stays in place for a couple of days, then is packed up or moved to another convenient flat space -- say, an unused floor area where a BIG layout can be set up -- and so on and so on. Even more retro-ish, everything can be packed up in one box (cars & locos in jewel boxes) so the "layout" can be taken anywhere, set up anywhere.
That's what my first N "layout" was.
Don't worry about that, I've got a box of sectional track that stirs my imagination every time I dig through it... I'm scheming presently about coming up with a fun use for 749 pieces of 9.75" radius snap track...Think "Wild Mouse" with a Trix FM switcher! ;)
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In looking at the photo that @David K. Smith posted, I believe I built the exact same plan. A loop around the outside intertwined with a figure 8.
Almost, not quite. It's just a simple folded dogbone. I built the whole layout based on one photo in the book N Scale Model Railroad Track Plans:
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/misc/nrf_origin.jpg)
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That's the exact same photo I based mine on. Inside front cover of the book, as I recall. And I don't think that was one of the plans in the book!! I interpreted it as two separate loops. And that's the booklet I had, to be sure... couldn't put my finger on the title!
We should build that as the next challenge!!
Lee
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That's the exact same photo I based mine on. Inside front cover of the book, as I recall. And I don't think that was one of the plans in the book!! I interpreted it as two separate loops. And that's the booklet I had, to be sure... couldn't put my finger on the title!
We should build that as the next challenge!!
Yes indeedy!
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I've got tons of vintage goodies in the collection just waiting for a run.
Somtime this year I'll get over the bridge to run some deep flange stuff on your retro pike.
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A retro N layout I think would probably be one where the tracks are set up on any convenient flat space, not fixed down. Buildings placed around, powerpack right next to the track, different assortments of cars removed or replaced by hand at intervals, running trains and switching. After several days (or hours), the track rearranged or added to, more running, more car change-outs. Stays in place for a couple of days, then is packed up or moved to another convenient flat space -- say, an unused floor area where a BIG layout can be set up -- and so on and so on. Even more retro-ish, everything can be packed up in one box (cars & locos in jewel boxes) so the "layout" can be taken anywhere, set up anywhere.
That's what my first N "layout" was.
You mean kind of like this? I believe it meets most of your criteria:
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/4117-270319002620.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10264)
Doug
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Yeah, that looks like what my first "layout" looked like. I wasn't disputing what a retro layout is, just that it can have different variations. I guess my description would be a proto-retro pre-layout (as we start a whole new lexicon about first gen N stuff), but it was a very short phase. The desire took over pretty early to have something to run on without having to literally build it from the ground up each time . But one thing I did do with my layout-in-a-box was to take it with me to every relative's house, every neighbor I knew, and set up a layout on their kitchen table to show off these neat little brand-new scale trains. Only once of course, as not many RR fans in my family.
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That's pretty much how this mad adventure started. A box of loose track on the kitchen table...
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That's pretty much how this mad adventure started. A box of loose track on the kitchen table...
Funny how that happens, innit? My Postage Stamp layout started pretty much the same way. But my latest crazy concept, I'll admit, was inspired entirely by your current retro layout.
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Can't wait to see it. I've enjoyed exchanging pleasantries in the back channels, and boxes of goodies at the mailbox!
Packing up the track we discussed now... any last minute adjustments?
Lee
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Since we're talking about what we did back in the day, here's a very rough video of a layout I built back in the early 90s. Life Like GP38s, Atlas Roco GP30s, code 80 rail, the whole gamut.
Lee
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Can't wait to see it. I've enjoyed exchanging pleasantries in the back channels, and boxes of goodies at the mailbox!
Packing up the track we discussed now... any last minute adjustments?
Lee
Maybe just one or two extras of each. That should do it, thanks.
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BTW, the picture above is as the layout exists today.
Doug
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While digging up bones in the garage, I stumbled across this...
Game ON.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-270319123828.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10267)
The rail is 5-7/8" long, I built this for that Laurel Valley layout that's in the video. My K-4 fits on it... the couplers hang over the ends, but that's all good.
It uses a headphone jack and a DPDT for track power, and is what the kids today would call "Thumb Drive"... I'll have to see if I still have the pit walls... two courses of 6" embroidery hoop... what you see there is the inner ring that I didn't use.
Sweet baby Jesus, there's going to be an engine terminal!!
@David K. Smith , when you have that track plan updated, we may as well throw it out here for comment. Thanks again.
Lee
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With all these fabulous archaeological finds, when's the next used equipment auction? I'm about to drop coin on a GP40-LW kit from Briggs, but I want to make sure to leave myself room for you next rounds of who's its and what's its. :D
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I only have one GP40 left in inventory, and it's an old custom paint in my namesake number... Something about clutching dead hands should cross your mind when thinking about obtaining that one... :D
Lee
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You mean kind of like this? I believe it meets most of your criteria:
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/4117-270319002620.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10264)
Doug
Retro it certainly is! It even has the LPs in the left background. :) Perfect timing as I just got caught up on the LP vs. CD/digital thread in the Crew Lounge. :D
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Retro it certainly is! It even has the LPs in the left background. :) Perfect timing as I just got caught up on the LP vs. CD/digital thread in the Crew Lounge. :D
It might be retro, but what's up with the pink "grass"? No green or brown tablecloths?
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It might be retro, but what's up with the pink "grass"? No green or brown tablecloths?
...or vinyl tableclothes (preferably red and white checkered pattern). :D
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Something to ponder/tinker with...
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/retro-6C.jpg)
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Lee, thanks for sharing the story of the layout from your childhood. Man, did that drag up old memories of mine too. I could not wait for Thanksgiving weekend and the Christmas tree coming out of the depths of the basement storage closet, for that meant the old cardboard houses would be adorning the white sheet cover 1/4" piece of plywood that served as the foundation of the tree, and it's little snow covered village below. And of course, my Father's extensive Globe, Varney and MDC locomotives and rolling stock to run endless circles under that said tree for the next 45 days. Still my favorite time of the year!
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Something to ponder/tinker with...
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/retro-6C.jpg)
Oooh. A reverse loop! How fancy! Now I can schedule a peddler freight on an "out and back" mission!
I love it. Never mind all my prattlings about the roundhouse in the back channel. This is perfect. And thank Garsh the coal pier is back!
This is the big city terminal I think I'm looking for. And a perfect retro design of the classic "spaghetti bowl" effect!
And keeping the minimum curves to 11", I can use the reverse loop to turn passenger trains as well...with a little bit of backing... perfect for commuter service for those PC roach coaches!
You've thought of everything, even if you haven't though of it!
Now to inventory what I'll need, and figure out the best way to do the platform... Damn thing's startin' to almost look like an HCD...
Thanks again!
L
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It might be retro, but what's up with the pink "grass"? No green or brown tablecloths?
It's SO retro, I just used what was immediately available. Before the Treble-O-Lectric, I had an HO scale layout on it. And, it's not pink. It's more mauve.
:D
Doug
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Oooh. A reverse loop! How fancy! Now I can schedule a peddler freight on an "out and back" mission!
I love it. Never mind all my prattlings about the roundhouse in the back channel. This is perfect. And thank Garsh the coal pier is back!
This is the big city terminal I think I'm looking for. And a perfect retro design of the classic "spaghetti bowl" effect!
And keeping the minimum curves to 11", I can use the reverse loop to turn passenger trains as well...with a little bit of backing... perfect for commuter service for those PC roach coaches!
You've thought of everything, even if you haven't though of it!
Now to inventory what I'll need, and figure out the best way to do the platform... Damn thing's startin' to almost look like an HCD...
Thanks again!
L
I tried to think of "everything." ;) As for looking like an HCD, well... why not pull the trigger? Surely you have access to a used one from somewhere. You'd lose only 4" in length, and you can leave the "grey zone" clear for controls, but they'd physically be part of the layout, with no chance of anything becoming undone. Plus, room for more stuff. (Yes, an HCD wouldn't be truly "retro," in layout terms, but blue foam is even further astray...) Just some more fodder for the grey matter.
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/retro-6HCD.jpg)
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Retro it certainly is! It even has the LPs in the left background. :) Perfect timing as I just got caught up on the LP vs. CD/digital thread in the Crew Lounge. :D
Yes and the trains are set up on the same mahogany table I had them on in 1963 in the same space as, after living in Rochester for 35 years, I am back in the house in which I grew up. They were on a white sheet, then.
I have a couple thousand LP's and a classic quad system, currently dismantled until I get all the equipment back from Rochester.
Doug
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I have a couple thousand LP's and a classic quad system...
Yikes, I don't know what's more retro, the trains or this... :trollface:
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Yikes, I don't know what's more retro, the trains or this... :trollface:
Some of the LP's predate my trains but the majority are post 1962.
Lee, what basic turntable is that?
Doug
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Lee, what basic turntable is that?
https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=46293.msg613248#msg613248
Lee, regarding the roster... there's room for more stalls, assuming the angles are tweaked, and probably room for one more diesel shop track.
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I saw a layout for sale, not too long ago on eBay that was built on a door and I believe the seller said it was from the nineteen forties. It sure looked like it. So, retro would be maintained by an HCD.
Doug
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It just so happens that we're in the process of remodeling some bedrooms, and there are several... SEVERAL 30" HCD's coming available as the project evolves... Unfortunately, none of that project will provide any more room in the corner of my office that is limited to the footprint presently being cultivated.
As we may have discussed elsewhere, I'm having so much fun with the Ttrak module concept, I may built the platform for this as a series of boxes... I don't intend to use Unitrak... that's against the rules... I may work the end loop on the right so that it could be popped off and my Ttrak modules could be slipped in... you know, for safe storage...
The other advantage of doing that is that I can take whichever box I'm working on and sit at the table while the gals are crafting and not take up the whole table... then, when the box is more or less completed, with wiring, track and other fundamental infrastructure, I can install it semi-permanently. While this technique may not be retro, I did state in my original thesis that I want to get the "feel" of a retro layout, but I also want to build in a manner that demonstrates that I've learned something, even if only a little bit, from practicing this hobby since 1975...
Lee
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Nostalgia
Back in the mid 1950's my younger brother and I shared a New York City apartment bedroom. Our HO "layout" (dad provided) consisted of 4 2x8's laid flat and forming a donut shaped rectangle. Maybe 3 feet wide by 4/5 feet long. The pieces were held together with hooks and eyes at each corner. When not in use it was stored under my bed. There was one loop but I can't remember how the track was joined at the corners. I do remember the the sole loco we had was a 0-4-0 tank switcher. Rolling stock is a mystery. Absolutely no scenery or buildings, just bare wood and track. Minimalist!
Over 65 years ago, geez.
Conrad
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Nostalgia
Back in the mid 1950's my younger brother and I shared a New York City apartment bedroom. Our HO "layout" (dad provided) consisted of 4 2x8's laid flat and forming a donut shaped rectangle. Maybe 3 feet wide by 4/5 feet long. The pieces were held together with hooks and eyes at each corner. When not in use it was stored under my bed. There was one loop but I can't remember how the track was joined at the corners. I do remember the the sole loco we had was a 0-4-0 tank switcher. Rolling stock is a mystery. Absolutely no scenery or buildings, just bare wood and track. Minimalist!
Over 65 years ago, geez.
I'm
Conrad
So the math puts it at 8' x 12' rectangle. You must live in a big NYC apartment! :D :D :D. I grew up and spent my early adulthood there.
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And, it's not pink. It's more mauve.
Well, pardon me! :D
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Keeping with the 7' x 3' platform for the moment, and made a couple of minor tweaks.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-270319202548.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10271)
Moved the crossover on the front out a bit, so it could serve as a short siding as well as a runaround track when needed, and added a crossover at the back where the reverse loop ties back in.
I may yet cave in and do a double slip switch at the junction from the station, but at $50 for a new Peco, or casting my lot with an antique that may or may not be viable, I'll try to make do without one for now.
The yellow lines indicate the possible application of the "box" method. If possible, I'd like to make the return loop at the right end to Ttrak spec, to both allow me to insert my modules, as well as have some corners available as part of the traveling road show.
I like how this set up reduces the project to bite size pieces, and that I can build the engine terminal portion and only need to have the two turnouts for the crossover at the front... I could start that tomorrow (except I goofed off most of today, and I REALLY need to get some billable hours recorded!!) The majority of the turnouts are on the front module, so I can install what I need to get trains running, then add to it as materials become available. I don't anticipate building the trackwork in a modular way, since there would be a lot of joints at angles etc., but it will be nice to know that I have that option, and some flexible frames that can reused when I get tired of mucking about in the Ancient History Wing of the N Scale Museum of Progress.
For now, I think I'm going to shift my focus to the Ttrak module challenge, and run some more loops on the current retro rig until such time it's organs get donated to this new design.
Until next time,
All the Best.
Lee
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Lee which Peco double slip do you need..(Code 80 I assume) I may know of one at a decent price..
~Ian
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@learmoia , see the diagram above, it would be located where the 15degree crossover comes out of the passenger terminal to the blue mainline. Originally, I was after the simplicity of running passenger trains counterclockwise on the outer loop, and freights clockwise on the inner. You know, like ya do.
But the more I (over)think about it, putting a double slip in would make it a whole lot more flexible, and use a lot less space.
Yes, a code 80 would be preferred. If necessary we can step into the back room for a chat about it.... 8)
Lee
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No, no. The 2x8 is a board: 1-1/2 thick by 7-1/2 wide. whole thing was maybe 3x5 feet
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So, I took your modular concept and pushed some things around so turnouts wouldn't fall on any joints. I also rolled in a token little freight yard to fiddle, an interchange, and more industries just to be sure the bowl had as much pasta as it could hold. Naturally you won't be in a position to purchase the 34 switches it has (14 left, 20 right) right away, so you can build things up over time as allowed or desired. Enjoy.
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/retro-6M.jpg)
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No, no. The 2x8 is a board: 1-1/2 thick by 7-1/2 wide. whole thing was maybe 3x5 feet
That's more like it for a NYC apartment! :D
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Well, that's an eyefull!
Would definitely have to be built incrementally. Although, looking at the box of leavings from the WM layout, I could probably build it in c55 and still have stuff leftover! But that's not the point of the exercise, is it?
Well, while you were all puzzling over switching puzzles, I grabbed my 126 Instamatic and a few flash cubes and headed down to Retro Rock to do some railfanning.
Since I haven't put a stitch of scenery in place on the layout, this was the place to be. In addition to the roar of brass gears and sloppy drive trains, the noise kicked up by the flanges hitting the ties was incredible!
The first train to appear was a peddler heading off to work the industries of Retro City.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-280319090130.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10282)
That Pennsy FM sure looked sharp. A few minutes later, I knew it was time for the Capitol Limited to roar by, pulled today by a shining A-B lashup of B&O F units.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-280319090532.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10283)
The parade continued with a steam powered freight, switching the local industries along the way.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-280319090731.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10284)
Once the little tank engine cleared the block I saw the high green signal clearance for a Western Maryland fast freight, led by a crisply polished Alco.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-280319091105.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10285)
The unmistakable sound of EMD 567s told me that the Liberty Limited was due any moment. The Pennsylvania's Tuscan Red flashed by on its way to Buffalo, a consist of "the Fleet of Modernism" in tow.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-280319091353.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10286)
Not to be outdone, the Best and Only had equipped the National limited with a new streamlined E-8, which made short work of the grade up from the Retro River Valley.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-280319091732.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10287)
Around noon, after all the varnish had passed, another switcher arrived bringing more commerce to the city, and much needed revenue to the railroad. The CR FM switcher was patched together with parts from 6 different rail lines, but the shiny blue paint put a bright face on the situation.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-280319092007.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10288)
It made it to the interchange track just in time, as the Conrail scheduled freight made the connection a short time later, behind a single F unit.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-280319092207.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10289)
Working the other side of the valley, the B&O's local arrived, pulled today by an old reliable 0-4-0. She's running better than she ever did since the boys in the shop added those pick ups to the tender and a bunch of lead to the boiler!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-280319092451.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10290)
Turning our sights back to the main, it sounded like the next locomotive was doing all it could just to keep all the parts moving in the same direction. Maintenance deferred, and limping on its last legs, a decrepit Penn Central Fairbanks Morse did the best it could to deliver the goods, even if they're a little... okay maybe a lot... late.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-280319092751.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10291)
It made it off to a siding just in time, as it's cousin, a train that used to have a name... and passengers, rolled across the jointed rail as best it could to deliver the handful of passengers and several bags of mail that bothered to come along for the ride. I wasn't sure which of the two F units was actually running, but I'm sure all aboard were glad that at least one of them would get them home.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-280319093044.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10292)
Laboring under the same pressure from shiny new automobiles and speedy airplanes, the B&O's Shenandoan did the best it could to attract riders with slippery looking stainless lightweight cars, but due to a decline in business, they were being pulled by a tired looking pair of F units, which would shortly be making more money for the railroad by hauling coal to Baltimore instead of people.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-280319093418.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10293)
As the mists of evening began to gather, and the misery of watching the once great railways struggle to retain some of their lost glory, I thought I heard something I never thought I'd hear... The unmistakable Banshee whistle of a Pennsylvania K4. I rubbed my eyes... surely my imagination had gotten the best of me. I mean, this was the early 70s. The only K4s that still existed were rusting away in museums, and resting in peace at Horseshoe Curve. But I know I heard it. I closed my eyes, and listened... and there was no mistake. The Broadway Limited, fully Pullman equipped, brightly lit, and packed with happy travelers, roared by on its mythic run to Chicago!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-280319093833.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10294)
They'd never believe this over on the Railwire, which at the time was a mimeographed flyer that circulated by mail. But if that wasn't hard enough to swallow, what happened next was even more unbelievable. More chuffing in the distance, another assertive wail of a steam whistle... this one more throaty and confident, and a headlight appeared around the bend.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-280319094101.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10295)
It was the flagship of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, the Royal Blue, whisking passengers and express to the piers at Newark to connect with the ferry across the Hudson to Gotham. President Polk, a gleaming P7 Pacific was at the point, and the classic blue and gray consist made good time as it passed my perch.
Shaking my head, I looked down at my little instamatic, and hoped against hope that when I picked up the prints from the Fotomat next week that I hadn't missed any of this incredible action. As I walked toward my Plymouth Valiant, I heard the clanking of a bell and creak of old drivers as they drifted to a stop up on the embankment. One more shot, but it's getting dark... better use the flash cube...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-280319094459.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10296)
A Pennsy 0-6-0 was handling a short transfer run from Arnold over to Rapido, wheezing steam from the cylinders as it paused to wait for the position lights to switch at least to an approach.
It was a great day to take in some old school railroading.
All the Best,
Lee
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Wow, what an awesome collection of venerable, memorable first gen goodies! You'll have no end of options for ops on the new retro tech layout. Do you have a name for the beast yet, or did I miss it earlier in the thread?
Or... should we have a naming contest?
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A name hasn't occurred to me yet, but I'm sure it will... perhaps with a bit of coaxing from the assembled peanut gallery... I obviously have a weakness for the big northeast systems, but I don't know that the concept should be geographically limited...
Since it's really a big exercise in nostalgia, I suspect there's something in that direction that will have a ring to it.
I cast my lot to you all, dear readers, to concoct an appropriate moniker for the project. The prize will be an anemic modern engine, it's soul hollowed out to make room for a decoder that no longer makes the lights work, and its delicate added on grab irons broken off by an aging model railroader who no longer has patience for such things.
Lee
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BF&W?
But in all seriousness, I can't think of anything more retro than one of those goofy punny names like the Gorre & Daphetid.
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This thread is SOOOOOO bookmarked!
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Baltimore & Strasburg aka the BS Line.
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I grabbed my 126 Instamatic and a few flash cubes and headed down to Retro Rock to do some railfanning.
Did you buy those AHM Enjay Plastics center-flow hopper cars in bulk?
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Heh... you caught me! :D
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https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-ATLAS-2102-EMD-E8-B-O-LOCO-N-SCALE-NOS-FREE-SHIPPING/332927997393
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:D. Or pay 25 and get a Life Like lead sled that will actually work... It's good to know there are still people in the world who drop acid...
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:D. Or pay 25 and get a Life Like lead sled that will actually work... It's good to know there are still people in the world who drop acid...
Thought you'd get a kick out of that...
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Baltimore & Strasburg aka the BS Line.
Or the "Old Line Line"...
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Ordered up the turnouts for the passenger terminal. And having inventoried the hodgepodge of stuff that I have, there actually isn't the much more to order. Thanks to an infusion of Caboose ground throws from @glakedylan , I'm able to buy Custom Line turnouts instead of the traditional manuals... Not quite as retro looking, but a little cheaper. They also add the fun "throw the switch" aspect of switching the station.
11" radius snap track will be start getting rare, having just parceled a bunch off to New Jersey for the hair brained scheme presently unfolding there, but that shouldn't be too hard to find.
I also have a box of old ConCor 12-3/8" radius track, enough to close a circle 45 deg. at a time, so the outer loop shouldn't be too hard to flesh out between that and the miles and miles of c80 flex I still have in stock from my old staging yards.
I have what I need to start building the engine terminal box, I think... that might be the first project. Re-animating my old turntable will certainly be the most fun part.
Lee
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Lee, were you looking for some of the vintage corrugated Atlas (Rivarossi) passenger cars? I found a set of 4 at the last weekend's show for $10 a pop. I bought all 4. They are all illuminated (with the giant light bulb in the center of the car). They are yours for the price I paid, plus shipping.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/2700-300319140557-103162060.jpeg)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/2700-300319140557-10316342.jpeg)
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Thanks for thinking of me, Pete. But I just rounded out my Penn Central fleet with a 6 car train... that's a good deal, though, I paid a bit more getting mine piecemeal.
I think Ed's putting together some PC commuter cars, you could check in with him.
Or with DKS, who has started his own Retro project.
Lee
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If that Atlas E8 were NOS, it would have a black pilot, not gray.
Also, if you drop acid, I hope the cap is on tight. I think it can damage stuff.
Doug
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So the other night, Rhodana asked me why I bothered building little models of train stations. We talked about it, and decided it was time to start working on a project that was 1:1 scale.
Our house is a pretty tired old 1970s rancher, and it needs a lot of work so we decided it was time to just gut it and do something really creative with it.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-010419123134.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10361)
She loves tearing things down as much she likes to build them.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-010419123153.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10362)
So this is how far we've gotten as of last night, now I'm working on sketching up the plans for what the remodeled house will look like. Hopefully we'll have room for a bigger train room.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-010419124606.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10364)
I better get that permit in, though. It's April 1st and they're going to start getting really busy...
Lee
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Hey, that's awesome. What better way to justify our hobby than to put our money where our mouths (or other orifices) are. BTDT, and it's a thrill.
BTW, in every house I worked on I've left a "message in a bottle"--something scribbled on the back of sheetrock, or in some cases an actual bottle with a handwritten note inside, tucked into a wall or under a bathtub...
(This assumes you're not living up to expectations for the date... because otherwise, you're toast!)
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Hey, that's awesome. What better way to justify our hobby than to put our money where our mouths (or other orifices) are. BTDT, and it's a thrill.
BTW, in every house I worked on I've left a "message in a bottle"--something scribbled on the back of sheetrock, or in some cases an actual bottle with a handwritten note inside, tucked into a wall or under a bathtub...
(This assumes you're not living up to expectations for the date... because otherwise, you're toast!)
LOL! You reminded me of what messages I found hidden in my house. My house has a cinder block foundation and about a third of the house was added in the '70s (years before I bought it). I was doing some remodeling about 20 years ago (in the "new" part), looked down the holes on tops of the cinder block foundation and saw something in there. I fished several objects out and found a message in a can!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/2700-010419162556-103662147.jpeg)
There were several cans. I kept the best looking ones out and I think I threw the other ones back down the foundation. This "message" perfectly explains the shoddy workmanship and the wavy basement floor!
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In case you missed it, I was playing a little All Fools Day joke on you... Yes, we did tear out a bathroom a couple of weeks ago... that's the first picture, of Rho swinging away at the old wallpaper and drywall... the second view is from a remodel project I photographed some time ago... The third, while it is my dream home, is a few dollars beyond our budget... the original working drawings of the Western Maryland station in Cumberland...
But yes, in the process of working on our house, we have unearthed several Pepsi bottles. All of them marked "Return For Deposit"... I wonder if they pay interest? You know, like a Savings Bond?
Lee
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In case you missed it, I was playing a little All Fools Day joke on you... Yes, we did tear out a bathroom a couple of weeks ago... that's the first picture, of Rho swinging away at the old wallpaper and drywall... the second view is from a remodel project I photographed some time ago... The third, while it is my dream home, is a few dollars beyond our budget... the original working drawings of the Western Maryland station in Cumberland...
Yeah, I figgered...
And those "message" cans... self-dating by virtue of the fact that the tabs weren't attached. "Please don't litter." Yeah, right...
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Yeah, I figgered...
And those "message" cans... self-dating by virtue of the fact that the tabs weren't attached. "Please don't litter." Yeah, right...
Yes, they are a perfect dated time capsule. I think that I've also heard that Schlitz made a comeback (not a beer drinker). I know, I could Google it, but what's the fun in that?
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To amble back into view of the topic at least, I added some weight to my old Roco FA, and it's gliding around to loop now hauling a baker's dozen of WM coal hoppers. Purring like a kitten. A kitten with frog in its throat, but a kitten nonetheless.
Lee
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The original pull tabs. It started a nationwide rumor that thousands were choking after dropping the tab down into the can after detaching it and accidentally ingesting it while drinking.
Doug
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To amble back into view of the topic at least, I added some weight to my old Roco FA, and it's gliding around to loop now hauling a baker's dozen of WM coal hoppers.
Be on the lookout for the traction booster kit that included a pair of extra weights shaped to fit around the top of the motor, plus a replacement wheelset equipped with traction tires.
(http://www.spookshow.net/loco/files/rocofaparts.JPG)
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I simply took some 1/8" diameter solder and bent it to fit in the upper corners of the shell, and installed it with some CA. Doubled the pulling capacity without a traction tire. For my little rig, that's about all I needed.
Lee
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The MBK Box arrived today. Between the goodies contained therein and the stock of old turnouts I have on hand, I'm ready to begin Phase 1 of the new improved Retro Layout.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-020419185121.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10376)
The industrial tracks at the upper right are subject to change, but the engine terminal and passenger station are mission critical, so that part is set. It might be a while before there's any substantial progress, though, as Spring has sprung, so work on and around the house season is now in full swing.
I want to properly build the modular frames, following what I've learned building the TTrak boxes, to make sure I don't get in my own way with short cuts. Since these two sections will be the most complex in terms of trackwork, I'm hoping that once they are laid out, the rest of the rig comes together fairly quickly. It will be a fun project to pick away at over the summer.
Phase 2 will be the back two boxes, with the interchange track,
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-020419185848.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10377)
And Phase 3 will be the simplest, the return loop on the right end. I plan to build this to TTrak spec with Unitrak so it can be popped off and toted around, and so my two TTrak boxes can be spliced into the layout to extend the run a little bit from time to time.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-020419190116.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10378)
I've probably prattled on about this previously, but it's now easier to visualize.
Onward and upward!
Lee
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If you’re going real old school, don’t forget to cram a couple of stub sidings into the corners. :o
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Lee, were you looking for some of the vintage corrugated Atlas (Rivarossi) passenger cars? I found a set of 4 at the last weekend's show for $10 a pop. I bought all 4. They are all illuminated (with the giant light bulb in the center of the car). They are yours for the price I paid, plus shipping.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/2700-300319140557-103162060.jpeg)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/2700-300319140557-10316342.jpeg)
If DKS or Ed K. don't want them, I'll take them...
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If DKS or Ed K. don't want them, I'll take them...
Go ahead, I've got some already.
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If DKS or Ed K. don't want them, I'll take them...
@Ed Kapuscinski ? Last chance for you.
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@Ed Kapuscinski ? Last chance for you.
Nope, I'm good.
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Thinking about my passenger terminal. I dig Broad Street in Richmond, especially that it has ramps to the platforms rather than steps.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-080419172426.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10453)
That's the model at the Science Museum that now occupies the building. I can print the window grids on acetate.
Wonder what can use for the dome?
Lee
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Wonder what can use for the dome?
A slice of an old L'Eggs container?
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Is that even still a thing?
Oh wait there from the 70s. Don't tell me you have a drawer full of them ...
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Oh wait there from the 70s. Don't tell me you have a drawer full of them ...
Um, I don't want to know . . .
:D
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Thinking about my passenger terminal. I dig Broad Street in Richmond, especially that it has ramps to the platforms rather than steps.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-080419172426.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10453)
Wonder what can use for the dome?
One of those dome-shaped battery-operated utility lights:
(https://images.homedepot-static.com/productImages/46c81373-e0e9-49fe-b64d-12bf9193207b/svn/ge-led-night-lights-54807-c3_1000.jpg)
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Before offering suggestions, it would make sense to know the approximate base diameter of the dome.
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Before offering suggestions, it would make sense to know the approximate base diameter of the dome.
Because cutting it to the correct diameter might be too difficult?
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Yes actually Point353, the radius of curvature say for a 13” light fixture dome may not look so similar if cut down. The dome in question looks a lot like a dome light fixture given the 1:1 person there for reference. That mini dome battery operated push light looks somewhat promising... do they make a colonial style one? :D :trollface:
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Because cutting it to the correct diameter might be too difficult?
I think it would be difficult if the source material were too small, yes... :ashat:
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Before anyone else gets their shorts in a knot, I did do a little bit of research before making the suggestion.
The diameter of the Dome in the Science Museum of Virginia is listed as 23.2m.
https://www.fddb.org/domes/the-dome-in-science-museum-of-virginia/ (https://www.fddb.org/domes/the-dome-in-science-museum-of-virginia/)
23.2m = 913"
913" / 160 = 5.7"
The diameter of that GE utility light is listed as about 5.5", so the dome section is slightly smaller.
Is that close enough for Retro Tech Layout Project purposes?
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The first thing I'll have to do is layout the footprint of the model, which will likely be compressed to fit the layout. Once I do that, I'll know what I have to work with.
I might go all 3 d printing... turns out I know a guy!
I do like that the skew of the concourse over the platforms looks to be about 15 degrees...
Lee
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Because cutting it to the correct diameter might be too difficult?
No, if the dome material is too large then trimming it to the right diameter will result in a flattened dome. And if it is too small, it won't do at all. I think you understand the concept. :P
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No, if the dome material is too large then trimming it to the right diameter will result in a flattened dome. And if it is too small, it won't do at all. I think you understand the concept. :P
On what basis did you assume that the dome material might be too large?
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On what basis did you assume that the dome material might be too large?
Nevermind - I missed your research into the dimensions of that dome. But if Lee wants to do some selective compression, then we are back to square 1.
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-080419172426.jpeg)
Okay... as I look at the model, I think I will start with available components for the center rotunda... Probably Atlas Stone Arch bridge sides for the main arch windows.
The full length of the double arch side is 58' and change (N scale) or 4-5/16" long. Allowing for a sawblade width, that makes each barrel with an even side 2-1/8" wide, or 28'4" or so. That would make the concourse 30' or 32' wide, judging by the proportions of the model above, and the base of the rotunda about twice the arch width, or 56'8" outside to outside. If I make the arch portal 6' deep, that puts the outer band diameter of the dome at 44', or about 3-5/16" diameter, over a square rotunda of 4-1/8". The rest of the dimensions can flow proportionally from there.
The museum has paper cut out model of the station that they hand out to kids that's pretty close to the proportions I'm looking for. It has the dome printed as a simple 2-D image that rises only above the front facade, but it will give me the dimensions I need to establish the proper height, banding, and width to work with. I had picked up a copy, but I'm afraid it was washed out with a tide of recycling some time ago... my daughter, a junior at VCU, promised to go Friday and pick up a fresh one to mail to me.
I'm rummaging through my ample boxes of bits and pieces to see what other components I can fold into the build. Should be an interesting hodge podge!
Lee
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The journey of a thousand miles begins with a piece of graph paper...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-100419105044.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10465)
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Well, there's not much retro about this, other than I plan to build it with sheet stock, an X-acto blade, and some glue.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-110419112154.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10473)
Lee
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You know me, I loves the RF&P, so I am eagerly following along. :drool:
DFF
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Now you can get yourself a Rapido TurboTrain in Amtrak Phase 1 paint, because at least one came through Virginia in 1971 before Broad Street Station was taken out of service and passenger service moved over to the Staples Mill Road Station in 1975. ;)
https://history.amtrak.com/archives/turbotrain-at-petersburg-va.-1971
DFF
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Now you can get yourself a Rapido TurboTrain in Amtrak Phase 1 paint, because at least one came through Virginia in 1971 before Broad Street Station was taken out of service and passenger service moved over to the Staples Mill Road Station in 1975. ;)
https://history.amtrak.com/archives/turbotrain-at-petersburg-va.-1971
DFF
Oh no, it can't be the Rapido model... This is the Retro Layout! :D
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-110419122838.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10475)
Lee
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Oh no, it can't be the Rapido model... This is the Retro Layout! :D
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-110419122838.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10475)
Lee
Have you got a high-res version of this image? (I'm serious.)
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I googled Bachmann N scale Turbo train and pulled it off of there... there might be some better ones handy...
Lee
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Rummaging through more boxes and pulled together some of the parts I'll need to build my roundhouse. A few more parts to find, but I was,surprised at how much I have in stock!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-120419175902.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10491)
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That's the model at the Science Museum that now occupies the building. I can print the window grids on acetate.
Wonder what can use for the dome?
Lee
That looks a lot like a model I saw when I brought my modules to a get-together in the Science Museum at Richmond several years ago, which the organizers called an "unconvention". We were set up in a tent under the concourse on the far side from the model pictures you show. I talked with the builder, and he said he made the dome from a hard hat belonging to a toy called Bob the Builder, a character from a kids' TV show. Will that help?
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Actually, the model in my photo is 1/8" scale... about HO, and was built in 1924 by the RF&P's pattern maker to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the station. It is displayed in the Rotunda as you enter the museum.
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Rummaging through more boxes and pulled together some of the parts I'll need to build my roundhouse. A few more parts to find, but I was,surprised at how much I have in stock!
Yeah I had that built too, once upon a wannabe time... :( :facepalm:
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Ordered the stuff to build the TTrak style return loop at the right end of the track plan.
Debating whether to do two corner modules or one endcap... for all practical purposes, I only need an endcap, which saves me on the wiring components... but the corners provide for more flexibility downstream... Hmmm.
(http://www.ttrak.org/images/Endcap.jpg)
(http://www.ttrak.org/images/Corner%20v2.jpg)
Thoughts from the peanut gallery?
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Need more peanuts 🥜
:D
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Coin toss, really. So many competing pros and cons. I think if it was me, I'd do the two 90s, since, as you say, it offers more flexibility. FWIW.
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^^^^ This... unless you’re looking for a unified scene to model for the combined modules.
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Do the 90s. If you want to be cheap, put the electrical feeders in the middle.
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There's a solution that had plum evaded me... Brilliant!
I'll work out a supporting frame design that will work for two 90s... As for the scenery, I'll have to work that out yet. Might be a good place for some "negative space" for the photographers...
Lee
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Need more peanuts 🥜
:D
As long as they're chocolate coated, I'll amuse myself in the corner like any good monkey... :P
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As for the scenery, I'll have to work that out yet. Might be a good place for some "negative space" for the photographers...
With a barn and a farmhouse on the inside of the tracks, you could make a really condensed version of Helmstetter's Curve.
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It would make sense given its potential proximity to the Cumberland Station on occasion... But I'm also thinking Sabillasville, with its highway underpass at the apex of the curve...
(http://www.wmwestsub.com/eastsub/sabillasville04.jpg)
Image from Jeremy Cooper's excellent website: http://www.wmwestsub.com/main.htm
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Ordered the stuff to build the TTrak style return loop at the right end of the track plan.
Debating whether to do two corner modules or one endcap... for all practical purposes, I only need an endcap, which saves me on the wiring components... but the corners provide for more flexibility downstream... Hmmm
Thoughts from the peanut gallery?
End Cap. Less bolts to fiddle with....
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...I'm also thinking Sabillasville, with its highway underpass at the apex of the curve...
Yes, this. You're right on the edge of a dense mass of railroading, so a sudden shift to "nothingness" might be jarring.
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Sabillasville is awesome idea !
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Thanks. I'll be fudging it a bit with the double track thing, but the concrete ballasted underpass will lend itself nicely to the project without requiring any special trackwork. I always liked the sign panels in that bridge.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-170419121544.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10544)
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Sabillasville is awesome idea !
All right! Lee's favorite paint scheme! :trollface:
DFF
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All right! Lee's favorite paint scheme! :trollface:
DFF
I think that is Lee's second favorite paint scheme. #1 can be seen in this awesome playlist :D
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(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/RW_is_that.jpg)
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All right! Lee's favorite paint scheme! :trollface:
Can't believe it's not either one of these:
(http://s3.amazonaws.com/rrpa_photos/2955/305.jpg)
(http://www.trainweb.org/randysrr/shortlines/mmid6250.jpg)
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You may now wash your eyes out.
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/misc-m/mmid794bma.jpg
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http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/misc-m/mmid794bma.jpg
Don't forget the matching caboose: http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/misc-m/mmid0015aca.jpg (http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/misc-m/mmid0015aca.jpg)
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Wait a minute Mr. Postman...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-180419182102.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10547)
This nostalgia kick may have gone too far...
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Wait a minute Mr. Postman...
This nostalgia kick may have gone too far...
Ahhhahahaha! Got bit really bad, huh?
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Ahhhahahaha! Got bit really bad, huh?
It bit me too...I found a set of 4 for 40 bucks and couldn't resist. They're all club cars but I don't recall what the set had in it and it does run...a but balky...but it runs. It's in the bin with the MinitrainS HOn30 diesel and mine cars of the same vintage that will get a clean up and lube eventually.
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I just knew if I stuck with the old stuff, it would eventually come back to popularity. 40 years isn't that bad.
:D
Doug
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It bit me too...I found a set of 4 for 40 bucks and couldn't resist. They're all club cars but I don't recall what the set had in it and it does run...a but balky...but it runs. It's in the bin with the MinitrainS HOn30 diesel and mine cars of the same vintage that will get a clean up and lube eventually.
I bet that's the same set I let go by without a second bid... Was it complete in the box with track etc? I was slobbering over that the whole time it was on the block...
Lee
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An Amtrak set, the later version with the movable pantographs, was my first passenger set. I was actually disappointed at the time, because what I really wanted was that B&O Rivarossi set that I finally pieced together earlier this year... It was a big disappointment, partly because my layout was decidedly not the NEC, partly because I wasn't sure how I felt about a cab car instead of a locomotive, and thirdly, in the classic Bachmann tradition, the frickin' thing didn't work. Like, at ALL.
As a 12 year old, not well versed in the fundamentals of warranty statements, or in the finer points of locomotive maintenance and repair, I took the engine apart, lost the parts, neglected to make a note of how to put it back together... total disaster. Couldn't make it go, couldn't return it.
I ended up experimenting with the coaches, one I painted blue to make it into a commuter car for some freelance concept I had concocted, the others I tried to bash into an Amfleet car by cutting the cab end off of one and grafting the flush end from the other to it. Another disaster. The only thing that survives are a few sections of the 9.75" 45 degree track sections and a stray truck from one of the coaches.
I think the only body style Bachmann made was the club car, I haven't seen any others in my searches.
Lee
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It bit me too...I found a set of 4 for 40 bucks and couldn't resist. They're all club cars but I don't recall what the set had in it and it does run...a but balky...but it runs. It's in the bin with the MinitrainS HOn30 diesel and mine cars of the same vintage that will get a clean up and lube eventually.
Fun fact. For the first couple of months of service they ran like that: all cafes or 1st class cars. This is while the coaches were still going through acceptance testing but the other cars were ready.
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Wait a minute Mr. Postman...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-180419182102.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10547)
This nostalgia kick may have gone too far...
Imagine if the H&F had survived long enough and then decided to upgrade their equipment with second-hand Metroliner cars.
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I bet that's the same set I let go by without a second bid... Was it complete in the box with track etc? I was slobbering over that the whole time it was on the block...
Lee
No, these were some loose ones. The prices on those sets started getting stupid after the first one I saw went for close to 200 bucks. I'm saving my money to invest in Catherine Pugh books... :D
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You may now wash your eyes out.
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/misc-m/mmid794bma.jpg
Those were my favorite units...I wish they'd kept the same scheme after they chopped them. Speed Lettering was the best.
I did one of those with an Athearn GP9. I had one sitting on a table at Timonium while I was putting Kadee couplers on them in the good old days before drop-ins and a guy offered me $75 for it - who was I to dash this man's dreams? I promptly bought 2 more of the upgraded ones and a couple packs of Champ Decals and still had lunch money. I ended up giving them to a friend when I perverted to N Scale...I tried to recover them when he passed on 9 years ago but somewhere between wife 2.0 and wife 3.0 his trains disappeared.
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Imagine if the H&F had survived long enough and then decided to upgrade their equipment with second-hand Metroliner cars.
Hmmm. A 32' long double ended Metroliner car... Compelling thought... Let me cruise the auction sites for some scrap shells...
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Hmmm. A 32' long double ended Metroliner car... Compelling thought... Let me cruise the auction sites for some scrap shells...
Hurry...before Ed or Josh design something that looks like a sex toy...
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Call me crazy...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/9-090519142636.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=10790)
It's green. It's the wrong color. It's not a car the WM ever had. It's an inaccurate model of the car it was trying to model. It has pizza cutters and square couplers. Did I mention it's the wrong color?
I can't tell you how many of these I have repainted over the years. And lowered, and installed body mount couplers. Pigs with lipstick, high heels and garter belts, all of them.
But this one has been stored unused for 30 years, in the original box. Probably with factory air.
and now it's on the way to my house to be added to my Vintage N Scale Western Maryland train. It's surprising how well represented the WM was back in the Dark Ages of 1:160, and almost always completely inaccurately. I intend to collect all that I can to pull behind my Atlas/Roco FA1... which by the way is also wrong. (WM had FA-2s).
The fun lingers long after the money is gone...
Lee
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Shucks, I think I had maybe 4-5 of them. None with factory air, but you can't have everything. I also have some of these knocking around, if you're interested:
(http://davidksmith.com/postage-stamp-trains/images/4886-340.jpg)
Came in two varieties:
(http://davidksmith.com/postage-stamp-trains/images/4886-340b.jpg)
And:
(http://davidksmith.com/postage-stamp-trains/images/4881-340.jpg)
That's all that Aurora released under the WM flag. Atlas et al probably released others.
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Cut them some slack... the paint was on sale! :trollface:
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That flatcar raises some interest. I already purchased my token gray hopper, although I have seen several versions of the paint scheme applied with varying degrees of murkiness... I also have a 40' boxcar, and several copies of the old Atlas pulpwood rack, which I had updated with MT couplers and fresh road numbers for the old paper mill scene. I'll be swapping the trucks back to something more primitive on the one that still sports the original road number. for inclusion in this project.
I also hope to get my hands on a pair of original Atlas 90 ton hoppers, one red, one gray, both with the same road number (85090) from the days when we got one number, and we LIKED it!
Lee
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Shucks, I think I had maybe 4-5 of them. None with factory air, but you can't have everything. I also have some of these knocking around, if you're interested:
(http://davidksmith.com/postage-stamp-trains/images/4886-340.jpg)
Oh, those super thick silk-screened letters and logos .... they were harder to remove than the basic car color.
Great thing about nostalgia we can remember the things that went wrong back in our past, but we don't have to re-live the crappy feelings that went along with them.
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So this project has been eclipsed by the TTrak modules, which has proven to be a manageable level of modeling for me at this time. So I'm going to wind down this thread, satisfied with the knowledge that I'll have all that old track in a box, next to all my new c55 track that's also in a box, both waiting for the day when I have a dedicated hobby space...
I will probably use a lot of what I accumulated to build out a "stage" for my TTrak modules to live with... I still want to build some infrastructure to run my retro fleet on, so it probably won't be much more than a staging track or three behind the skyboards of Cumberland with a Unitrack interface at each end.
Lessons learned?
I really enjoy running trains on the old DC power pack more than I'll ever want to admit. Those old mechanisms can be rough, but mucking about in them to add electronicals tends to make them worse.
Scenery is my bag. I love detailing a scene. The Retro Layout never got past blue foam, because I never quite settled on a track plan, and it would have required a couple of solid nights of wiring and soldering rails to make it operate reliably. I never was able to string that time together, so it remained blue, which made me blue to look at it.
Code 80 track is fun to play with. I like the snap track ethos, even though it's not terribly photogenic. I was quite hesitant to adopt Unitrak (just read most of my 12,000+ posts... you'll see a trend, or ask Ed how long it took me to finally build a TTrak module...) but I've discovered that it contains that same joy with a slightly better product. It will still be awhile before I spring $25 for a turnout, but it could happen...
Passenger train are fun to run in circles.
Freight trains are fun to run in circles.
Steam locos are fun to run in circles.
Diesels are fun to run in circles.
So there you have it. This project is a wrap. Look for more TTrak modules and a layout plan using them in a future thread.
All the best!
Lee
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I’ve entertained the thought of building a couple of unified 3x TTrak modules, but I would only use the Kato Unitrack at the public junction ends and use code 55 flex for the rest. No reason to install any turnouts to serve industries since the local club doesn’t operate, just sets up at train shows and runs round and round and round and round and round and round... kid knocks over train... and round and round and round...
But it does give some opportunities for scenery modeling.
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After my first T-Trak event at Altoona, I've come to the conclusion that the goals of that project, and the goals of a modestly sized home layout are not entirely compatible.
While I'm enthusiastically planning more modules, I want to re-focus on having a presentable, more or less permanent layout in the den.
In going back through the various iterations that have been previously posted here, there's not one that stands out as meeting my basic criteria, so it's back to the drawing board... again.
I'm still constricted to roughly the size of a hollow core door, and I have one handy that's 32" x 80", although that one has a loop of c55 track on it, so I'm not sure I want to repurpose it just yet... plus, a 36" width will give me a bit more flexibility with the trackwork.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/11/9-090819144507.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=11998)
So, beginning at the beginning, on the lowest level, probably on the door surface, will be a staging loop, most likely two long tracks that reverse back to a main route, as indicated by the red line. This would be controlled by a DPDT switch to a reversing section. The storage tracks will be separate blocks, controlled either by power routing turnouts or switches, so I can store a train or two while others are operating. Ideally I can store 3-4 trains of varying length down there. The section at the front edge would be open and scenicked to blend in with the tracks up on the main level.
The staging route would wrap around the end of the layout to the rear, come out from under the main at Point A, then climb upgrade to meet the main routes at Point B. Going counter clockwise, the next point is Junction 1, where I'll have an interlocking between the two mains, and a junction with the switching branch that traverses the middle of the platform. I'm not sure if that's the final configuration of Jct. 1, I may reverse it to ease access from the clockwise blue line to the staging route.
Jct. 2 is at the rear of the layout, and provides another crossover, which will provide access to the upper reversing loop. Another DPDT will be provided to control polarity of this route, which will enable trains to turn and go back down into staging. It will also likely provide access to some switching.
Jct. 3 shows the existing configuration of that section of the existing track plan, which, apart from a faulty old switch that tends to throw cars on the ground at times, seems to fit, as well as to work reasonably well. This would all be located above the staging route on the lower level, so my plan to replace the old snap switches with Tortoise-controlled points will require some engineering to provide for clearance below.
For the sake of operating my older equipment, the inner route will have a minimum radius of 11", and 12-3/8" for the outer loop. The switching route in the middle will have some 9.75" My longer passenger equipment can navigate the 9.75" for the purpose of returning to staging, but will look better sweeping around the broader main line turns. The track will be for the most part, vintage c80 on cork.
Not sure about scenic elements, but I'd like to be able to have room for my catenary poles for those times when I want to trot out the GG1 and the Metroliners, and generic enough northeastern terrain/structures so my odds and ends of WM, B&O, Penn Central, PRR, etc. don't look remarkably out of place.
I've really enjoyed running my retro equipment on what has become more or less a temporary layout, and I'm looking forward to rebuilding it to a more presentable standard. Still with a retro ethos, with older kits, c80 rail and Rivarossi steam and Trix diesels, but presented in a more photogenic and coherent manner.
Let's see where the ride takes us from here!
Lee
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You’re on the edge of having a 10 pounds of potatoes in a 5 pound bag layout. That’s a lot of track to squeeze onto a hollow core door. Unless you’re using a bunch of retaining walls, you won’t have enough horizontal separation for reasonably believable vertical scenery between your levels.
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Despite @Ed Kapuscinski 's better angels, I'm totally okay with this feeling "model railroady". I anticipate the only place where the lower track will be visible will be at the very front where it comes out from under the main level. I'll work out some sort of lift out or access from below for the inevitable wreck in the staging loop, but there will be no hidden turnouts.
The grade at the rear will be accessible, but less visible until it comes around the loop at the left end.
I haven't really settled on a scenery concept yet. Maybe something with some generic Mid Atlantic terrain... a sizable number of my more urban pieces have been committed to the modular project.
After seeing the Palmerton, PA micro layout of @ChristianJDavis1 , I'm less concerned about being hyper prototypical with the scenery, and more about making sure the trackwork is tight, the electricals are reliable, and my odd collection of vintage equipment operates more or less smoothly. I'll fill in the blanks with styrene and ground foam once I've met those primary goals.
Lee
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"You’re on the edge of having a 10 pounds of potatoes in a 5 pound bag layout."
But that's typical of layout design 50 years ago, so the ancient rolling stock should be right at home!
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Yeah, I know...
Looks like most HO layouts. :trollface:
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So today I took delivery of this beast, purchased as is from the ebays.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-190819224113.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12116)
Reading the Spookshow review, this is reputedly the first U.S. prototype steam locomotive produced in N scale, a Rivarossi manufactured piece imported first by Atlas and later by Con-Cor.
As promised by the seller, it doesn't run. An initial tear down reveals that the motor does in fact work but there's something hinky in the drive train that has it binding up. The seller stated that he was the original owner, and that the locomotive ran fine early on, then seized up and never ran again.
It turns out the frame is suffering from crumbly alloy syndrome, and the bearings on one of the drivers has snapped off. I'm working on a work around... a prosthetic styrene bearing attached with some CA (which works remarkably well on the crumbly stuff).
I'll let you know how it works out once I get Humpty Dumpty together again.
Lee
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I have a couple of these old beasties, and if you find the frame is beyond repair, let me know.
Yes, this is the first US proto N Scale steamer. I always thought it was an odd choice, but the funny thing is it's one of my favorite locos, and not just because of nostalgia.
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Yes, this is the first US proto N Scale steamer.
Isn't it tied for first with the Arnold Rapido Pacific?
Both locos are shown as of 1967 vintage.
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Isn't it tied for first with the Arnold Rapido Pacific?
Both locos are shown as of 1967 vintage.
Oh yes, there are all kinds of wrinkles and caveats with respect to who was "first." And then there's this little gem:
A NYC Hudson J-3A (quite decent, by available accounts) produced by Carl-Erik Nordstrand of TfA:s Hobbytjänst, Stockholm, released in 1947.
(http://davidksmith.com/birth-of-n/images/casey-jones-1.jpg)
Difficult to judge whether or not this entry could be considered legitimate since the product line only lasted a couple of years. And HOO was 1:152, although it could arguably be considered N Scale. But still, it all makes for very murky waters in the "first N Scale US steamer" category.
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TBF I'm also pretty sure most stuff in Japanese N scale is 1/150.
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TBF I'm also pretty sure most stuff in Japanese N scale is 1/150.
Yes, it is. More here: http://davidksmith.com/birth-of-n/japanese.htm
I also forgot the Lone Star Baldwin steamer, produced circa 1962. Not a very faithful model, but it was clearly American in design.
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Oh yes, there are all kinds of wrinkles and caveats with respect to who was "first." And then there's this little gem:
A NYC Hudson J-3A (quite decent, by available accounts) produced by Carl-Erik Nordstrand of TfA:s Hobbytjänst, Stockholm, released in 1947.
Difficult to judge whether or not this entry could be considered legitimate since the product line only lasted a couple of years. And HOO was 1:152, although it could arguably be considered N Scale. But still, it all makes for very murky waters in the "first N Scale US steamer" category.
I've always considered the definition of 'N' to be the combination of 1:160 model scale and 9mm track gauge.
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I've always considered the definition of 'N' to be the combination of 1:160 model scale and 9mm track gauge.
That would make manufacturers who don't follow your rule wrong. (And there's a bunch.)
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I've always considered the definition of 'N' to be the combination of 1:160 model scale and 9mm track gauge.
I agree with David. Two of the UK's largest N gauge (1:148 models running on 9mm track) manufacturers Dapol and Graham Farish (Bachmann) would disagree with your statement. While it's true that in Europe and the USA N scale is 1:160 models running on 9mm track, in the UK and Japan you'll find other scales running on 9mm track and for the most part they are considered standard gauge trains.
David goes into great detail on his web page and I would encourage everyone to take a look at this great resource. Thank you David for putting the web page together.
http://davidksmith.com/birth-of-n/chapter-1.htm (http://davidksmith.com/birth-of-n/chapter-1.htm)
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I have a couple of these old beasties, and if you find the frame is beyond repair, let me know.
Yes, this is the first US proto N Scale steamer. I always thought it was an odd choice, but the funny thing is it's one of my favorite locos, and not just because of nostalgia.
Yes, as it happens, the frame is beyond repair. I patched the one bearing with some styrene, and actually had it running quite smoothly forward, but was still getting some lurching and seizing in reverse, so I went in to make some further adjustments, and ended up busting the front axle bearing and the housing that holds the pilot.
Oh well... I got a pretty cool shell and a functional tender out of the deal! If that second box hasn't left the station yet, perhaps a surplus frame could be in order. Meanwhile, I'm going to pull the motor and some other bits and repair the Pacific I was messing with some months ago...
Lee
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If that second box hasn't left the station yet, perhaps a surplus frame could be in order.
You got it.
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I've decided that SCARM is a SCAM. I started working out the details of the revised plan for the HCD version of the Retro Layout, and after a smattering of track was laid out, it comes up and tells me I've used all the track I can with the free version, and to continue, I'll need to drop some coins in their box.
Screw that. Back to the graph paper and pencil sharpener.
Lee
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I've decided that SCARM is a SCAM. I started working out the details of the revised plan for the HCD version of the Retro Layout, and after a smattering of track was laid out, it comes up and tells me I've used all the track I can with the free version, and to continue, I'll need to drop some coins in their box.
Screw that. Back to the graph paper and pencil sharpener.
Lee
Hi Lee, I feel your pain. Years ago I downloaded the Atlas "Right Track" freeware track planning software. This was the software I used to design my HCD layout. Now Atlas has gone to a "demo version" track planning software that will do some things, but if you want the full flavor version it will cost you $32. While that is not an outrageous price, the downside is the only track listed in the library is Atlas track. But not to leave anyone out, I've also heard a few horror stories about 3rd Planit. The only one I know of that is still free is XTrkCad ( http://www.xtrkcad.org/Wikka/CurrentRelease (http://www.xtrkcad.org/Wikka/CurrentRelease) ) Here is the Beginners Tutorial ( http://www.xtrkcad.org/Wikka/BeginnerTutorial (http://www.xtrkcad.org/Wikka/BeginnerTutorial) ) Now the disclaimer, I don't have any experience with the product, but you can't beat the price ;)
Lastly, Here's an YouTube overview video.
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Yeah.. Its disappointing that Free SCRAM is now a demo..
Pre 1.0 it was unlimited free.. Once they came up with the 3D trains that was the turning point.
I have always used autocad.. but for complex arraignments, I'll design in Scram and redraw in cad.. I always had my own gripes with SCRAM anyways..
I've never tried the other software solutions.. Instead I need stop staring at drawings and try putting actual track on actual benchwork.
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Back to the graph paper and pencil sharpener.
And a Kato Unitrack template?
(https://smhttp-ssl-60685.nexcesscdn.net/media/catalog/product/cache/74c1057f7991b4edb2bc7bdaa94de933/2/0/20901.jpg)
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Good frames for the 0-8-0's show up periodically on eBay. I am not promising anything, however.
Doug
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It would be cool if someone could scan a good one and 3D print a replacement that's not made of sand...
I wonder if applying a thin coat of .CA would be at all useful?
Lee
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One word. AnyRail.
http://www.anyrail.com/index_en.html
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Thanks, David. I'm installing that as we speak.
In the meantime, I tricked SCARM into helping me get this draft whipped up, by basically laying in sections to determine radii and turnout locations, then basically deleting straight tracks and intermediate curves so I'd keep the placement, and get a few "free" tracks to use on the next section.
Here's the way too big and too complex result... but it has all the elements I want, and many that are already incorporated into the existing rough draft layout...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-220819102734.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12134)
Yes, there's a lot going on here, but that's what I want.
As drawn, this would require basically a 4x8, which I know isn't practical on numerous levels, not the least of which I don't have room for one.
With some modifications, I think I can squish it down to a 36" HCD and keep most of the operational elements.
For instance, the left side is basically what I have existing on a 36" platform, with the addition of the third track through the station on the outside. I can overhang the HCD a bit, I think, and get away with it, so that addition shouldn't be a deal breaker. The bigger issue is the overall length, but in looking at it, I'm sure I can truncate the necessary 10" to 12" of length to get it down to 80"... although again, a small overhang of 4" to 6" in that direction isn't the end of the world either.
Here's the logic for the design.
A. It's okay to be "model railroady" because ... well... it's a model railroad.
B. I want to have several places where trains can be parked and/or staged. From an operations standpoint, this would add some interest to playing trains, and from a logistics standpoint, I can change trains with less shuffling of boxes and handwork.
C. I want to use my old Laurel Valley turntable, which is long enough to handle my old Rivarossi steam, and a pair of A-A f-units with a little bit of overhang. This will give me more flexibility with the train changing part of operating the layout, as well as provide a safe haven for displaying the Retro Fleet. I'm sure I can compact the roundhouse to conserve space. The turntable is scratchbuilt and completely manual, so I'm not beholden to any pre-set geometry.
D. I want a small yard, enough to stash a few cars, but one that can function to build and sort trains when I'm feeling the need for a switch list. I've rearranged the switch lead to run to the inside track at the right side, so I can bump cars without fouling the mains.
E. The middle track in the station area dumps out to either the inner or outer mains. This will be where the 0-5-0 will add or remove cars for trains moving in either direction. I'm sure I'll include a rerailer in this section to ease that operation. It will require a reversing switch in order to go either way.
F. There is a branch line the peels off the upper industrial track, and provides service to potentially 7 sidings, plus the engine terminal. I'll use some old Trix snap track with the tight curves to make that work. I envision using either the Trix FM switchers I have, or perhaps a double headed tank engine switcher to move cars up and down the hill. (Note that all of the switching is on the aisle side, except for the coal mine/quarry spurs at the back. I may have to rethink that one, but it's a good spot for it visually.)
G. I'm utilizing the right hand return loop to provide a staging siding where I just park one train while I run the other three.
Control, will of course, be DC cab control, so I'll need to work out a couple of DPDTs to make it all functional, and get a third throttle to operate the yard/branch line while the two mains are churning away.
I'm showing Atlas long #6 switches for the main line crossovers, I recognize that space limitations may have to sacrifice them in favor of #4s.
I'm planning to use 2" foam laminated to the door panel, including under the industrial scene at the front, so the elevations would be +2 there, then +4 at the main line level. Depending on how it works out, I may nudge the coal mine/quarry tracks up another 1/2" or so. I envision the mains being dead level (the curves and switches will give the engines enough to worry about) with the only substantial grade being the slope from the junction down to the switching district. This will only be run as an out and back, and the siding at the bottom will allow me to double up trains need be.
The goal for this will be to achieve a high degree of finish, build reliable controls, and make it fit into my office like a nice piece of furniture, as well as be somewhat portable for the day when we have a more dedicated hobby space in our life.
I'm going to work on refining it in "Anyrail" now that it's downloaded, to see just how much of this I can actually make work.
Lee
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Your sketch is cool Lee - clearly done by a designer. You have definitely nailed bullet A. :)
Picking up from the switch list thread (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=47755.0): if you'd like to pursue it, I would be happy to start setting this plan up in Operations for you and show you how to use it. You can run some scenarios in the program and then tweak the schedules and/or the layout if it makes the ops more interesting. And you can do this all in parallel to building the layout.
If you're game, a good starting point would be a linear schematic of the plan (with the mainline loop connecting both ends of course), with operationally important tracks called out; some rough notion of the trains you would run in a session (no need to include roundy-round trains), and how those trains might interact with each other. It would also be useful to think about how you would interact with off-layout storage for cars that are going elsewhere. Do they all go through the branch-line interchange track? Is there another outside world connection from the main yard or somewhere else on the main line?, etc. You clearly have this already sorted out at some level. Bringing this to fruition would be a cool fusion of old and new.
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Sounds like a plan. I have a good deal of work to procrastinate tomorrow... so I'll get right on that!
Lee
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Why not use 1" or 0.5" foam? At least for the lowest level, which would be more height separation from the main line at 4". .
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Sounds like a plan. I have a good deal of work to procrastinate tomorrow... so I'll get right on that!
Lee
Great! If you don't have a blast at least thinking through scenarios and trying them out in the program, you're entitled to a full refund. :lol:
BTW, you can have more than one database if you want to do an era swap.
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Why not use 1" or 0.5" foam? At least for the lowest level, which would be more height separation from the main line at 4". .
Given the short run of the grade I don't think more than a 2" drop is practical. I want to use the 2" foam for the lower level so can carve the scenery out to give the illusion of more separation.
Plus I just picked up these scraps from one of my job sites,
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-230819085444.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12141)
So 2" is an abundant, available resource!
All the best,
Lee
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Here's an HCD version (36x80) of the layout, as best as I can render--
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/retro-7.jpg)
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Now THAT's a layout. I'm going to print it out and pencil in some scenic elements to see if there's room for any!
What fun! Thanks, DKS! I'm glad you had a minute!
Lee
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Glad you like it. Before you print it out, do a refresh--I cleaned up a few pesky S-curves.
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It would be cool if someone could scan a good one and 3D print a replacement that's not made of sand...
I wonder if applying a thin coat of .CA would be at all useful?
Lee
Shapeways has a brass option....
NSN made a replacement frame 20-30 years ago....
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That will make a beautiful plate of pasta. (I mean that in a good way.)
[Long post - file away and read when you have time.]
Lee, here is a bit of a primer on how to think about this layout in the context of OperationsPro (OP for short). The first thing you need to do is specify Locations: the places where a train would have work to do. I've taken a quick stab at that here:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48607715063_3c6468df46_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2h4ifdP)
This shows 5 distinct logical locations, A through E (you should give them real names): the blue areas are yards tracks, the green is an interchange track, C is the branch or bridge line (you could include C? in with C if you wish), and D is another location with spurs. I would not bother to call out the loco service tracks or the main line, since there is no work for a train to do on those tracks.
If I imagine that east is counterclockwise around the main line, I can imagine starting at the west end of the mainline at yard A, then heading east, I encounter the branch line interchange B (and the branch line itself, C), then the coal mine, D, then the yard at the east end, E. In practice, as I travel from A to E, I can take as many laps around the loop as I wish, on any main track, to simulate distance between these points, but OP doesn't need to know anything about that.
After you've defined the Locations, you need to specify the tracks for those locations. B would just contain a single interchange track with a specified length (= car capacity), C would have 7 spurs and an interchange track, D would have two spurs (one for loads, one for empties?), and A and E would share the yard tracks. Expanding on this last point a bit, you could specify the yard as one long track and split the capacity between A and E, then OP would know how many cars A and E can each hold, and it's up to you to manage the details. Alternatively, you could specify 3 separate tracks and say one is dedicated to A, one to E, and the 3rd is split, etc. It depends on how much work you want the program to do micromanaging your yard switch list. (I would start with one logical track with capacity split between A and E.) You can also specify off-layout storage in the program: F,G, etc.
Next you would specify Routes for trains. (The capitalized words are specific OP jargon.) A Route is just a sequence of locations, so you might have an eastbound way freight that follows a route A,B,D,E: you build a train in yard A, take a few counterclockwise laps around the main, stop at B to spot cars for C and pull cars for E, take a few more laps, stop at D to work the mine, then continue on to E and terminate. If you don't want that way freight to work the mine, just make the route A,B,E. A mine turn might be A,D,A, or E,D,E; a branch line turn might be A,B,C,B,A, or C,B,C. Hopefully you start to see the logic. (Off layout Locations can be accessed via a "five-finger route" like A,F, or E,G, etc. - the program would then track your off layout cars and recall them when you wanted to run a train like F,A.)
Next you would set up a Cars database with reporting marks, lengths, etc. and let the program track their movement around the layout. One thing OP tracks is how many moves a given car has taken in its lifetime (or until you reset the counter) so that movements are allocated to cars relatively equally over the course of many sessions.
Finally you would define and build Trains. A Train is a collection of cars with destinations that follow a route and has work to do at each location. When you define a train, you specify how many Moves you would like the train to make at each location on its route. (A Move is either a spot or a pull from a track.) This let's you manage train length, etc. This is starting to get too detailed for this post though.
Bottom line: think about Locations and Routes/Trains you'd want to run. You'll have fun with this.
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Here's an HCD version (36x80) of the layout, as best as I can render--
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/retro-7.jpg)
Does wm3798 ever intend to have two trains running on the outer loops while also switching the yard tracks?
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I see what you're saying there... Looks like I need to do a little refinement there in the upper right...
Lee
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I see what you're saying there... Looks like I need to do a little refinement there in the upper right...
It depends upon how long a cut of cars you'd want to be able to pull out from a yard track without fouling the main.
Would you view such an operational limitation potentially as a challenge or as a frustration?
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OK, well, it's your railroad, but if it was my call, I'd go more along these lines:
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/retro-7B.jpg)
It has a yard lead to keep from fouling the mainline, several fewer industries, and a switchback to ease the transition down to the lower industrial level.
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The switchback could be fun, but the layout will be pushed against a wall, so I want to keep the back edge mostly clear for some vertical scenery, so the mine tracks should stay inside the loop.
I don't anticipate trains longer than 6 or 8 cars, and I can break up switching ops to MWF shippers and TTh shippers, so the branch line trains can be shorter, I'm envisioning the loop down being street trackage part of the way so a steep climb will lend itself to some visual intrigue.
I'm presently considering a small port scene at lower right, to utilize the TTrak connection for the lift bridge, either at the corner of the fixed layout or on the First module...
But this is a good start.
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(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/retro-7C.jpg)
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The switchback could be fun, but the layout will be pushed against a wall, so I want to keep the back edge mostly clear for some vertical scenery, so the mine tracks should stay inside the loop.
Honestly, I don't see the problem with the mine behind the mainline--just make a backdrop for the rear edge of the layout and have a shallow relief-style mine set against a shallow (even if it's only painted) hillside, but that's just me. Like I said, it's your railroad.
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My inclination would be to start with a semi-clean slate, and my first result looks like this (just fodder for consideration):
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/retro-8.jpg)
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My inclination would be to start with a semi-clean slate, and my first result looks like this (just fodder for consideration):
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/retro-8.jpg)
I like this plan, if Lee was able to spread it out a little. I think there's too much track for the space, e.g., there's a lot of spurs for industries (good!) but no room for the industry itself (not so good!). Lee has enjoyed busting my balls about what I could fit on my layout, if I had stayed in N scale, but he's committing the same sins . . . in N scale. :P
Oh, and I love the branch. That would be fun to operate.
DFF
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Okay, I can work with that. Let me sketch in my scenic concepts and see what needs to be tweaked.
Lee
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This looks like a lot of fun. However, after seeing the WM so many years before and the lengths you went through to make it look less model-railroady, I'm curious to see whether you can overcome your urge to be prototypical and fully embrace the spaghetti bowl!
I get the urge to do something nostalgic though. In my case it was falling back to HOn3 from 30 years ago...but if I wanted to fall back even further, it would be Bob Hayden's Yule Central 4 x 6 in HO. My dad built the benchwork and laid the track for me for that little layout, and let me do the rest. So at various times it looked like a variety of shades of turd atop and a perfectly-built platform, but it was my turd...and my very first model railroad.
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51u5W0FHEKL._SX373_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)
It's crossed my mind to do it again, only using code 70 track and making it a turn-of-the-last-century Arizona copper mining operation, but that's a subject for another thread! Of course, make the scenery greener and make it a central Pennsylvania coal mine, and...well...
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Good arguments, all. As one might tell, I took Lee's pencil drawing a few posts back as the inspirational source--spaghetti and all. The nice thing is it's easy enough to just prune away the excess branches to arrive at something more reasonable.
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Watching DKS develop Lee’s initial drawing into the latest version shown is very interesting. The early version left very little room for industries and scenery. The last version is opened up significantly, but it would still be very challenging to work enough scenery into the layout without relying on an excess of retaining walls or vertical cliffs to accommodate the changes in elevation. I’m sure he’ll figure it out though.
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After considering all the drafts, I think this does what I want it to do.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-240819182011.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12162)
The switch back eats up too much space, and isn't really in keeping with what I'm after there. I've always thought of switchbacks in terms of rugged mountain routes with some sort of extractive industry involved.
I'm looking for a branch through town that reaches a dock... with the added caveat that it's not a Maine 3 footer. So the switchback is out in favor of the sharpish curve and steepish grade, recognizing that it will have operational limitations.
This configuration also facilitates more of a "thru" movement from the TTrak interface down at the port, as noted. Trains can be brought from the TTrak modules off to the right and onto the main via the crazy steep street running. The passenger schedule would be operated entirely on the closed loop with the clearances and curvature to handle it, although I might operate a commuter train of short cars on the branch to the port. It looks like there's room to stretch the loop track a bit to gain some run and reduce the grade a bit more, and I'd like to cut a couple of spur tracks in to add some local service on the branch.
Linearly, the railroad would begin at the port, climb to the main line junction, then to the station, around behind the roundhouse to the mine, then back around to the junction, where trains would terminate at the yard. I'll figure to run a few laps between stations to provide the illusion of distance, and to allow me to stare at the train looping around while I enjoy my evening cocktail. I'd use a double slip to keep the trackwork at the junction more efficient.
I can use the inside staging track at the right side to stage another train that could run loops the other way.
My plan now is to build a small yard module to TTrak standards that will give me a staging track for trains to originate and terminate "off stage"... this is where the 0-5-0 would do its work. This will also be handy to have as I gain momentum on the TTrak side of things.
So, operationally, the potential train schedule would be a longer thru freight that operates on the inner main loop which would pick up and set out on the thru track between the yard and the ET. It can stage on the track 3 loop at the right side, heading westbound. (clockwise).
The outer loop will be an eastbound (counterclockwise) passenger train, which can stage on either of the two eastbound station tracks at the lower left.
A train can originate from the yard and go to Port, Yard to inner staging loop (Track 3 at right), Staging loop to Port, Staging to Yard, plus extras with empties from Port to the Mine, and loads vice versa. So it has potential to be a busy little railroad.
Assuming there's always a passenger train occupying the outer main, pretty much as nothing more than eye candy, I can run the freights east or westbound on the inner loop, and treat it like a single track railroad.
I've added some designations for the various locations and a linear diagram of the route I envision.
As I get closer to actually laying track, I'll figure out the siding capacities, industry types and locations, and what kind of equipment I'll be using. First, I'll be inventorying the track I have in stock!
Stay tuned for further developments.
Lee
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Operationally, it might be more interesting to use a single slip instead of the double slip and remove the ability to transit directly from the yard to the branch line, requiring you to take a lap before you can move to the branch.
Just a thought.
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Why not put a crossing instead of a slip where you have it now and put the slip feeding into that from the center main? It means the branch line feeds only to the inner track(2) on the 3-main section, and from there at the slip either stay on that track or switch at a crossover to the outside loop (track 1). The inner track (3) already has access to track (2) just to left of "A"; a slip is a redundant switch. This means making the center track on the RH side into your "staging yard" which can easily hold/send a train going either way on either main (I also think a train just sitting there while trains pass on either side of it looks good). And I think a double-slip feeding into a crossing would be a neat-looking track arrangement. Better put a big switch tower there!
I also suggest you draw in some footprints of actual buildings whether kit or scratchbuilt and see just how cozy things get. I assume this is strictly a one-man operation?
I'd think about making the mine tracks merely curve off the end of the layout instead of connecting to the main. First, it solves the problem of reaching back there ( 3 feet is a looong reach, especially with the front half of the layout crowded with structures and trains). Plus the passenger trains on the outer loop might be annoyed with a slow coal drag always sitting on the passenger main while it works the mine. Two dummy tracks can hold a lot of hopper cars to make your layout look full without really fouling up the ops. And it gives some uninterrupted mainline on a layout crammed with spurs and crossovers.
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It's shaping up nicely. I do agree with OldEastRR's comment that the mine will be a pain to switch. You should mock up the spurs and a few feet of main in their proposed locations and see what the reach would be like. But I would definitely try to keep the mine! I love the idea of a port-mine-port turn, especially if you have extra staging at the port.
I also question the double slip. Seems like a simple crossing would be more appropriate for a RR like this. The slip switch only gives you a) a direct route from track 3 on the right to tracks 0,1 at the station, and b) a direct route from Port to Yard/ET (with a crossing, you get this access after one lap). How important are either of these features, at the cost of making the junction look like a passenger terminal?
Given your schematic, I can make a start at setting up OP for this pike. I'll ask you more questions as I proceed, but you might want to look over the installation guide. The program comes with a set of demo files that let you try out the various features, so that's a good way to get up to speed on the concepts. What kind of machine would you install this on? (Windows? Mac? Linux?) I can point you to the right link.
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I'm a Windows guy. Thanks, @GaryHinshaw
The main advantage of the dbl slip is it would allow me to bring a train out of track 0 or 1 from the passenger station and move it eastbound into the inner staging track, it also allows direct access from the yard to the branch, which would let me operate a local up or down the branch while having both mains running mind-numbing circles.
But I can see where a simple crossing would provide the added bit of complexity to the operation... will cogitate on that.
Re: the mine tracks, I share the concerns about switching it, which is why earlier in the discussion I noted that my preference would be to have it connect inside the inner loop at the back. That's where it is now on Retro.1.0, and it's reasonably easy to work even with a manual switch. (I would put a Tortoise under it in Retro.2.0 to make it uber reliable and to turn the track power off under a mine switcher)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-250819121116.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12173)
You can see the mine in the background here with the little truss bridge over the trolley track... which sadly, I can't find room for in version 2.0. (More Modules!!)
Regardless, there WILL be a mine/quarry to switch... afterall, the old layout still left me with in the neighborhood of 60 or 70 hoppers... even after the big sell off!
I agree with @OldEastRR that I should start conceptualizing the built environment to see how much kitbashing and scratchbuilding lays ahead. I'm envisioning a gritty street grid where the loop winds down, but if I can shoehorn in the brewery I started on the previous office layout, there won't be room for much else. Probably one or two big industrial buildings with a smattering of smaller stuff to fill in the remaining oddly shaped lots. We'll see.
With the only variable at this point being the double slip, it's going to be time to dismantle 1.0 and think about engineering the new display. I want to elevate it about 12-14" above the desk that presently holds it to improve viewing angles, and also free up the desk as a work space that functions a little better than my design desk or the kitchen table. One hitch will be dealing with the light switch that's right where I don't want it to be.
I'll also probably scab together a micro layout on the 2x2 module base to provide the necessary background noise while I work on the new plan.
Onward!
Lee
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I'm a Windows guy. Thanks, @GaryHinshaw
The main advantage of the dbl slip is it would allow me to bring a train out of track 0 or 1 from the passenger station and move it eastbound into the inner staging track, it also allows direct access from the yard to the branch, which would let me operate a local up or down the branch while having both mains running mind-numbing circles.
But I can see where a simple crossing would provide the added bit of complexity to the operation... will cogitate on that.
This is why I recommended using the single slip switch instead of the double slip switch. It would allow the passenger train movement as desired but would not allow access from the yard directly to the branch line.
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While philosophically I'm with you, I have a Dbl slip in stock, and would have to expend precious resources on a new single slip! You know how I feel about spending money!!
Lee
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Then by all means, use the double. But you could, by operating rule, restrict the use of that side of the slip.
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Heh... you know how I feel about rules, too!! :D
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Ok, I've taken a very quick stab at setting up this pike in OP. I'll send you a PM with some info for grabbing a zip file with the config files that could get you started. This is very bare bones, but hopefully it's enough to give you the flavour for how this works and where to take it.
To check that it can handle building a few rudimentary trains, I populated the layout with some generic boxcars, coal hoppers, and gondolas:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48619524662_d92352b387_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2h5kLNA)
I then defined and built two trains, a Mine Turn:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48619340406_f7946a4378_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2h5jQ2L)
and a Port local switcher, which originates at the Port (I picture a switcher stationed there, but that is not necessary), runs up to the main and swaps cars in the interchange track:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48619488227_662b268560_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2h5kzYp)
It's very easy to modify as the layout evolves, your schemes evolve, etc. I hope you really have fun with this. :lol:
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Hopefully the layout will evolve as quickly as the operations scheme!
Lee
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Started mucking out the office today. Haven't taken down the Retro 1.0 rig, but I have the concept of how its replacement will be built.
The HCD will be elevated to 42" (at the surface), which will give me about 13" clear above the desk top that will hold it up. It will be most efficient to build legs for the layout that are independent of the desk, but I'll include some intermediate support that rests on the desk top to prevent sagging. The separate supports will also allow me to nudge the desk out from under the layout a bit to facilitate a work space. I will probably attach a narrow under-cabinet light on the bottom of the layout to assist my aging eyeballs.
At the right end, I'd like to use a nice kitchen cabinet as part of the structure to provide the necessary storage. It would be situated to face out to the side.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-260819223123.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12206)
My aim is to have the set up with furniture grade finishes so it's not an eyesore in my office. The french door opens to the living room, fireplace, and family space, so I won't be holed up when I'm tinkering, and when it's all finished, which could actually happen in my life time, I can invite people into my work space and share a little bit of my pastime with them, without it being an overwhelming presence in the office.
I'll have to start hitting the ReStore to locate the perfect cabinet (I'm hoping for 33" wide with two doors).
Lee
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Don't kill me.
I've been wrestling with planning this layout for a couple of weeks now, and as excited as I am about what fun it would be to run, I'm realizing that I just simply don't have time to undertake building such a complex track plan.
Apart from accumulating the necessary components, it's just more than I want to bite off right now, and I doubt I would achieve any kind of reasonable completion in the time frame I'd like to have something back up and running...
So... Simplify.
I have also realized that what I really like doing is setting a couple of trains in motion and enjoy watching them run around loops while I'm working. It's fun to bump cars and operate a schedule, sure, but EVERYTHING has to be in place and fully functional to get to that point.
What I think will really be satisfying for me at this point will be a very simple track plan that will allow two, maybe three trains to run the loops, and a couple of semi hidden tracks to make it easy to swap consists periodically. I've taken an awful lot of inspiration from the HCD nation, especially the Juniata Division from @Dave V and the Seaboard Central (N scale Edition) by @Davefoxx among others.
I also think that a design that's heavier on scenery and less trackwork intensive will be completable in a more reasonable time frame.
So, after massive amounts of self-examination, and with boundless appreciation for the incredible feedback and assistance that I've gotten on all of these designs, I present you with this latest effort, which hopefully is the ONE.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-300819152249.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12262)
I've gone back to one of my favorite places in the world, the Paw Paw Bends of the Potomac through Green Ridge State Forest, with the B&O hugging the river's edge, and the WM flying overhead through bridges and tunnels. This gives me two levels, two routes, three trains at a time operation, staging for three more trains.
I'll build it out of the c-80 track so I can run the retro equipment, although I may build the WM route with c55, and make it convertible to a DCC operation so I can run my newer stuff that's been mostly idle since I tore down the layout.
I envision a steam era consist for each route: The Rivarossi pacific pulling B&O heavyweights, and the Rivarossi Mike pulling a B&O freight the other way, and upstairs my WM 2-8-0 hauling coal.
For diesel night, I'll run a WM Fast Freight up top, and a sleek E8 pulling shiny streamliners and a brace of F units going the other way with a manifest.
When I'm feeling feisty, I plan to plant my roofing nails along the main to hold up the cat poles, so the B&O can be transformed into the Port Road, and the WM above can become the B&O Royal Blue Line (or the Ma & Pa, if you can imagine them having the budget for those bridges!) so I can run the GG1 and the Metroliners under "wire". The river, of course, would become the Susquehanna under such circumstances.
The biggest element that has pushed me in this direction is scenery. It really is my first love, and the Retro 2.0 just wasn't giving me what I wanted. As you, dear reader, cautioned, it was too much, with little space for the structures and land forms that would make it nicer to look at. I'm planning a skyboard to separate the hills from the staging tracks, which can also hold a couple of clip lights to brighten it up.
I want to get back to keeping up with the other scenery artists here. I really had fun building the Cumberland Station module... and it's made me a little hungry for more bridges, structures and trees... as well as big rivers, rock formations, and all the little things that make the scenes pop.
I've also abandoned the idea of tying in a TTrak connection... there's really just not point in doing that.
From a tech standpoint, I plan to use automated turnouts for the staging tracks, but keep them in reach and visible. I'll use Tortoise machines that I have at hand to power them, and to route track power, and perhaps light signals on the control panel and the layout to help avoid mishaps... because I recognize that the back of the layout will be difficult, but not impossible, to access. If I can find reasonably price CPLs, I'll put some trackside signals in too.
As noted, the two track B&O main will be two separate loops, DC power, with simple on-off control of the staging tracks to set the route. There's really no need for a crossover or anything that makes it any more complex than it has to be. In operating the present Retro 1.0, I have two crossovers, but I've never really used them for much, and they just cause headaches when running my smaller old engines.
Minimum radius on the mains will be 11" on the B&O, with the exception of the inner staging, which can be 9.75". The WM can be a bit more snug, at least down to the operating limitations of my BL-2 and the Connie. Probably 9.75"
The upper WM loop will have a DPDT that sets the power either from a DC throttle or the MRC Prodigy Advance that's still limping along. The passing/staging siding at the rear will be similarly fitted with power routing machines and signals. At the front, I may do a tunnel between the two bridges with the old "see inside the tunnel through the fascia" trick. I'll include a couple of coal tipples so I can swap loads and empties when the mood strikes.
I think this will make the project more enjoyable for me on many levels. One big plus will be the ability to focus on what I need for the scope of this, and stop thinking I need to own one of everything... :facepalm:
Now I just have to wonder if @seusscaboose still has my bridges...
Lee
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haha I like that last plan. Sort of reminds me of the river crossing on the last big layout.
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Egg Zackley. :D
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-300819161910.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12263)
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I might suggest, at the risk of upsetting the apple cart, but to further simplify the plan, dropping the second coal mine at the bottom of the plan--it doesn't look feasible without very short-radius curved turnouts, and the siding will be absurdly short (if you want to keep it, make it a little freight siding or whatever). Meanwhile, I'd lengthen the siding for the other coal mine so it acquires somewhat more realistic proportions. And, at the risk of messing with your plan to make switches reachable, I'd move the switches on the lower loop at the top of the plan back behind the scenic divider--I think it'll look kind of odd for a two-track main to split up and then branch out into a pair of double-track portals (maybe make a removable chunk of backdrop, or end the divider short of the corner, or whatever). And finally, you might also be able to work in a little snippet of a backwoods town-like setting in the upper left corner, clustered around the Pawpaw station... But, that's me thinking out loud. Otherwise, I like the idea of a minimalist layout. Lord knows I've made enough of 'em!
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It's been heart warming to see you N scale guru's simplifying your projects.
As it happens, this past weekend we hosted our 9th Annual train show here in Jacksonville, AR; had more tickets purchased this year than any of the past years, some 1400-1500 people (adults and kids) went through our show. I was able to sell off my entire large scale collection (at a pretty decent price) and sold a lot of HO stuff I had sitting on shelves, and actually did sell some N scale stuff that I hadn't touched in quite a while.
One thing that did catch my eye was a Riverossi K2 Pacific, PRR, and six passenger cars so my first thought was to get in touch with Dave V. and get some suggestions on a route on the PRR map to consider. I'm looking at a few branch lines to mimic, and my total space is going to be a nook in the front guest room/office that used to be a second closet. The space is 58"x30", and I'm going to start putting some ideas together as soon as I get that space prepped (move a shelving unit, paint the space, build a small work table, and setup some shelving up the wall to hold equipment and supplies.
So thanks to you guys for helping me better grasp that small layouts can work well. My hope is to learn better building and detail techniques in the smaller space.
michael
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So, here's something with real geometry, just for reference. I added a double crossover on the B&O loops (could be a dummy, if you don't want to use it, but you can mix up your consists that way), and the two lines at the bottom left could be set at slightly different elevations at the tunnel portals so they don't look so odd. Etc., etc., etc.
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/loop-d-loop.jpg)
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Real geometry is useful, even it if does crush my dreams!
I like the crossover and the split... mimics the Magnolia cutoff and the old main that split near Paw Paw.
The WM will probably be more organic in its curvature than that. I want to try to keep the bridges straight ish, and I want two short coal spurs. 6-8 cars distributed over two tracks at each. I'm not planning to run any 100 car trains!
I'll probably figure that out on the fly and use some flex to make it work.
Plus you provided me with those two short LH trix switches... for a mine branch they'll be just the ticket!
Good to hear from you @MichaelT ! Looking forward to seeing your small space spring into action!
Lee
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Real geometry is useful, even it if does crush my dreams!
Not my intention! But being forewarned is forearmed, especially when one has a mental image that doesn't quite translate into reality.
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And... even with tight Trix turnouts, I don't think you'll be able to squeeze in a second two-track mine siding--not ones that'll hold 6-8 cars, anyway, sorry to say...
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/loop-d-loop-2.jpg)
This is balls-to-the-walls with the tightest siding possible, while still leaving room for the B&O, river and WM bridge (which won't be "straight-ish")...
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/loop-d-loop-3.jpg)
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Regardless... The low line is perfectamundo! I can work out the particulars of the high line once I know where the river and elevation changes in the terrain make the most sense.
Thanks again!
Lee
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And... even with tight Trix turnouts, I don't think you'll be able to squeeze in a second two-track mine siding--not ones that'll hold 6-8 cars, anyway, sorry to say...
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/loop-d-loop-2.jpg)
This is balls-to-the-walls with the tightest siding possible, while still leaving room for the B&O, river and WM bridge (which won't be "straight-ish")...
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/loop-d-loop-3.jpg)
One possibility would be to move the turnout/switch (off the WM line leading to the mine on the right-hand side of the layout) to the front of the layout side of the B&O tracks.
That would give an excuse for an extra bridge on the mine siding.
Then the turnout/switch on the mine siding could be located just on the other side of the new bridge (over the B&O mains), which in turn would allow the pair of tracks at the mine to be somewhat longer.
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Let me clarify.
Each MINE should handle 6-8 cars. That means each siding needs only hold 3-4. And these will, for the most part, be 32' 55 ton cars or 38' 70T cars. Figure 8 55T cars, or 6 70T cars.
At roughly 2.5" each, 4 cars is only 10". Allowing for a transition from the frog, I'll need about 12" for each track. Maybe 14" if I put a bumper at the end.
I'm in the process of ordering some bridges to mess with. I'm getting one of the Atlas 2570 thru truss... https://www.modeltrainstuff.com/atlas-n-2570-code-80-track-through-truss-bridge-kit-black/... which is 10" long.
I'd like to use it to span the B&O tracks at the Paw Paw end, then use some ME 80' deck plate spans to work through the turn. I have a couple of 40' spans to catch the shorter radii. At the right side, I have the modified deck truss that I used at Hinshaw on the old layout. It's about 80' long, and had 41' approaches to bring it through the curve at its original location.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-300819210619.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12274)
So before anyone panics, let's get something underway, which probably won't be in the next week or so because there are many, many things that are a higher priority. But I promise, before the week is out, I'll have some bridge kits to build, and before you can write off the Ravens for the season, I'll have some foam glued to a door!
Lee
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This is evolving slowly but surely from a purely retro toy train setup to echoes of the WM layout... I was wondering if you'd be completely satisfied eschewing more realistic track and scenery given how long you championed them.
As I mentioned my childhood history is HO, and while I have a deep and nostalgic love for some aspects of that, I do not pine for Bachmann white box crap or the Atlas code 100 snap track that was so integral to it all. I like the idea of blending the old and the new into something that stands up to today's expectations.
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How did you know I was eschewing? Dammit. I've been found out!
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This is evolving slowly but surely from a purely retro toy train setup to echoes of the WM layout... I was wondering if you'd be completely satisfied eschewing more realistic track and scenery given how long you championed them.
As I mentioned my childhood history is HO, and while I have a deep and nostalgic love for some aspects of that, I do not pine for Bachmann white box crap or the Atlas code 100 snap track that was so integral to it all. I like the idea of blending the old and the new into something that stands up to today's expectations.
I also feel there is a hidden value in the vintage stuff. People like me can get the stuff on the cheap. Its amazing for just practicing stuff the leads into the more complicated parts of the hobby. My night was just spent attempting to remotor and regear an old Bmann Metroliner. *grumble* and it would of been done if my POS sodering iron didn't crap out.
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Oh, and I ordered the bridges. I can start working out the geometry once they arrive.
Lee
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I also feel there is a hidden value in the vintage stuff. People like me can get the stuff on the cheap. Its amazing for just practicing stuff the leads into the more complicated parts of the hobby. My night was just spent attempting to remotor and regear an old Bmann Metroliner. *grumble* and it would of been done if my POS sodering iron didn't crap out.
I'm trying to do mine without any solder... at least not to get juice to the motor. The main problem I'm having is the friction in the drive line. It'll come. I just need Rho to take another week off for a business trip so I can spend several sleepless nights working out the kinks... of the drive line, that is... BEHAVE!
Lee
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I'm trying to do mine without any solder... at least not to get juice to the motor. The main problem I'm having is the friction in the drive line. It'll come. I just need Rho to take another week off for a business trip so I can spend several sleepless nights working out the kinks... of the drive line, that is... BEHAVE!
Lee
What I ended up doing was that, originally the thing broken with the thing when I bought it was that the Front cup gear broke. So I completely removed that half of the assembly. But then I found out when recycling a Bmann 0-6-0 was that its motor actually pressure fits really snug in the motor space.. and lines up with the shaft. Bonus is that its a completely enclosed can. Trick from here is just getting the leads properly soldered and finding a way of joining the 2 separate shafts reliably.
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Boy that looks awfully awfully complex. So many switches! And then the track's gotta be perfect, which is hours of work. If it's all flat (each line) then that would cut down on the scenery carving. Unitrack would make tracklaying easy, too. Want to get to hands-free trains running ASAP.
Which I'm still looking for on my semi-completed 4-year old layout.
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-Al: An old method of joining shafts was a piece of wire insulation the right size. If they line up well enough, and are close together, but too different in diameter, you might also try a piece of heat-shrink tubing.
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If they line up well enough, and are close together, but too different in diameter, you might also try a piece of heat-shrink tubing.
Heat-shrink tubing isn't quite flexible enough. First, the shafts need to be in almost perfect alignment, otherwise there will be vibration and binding. And second, even when they are aligned, the tubing shrinks the size of the shaft, but doesn't "grip" it the way flexible wire insulation does. You can use heat shrink, assuming the shafts are well aligned, but then you'll need to add a tiny touch of CA to the shaft at the tubing to ensure they stay locked together; otherwise, over time, the heat-shrink will slip on the shaft.
The better approach is to use heat-shrink to bring the smaller shaft closer to the same diameter as the larger, then use soft wire insulation for the actual coupling.
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Better yet, try to find silcone wire or what we call "spaghetti noodle/wire" in the R/C world. The insulation is made from, well, silicone. :) They tend to be more "grippy" and flex and stretch a lot more than your normal "vinyl/plastic" wire insulation. Get one size smaller and it will put a good grip on your shaft (please, no comments from the Peanut Gallery! :D ).
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...and it will put a good grip on your shaft (please, no comments from the Peanut Gallery! :D ).
Seriously? ;)
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Boy that looks awfully awfully complex. So many switches! And then the track's gotta be perfect, which is hours of work. If it's all flat (each line) then that would cut down on the scenery carving. Unitrack would make tracklaying easy, too. Want to get to hands-free trains running ASAP.
Which I'm still looking for on my semi-completed 4-year old layout.
I would argue, though, that there's never a case where trackwork doesn't have to be perfect.
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I would argue, though, that there's never a case where trackwork doesn't have to be perfect.
Dave V speaks the truth.
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So, that worked with the shrink tubes. Then something else happened and it stopped. Oh boy, sunk cost at this point, things to worry about next week.
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The retro fun keeps pouring in. Just got a box from @hnipper with some fun work project type locomotives. Another RR 2-8-2, a Trix 0-6-0, another Bachmann 0-4-0, a Con Cor PA (something I never thought I needed, but man, what a brick!) a couple of Life Like Lead Sled GP18s, and a smattering of other goodies, probably best suited to a scrap yard scene.
Also, one more Metroliner power car... Hopefully out of the three I now have I can scab together one that runs decently.
Back to work now...
Lee
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It's a stitch to watch Lee breathe life into those zombies! Can't wait to see what the come-back box from the Eastern Shore will bring!
Henry
:)
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How did you know I was eschewing? Dammit. I've been found out!
Thinking about the WM made you eschew with your mouth open! :lol:
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-050919125648.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12349)
I should have taken a "before" picture. This old Trix 0-6-0 came in a box, literally in a million pieces. Once I got the drive cleaned and oiled, it ran like a champ.
I've reassembled the tender, and restored several details that were in the wreckage. She's now painted and ready for proper PRR livery.
There's room for an LED headlight, but I'll have to work out how to wire it without sacrificing any weight.
I've always wanted one these, and now at last I do!
Lee
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I've always wanted one these, and now at last I do!
Sheesh, I think I have parts to build at least a dozen of these...
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A few minor details to fix, then some weathering...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-050919154208.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12350)
@DKS , if you want to send those parts to Frankenstein's Lab, I'll see if I can get at least one of them ready for your next micro layout!
V.Von F.
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What hath God wrought?
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-060919224525.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12363)
This ought to fetch a few quid on eBay! It's fecking adorbsies!
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Awweeee, look at the we wittle kitty witty !
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What hath God wrought?
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-060919224525.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12363)
This ought to fetch a few quid on eBay! It's fecking adorbsies!
*Sound of snipers loading up.*
I got sniped out of the PRR one by 50 cents.
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What hath God wrought?
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-060919224525.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12363)
God would have painted the window frames and stripes along the bottom and top of the body in vermilion and the roof in silver/aluminum.
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*Sound of snipers loading up.*
I got sniped out of the PRR one by 50 cents.
Well, you really don't know that. The next bid increment was probably 50 cents more than your maximum. The sniper could have placed a bid 10 or 100 dollars higher than you, and the automatic proxy bidding (or whatever they are calling it nowadays) only outbid you by the bid increment amount. That's how sniping works.
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*Sound of snipers loading up.*
I got sniped out of the PRR one by 50 cents.
i smell a sale coming on...
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A few minor details to fix, then some weathering...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-050919154208.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12350)
@DKS , if you want to send those parts to Frankenstein's Lab, I'll see if I can get at least one of them ready for your next micro layout!
V.Von F.
Don't forget to re-add the bell that your's is missing (ahead of the cab).
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There's something happening here...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-070919181711.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12373)
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Yup, but what it is ain't exactly clear.
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Maybe it’s the ryobi battery that’s on charge? 😊
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The ripped up cork double mainline...
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That piece of paper in the middle is a huge away. ;)
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I've got the basic geometry worked out. Next to cut some foam and inventorying track to see what I'll need.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-080919102430.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12380)
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Installed the skyboard/scene divider to provide the view block for the staging tracks, and started cutting some foam.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-080919233941.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12390)
Checked the clearance for those times when the cat poles will appear...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-080919234149.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12391)
And otherwise got myself feeling pretty good about the potential for this thing.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-080919234419.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12392)
My conundrum now is, do I proceed with the c80 track so I can keep on having fun with the retro equipment I've accumulated, and place an order for the several turnouts I'll need, or use the mountain of c55 I have at my fingertips and have all the track laid tomorrow...
I might need an intervention of some sort...
Lee
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Well, if you have a bunch of Peco code 55 track, you’re good to go since those old pizza cutter wheels will run just fine since it doesn’t have any of those pesky fake spikes in the inside of the rails.
Other code 55 brands, not so much.
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Install the code 55 track, use the blender on the retro crap, and come to your senses. Problem solved. :trollface:
DFF
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My conundrum now is, do I proceed with the c80 track so I can keep on having fun with the retro equipment I've accumulated, and place an order for the several turnouts I'll need, or use the mountain of c55 I have at my fingertips and have all the track laid tomorrow...
I might need an intervention of some sort...
A "Retro Tech Layout" must use "Retro Tech" track.
I have plenty of legacy equipment that I would never want to forgo being able to run due to incompatible track.
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Point and counterpoint... the only solution is to get another door and build the same layout twice!
Lee
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A little pre-work Monday Morning progress...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-090919095320.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12393)
I left the C&O Canal shelf loose so I can detail it prior to final installation. Also toying with the idea of running a mine branch off the upper loop, running on the ledge above the B&O to add a little interest, and a potential 4th route over which to run loops.
Lee
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Me likey. This has much potential. I look forward to following along.
DFF
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So in the revenue equipment department, I received a fresh drive for the 0-8-0 that I had crumble in my hands.. It needed a working motor, so ever so carefully I pulled the screws, removed the failed motor from the newly arrived frame, and ever so carefully installed the working motor from the crumbled one.
I put it on the track, and it took some coaxing, some contact cleaner, and some oil, but it eventually ran well enough to make a loop around the Retro Rig. On reversing, I discovered that it was binding due to a driver being one tooth out of synch, so I reached to return it to the workbench. Inexplicably, it squirted out of my hand, I juggled it briefly, and it went crashing to the floor, something that Zamac (the crumbly alloy used by Rivarossi back in the day) doesn't respond well to.
This busted the critical point where the plate that holds the drivers in place is mounted to the pilot... so another dead soldier. I've got it glued, but it's just about impossible to get the alignment just right. I guess I'm not meant to have a working copy of the first US prototype N scale steamer...
I better start working on that scrapyard diorama... the bodies are piling up.
Lee
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Fortunately, in other news, we've had a breakthrough!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-100919103557.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12400)
If you don't have an oscillating saw, you should get one!
Lee
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After finishing my morning work, I tinkered a bit with the 0-8-0. I was able to repair the structural problem with a little E-6000 to secure the cross head to the smoke box, and filed back the break to make room for the adhesive to bond without moving the screw hole. After letting it cure for a bit, everything went back together nicely. Good fit, nothing too tight.
I carefully reassembled the valve gear, quartered the wheels, and made sure the gears were all nested properly into the drive chain. All went well.
I added an insulated washer to the drawbar post, which brings power from the right wheels of the tender to the motor.
And it ran. It ran beautifully. I carefully re-installed the shell. Back on the track, and off it went! Several laps in, it stalled. I gently rocked it back and forth under power to see where it might be binding. Nothing apparent.
Then the magic smoke came out. The "good" motor was cooked. Something @spookshow points out happens a lot to these old dogs (I've already replaced the motor in one of my RR Pacifics.)
Oh well. I'll scan around to see if I can find a factory original motor, or the later motor from ConCor that was a little more reliable. At least I'm confident that it's mechanically in order, and the electricity flows where it's supposed to. We won't give up on her just yet.
Lee
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At least I'm confident that it's mechanically in order, and the electricity flows where it's supposed to. We won't give up on her just yet.
That's good to know. ;)
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I remember back in the day when if your saw started oscillating, you were about to loose a body part if you couldn’t get away from it.
Now it’s a design feature.
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On the 0-8-0, be sure you have the 22 tooth idler gear in the center and the two 20 tooth gears on the ends.
Doug
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It appears the old 0-8-0's worries might be over.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-120919110750.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12477)
What appeals to me about it is it's burly switch engine profile, not it's shabby materials and nettlesome drive components.
It appears to have similar dimensions to a new issue Bachmann 2-8-0, which, as luck would have it, has a screw that can be loosened to remove the pilot truck!
With a little fineggling, and of course a second hand pre-DCC Connie with a road name I don't care about, this could be a thing!
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The Spectrum Consolidation has one of the best Bachmann offered...looks and runs good. While I never owned the K4 or the articulateds every one that I saw seemed to match the quality.
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It appears the old 0-8-0's worries might be over.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-120919110750.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12477)
What appeals to me about it is it's burly switch engine profile, not it's shabby materials and nettlesome drive components.
It appears to have similar dimensions to a new issue Bachmann 2-8-0, which, as luck would have it, has a screw that can be loosened to remove the pilot truck!
With a little fineggling, and of course a second hand pre-DCC Connie with a road name I don't care about, this could be a thing!
OH NO not the WM 761, it even has a front working Micro-Trains coupler. In my opinion my Bachmann Spectrum WM 763 Consolidation is a better performer than my two K4 Pacific's and my NKP Berkshire. The Pacific's and Berk are both growlers. That's probably why Bachmann added sound to them, to try and hide the drive train noise. :D
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Lee
i like the way this is coming together for you
and your ongoing dabbling in the retro
enjoying as i follow this thread
sincerely
Gary
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Tempting though it may be to dismember my WM 2-8-0, or even to buy another to scavenge, they just aren't retro enough for this project, nor can they be had very affordably in the aftermarket.
So I ebayed a cheap White Box 2-8-2 with a Reading profile shell and a Vanderbilt tender with B&O markings... Spookshow's review gives me hope that it can be a smooth enough runner, and I've already concocted a means of improving pick up with a new style Bachmann tender... Years ago I modified a couple of the mechanically identical 2-8-0s into a double header, wired together to overcome the pick up issues, and they ran and pulled really well.
So the surgery will consist of getting the Rivarossi shell to fit over the Bachmann drive (after removing the pilot and trailing trucks, of course) and fitting the original tender shell to a new chassis with all wheel pickup. (There will be further surgery on the Vandy tender to see if I can make it work with my second RR Mikado)
In the meantime, will you please bow your heads and join me in the "I hope the white gears don't click" prayer... I'm due to receive it on Tuesday.
Lee
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Ommmmmmm noclicky noclicky noclicky ommmmmmmmmm.
Glad I could help.
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Ommmmmmm noclicky noclicky noclicky ommmmmmmmmm.
Glad I could help.
Darn it. You beat me too it.
Lee, glad I could help too.
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Tempting though it may be to dismember my WM 2-8-0, or even to buy another to scavenge, they just aren't retro enough for this project, nor can they be had very affordably in the aftermarket.
So I ebayed a cheap White Box 2-8-2 with a Reading profile shell and a Vanderbilt tender with B&O markings... Spookshow's review gives me hope that it can be a smooth enough runner, and I've already concocted a means of improving pick up with a new style Bachmann tender... Years ago I modified a couple of the mechanically identical 2-8-0s into a double header, wired together to overcome the pick up issues, and they ran and pulled really well.
So the surgery will consist of getting the Rivarossi shell to fit over the Bachmann drive (after removing the pilot and trailing trucks, of course) and fitting the original tender shell to a new chassis with all wheel pickup. (There will be further surgery on the Vandy tender to see if I can make it work with my second RR Mikado)
In the meantime, will you please bow your heads and join me in the "I hope the white gears don't click" prayer... I'm due to receive it on Tuesday.
Lee
If you don't do anything with that shell or tender, I know a good home for it...
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I want see if I can convert the tender into something useful, but the engine shell will be free to a good home.
Lee
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I want see if I can convert the tender into something useful, but the engine shell will be free to a good home.
Lee
which shell? I can use parts of the 2003 Connie
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The 1990s white box. It's actually not a bad model for its day. It's due in the mailbox today. I'll post up a picture this evening.
Lee
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In other news...i have gotten the foam base of the layout set for the upper deck based on the track plan. I'm going to include the coal branch, utilizing the tight Trix curves, about 7.5" radius, with a tunnel in the front to lessen track clutter along the river. (Second photo)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-160919070329.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12549)
Not sure I'm going to keep the crossovers on the B&O. I don't like the geometry and I'm not interested spending money on curved turnouts.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-160919070501.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12550)
I also got the cork down for the B&O staging tracks. This will now out of view behind the sky board, but it might be fun to scenic it as a PRR four track main diorama.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-160919070622.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12551)
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The White Box Wonder has arrived. It's motor, the plastic frame that @spookshow warned us about, was toast. Fortunately, I had a metal frame version with the same worm which had been pulled from the UP 4-8-4 Now on display at the public park...so with little effort and a styrene shim, I've got it running.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-170919095856.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12578)
Next to solve the pick up issue. Per the review, the only pick up comes from the three drive axles, so performance on insulated frogs is spotty at best.
Fortunately, it turns out that axle point pickups from an Atlas B truck are exactly spaced to fit in the tender truck. I filed the inside of the sideframe to create space for the shoe, and reamed out the center hole to properly align the center axle.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-170919100545.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12579)
Since the Bachmann axles are only insulated at one end, I only need one shoe on each truck. If I'm going to use the tender for my Rivarossi Mike, I can put both shoes on the right side replicate the RR set up, but if it's going to ride behind the Bachmann, I'll have flip one of them to collect from both rails.
I'm disappointed that the RR 0-8-0 she'll isn't a more direct fit, but that might be solvable with a shorter worm shaft to pull the motor into the cab a little better.
The drivers also suffer a bit from slipping out of quarter on one side, so once I get them properly aligned, I'll try wicking a dot of .CA into the hubs.
Otherwise, it runs reasonably well. I'll see if I can tuck some lead under the hood to improve its reactive effort, then put it into service.
More results as the tests continue.
Lee
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If it were me, I'd say screw retro purity and use a B'mann Spectrum tender. Just sayin'...
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Do they offer a Vandy with the pick ups? Can't says as I've seen one...
It's not so much the retro purity, It's more of a challenge to use up some of that parts I have floating around!
Lee
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Do they offer a Vandy with the pick ups? Can't says as I've seen one...
Yes, they do. It just may be a little tough finding one--persistence is required.
https://www.trainz.com/products/bachmann-89451-unlettered-vanderbilt-tender?variant=32975351750 (https://www.trainz.com/products/bachmann-89451-unlettered-vanderbilt-tender?variant=32975351750)
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A little pricey for my tastes, so in the meantime I'll keep working on breathing life into the old dinosaur.
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Lee, if you went through the trouble to installing the axle-end cone pickups (on one side?), why not just go one more step and replace the wheelsets with ones which have insulated axle (like Kato), install the other bearing plate and have all 4 wheels on the truck pick up power?
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That's a possibility, @peteski . I had originally wanted to swap the tender to a Rivarossi Mike, but a test fit demonstrates that I'd have to completely rework the drawbar to get it to work. So I may go ahead and set up for all wheel pick up to benefit the Bachmann loco.
But not until I get some actual work done!!
Lee
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I've got a Bachmann Vandy with NH lettering I don't need. The lettering is just the words "New Haven". It's a longer frame than the one you show.
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Thanks for the offer, @OldEastRR , but I think I can work with what I have for the moment. It looks like those get sold for a pretty penny. You might consider putting it up for sale and see if you get a nibble.
Lee
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It ain't pretty, but performance is much improved.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-190919151318.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12591)
I added one shoe to each truck to pick up track current from each side.
Since the Bachmann tender is preassembled and glued, I took the shortcut of running the wiring underneath instead of fishing it thru the shell. A little drilling and poking around with a hook might have gotten it, but fortunately the atrocious ride height over the trucks provides plenty of clearance!
Anyway, I've just spent a few enjoyable hours listening to it purr around the retro loop, hauling 8 or nine cars thanks to the improved pickup scheme and about a half ounce of added lead in various locations under the boiler shell.
By no means competition for its older cousin or much younger sister, but a pleasant addition to the Retro Fleet just the same.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-190919160947.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12593)
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Back to layout building...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-200919164343.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12599)
All the main track components are now composed, and the necessary turnouts have been procured (except for the coal spurs)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-200919162933.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12597)
I've closed loop of the coal branch, which will be masked by a short tunnel in the middle (note the portal). Although it's connected to the main of the WM line, it can also operate as a separate loop, thus upping the possible number of trains running at one time to 4!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-200919163217.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12598)
Here's an overview from the other end. With the track plan finalized, it's time to work out the wiring diagram and build the switch machines. I want to avoid poking holes through the door itself, so I'm planning a trough front to back in the vicinity of the end of the skyboard (the area conspicuously missing foam) where I'll provide for a conduit under the scenery to a terminal strip, where I can add a connection for a control panel.
I'm only planning to make four of the turnouts automated (the ends of the sidings on the B&O route), the WM switches might be, but I need to build the B&O first, so I'll make that decision downstream a bit. In either case, I'll only need up to 6. I'll leave the coal spurs manual.
My plan is to use Tortoise machines, which provide some on/off switches that will help with power routing, and some rudimentary signaling. On the lower B&O, I'll lay them on their backs so the throw rod moves horizontally, cutting them into the foam and covering them with some sort of removable hatch in the scenery. The logistics of whether they're mounted directly under the track or off to the side will be determined by the locations.
I'm glad I've reached this point, because now I can start visualizing the scenery a little more clearly, and start planning projects that align with the vision.
I have acquired the necessary bridge track to take care of the WM trestles, but that will literally be the last bit of track to be installed, so it may be a bit before I actually arrange to pick it up from my personal delivery service (Thanks @Ed Kapuscinski !)
Onward!
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You need to put it against a wall or it's not a model railroad.
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It will be... It's presently in the garage on the workshop table so I can get at both sides of it.
Once the track is affixed and the wiring is sorted, I'll bring it into the office to install it.
Lee
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You need to put it against a wall or it's not a model railroad.
You don't want it to be "model railroady" remember? :D
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Found a couple of Peco turnouts to work with in the stacks of stuff, so I started laying the first section of track.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-220919190810.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12629)
6
It's the staging sidings on the lower level B&O mains, which will be behind the skyboard, but still in the viewshed of someone lurking at the short side of the layout.
As such, I may set some structures over the side mounted tortoises to disguise them.
Also applied track power for the first time to test the turnout...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-220919191515.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12631)
In keeping with the retro theme, I'm using Con Cor sectional track, 12-3/8" radius!
Lee
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Sure would have been cleaner to use servos. The Tortoise machines aren’t exactly retro. :trollface:
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I have a pile of Tortoises leftover from the old layout. Minimal cash outlays are an imperative... at least until my daughter graduates from college in the spring!
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How did you find a Penn Central FM without chipping paint?
:o
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How did you find a Penn Central FM without chipping paint?
:o
Maybe it is unpainted black plastic shell with Tampo-printed lettering? :)
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They were painted. I have one that was badly chipped. I stripped it and will repaint/decal, one of these days.
Doug
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Yes, they're all painted, black paint on brown plastic. Years ago I bought a dozen or so surplus shells, and sorted out the chipped ones. Didn't leave very many.
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Should I Dullcote it to protect It? Or will that put the finish at risk?
L
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I think I'd leave it alone, and just handle it with care. Of course, if your history with the 0-8-0 serves as a guide... :trollface:
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I think I'd leave it alone, and just handle it with care. Of course, if your history with the 0-8-0 serves as a guide... :trollface:
In other words, the 0-5-0 can't manage with the 0-8-0.
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Progress. Inside staging track installed with feeders and soldered joints. Mr. Fairbanks and Mr. Morse are content with the results.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-230919105606.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12637)
I've provided for a dead zone long enough for two diesels or one steam engine at the end of the siding, controlled by the power routing Peco turnout. At the other end I'll wire the tortoise to handle the chore of controlling the traffic. This should provide for a reasonable fail safe for the trackage obscured by the sky board.
Lee
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And then there were 4...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-230919171317.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12646)
So the B&O staging tracks are complete. Next, arranging and installing the upper tracks in the back, including the platforms to cross the lower tracks. This side won't have scenery, so these will be simple 1/4" plywood curves.
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Closed the first loop tonight, at least to fit the track. There's a stream crossing I want to work out at the West end, which will also be the main wiring conduit to a terminal strip where the control panel will be tied in.
But I'm one step closer to abandoning Retro 1.0. The wreckers are gathering the tools of their gloomy trade once again...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-230919222522.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12655)
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It's starting to look like something!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-240919135738.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12657)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-240919135948.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12658)
The two main loops are done. I need to install two more Tortoises at the front and do the wiring in a more or less complete form before I get ahead of myself on the upper line.
Lee
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This was fun to do...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-240919140438.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12659)
I wanted a rerailer near the front of the layout since switching trains in and out will be manual. This location also works out as a grade crossing in the scenery plan that's evolving, so it looks like I'll get to use a highway bridge across the river as Well!
Lee
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You need to put it against a wall or it's not a model railroad.
Says the guy who's planning an island layout in the middle of the room. :trollface:
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Says the guy who's planning an island layout in the middle of the room. :trollface:
Maybe Ed should have used the sarcasm font because I think you missed it.
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Maybe Ed should have used the sarcasm font because I think you missed it.
This.
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Maybe Ed should have used the sarcasm font because I think you missed it.
I thought the sarcasm font was the default setting... or maybe that was the snark font.
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I'm not seeing why there needs to be S-curves -- in fact a double S -- on that one end of the holding track yards (Lee's layout).
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If he wanted them there then they would need to be there.
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The holding tracks are accessed with Peco long turnouts. The S you see is the result of the camera angle. There is nothing there that will disrupt the flow of a bunch of 85' passenger cars. Even a little bit.
Lee
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Torture testing track joints with the tiniest wheels I have available.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-250919102423.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12667)
Not surprisingly, the 0-4-0 tank engine splutters a bit thru the long Peco frogs, but it does much better than on the long Atlas turnouts I started with.
The short guy won't likely see much action on this layout, so I'm not too worried about it.
Everything else works great, although the 4-4-0 helped find a couple of rough solder joints.
Lee
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Cleaned up the work zone and finished laying out the high line.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-260919095019.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12676)
Time to start scouting photo locations and teasing out some scenery ideas.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-260919095214.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12677)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-260919095342.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12678)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-260919095502.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12679)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-260919095620.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12680)
I might be running trains with my last cup of coffee, too...
Only a few more chores to do before I can paint the foam base and move it into the office to start on the scenery in earnest. Very excite!
Lee
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Cleaned up the work zone and finished laying out the high line.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-260919095019.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12676)
Your retro-tech layout ought to have retro-tech power packs.
(https://thumbs.worthpoint.com/zoom/images4/1/0616/05/digitrax-dt100-tech-ii-2500-lionel_1_49a089392bf36441d19eb95625cbde5a.jpg)
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We're going for an overall effect here, not a museum display. Besides that, the Bird in the Hand... costs nothing!
Lee
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Cleaned up the work zone and finished laying out the high line.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-260919095019.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12676)
Lee
Cleaned up? Really? Where? :trollface:
Scott
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-260919095019.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12676)
Speaking as someone who just built a curved, skewed trestle over another curved track at difficult angles, you're going to have fun designing and building that double-tracked curved and skewed bridge at the bottom right in the picture above. I think you may have backed yourself into a corner worse than I did! ;)
Good luck!
DFF
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I'm guessing that'll be a tunnel, as opposed to a bridge...
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The again, Lee just kinda does and worries about planning after it's done. :D Something tells me he'll figure it out with brute force.
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The again, Lee just kinda does and worries about planning after it's done. :D Something tells me he'll figure it out with brute force.
Kinda reminds me of Han Solo--
Rey: "Is that even possible?" Solo: "I never ask that question 'til after I've done it." @3:50
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-220919191515.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12631)
Wouldn't you rather have an Arnold Rapido GG1 to haul those Metroliner cars?
(http://passengertrainjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ptj-metroliners-5a.jpg)
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@Point353 , I have one, but it's in PRR... But I may have to start prowling around for a black one! BTW, I'm setting my vertical bridge clearances based on the raised pan of the GG-1...
Okay, so I didn't clean up the WHOLE work area, but I did take all the tools and bits of track out of the river!
Yeah @davefoxx , I'm scratching my head over that crossover too. Could shorten the route a little bit so it crosses over at the tangent, but you know... shortening the run? NEVER!
I'm considering a simple tunnel solution, but that's so vanilla... Will probably end up with a plywood deck crossing to carry the track with some plate girders tacked to the sides... I'll have to come up with a support system that looks reasonably... reasonable.
I could also take the inner loop in a bit using the 7" radius Trix Trax, so there ends up being two separate crossings... That may impede my ability to use the inner track at the back for a general traffic siding though. I'll have to test drive my BL-2 and the 2-8-0 to see how they behave on the tiny track.
And @DKS , I consider it a privilege to be uttered in the same breath as Han Solo! (although I've always been more of a Mr. Scott fan)
Lee
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I tidied up that skewed overpass which will help me design a more practical bridge. It'll still be a little out there, but it's much better now.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-270919100703.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12684)
And in the process I picked up a little pad for a WM train order station.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-270919101210.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12685)
Dug this old trestle out of the tubs and modified it to fit it's new home. I originally bashed it out of a couple of Atlas deck truss spans for the original WMRHS museum layout back in 1987. I liberated it when that layout was removed to expand the library. Later it was installed at Hinshaw on my West end layout. I'm glad it will once again be put back in its original purpose of carrying Fireballs and Black Diamonds across the Potomac.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-270919101747.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12686)
And this is the point of the entire exercise...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-270919101952.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12687)
Lee
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I'm thinking for that spot where the two upper lines cross over the two lower lines, build a concrete overpass/tunnel/flyover thingie. It's really hard to come up with reference images, because searches always focus inappropriately on one of the search terms. And right now, I can't even see my own images--but hopefully everyone else can...
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/woodlawn-flyover.jpg)
(I'm assuming I got the web address right--at the moment, I have no way to confirm this.)
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I can see the picture, @DKS, of two cab units pulling a passenger train over one of those Pennsy Flying Junctions.
DFF
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I can see the picture, @DKS, of two cab units pulling a passenger train over one of those Pennsy Flying Junctions.
Great, thanks. It just adds to the mystery.
BTW, @wm3798, I'm amused by that random track nail dangling over the B&O caboose...
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BTW, @wm3798, I'm amused by that random track nail dangling over the B&O caboose...
You, too? I figured it was some sort of sadistic tell-tale. :P
DFF
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It's the Sword of Damacles.
Great reference shot, too. I'll explore that possibility. Thanks.
Lee
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All four loops are in place... still need a few pieces of foam cut and some proper wiring done yo consider the fully installed, but tonight I was able to stare blankly across my cocktail as four trains made the rounds simultaneously.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-280919001546.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12691)
Happily JFRT!
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...and some proper wiring done yo consider the fully installed...
Hmmm... have another cocktail, Lee!
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All four loops are in place... still need a few pieces of foam cut and some proper wiring done yo consider the fully installed, but tonight I was able to stare blankly across my cocktail as four trains made the rounds simultaneously.
Happily JFRT!
IMO, the therapeutic benefits obtained from observing roundy-round operation have been substantially underrated.
When combined with the consumption of a proper libation, the effects are further enhanced.
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IMO, the therapeutic benefits obtained from observing roundy-round operation have been substantially underrated.
When combined with the consumption of a proper libation, the effects are further enhanced.
^This.
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^This.
Agreed. Almost as effective as watching a sleeping cat (scientifically proven to lower one's blood pressure).
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My aim is to complete the wiring this weekend so I can finish building the scenery base. Once it has a coat of paint on it, I can confidently bring it into the den to start on the scenery.
Lee
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Were the 4 trains running at break neck speed ? Only then could it be considered fully retro :D
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Absolutely!
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Worked getting the juice where it needs to go last night.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-290919080613.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12715)
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I'm thinking for that spot where the two upper lines cross over the two lower lines, build a concrete overpass/tunnel/flyover thingie. It's really hard to come up with reference images, because searches always focus inappropriately on one of the search terms. And right now, I can't even see my own images--but hopefully everyone else can...
It's where the NH entered the NYC Harlem Division at Woodlawn. The track crossing over the mains is electrified.
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Plaza Japan delivered the Tomytec drive i ordered a couple weeks ago, and it runs sublimely. Hopefully it will again after I stretch it out to run my old Metroliner.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-021019140715.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12754)
Then again, maybe close enough is good enough!🙄I
Lee
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Plaza Japan delivered the Tomytec drive i ordered a couple weeks ago, and it runs sublimely. Hopefully it will again after I stretch it out to run my old Metroliner.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-021019140715.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12754)
Then again, maybe close enough is good enough!🙄I
Lee
As my dad often says, "It's nothing that a man on a galloping horse would notice" On second thought, I think you should go ahead with the stretch surgery on the Tomytec drive ;)
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The only one I know of that is still free is XTrkCad ( http://www.xtrkcad.org/Wikka/CurrentRelease (http://www.xtrkcad.org/Wikka/CurrentRelease) ) Here is the Beginners Tutorial ( http://www.xtrkcad.org/Wikka/BeginnerTutorial (http://www.xtrkcad.org/Wikka/BeginnerTutorial) ) Now the disclaimer, I don't have any experience with the product, but you can't beat the price ;)
Lastly, Here's an YouTube overview video.
Xtrkcad is good stuff .. and free .. as a side benefit .. it also allows you to run trains on the "layout" .. that would let you work out the operations
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Xtrkcad is good stuff .. and free .. as a side benefit .. it also allows you to run trains on the "layout" .. that would let you work out the operations
I used it to design my layout. It's a great tool, but can be a little glitchy and the help files can sometimes be lacking, I've stumbled onto several useful functions that aren't mentioned in the help files.
Scott
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The surgery is nearly complete...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-041019145816.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12776)
Lee
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Looking good Lee,
HOn3 is small enough, I don't know how you guys do this kind of motive power bashing in N scale.
Scott
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Looking good Lee,
HOn3 is small enough, I don't know how you guys do this kind of motive power bashing in N scale.
Scott
the difference in the gauge is only 1.5mm....
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But the difference in the width of the equipment is about an inch... maybe more.
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Rats...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-041019200042.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12790)
I muffed the coupling distance by a millimeter or two.
But soon it's time for a proper road test...
Lee
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Rats...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-041019200042.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12790)
I muffed the coupling distance by a millimeter or two.
But soon it's time for a proper road test...
Lee
looking good
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Rats...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-041019200042.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12790)
I muffed the coupling distance by a millimeter or two.
But soon it's time for a proper road test...
Lee
If you hadn't mentioned it and took a picture that highlights the infinitesimal mismatch no would have ever noticed. I think it looks like a great job.
Scott
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If you are going for the retro look, then a large coupling gap is actually a desired feature. :)
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If you hadn't mentioned it and took a picture that highlights the infinitesimal mismatch no would have ever noticed. I think it looks like a great job.
Scott
No, this is TRW after all. Lee played it smart by getting out in front of it and outing himself.
This type of caginess comes from experience.
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Making good progress on the layout this weekend.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-061019123325.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12820)
Got the coal branch installed and wired, and started working on the land forms.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-061019123629.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12821)
And went ahead and picked up a second Atlas Truss bridge for the first crossing. Turns out you have to trim off about an 1/8th of an inch from each bridge to get the track to connect.
No worries. Have Dremel, will travel.
We'll see how much else we get done this weekend...
Lee
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The behind the scenes portion of the layout is nearing completion.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-061019215216.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12825)
Need to solder a few rail joints and run the signal wiring next, and it will be ready to bring into the office.
Lee
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Wiring is boring, so... scenery.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-061019223508.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12826)
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Benchwork!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-071019181132.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12838)
And workbench... all in one stroke!
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And the nerve center emerges from the sawdust!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-071019191920.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12839)
The fourth and final power pack is due to arrive later this week!
Lee
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Should get some drawer slides from the ReStore so they can be pulled out one by one sturdily.
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I actually have a bunch of 12" glides leftover from our kitchen remodel. Hmmm.
Meanwhile...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-071019223505.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12842)
There's officially room in the garage to start the next project!
Lee
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And most importantly...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-081019095217.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12844)
...the view from my desk.
Now back to work!
Lee
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Lots of curved tracks on bridges ...
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Some cosmetic progress today...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-131019170818.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12918)
First I scabbed 2" to the left end so I could turn the lights on without derailing a train... :facepalm:
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-131019170912.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12919)
Then I installed a work light under the layout to shed some light on the numerous projects that remain to be done...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/12/9-131019171012.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=12920)
And started working on finishing the outer edge with some fascia. There's still some sanding, painting and trimming to do, but it definitely looks less like the pile of foam that was Retro 1.0.
Lee
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Lee, it's coming together quite nicely. Fascia really sets it off.
Great job!
Sincerely
G
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So I bought 100 trees today. I guess I better start spreading some goop, so there's a landscape to plant them in when they get here.
Lee
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The Pennsylvanian has arrived on track 2!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-181019135738.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13021)
Moving people 80s style... life like lead sled F40 with Bachmann coaches. Hardly any mileage on any of it. The interior lighting even works!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-181019140138.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13022)
Eventually I'm going to develop a passenger platform here. It'll make a nice photo location.
Lee
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Eventually I'm going to develop a passenger platform here.
It's going to be pretty narrow, in order to clear the overhang of those coaches on the curve...
"Stay behind the yellow line, or you die!" :trollface:
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Life Like F40PH was actually not a bad model. If you really want to go ancient, try a Model Power F40PH (the Yugoslavian model). :)
Back in the day, I took 3 of those babies, and re-powered them with Bachmann (then fairly new) GP40 mechanisms. That was back in the '80s.
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So I bought 100 trees today.
Just a few every night, right?
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I remember reading an article about that. I also had one of the Model Power units back in the day... It was a nearly complete dog. It may have been one of their first that had 8 wheel pick up and 8 wheel drive, though.
Regarding the yellow line situation, what better way to showcase the Retro ethos! Swinging pilots, shiny wheels, and people getting clobbered by the vestibule as it swings through the station!
Regarding trees, yeah, I did the math. $20 for 100 not so bad looking trees from China is a much better value than spending two weeks of evenings soaking my fingers in glue. And take heart... I also bought a bag of green lychen to keep it real!
Lee
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Regarding the yellow line situation, what better way to showcase the Retro ethos! Swinging pilots, shiny wheels, and people getting clobbered by the vestibule as it swings through the station!
Regarding trees, yeah, I did the math. $20 for 100 not so bad looking trees from China is a much better value than spending two weeks of evenings soaking my fingers in glue. And take heart... I also bought a bag of green lychen to keep it real!
Kudos on both counts!
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Just a few every night, right?
If he gets Gordon Gravatt's book he can make a few trees every month...
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Regarding trees, yeah, I did the math. $20 for 100 not so bad looking trees from China is a much better value than spending two weeks of evenings soaking my fingers in glue. And take heart... I also bought a bag of green lychen to keep it real!
They're not bad...you can jazz them up with a little Noch leaf flake and a quick shot from a rattle can to tone down the trunks.
Lee, I was at a swap meet in Strasburg last weekend and a guy was selling Life-Like lychen in the original boxes...which have faded to a soft pink.
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I also bought a bag of green lychen to keep it real!
You must have bought gen-u-wine LIFE-LIKE® lychen.
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/9x0AAOSwO09cyFjV/s-l1600.jpg)
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It's funny, last night we were talking about lichen and I pointed out that it actually DOES have its uses: in the right colors it can do a decent job of looking like forest undergrowth.
But neon green or pink (seriously, remember THAT) are not those colors... lol.
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It's funny, last night we were talking about lichen and I pointed out that it actually DOES have its uses: in the right colors it can do a decent job of looking like forest undergrowth.
But neon green or pink (seriously, remember THAT) are not those colors... lol.
True.
I also flock the lichen using several different materials in order to create some shrubbery/bushes that have a different look to them.
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NASA has confirmed that the strange pale blue planet may in fact support life, as some portions of it appear to have soils of some sort.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-221019100013.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13100)
And last night I confess, I got pretty plastered.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-221019100252.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13101)
As a result, this morning's modeling efforts have been a little rocky.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-221019100528.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13102)
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What a difference brown makes! :)
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Art in the dark.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-231019095921.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13103)
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After a discussion about new gears for a Bachmann steamer in the 3D printing forum, I thought I'd post this over here.
I have updated and modestly improved a little 0-4-0 switcher with some added weight and an all wheel pick up tender. This is one of the locomotives I picked up after an all call for junk box rescue projects, and was offered up by @narrowminded .
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-241019145822.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13106)
To get the tender pickups to work, I soldered some bits from the junk box to the loco pick ups, then ran them down either side of the drawbar post. Bent out a bit to create a little spring action, this maintains contact really well.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-241019150643.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13107)
Lee
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-241019145822.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13106)
Hard to believe that my HO scale rails are only 0.003" taller than your N scale rails. :trollface:
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Hard to believe that my HO scale rails are only 0.003" taller than your N scale rails. :trollface:
Its Vintage so the designers had to build the rail to HSR spec. ;)
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Hard to believe that my HO scale rails are only 0.003" taller than your N scale rails. :trollface:
Your HO scale rails will look better once you finish applying ballast. :P
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Hard to believe that my HO scale rails are only 0.003" taller than your N scale rails. :trollface:
Meanwhile my HO scale rails are 0.010" shorter than what I as using in N, LOL. And they're still 3-4 times too heavy for the RGS! They had 57 lb on most of the first district but down along the Dolores River there were sections of 40 pound rail. And even some 30 pound iron in the Rico roundhouse at the end of operations.
But I digress... Code 80 and N scale go together like...
(https://pics.me.me/we-go-together-like-cocaine-and-waffles-868838.png)
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Your HO scale rails will look better once you finish applying ballast. :P
Touché. :D
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I have to say, that I've had some challenges using the old track... I mean, I had to walk past a pile of slightly used C55 track, including dozens of turnouts, and get this... all of it PAID FOR, to get to the workbench to build this thing.
But right now, I'm sitting here watching a @Lemosteam modified Trix K-4 hauling a short PRR passenger consist, a Rivarossi B&O Mike with a fast freight, a Trix 0-6-0 on the local, and a Bachmann 0-4-0 with a coal drag happily gurgling around the layout while I'm doing some work. And they've been running for hours.
While y'all are applying your calipers to your rails, I'm JFRTM!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-241019203441.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13110)
(That's the view from my desk...)
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Lee, if it helps, I know some folks who might be looking for some new old stock code 55 track...
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No... I'm going to hold onto it for the next little bit. There might be a cabin with a basement somewhere in the mists of the future... 8)
I love the way it looks, and I love the way Jerry Britton paid for most of it!! :trollface:
Lee
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I love the way it looks, and I love the way Jerry Britton paid for most of it!! :trollface:
Didn't he dump it and change scales because it was so unreliable?
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There were a lot of reasons for his switch. If he still noses around these pages perhaps he will expand on that. There were some parts of his design that demanded bulletproof track work, and some of the early QC issues Atlas had made that difficult.
I was careful to prep everything when I installed it, and had very few issues with it. Most of the yard I built used track he sent me, and it's now pushing 10 years old, and is likely headed to its third installation.
Lee
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There were a lot of reasons for his switch. If he still noses around these pages perhaps he will expand on that. There were some parts of his design that demanded bulletproof track work, and some of the early QC issues Atlas had made that difficult.
I was careful to prep everything when I installed it, and had very few issues with it. Most of the yard I built used track he sent me, and it's now pushing 10 years old, and is likely headed to its third installation.
Lee
Yep, and with one easily fixed exception functioned pretty flawlessly.
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Holy Roco, Batman!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-281019191408.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13168)
What the FA is going On!
Lee
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“Hi! You may remember Lee from such videos as ‘Switcher Madness.’ Coming soon in the same line: ‘FA-ing Madness.’”
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“Hi! You may remember Lee from such videos as ‘Switcher Madness.’ Coming soon in the same line: ‘FA-ing Madness.’”
Wouldn't that really be "FA-king madness"? :D :trollface:
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“Hi! You may remember Lee from such videos as ‘Switcher Madness.’ Coming soon in the same line: ‘FA-ing Madness.’”
Don't forget the spine-tingling suspense thriller 'The Hunt for Reading FA horn'.
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Don't forget the spine-tingling suspense thriller 'The Hunt for Reading FA horn'.
I did try looking for it, because I figured as soon as he was out of earshot it would miraculously reappear in the engine tray.
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I buy them by the gross. It's ok!
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Another dinosaur up from the tar pits...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-301019151603.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13192)
This Rapido F from about 1968 was in the original haul that my cousin dropped off in December. I tried to get it back on the road a while ago, bit got sidetracked with other projects.
Today I pulled it apart, found the short, cleaned it and put it back together. It likes to run fast, but it's running. Brass gear noise once again fills the air!
Now, the question is, do I hunt down a B&O shell, or a Rio Grande train?
LEE
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This Rapido F from about 1968 was in the original haul that my cousin dropped off in December. I tried to get it back on the road a while ago, bit got sidetracked with other projects.
Today I pulled it apart, found the short, cleaned it and put it back together. It likes to run fast, but it's running. Brass gear noise once again fills the air!
Now, the question is, do I hunt down a B&O shell, or a Rio Grande train?
Hunt down a B&O shell - and try to find a matching dummy A-unit, as well.
Labelle 106 grease will help reduce the gear noise.
(https://labelle-lubricants.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/0430-000106_72.jpg)
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You thought I was kidding about hiring spiders to run my catenary.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-011119181735.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13212)
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More retro goodness in the mailbox today...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-041119211838.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13259)
A genuine Atlas-Roco E7, and...
A pair of Lead Sled FA2s from Life Like. The old hollow core door was buzzing this afternoon!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-041119212807.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13261)
Lee
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Bridge piers are happening!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-061119093239.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13280)
In keeping with our retro theme, they're constructed with some old Graham Farish modeling blocks. Basically rectangular cubes, about 3/4" square x 1-3/4" wide. They come packaged with some printed card stock that you can attach to make bridges and other small structures.
I got the set second hand when I won it as a prize for a modeling contest at my local.
I had submitted my K2 Pacific, and was the only train entry he had, so he cleared off a shelf of dusty boxes and old Atlas handbooks for my prize...
Finally putting It to good use!
Lee
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I was careful to prep everything when I installed it, and had very few issues with it. Most of the yard I built used track he sent me, and it's now pushing 10 years old, and is likely headed to its third installation.
Lee
A good chunk of the existing M&O was built with his turnouts and track as well
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I pulled out the box for the G-F stuff for those of you laboring under intense curiosity...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-061119164622.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13291)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-061119173833.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13294)
Looks like I might have pulled that out of my... collection. :ashat:
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-061119180722.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13295)
Anyways, with the piers properly set up, it was time to check clearances... I'm going to have to bash the plate girder bridge pretty substantially, but it'll work fine.
Been testing it all afternoon!
Lee
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Buildings!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-111119230459.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13370)
The old Magnuson Merchants Row... the one cast in dental impression resin... the father of DPM, and grandfather of Woodland Scenics... painted and assembled over the course of several evenings.
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Post Deleted. Question answered in previous thread.
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Worked on the highway bridge. The trick was getting it to end at the fascia without the benefit of an abutment...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-151119194025.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13413)
The canal will pass under the clipped span.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-151119194420.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13414)
Today I took delivery of a Lifelike Baldwin Station, which is based on the B&O prototype at Sykesville, a bunch of LED platform lights, another bag o' trees, and this big Johnson...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-151119194838.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13415)
Literally the first Conrail power I've purchased since the early 90s.
More news as the weekend progresses!
Lee
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I've been wanting to do this since I was about 14 years old.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-201119175730.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13575)
Scratch it off the list.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-201119180256.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13576)
The PC paint isn't original... as I recall Arnold had the worms all wrong, but whoever did this up did a really professional job.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-201119181135.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13577)
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What did you want to when you were sixteen? :trollface:
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What did you want to when you were sixteen? :trollface:
Well, the drinking age was still 18 back then, so there was that!
Lee
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Yeah, the original Arnold GG's had the worms way too squarish..
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/4117-211119022703.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13589)
Doug
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Old Life Like Baldwin Station kit is coming around to stand in for Paw Paw. Not the same as the prototype, but it's unmistakably a B&O station, a kit that's somewhat retro, so it fits in the general principle of the layout...
Not being one to settle for stock out of the box, I carefully added mortar to the brick walls, and tidied up the chunky window castings as well as reasonably possible, then added the inevitable lighting....
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-241119003055.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13624)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-241119003303.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13625)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-241119003434.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13626)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-241119003558.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13627)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-241119003723.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13628)
A little weathering on the roof and we can call it Christmas.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-241119003940.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13629)
The stage is now set to start work on the platforms.
Lee
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Tonight on Retro Showcase, we present...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-031219230150.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13743)
The ancient and venerable Bachmann 0-4-0 dockside.
I picked up this example from the @DKS collection, and it is a true classic of the early days of N scale. Despite the inherent flaws of plastic running gear, minimal weight, and hardly any track power pick up, I had fun running this old dog around the upper loop for most of the afternoon.
That includes two turnouts with insulated frogs!
For the first half hour or so, she ran at a fairly brisk clip, but once warmed up, she purred along at a reasonable speed pulling a half dozen 40' gons and a caboose.
It was not unreasonably loud, and rolled effortlessly through the Atlas #4 switches with nary a pause.
In the perfect world, it would be working cobblestone street trackage in a warehouse district in Baltimore, Philly or Staten Island, it would take some mighty finicky track work to make that happen, though. Despite her short wheelbase, she likes to crawl off the rails on tight radius turns, because she's light and needs to run a little bit faster than would be practical in an urban setting.
But for our purposes, I'm pleased to have her toodling along around the layout. Always wanted to have one, and I'm not disappointed now that I do!
Lee
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I wonder if there's any way to put track wipers between those drivers? Maybe a pair of phosphor-bronze wires, one on each side, soldered to whatever collects current from the wheels?
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I wonder if there's any way to put track wipers between those drivers? Maybe a pair of phosphor-bronze wires, one on each side, soldered to whatever collects current from the wheels?
As I see it, the problem is its short wheelbase. No matter how many extra pickups you put between the wheels, if you get it on a long plastic frog, it will lose contact. And with no flywheel and high-friction mechanism there is no coasting past the dead spot.
Better way would be to permanently couple a box car which would pick up power from the track. That would lengthen its electric pickup wheelbase.
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A permanently coupled boxcar would negate the core purpose of the engine, which is switching duties in tight quarters.
The only way around the pick up issue is thru live frogs in every turnout.
A lower friction plastic drive train, better gear ratios for improved performance at slower creeping speeds, and a die cast metal shell for maximum heft would optimize the locomotive itself.
Add-ons like working lights, a decoder or sound would be the stuff of nanotechnology.
Lee
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You can't change out that HO size front coupler? :trollface: But, that will partially destroy the retroness. :)
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Baltimore. These things, I believe, were intentionally rebuilt from tender engines specifically for use along Pratt Street. That includes nosing boxcars into your old office!
Somewhere in this house is a B&O HS article all about the operation. Somewhere...
Also, check your email for some tips on potential improvements.
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You can't change out that HO size front coupler? :trollface: But, that will partially destroy the retroness. :)
Yeah, but MTL (then Kadee) knuckle couplers have been offered in N scale since the early 1970s, so . . .
DFF
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Kadee couplers were introduced in the spring/summer of 1968.
Doug
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Peteski: You're right that the short wheelbase is a major problem, and the wipers wouldn't help that. It really does need live frogs. The wipers would help the problems of light weight and only four wheels, but plastic frogs would still be a problem.
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You can't change out that HO size front coupler? :trollface: But, that will partially destroy the retroness. :)
What we have there is a perfectly sized N scale Rapido coupler. :trollface:
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The oft denigrated Rapido coupler is a big part of N scale's early success.
Doug
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The oft denigrated Rapido coupler is a big part of N scale's early success.
Doug
. . . and it is still widely used outside of the knuckle-country (USA). :D
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. . . and id is still widely used outside of the knuckle-country (USA). :D
So very true. I follow a couple of British N gauge (1:148 scale on 9 mm track) YouTube layout build blogs and many folks in the UK and on the Continent still use the Rapido coupler. Here in North America we adopted the Micro-Trains and MT compatibles as they closely resemble the Janney Knuckle coupler in use here by the prototype railroads, but in the UK and other parts of Europe three link and screw type couplers were common on railroad equipment. The Rapido N scale coupler was a easy to manufacture and functional replacement for these types of couplings on N scale / N gauge locomotives and rolling stock.
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Would it be possible to wire in some blackened metal pick-up wipers or shoes on the bottom of the cylinders and the cab that would slide along the rails and thus give a longer wheelbase for current pick-up? Sure they might be noticeable but for the ability to run through long switches it'd be a great trade-off.
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Some hastily patched power has been added to the Laurel Valley fleet, thanks again to the @DKS collection.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-111219135633.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13812)
No time for the full paint shop treatment, there's tonnage to move!
Lee
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To match the retro era, for grins, you should do the road name with an old fashion Dymo label maker. :D
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"You can't change out that HO size front coupler?"
In the late 60s there was a serious suggestion that the Rapido be made the standard coupler in HO scale, to replace that train-set monstrosity they then used. It would have been strange, yet quite practical, that two different scales would use the same coupler!
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It's gettin' steamy around here!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-131219163532.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13837)
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The wagontop boxcar is a '60s product?
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The wagontop boxcar is a '60s product?
Touché
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No, but these sure as h*ck are!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-141219190424.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13857)
1st generation Arnold-Rapido FA2. Both arrived today. One needed some love, the previous owner soaked it with oil, which fouled the brushes. When i opened the box it literally smelled like hot oil... took it apart, soaked the PC board in soapy water to get all the oil out, then gently greased the big brass gears and motor bearings and got it running pretty well.
They are in "original" condition, paint wise, again, one slightly better than the other. I think I'll leave the good one be, and redo the other as an early WM fireball unit.
And just to satisfy the purists, I have a set of ancient Northeast Decals I'll work with to effect the redecorating.
But for now, I'm having fun watching these beasts do their tricks.
Lee
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1st generation Arnold-Rapido FA2. Both arrived today.
But for now, I'm having fun watching these beasts do their tricks.
My sample arrived a half-century ago as part of an Arnold-Rapido freight set, purchased with gift money during a post-holiday sale at a local Caldor discount store.
These locos are smooth runners and their cast metal shell gives them great pulling power without resorting to traction tires.
http://davidksmith.com/birth-of-n/arnold-us-68-55.htm (http://davidksmith.com/birth-of-n/arnold-us-68-55.htm)
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I got two of the PC ones not too long ago and the employee who applied the "PC" worm decal on the front of one of them must have thought the "P" was supposed to be vertical so the decal is at an angle. Got past QC, I guess, if there WAS a QC department.
Doug
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I didn't remember, if I ever noticed, that the nose herald was a decal. Mine, also 50 years ago, was quickly repainted GN.
Interesting that Arnold had the same idea as Kato, on their GN boxcar and PA-1 for Con-Cor. Both of those had three-color heralds done as decals. I still have the boxcar, and it still looks good enough that I keep it in service.
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Mixing and matching...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-151219090447.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13863)
I took the hi-box tender from my defunct Atlas/RR 0-8-0 And have mated it to one of the Trix 0-6-0s in the fleet. The draw bar pin on the loco is part of the cast metal frame, so the one-sided tender pick up helps add some juice through the frogs. All I had to do was reverse the axles so the pickups are now opposite the stock RR set up.
I'll be putting an attractive, if slightly foobed WM fireball scheme on it eventually.
Lee
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Started in on the river bed.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-201219004959.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13930)
I'm using foamcore board for the base.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-201219005137.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13931)
This will conceal the wiring because I didn't want that hanging below the door. The foam core will be installed loosely in case i decide to add something electrical like.
There's still some wiring to do for lighting, so other than a coat of paint, this will remain loose for now.
Lee
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Paint!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-211219104711.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13950)
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More old junk scrubbed and polished.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/9-271219121330.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=13989)
Still need to put lights in them.
Lee
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Is that fireball supposed to be brown or black?
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Red, silly.
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Is that fireball supposed to be brown or black?
Just jumping in here for a minute as I'm a little confused myself on the question. I'm guessing Philip you mean the carbody color? The carbody color is suppose to be black. The fireball logo's were yellow lettering on a black background with red flames.
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Just jumping in here for a minute as I'm a little confused myself on the question. I'm guessing Philip you mean the carbody color? The carbody color is suppose to be black. The fireball logo's were yellow lettering on a black background with red flames.
Bingo!
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That's what they are. The only Brown I see in the picture is my poorly done scenery.
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Better get that gal into the paint shop soon... her slip is showing!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/14/9-010120225440.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=14105)
So I dusted one of these guys off, which had a bad motor that got replaced. Stripped of its DCC, it's ready for work on the Retro. (I saved the board, just in case i ever come to my senses!)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/14/9-010120230030.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=14106)
Happy New Year, everyone!
Lee
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So I dusted one of these guys off, which had a bad motor that got replaced. Stripped of its DCC, it's ready for work on the Retro. (I saved the board, just in case i ever come to my senses!)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/14/9-010120230030.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=14106)
Happy New Year, everyone!
Lee
What is this DCC you speaketh of? DC is the only way to run Retro trains :D
Wishing you and yours a Happy New Year as well.
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Dang spell check! DC cab control all the way!
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Meanwhile, at Retro Metro Station, it's Amtrak Night!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/14/9-070120000837.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=14205)
I claim temporary insanity in buying that E-60. Apart from the fact that the trucks suffer from Cracked White Gear Disease, it's actually not a bad looking model. For its era, the shell is surprisingly crisp, and the pantographs are some of the most intricate I've seen.
Even the drive itself isn't horrible. Sure, a better motor might give it some more chutzpah, and those squirrelly nylon universals look like they could go at any second. But if it weren't for those damn busted gears, this could have been a contender. I gave it a good cleaning, greased the universals, and actually got it running fairly smoothly... except for that baseball card in the spokes thing. It looks like there's only one gear that's really bad, but it's the one that picks up power from the worm and moves it to the other axels. I was hoping I could relocate it, or convert its axle to an idler, but it's a slightly different diameter than its brethren, and when I tried moving it to a less critical position, it bound up the works completely.
So... I have a big high horsepower electric locomotive that sounds like it has the sound system for a wild west Mogul, with a resulting torque loss that has this chunk of black metal barely able to drag itself around the layout. I guess I got me a nice shelf queen to add to the collection.
Lee
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Sleeves.
Doug
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Can you ACC or JB Weld it all back together?
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I have an E60 without cracked gears, but the motor is so wimpy and the drive has so much friction that it still has trouble getting out of it's own way.
Also, the trucks all but scrape the railhead, and the wheel treads are way too wide.
I have plans for an E60 Resurrection project, but to do it well likely requires a whole new mechanism, and that requires some mechanism bashing.
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If Bachmann white nylon gears could be repaired, there wouldn't be so many of their models of that vintage getting dumped every day on Flea Bay. The metal axles fit into the gears, and the nylon shrinks over time and the gear splits between teeth of the gear, creating an uneven space that clicks when it pass through the worm. The nature of the material, the need for it to be lubed, and the fact that it will be in constant motion makes any attempt at a glued repair as being rather tenuous.
I think the motor itself can be easily replaced, it's about the same size as the very robust unit found in Life Like lead sled drives, and the motor shaft appears to be the same, so it would just be a matter of getting the contacts to meet the split frame and changing the universal on the shaft.
But the failure of the gears in the trucks would have to be dealt with more comprehensively. I don't have a Trix U-30 drive handy, and those trucks only offer two drive axles and an idler, but that's the only truck I can think of that might close enough in dimension to Frankenstein into it.
Lee
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If Bachmann white nylon gears could be repaired, there wouldn't be so many of their models of that vintage getting dumped every day on Flea Bay. The metal axles fit into the gears, and the nylon shrinks over time and the gear splits between teeth of the gear, creating an uneven space that clicks when it pass through the worm. The nature of the material, the need for it to be lubed, and the fact that it will be in constant motion makes any attempt at a glued repair as being rather tenuous.
I think the motor itself can be easily replaced, it's about the same size as the very robust unit found in Life Like lead sled drives, and the motor shaft appears to be the same, so it would just be a matter of getting the contacts to meet the split frame and changing the universal on the shaft.
But the failure of the gears in the trucks would have to be dealt with more comprehensively. I don't have a Trix U-30 drive handy, and those trucks only offer two drive axles and an idler, but that's the only truck I can think of that might close enough in dimension to Frankenstein into it.
Lee
Could you replace the wheel sets? maybe you'll get lucky and they're close, or the same?
https://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=70_117&products_id=265
Or there's always this ;)
https://www.ebay.com/c/1624611850
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Sadly, the gear on the E-60 is a much larger diameter. There's about 30 minutes left on the auction, I'll see if I can dive bomb it at the last minute and still get it reasonably cheap.
Lee
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Meh. It went up over $35... Between that and the one I got last week, that's too much of an investment with the level or risk I'm willing to take.
Oh well. Add it to the list of things to fix...
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If Bachmann white nylon gears could be repaired, there wouldn't be so many of their models of that vintage getting dumped every day on Flea Bay. The metal axles fit into the gears, and the nylon shrinks over time and the gear splits between teeth of the gear, creating an uneven space that clicks when it pass through the worm. The nature of the material, the need for it to be lubed, and the fact that it will be in constant motion makes any attempt at a glued repair as being rather tenuous.
In most cases the gears can be repaired. Like Doug mentioned, installing (thin-wall brass, or even hypodermic stainless tubing) sleeves (or rings), over the cracked tube. If the sleeve dimension is chosen properly, it will close up the crack (which will also close up the crack in the gear). The sleeve can be glued by first roughening the axle tube surface with some fine grit sandpaper, installing the sleeve (to close up the crack), then flowing some thin CA between the metal tubing and axle tube. making sure thievery is clean and grease or oil free is also vital.
While the sleeving process will not be 100% perfect, it should make the model quite usable. It is also a bit cumbersome, and not everybody wants to fuss with it. That is why you see locos of models with un-fixed split axle tubes offered for sale.
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Especially when you can just cram a Kato SD40 mech under there...
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Especially when you can just cram a Kato SD40 mech under there...
You can, but it will look funny. Too short and very different trucks. An SD50 would be better, if you could fit GE trucks to it
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Or perhaps a Kato c30-7 mechanism. Even that maybe a little short too.
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Yeah, the cumbersome part. I wish I had a quick and easy way to slice off short lengths of the tubing for the sleeves. On my 4-8-4, I used a Dremel cut-off disc and then filed them to the correct length. In the old consolidation I'm in the middle of, I think they're the same but on the trolley, they need to be only 2mm.
I'm thinking of seeing if a local machine shop can cut them off for me. That's really the only fiddly part. Putting them on and putting the loco back together isn't a real big deal. I didn't glue the sleeves as they are a pretty good friction fit on the axles. I did have to increase the hole diameters a bit in the inner plastic frame so the metal axles would rest on the two outer metal frame pieces for electrical pickup.
My Northern runs great after the fix.
I still say it's a poor design. Mehano had the correct idea with plastic axle ends plugging into holes in the wheels. If only they could have been a little more precise in drilling the holes to avoid wobble. :D
Doug
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Yeah, the cumbersome part. I wish I had a quick and easy way to slice off short lengths of the tubing for the sleeves. On my 4-8-4, I used a Dremel cut-off disc and then filed them to the correct length. In the old consolidation I'm in the middle of, I think they're the same but on the trolley, they need to be only 2mm.
I'm fortunate to own a Sherline lathe. But the standard cut-off tool is too wide to cut thin-wall brass tubing, so I made a very thin cut-off tool from a single edge razor blade. It works great!
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Yes, a lathe. I don't have one. Where I worked years ago, we had a complete machine shop and I was able to make a tool to reach into the grooves on Mehano traction tire wheels and make them concentric to correct wobble.
I used to true up commutators too. The Mehano commutators weren't as bad as the Rivarossi ones though. Some of those were very bad.
Doug
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Okay, so the trick is to sleeve the female fitting molded into the gear, right? So the correct diameter brass tube would be snug enough to close and hold the crack stable enough to allow the gears to mesh properly, even when the axle is pressed into the gear opening.
And since the brass sleeve is located on either side of the gear, there is no problem with creating an electrical bridge via the axles... Am I missing anything? If I'm off the mark, I would appreciate a photo of the correct configuration for the repair.
While using a Kato drive is a fascinating twist, I'm not interested in using a $100 mechanism to salvage a $30 locomotive. I'd like to try the repair route first. I also have an old Bachmann Mikado with a similar issue (you may recall I tried replacing the cracked gears with a 3D printed set, but they also failed) The metal sleeve idea sounds like a good place to start over.
Lee
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I don't have a picture but the two sleeves go around the plastic axle on each side of the gear. And yes, then just plug the metal axles/bosses on the wheel, themselves, into the holes in the plastic axles as usual after the plastic axles are back in the frame. There isn't a danger of a short at all since the sleeves are insulated from each other by the gear. It sounds like you have the idea correct.
The sleeves, being fairly tight around the plastic, hold the cracks closed. The axles will still fit through the holes in the inner plastic frame but they will hold the metal wheel axles away from the two outer metal frame pieces and there will be no current pickup. The holes in the plastic inner frame need to be enlarged just a bit to allow the metal axles to contact the outer metal frame pieces as happens with the original configuration.
The above is for the 4-8-4 and 2-8-0, of course and other locos with different pickup contact configurations will not need the hole enlargement step. The trolley is like this.
Doug
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Just a thought, but have you contacted Northwest Shortline to see if they have any gears that would be a replacement fit?
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Just a thought, but have you contacted Northwest Shortline to see if they have any gears that would be a replacement fit?
Not just a gear. It is the nylon axle tube with integral molded gear. I don't believe NWSL makes anything remotely like that (and from plastic).
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Peteski is right. It's sort of a specialized thing. It would be nice if Bachmann would re-run the parts in a more durable material, but I suppose their job is to sell new models, not keep old ones running.
The other idea I've toyed with is reworking the wipers to contact the back of the wheel rather than the axle nub. If the contact is contingent only on the wheel, and not the axle, then the possibilities open up to use other wheel sets. I have a slew of old Trix geared axles from their F units, which also happen to be centered on the axle and are close to the right diameter. Modifying the truck frame so those axles can drop into place and moving the wipers so the axles are isolated would leave us only with getting idler gears that are the right diameter...
Dammit. I should have bought the other E-60 so at least I'd have one to part out...
Hmmph.
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Okay, so the trick is to sleeve the female fitting molded into the gear, right? So the correct diameter brass tube would be snug enough to close and hold the crack stable enough to allow the gears to mesh properly, even when the axle is pressed into the gear opening.
And since the brass sleeve is located on either side of the gear, there is no problem with creating an electrical bridge via the axles... Am I missing anything? If I'm off the mark, I would appreciate a photo of the correct configuration for the repair.
Lee
Exactly. I don't have a photo of such repair, but I had a photo of a cracked axle. Here is is with simulated brass rings which shoudl close up the crack and keep it closed. That will also close up the gap between gear's teeth.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/14/2700-090120224900-142342095.jpeg)
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Yup, that's exactly it.
At various insane moments, I have thought about converting the Bachmann arrangement to be like the more typical locomotive set up with slots for the drivers and a bottom plate to hold them in. Actually, if a fellow had machine shop equipment, it wouldn't be all that difficult. Milling machines are wonderful things.
Doug
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The other idea I've toyed with is reworking the wipers to contact the back of the wheel rather than the axle nub. If the contact is contingent only on the wheel, and not the axle, then the possibilities open up to use other wheel sets.
I don't know if that is needed. I don't own any of the E60s, but I looked at http://spookshow.net/loco/bache60cp.html (http://spookshow.net/loco/bache60cp.html). While I don't see the wipers, the loco seems to have a similar design to other Bachmann locos of that period (like a GP40 I own. If the wipers are thin brass plates loosely inserted behind the wheels, and they have a thin "bow" shape on top which contact the frame, then they aren't only touching the axles. When the truck is seated in the loco then the pressure from the "bows" makes the wiper plate to be in positive contact with the backs of the wheels. That pickup system is not as crappy as it seems.
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Years ago I used CA soaked thread wrapped repeatedly around the hub, pulling it tight as you go. The repeated wraps closed the thing right up tight and the CA hardened and held it all in place. You may find it's a little tight going back together which is probably why it split in the first place. ;)
OR.. if you have a gear with the right teeth I could bore and make a delrin sleeve for it. Delrin bar will hold for the duration. :)
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Years ago I used CA soaked thread wrapped repeatedly around the hub, pulling it tight as you go. The repeated wraps closed the thing right up tight and the CA hardened and held it all in place. You may find it's a little tight going back together which is probably why it split in the first place. ;)
Yes mark, the sewing thread soaked in CA is an excellent repair technique! And it uses items which most households already have. I have used this technique numerous times on household items. I fixed this broken clothes-dryer knob probably about 15 years ago, and it is still holding up. And before it broke, the dryer was already about 20 years old!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/14/2700-100120165527-142441316.jpeg)
In this example it wasn't just split - piece of the sleeve broke off. So I was able to put it back in its place, then wrap heavy string around the area, then soak it with CA.
But considering the very small size of those N scale split axle tubes, and the fact that they are just cracked (and will not close up when the metal axles are removed, I think it would be very difficult to use this method to fix them. You only have around 1/8" of area to wrap the thread onto, and you would have to put a lot of pressure on the axle to close up the gap. A metal sleeve seems like a much easier solution in this instance. But you you can successfully use a string/CA fix on this type of defect then more power to you.
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Well.. Lee and I had a plan. i was going to send my dummy Bman axles from an old F7 dummy. it the planets aligned, they'd be a match.
I opened up two units. Sorry @wm3798 , every single axle is cracked! sheesh.
[attachimg=1]
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Thanks for trying, Tim. But it looks like the diameter of those gears is a tad small just the same.
Lee
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I dug out a long dead Bachmann F7, the really old brass gear version, tried this out for giggles...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/14/9-130120135556.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=14292)
The wheel diameter is right on, and the gear seems to be correct as well.
I had to trim slots to drop in the solid axle, and open up the hole in the truck frame for the beefier gear, but it seems to work. I'm going to treat both trucks, then see about remotoring with a Life Like lead sled 5 pole and see if that doesnt do the trick...
Lee
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While digging around the parts bin on behalf of the big E60, I came across the replacement light board I had bought some time ago to get this engine back on the active roster.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/14/9-140120165746.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=14309)
Some of you older people might remember this locomotive appearing in my earliest posts to the Atlas Forum back in the Aughties...
(http://www.wmrywesternlines.net/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/mURI_temp_ea28ef68.jpg)
While not entirely retro, this is the first version of the Atlas VO1000, which was manufactured in Korea, and was replaced with a later design that rendered this one obsolete. It's a little wonky to take apart, but it's not a bad runner, and I took advantage of some extra room under the hood to add some weight, so it tracks well and can handle a reasonable cut of cars. Now that it's back to DC power, I can deploy it on Switcher Night, or Western Maryland night. It's the only Baldwin I have in the fleet (other than my 2-8-0) so I'll have to do some more accumulating before I can run an all-Baldwin diesel night... Anyone got a pair of B&O sharks laying around?
Lee
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Is that the VO you used to use to shove empties up to Vindex?
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The very same. I could never get it to run right after I put the decoder in it. So it's nice to simplify and have it running the loops again.
Lee
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Well damn, a lady of that pedigree deserves a good life.
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Misted some grime and weather on the truss bridge, and also painted the pier and abutments.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/14/9-300120114832.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=14681)
Now I can fill in a few blanks in the scenery and maybe start some ballasting.
Lee
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Now I can ... maybe start some ballasting.
Are you planning to use "vintage" materials?
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/n-sAAOSwZb9d9tOu/s-l500.jpg)
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/mGkAAOSwUFxeIRGw/s-l500.jpg)
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Well, I have a bag of Lichen and some John's Ballast... anyone remember that stuff?
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/14/9-300120165100.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=14684)
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I still have a can of that same ballast cement and a couple of boxes of Life-Like red and gray rock from when my brother had his HO layout in the sixties. A box of lichen too that's like rock.
Doug
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Did a little wiring at the PawPaw end of the door.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/14/9-310120101830.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=14690)
The left side of the layout can now be fleshed out with more scenery and details.
Lee
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Work bench discussion brought this to mind... my desk has a limited work surface, and I tend to sit back a bit to see what I'm doing, creating a rather large escape route for coupler springs, small wheels and other such fiddledy bits...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/14/9-020220115311.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=14730)
Recalling that I have some drawer glide hardware out in the garage, I cobbled together a simple slide out to solve both problems.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/14/9-020220115643.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=14731)
I'll probably put some felt on it to reduce the bounce factor and improve visibility.
Lee
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Picked up a couple of diameters of brass tubing at Ye Olde Hobbytown today, without the benefit of a cracked gear in my pocket. Hopefully I got something close to see if I can mend the truck gears in...
My Bachmann Mike and the E-60, as well as another 0-4-0 shifter I have in the bin.
Stay tuned...
Lee
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Picked up a couple of diameters of brass tubing at Ye Olde Hobbytown today, without the benefit of a cracked gear in my pocket. Hopefully I got something close to see if I can mend the truck gears in...
My Bachmann Mike and the E-60, as well as another 0-4-0 shifter I have in the bin.
Stay tuned...
Lee
I ended up picking up couple of Bachmann Auto Train U36Bs at the Springfield show. They belong to a fellow NTRAK club memer and need to be serviced. Most of the geared axles are cracked. Bith white ad black have the same problem.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/14/2700-010220012032-14692759.jpeg)
I will also use the brass sleeve (tubing) fix. The closest I found was 1/8" thin-wall (0.006") brass tubing from Special Shapes Co. (IIRC, no longer in business). But the outside diameter of the Bachmann axle tube is a bit too large to fit in the brass tubing, so my plan is to slightly turn down the plastic axle tubes on my lathe (until the are press fit inside the tubing). I am also planning on documented my repair.
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Zoom!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/14/9-110220181238.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=14931)
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Zoom!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/14/9-110220181238.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=14931)
Hi Lee, I had never thought about cutting re-railers so you could use them with turnouts / switches, very neat idea. :)
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Necessity is the mother of invention!
Lee
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It doesn't matter what color Bachmann gears are, they will all crack. A very poor design.
Doug
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Lee, if your E60 is still on your to-fix list, send me its trucks and I''ll take care of the cracked axles. PM me and I'll give you my address.
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I can do that... but let me take a stab at it first.
The next piece of the puzzle is on its way, a new 5 pole Life Like motor...(anyone want to buy a sh!tty GP38-2 dummy?)
My plan is to reinforce the bendy drive shafts with some brass tubing, upgrade the motor, and fix the gears.
I'm hoping to have a beast of a locomotive to haul some amtoobs around the layout here shortly.
Lee
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But in the mean time...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/14/9-120220193122.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=14945)
Hey Budd!
Newly arrived today.
Lee
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As posted previously, I'm the proud new owner of a set of ConCor RDCs. (One powered, three trailers).
I had a set of these many years ago, and I'm suddenly reminded why I dispensed with them early on.
The drive is akin to the bad Roco/Mehano drive used in their SD50/SD40/SD45, wherein there is a lot of slop in the gearing, to the point where the worm flops about and fails to fully engage the main drive gear in the truck.
So far I've experimented with some shims to see if I could get the gears to maintain better contact, but I'm thinking the next step might be to harvest some larger worm gears from the parts bin and see if that helps. Before I do that, I'll do a complete tear down and inspection of the parts to see if there's not something more obvious that's failing.
@spookshow speaks glowingly of the performance, so I'm wondering, given its age, if the gears in there are simply worn out and loosing contact. We shall see once the exploratory gets underway.
I'd really like to get these properly on the road. They will be a nice complement to the PC Metroliner that I've revived (using an all new drive from Tomix... let's hope we don't have to get that extreme here). They came to me as a like new set of undecs, cleverly packaged in a bubble wrap lined old VHS case...Well played in the reduce/reuse/recycle department. I also have the decals necessary to put them into commuter service on the B&O.
These retro projects are really starting to pile up!
Lee
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Took some time at lunch to disembowel the RDC.
There is an odd brass spacer between the truck and the frame, I assume to ease the rotation of the truck's plastic against the frame's zinc alloy. It's cupped a tiny bit, so I suppose it's also something of a shock absorber.
What appears to have happened is this disc, which has a slot on each side where the wires pass from the wipers up into the body and a hold through which the worm meets the main drive gear, had slipped out of place. During operation... could have been me, could have been before it came into my possession, the hole in this wafer thin bit of brass acted like a knife blade, and pretty well rounded off the main gear in one of the trucks. It appears to be fine in the other truck.
So, now the hunt is on for suitably sized gear. It's a double, so there's two sets of teeth that need to be matched.
I'll take it back apart and take some pictures later. I'm a little aggravated, because I'm thinking it was probably jostled out of position in shipping, and I'm the one who let it go. It had been running just fine for about an hour before the symptoms started. I had no recollection of this washer from my original set back in the 80s, otherwise I would have checked to make sure it was seated properly before running the set.
Oh well, we live and learn.
So I guess I'll float the balloon here... Anyone have a red Roco double gear? I'm not 100% sure, but I think a gear from an Atlas GP9/30 drive from the Roco years might do the trick. I have parts for the Roco FA, but the gear assembly doesn't include a double. I haven't looked under the hood of my Roco E-7, but I don't think I'm interested in parting it out... just yet.
Lee
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Took some time at lunch to disembowel the RDC.
There is an odd brass spacer between the truck and the frame, I assume to ease the rotation of the truck's plastic against the frame's zinc alloy. It's cupped a tiny bit, so I suppose it's also something of a shock absorber.
What appears to have happened is this disc, which has a slot on each side where the wires pass from the wipers up into the body and a hold through which the worm meets the main drive gear, had slipped out of place. During operation... could have been me, could have been before it came into my possession, the hole in this wafer thin bit of brass acted like a knife blade, and pretty well rounded off the main gear in one of the trucks. It appears to be fine in the other truck.
So, now the hunt is on for suitably sized gear. It's a double, so there's two sets of teeth that need to be matched.
I'll take it back apart and take some pictures later. I'm a little aggravated, because I'm thinking it was probably jostled out of position in shipping, and I'm the one who let it go. It had been running just fine for about an hour before the symptoms started. I had no recollection of this washer from my original set back in the 80s, otherwise I would have checked to make sure it was seated properly before running the set.
Oh well, we live and learn.
So I guess I'll float the balloon here... Anyone have a red Roco double gear? I'm not 100% sure, but I think a gear from an Atlas GP9/30 drive from the Roco years might do the trick. I have parts for the Roco FA, but the gear assembly doesn't include a double. I haven't looked under the hood of my Roco E-7, but I don't think I'm interested in parting it out... just yet.
Lee
Lee, I'll take a look before I send you your other parts. If I have any, I'll give them to you.
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Thanks, @ChristianJDavis1 .
If there's a couple of basket case Roco geeps, throw them in. Maybe I can get one out of two to run and still harvest the parts I need...
Lee
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The Retro Fleet expanded exponentially today thanks to @ChristianJDavis1 . An incredible selection of vintage N Scale effluvia arrived on my doorstep, and my head came clean off.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/15/9-220220235120.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=15143)
There's so many brass gears grinding away in the corner of my office I can barely hear the Victor Talking Machine!
Lee
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Well, now we know where old N stuff goes to die (or is just given away to): Lee's layout.
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Well, now we know where old N stuff goes to die (or is just given away to): Lee's layout.
Lee's N Scale Rescue Sanctuary
For just ¢10 a month you can sponsor a home for those unfortunately suffering from the zinc rot epidemic.
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Reunited and it feels so good!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/15/9-240220174424.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=15199)
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Lee's N Scale Rescue Sanctuary
For just ¢10 a month you can sponsor a home for those unfortunately suffering from the zinc rot epidemic.
LOL... Turn 'em up as you browse the junk listings on eBay...!
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Hahahahahahaha I got a downvote for that one, and I deserved it! 😁
Back to the thread, though, I wasn’t sure how this whole project was going to pan out in reality but I’m diggin’ it!
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I may have accidentally downvoted it when I was fumbling with my phone in the car. I was laughing pretty hard at the video.
Of course now the gauntlet has been thrown down and someone's going to have to do a proper public service announcement for the rescue!
Maybe I could talk Rod Stewart into being my celebrity endorser!
Lee
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I may have accidentally downvoted it when I was fumbling with my phone in the car. I was laughing pretty hard at the video.
Of course now the gauntlet has been thrown down and someone's going to have to do a proper public service announcement for the rescue!
Maybe I could talk Rod Stewart into being my celebrity endorser!
Lee
Only if you show sad puppies standing behind the trains.
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I got the Berk to work!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/15/9-240220220435.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=15203)
Now I can run an authentic Iron Horse Ramble with a WM FA helper! Another old dog rescued!
Lee
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I got the Berk to work!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/15/9-240220220435.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=15203)
Now I can run an authentic Iron Horse Ramble with a WM FA helper! Another old dog rescued!
Lee
What did you have to do to it? I have three 2-8-8-2's from the same collection that all don't run, but light up like that Berk did.
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Reunited and it feels so good!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/15/9-240220174424.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=15199)
Great to see the 301 back home again, Lee! :D
Jim
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LOL... Turn 'em up as you browse the junk listings on eBay...!
We shan't forget the Free N Scale Rescue T-Shirt though, right?
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What did you have to do to it? I have three 2-8-8-2's from the same collection that all don't run, but light up like that Berk did.
You had included two in the haul. The one in the original box (how cool is that?) was more or less complete, and in pretty good shape, but as you noted, the lights were on but no one was home. The other was more of a basket case, with busted bits and parts of the running gear missing. In the end, the motor in the basket case worked, while the other better looking one was unresponsive.
My usual methodology of locomotive triage looks at three primary problems. 1: Does the motor work. For this I'll disassemble the engine, pull the motor, and apply voltage to the terminals. 9 times out of 10, the motor turns over, and if it does so reasonably smoothly and without heat or smoke, then I know the problem is elsewhere.
Next, I look at the drive train. With the motor out, you should be able to push the drive along and turn the wheels. Again, if there's no binding, or other obvious symptom that something is amiss mechanically, then the only other questions is the electrical pick up.
We know the motor works, because we applied power to it.
We know the mechanism should work, because it rolls reasonably freely.
All we have to do now is figure out what's going wrong as the juice moves from the track, through the pickups and to the engine.
In the case of the Berk, the light was on, so I knew that power was getting from the track to the bulb, but was somehow not getting to the motor.
Note that the terminals at the motor are just little nubs on the back of the case, and not the more typical brass brush housings we've become used to. The case is a closed can, so you can't see the brushes at all, and therefore, no way of inspecting for carbon build up or brush wear.
It may be that there was nothing wrong with the electrical path at all, and the motor was just stalled due to long term storage. When I freed it from the gearbox and tapped a 9v battery to the terminals, that may have been enough of a jolt to bring it back to life. I did spray some contact cleaner "at" the case, maybe some got in, who knows.
Anyway, I reassembled it, really without doing much of anything other than cleaning the bits and pieces and of course losing a critical part (thank gad you sent the other carcass!) and it fired right up. It's running loops pulling the Iron Horse Ramble as we speak, helped by two of my Atlas Roco FAs. It's got a minor wobble to it, but hell it's almost as old as I am... and I'm pretty wobbly too. For the moment, it is the Pride of the Retro Fleet.
I'd be happy to take a stab at one of those 2-8-8-2s... 8)
Next I have a couple of Rivarossi Pacifics to tune up.
Lee
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Another fossil re-animated.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/15/9-250220185208.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=15233)
The venerable Atlas 0-8-0. Runs like a Swiss watch going forward, but don't ask it to back up.
I suspect it has some Zamac disease. Fortunately, the Retro Layout is not demanding, so round and round she goes.
I'll have to get another original equipment tender, though. Hers was donated to my WM 0-6-0.
Fortunately I had a spare USRA tender to fill in for the meantime.
Lee
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I now have two functioning Atlas 0-8-0's in the fleet, thanks to some hard bargains and swaps with @ChristianJDavis1 .
I put a new motor in this one, and applied some trim paint.
I'm thinking I need to design a proper steam era lettering set to give the Laurel Valley some history. What do you think?
Lee
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/15/9-290220230005.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=15386)
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I now have two functioning Atlas 0-8-0's in the fleet, thanks to some hard bargains and swaps with @ChristianJDavis1 .
I put a new motor in this one, and applied some trim paint.
I'm thinking I need to design a proper steam era lettering set to give the Laurel Valley some history. What do you think?
Lee
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/15/9-290220230005.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=15386)
I say go for it; I'd be interested to see what you cook up.
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I think I may have an issue. These are just the ones that have boxes.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/15/9-010320163845.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=15392)
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Sorry not sorry. And remember, there is always more where that came from.
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@ChristianJDavis1 you are a first class fiend... the most recent parcel has been a source of unmitigated joy. From the Rivarossi 0-4-0s to the basket case Rapido GP9s.
I'm feeling compelled to beg @seusscaboose for my 22 stall roundhouse to be returned to house even a fraction of these wonderful relics!
Lee
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Here's a couple of stabs at a Laurel Valley lettering scheme for my growing retro steam fleet. First, using Copperplate in dulux gold.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/15/9-010320215911.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=15394)
Next, trying Rockwell, which is the diesel era font, only not italicized and in white.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/15/9-010320220104.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=15395)
Next, Engravers MT in white
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/15/9-010320220339.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=15396)
and Finally, Imprint Shadow
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/15/9-010320220421.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=15397)
I like all of them, and could go with white or yellow lettering in any case. Any thoughts?
Lee
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I like the yellow, but maybe not in that font?
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I say yellow in Engravers MT.
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Here's a couple of stabs at a Laurel Valley lettering scheme for my growing retro steam fleet.
Next, Engravers MT in white
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/15/9-010320220339.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=15396)
Any thoughts?
^ This one - except that it needs a Kadee 2-8-0 pilot conversion kit.
(http://cdn.powered-by-nitrosell.com/product_images/1/103/MIC1042.JPG)
http://www.nicholassmithtrains.com/product/MICRO-TRAINS/N-REPLACEMENT-PARTS/ATLAS-0-8-0-PILOT-%26-TENDER/MIC1042/ (http://www.nicholassmithtrains.com/product/MICRO-TRAINS/N-REPLACEMENT-PARTS/ATLAS-0-8-0-PILOT-%26-TENDER/MIC1042/)
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^ This one - except that it needs a Kadee 2-8-0 pilot conversion kit.
(http://cdn.powered-by-nitrosell.com/product_images/1/103/MIC1042.JPG)
http://www.nicholassmithtrains.com/product/MICRO-TRAINS/N-REPLACEMENT-PARTS/ATLAS-0-8-0-PILOT-%26-TENDER/MIC1042/ (http://www.nicholassmithtrains.com/product/MICRO-TRAINS/N-REPLACEMENT-PARTS/ATLAS-0-8-0-PILOT-%26-TENDER/MIC1042/)
I have one you can have if you don’t mind the fact that the rear truck conversion was used for something else. Let me know and maybe it can find it’s way into another shipment.
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^ This one - except that it needs a Kadee 2-8-0 pilot conversion kit.
(http://cdn.powered-by-nitrosell.com/product_images/1/103/MIC1042.JPG)
???
I thought Lee was using Rapido couplers on his retro-layout.
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???
I thought Lee was using Rapido couplers on his retro-layout.
The main point was the conversion from 0-8-0 to 2-8-0, not any change in coupler type.
Of course, if you know of a 0-8-0 to 2-8-0 conversion kit that has a Rapido coupler on the front pilot, then don't hold out on us.
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The main point was the conversion from 0-8-0 to 2-8-0, not any change in coupler type.
Of course, if you know of a 0-8-0 to 2-8-0 conversion kit that has a Rapido coupler on the front pilot, then don't hold out on us.
Oh, I see now.
I didn't realize that Lee wanted to make it a 2-8-0.
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I didn't realize that Lee wanted to make it a 2-8-0.
That was merely my suggestion, not necessarily Lee's intention.
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I don't have any intention of converting it to a 2-8-0. And while it would be nice to have an operable coupler up front, under the present operation it certainly isn't necessary.
So let's stay focused on the lettering, shall we?
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the white looks very good
but, the delux is also a fine look
i know that is not all that helpful
so...in the end i would go with the white
i enjoy following this thread
sincerely
Gary
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Copper plate or Engravers MT both in Dulux gold and both with a stripe. makes the LV look like its trying to outclass the big boys.
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I'm not as hung up on gold as I thought I would be. My WM steam has gold with a splash of red, and I did my B&O Mike with gold lettering. Eventually I will repaint my Trix K4 into DGLE and gold lettering.
So I think just to set it apart, I will stick with white.
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I think the white looks more “steamy” than the yellow.
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I'm not as hung up on gold as I thought I would be. My WM steam has gold with a splash of red, and I did my B&O Mike with gold lettering. Eventually I will repaint my Trix K4 into DGLE and gold lettering.
So I think just to set it apart, I will stick with white.
Do I smell a decal project coming? :trollface: :D
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Do I smell a decal project coming? :trollface: :D
I believe you do! This time I'll try to keep everything "inside the lines"
I'm also going to include some steam era freight car lettering using the same font I choose for the lokies. Afterall, we found this old relic grown over with ivy near the B&O interchange in Somerset.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/15/9-020320165558.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=15399)
The boys down in the shop got her cleaned up pretty well, but there's a yard full of rusty old hoppers and a couple of composite gondolas that will need some polish, too!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/15/9-020320165536.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=15398)
Oh, and I'll need to do a bobber caboose or three, as well!
Gosh darn it if this hobby doesn't go from one rabbit hole to another!
Lee
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I don't have any intention of converting it to a 2-8-0.
So, it's going to serve mainly as a switcher rather than as a road unit?
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It's going to be what it is. A 50+ year old Rivarossi with a fragile frame that runs loops beautifully in one direction, and seizes up when reversed. Not much of a switcher when it can't go backward.
I've already taken it apart to the extent I care to when I replaced the motor. I have no interest in tinkering with the zinc frame that extends out in a narrow band to hold the cylinder heads, which would have to be pulled in order to install the conversion kit.
It's not that I don't have confidence in my skills to perform the surgery, it's that I don't have confidence in the alloy the patient is composed of to survive the procedure. I already have the carcasses of two of these engines that dissolved more or less in my hands during a simple cleaning and lube.
I don't run any sort of "operations" on my loopty loop layout, and I don't have a yard, and only a couple of sidings on the upper loop. So yes, it's a "road unit" without a pilot truck, it lopes along just fine with about 8-10 cars, and I'll be thrilled for it to continue to do so for as long as it can.
For the sake of justification, I can argue that my railroad serves several quarries and a concentrated district of heavy industry at Latrobe. As such, it would be sensible to roster a couple of heavy switchers to work those facilities. From time to time, they may be called upon to move from one terminal to another, so an expedition on the high iron now and again isn't out of the question. I also have a Rivarossi Mikado for full on road service, and can always count on borrowed power from the nearby PRR, B&O and Western Maryland if there's a pinch.
Which there never is, because I run loops on an old hollow door with 50 year old locomotives.
JFRTM.
Lee
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Speaking of decals...
I have this little side project
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/15/9-030320083900.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=15401)
I want to put some more suitable markings on the rolling stock, and rebuild the caboose into a flat top like this:
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/15/9-030320083954.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=15402)
The rebuild should be pretty straightforward, but the lettering is proving to be more elusive. There were some interesting post war paint schemes, like the one featured on this cover of B&O modelers:
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/15/9-030320084137.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=15403)
Which I would like to replicate. Going through my list of available fonts, there's a few "close but no cigars" but I'd like to be a little more accurate, despite my leaning toward laziness.
Anyway, just thought I'd float the balloon and see if anyone had any thoughts...
Lee
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Thinking I should change the name of the layout to the Akron, Detroit, Huron and Duluth... the ADHD Line... last night I repaired my ConCor RDC, started mapping out the repower project on the Bachmann E60, and repaired a few ancient freight cars crying out for trucks and couplers.
Then today the Camden and Amboy conversion kit for the Trix 2-10-0 arrived in the mail from @Tom Todd today.
I have enough projects queued up to last the rest of the year.
Thanks to all who have contributed to this mind numbing experiment!
Lee
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Thinking I should change the name of the layout to the Akron, Detroit, Huron and Duluth... the ADHD Line...
Annapolis, Dundalk, Hagerstown & Delaware?
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. . . started mapping out the repower project on the Bachmann E60, . . .
My offer of sleeving those cracked nylon gears still stands. Keeping it retro! :)
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Lee: I wonder if Clover House might have some dry transfers you could use? They used to have a lot of old schemes, and as far as I know are still making them.
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@peteski you're on. I can send you 3 lokies that need your attention. The E60 I can just send the trucks, an 0-4-0 that ive already torn down, and a Bachmann Mikado that I'll send intact.
@nkalanga I will look up Clover House. That's a great idea. I like working with dry transfers.
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@peteski you're on. I can send you 3 lokies that need your attention. The E60 I can just send the trucks, an 0-4-0 that ive already torn down, and a Bachmann Mikado that I'll send intact.
@nkalanga I will look up Clover House. That's a great idea. I like working with dry transfers.
Allrighty! I'm gettign more than I bargained for. :D I'll send you a PM.
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Thinking I should change the name of the layout to the Akron, Detroit, Huron and Duluth... the ADHD Line... last night I repaired my ConCor RDC, started mapping out the repower project on the Bachmann E60, and repaired a few ancient freight cars crying out for trucks and couplers.
Then today the Camden and Amboy conversion kit for the Trix 2-10-0 arrived in the mail from @Tom Todd today.
I have enough projects queued up to last the rest of the year.
Thanks to all who have contributed to this mind numbing experiment!
Lee
That’s better than the Cincinnati, Louisville And Peoria.
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...
Then today the Camden and Amboy conversion kit for the Trix 2-10-0 arrived in the mail from @Tom Todd today.
...
Got yourself a real winner there! Glad to see an original C&A product being put to use after all these years!
After all, it’s been 28 years since Konrad closed up shop.
You get just the boiler shell or the whole boiler and long tender kit?
As far as I can tell, the tenders seem to have gotten used more than the boiler shells. Or at least fewer of them survive.
I’ve got one complete unopened kit, which stays in the “company museum”, and somewhere I have one loose boiler shell.
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The kit came with the tender. I don't think I'll be using th boiler though.
In other news, it's Penn Central Night on the Retro!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/15/9-170320200436.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=15685)
Top to bottom, my Trix FM switcher (one of four PC units I have), a Rapido GP9 in original paint, a Bachmann GP40, the really old school one with brass gears (no splitting!) followed by a Trix U boat, and my up-motored Metroliner. I also have an Arnold GG1 which is presently experiencing some mechanical difficulties, and a pair of Trix F7s. I also have a couple of those old cast iron Rapido FAs.
My favorite part about running these old dogs, is that when these models were all released, Penn Central was current events railroading.
Man. Am I really that old?
Lee
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Apparently. ^^^^^
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But in the mean time...
Hey Budd!
Newly arrived today.
Lee
Lee
Sorry if this has already been posted:
/>
Loved the Bmanns when i had them.
We have a Budd unit down here and the diesel (sound) is pure heaven! Travelled way back in 70's on it and it was refurb'ed for commuter service back in '00s but never got to ride her again. Damn!
regards from a slightly safer nz,
dave
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A few more wires, and the lights start to come on in Old Town...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/15/9-210320223736.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=15766)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/15/9-210320223958.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=15767)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/15/9-210320224436.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=15768)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/15/9-210320224639.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=15769)
Getting closer to ballasting track and more complete scenery.
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It's @Ed Kapuscinski night on the Retro. Just obtained a nice Atlas GP40 classic today!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/15/9-230320194557.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=15819)
Lee
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Are those two on the lower level Atlas/Katos? They almost seem TOO new for what you're doing! You should send them my way... lol.
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Straight DC, Rapido couplers, mid to late 80s ... maybe 90s vintage. I'm calling it good. In fact, I was going to ask if you had a couple unmodified laying around!
At least I can get some work done while they're running. Between the brass gears and the pall of ozone in the air, the old Rapido engines can be a bit distracting...
Lee
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I wonder if that blue loco in the back on the lower level is Kato GP38-2? That would be the first loco Kato USA produced under their own name. It was revolutionary by having flywheels. Chassis was made with a heavy lead-based alloy. Great puller!
Like I just posted this in another thread, I bough one of those right after they fist came out (and still have it). In time Kadee/Micro-Trains made pilot coupler adapters to replace the truck-mounted Rapidos.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/2700_24_10_16_11_46_06.jpeg)
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I have one of Ed's old ones. I had attempted to install DCC in it, and probably gooched it up. It runs, but not terribly well.
The GP38 on the upper deck is a Lifelike, the later run that had the right blue. The original run was way too dark.
Lee
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The loco in the back on the lower level is a GP40.
Doug
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The loco in the back on the lower level is a GP40.
Doug
Is it the 3 radiator fans? Who made that one? It has black handrails and seems to have truck-mounted couplers. I thought Kato only made GP38-2 and GP50.
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Yeah, the three fans. That isn't the Mehanotehnika version, is it? Could it be?
:D
Doug
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Yeah, the three fans. That isn't the Mehanotehnika version, is it? Could it be?
Doug
Could be. I guess we could ask Lee to see what is written on its fuel tank.
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Or look to see if there are stanchions right next to the cab where they don't belong. Or if there are four holes in the sides for lateral locks. Or...
:D
Doug
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Or look to see if there are stanchions right next to the cab where they don't belong. Or if there are four holes in the sides for lateral locks. Or...
Doug
Yes.
Borrowed from Spookshow.
(http://www.spookshow.net/loco/files/yugogp40.JPG)
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Is it the 3 radiator fans? Who made that one? It has black handrails and seems to have truck-mounted couplers. I thought Kato only made GP38-2 and GP50.
Mehano
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Sorry guys. It's an Atlas split frame. Note the printed number boards. It's an early one, with the two separate light boards fore and aft, and factory Rapido couplers, and of course the old Johnny Lightning speed motor. Sort of the transition between the first generation A/K models and the later "Classic" line.
The frame says "Atlas 1996" so it's still 24 years old... almost an antique!
If you're running lazy loops and don't need sound or DCC, you can get some really nice running old stuff for cheap. Which we all know is my favorite color... :D
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ONLY 24 years old?! Lee, shame on you. We expected nothing newer than 25 years old! You fooled us all! :D
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Freakin' nuts that "the 90s" were that long ago :facepalm:
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Freakin' nuts that "the 90s" were that long ago :facepalm:
Yup, us Gen Z kids are legally drinking now.
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I saw the number boards but I thought maybe somebody...you know... spiffed up a Mehano.
:D
Doug
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Sorry guys. It's an Atlas split frame. Note the printed number boards. It's an early one, with the two separate light boards fore and aft, and factory Rapido couplers, and of course the old Johnny Lightning speed motor. Sort of the transition between the first generation A/K models and the later "Classic" line.
The frame says "Atlas 1996" so it's still 24 years old... almost an antique!
If you're running lazy loops and don't need sound or DCC, you can get some really nice running old stuff for cheap. Which we all know is my favorite color... :D
Yep. I've got some Chessie GP40s from that era that are that same way.
I remember when those first came out they caused an issue at our NTRAK club because our throttles couldn't go low enough to keep them from moving. It sounds like an odd problem, and in retrospect it is, but I remember everyone being absolutely wow'ed by them.
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The local hobby shop had the C&NW version of that GP40 and I put off buying it because there were others I wanted I considered more desirable. The day I finally decided I was going to get it, the store was closed permanently.
Doug
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So the conversation on the Weekend Update turned to my current enjoyment of DC current...
Then I started thinking about how much fun I'm having setting up different schemes to run on the layout day in and day out. I have a bunch of engines that are great runners and fun to watch, and relatively easy to take care of, so I can keep all kinds of variety out to keep me entertained.
As such, I thought it would be a good time to introduce a bit of how I "operate" the railroads with my growing fleet of old jalopies.
If anything, my small layout with its limited capabilities has spawned a monster... I can run passenger trains from several eras now, I can have any of the following combinations running thanks to the endless possibilities of my little four loop railroad... My road name ethos stays pretty close to home, but other than that, there's a lot going on here.
B&O steam night
B&O Transition night
B&O Diesels (blue and gray)
B&O Diesels (all blue)
PRR Steam
PRR Electrics
PRR Diesels
Streamliners or Heavyweights on the Broadway
Western Maryland Steam
WM Fireball Diesels
WM Speedletter diesels (I haven't converted any of my "circus" scheme WM...)
I have my old Laurel Valley engine that also makes appearances hauling those fancy hoppers around at times.
And of course Penn Central night with my U28Cs from Trix, GP40s from Bachmann, an Arnold GG1 and a Trix FM... and the Metroliners. Probably my best equipped collection outside of the B&O and WM stuff the layout was designed for) I even have removable cat poles for the times I run the G's and Metroliners.
And just because I can, I'm cultivating a fleet of Conrail models, with an Amtrak train to take care of passengers.
Or I can run makes of models...
Arnold-Rapido night (Steam and Diesel)
Life Like Lead Sled Night
Trix Night (Steam and Diesels)
Early Atlas/Roco night
Bachmann Night (I can only run them when I'm home alone... too much noise!)
Or I can run all FAs. Or all Switchers, or all EMD cab units.
I also have a couple of 1880s 4-4-0s and a smattering of rolling stock to enjoy turning back the clock a little further than usual.
At least when I had the big, themed layout, I could focus my purchases on the traffic and road names that supported that effort. All that's now out the window, and if the vintage and price is right, I tend to hit the buy button.
One of my goals during this bizarre period we're living through is to take my modules out into the yard on a sunny afternoon and document the collection in a proper setting. I'm still pretty busy with work, but I'm hoping to get a little break here soon.
Lee
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Then I started thinking about how much fun I'm having setting up different schemes to run on the layout day in and day out. I have a bunch of engines that are great runners and fun to watch, and relatively easy to take care of, so I can keep all kinds of variety out to keep me entertained.
If anything, my small layout with its limited capabilities has spawned a monster... I can run passenger trains from several eras now, I can have any of the following combinations running thanks to the endless possibilities of my little four loop railroad... My road name ethos stays pretty close to home, but other than that, there's a lot going on here.
Clearly the roundy-round therapy sessions are having a beneficial effect and should be continued.
Call the office immediately, however, if you experience any sudden urge to start modeling in HO narrow gauge.
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With the resurgence of the East Broad Top, it's very possible that there's potential for that sort of infection. But so far my efforts at social distancing have been successful!
Lee
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Love the “theme night” approach!
Frank
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I notice there's no Chessie theme :trollface:
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I notice there's no Chessie theme :trollface:
I always reserve Chessie Night for the day I'm tearing down a layout.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/16/9-290320144700.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=16111)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/16/9-290320144514.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=16109)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/16/9-290320144546.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=16110)
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(https://i.pinimg.com/236x/73/d2/71/73d27104fb59a698eddab63bd559088e.jpg)
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Freakin' nuts that "the 90s" were that long ago :facepalm:
It was a weird day when I realized that Star Trek:TNG is older now than The Original Series was when TNG was on.
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It was a weird day when I realized that Star Trek:TNG is older now than The Original Series was when TNG was on.
:o
I'm in the middle of season 7 on Netflix.
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It was a weird day when I realized that Star Trek:TNG is older now than The Original Series was when TNG was on.
And I watched both as originally broadcast. F*ck, I'm old...
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I try to keep my accomplishments in perspective by remembering that by the time John Lennon was my age, he'd been dead for 15 years.
Lee
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And I watched both as originally broadcast. F*ck, I'm old...
Ditto here.
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At around 6 p.m., the afternoon sun dips down to just the right angle to illuminate one end of the layout, providing an opportunity to capture some "Golden Hour" glam shots of my Golden Oldies...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/16/9-020420232025.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=16231)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/16/9-020420232826.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=16232)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/16/9-020420233052.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=16233)
Forgive the Geep in the river... I only have about 15 minutes to work and by the time I noticed it, the sunlight was GONE!
This will probably be the next area where I tackle some more detailed scenery. As the equinox gives way to the solstice, I'll have more time to take pictures, so I want to have a nice scene there in which to do so!
Lee
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That's really quite effective, Lee!
Oh, and BTW, FIFY...
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/river-geep.jpg)
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Good save @DKS !
Frank
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That's really quite effective, Lee!
Oh, and BTW, FIFY...
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/river-geep.jpg)
The Wizard of the Woods strikes again!
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The Wizard of the Woods strikes again!
I like that 👍👍 In the 1950's through the early 1970's Model Railroader had the Wizard of Monterey and The Railwire has "The Wizard of the Woods" 👍👍
Not to steal your thread Lee, the "Golden Hour" Glam locomotive photo's look great 👍
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It looks really good when I have one of my streamline stainless passenger trains running. The sun glints off the corrugated sides just right, and windows flash by appropriately!
A little overcast today, so I don't think there will be much of a show this afternoon. Plus I haven't run the trains in two days... I plan to work on them tonite, maybe painting some rails and adding ballast...
Lee
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Repairs of Lee's stuff continue this weekend.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/16/2700-030420222724-162412315.jpeg)
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Goodness! The surgery is in full swing! I better get to work fitting that Life Like motor into the E60 Chassis.
Lee
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Another land slide of retro goodness arrived by post yesterday. A discussion of the current issue Atlas GP30 elsewhere in these pages led me to pine openly for my old set of Roco-drive geeps, which I had obtained from a member of the Baltimore Society of Model Engineers back in the late 1970s. It was a pair of 30s and a pair of GP9s, all in Santa Fe blue/yellow, the nines in handsome Warbonnet motif.
At some point in the mid 1980s, I paid JnJ to repower two of the drives with then-new Kato motors to quiet them down and smooth them over. These upgraded drives rode under the GP30 shells, which I had repainted to become B&O units. I had repainted the 9s into Conrail Blue and IIRC, a black PC/CR paint out. (no photographic evidence of these exists, although the remains of their original drives can still be found in my parts bin) Not sure what became of their shells. Ultimately, I sold off the GP30s when I converted my fleet to DCC, and I've mildly regretted it ever since.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/16/9-110420091046.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=16462)
Well, my lament was heeded by one of our fellow travelers, @reinhardtjh down in Texas, and he offered up a bunch of Roco drive Atlas engines to get them off of his shelf and onto mine. Not only did I reclaim the exact same selection as I had enjoyed in my youth, but he supplemented it with more Roco FA1s, (two Readings and a Frisco!) to round out that corner of my fleet.
I really like the warbonnets, and probably won't paint them over, but I may do something with the 30s... Maybe I'll keep the original shells intact and seek out replacements in the aftermarket to deface with my marginal painting skills. These are all in pristine condition, so I'll hold off doing anything radical right away. In the meantime, I'll be putting them through their noisy paces over in the corner.
Lee
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If you really want to go retro, just brush paint a couple of locos with thick unthinned paint... the more brush strokes, the more retro. Then decal it with left over model airplane decals.
Exquisite!
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One of the GP 9s has a bum gear in the front truck. The back truck runs fine the front one sits while the worm gear spins. I'll have to do a little surgery. Hopefully I have spare parts to replace what I need to. Until I get it apart, I won't be sure if it's the main gear or an idler between the axles.
I'm also coming up empty with the replacement original truck frames to put Rapidos back on the modified 30... But I'm sure they're out there somewhere in the Great Garage of Doom.
All I have to do now is fix the truck wires on my E-7 and I can have a full on Atlas Roco Night!
The RDC isn't too far off from running again, too... so maybe an All Roco night with all 6 available tracks!!
Lee
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... and I'll just pop back in to note what a wonderful sound system they have... They actually have a little throaty "thrum" to them like a proper 567 should, especially when run in tandem.
And pondering a question for the ages... After the FA-2 was released with its fairly potent and reliable can motor, one has to wonder why they put the smaller motor from the GPs into the E-7... There was plenty of room to go with the bigger motor... I imagine cost and interchangeability of parts with the newer locomotive models had something to do with it.
Anyway, back to work...
Lee
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One of the GP 9s has a bum gear in the front truck. The back truck runs fine the front one sits while the worm gear spins. I'll have to do a little surgery. Hopefully I have spare parts to replace what I need to. Until I get it apart, I won't be sure if it's the main gear or an idler between the axles.
IIRC, all 3 gears inside the truck are metal! So is the worm. I have never seen those get damaged or even slip on the axles. But I think these locos have that funky cup gear engaging the pinion on the motor shaft. I think the cup gear is plastic.
Update on your stuff: The trucks are fixed, cleaned and lubed. The 2-8-2 is getting close to being completed. I have photo evidence of the repairs and will post them along with detailed write up. And the package coming back to you will be little larger than the one you sent to me. But I'll let it be a surprise. :)
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The Roco GP, F, and, I believe, E7 locomotives have all red plastic gears.
Doug
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/16/9-110420091046.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=16462)
Well, my lament was heeded by one of our fellow travelers, @reinhardtjh down in Texas, and he offered up a bunch of Roco drive Atlas engines to get them off of his shelf and onto mine. Not only did I reclaim the exact same selection as I had enjoyed in my youth, but he supplemented it with more Roco FA1s, (two Readings and a Frisco!) to round out that corner of my fleet.
Nice to see the old gals putting in some revenue service after all these years. I hope they give you many years of fun.
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The Roco GP, F, and, I believe, E7 locomotives have all red plastic gears.
Doug
And Con-Cor (Roco) RDC have those too.
Did Roco make GP9s?
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Did Roco make GP9s?
http://www.spookshow.net/loco/rocogeep.html (http://www.spookshow.net/loco/rocogeep.html)
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So far the Roco/Atlas GP9 is the only Phase 3 GP9 ever offered in N-scale other than brass. I keep hoping Atlas will do them with their modern mechanism.
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Red plastic gears. @peteski Is thinking of the Arnold GP9/30 models, which have brass gears and a cup gear.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/16/9-120420210253.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=16529)
Hers the problem child.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/16/9-120420210503.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=16530)
Half the teeth are shorn off. I can disconnect the one worm and roll with one powered truck, but that would be cheating!
So anyone have a red gear floating around?
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While the soldering pencil was out, I repaired the truck wires on these old dogs (again!)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/16/9-130420110312.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=16534)
Life Like Lead Sleds... The gift that keeps on giving.
But man, when they run, they purr, and they'll pull the rug off the floor.
Looks like it's going to be Conrail day today! (at least until the solder joint breaks... AGAIN!)
Lee
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While the soldering pencil was out, I repaired the truck wires on these old dogs (again!)
Life Like Lead Sleds... The gift that keeps on giving.
But man, when they run, they purr, and they'll pull the rug off the floor.
Looks like it's going to be Conrail day today! (at least until the solder joint breaks... AGAIN!)
Lee
There a possibility that what you're soldering to is Aluminum or Steel?
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No, they're the phosphor bronze pick up strips on the trucks, which have as feeder wire soldered to them. It's a notorious design flaw of these locomotives. As they navigate around the twists and turns of your track plan, especially looping endlessly for hours, the wire flexes back and forth with the pivoting of the truck and over time the wire breaks.
It's one of the reason so many of those excellent 5 pole Lifelike motors have made themselves available for repower projects of other models.
What's interesting is that this is the same set up Roco used for years, as well as in most of the other LL lead sleds, but I've never had as much trouble with wires breaking as I've had with the GP38.
Lee
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You might try replacing that one wire with three or four much finer wires. The larger wire has larger strands that can't withstand the flexing as much.
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But then there's today's newly arrived distraction.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/16/9-130420224542.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=16544)
A 1968 Parkway F9, by Arnold Rapido. I've now got three of these models, but this one is the only Parkway, and it's in the home road!
Lee
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I'm eagerly awaiting my Peteski Pack, as well as another gem mined from deep in someone's retro collection. I just saw the mail truck zip by on its way out of the neighborhood, but alas, I've promised to finish a couple of work deadlines before I can commence with playtime... Better get off the 'wire for a bit and get some designing done...
Lee
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When Lee send me that Bachmann E60 truck for repair, he "volunteered" me to take a look at his vintage Bachmann 2-8-2. The main problem was that one of the front driver wheels kept falling out of the axle tube, but some other things also needed attention, and since I was going to take it apart, I figured that I would take care of them all. Lee already wired the tender for electric pickup - that goes a long way for improving running characteristics of this model.
I examined the model apart before disassembly. I found unusual that the gears visible on the bottom of the model looked like they were made from transparent material. That was odd, as most Bachmann gears are made from milky-color Nylon. I gently pulled on the front wheel Lee described as problematic, and sure enough, it came right off. The axle had a some sort of glue buildup, so the previous owner tried to glue that axle into the axle tube, but since the axle tube was covered in grease, the glue didn't hold.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/16/2700-190420031920-166961632.jpeg)
Lees2-8-2Disassembled01.jpg
I fully disassembled the loco. When I take models apart I like to keep all the parts in the original locations, especially steam loco models, and even more importantly for well-worn crappy steam locos. :) I arrange parts on a Styrofoam tray, pushing some parts into the tray so they remain in place.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/16/2700-190420031922-166992029.jpeg)
Lees2-8-2FUD_Gears01.jpg
I also washed all the parts in Naphtha in an ultrasonic cleaner. That's when I was in for a surprise! When the driver axle/gears dried they were no longer clear. When the grease was removed they suddenly showed a very familiar surface finish. These were not original Bachmann Nylon gears. They were 3D printed in FUD! They had the telltale whitish areas where the wax supports were present during printing. So the previous owner of this model replaced all the original gears! Probably because they were all cracked.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/16/2700-190420031922-167002036.jpeg)
Lees2-8-2FUD_Gears02.jpg
But even 3D printed replacement gears did not stand up to the sloppy Bachmann tolerances of the metal axles, because this one cracked too.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/16/2700-190420032142-167081339.jpeg)
Bachm2-8-2GearRepair03.jpg
I repaired that cracked gear by installing a brass collar on it. I also put collars on the other three, so they will not crack on Lee later. For more details on making those collars see https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=49440 (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=49440)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/16/2700-190420031921-166971286.jpeg)
Lees2-8-2Frame01.jpg
As the collar increased diameter of the axle tube, I had to drill out the locos frame to gain clearance.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/16/2700-190420031924-167041087.jpeg)
Lees2-8-2MotorMount.jpg
The motor installed in this loco was not the original motor. It was a also a Bachmann motor, but it was smaller and shorter than the original one, so it wasn't being properly retained between the frame and the weight. I noticed that one side of the motor had a threaded hole. Sometimes it pays to be a bit of a hoarder: I save all sorts of small fasteners from items I throw out (like old laptops or old electronics). Sifting through my semi-organized collection of screws, I just happened to find a short screw with the right thread. I added styrene shim to the motor cradle to properly line up the worm, and drilled a mounting hole for the motor.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/16/2700-190420031924-167031989.jpeg)
Lees2-8-2Motor.jpg
Next, I test-fit the motor for proper mesh with the worm gear (worm gear was removed before taking the picture). I also installed a 00-90 screw with a larger washer soldered to it into the tender drawbar post. Lee originally melted the end of the post to permanently couple the tender, but that just wouldn't do it for me. :)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/16/2700-190420031921-16698254.jpeg)
Lees2-8-2Frame02.jpg
Motor and gears installed in the frame. The gears will mesh properly once the bearing plate and wheels are installed.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/16/2700-190420031923-167022040.jpeg)
Lees2-8-2Mechanism.jpg
Mechanism is back together with the tender attached. I soldered short pieces of copper wire to the metal frames to act as solder terminals for the tender wires. When the time comes to disconnect the tender, it will be easier to unsolder/solder the wires to those, instead of trying to solder to the larger metal frames which act as big heat-sinks.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/16/2700-190420031923-167001490.jpeg)
Lees2-8-2Headlight01.jpg
The loco was missing its headlight bulb. I know it is a retro model, but I couldn't resist adding an LED headlight. So I installed a SMD white LED. In the back of the LED is a regular SMD diode wired in reverse-parallel (to protect the LED from reverse voltage damage). Below the LED is a 1k SMD resistor. I forgot to add a small capacitor in parallel with the LED to prevent it from flickering in reverse due to BEMF from the motor. But the flicker is barely noticeable. The orange film attached to the LED with epoxy is something I got from Chris333 which changes the color temperature of white LEDs to warm white, so it glows like an incandescent bulb.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/16/2700-210420184654-1680689.jpeg)
Lees2-8-2Headlight02.jpg
The LED headlight took place of the incandescent bulb. The original bulb's leads were routed through a plastic insulator in the boiler-weight, and for electrical connection were tucked under screws which hold the front of the driver bearing plates/electrical pickups. I also routed the LED headlight wires through the plastic insulator, and to facilitate easy disassembly I fabricated phosphor-bronze clips which nicely snap onto those screws that hold the bearing plates.
There were also few more items I addressed:
The crankpin screw hole in one front driver had stripped thread. It would probably come out eventually. Since it is screwed into the plastic wheel center, I places a sliver of the same plastic (taken from a scrap Bachmann truck) in the screw hole and screwed the screw in. Then I heated the screw with a soldering iron until the plastic around it softened and formed a new thread.
The screw inside the smoke stack holding the shell down was missing, and the thread in was also stripped. Nothing was holding the shell to the chassis. I found a replacement screw, and went through the same procedure as I did with the crankpin screw to re-form the thread.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/16/2700-190420031925-16705508.jpeg)
Lees2-8-2Shell.jpg
The previous owner glued lots of pieces of lead all over the loco. The pieces they added in the ashpan/cab area were too thick, interfering with the fit of the cab. I ended up shaving them down until the shell could be easily installed.
The model has a bit of a shimmy, which I think is caused by the front (traction tire equipped) driver. The problem is that the driver's axle bearing openings are so oversize that the axles have too much play. Between them being driven by the gears (with too much lash) and siderods pushing on them, they will wobble.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/16/2700-190420031920-16693823.jpeg)
Lees2-8-2Complete.jpg
The loco was then lubricated, front and rear truck wheels cleaned, and driver treads polished. I have to say that this was a fun and interesting restoration.
E60 truck repair will be covered in my next post.
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Ok, E60 truck repair write-up will have to wait.
I also donated an old Model Power FA diesel to Lee. It has been sitting in one of my train boxed for over 30 years, and I really had no use for it, so he might as well enjoy another retro rear truck drive model. I did service it before I shipped it off to Lee. New wiring was installed using very flexible ZIMO decoder wire, and wheels were cleaned. Also, the hardened traction tires were replaced with fairly close matching Fleischman TTs. They are a touch thinner, but at least they are still nice and soft.
Also it is not just an ordinary FW with a crappy motor. I supercharged it by replacing the weak magnet with rare-earth super-magnets! While still not quite as good as contemporary motors, that improved its torque quite a bit. So it can be considered a resto-mod model. :D I did tape the original magnet inside the jewel case, so it can easily be converted back to stock anemic-running motor.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/16/2700-190420044321-167242295.jpeg)
I did leave the original GOW light bulb in the front which produces a nice warm glow in the headlight, number boards and the empty cab. :)
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Thanks for your expert handling of this project. I've had great fun running the Mike and the FA. Enthusiastically planning the rebuild of the E60 next!
Lee
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Now Arriving at Retro Union Station, Track 2, the Crescent Limited. Bound for Charlotte, Atlanta and New Orleans!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/16/9-240420144916.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=16852)
Just in time for Virtual Jazz Fest!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/16/9-240420145522.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=16853)
https://www.wwoz.org/
Tune in to this year's broadcast of past Jazz Fest great performances, and drop a few coins in the bucket to keep the Guardians of the Groove alive and well during our temporary break in the action...
I just received the Model Power set today. It probably hails from the early 90s, so not as retro as the Arnold locomotive, which is 1968 vintage. But it was complete in the original package, including factory air, and loose metal wheelsets to replace the badly rendered plastic pizza cutters that rendered the cars virtually inoperable. It's gliding along the final leg of the trip with a couple of coaches and a combine, and the Observation Car "Ronald Reagan" bringing up the rear. I guess I'll need to spring for some Pullmans and a diner, and maybe a mail car or two.
Lee
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/16/9-250420105838.jpeg)
Well... That ended badly. :P
Lee
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ouch
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I’m surprised the motor had enough torque to do that.
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I’m surprised the motor had enough torque to do that.
Few Angstroms at a time. Think Chinese Water Torture. :)
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While digging through the parts bin looking for organ donors for the steam project, I decided to poke this guy, which came in a large collection listed as DOA.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/16/9-260420105929.jpeg)
A quick schpritz of contact cleaner and some fresh lube, and it's now gliding around the upper loop.
Surprisingly smooth and quiet, and amazingly good pulling power. Another fine example of the Atlas-Rivarossi partnership of the late 1960s. And it's always fun to run Penn Central equipment that was produced in the Penn Central era.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/16/9-260420112003.jpeg)
Also started running some ballast along the B&O double track. The color isn't quite what I wanted, but it's what I have on hand, more of the Vintage John's Ballast from the 1970s.
I'll probably go over it with an India ink wash to dirty it up a bit.
Lee
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=16911)
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I ran into couple of Con-Cor (Rowa) C&O Corrugated Pullman cars on eBay. Interested?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/133395579024 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/133395579024)
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I ran into couple of Con-Cor (Rowa) C&O Corrugated Pullman cars on eBay. Interested?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/133395579024 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/133395579024)
Just an FYI, that’s two of the same cars. They’re both “City of Newport News” sleepers, and they appear to be listed “as-is.” That said, the C&O scheme is sharp and even looks good mixed into a B&O consist.
DFF
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Just an FYI, that’s two of the same cars. They’re both “City of Newport News” sleepers, and they appear to be listed “as-is.” That said, the C&O scheme is sharp and even looks good mixed into a B&O consist.
DFF
YEs, they are identical, but that is never a problem on a retro layout when unique road numbers or car names were not typical. The as-is designation looks to be printed on the original Con-cor label, but it seems that all the parts are in the bags. Plus, the seller takes best offers. I figured I would toss this Lee's way. Those are pretty cars.
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I've always liked the C&O passenger scheme, but I'm presently not in the market. If they were the Rowa coach body, I might be in, because then I could apply the handsome RWB Western Maryland paint to one to make a more accurate model of coach 1700, which actually was a C&O car that went to the WM for use in their OCS, as well as various excursion trains. It's now at the B&O Museum in Baltimore, repainted into the C&O colors it wore originally.
In other news, I've been having fun posting numerous videos of the Retro Fleet in action on various N scale Facebook groups, since it's easy to upload clips right from the phone. In the interest of sharing some of that here, I've dusted off my old YouTube channel to start seeing what fun there might be in sharing some of this stuff to a wider audience. My goal is to accumulate these short clips into something a bit more coherent, perhaps with some narration and more detail about the layout itself... such as it is.
So here's the first sample of some of the raw material I'll be working with...
The restored Rivarossi/Atlas switcher I have posted photos of recently.
I think it's important to show this stuff actually running, since anyone can plop a carcass on the rails and take a picture of it!
Look for more of this stuff coming to this space. Eventually...
Lee
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Runs like buttah!
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I've updated the title of this thread to better reflect what's happening here. The moniker "N Scale Hi Rail" isn't new, I recall my old friend John Craft using the term back when we were building the WMRHS layout, using code 55 rail and trying for a higher level of detail than typically seen in N at the time... He was an S scale modeler, and the "scale" models were differentiated from the familiar American Flyer "toy" trains by designating the latter as "Hi Rail". The comparison works well, in my mind.
Hi Railers have different goals and standards, but still fundamentally enjoy the hobby. My goals for this project have moved around a bit, starting with the idea of using old school technology to run old school trains, but that just proved to be impractical. Some of that old crap was genuinely crap. So, the focus now is on the "Hi Rail" vintage trains, cleaned up and in some cases fixed up to work a little better, but keeping for the most part their original appearance and vibe. And different from the purity of the "collector", my goal is not to preserve corpses in formaldehyde in a look-but-do-not-touch mode, but rather to let these old models stretch their legs a bit, running loops for hours on my hollow core door. Still no DCC or fine scale track, still no high-falutin' time table or car cards. Just fun old trains run in circles for the amusement of an old guy fondly recalling the simplicity of youth.
I hope you've enjoyed the evolution of this idea, and I'll look forward to sharing more progress (regress?) as the layout edges toward a more finished state.
N joy!
Lee
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I've used the phrase "N Scale Hi Rail" for years, as that's exactly what the early N scale was, just like in O scale. Like them, we had the not-always-scale "Toy Trains", the "Hi-rail" scale models on toy track and wheels, and, eventually, "scale trains", which, like O and HO, weren't exact-scale track and wheels, but which were as close as practical for mass production and marketing.
Now, N scale "fine scale" is starting to appear, although I imagine it will always be a niche market.
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I've heard early N referred to as N gauge Tin Plate, but that always rang a bit hollow, since with few exceptions, pretty much everything was plastic... Thanks for chiming in. I'm glad to hear there might be more of us out there. But please, there's a few things dangling low on the eBay tree I need to pick before this becomes a trend and they get too ripe! :D
Lee
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True, "tinplate" doesn't accurately describe the earliest N scale, in a literal sense. But, as a description of the technological level and the culture, it's close, and most modelers in the larger scales would relate to it.
That's why I prefer to use "toy trains" instead. After all, to an O-scaler, "Toy Train" often implies both historic and expensive, not an insult, when applied to the tinplate era. Even today, many O models can be bought in both Hi-rail and scale versions, basically just the trucks and couplers are different. N scale is the same way. Many of the models available can easily be converted to hi-rail, if one wants the large flanges and Rapido couplers, although parts are getting harder to find.
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I've heard early N referred to as N gauge Tin Plate, but that always rang a bit hollow, since with few exceptions, pretty much everything was plastic... Thanks for chiming in. I'm glad to hear there might be more of us out there. But please, there's a few things dangling low on the eBay tree I need to pick before this becomes a trend and they get too ripe! :D
Lee
Lee, I liked the original "Retro Tech Layout Project - N Scale Compact Layout" title better. There is nothing higher about your rail than on any of the zillions of Kato Unitrack layouts (and good portion of flex-track-based N scale layouts for that matter).
And as far as tinplate toys go, those are nothing to turn our noses at - some are highly collectible, and commend high prices in the collector's world.
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Atlas/Roco GP9s with that classic thrum that belies the need for expensive sound chips. As the opportunities arise, I'll be posting videos of the entire fleet in operation with brief descriptions of each model.
While I doubt I can be as thorough as @spookshow , perhaps he can make use of my video links within the context of his encyclopedia.
Lee
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Atlas/Roco GP9s with that classic thrum that belies the need for expensive sound chips. As the opportunities arise, I'll be posting videos of the entire fleet in operation with brief descriptions of each model.
While I doubt I can be as thorough as @spookshow , perhaps he can make use of my video links within the context of his encyclopedia.
Lee
Yo Lee! I hate linking stuff because the links inevitably die. But if you promise it'll be there forever, I'm all in. Looks awesome! :D
-Mark
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Atlas/Roco GP9s with that classic thrum that belies the need for expensive sound chips.
Not just locos, the microphone picks up faint clickety-clacks of the track joints, and the wheels-on-metal-rail sound. Sounds surprisingly similar to 1:1 train sounds! Very cool!
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Peteski: No, I don't "turn my nose up" at tinplate. As you said, some of it is worth a lot of money. Besides that, at one time, it was state-of-the-art for consumer model railroading. We probably wouldn't have what we have today if it hadn't made trains available to the masses.
And, if you read enough old magazine, late 30s and 40, some folks were actually running what we would consider "operations" with tinplate trains. After all, if the point is to simulate the movements of cars and trains, does it matter if they're toys, accurate detailed models, or (today) code in a program?
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Lee, I agree with @peteski : the old title was more appropriate. Some of the finest layouts represented on The Railwire--indeed, anywhere--are "Hi Rail." Anyway, I really don't think it's about the track, or the equipment used, or even that it's roundy-round instead of ops-based. I believe it's about the spirit of the layout. What you're doing is scratching a specific itch in a specific way that recaptures N Scale in its earliest days. So, with all due respect, I'd either revert back to the original subject title, or come up with one that doesn't focus on Code 80 rail.
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I appreciate the feedback. For now it is what it is, because in my mind, it does suit my project... you know, Rule 1 and all that.
I think of Hi Rail more as an attitude, and not so much a set of design features. To me there is enjoyment, but perhaps no joy in getting down in the weeds on dreaded rivet counting or worrying about whether the industry your car is routed to was open on May 23, 1946, or if the horn that sounds from your $200 sound chip is a Nathan or a Leslie.
And while it's a delight to find a locomotive I pined for as a kid, when I buy it, it's going to be put to its intended use, not put under glass as some untouchable artifact... nope, I'm going to put it on the rails and run it!
Case in point...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/17/9-300420092622.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=17065)
This pristine 1968 Atlas boxcar kit arrived in today's post. A fascinating time capsule. I'll be building it tonight, and composing an opus about it once I've released the factory air from the parts bag, sorted its parts and gotten it ready for service.
But for now, work! Someone has to pay for all this old stuff!
Lee
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Before turning the box upside-down, you might want to search it for the left stirrup!
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Hi Lee, If you ask the Lionel guys, they'll tell you "Hi-Rail" was a term created for people building O scale layouts but using Lionel three rail tubular track. Since Lionel tubular track is twice the height as scale 2 rail O scale track, a layout featuring O scale structures, automobiles, streets, scenery, etc. but using Lionel three rail tubular track, Lionel rolling stock and locomotives these layouts became known as a Hi Rail layout. So I can dig the idea of your N scale Retro Hollow Core Door layout being a N scale version of a Hi-Rail layout idea. Since you're using code 80 track and most of your rolling stock has the pizza cutter wheels and the original Rapido N scale couplers. I'm enjoying the thread and reliving my childhood vicariously through the photo's and video of your N Scale Hi-Rail Layout. :D
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Hi Lee, If you ask the Lionel guys, they'll tell you "Hi-Rail" was a term created for people building O scale layouts but using Lionel three rail tubular track. Since Lionel tubular track is twice the height as scale 2 rail O scale track, a layout featuring O scale structures, automobiles, streets, scenery, etc. but using Lionel three rail tubular track, Lionel rolling stock and locomotives these layouts became known as a Hi Rail layout. So I can dig the idea of your N scale Retro Hollow Core Door layout being a N scale version of a Hi-Rail layout idea. Since you're using code 80 track and most of your rolling stock has the pizza cutter wheels and the original Rapido N scale couplers. I'm enjoying the thread and reliving my childhood vicariously through the photo's and video of your N Scale Hi-Rail Layout. :D
This explains why I had only ever heard the “hi rail” term applied to 3 rail Lionel layouts.
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Hi Lee, If you ask the Lionel guys, they'll tell you "Hi-Rail" was a term created for people building O scale layouts but using Lionel three rail tubular track. Since Lionel tubular track is twice the height as scale 2 rail O scale track, a layout featuring O scale structures, automobiles, streets, scenery, etc. but using Lionel three rail tubular track, Lionel rolling stock and locomotives these layouts became known as a Hi Rail layout. So I can dig the idea of your N scale Retro Hollow Core Door layout being a N scale version of a Hi-Rail layout idea. Since you're using code 80 track and most of your rolling stock has the pizza cutter wheels and the original Rapido N scale couplers. I'm enjoying the thread and reliving my childhood vicariously through the photo's and video of your N Scale Hi-Rail Layout. :D
I don't want to argue, but c80 track is not really an oddity on N scale - it is likely the most common track used on majority N scale layouts. As you explained, Hi Rail in non-tinplate 0 scale was an oddity, while c80 track in N scale is very common. IMO, the "retro? moniker fits Lee's layout perfectly as he is running vintage N scale equipment with Rapodo couplers, but it runs on currently the most commonly used N scale track.
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Not so fast, there @peteski . Unless I'm mistaken, tube steel track was the original mass produced model railroad track for O, and also S. Discounting Lone Star's track, which comparatively was not mass produced on the scale that Trix and Rapido track was, c-80 was the original mass produced track for N. But again, as @Rich_S points out, the track is only part of the equation.
The fact is, there are great layouts built of c-80 track, such as Todd Treaster's behemoth to @Dave V ' Juniata Division and @mu26aeh 's Hanover sub that are decidedly not "Hi Rail" layouts due to their overall aesthetics, the models operated on them, and their operating scheme.
Those layouts represent the fisherman who invests heavily in the latest equipment, has a really good boat, and goes out every weekend with a fish finder radar, a weather radio and the latest technology in lures and reels to bring in the big fish. Hi Rail represents the fisherman who takes his dad's rod and reel down to an old familiar pier and enjoys watching the bobber float on the surface while he drinks a beer. Does that help clear it up?
:D
Lee
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ah please, don't rope me in with those 2. That's way too much pressure on myself to live up to those standards :D
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I had to think of an ops-based layout that was built with c80, and yours lept to mind. (Todd and Dave are unrepentent roundy rounders) And don't sell yourself short... your scenes come together quite nicely.
Lee
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And honestly, there was nothing novel or special about the Juniata Division. If I did anything well, it was in giving it publicity. I never quite understood why it had the following it did...it was a Model Railroader project layout track plan with a shitload of green Woodland Scenics products.
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@Dave V the JD was brilliantly executed, though. You applied a consistent philosophy to it, even if your eras ended up a little all over the place. The good news for you there was that the Middle Division looked pretty much the same from the the installation of the position light signals until they came down. Other than that, it's just a matter of the volume of ivy growing on the buildings to tip you off what year it might be.
And your publicity work is not to be dismissed. You have the demeanor of a good teacher... You set your own expectations pretty high, and you provide the necessary information and encouragement, delivered with a high level of quality, clarity, and humor to let your audience know that there's nothing wrong in raising their own expectations of themselves. The RGS continues that impressive cycle. I look forward to the time when Rho and I find ourselves in Colorado (she lived there for 17 years) and we can sip good whiskey while your HO scale crews go about their business...
Lee
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Well thanks! My overriding philosophy is that if a no-talent hack like me can do something, quite literally anyone can do it.
Both the finished JD and the finished RGS do one thing well...they hide the trail of failures and do-overs that led to them. If I could teach anything about model railroading (as unqualified as I am to do so) it's to set aside the fear of failure. Failure is the foundation of learning.
The beauty of this hobby is the size of the tent. Watching your work here Lee makes me not a little nostalgic for my old HO scale white-box Bachmann and Tyco stuff. God only knows why, because they ran as well as a Soviet Lada...but it was all so fun and magical anyway!
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Get a load of this!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/17/9-050520011915.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=17180)
Lee
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I see what you did there @wm3798 :^;
Frank
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Lee's getting loaded and posting on the internet... so, what's new?
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I have enough of that aluminum to make 9 million scale tons. I like it shiny, but I'm thinking a dusting of rust and grime will make a really nice looking scrap iron load. Maybe sprinkle in a few recognizable chunks of things to spice it up a little.
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Started by toning down the scrap loads with some matte finish. Helped knock down the shine, as well as seal the tiny bits a little better.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/17/9-060520000019.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=17224)
Then I rummaged around in the stacks to find this:
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/17/9-060520001802.jpeg)
A genuine artifact from my first layout. The ubiquitous Heljan warehouse. I had sliced it longitudinally for a backdrop building on the WM, but I never finished painting and weathering it, so it retains its ancient patina.
It's perfect for this location, because I need something to provide a better photo back drop for the train station...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/17/9-060520001943.jpeg)
The good news is the old switch plate is metal, so I can simply install some magnets on the back of the building flat so it can be removed for the purpose of seeing what the hell I'm doing...
Pardon the blur...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/17/9-060520000636.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=17227)
But it should work out just fine. I may yet paint it if for no other reason to let it fade into the background behind the trains a little better. There's room in front of it for a stub of track to add some visual interest to the scene, but I doubt I'll connect the siding. It's facing the wrong way, and I don't really have any other infrastructure to support switching even one car, so odds are it will be modeled as an abandoned track, which will be fun to do in its own right.
Then I broke out the track maintenance train, my old Armstrong track cleaning car bookended by the new drive Bachmann Plymouth. Apart from being gigantically over scale, these pups run really well.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/17/9-060520001138.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=17228)
But the Retro Hi-Rail coup of the night was the discover of this back there in the stacks of stuff...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/17/9-060520001303.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=17229)
That's it. Genuine Noch grass paper from the 1970s. I had liberated a big chunk of this from my dad's stash used on our annual Christmas garden and squirreled it away. I never used more than bits and pieces of it on my small layouts, so there's still a whole chunk of it left. Looks like the grass just got a little (a LOT) greener on the N Scale Hi Rail!
Lee
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Started by toning down the scrap loads with some matte finish. Helped knock down the shine, as well as seal the tiny bits a little better.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/17/9-060520001802.jpeg)
A genuine artifact from my first layout. The ubiquitous Heljan warehouse. I had sliced it longitudinally for a backdrop building on the WM, but I never finished painting and weathering it, so it retains its ancient patina.
It's perfect for this location, because I need something to provide a better photo back drop for the train station...
The good news is the old switch plate is metal, so I can simply install some magnets on the back of the building flat so it can be removed for the purpose of seeing what the hell I'm doing...
Pardon the blur...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/17/9-060520000636.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=17227)
Lee
Did you already add a siding serving the warehouse?!
Speaking of old Heljan kits, do you have their brick station? That would be a nice companion to the warehouse.
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Well I've gone and done it. I've created a group on the Facetoobs that focuses on collecting, repairing, updating and running vintage N scale. I invite you to take a look if this would interest you. https://www.facebook.com/groups/543086996404531/members?notif_id=1588777349169535¬if_t=groups_member_joined&ref=notif (https://www.facebook.com/groups/543086996404531/members?notif_id=1588777349169535¬if_t=groups_member_joined&ref=notif)
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Well I've gone and done it. I've created a group on the Facetoobs that focuses on collecting, repairing, updating and running vintage N scale. I invite you to take a look if this would interest you. https://www.facebook.com/groups/543086996404531/members?notif_id=1588777349169535¬if_t=groups_member_joined&ref=notif (https://www.facebook.com/groups/543086996404531/members?notif_id=1588777349169535¬if_t=groups_member_joined&ref=notif)
requested
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Your application is being processed by the assistant secretary to the department of intake and processing department of new members and application processing...
You're in! :D
Lee
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If you grew up in Baltimore in the late 70s and early 80s, seeing these guys roll through town was always a treat. In order to keep Conrail "competitive", the D&H was granted trackage rights over Conrail and the Northeast Corridor to Potomac Yards in Alexandria to provide an alternative for traffic moving between New England and the southeast. Some of my fondest memories are of nights trackside in Arbutus keeping watch for the "D&H Man" passing through around 11 p.m.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/17/9-110520212727.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=17371)
And of course, more worms.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/17/9-110520213008.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=17372)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/17/9-110520213236.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=17373)
Kept clean, these 2nd generation Bachmann mechanisms were rock steady. Why they detoured from this no nonsense design to put broken gears and limp motors in everything is beyond me.
Lee
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/17/9-140520235622.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=17402)
Started working on my trestle for the branch line.
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A modest improvement to an increasingly popular photo location on the layout... See if you can tell what I did...
Before...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/17/9-150520020843.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=17407)
A little later...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/17/9-150520021032.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=17408)
And then...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/17/9-150520021308.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=17409)
And just now...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/17/9-150520021449.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=17410)
Lee
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Well...most obviously, you lined the underside of the bridge, added metal bracing to show your Pennsy fan boys that you care and lastly added some landforms, trees and other scenic accouterments.
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A modest improvement to an increasingly popular photo location on the layout... See if you can tell what I did...
And then...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/17/9-150520021308.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=17409)
Lee
@wm3798 Please take this as constructive criticism or better modeling thru peer pressure. While they help fill in bare scenery spots very quickly those inexpensive Chinese trees need work before using them as is on a layout.
1.) hit the trunks & branches with matte spray or dulcotte (to kill the sheen on the trunks & branches) then
2.) add some spray adhesive followed up with sprinkling of different color ground foam to tone down the neon green foliage and then
3.) finally hit them with unscented hair spray to lock it all in.
I just performed the above steps on 22 of the same type Chinese trees this afternoon for my friends layout. They will be used as a test/mock up to see if they’ll work for a narrow background area he has between a siding & the sky board. Unless you put a lot of work into sprucing them up IMHO they work best in middleground and background scenes mixed in with better versions. I’ll follow up my post with before n after pics. Total time investment was about an hour (including rounding up the required supplies)
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@wm3798 Please take this as constructive criticism or better modeling thru peer pressure. While they help fill in bare scenery spots very quickly those inexpensive Chinese trees need work before using them as is on a layout.
1.) hit the trunks & branches with matte spray or dulcotte (to kill the sheen on the trunks & branches) then
2.) add some spray adhesive followed up with sprinkling of different color ground foam to tone down the neon green foliage and then
3.) finally hit them with unscented hair spray to lock it all in.
I just performed the above steps on 22 of the same type Chinese trees this afternoon for my friends layout. They will be used as a test/mock up to see if they’ll work for a narrow background area he has between a siding & the sky board. Unless you put a lot of work into sprucing them up IMHO they work best in middleground and background scenes mixed in with better versions. I’ll follow up my post with before n after pics. Total time investment was about an hour (including rounding up the required supplies)
Pretty sure @wm3798 is aware of all that - he's intentionally going for a 1970's retro vibe on this layout, when trees had big broad plastic branches etc. Sure, his inner artist can get that stuff and the lichen to a point where it actually looks fantastic, but he's not aiming for accuracy.
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@wm3798 Please take this as constructive criticism or better modeling thru peer pressure. While they help fill in bare scenery spots very quickly those inexpensive Chinese trees need work before using them as is on a layout.
Pretty sure @wm3798 is aware of all that - he's intentionally going for a 1970's retro vibe on this layout, when trees had big broad plastic branches etc. Sure, his inner artist can get that stuff and the lichen to a point where it actually looks fantastic, but he's not aiming for accuracy.
@160pennsy this is Lee when he's not in "retro mode."
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/misc/100912_142534t.jpg)
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What those guys said! Yes it's all I can do to resist the urge to throw those trees away. But the layout really is all about the quick and dirty old school feel.
I'm just glad you didn't notice the open Pilots Rapido couplers and the flanges that are as big as all Outdoors!
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What those guys said! Yes it's all I can do to resist the urge to throw those trees away. But the layout really is all about the quick and dirty old school feel.
Then I’m confused with why you would detail the stone arch bridge and not leave it quick and dirty out of the box? Same goes for the ballast and painting of track....Guess it’s an episode of Steve Brown “Its my Railroad”..I’ll watch from the 2cent bleachers and keep quiet
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Then I’m confused with why you would detail the stone arch bridge and not leave it quick and dirty out of the box?
And why call it "Hi-rail" when using the most widely accepted standard N scale code 80 track?!
Just bustin' your chops Lee. You have your "logical" reason.
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And why call it "Hi-rail" when using the most widely accepted standard N scale code 80 track?!
Just bustin' your chops Lee. You have your "logical" reason.
My understanding is because he's doing it all in the style of high-rail O scale 3-rail.
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Thank you. After years of pursuing the best track, the finest running models, ultimate realism in the scenery, this project has reawakened the shear delight of just running trains I remember from my youth.
It's also fun not having the hang ups of a Lionel collector... I don't care about original boxes, original paint or even original drives.
Lee
As I was not really “following “ this retro rig layout thread every time a new post showed up I only skimmed thru the text and just looked at the photos. Since a few members stepped in to set me straight, I had to go back to page 9 to find this quote on what the main goal was. My apologies for barging into the party late w/a tumbler of Johnny Walker Black and blurting out my opinions @ 4-5am LOL
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And why call it "Hi-rail" when using the most widely accepted standard N scale code 80 track?!
Just bustin' your chops Lee. You have your "logical" reason.
Was there ever any n-scale track that was taller than Code 80?
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One piece, about 9 inches long, that I laid, years ago, with code 100. The rail came from a piece of HO sectional track, and I spiked the rails to a piece of 2x4, as a cheap "surface plate". It was flatter than the usual sectional track nailed to a board, so served the purpose. I only used it for one job!
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Was there ever any n-scale track that was taller than Code 80?
I would have to dig up the old Arnold blackened steel rail, and also the original PIKO sheet metal upside-down "U" shaped track to see if they are taller than c80.
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You do that, @peteski !! I'll be over here throttling up my 0-8-0 and that great MRC FA you fixed up for me!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/17/9-150520174252.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=17437)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/17/9-150520174451.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=17438)
Lee
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You do that, @peteski !! I'll be over here throttling up my 0-8-0 and that great MRC FA you fixed up for me!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/17/9-150520174451.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=17438)
Lee
Nice! Good to see you getting some good use out of the super-flux turbo FA! I also spotted a sure sign or retroism (is that a real word?): Unpainted black plastic roofwalk and brakewheel on that Pennsy boxcar. I never understood why they didn't just install those before painting - it would have made huge difference in realism. :facepalm:
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Progress!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/17/9-170520160959.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=17482)
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The fun part of running this retro stuff is keeping it alive, and reviving engines that have been given up for dead...
Spent the evening in surgery... Freshly arrived in the mailbox today, two C-liners, one with an E8 front truck, complete with pilot, glommed on the back, and one said to be dead on arrival. I already had one in stock that was also suspect. After about a half hour of swapping parts and fixing motors, I ended up with one that runs very solidly, and enough parts to fix another one, although I'll need to glean some fresher brushes from another junk box.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/17/9-240520020151.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=17634)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/17/9-240520020426.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=17635)
Brushes from the burned out C liner went into the motor of my beloved Mike, which has been laid up for a couple of weeks. It was good to have her back on the road again.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/17/9-240520020716.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=17636)
The final project was supposed to be a quick gear swap in an Atlas/Roco GP30. @randgust graciously dipped into his vintage parts department and supplied me with a new red gear. Well, as usual, one thing led to another, and about an hour and a half later, I had swapped out the entire truck from a carcass that I had held onto since the 1980s (It had already been mostly parted out to keep two other Rocos in my fleet alive all those years ago)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/17/9-240520021258.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=17637)
When I received this particular example, its original equipment handrails were damaged. Fortunately, I had this old set remaining from the first Laurel Valley locomotive I painted in the now familiar green and yellow scheme. (the rest of it has been lost to the ages). I'm thinking I may have to reprise that scheme on this one...
All the best!
Lee
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Stepdaughter the science nerd set up the 3D printer last night. The layout was the first beneficiary of newfangled technology.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/17/9-240520085619.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=17641)
The bed leveling test made a nice security gate in the sketchy side of town!
Lee
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You're using 3D printed items on the retro layout now? Maybe you should recaption this thread as "N Scale Hi Rail- Now with modern technology." :trollface:
DFF
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Or the Retro Nuevo Line.
Jeff
You're using 3D printed items on the retro layout now? Maybe you should recaption this thread as "N Scale Hi Rail- Now with modern technology." :trollface:
DFF
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That security gate is well within the "retro" philosophy. Back them we used anything that looked usable, regardless of what it actually was, or was intended to be. The use of "trash" from another job was common.
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More work on the Old Town Trestle...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/17/9-240520235037.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=17656)
It's starting to look like a thing!
I'm wondering if you can really consider yourself a model Railroader if you've never built a wood trestle...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/17/9-240520235329.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=17657)
Lee
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Glad to see the upsidaisium tracks are finally getting support. (retro cartoons for a retro railroad)
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I started reading this thread from the first post yesterday morning. What a great layout you have built and it took me back to 1979 when I was in Junior High and discovered the hobby. One of my friends had the Atlas big book of track plans which everyone always wanted to borrow.
I'm really glad to have found this thread as it was a pleasure to read through.
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Thanks so much. It's been a lot of fun. Happy to share It!
Lee
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I'm wondering if you can really consider yourself a model Railroader if you've never built a wood trestle...
Lee
<smiling in narrow gauge> :D
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I'm wondering if you can really consider yourself a model Railroader if you've never built a wood trestle...
Lee
<smiling in HO scale> :D
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What if you model a road that never had a wood trestle?
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What if you model a road that never had a wood trestle?
A shortline?
While doing research I found wood trestles were used absolutely everywhere pre 1960s when it comes to ditch crossing.
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A shortline?
While doing research I found wood trestles were used absolutely everywhere pre 1960s when it comes to ditch crossing.
If you were doing the Pennsy mainline you'd be out of luck after the beginning of the 20th century.
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Most lines were built with trestles and then slowly filled in over the years.
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Finished some subterranean infrastructure and fixed the location of the trestle at Old Town, so I was finally able to install the last bit of riverbed.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/17/9-030620111236.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=17825)
This will lead to more rock castings and scenery, and a fun project to build a canal lock.
Lee
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Lee lives in a smart-phone-induced tilted world. :D
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Those Phillips head Lilly pads though... :P
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Lee lives in a smart-phone-induced tilted world. :D
Me too even though my digitally enabled and much younger work colleagues told me many times to keep the home button on the right side to stop that. It was quite a while before I could swallow my embarrassment/pride/stubbornness and ask “ok then, wtf is a home button?”
:facepalm:
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Me too even though my digitally enabled and much younger work colleagues told me many times to keep the home button on the right side to stop that. It was quite a while before I could swallow my embarrassment/pride/stubbornness and ask “ok then, wtf is a home button?”
:facepalm:
Just another example of the conspiracy against left-handed people.
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Just about all of my photos are now taken with my phone. But I transfer them to my computer to crop and re-size before posting.
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Just another example of the conspiracy against left-handed people.
“Right will always triumph, because left . . . is dumb.”
-Dark Helmet
:trollface: :trollface: :trollface:
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Come over here so I can beat you with my left handed spatula.
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“Right will always triumph, because left . . . is dumb.”
-Dark Helmet
:trollface: :trollface: :trollface:
May the Schwartz be with you! :D
(http://media2.firstshowing.net/firstshowing/img9/spaceballs-yogurt-ring-tsr.jpg)
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Come over here so I can beat you with my left handed spatula.
Perfect for the masochists around here___ :o
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I planted some trees.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-100620204417.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18005)
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Those Phillips head Lilly pads though... :P
Those Phillip heads are not painted buoys^^
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Those Phillips head Lilly pads though... :P
Yes, flat/slotted lily pads would much more retro than Phillips lily pads. :D
DFF
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Do like I once did, way back when: white-glue a rock to the top of the screw. Just find a small rock, with one flat side, and glue it on. Many shallow streams have rocks in them, and if you ever need to access the screw, it comes off easily.
In my case, the screw was on land, so it was even easier to hide under a rock. A little dirt around it, and it looked like it had been there forever.
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You know, there's almost a prototype for the rock...
It's on the B&O Museum's train ride, just west of their shops. It's a big flat topped rock that the local ladies of the afternoon take their patrons to go screw on.
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..take their patrons to go screw on.
Slotted or Phillips?
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Slotted or Phillips?
I think you can get both depending on which way you swing.
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Slotted or Phillips?
Well since I don't live in Maryland anymore . . . . :trollface:
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Slotted or Phillips?
Well since I don't live in Maryland anymore . . . . :trollface:
Torx, then? ;)
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Well since I don't live in Maryland anymore . . . . :trollface:
Torx, then? ;)
You gotta pay extra for that.
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I'll just be over here playing with my Davenport...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-120620220404.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18018)
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Do you have a Con Cor SD45?
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I'll just be over here playing with my Davenport
TWSS
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"If you don't stop that you'll go blind..."
"Well, can I do it until I need glasses?"
I'll just be over here playing with my Davenport...
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I seem to recall my grandparents referring to the couch as a davenport. 🤷🏻♂️
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Wazzou: That's what Mom always called ours. She grew up in Wenatchee, WA, and I in Pasco, so it may be a regional thing.
My father was from Kentucky, and didn't usually call it anything. He didn't even like to sit on it. He left it for the pets and us.
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"Davenport was the name of a series of sofas made by the Massachusetts furniture manufacturer A. H. Davenport and Company, now defunct. Due to the popularity of the furniture at the time, the name davenport became a genericized trademark."
we all called it by this name. i guess we meant it in the generic sense
sincerely
Gary
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"Davenport was the name of a series of sofas made by the Massachusetts furniture manufacturer A. H. Davenport and Company, now defunct. Due to the popularity of the furniture at the time, the name davenport became a genericized trademark."
[/size][/color]
[/size]we all called it by this name. i guess we meant it in the generic sense[/color]
[/size][/color]
[/size]sincerely[/color]
[/size]Gary[/color]
Ah, so they made sofas and small switching locos? Cool! :D
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The super-deluxe model switcher came with a couch in the cab...a Davenport in a Davenport...for the man who worked for the quit.
Jeff
Ah, so they made sofas and small switching locos? Cool! :D
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I believe the current standards for being considered a model railroader are:
A) how many hot glue burns you've suffered.
B) how many times you've glued your fingers together with ACC.
C) If you own at least 8 sets of precision screwdrivers and the same one is missing from each of them.
Jeff
[quote author=wm3798 link=topic=46293.msg666443#msg666443 date=159037908
I'm wondering if you can really consider yourself a model Railroader if you've never built a wood trestle...
Lee
[/quote]
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I'm glad you've enjoyed talking among yourselves. It's important to continue to socialize in these trying times!
Meanwhile, back to actual model railroading...
I have a short tunnel on the mine branch, which is really just the inner loop on the upper level. Thinking I was being helpful, I installed a Trix re-railer in the middle of it, in hopes that any equipment that might stray from the rails on the tight corners of the old 7-3/4" radius Trix track would be righted on this short straightaway. In the end, it turned out to be more of a problem than a solution.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-150620145615.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18060)
Unlike the more familiar Atlas re-railer, this has a slightly raised diamond in the middle, which is supposed to catch the flange of a derailed car and guide it back. But what it does is create a hump that catches the underside of some of my smaller switchers, such as the mighty Davenport, causing a stall mid-tunnel. So I pulled it up, and trimmed an Atlas re-railer to length, and and solved the ground clearance problem. This nagging repair finally completed, it cleared the way for a little more scenery work. First, I mudded in around the tunnel portal to fix it in place.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-150620150042.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18061)
Next, needing to still access the tunnel from above, I layered on a bit of plastic wrap, then mudded in the rest of the area around the portal. This gave me the necessary separation to be able to pull the top of the mountain off when something goes wrong. I used tinted Sculptamold, and pressed in some plaster rock castings, which I also pre-tint.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-150620150403.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18062)
Once that all set up, I got out my big bag of trees, some survivors from the old WM layout, some of more recent vintage, and some plastic Chinese mass produced trees, and jumbled them into the hillside. A slight variety of colors and textures helps no single tree stand out, but keeps it from looking like a blob of puff balls or ground foam.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-150620151000.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18063)
Turned out as nicely as expected... and it works!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-150620151631.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18064)
Next work on the portal at the other end.
Lee
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Getting ready for July Fourth!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-160620092638.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18072)
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Wow, look at the thickness of those hand rails! :o We've come a long way baby!
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I'd have to check, but this might have been the first N scale model offered with yellow safety paint factory applied on the handrails at the ladders. Iconic model from the 70s of an iconic 70s event.
I replaced the dead bulbs with LEDs, so now it has directional lighting too!
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Iconic model from the 70s of an iconic 70s event.
Back in the day, I bought one those locos - along with the SCL version - to haul a set of the original KD/MTL state cars.
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One more bit of scenery added today... A little more of that wonderfully phosphorescent green Noch grass paper...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-160620220550.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18076)
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Finished fine-tuning the tunnel portals at Paw Paw. Had to make sure there was plenty of clearance for pantographs and high cubes and auto racks.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-170620175426.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18093)
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Finished fine-tuning the tunnel portals at Paw Paw. Had to make sure there was plenty of clearance for pantographs and high cubes and auto racks.
...
Don't forget a Roco or Arnold or Bachmann wrecking crane!
Too bad no one sold ever marketed the ducking giraffe car in N scale!
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Ah, so they made sofas and .... :D
Not unknown in the British colonies, so not uniquely ummercun...
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So what's in store for the last bit of Upsidaisium-tie track? Massive stone arch trestle? Big fill with a huge culvert? Long steel arch?
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The last bit is the leads to the coal mine. I have to work out how the stream is going to pass under that, I think it will be above a waterfall behind the wood trestle, so I will probably just do some sort of improvised bridge. I might use old hopper car sides as bridge plates, complete with the original lettering on it. It will never be more than a back drop to photos on the other bridges, but I want it to at least be a conversation piece.
I have one of Kisatchie's old weathered N&W hoppers that would be just right for the job.
Lee
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The tracks are separated so will it be only really wide bridge or two separate? You could make a steel plate center bridge on timber trestle end supports, as a variation. What would be really neat is a big forked timber trestle, two separate bridge decks on one wide trestle, even have support beams and wooden planking between the decks for workers to move around as they cut and uncouple cars and set brake lines. That decking idea would also help with the fact the diverging legs of the switch are hanging off the cliff edge, decking would make it look more secure.
And the main line only gets a wooden trestle but the mine spur steel bridges? Mining company got lots of bucks to throw around! :trollface: :D
However, not sure what constitutes "realistic" or "toylike" on this layout, so ... :?
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Cutting up a used hopper or gondola is hardly a big budget bridge!! I like the idea of a timber deck, though, it would look more sturdy, as well as conceal the need for any kind of interior detail on the bridge structure...
Better scan ebay for a good deal on Round Tuits. I'm going to need a few to get that project underway!
Lee
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Tiny Steam Night
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-230620030437.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18193)
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The fact that you got them all to run reliably enough to not drive you crazy is a real accomplishment.
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Similar to Ed, I did find myself idly wondering how many uninterrupted laps you could get before one stalled. :ashat:
I've been enjoying the scenic progress lately!
Lucas
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He didn’t post video... just a still photo... so...
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There ya go! Plastic turnout frogs and all!
The 4-4-0 is a bit of a cheater... it's the newer Atlas model... great runner. And the 0-4-0 on the lower loop is a Bachmann white box that I added some weight and tender pickups. Really smoothed that one out. The two running on the upper deck are original equipment, a Rivarossi 0-4-0 on the outer loop, and a Rivarossi 0-6-0 on the inner. I did shim the back of the 0-6-0's motor to get the worm to mesh more reliably, but otherwise, it's an unmodified model.
Naturally, running them a little fast helps keep things going. :D
Lee
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If you visit my N Scale Hi Rail group over on the Facetoobs, you'll see I post a lot of video of my old dinosaurs rambling about. There's a growing library of them on my YouTube channel as well.
Meanwhile, since it's the season for political conventions, I figured I better start working on my platform...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-230620130716.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18205)
Depending on the direction you're coming from, it's either going hard to the right or wide to the left... :D
Lee
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:D :D :D Slot Car racing on rails.
I have one of those old Rivarossi 0-4-0’s and it’s a sweet little runner. But when I convert to DCC, I’ll probably let it go to a good 4th home. It looks really good running s-l-o-w too when the side rods aren’t a blur, even though it takes it a long time to get anywhere.
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-230620030437.jpeg)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-230620130716.jpeg)
I'll bring the marinara sauce. Who will supply the meatballs?
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The Atlas 0-6-0 is a RoCo.
Doug
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I stand corrected!
@DKS You're just jealous because I don't have any rotating barber poles, fire flies, or ceiling fans to distract me from JFRTM! :lol:
Lee
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@DKS You're just jealous because I don't have any rotating barber poles, fire flies, or ceiling fans to distract me from JFRTM! :lol:
He says that with a smile on his face. :D
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@DKS You're just jealous because I don't have any rotating barber poles, fire flies, or ceiling fans to distract me from JFRTM! :lol:
Hey, I love spaghetti! I designed this, after all:
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/resources/track-planning/images/max-track.gif)
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Hey, I love spaghetti! I designed this, after all:
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/resources/track-planning/images/max-track.gif)
Leave it to the avowed cynophobe to design a trackplan in the form of a folded dogbone.
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Better scan ebay for a good deal on Round Tuits.
While you're scanning eBay, be on the lookout for these vintage trackside widgets:
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/UtEAAOSwobFetjr9/s-l1600.jpg)
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/wQ8AAOSwIXxdknbb/s-l1600.jpg)
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"cynophobe"
I had to look that one up! Woof! :)
The Railwire is very educational!
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Hey, I love spaghetti! I designed this, after all:
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/resources/track-planning/images/max-track.gif)
Downloading and adding to the bucket list. What is that, 30" x 48"?
I'm having a ball "running trains" but I'm missing the operations element. And I've got all these damn switchers!
Lee
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Downloading and adding to the bucket list. What is that, 30" x 48"?
36 x 60
2509-1¼, N Atlas Code 80 2509-1¼. Straight 1.22". 16
2509-2½, N Atlas Code 80 2509-2½. Straight 2.44". 17
2509-5/8, N Atlas Code 80 2509-5/8. Straight 0.61". 11
2510, N Atlas Code 80 2510. Curve radius 9.8", angle 30º 24
2511, N Atlas Code 80 2511. Curve radius 9.8", angle 15º 6
2513, N Atlas Code 80 2513. Straight 4.88". (bulk) 64
2515, N Atlas Code 80 2515. Curve radius 11.1", angle 30º (bulk) 35
2521, N Atlas Code 80 2521. Curve radius 11.1", angle 15º 1
2526, N Atlas Code 80 2526. Curve radius 18.94", angle 15º 6
2536, N Atlas Code 80 2536. Buffer/Bumper 2.76". 12
2547, N Atlas Code 80 2547. Straight 4.88". (bridge) 5
2700, N Atlas Code 80 2700. Left turnout 4.88". 15º (remote) 9
2701, N Atlas Code 80 2701. Right turnout 4.88". 15º (remote) 10
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More progress on the platforms last night...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-240620124858.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18250)
Cut the styrene bases, added the brick pavers and curbing to the center, and built the base to surround the station. I still have to wire in platform lights... as soon as I find the damn things. I bought them months ago and they sifted down into the strata of projects piled up on the work bench...
But to keep the underside accessible, I put some roofing nails into the foam, and glued some magnets under the platform deck.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-240620125443.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18251)
Everything snaps nicely into place, and stays put.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-240620125839.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18252)
Back to work now!
Lee
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Working on a restoration project, I needed a Bachmann U36B shell to glean a couple of parts off of. Thanks to @ChristianJDavis1 , look what the cat dragged in...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-250620103210.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18313)
I only need the end hand rail and the horn... but I have plans for the rest of it... Bwahahaha!!
I was also able to repair the White Box era drive under it, but it needs two one side frame. (I just found one in MY junk box!) (I found another one! Call off the hounds! The hunt is over!) This is the white gear version, with the clip on side frames. The original equipment was a two axle Blomberg... I often wonder why they didn't make an appropriate AAR side frame, since it's an easy enough swap. Then I remembered... Bachmann White Box... Where the mechanicals are a crapshoot and the details don't matter.
So anyone got a Bachmann truck or some loose sideframes in your junk box? I bet you do!
Lee
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So anyone got a Bachmann truck or some loose sideframes in your junk box? I bet you do!
@wm3798 - I don't have any surplus but I do have 3 white box u boats on my repair list - I have an unholy thing for GE diesels of that era. So please take detailed note and pictures from multiple angles so I know what you did that worked.
:trollface:
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Now you can see why I went to HO. That N scale bicentennial unit is craptastic.
DFF
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And yet, it is worth my efforts to do the necessary body work. Ideally I'd put it on the classic cast iron frame, but I've got that White Box drive running remarkably smooth...
@Philip H the key is to clean the contacts in the motor, get some spray contact cleaner if you don't already have some, and if it's the older brass drive, tear it fully down and clean EVERYTHING. There is so much friction in those trucks to begin with, a single cat hair will slow it down and bind it up. Also check the brushes.
The white box drive (the early split frame with white gears) isn't as bad, but it never hurts to pull the motor and spray the armature. Hint: Don't use alcohol for this procedure. One of the reasons I have so many carcasses in my junk box is that as a boy of 13 or so, I thought it would be an ideal medium for cleaning the electricals. It does work well to clean wheels and wipers, but it will flame out in a motor. Spray on contact cleaner can be bought in a large can at Lowe's, so you'll have plenty. With all the locos I've rehabbed in the last year, one can still worked out to be a year's supply.
The main trick with the white gear version is to get the motor and it's plastic insulator lined up and installed without bunching up the insulator.
If you need a new motor, just scavenge E Bay for Used Bachmann (insert model here) or even just Used Locomotive Lot. These things are getting dumped for parts all the time.
Lee
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And yet, it is worth my efforts to do the necessary body work. Ideally I'd put it on the classic cast iron frame, but I've got that White Box drive running remarkably smooth...
@Philip H the key is to clean the contacts in the motor, get some spray contact cleaner if you don't already have some, and if it's the older brass drive, tear it fully down and clean EVERYTHING. There is so much friction in those trucks to begin with, a single cat hair will slow it down and bind it up. Also check the brushes.
The white box drive (the early split frame with white gears) isn't as bad, but it never hurts to pull the motor and spray the armature. Hint: Don't use alcohol for this procedure. One of the reasons I have so many carcasses in my junk box is that as a boy of 13 or so, I thought it would be an ideal medium for cleaning the electricals. It does work well to clean wheels and wipers, but it will flame out in a motor. Spray on contact cleaner can be bought in a large can at Lowe's, so you'll have plenty. With all the locos I've rehabbed in the last year, one can still worked out to be a year's supply.
The main trick with the white gear version is to get the motor and it's plastic insulator lined up and installed without bunching up the insulator.
If you need a new motor, just scavenge E Bay for Used Bachmann (insert model here) or even just Used Locomotive Lot. These things are getting dumped for parts all the time.
Lee
I have a crapload of those Bachmann sideframes I can easily be talked out of few. The detail on those is on the soft side (but that's expected).
There is nothing wrong with using alcohol to clean the motor, but you don't run it *UNTIL* all the alcohol evaporates! :facepalm: I dunk my motor in Naphtha (lighter fluid), which works even better than alcohol, but I never run it until I blow all the stuff out of it, then wait until I can't smell Naphtha anymore.
So, none of the white gears on those locos are cracked? And no, I'm not looking to repair few more. I showed everybody how to fix them - I'm done! :)
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Here it is, fully restored! I had to fix a melty bit on the roof behind the cab, replace the front handrail, and install a new set of horns.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-250620131710.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18318)
A little putty, a little paint, make it something that it ain't! Certainly not up to today's standards, but definitely on the bucket list of 12 year old Lee.
Currently working revenue service, but getting ready for some photo run bys and holiday excursions along with her stable mates...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-250620131916.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18319)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-250620132118.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18320)
I might have to go out and buy a box of sparklers!
Lee
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Seems to me that “12 year old Lee” is causing “old man Lee” a lot of work. :trollface:
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It's a labor of love, @CRL ... A labor of love!
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Or you’re entering your second childhood.
Don’t worry... we all get there eventually.
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Some say... I never left the first one! :ashat:
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-250620131710.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18318)
Sorry, but thanks for playing. That Bachmann bicentennial unit just made me throw up in my mouth a little. Thank goodness that Atlas came out with this:
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/11/1292-280719202323.jpeg)
Woof.
DFF
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I bet mine's faster! :D
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I bet mine's faster! :D
Touché. Hahahahahaha!!!
DFF
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Hit all my work deadlines by the cocktail hour, so I messed around in the paint shop for a bit. First up, an old Rapido Overton coach.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-250620234052.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18324)
Probably should have used gold numbers or yellow lettering. I'll just blame the volunteers at the tourist line it will be used on.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-250620234519.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18325)
Next I laid down the first color band for the next Laurel Valley retro engine, a Trix F7.
Lee
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Speaking of color blind. Looks like the boys at the shops in Ligonier got close but no cigar on their purchase of a surplus 55 gallon drum of green paint down at the auction. Oh well. Beggars cant be choosers!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-260620172724.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18327)
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If the loco in the background is correct, neither the yellow nor the green is correct.
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Speaking of color blind. Looks like the boys at the shops in Ligonier got close but no cigar on their purchase of a surplus 55 gallon drum of green paint down at the auction. Oh well. Beggars cant be choosers!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-260620172724.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18327)
Great Northern Glacier Green, Union Pacific MOW Green, or a cast off from the Penn Central?
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I don't know what it is, but it isn't GN Glacier Green, or at least any variation of it I ever saw.
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This was my favorite Bicentelly engine, in Bednar-speak with the ATSF a very close second.
Jeff
Sorry, but thanks for playing. That Bachmann bicentennial unit just made me throw up in my mouth a little. Thank goodness that Atlas came out with this
Woof.
DFF
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Speaking of color blind. Looks like the boys at the shops in Ligonier got close but no cigar on their purchase of a surplus 55 gallon drum of green paint down at the auction. Oh well. Beggars cant be choosers!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-260620172724.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18327)
@wm3798,
If you weather that F-unit just right, can you make it look as if the paint is a faded version of that scheme on No. 1802?
DFF
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I think the paint variation is PERFECT considering the hi rail and vintage theme. They never used to get colors right back then either.
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I think the paint variation is PERFECT considering the hi rail and vintage theme. They never used to get colors right back then either.
Was thinking the same thing, LOL. In fact, no two of your Pennsy units should have either the same Tuscan or the same forest-green-is-the-same-as-Brunswick-Green-right? color.
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I will get the lettering and striping on it tonight. Got to get her ready for the July 4th excursions that are scheduled. We've leased cars from all of the neighboring retro railroads, so the 1776 will need a helper!
We're expecting a lot of holiday merry makers, and they all have to sit 10 feet apart, so extra cars are required.
@davefoxx , do you have those Covid 19 release forms ready?
Lee
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@davefoxx , do you have those Covid 19 release forms ready?
Lee
That's a big 10-4, chief!
DFF
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Wait - There's July 4th Specials? Sh!t I need to get to work then.
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Wait - There's July 4th Specials? Sh!t I need to get to work then.
Time to get out SCL No. 1776! I’ve had all EMD on the layout for weeks, so I’m looking forward to this. Maybe we ought to start a new thread.
DFF
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Lettering and striping done. Just need to put the glass back in.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-270620233013.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18349)
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The river scene is coming together nicely.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-280620020149.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18350)
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The river scene is coming together nicely.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-280620020149.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18350)
I love it! Not the smashing with a hammer @EL3632 imagined, but I think this is even better.
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I love it! Not the smashing with a hammer @EL3632 imagined, but I think this is even better.
Yes, now it is being unproductive in a creative way.
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The river scene is coming together nicely.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-280620020149.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18350)
The raison d'être for the construction of this layout has finally been revealed.
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The river scene is coming together nicely.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-280620020149.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18350)
Lee wins the U-Boat challenge
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Dive! Dive! Dive!
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"This business will get out of control. It will get out of control, and we'll be lucky to live through it."
~Adm. Josh Painter
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@davefoxx , do you have those Covid 19 release forms ready?
Lee
In accordance with current events, the he bill for the legal work will be ten feet in front of the forms.
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In accordance with current events, the he bill for the legal work will be ten feet in front of the forms.
Gotta put food on the family table! ;)
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Post a sign such as this one near the semi-submerged loco:
(https://ctr.trains.com/~/media/images/the-way-it-was/photo-of-the-day/large-images/photo-of-the-day/2020/06/20200629.jpg)
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Splashing more paint around at the Laurel Valley Back Shops.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-020720134424.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18449)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-020720144001.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18450)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-020720144042.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18451)
She looks a little like a demented cousin from the Island of Sodor, doesn't she?
Lee
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Me likey.
Me likey so much that I might want to talk about one of those for long-term lease to the BRS . . . It has a Reading look to it.
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I'm not planning to put a decoder in anything... at least not any time soon...
Lee
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I have one of those Trix FMs, from back in the 70s, still in service. I had never noticed the "face" before, even though mine also has the bell.
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Almost done. Dull coat and windows for the shell, and new LEDs are all that's left.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-050720082336.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18501)
Now begins the debate of whether to install clear glass in the cab, or keep the retro gray pladtic...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-050720083006.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18502)
Also tuned up these little hustlers, and numbered them to keep track of their service history.
Lee
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Almost done. Dull coat and windows for the shell, and new LEDs are all that's left.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-050720082336.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18501)
Are you a fan of the Illinois Terminal paint scheme, or is it just a coincidence?
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Probably a coincidence. I picked my coloring because I like the Reading, and the lettering is akin to the WM/RDG late 60s thing. The yellow sill stripe is primarily there because it's dirt simple to mask...
Lee
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Digging through the archives this morning netted me this gem, which was the first time I pulled all the stuff out of the box from my cousin after Christmas 2018.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/53EaBVmfoEQV7GpdA
According to the purchase history on ebay, since that time, I've spent enough to start my own space program.
This is mainly an experiment to see how the link works. I have a raft of stuff archived in Google, and I'd like to be able to access it without a lot of falderal.
Photo test also...
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/CtWUami28Kr_EqwMwBU6MDD70KoGzmQaWFPwIuFVXrBKh6BlQqWkqYgeYZ9F_OEDXfE7l4UO0vD5bIsG_vo2AYJfPiUnUjfUHwKwcKuHJn0bvP7BsMb6iYHRG0cnZRG8svoZEVmDeMtKoWO6p4qLq_HaMGpLSvkRUaQqjpvBgXQN0gR-ISV6kL5oC4Cdd5Wg8BCDIX98U5JosdIBp7NQYfme6IrxGpuacXBBeehTt4T25JeM9bD8AgNw_A7ILWZ19G43-FdM8LU-zxI1AOzr0vENcSVGBrL6KYfwVnD_Fl_pcsU3WnH3JkNgGc8TgzdvykMGWPGwawgnRcfnttjH7MnGdinuau10xqohRgNNVuYwNhMRRRzRniP15_oGCN99oymLg43Hc9LkvW_9rbe8E9fblUFiDNAacja8fCFkAD53WZR2PAqDGPw11L1CEO43OgVNpQMk0vtZz2gLRn4dEGePQkal08-iMko17WlUNmhqgzGbHIM1r74PoBjie5EtVvl1TPPmOHTrVvQuUirjvWCiX0IunmJtlPB72t5Nrb4-paAwW59Ow1ntyrIo1G2igirh0ZzVK3G4vfVPfV287DbAarfcrfDqgde9rdgK4dkdTC-Ocr1GIitQzZVMixvsaFDTyX1kkRaagdlzHZDDQIDwqHFD7YLwXcGbGkOs5j0TrvY-Rc0yybVsDbuzXw=w1723-h969-no?authuser=2)
Lee
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Digging through the archives this morning netted me this gem, which was the first time I pulled all the stuff out of the box from my cousin after Christmas 2018.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/53EaBVmfoEQV7GpdA
According to the purchase history on ebay, since that time, I've spent enough to start my own space program.
This is mainly an experiment to see how the link works. I have a raft of stuff archived in Google, and I'd like to be able to access it without a lot of falderal.
Photo test also...
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/CtWUami28Kr_EqwMwBU6MDD70KoGzmQaWFPwIuFVXrBKh6BlQqWkqYgeYZ9F_OEDXfE7l4UO0vD5bIsG_vo2AYJfPiUnUjfUHwKwcKuHJn0bvP7BsMb6iYHRG0cnZRG8svoZEVmDeMtKoWO6p4qLq_HaMGpLSvkRUaQqjpvBgXQN0gR-ISV6kL5oC4Cdd5Wg8BCDIX98U5JosdIBp7NQYfme6IrxGpuacXBBeehTt4T25JeM9bD8AgNw_A7ILWZ19G43-FdM8LU-zxI1AOzr0vENcSVGBrL6KYfwVnD_Fl_pcsU3WnH3JkNgGc8TgzdvykMGWPGwawgnRcfnttjH7MnGdinuau10xqohRgNNVuYwNhMRRRzRniP15_oGCN99oymLg43Hc9LkvW_9rbe8E9fblUFiDNAacja8fCFkAD53WZR2PAqDGPw11L1CEO43OgVNpQMk0vtZz2gLRn4dEGePQkal08-iMko17WlUNmhqgzGbHIM1r74PoBjie5EtVvl1TPPmOHTrVvQuUirjvWCiX0IunmJtlPB72t5Nrb4-paAwW59Ow1ntyrIo1G2igirh0ZzVK3G4vfVPfV287DbAarfcrfDqgde9rdgK4dkdTC-Ocr1GIitQzZVMixvsaFDTyX1kkRaagdlzHZDDQIDwqHFD7YLwXcGbGkOs5j0TrvY-Rc0yybVsDbuzXw=w1723-h969-no?authuser=2)
Lee
BOOSTER: "No go."
RETRO: "No go."
FIDO: "No go."
GUIDANCE: "No go."
CAPCOM: "No go."
LAUNCH DIRECTOR: "Photo test is no go for launch." :P
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No good for me. Big blank space.
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Failure to launch.
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Houston, we have a problem.
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Dammit. I guess I'll have to edit together those old table top videos and put it up on the YouTubes.
You may resume your otherwise tawdry lives.
Lee
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Yeah Lee, looks like you do have some work cout out for you. Google is giving us that "verboten" symbol again. And I'm logged into Google in another tab.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/13/2700-121219025202-138171289.png)
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Just a test:
it didn't work.
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[attachimg=1]
Keep trying. Failure is often the first step towards success. Just ask Elon Musk.
-
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3cRbMlQYRxP15S9YzsiBC5cTreVDf5PStCvnvVd8dJBoceV5JW4_oO00UvUDiokh1gnjYwftF0V7sEmh4o9d5XqjYv1g1DPqQowvWmFfptjqvRg-0iJqqgCc1rtzU0405raADmu2kXhqjdbaWm3EnfsSg=w723-h1284-k-no?authuser=0)
If this image is visible, here is the procedure: Click on Lee's original link.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/53EaBVmfoEQV7GpdA
Right-click on the image and select Copy image address. You'll see a much different link than everyone else got.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3cRbMlQYRxP15S9YzsiBC5cTreVDf5PStCvnvVd8dJBoceV5JW4_oO00UvUDiokh1gnjYwftF0V7sEmh4o9d5XqjYv1g1DPqQowvWmFfptjqvRg-0iJqqgCc1rtzU0405raADmu2kXhqjdbaWm3EnfsSg=w723-h1284-k-no?authuser=0
Paste this into the Wire post.
I tried it twice, once logged into Google, and once logged out. I still see the image both ways. But if no one else can, then nevermind.
Curiously, when I'm logged into Google, on the previous page I see big empty spaces with the Google "no go" icons. When I'm logged out, I see nothing, not even empty spaces.
I f*cking hate Google.
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Ah that Google photo showed up thanks to DKS.
This one is not an HCD layout - it is an OT (Old Table) layout. :)
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It worked? Awesome. OK, then, @wm3798 we have a solution. Just follow the procedure in my prior post.
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Ah I can see the photo, but it's not a photo. Its a video.
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Ah I can see the photo, but it's not a photo. Its a video.
Crap. I f*cking hate Google.
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Lol. The worst thing is I clicked the link with my phone (Android, Google) and it tried to open it with something I don't have, it froze up my phone. Restarted it long pressed the link and opened in an incognito window... worked perfect that way.
The whole reason Google photos got so screwed up was due to them optimizing it for phones. Work perfectly on my PC, but not at all on my phone.
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It is a still image for me. When I click on it, it brings up the same image. I'm on a Win 7 laptop.
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video:
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipMCS5qRYtg77Xh6DbqHT4KYJiNkp5EWQkXvQok0r79KRY5ZBUbUJH_IArLGYPnIjA?key=bEctRlV1WUFVNEZaNXFQMWktREYwR0Q3WVJwZ2xB
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video:
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipMCS5qRYtg77Xh6DbqHT4KYJiNkp5EWQkXvQok0r79KRY5ZBUbUJH_IArLGYPnIjA?key=bEctRlV1WUFVNEZaNXFQMWktREYwR0Q3WVJwZ2xB
Strange, it only plays in thumbnail form; I just get an error message when I click on it.
And I don't think it can be embedded as a video.
I f*cking hate Google.
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I f*cking hate Google.
Wise words indeed.
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Here you go. I fixed it!
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Old Home Week... An old Minitrix F gets dipped in Holy Water.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-090720193950.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18586)
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If you keep the grey...just say the engineer and fireman are two guys named Cheech and Chong...
Jeff
Now begins the debate of whether to install clear glass in the cab, or keep the retro gray
Lee
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Made a little more progress on the platform project at Paw Paw. Installed the brick pavers on the station side, and got the base coat of paint and weathering on it.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-130720093349.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18683)
I bought some nice LED platform lights, but I can't for the life of my put my hands on them. They must be buried in the rubble somewhere.
No hurry. I still need to ballast the trackwork and finish up a few other details before I really need them. I'm sure they'll turn up when I'm looking for something else altogether.
Lee
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I bought some nice LED platform lights, but I can't for the life of my put my hands on them.
What? Not using some of these?
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/retro/IMG_3943.jpg)
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Finally got around to working on this beast.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-140720180956.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18705)
Peteski did an admirable job repairing the dreaded Bachmann cracked axle gears. I'm planning to repower it with a Lifelike motor, but I figured I'd try the factory motor to see if the truck repairs held... worked really well. It's noisy as all get out, but it operates surprisingly well.
The main problem is the low torque motor combined with the high friction pick up shoes in the Bachmann Amtoobs.
I've ordered some Easy Peasy light kits to replace the factory set up, and hopefully dramatically reduce the drag to see if the repower is even necessary.
My plan is to run a Florida train, with maybe three Amfleet, a couple of chair cars and a sleeper.
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He's going to slip those in when no one's looking. If he replaces those bulbs with some SMT LED's those would make a nice retro/mod combination.
Jeff
What? Not using some of these?
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/retro/IMG_3943.jpg)
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-140720180956.jpeg)
My plan is to run a Florida train, with maybe three Amfleet, a couple of chair cars and a sleeper.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18705)
You know me. Loves me some Florida trains. :)
DFF
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I believe there was a Friday night in Perryville, early in the NS Era, when a bunch of us Asshats convened for the 10 p.m. show, as the freight was allowed to drain off the Port Road and onto the late night corridor. I think it was @davefoxx @Ed Kapuscinski, Bullet Bob and a few others... I'm sure the photo we took was a few hard drives ago... But the Silver Meteor was usually the last Amtrak train to go south, always hauled by an E-60. Back when I lived in Harford County, it was a Friday night ritual to cross the Conowingo Dam, stop in Port Deposit to see what trains were holed up at the signal, then set up the web lawn chairs at Perryville to get ready for the show.
I think part of this video is from that night...
And if it wasn't it should have been!
Lee
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Finally got around to working on this beast.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-140720180956.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18705)
Peteski did an admirable job repairing the dreaded Bachmann cracked axle gears. I'm planning to repower it with a Lifelike motor, but I figured I'd try the factory motor to see if the truck repairs held... worked really well. It's noisy as all get out, but it operates surprisingly well.
The main problem is the low torque motor combined with the high friction pick up shoes in the Bachmann Amtoobs.
Nice Lee! Good to see that beast alive and running!
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Thanks, @peteski ! Couldn't have done it without you!
I'll have to put up a video... I've got one on my Hi Rail page on the facetoobs, but I don't think it shares easily...
Lee
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Thanks, @peteski ! Couldn't have done it without you!
I'll have to put up a video... I've got one on my Hi Rail page on the facetoobs, but I don't think it shares easily...
Lee
Sounds good! No FB for me.
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And you are a wiser man than I in that regard!!
Lee
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Well, surf's up, and here come the Sharks...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-170720143138.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18764)
At first I worried that "Bought it Now" for a bit too much money... no original boxes, glass and details missing from the A unit, the risk of White Gear Syndrome... But when I opened the package, I was pleased to see that they are in reasonably good shape, the cosmetic issues should be fairly easily overcome, and, the E-R shells are actually riding on Atlas/Kato RS3 mechanisms!! Extremely smooth, familiar mechanisms! So apart from the fuel tank details being off a bit, something mostly hidden by skirting, I feel like I got a pretty good value.
And on top of that, the seller threw in a couple of extra shells that someone had started doing a freelance paint job on. So, for less than I would have paid for a pristine set of E-R Sharks, I now have lots of fun projects added to the Retro Fleet work order board.
But it also raises a question about the extra shells... The only Shark listed on Spookshow is the E-R/Bachmann model. But I now have three shells that are clearly NOT from the same run.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-170720144659.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18766)
You can see differences in the roof detail, the pilot hole for the truck mounted coupler, and the grills down the long hood, and of course, the ER model has added on grab wires, while the other two are molded on.
So what gives? Did @spookshow miss a model in the Encyclopedia? Did Mehano, or one of the other early manufacturers do a Shark? The black shell is definitely injection molded with big Mehano style slots along the sill to catch the frame (my example has a retrofitted Mehano FA drive, not an original equipment frame, so it's hard to tell specifically who did the shell) and the red one appears to be resin cast off of the black model with some minor modifications (no mounting holes, for instance).
So what is the origin of this species? Am I in possession of some sort of rare and primitive N scale Artifact? Or was it an accident of nature that was missed by the scale's foremost authority on all things obscure?
Now that I've suddenly gone from one shark to potentially 5, my curiosity is piqued! Next I'll have to start hunting down some old A/K drives to power these new additions to the Laurel Valley retro fleet!
Lee
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A quick scan of eBay reveals that two more sets of these mystery shells are on the market presently, also powered by A/K RS3 drives. The first pair sports the mounting slots, and the other single unit does too, but it is all dolled up with Trainphone antennas and custom paint.
Still hoping to find more clues.
Lee
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Those black sharks are ancient castings by a cottage manufacturer.
My dad has a pair that he put on Atlas RS11 mechs with added weight. They will pull down wallpaper now (much like the real thing).
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And on top of that, the seller threw in a couple of extra shells that someone had started doing a freelance paint job on. S
But it also raises a question about the extra shells... The only Shark listed on Spookshow is the E-R/Bachmann model. But I now have three shells that are clearly NOT from the same run.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-170720144659.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18766)
You can see differences in the roof detail, the pilot hole for the truck mounted coupler, and the grills down the long hood, and of course, the ER model has added on grab wires, while the other two are molded on.
So what gives? Did @spookshow miss a model in the Encyclopedia? Did Mehano, or one of the other early manufacturers do a Shark? The black shell is definitely injection molded with big Mehano style slots along the sill to catch the frame (my example has a retrofitted Mehano FA drive, not an original equipment frame, so it's hard to tell specifically who did the shell) and the red one appears to be resin cast off of the black model with some minor modifications (no mounting holes, for instance).
So what is the origin of this species? Am I in possession of some sort of rare and primitive N scale Artifact? Or was it an accident of nature that was missed by the scale's foremost authority on all things obscure?
Probably Deluxe Innovations shark nose shell:
https://www.walthers.com/baldwin-shark-nose-diesel-shell-undecorated-w-accessories (https://www.walthers.com/baldwin-shark-nose-diesel-shell-undecorated-w-accessories)
(https://www.walthers.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/600x267/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/b/a/baldwin_shark_nose_diesel_shell_238-50001.gif)
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Ah, so it never had its own drive. Good to know. The Deluxe Innovations doesn't appear to have the mounting slots, I suppose it's possible that the design evolved over the years?
Either way, it's good to know the history of it. Back to running trains now... er WORKING!
Lee
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the shell on the left (with the 2 holes on each side near the frame) were made by V-Line, and designed to fit the Mehano FA1-chassis. I have 2 of them that I put on Atlas/Kato RS3 chassis. The shell on the right was made by Deluxe Innovations who bought the tooling from V-Line, and plugged the holes. Other than that it's the same as the V-Line shell.
The ER (and made by Bachmann I think) shell is clearly much nicer.
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Okay, that now makes complete sense. I have vague recollections of V-line. I think they did a couple of projects...
and yes, the E-R shells are beautiful.
Makes me think I might go ahead and drop the coin to get an actual boxed set next time I see one come around. There's a New York Central set at the local hobby shop in nearby southern Delaware... I thought he had a relatively high price on it, but maybe not now that I think of it. I would probably want to inspect it for white (bad) or black (good) gears, though!
Lee
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I think V Line also made a fairly crude, by today’s standard, 2 Bay Covered Hopper that Deluxe also ended up with.
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You're missing the wire handrails to either side of the cab door.
Thinking about those sharks... the mechs were notoriously slow... much slower than the protos were, but they would have made great switchers.
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JNJ also made Shark shells....
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JNJ also made Shark shells....
Which looked a LOT as though they were resin castings made from V-Line/Deluxe shells.
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Which looked a LOT as though they were resin castings made from V-Line/Deluxe shells.
JnJ seemed to have a problem with intellectual property, copying a lot of people's work/shells.
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and yes, the E-R shells are beautiful.
Makes me think I might go ahead and drop the coin to get an actual boxed set next time I see one come around. There's a New York Central set at the local hobby shop in nearby southern Delaware... I thought he had a relatively high price on it, but maybe not now that I think of it.
From when they still had them available, the BLW site shows a list price of $140 for an A/B set of the E-R models and a selling price of $84 for NYC (and $94 for B&O).
How does that compare to the price at the local shop?
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It's an NYC and it's $100
So not terrible except for the excursion across the state line.
The B&O set for $84 has my attention...
I'm 99% sure the loose shells I got were JnJ castings.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-170720195536.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18774)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-170720195615.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18775)
As such I'm hesitant to strip the paint... thoughts?
Lee
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That roadname is outstanding...
Jeff
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Isn't it though? I'm thinking of masking that off and keeping it with a slightly more interesting paint scheme...
Lee
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I think you’d do better trying to touch up the paint, weather, and Dullcote that shell to hide its sins, rather than trying to mask off and paint around the lettering and over the boogers.
Maybe you could just add some striping to jazz it up a little, but don’t go overboard. The PT&M probably ran on a shoestring budget.
DFF
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I'd just apply cat whiskers, do some touch-up, and call it a day.
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Oh, and don’t be too careful with the striping. You’ll highlight how crooked the lettering is. :trollface:
Do
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It looks like the roof of that B unit has a hell of a swale in it.
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My hope is that at Retro Hi Rail speeds, things like lettering alignment and bad shell castings won't be noticed :D
Meanwhile, as noted in the Weekend Update column, I've succumbed to some 21st century technology to scratch a very particular itch...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-190720213537.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18839)
I picked up a handful of Rapido Easy Peasy light kits. Eventually I'll be fitting out ALL of my passenger cars with these (please click the fundraising button below) because they really are dirt simple.
The first set I wanted to light up is my Metroliner, which brings back memories of lingering trackside in Arbutus on Friday nights when I was an impressionable teenager, watching the last Metroliner of the evening, followed by the Florida Train behind the E60, the D&H Man headed for Pot Yards, and of course, Conrail freights hauled behind some ragged out GG1s and E44s.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-190720214607.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18840)
Well, the light kits are great. Easy to install and operate. I'm using foam double face tape to install them, so it should be relatively easy to change the batteries when that becomes necessary. The reed switches with the magnetic wands work very well, and with a wand being included with each kit, I'll never lose track of where at least one of them is. By putting down Avery file labels on the car floor to reflect the light inside the shells, they light up wonderfully. I now have to work out getting lighting installed in my repowered power car, but I can probably work out something that works off of track power for that. In the mean time, I'll just enjoy watching the rest of the train flash by.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-190720215243.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18841)
Lee
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Looks like Laurel Valley Back Shops spent some more cash at the scrap yard saving a few more relics from the torch.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/18/9-210720233016.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=18869)
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Nice job on the Shark and C-Liner! They look much better there than taking up space here. Also, only just noticed the yard office!
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Also, only just noticed the yard office!
OMG! So, that's where it went...
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Yes, it's here! And try not to spend it all in one place!
Meanwhile, it looks like the drought might be over...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/19/9-280720222944.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=19008)
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I've landed my white whale...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/19/9-030820154724.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=19210)
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I've landed my white whale...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/19/9-030820154724.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=19210)
Would that be the Potomac Turbo?
https://history.amtrak.com/archives/i-potomac-turbo-i-brochure-1972/@@download/item/Brochure_Potomac%20Turbo_Amtrak_Anonymous%20Donor_Feb%201972.pdf (https://history.amtrak.com/archives/i-potomac-turbo-i-brochure-1972/@@download/item/Brochure_Potomac%20Turbo_Amtrak_Anonymous%20Donor_Feb%201972.pdf)
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How cool is that! Thanks for making need to hunt down one in Amtrak colors! Dammit!
Lee
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You mean this?
(https://i.redd.it/oc2si6ik33211.jpg)
(That PDF link don't work from here)
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My Penn Central Turbo will look good sharing space with my Metroliner. But if I can find a junk set in Amtrak cheap, I can work on building something from nothing...
Lee
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My Penn Central Turbo will look good sharing space with my Metroliner. But if I can find a junk set in Amtrak cheap, I can work on building something from nothing...
I don't think B'mann ever released this train in Amtrak colors. But Rapido...
-
Near as I can tell, Bachmann only ever released the blue scheme that you already have (I have two, but only one works). It's my favorite scheme for these trains, followed by the UA all-silver test scheme.
Near as I can tell, Rapido did ALL the schemes for this train. I have the Amtrak white w/wide strip scheme and it's a beauty. The Bachmann is a toy - in both a good and bad way.
It's also fragile, and nearly impossible to repair if the single-axle truck mounts break (each car is glued together into a solid piece), to take good care of it!
<edit> Doh! :facepalm: I totally forgot the CN version (see below)</edit>
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Near as I can tell, Bachmann only ever released the blue scheme that you already have...
(http://davidksmith.com/birth-of-n/images/bach-turbo.jpg)
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The earliest releases were in Penn Central, I believe, but I have foggy memories of seeing them in Amtrak and Canadian National during my many hours of pressing my nose against the display window at Kleins in the early and mid 70s.
I'm pretty jazzed, because I think I got an original release, complete with the green plastic case, track, connecting wires, instruction manual and, the coup de tat, the original corrugated board backing box (with the gold label!!) as well as the printed cardboard sleeve. It's all in wonderful condition. The only bit that's awol is the original Bachmann power pack.
Lee
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/19/9-030820201010.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=19213)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/19/9-030820201025.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=19214)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/19/9-030820201040.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=19215)
Lee
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In the past month, there was another complete set that tempted me mightily at $229. At one point the seller offered it at $209, which was still a bit rich for my budget. A short time later, another set came up, offered initially at $18 with an apologetic description about its condition, and not in the original box. The bidding roared past my budget again, and it sold for $179.
This one popped up on Thursday morning with a Buy It Now of $99. I blinked back the tears as I pulled the trigger, but dammit, I'm glad I did!
I really don't for the life of me need a Bachmann power pack of that vintage (I'm sure I just gave one away in the last 6 months) but now I will be on a mission to get one. Pretty sure the original would have a blue or white metal case with the Bachmann "globe" logo on it.
It's fun to finally put this in the bucket. I've literally wanted one since I was 10.
Lee
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But if I can find a junk set in Amtrak cheap, I can work on building something from nothing...
Lee
I don't recall ever seeing the Bachmann Turbotrain available in the Amtrak paint schemes.
If you're planning to do a repaint, it might be easier to start with a CN version, if you can find one.
(https://trovestardata.com/images/Collections/4/items/102/102514_19.jpg)
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(That PDF link don't work from here)
See if you can download it from this page: https://history.amtrak.com/archives/i-potomac-turbo-i-brochure-1972 (https://history.amtrak.com/archives/i-potomac-turbo-i-brochure-1972)
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I was able to DL the PDF brochure from the original link with no issues.
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Yeah it was PEBCAK
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I'm pretty jazzed, because I think I got an original release, complete with the green plastic case, track, connecting wires, instruction manual and, the coup de tat, the original corrugated board backing box (with the gold label!!) as well as the printed cardboard sleeve. It's all in wonderful condition. The only bit that's awol is the original Bachmann power pack.
Lee
I wonder if your set is indeed an original release, or not, because my set came in a larger cardboard outer box and each of the cars was packaged in a plastic clamshell box.
The set was purchased at Model Railroad Equipment Co. in New York City from the first shipment they received.
(https://thumbs.worthpoint.com/zoom/images1/1/0113/28/vintage-bachmann-scale-united_1_b4b106184f838b80a8d8b680b99acdd6.jpg)
(https://thumbs.worthpoint.com/zoom/images2/1/0113/28/vintage-bachmann-scale-united_1_b4b106184f838b80a8d8b680b99acdd6.jpg)
https://thumbs.worthpoint.com/zoom/images1/1/0113/28/vintage-bachmann-scale-united_1_b4b106184f838b80a8d8b680b99acdd6.jpg (https://thumbs.worthpoint.com/zoom/images1/1/0113/28/vintage-bachmann-scale-united_1_b4b106184f838b80a8d8b680b99acdd6.jpg)
https://thumbs.worthpoint.com/zoom/images2/1/0113/28/vintage-bachmann-scale-united_1_b4b106184f838b80a8d8b680b99acdd6.jpg (https://thumbs.worthpoint.com/zoom/images2/1/0113/28/vintage-bachmann-scale-united_1_b4b106184f838b80a8d8b680b99acdd6.jpg)
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That sounds a lot more original. Those clamshell boxes were always pretty clumsy, and mine may well have been a later run that had done away with them.
Mine looks like the CN set you posted. By the way, that's helpful to see that the power back had the brass looking jacket. Now I know what to hunt down!
Here's the down low from the font of all N scale wisdom...
http://www.spookshow.net/loco/turbo.html
I guess at this stage of the game, you can lump me in with the collectors. I rather enjoy that it's toy like, and I find the bogeys between the cars to be reliable and cleverly designed. It navigates through my Peco c80 long turnouts without stalling or derailing. As for spacing, keep in mind that the train set came with 9.75" radius curves, so close enough is good enough. And just to be a bit salty, I'm guessing the spacing is at least as good, if not better, than those BLI P70s you just paid $40 a piece for... :trollface:
Lee
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I rather enjoy that it's toy like, and I find the bogeys between the cars to be reliable and cleverly designed. It navigates through my Peco c80 long turnouts without stalling or derailing. As for spacing, keep in mind that the train set came with 9.75" radius curves, so close enough is good enough.
Lee
A dab of grease (such as Labelle 106) on the little post on top of the single-wheel trucks, that the tab from the adjacent car rests on, will help operation.
Likewise for the pivot points for the 4-wheel truck on the unpowered/rear power dome car. You have to pop out the piece that holds truck assembly to lube it. Adding a bit of weight in there will help that car track around curves better, too.
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There doesn't appear to be a way to disassemble the passenger cars... I'd love to be able to put light boards in them. Plus the recommended bits of added weight. Any thoughts?
Lee
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There doesn't appear to be a way to disassemble the passenger cars... I'd love to be able to put light boards in them. Plus the recommended bits of added weight. Any thoughts?
Lee
The cars are all glued together. The bottom part of the body that's painted silver is a separate piece.
You might be able to pry it apart, but I wouldn't attempt it.
The only car that seemed to benefit from adding some extra weight was the rear/unpowered power dome car.
Spookshow's photo shows the front powered truck/motor assembly removed from the shell.
There's a little tab at the bottom rear of the truck/motor assembly. near the middle of the car, that can be pried up with a screwdriver.
You can see a little indentation in the bottom of the body shell where the tab fits into.
(http://www.spookshow.net/loco/files/turbo4.JPG)
The rear/unpowered power dome car has a similar truck assembly, but made of plastic.
That's the one I was suggesting removing to lube the pivots and to add some weight.
Here's poor photo of it:
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7702/17112292451_3e5084afe8.jpg)
Pull out the assembly - you don't have to remove the truck separately.
You'll see where it pivots - so give it some grease there.
Then add some weight inside.
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Be sure to turn up the sound! There's also a Bachmann F9, and an Arnold GP 9 grinding their way around the loops!
Have a great weekend, everyone! JFRTM!
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I’m impressed by your Acela-like speeds, Rocket Man! :D
DFF
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Who says you need DCC to run multiple trains at a time on a layout!
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Who says you need DCC to run multiple trains at a time on a layout!
You just need separate loops, no junctions, and lots and lots of power packs!!
:D
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Phooey on prototypical scale speed! :D
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I’m impressed by your Acela-like speeds, Rocket Man! :D
DFF
The TurboTrain did have a top speed of 170 mph.
http://streamlinermemories.info/Mfrs/TurboTrain.pdf (http://streamlinermemories.info/Mfrs/TurboTrain.pdf)
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I love it! Both, the layout and the video! This layout would make a great display at a model train show (when we are past the pandemic).
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[attach=1]
Glad you were able to make the dreams of your youth come true. Too often, they get set aside to come back to later and we never get back to them.
Jeff
It's fun to finally put this in the bucket. I've literally wanted one since I was 10.
Lee
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80s flashback.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/19/9-170820234214.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=19417)
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Love it! That Minitrix Fairbanks Morse switcher was the first n scale locomotive I ever purchased - in the late 70’s, I guess.
Michel
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Another childhood favorite added to the fleet. This replaces the first generation Con Cor Kato Hudson the @mmagliaro helped me repower. It was still beset by pickup issues, and generally didn't perform well, so i sold it.
I never got one when I was younger because A. They were expensive, and B. I wasn't a fan of the NYC. Like the Rivarossis of the same era, once I learned that 99% of the available paint schemes were foobies, I shunned the idea of owning one. But I couldn't help but admire the performance of this second generation Kato drive. I picked this up in that deal from Craigs List that Matthew Fry linked on my N Scale Hi Rail page on the facetoobs, and Ed Kapuscinski helped me close the deal while I was away on vacation. I'll need to fix the headlight, but that's a small price to pay. I'm also pondering applying my Laurel Valley steam era lettering to it. Still a little shaky on that fake paint job!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/19/9-290820205914.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=19682)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/19/9-290820210031.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=19683)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/19/9-290820210151.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=19684)
This one is a champ. Check this off the bucket list at last!
Lee
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Another childhood favorite added to the fleet.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/19/9-290820205914.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=19682)
You need one of these to go with it:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Con-Cor-1251E-N-scale-PRR-bay-window-caboose-road-477923/152542811985 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Con-Cor-1251E-N-scale-PRR-bay-window-caboose-road-477923/152542811985)
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/fO4AAOSwNKVXMhO9/s-l1600.jpg)
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I've got several already!
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Tidied up a bit.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/19/9-010920081440.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=19755)
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Nice to see the layout as a whole, and in context.
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Nice to see the layout as a whole, and in context.
+1. Amazing how much larger your close-ups make the layout appear!
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+1. Amazing how much larger your close-ups make the layout appear!
TWSS
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Very nice setup. I always liked the layout over desk arrangement. It was my first adult layout (1990): 9" deep by 48" long switching plan on the top shelf of a computer/work desk. All with MiniTrix turnouts from the infamous Red Caboose.
Conrad
PS: Later incorporated it into the rear of an NTrak Module, still have it.
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Thanks. I still have a bit of an overflow of rolling stock (new boxes seem to be arriving daily... between Ebay and people off-loading their vintage fleets on me, it's become quite a collection!)
I need to start bringing some focus to the collection, to be sure!
I've already started selling off some duplicates and carefully curated combinations of things, but all that does is put money in the till to buy more!
Lee
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69 pages...nice! ;)
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69 pages...nice! ;)
Down boy, down!!! :trollface:
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Okay, if you guys are really us… what number are we thinking of?
69 dudes! ;)
There, fixed it
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Okay, if you guys are really us… what number are we thinking of?
There, fixed it
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/19/1292-010920162557.jpeg)
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That is correct. Most of my collection was available in '69! :trollface: (and in '70, too!)
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Finding my focus? Or just another rabbit hole?
Things I like:
Penn Central Retro Stuff. I've developed a fondness for N scale models that were produced when Penn Central was current events. This is almost an unshakable high.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/19/9-020920192823.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=19764)
Minitrix PRR steam. Probably because these were the first "real" locomotives I owned. So naturally, I want more. I sold one of my K4s, got good coin for it, but now I wish I just sent it to @Lemosteam for surgery. The other one I have that he did is amazing, and will have to be taken from my cold dead hands.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/19/9-020920193333.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=19765)
Odd transit things. RDCs, Doodlebugs, and Metroliners. Turbo Trains, of course, and if anyone ever does Silverliners, I'll be waiting in line with a sleeping bag and a thermos when the first shipment arrives.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/19/9-030820154724.jpeg)
I also like the flexibility my simple layout gives me to enjoy everything from 1860s Night, Switcher Madness Night, Conrail Night, Heavy Electric Night, Atlas Roco Night, Minitrix Night, Arnold Rapido Night etc. etc. etc.
But lately I've been having wicked thoughts about B&O steam. The only locomotives I've bought recently that were manufactured in this century are B&O steam. Sure, it started innocently enough with my President Polk Rivarossi Pacific. Then the flame grew a bit with a Rivarossi Mikado that I actually painted and lettered. A couple of small 0-4-0s found their way into the fleet, so the Retro ethos was maintained.
But then I scored a Model Power Mike with a proper Vanderbilt tender. And more recently an MRC/Model Power 4-4-0. On Monday, a Bachmann Doodlebug arrived in the mail. (Not steam, to be sure, but certainly, steam era).
I actually today spent actual money to get a proper USRA short tender to correct a deficiency of my Bachmann 0-6-0 (a B&O Class D30, it turns out). I had put a slope back switcher tender on it, figuring it had the right lettering (it replaced the PRR tender that came with it) Thanks to the Facetoobs, I quickly learned that I had to fix the road number AND the tender, so the hunt was on. I literally spent more money on the tender than I did when I was bottom feeding to buy the engine last year.... There's something happening here, what it is, ain't exactly clear.
It will be a while before I can fully scratch the itch, but I finally think I have something of a theme to help focus my purchases. And that theme will more than likely be, a postwar industrial branch that wanders off from the main line. I'll hope to build a reasonably busy main line circuit for roundy round traffic, railfanning locations, and some staging to keep things interesting, but the focus will be the branch, the junction, and maybe a small engine terminal.
I would figure to have a larger, high volume industry that gives the Mike an excuse to hold forth, but a handful of smaller brick stacks with lower levels of traffic would keep some lighter power busy. Perhaps a scrap yard, manufacturers of various thisses and thatses, a freight house or three. The line would be populous enough to support the doodlebug a couple of times a day.
Until I have some real estate to work with, I can't even begin to think about a track plan, and I can't yet imagine with parting with what remains of my WM fleet, but it's fun to have something new to ponder, to research, dream about... and $hop for!
But first, I'll be JFRTM!
Until next time.
Lee
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Be careful not to look directly at a BLI light Mike.
It might prompt you to blow the dust off your old Prodigy.
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Oh, and if you have more itches to scratch, you can always close at them one square foot at a time.
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Focus? What Focus?
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/19/9-030920232740.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=19781)
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Hot
[attachimg=1]
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Hot
(Attachment Link)
I1s had "Dagmars"?
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Should be safe to post here, as long as she is wearing one of those bullet-bras. After all, even the NMRA logo is almost safe to post here. :D
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So @Ed Kapuscinski, do you happen to have that picture unexpurgated? I found the boobs casting. I want to make sure I have the tassels on right.
Lee
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It's starting to look like a thing...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/19/9-040920195054.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=19891)
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It's starting to look like a thing...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/19/9-040920195054.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=19891)
Like a derailment? :D
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Deferred maintenance. Very prototypical!
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Corrected for Dr. Hotballs.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/19/9-040920205555.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=19893)
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So @Ed Kapuscinski, do you happen to have that picture unexpurgated? I found the boobs casting. I want to make sure I have the tassels on right.
Lee
http://www.rgusrail.com/album/nyprr4483/prr_4483_03.jpg (http://www.rgusrail.com/album/nyprr4483/prr_4483_03.jpg)
http://www.rgusrail.com/nyprr4483.html (http://www.rgusrail.com/nyprr4483.html)
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Corrected for Dr. Hotballs.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/19/9-040920205555.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=19893)
The Great Albino Locomotive! :)
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The Great Albino Locomotive! :)
Actually, lots of stuff was painted like that for it's builders photos, then painted properly.
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Actually, lots of stuff was painted like that for it's builders photos, then painted properly.
Yes, European N scale manufacturers offered multiple steam loco models in "photo livery".
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I found her boobs and the dog house.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/19/9-050920211317.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=19934)
I've Frankensteined some tender pick ups, but the are terrible.
The Rivarossi truck screws are too short, the Trix screws are too fat, and the whole operation is pretty spotty.
True to vintage form, it runs fine at 1000 mph, but stalls like a salesman when it's his turn to pick up the tab at lunch.
How is Kato for parts? I'd like to get so 3 axle trucks with all wheel pickup.
Lee
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How is Kato for parts? I'd like to get so 3 axle trucks with all wheel pickup.
(http://www.katousa.com/images/941053.jpg)
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That's the guy! Thanks. What's the best source? Right from Kato or is there a good retailer I should try?
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That's the guy! Thanks. What's the best source? Right from Kato or is there a good retailer I should try?
A quick search doesn't seem to turn up any retailers with the truck set in stock, whereas the Kato parts department presently has them available for purchase.
You might want to contact Kato to make sure that they can ship, because they were shut down for a while due to IL Covid-19 restrictions.
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Lee, that I1s....wow. simply wow!
that is quite the nicely done shell
too bad they are not still available
that is going to be one fantastic looking locomotive
looking forward to its progress and completion
sincerely
Gary
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Thanks, Gary. Theres always a fine line between preserving the antiques in their original form, and fixixing them up to run the hell out of them. Im certainly trending toward the latter!
Lee
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Here's 15 minutes of your life you'll never get back...
Lee
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I have no idea where I'm going to put it, or what the end game will be, but I've acquired a slightly used Walther's/Heljan 120' turntable kit on the cheap.
This replicates literally the FIRST model railroad purchase I made with my first paycheck ever. (I worked for my uncle and grandfather at the Candler Building in Baltimore, a short 4 or 5 blocks from M.B. Klein's old place on N. Gay Street) Sure, I had drizzled away small amounts of cash from my allowance prior to this occasion in 1979, but this was the first substantial wad of dead presidents that I was handed by someone other than my dad.
Miss Carol handed me my paycheck at about 11 a.m., I promptly strode through the enormous brass revolving door of the Equitable Trust Bank at the corner of the building and cashed it, and hustled up the street to see how quickly I could spread that wealth around (I think the check was for $185 or so for a 40 hour week)
I bought the turntable kit, the accompanying roundhouse kit, and who knows what else. I had about as much idea what to do with it then as I do now.
Over the years, the turntable was scrapped, and the roundhouse gradually whittled away and reduced in size to meet whatever needs my layout du-jour had. But I can say with confidence that chunks of it still exist in the floor and framing of the Hagerstown Roundhouse I built 10 years ago to much fanfare. I recently re-acquired that structure from @seusscaboose as he re-imagined his layout and it became surplus. It's out in a storage trailer in the driveway at this moment.
A thought that has occurred to me as I've accumulated my growing fleet of decrepit old steam engines is to create a diorama of roughly 3' square to include the roundhouse and provide a place to display the collection, but I was deterred by the idea of the turntable. As much as I'd love to replace the beautiful, if unreliable Walther's 130' motorized model, I really don't need it to be functional for a diorama display. I'd looked at Peco, since theirs' is cheap, but it's only an 80' bridge. And pretty much anything else is either a bigger investment than I want to make, or otherwise incompatible with the goal. Then last night I see a new auction listing for the 120' with a $15 starting bid, and "Make an Offer" as an option. I sheepishly offered $25, figuring the guy started low in hopes of ending high, but rather than the rejection I expected, about 5 minutes later I'm sending the total with shipping... which ended up being less than I paid for the original back in 1979.
So now it's winging it's way here, probably to spend some time in the drawer with the other pile of "sooner or later" projects. But I think I'm looking forward to dabbling with this more than just about anything else I have on the docket.
I'm wondering if there's a way to fashion it into a TTrak module to have the opportunity to display it and share it, and even include some operating opportunities, or if I should just detail the heck out of it as a diorama and photo bed. The space requirements and small module standards of TTrak make that seem a bigger challenge, but I think that's the best direction to take. When and if I have space for a larger layout, I could incorporate it into the design as a module, plus using c-80 Unitrak (supplemented with the 130 million miles of Atlas and Peco c80 I still have) will be Retro-Fleet friendly, thereby supporting the significant investment of time and money I've put into my collection.
So anyway... while this project has little or nothing to do with the present layout, I just thought I'd throw that out there for your feedback. I'll keep you posted as I sort through my own thoughts on it.
All the best,
Lee
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Is the old Arnold Rapido turntable either a bigger investment than you want to make, or otherwise incompatible with the goal?
Here's an example of a turntable on a T-Trak module: http://ttrak.wikidot.com/turntable-module (http://ttrak.wikidot.com/turntable-module)
You can build a triple-length module that is about 36" long.
Also, the depth can be up to about 24". You might want to also then build a 4" deep "partner" module.
Or, you can build a "non-conforming" module, but this may prevent the module from being used in a layout depending upon how it is configured.
http://ttrak.wdfiles.com/local--files/t-trak-standards/T-Trak%20Interface%20Guidelines%20Ver%201a.pdf (http://ttrak.wdfiles.com/local--files/t-trak-standards/T-Trak%20Interface%20Guidelines%20Ver%201a.pdf)
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The turntable wouldn't be the limiting factor. It's the roundhouse.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-160920220956.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20160)
22 stalls, it occupies about 8 square feet...
Lee
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The turntable wouldn't be the limiting factor. It's the roundhouse.
22 stalls, it occupies about 8 square feet...
Lee
To accommodate the turntable and roundhouse, how much depth would be required - as measured from the front edge of the turntable pit to the back wall of the roundhouse?
If necessary, would you be willing to cut off the back of a few stalls to make the roundhouse fit within the depth limits of a "unique" module?
That would be about 20.5", assuming a maximum 24.5" deep module with about 4" lost to the two front tracks.
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I dug up some better pictures.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-170920102517.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20166)
The turntable in the picture scales out to 9.75", and I just measured the building, the stall depth is a hair over 9". Assuming there's about 8 or 9" of rail between the pit and the stall door, that's a total of 26 to 27" of depth from the outer edge of the pit to the back wall of the roundhouse.
Now the new turntable is only 120', which works out to 9" dead, but that only saves 3/8" because the reduction of diameter will be concentric.
I'm not enthusiastic about cutting the stalls at the back of a portion of it, mostly because on the prototype, there was a section that was actually extended further out to handled the Challengers when they arrived on the property in the late 1940s, and if I do end up using this on a layout, I'd like to model that.
It might make more sense to work it into an N trak module, probably a corner that can be more square, combined with a straight to gain enough space to properly spread the thing out. I could still work it into a fixed track plan as a removable module, and if I can link up with a suitable "play group" it could still make the public rounds.
I guess it will just stay in storage until I have something more concrete to work with in terms of real estate.
Lee
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I dug up some better pictures.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-170920102517.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20166)
The turntable in the picture scales out to 9.75", and I just measured the building, the stall depth is a hair over 9". Assuming there's about 8 or 9" of rail between the pit and the stall door, that's a total of 26 to 27" of depth from the outer edge of the pit to the back wall of the roundhouse.
Now the new turntable is only 120', which works out to 9" dead, but that only saves 3/8" because the reduction of diameter will be concentric.
I'm not enthusiastic about cutting the stalls at the back of a portion of it, mostly because on the prototype, there was a section that was actually extended further out to handled the Challengers when they arrived on the property in the late 1940s, and if I do end up using this on a layout, I'd like to model that.
It might make more sense to work it into an N trak module, probably a corner that can be more square, combined with a straight to gain enough space to properly spread the thing out. I could still work it into a fixed track plan as a removable module, and if I can link up with a suitable "play group" it could still make the public rounds.
I guess it will just stay in storage until I have something more concrete to work with in terms of real estate.
Lee
It would depend upon with which "play group" you want your module to be compatible.
Ntrak is obviously less restrictive, since the modules aren't intended to be set up back-to-back on 30" deep folding tables and there's generally an open operator's area behind the modules.
This video shows a turntable and roundhouse sited on an inside curve module:
That being said, the total depth of two back-to-back T-Trak modules is almost 29".
If T-Trak is going to be your target play group, then you might might consider building a full-depth straight module (of whatever length you need) and place the turntable/roundhouse scene on a higher level than the two through tracks.
The through tracks - at both the front and the rear of the module - would then tunnel under your scene, perhaps with the front of the "tunnel" left open for access.
You could construct some sort of ramp or switchback track to one side of the scene to create a connection between the through tracks and the turntable.
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This is beginning to feel like possibly a separate thread...?
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Not any time soon, I assure you!
Although, we are starting to thumb through the real estate ads again...
Lee
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/19/9-050920211317.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=19934)
You should have a pair of Con-Cor PA's to give that I1 a boost.
(https://ctr.trains.com/~/media/images/photo-galleries/elmira-branch-photos-by-jim-shaughnessy/js7.jpg)
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@Point353 Is that on the Buffalo Line near Dauphin?
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@Point353 Is that on the Buffalo Line near Dauphin?
It's on the PRR Elmira branch, so someplace between Williamsport PA and Sodus Point NY
.
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I've just secured my second ConCor E-8... I had gotten a PA in one of my estate hauls, but it was a bit of a dud, so I sold it.
In other news, I've made arrangements to purchase an N Track corner module that's set up to house a turntable and roundhouse... When she sees it, I may need to move in with one of you guys. Maybe.
I better go out and buy some wine and chocolate.
Anyway, my theory is that if I can build a semi permanent installation of the roundhouse in a semi portable format, I'd only have to construct a proper "coffin" for it so I can store it more securely until such time as I have a basement to put it in. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!!
Lee
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I've just secured my second ConCor E-8... I had gotten a PA in one of my estate hauls, but it was a bit of a dud, so I sold it.
In other news, I've made arrangements to purchase an N Track corner module that's set up to house a turntable and roundhouse... When she sees it, I may need to move in with one of you guys. Maybe.
I better go out and buy some wine and chocolate.
Anyway, my theory is that if I can build a semi permanent installation of the roundhouse in a semi portable format, I'd only have to construct a proper "coffin" for it so I can store it more securely until such time as I have a basement to put it in. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!!
Lee
Maybe I'll have them dig out the crawl space under the new bedroom when they show up ??
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I've just secured my second ConCor E-8... I had gotten a PA in one of my estate hauls, but it was a bit of a dud, so I sold it.
That's curious. The Con-Cor/Kato PA should be a good running loco.
In other news, I've made arrangements to purchase an N Track corner module that's set up to house a turntable and roundhouse...
It's been fascinating to observe your gradual acceptance of layout modules, considering the apparent regard in which you held them just two years ago.
https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=33399.msg586031#msg586031 (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=33399.msg586031#msg586031)
https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=33399.msg586049#msg586049 (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=33399.msg586049#msg586049)
When she sees it, I may need to move in with one of you guys. Maybe.
You are truly fortunate to have found a significant other with whom you can share your enthusiasm for model railroading.
I better go out and buy some wine and chocolate.
Plus, some cheese to pair with the wine and flowers to accompany the chocolates.
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Fortunately @Point353 , like so many things in life, Model Railroading can be an evolutionary process.
The comments you dredged up from the murky depths of the past came from my earlier pursuit of a smallish, yet more prototypical, operations-based layout. Those thoughts still haunt me periodically, but not surprisingly, the absence of obsession about where a car is spotted, or which scheduled train should pick it up, or whether I've imagined an appropriate off line destination for its car card frees up a lot of time to JFRTM.
Having rekindled my youthful delight in simply watching my vintage trains chase their tails on my small layout has opened my eyes to the possibility of modular construction. Plus, the outstanding work that @Ed Kapuscinski has done on his TTrak modules demonstrates that in a home setting, operations can be entirely possible using modules as a base construction method. And finally, it's becoming abundantly clear that my real estate situation is likely to change in the next year or so, so building modules that can be easily and safely stored and ultimately adapted to a new habitat is not only desirable, it's probably pretty wise!
As for my domestic arrangement, I mostly jest. Rho has a number of interests of her own (soap making, raising chickens, making jewelry... among others) and we share quite a few interests as well. There are times when we sit at the kitchen table and pursue our separate interests together. So a little wine and chocolate (two of our shared interests) is salve enough. Flowers are not recommended, though, as they recall a story involving her ex husband, a dozen roses and a garbage disposal.... I will always strive to tread a clearer path!
But just the same, thanks for keeping track of my posts over the years. It's always good to know that The Railwire can provide research opportunities and amusement to its participants.
Lee
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"Making jewelry", depending on the type of jewelry, could very well overlap with model railroading, in tools, techniques, and materials. That could be interesting.
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Yup. And I can tell you, she's as fascinated by @DKS animation adventures as any one of us.
One of the things we had fun doing together was building sets for the musicals at her daughter's school. Our specialty was things that had moving parts and special effects. These included a two story house set that spun on an axis, a bus that had a working door and rolled across the stage, and of course, a human cannonball cannon that launched a dummy across the stage.
It's fun to have a partner in all sorts of interesting crimes! (incidentally, 19 Crimes is her favorite red wine!)
Lee
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Negotiations underway for the procurement of the roundhouse module... Stand by for updates!
Lee
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That's curious. The Con-Cor/Kato PA should be a good running loco.
Some issues that I've had with C-C locos (including the PA) of that vintage is that the drive train mounts can get loose so the worm gear doesn't engage the truck gears properly, so it won't run smoothly or at all. Had both locomotives that had to be factory repaired and ones that were bad out of the box during the store test-run. That eventually soured me on Con-Cor so went to Minitrix as my go-to's.
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It's those damn cup gears. Whomever came up with that designed should be beaten with sticks.
Lee
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Peter: I had the same experience in the early 70s, when the PAs were new. Mine never did run well, so I settled on Minitrix Fs. Probably would have anyway, as, while the Kato/CC PAs looked beautiful in GN paint, the GN never had any. Instead, their trains, and the NPs, as well as Amtrak's, were generally pulled by Fs, and both of them, as well as the BN, used Fs in freight service through the 70s.
So, the Minitrix Fs fit my BN perfectly, and I never returned to the PAs. My last CC locos were the F3s that came with their Northern Pacific passenger set, and those neither ran well nor looked good. I painted some Minitrix to pull the train!
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And so it begins...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-210920181526.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20243)
Not ready for a new thread. For the time being it will be a display bed for the Retro Fleet. So I'll report on progress here, until such time as I'm building a new layout around it.
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-210920233609.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20244)
That's a lot of tea kettles!
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Thanks to the keen eye of @Bruce Bird I now have a complete Rio Grande set of old Arnold stuff.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-220920112710.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20248)
I had the locomotive from the original haul from my cousin, and I've been wondering what to do with it. Now I have a proper Ski Train around which to build a Christmas Garden! Maybe even with skiers and skaters!
(or maybe I'll just run it around the loop for awhile)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-220920113224.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20249)
Don't worry. A new set of horns is on its way.
Lee
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Made some progress on the right of way this week. Established the final track plan, got the outer loop corked, and roughed in enough wiring to run a couple of trains.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/9/9-270119185139.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=9042)
I'm going to sculp out some background cliffs from the foam panels against the walls.
Naturally, now that they have a proper habitat, the Old locomotives have entered a realm of existential crisis. The valve gear on my Bachmann 060 is binding, and the 040 shifter is making hellish noises.
So, to prepare for foam scenery and engine work, today I built a foam engine as part of the,scenery for my stepdaughter's school musical...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/9/9-270119185915.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=9043)
Lee
You’ve got a couple of nasty S curves there on the left side. Good luck with that with those long passenger cars.
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You’ve got a couple of nasty S curves there on the left side. Good luck with that with those long passenger cars.
Wrong layout. ;)
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Hmmmm.... my “new posts” button must have taken me to the beginning of the thread. Never mind. 🙃
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Well, it is a retro layout. You might as well refer to Retro posts! :lol:
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-210920233609.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20244)
That's a lot of tea kettles!
Looks like you need more stalls as you're out of room! :D
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Indeed! Whodathunkit? :D
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More progress on my little diversion.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-240920004350.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20271)
Finished the frame repairs and started fabricating the remaining roof panels. The building is finally stabilized.
I glued down the inner ring of roofing to give it a sturdier skeleton. Tomorrow I'll try to get it secured to the module deck, then build a crate for it so I can store it safely until I get another chance to tinker with it.
Better start looking for a basement to put it in!
Lee
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Working on fitting the last few roof panels. In retrospect, I never would have finished this on the old layout because it was tucked back under that sloped ceiling.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-240920173255.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20284)
Lee
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Roof is on, and secured with magnets.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-250920002628.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20290)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-250920002910.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20291)
Tested the motor on the turntable, it works fine... no indexing. But when I was in high school, I learned how to land a manually operated elevator... it's just a matter of time till I can butter pancakes with that thing.
Upended the module and everything stayed put! Time to build the coffin for it so it can go into storage for the foreseeable future...
Lee
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Then using bits of stuff I had laying around, I built a dog house.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-270920091641.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20342)
No Rigby. It's for the turntable! :facepalm:
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-270920090626.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20339)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-270920090814.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20340)
The way the table is wired, I need to keep an eye on which end is up for track polarity. Having a control stand at one ends helps with that.
Lee
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The way the table is wired, I need to keep an eye on which end is up for track polarity. Having a control stand at one ends helps with that.
Lee
If the center pivot/bearing for the bridge is accessible from the bottom of the turntable, you could install a cam on it.
The cam would then operate a DPDT snap switch (with a roller lever actuator) that reverses the polarity to the bridge track over a specific segment of the arc of its rotation.
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Tested the motor on the turntable, it works fine... no indexing. But when I was in high school, I learned how to land a manually operated elevator... it's just a matter of time till I can butter pancakes with that thing.
Give yourself an edge: use a switch to control the voltage to the drive motor. Two speeds is perfect: fast to get in the ballpark, slow to nail the alignment.
A friend of mine uses a 2-pole 5-position rotary switch. Center position is off. Rotate the switch either way to rotate the table either way. First position is slow, second is fast. Very intuitive.
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If the center pivot/bearing for the bridge is accessible from the bottom of the turntable, you could install a cam on it.
The cam would then operate a DPDT snap switch (with a roller lever actuator) that reverses the polarity to the bridge track over a specific segment of the arc of its rotation.
It is accessible, and I actually have a spare parts turntable I can make use of if necessary.
Do you have a diagram of the cam set up?
Lee
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It is accessible, and I actually have a spare parts turntable I can make use of if necessary.
Do you have a diagram of the cam set up?
Lee
No diagram, but simply a disc with sections of two different diameters, or depths, depending upon how you want to install the switch.
The switch would be of this type:
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/43kAAOSw8mxc2fir/s-l400.jpg)
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For speed control on a Retro layout, using DC, I have a very simple method on my narrow gauge. Since the loco shouldn't move while the turntable is turning, use the throttle to power the turntable.
I have a rotary switch to power the roundhouse tracks and turntable lead, and a DPDT toggle for the turntable. The turntable lead, turntable, and roundhouse tracks are a single block as there's only room for one loco at a time to run anyway. The turntable is always "hot".
To put a loco in the roundhouse, set the toggle to "engine", set the rotary switch for the lead, run the engine onto the turntable, and throw the toggle to "turntable". Use the throttle to turn the table to the desired track, with the engine facing the desired direction. Set the rotary switch to the desired track while the table is turning. Return the toggle to "engine", and run the engine off the table.
In my case, I only have one throttle, and can only run one train at a time anyway, so no cab controls are needed. If you want to run more than one train, add a cab selector switch for the roundhouse area, just like any other block.
My turntable is one of the aftermarket0powered Peco models, rebuilt for Nn3, so it has automatic reversing. For one that doesn't, I like the cam-and-switch design from Point353. Old-school electro-mechanical - perfect for a Retro Railroad. The cam doesn't have to be perfectly round, as long as the switch arm can follow it. Any disk will do, with a chunk cut out deep enough that the switch arm can fully extend, and the edges tapered so the arm doesn't snag. Be sure to put the "edges" so they don't line up with any tracks!
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I like that idea, @nkalanaga . Even if I was to convert the roundhouse to DCC, I'd want to isolate power from the storage tracks. Especially if a sound loco ever made it into my life (never say never!) I couldn't bear the thought of all those headlights and noisemakers sitting their running all the time.
The trick for me will be to have the ability to route power to as many as 25 or 30 fan tracks. Less of a problem with DCC, I could just have a 5 position switch that turns on 5 or 6 tracks at a time, then control the individual engines.
But for DC, I'd need to be able to isolate each track individually... Maybe a 10 position switch and a suitable number of momentary contact switches?
@Point353 I'm not sure what gets connected to what. Obviously the two terminal on the left go to the main track power, and the ones on the right providing +/- -/+ switch? Not sure what the springy gizmo connects to.. I assume that's some sort of actuator. How would it physically connect to the turntable?
On turntables past, I simply had a DPDT wired to the bridge track, and by throwing it either to or away from the direction of the doghouse, I pretty much always got where I needed to be.
@DKS , that system is pretty much how the newer Walthers turntable works. It had four buttons on the controller as I recall. Fast right, slow right, and fast left and slow left. The indexing system was reasonably good, but over time would drift, so it was handy to have the slow button to nudge the bridge into alignment.
Lee
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(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/tt-switch.jpg)
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But for DC, I'd need to be able to isolate each track individually... Maybe a 10 position switch and a suitable number of momentary contact switches?
Install a magnet in each end of the turntable bridge. Then install a reed switch behind the wall of the TT pit connected to each track. That way, only the track with which the TT is aligned will receive power.
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No diagram, but simply a disc with sections of two different diameters, or depths, depending upon how you want to install the switch.
Don't even need a disc with two diameters; just one with transitions.
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/tt-cam.gif)
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Don't even need a disc with two diameters; just one with transitions.
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/tt-cam.gif)
Believe it or not, this looks and behaves exactly like the throttle in an actual locomotive. Just add 7 more switches and 3 more for dynamic brake, 2 for forward and reverse...
good plan !
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Believe it or not, this looks and behaves exactly like the throttle in an actual locomotive. Just add 7 more switches and 3 more for dynamic brake, 2 for forward and reverse...
Yes, I believe it, because I've worked on the throttle of a 1940s diesel switcher...
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Yes, I believe it, because I've worked on the throttle of a 1940s diesel switcher...
That's great exposure to tech of the day, they were clever.
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Lee: It would be more expensive than a rotary switch, but a diagram with toggle switches for each track would work fine for DCC. Turn any track you wish on or off at any time.
For DC, the pushbuttons could be used the same way, if you're willing to hold the button while the loco is moving. That shouldn't be a problem, as long as you're standing there anyway, and the throttle can be worked with one hand.
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The challenge there would be building a control panel big enough to include 20+ toggle switches... :scared:
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The challenge there would be building a control panel big enough to include 20+ toggle switches... :scared:
I think DKS' idea of using reed switches and a bridge-mounted magnet to power the tracks aligned with the bridge is very clever, but probably too "hi-tech" for this layout.
A rotary switch would probably be the most period solution.
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Hand that man a pierogi! Peteski has nailed it! Being blessed with two left hands when it comes to all things electronic, I think I'll stick to the primitively simple push buttons/rotary switch concept.
I've got plenty of time to sort out the control... I'm crating it up this weekend to keep it in safe storage until such time as we buy a basement somewhere with a couple of rooms above. Turns out I have another nearly complete turntable and motor, so I can do some laboratory experiments if I care to...
Here's a tidied up look at it with the building repairs done and the paint touched up... and a few residents who are looking forward to a more permanent home...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-300920013154.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20357)
Lee
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A solution if you want all rotary switches: Divide the tracks into groups, with the groups on one switch. The, route each group through it's own switch, to choose the track.
It looks like you have about 20 tracks (I didn't count too carefully), so a 3-position and 3 8-position switches will do the job. That would give 24 tracks, more than enough. Use a larger main switch if you might add more tracks/groups in the future.
No need for an accurate diagram, just a main switch, lines from it to the group switches, and number the tracks on the group switches.
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Oh! I like that! Thanks
Lee
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A solution if you want all rotary switches: Divide the tracks into groups, with the groups on one switch. The, route each group through it's own switch, to choose the track.
It looks like you have about 20 tracks (I didn't count too carefully), so a 3-position and 3 8-position switches will do the job. That would give 24 tracks, more than enough. Use a larger main switch if you might add more tracks/groups in the future.
No need for an accurate diagram, just a main switch, lines from it to the group switches, and number the tracks on the group switches.
There's a much simpler way to do this...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Oak-24P-24-position-rotary-switch-Electroswitch-single-pole/324257358912
https://www.ebay.com/itm/STACKPOLE-ELECTROSWITCH-1-POLE-24-POSITIONS-BBM-ENCLOSED-NOS/233666509148
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Ordered! That was easy! I even have a knob I can put on it. I hadn't even considered just looking for one of these!
What would a busy ADHD guy do without the love and support of TRW!
Lee
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Meanwhile, in other Retro News, I bought a junker of a Rivarossi Mike for next to nothing... it came with the drivers all out of quarter and the motor missing, a few bits broken off the boiler shell... I figured what the heck.
The boys in the Laurel Valley Back Shops love an experiment. I quartered up the drivers and got everything tightened up, and using a screw gun tested the drive... It appears to roll smoothly once everything is where it's supposed to be. The frame seems good and sturdy, so it must be a later issue after the Zamac disease was cured at the factory, but the motor mounts indicate it was probably powered by one of the RR can motors that were notoriously iffy.
I have some small 9 volt motors that I ordered on the recommendation of @mmagliaro , along with the necessary diodes to adjust for 12v track power, so my next step will be to first build a drive shaft and wiring to get it to mesh with the internal worm, then a motor mount to get it to sit where it needs to sit.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-300920110238.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20358)
While I'm "gearing up" to do the power swap, I also removed the dummy coupler from the pilot and installed a Bachmann dummy boxing glove. It's just experimental, I'd like to have at least one of my Mikes to have a functional coupler on the pilot (if not a decent looking one) so I can run them in tandem. I've got to open up the mounting hole a bit so it swivels better, but in principle it fits. Note that I have a kajillion of the screw mount Bachmann dummies since they come packaged with the T shank ones I'm using on some of my passenger cars, so this may be a possible use for them.
Back to work now!
Lee
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The cam plus roller micro switch arrangement could also be used to automatically route power to the roundhouse stall tracks.
An advantage of that method is that there would be no confusion about which track (out of 20, or more) has been selected with the rotary switch.
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. . . and using a screw gun tested the drive...
Oh, I would have loved to have seen this. What speed did you get it up to? ;)
DFF
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Oh, I would have loved to have seen this. What speed did you get it up to? ;)
DFF
Ludicrous Speed!
(https://media.giphy.com/media/eqvM2iOd1B5tu/giphy.gif)
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Ludicrous Speed!
(https://media.giphy.com/media/eqvM2iOd1B5tu/giphy.gif)
They also went plaid! Wait, are they Railwire members?
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Actually not that fast at all. The gear reduction in these things is quite substantial. Even at half speed, the screw gun generates barely the RPMs of the old motor.
I'm looking forward to having a smaller motor with a lower top end to really make the engine able to crawl.
Lee
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I'm looking forward to having a smaller motor with a lower top end to really make the engine able to crawl.
Yeah, especially since the screw gun would not only look ludicrous sticking out the back of the loco, but it would be a b*tch getting it through the tunnels... :trollface:
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I have some small 9 volt motors that I ordered on the recommendation of @mmagliaro , along with the necessary diodes to adjust for 12v track power, so my next step will be to first build a drive shaft and wiring to get it to mesh with the internal worm, then a motor mount to get it to sit where it needs to sit.
Those 6-pole motors Max recommended are amazing! They have coreless-like torque, negligible cogging, and are quite inexpensive. Plus, the more Poles, the merrier! :D
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Plus, the more Poles, the merrier! :D
I see what you did there @peteski !!! :D
Frank
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I see what you did there @peteski !!! :D
Frank
I don't know what you're talkin' 'bout. :D
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Excited about the prospect of empowering the Mike, I rummaged through the bins and found an 0-8-0 and a Pacific I can also do. I did the screw gun test and found the drives stable and smooth turning.
The junk box is paying off!
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DKS: Good find! I never knew, or suspected, that they made a 24-position rotary switch.
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DKS: Good find! I never knew, or suspected, that they made a 24-position rotary switch.
Same here and probably made in the USA too!
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Back when I volunteered with Character Counts, I would do a lesson for the school kids called "TV is a time waster"... Here now, for your viewing pleasure, is Episode 3, more evidence to support that theory. (Nevermind the title that says Episode 2... that's a cognitive comprehension test... I hope you studied!)
Happy Hi Railing!
Lee
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Thanks for the video Lee. I never had the Arnold Rapido FA or F units or had a chance to look under the hood. Pretty amazing how simple the FA design was.
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Nice video Lee, but there is some inaccurate info in it. You keep calling that early N scale manufacturer "rapido"*. Well, the actual name of the manufacturer was "Arnold", and "rapido" was not a manufacturer, but a name for a product line of N scale trains manufactured by "Arnold". In those early days both names were clearly shown on the product's boxes and in their catalogs. I don;t ever recall seeing any of their products where only the name "rapido" was used on the packaging. Same is done on the models. Look at the fuel tank of your Arnold F-units and you will see "ARNOLD rapido, WESTERN GERMANY". Not just "arnold".
Here is an excerpt from one of the early Arnold's catalog of rapido products. Note how the copy uses "Arnold" as the name.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/2700-230419185957-10602926.jpeg)
The Arnold company was bought and sold, and currently it is owned by Hornby. At some point the rapido name of the N Scale line was dropped and contemporary Arnold N scale products only use the brand name "Arnold".
* Rapido was always written in stylized lower case letters
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Nice video Lee, but there is some inaccurate info in it. You keep calling that early N scale manufacturer "rapido"*. Well, the actual name of the manufacturer was "Arnold", and "rapido" was not a manufacturer, but a name for a product line of N scale trains manufactured by "Arnold". In those early days both names were clearly shown on the product's boxes and in their catalogs. I don;t ever recall seeing any of their products where only the name "rapido" was used on the packaging. Same is done on the models. Look at the fuel tank of your Arnold F-units and you will see "ARNOLD rapido, WESTERN GERMANY". Not just "arnold".
...
The Arnold company was bought and sold, and currently it is owned by Hornby. At some point the rapido name of the N Scale line was dropped and contemporary Arnold N scale products only use the brand name "Arnold".
* Rapido was always written in stylized lower case letters
rapido the brand (as opposed to Arnold the company http://davidksmith.com/birth-of-n/arnold.htm ) is a term used to describe high-speed interurban railroads in Europe.
Interesting that they refer to their version of the Rokal coupler as "simplex-coupling," which AFAIK is not a trademarked term, and was not used before 1970. http://davidksmith.com/birth-of-n/rokal.htm
Minor brand-name quibbles notwithstanding, nice video, @wm3798 ! I love the coffee-grinder sequence at the beginning--surprisingly close in sound.
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Back when I volunteered with Character Counts, I would do a lesson for the school kids called "TV is a time waster"... Here now, for your viewing pleasure, is Episode 3, more evidence to support that theory.
Happy Hi Railing!
Lee
hey, Lee
not only fun to watch video...quite enjoyable with the trains running and your narration style and quality
but also educational!
i am learning so much about early n scale that i never knew.
i had an N Scale train set back in 1978, and around the Xmas tree concept in figure 8 style
but i had no information about it until i switched back to N scale in 2003
even then i knew very little
thanks for sharing. it is very appreciated!
sincerely
Gary
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Nice video Lee, but there is some inaccurate info in it. You keep calling that early N scale manufacturer "rapido"*. Well, the actual name of the manufacturer was "Arnold", and "rapido" was not a manufacturer, but a name for a product line of N scale trains manufactured by "Arnold". In those early days both names were clearly shown on the product's boxes and in their catalogs. I don;t ever recall seeing any of their products where only the name "rapido" was used on the packaging. Same is done on the models. Look at the fuel tank of your Arnold F-units and you will see "ARNOLD rapido, WESTERN GERMANY". Not just "arnold".
Here is an excerpt from one of the early Arnold's catalog of rapido products. Note how the copy uses "Arnold" as the name.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/10/2700-230419185957-10602926.jpeg)
The Arnold company was bought and sold, and currently it is owned by Hornby. At some point the rapido name of the N Scale line was dropped and contemporary Arnold N scale products only use the brand name "Arnold".
* Rapido was always written in stylized lower case letters
Arnold N scale was also for a period imported by Revell.
At least some of their models had different roadnames than the Arnold Rapido models.
For example, that D&RGW FP9 loco was likely a Revell Rapido unit.
http://davidksmith.com/postage-stamp-trains/revell_catalog_5.htm (http://davidksmith.com/postage-stamp-trains/revell_catalog_5.htm)
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Interesting that they refer to their version of the Rokal coupler as "simplex-coupling," which AFAIK is not a trademarked term, and was not used before 1970. http://davidksmith.com/birth-of-n/rokal.htm
"Arnold Simplex-coupling" does not refer to the coupler itself, but to the entire mechanism (including the coupler) that automatically raises the coupler for hands-free uncoupling. Basically the entire system of hands-free automatic uncoupling. I don't believe Arnold ever had a specific name for their couplers (based on Rokal coupler). I believe it was the American modelers who named it "rapido coupler" to distinguish it from the Kadee Micro-Trains knuckle couplers.
Rapido Couplers are still widely used in European N scale. They also use "Profi" couplers, but Europeans don't use the "rapido coupler" name to describe that popular coupler which is still used in great majority of their N scale models.
But you already know all this David. :)
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Arnold N scale was also for a period imported by Revell.
At least some of their models had different roadnames than the Arnold Rapido models.
For example, that D&RGW FP9 loco was likely a Revell Rapido unit.
http://davidksmith.com/postage-stamp-trains/revell_catalog_5.htm (http://davidksmith.com/postage-stamp-trains/revell_catalog_5.htm)
Even so, if you were to look at the lettering engraved on the bottom of the fuel tank, it likely still stated "ARNOLD rapido, WEST GERMANY".
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But you already know all this David. :)
Actually I didn't, simply because I didn't pay much attention to Arnold after 1970.
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I always thought the banner image of the Arnold a$$ power pack was photoshopped, but I see that it
is actually in the catalog page pictured above.
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Thanks for the great discussion, and for the clarification on the brand name. Makes perfect sense. I better do some more homework!
Maybe I'll add a phone in segment where Peteski and DKS can fact check me in real time!
This has been a fun project so far. Sorry the layout is so small... I feel like it's getting repetitive...
Lee
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Thanks for the great discussion, and for the clarification on the brand name. Makes perfect sense. I better do some more homework!
Maybe I'll add a phone in segment where Peteski and DKS can fact check me in real time!
This has been a fun project so far. Sorry the layout is so small... I feel like it's getting repetitive...
Lee
LOL!
Hmm . . . I wonder if VintageNscaleFactCheck.org domain name is already taken? :)
Repetiitive? No way! Like a kaleidoscope, your layout might be small, but every time you look what you see is never the same.
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I always thought the banner image of the Arnold a$$ power pack was Photoshopped, but I see that it
is actually in the catalog page pictured above.
Oh no, that is not Photoshopped.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/2700-021020234553-203871622.jpeg)
My Arnold catalog has a full page devoted to this power pack (actually slightly different variant of the A$$ power pack). There is no explanation on what A$$ means (I suspect it is a German acronym), but it is a throttle which had dual output: one "smooth" 0-12 volts DC, and second 0-8V pulsed DC for smooth switching operation. It also uses modern "diode technology" while other throttles probably still used selenium rectifiers.
Note that Arnold had this (and few other) power packs manufactured by Siemens. That's the company which also manufacturers 1:1 electric locomotives. :-)
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Yes, as crude as some of it looks today, the Arnold N scale of the 1960s really was top-of-the-line as far as production standards.
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Yes, as crude as some of it looks today, the Arnold N scale of the 1960s really was top-of-the-line as far as production standards.
Well, I'd argue that Arnold tried to but never quite achieved the production standards of Trix and a couple of others such as Fleischmann. And at the outset, Arnold was as crude as old tinplate, whereas Trix was top-of-the-line right out of the gate; in fact, I believe it was their Minitrix Electric line that probably forced Arnold to adopt higher standards.
(http://davidksmith.com/birth-of-n/images/IMG_0142.jpg)
(http://davidksmith.com/birth-of-n/images/rapido-200-cars.jpg)
But, I am admittedly splitting hairs, and also wasting Lee's bandwidth.
And now back to Hi-Railing.
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Well, I'd argue that Arnold tried to but never quite achieved the production standards of Trix and a couple of others such as Fleischmann. And at the outset, Arnold was as crude as old tinplate, whereas Trix was top-of-the-line right out of the gate; in fact, I believe it was their Minitrix Electric line that probably forced Arnold to adopt higher standards.
The ratings assigned by Spookshow don't seem to support the contention that contemporary loco models from Minitrix were superior to those from Arnold Rapido.
Arnold's early Baldwin switcher and EMD F9 locos were relatively crude, but it was not until several years later that Minitrix entered the market.
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Arnold's early Baldwin switcher and EMD F9 locos were relatively crude, but it was not until several years later that Minitrix entered the market.
No argument about the timing of the product releases. I was merely pointing out that Arnold got off to a very rocky start, as compared to Trix, who had an excellent initial product offering.
The ratings assigned by Spookshow don't seem to support the contention that contemporary loco models from Minitrix were superior to those from Arnold Rapido.
With all due respect to Spookshow, we may have assigned different ratings to the respective products had I been building a resource similar to his. I've owned literally hundreds of these locos, and have a different opinion as to their respective quality.
However, I might suggest we start a new thread elsewhere if you wish to continue discussing these products, so as not to take away from Lee's work.
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Carry on at will, gentlemen... I'm playing with real trains this weekend!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-031020182603.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20397)
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Wife and I rode on the Potamac Eagle last Saturday in August.All day trip through the trough. Seen 9 bald eagles that day. The club car was a smooth ride and the meals were great. Hope you had as good a time as we did.
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sorry, momentarily forgot this was Lees thread
did not mean to post here in respect of his work and sharing
sent PM
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@PennsyPride We were in the area on business today, so we weren't able to do the trip. But we stayed in Romney, and by the time we got back to town, we caught the train returning to their depot.
Looks like a nice run though... we'll have to come back soon!
Lee
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By "production standards", I was thinking more of the technical side, performance and reliability, than appearance. Much of their 1960s stuff, at least the American models, was rather crude in appearance, but it ran, and kept running, unlike many of the other manufacturers.
My first "N Scale" was a Lone Star 000 set. It didn't run well at first, and didn't improve with age. If I hadn't bought an Arnold FA-whatever a couple years later, I probably would have given up on model trains. I have two now, both second-hand, and they both run beautifully - on code 80 track. They hit the spikes on ME code 55, but still run, even with the wheels above the rails half the time!
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I've owned literally hundreds of these locos, and have a different opinion as to their respective quality.
"Literally hundreds" of the early Arnold Rapido locos? Wow!
Wish I'd had a few thousand dollars to spend on model trains back then.
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I have two now, both second-hand, and they both run beautifully - on code 80 track. They hit the spikes on ME code 55, but still run, even with the wheels above the rails half the time!
Running the old large flange wheels on ME code 55 track is the model railroad equivalent of putting a playing card in the spokes of your bike.
However, Peco code 55 track lacks the fake spikes on the inside of the rail so the large flanges will typically run fine on the Peco track.
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Oh, they run very well on the Peco track in my staging yard, and I have NWSL wheels if I ever decide to upgrade the locos. What surprised me was that, in spite of visibly bouncing on the spikes on the ME track, they still ran very smoothly! No contact problems at all, in spite of only touching the rails part of the time, and they were slower than my Katos.
If I do upgrade them, I think I'll use them on a track cleaning train. As well as they run on dirty track, with intermittent contact, they should be perfect for the job.
Off topic, but in the mid 70s, I converted one to run off overhead wire, just to prove to the local hobby shop owner that an N scale electric would work. Made a "bow" collector for the roof, from a block of wood for an insulator, a piece of bent wire for the collector, and a rubber band. That was wired to the PC board Arnold used as the floor, with the truck contacts insulated on one side with paper. The wire was a length of brass wire, held up by wooden dowels. No attempt at scale appearance, just to prove to him (an O scale modeler) that an N scale electric would work. European manufacturers had been making them for years, so I don't know why he didn't believe it!
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Looks like I've been discovered! I've been enjoying Roy's show for a while. He's sort of the Mr. Rogers of model railroading. Check it out. I better get to work on the next episode!
Lee
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Sweet!
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Roy has been a fixture on FB fir some time now
his videos have shared many interesting things,
and, yes, in a Mr. Roger's persona.
that is what i like about him...couldn't put my finger on it
until you named it. but yes, that is it!
glad he included your work.
kudos!
Gary
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Some more high voltage entertainment..
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Another fun video Lee! Thanks for the shout-out about the E60 gears. :) Good to see that loco running (and it looks to be running pretty smoothly).
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With the GG1, have you experienced any trouble with the metal coupling on either end of the motor shaft failing?
The symptom would be for either one or both both trucks to lose drive.
I recall, several decades ago, having to contact Arnold directly in Germany to obtain replacements.
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Yes, but it turned out to simply need a little cleaning and lube, and to be reseated properly. Pretty easy fix, butt I'll let you know how long it lasts!
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Yes, but it turned out to simply need a little cleaning and lube, and to be reseated properly. Pretty easy fix, butt I'll let you know how long it lasts!
I really think there's a TWSS joke in there somewhere.
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I'm trying to think if I've ever built a layout that didn't have a variation on this theme on it somewhere...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-271020111029.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20776)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-271020112140.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20778)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-271020112233.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20779)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-271020112300.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20780)
If I ever do move to the Potomac Valley, I'll probably change the theme of my modeling to Swiss cog railroads or something.
Lee
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I'm trying to think if I've ever built a layout that didn't have a variation on this theme on it somewhere...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-271020112300.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20780)
If I ever do move to the Potomac Valley, I'll probably change the theme of my modeling to Swiss cog railroads or something.
Lee
Well, at least you're not stuck in wanting to model everything and are able to settle down on a theme. Must mean you're satisfied. A lot of us waffle.
Oh, and, just wondering, did you sell used cars in the 1980s? :trollface:
DFF
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No... commercial printing, and briefly, radio air time... Both dead industries...
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Hahah, Lee, it's funny you mention the recurrence of that visual composition.
I realized myself while building the Hanover Jct part of the Windsor St layout that I keep recreating Strasburg: a gentle agricultural valley with tracks running along the slight rise in front of a tree line.
Essentially this, over and over:
(http://railfanning.kapuscinski.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/IMG_1448.jpg)
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WM3798: RhB, north side of Albula Pass. That should give you all the bridges, curves, tunnels, and over/under you might want, all in a compact space. Bergun to Preda, the track crosses itself in five (that I could find) places!
In Nn3, it might actually fit on a door, without too much compression.
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WM3798: RhB, north side of Albula Pass. That should give you all the bridges, curves, tunnels, and over/under you might want, all in a compact space. Bergun to Preda, the track crosses itself in five (that I could find) places!
In Nn3, it might actually fit on a door, without too much compression.
Except you clearly missed the "thought bubble" in the picture...
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True, I just thought the WM logo was an accidental part of the background.
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Actual something happening on the layout.
I had fun bumping some cars up on the high line over the weekend, and I decided it was time for a small modification.
At Old Town, I had a two track siding that was designated for mine tracks, with a small tipple and capacity for about 6 or 7 55T cars.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-021120131832.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20891)
I also have a little laser cut mill kit that Rho built awhile ago, and it was there looking cute at the junction track, but otherwise, didn't do much for the revenue of the railway.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-021120132107.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20892)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-021120133827.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20896)
As much fun as "loads out and empties in" can be, I decided to reduce the carbon footprint of the upper loop to handle only 4 hoppers at the truck dump (over at the other end of the layout) and put in some industry to generate some other kinds of traffic. Here's what I've come up with so far.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-021120132547.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20893)
First, I replaced the old Trix turnout (I know, blasphemy, right?) with a Peco shorty, which will simplify the bridges that will have to cross the ravine under the industrial tracks. Also, since the Peco is power routing, I can squirrel away the switcher on a siding when I'm running other thru business on the inner branch line. I'm also going to relocate the water tower to the background somewhere, to get it out of the "industrial park". The buildings shown are my "I'm pretty sure these are final" selections. In keeping with the retro ethos, I first tried using a couple of other well-worn N scale classics, but I didn't think all those bricks worked with the small cross roads concept I have in place there. So I put the buildings shown below back on the shelf to be deployed elsewere.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-021120133037.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20894)
I like the old school sawmill, as it gives me an excuse to haul some flat cars, pulpwood cars and wood chip hoppers, and the little feed mill, which gets rotated about 90 degrees to use the new siding, can host 40' boxcars for in and outbound traffic. I toyed with adding another switch, but at some point, you run out of real estate.
While the water wheel of the old Pola sawmill will not be visible from the usual vantage points, inspired by @DKS , I plan to motorize it to create a nice little "Easter Egg" for viewers who make their way around the corner.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-021120133551.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20895)
The amount of traffic generated is ideal for the smallest loop on the railroad, and I will be able to swap cars in and out of the thru train that runs on the outer loop. Not quite to where I'll need JRMI, but it will certainly function using the JFRTM.
Lee
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Increased revenue is good for the RR and also for operational interest. Nice modification.
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-021120132547.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20893)
In addition to the two bridges in your newly modified sidings, it looks like you're going to need one of those fancy Pennsy Flying Junctions in the back right corner. Good luck!
DFF
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As much fun as "loads out and empties in" can be, I decided to reduce the carbon footprint of the upper loop to handle only 4 hoppers at the truck dump (over at the other end of the layout) and put in some industry to generate some other kinds of traffic. Here's what I've come up with so far.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-021120132547.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20893)
First, I replaced the old Trix turnout (I know, blasphemy, right?) with a Peco shorty, which will simplify the bridges that will have to cross the ravine under the industrial tracks. Also, since the Peco is power routing, I can squirrel away the switcher on a siding when I'm running other thru business on the inner branch line. I'm also going to relocate the water tower to the background somewhere, to get it out of the "industrial park". The buildings shown are my "I'm pretty sure these are final" selections. In keeping with the retro ethos, I first tried using a couple of other well-worn N scale classics, but I didn't think all those bricks worked with the small cross roads concept I have in place there. So I put the buildings shown below back on the shelf to be deployed elsewere.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-021120133037.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20894)
I like the old school sawmill, as it gives me an excuse to haul some flat cars, pulpwood cars and wood chip hoppers, and the little feed mill, which gets rotated about 90 degrees to use the new siding, can host 40' boxcars for in and outbound traffic. I toyed with adding another switch, but at some point, you run out of real estate.
While the water wheel of the old Pola sawmill will not be visible from the usual vantage points, inspired by @DKS , I plan to motorize it to create a nice little "Easter Egg" for viewers who make their way around the corner.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-021120133551.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20895)
Suppose that you turned the sawmill 90° so that the channel for the waterwheel is parallel to the ravine.
Cut off some of the base at the front of the sawmill as needed.
Make the level of the water flowing into the ravine from the rear of the scene at a higher level so that some of it can be diverted into the channel.
The ravine would then not be as deep where it is adjacent to the sawmill.
Then, put a waterfall in between the industrial track bridges and the inner branch line bridge.
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@Point353 , I dig your jive.
I've been struggling with the mill race since I posted the picture. The only issue I would have with bending the track to angle the building more to the rear is that it would make coupling the cars in the siding would become more difficult since it would be on a tight curve.
But the idea bears experimentation... Plus, it would make the spinning water wheel more visible to the primary viewing angle of the scene.... Thanks for that feedback.
Lee
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@Point353 , I dig your jive.
I've been struggling with the mill race since I posted the picture. The only issue I would have with bending the track to angle the building more to the rear is that it would make coupling the cars in the siding would become more difficult since it would be on a tight curve.
But the idea bears experimentation... Plus, it would make the spinning water wheel more visible to the primary viewing angle of the scene.... Thanks for that feedback.
Lee
I wasn't suggesting that the siding track needed to be moved at all.
But, maybe the available space is tighter than it appears in the photos.
To me, it looks at though the sawmill would still fit if you cut off the base on the side with the large door opening and then rotated the sawmill 90° so that the door opening faces the siding track (and the waterwheel is adjacent to the ravine).
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I see what you're saying... The large door on the left has a narrow gauge track cast into the floor... I reckon for feeding logs into the mill. The large door at the other end is more of a warehouse door. That might make more sense. Then the loading dock that I was locating next to the siding could be used for trucks to be loaded... Hmmm...
Lee
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OK, I'll play along. How about pulling the Peco shorty and the curved track to its left, then install the Trix turnout as far left as you can. Then, off the straight leg, run a siding roughly parallel to the mainline and curve it tightly, such that the mill can be installed roughly parallel to the crossover. The other siding can swing up parallel to the ravine.
Here's a few thousand words, very crudely:
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/lee-mill.jpg)
The mill siding curve would be insanely tight, but hey, this is retro after all.
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On @Point353 's suggestion, I rotated the sawmill 90 degrees, and left the track plan more or less as is. This accomplishes several things.
1. The mill race now parallels the stream bed, and gives me the opportunity to make a mill pond around the corner of the skyboard that masks the staging area back there. The turning mill wheel will also be more evident.
2. The "track" that would feed logs into the mill now terminates at the siding, so a small crane can be added to unload a flat car.
3. Real estate is now freed up to create a bit of a yard where finished product can be stacked. I can add a boxcar loading ramp at the end of the siding wide enough for a forklift to navigate.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-031120095423.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20914)
I can light the whole thing up with LEDs as you can see I have a wire terminal right there in the neighborhood.
Thanks for all the suggestions! Not bad for about 12 inches square!
Lee
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OK, I'll play along. How about pulling the Peco shorty and the curved track to its left, then install the Trix turnout as far left as you can. Then, off the straight leg, run a siding roughly parallel to the mainline and curve it tightly, such that the mill can be installed roughly parallel to the crossover. The other siding can swing up parallel to the ravine.
Here's a few thousand words, very crudely:
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/lee-mill.jpg)
The mill siding curve would be insanely tight, but hey, this is retro after all.
Insanely tight can be a very good thing in industrial trackage, especially if you restrict the locos from the spur and use reacher cars to pull & spot cars at the industry. Makes for fun operations.
To “enforce” the no locos rule, insulate the siding and don’t add drops so it’s electrically dead.
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I'll hold that idea for the next micro layout. I've got this one pretty well sorted now.
I do have a couple of Plymouths that could be pressed into service on the "insanely" tight turn, but there's just not much room to work with for extra spacer cars etc.
I played with switching the new set up today, and it works out fine. 3-4 cars from this side, and 4 55T hoppers from the truck dump at the other side works out nicely, and doesn't tax the switcher beyond its capabilities.
I also have to keep in mind the scenery elements, so no more shifting at this point.
Lee
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And for true fidelity to how N scale layouts were done back then, no real access for road vehicles. I especially liked how people would stick a factory in the midst of a bunch of track, then put a 40'semi- loading at it with absolutely no way in hell it could have got there except by being air-lifted in.
But you're being true to the era.
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And for true fidelity to how N scale layouts were done back then, no real access for road vehicles. I especially liked how people would stick a factory in the midst of a bunch of track, then put a 40'semi- loading at it with absolutely no way in hell it could have got there except by being air-lifted in.
But you're being true to the era.
Some modelers still do that. A pet peeve of mine.
DFF
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No parking lot for employees... unless steam era, then within walking distance of non-existent town.
Plus no toxic waste flowing into the nearby stream.
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I need a Mehano GP40 cab roof.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-071120174835.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20959)
And some end handrails.
Don't ask why.
Lee
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Making hay while the sun shines...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-091120161934.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20990)
My Atlas "Collectible" edition C Liners bask in the sunlight on my roundhouse module.
Lee
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Making hay while the sun shines...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-091120161934.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20990)
My Atlas "Collectible" edition C Liners bask in the sunlight on my roundhouse module.
Lee
Wow! Those are really cool! Do they have a truck-mounted pancake, or a vertically-mounted conventional motor with a crappy vinyl magnet? Do they actually run?
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It's a powered A-dummy A set, with the vertical can motor powering the front truck.
And yes, it runs surprisingly well!
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You know, a dummy A unit as the lead unit is a good location for a video camera.
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Started with this a few weeks ago.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-101120145204.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20994)
Got a couple of donor tenders, so I scabbed this together...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-101120170822.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20997)
A couple of dabs of paint later...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-101120170918.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=20998)
And it's almost ready for lettering.
Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks.
Lee
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I don't know if this was discussed earlier or not, but what's up with all the Kadee MT couplers? True-retro rolling stock on a retro-layout should have rapido couplers. :trollface:
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The locomotive I started with had been butchered of its factory coupler box, so I improvised a coupler pocket and grabbed the first thing I put my hands on, which was an MT preassembled coupler.
In the end it makes sense, because most of my WM rolling stock is so equipped, and since this will be an ersatz Potomac Class J, it makes sense to have the right coupler for the job.
Also, if you were a 51 year old toy train, you'd want the low friction modern trucks on everything you had to haul around! Just being thoughtful of the elderly!
Lee
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Ok Lee, you get a pass this time. ;)
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Back in the 1050’s, knuckle couplers were not even in use on HO scale trains. However, my S-scale American Flyer train set had operating knuckle couplers. Therefore, since knuckle couplers were present in the hobby, I agree it’s ok to use in a retro setting.
So it’s settled... right? :D
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I don't know if this was discussed earlier or not, but what's up with all the Kadee MT couplers? True-retro rolling stock on a retro-layout should have rapido couplers. :trollface:
The Bachmann 4-8-4 loco was introduced in 1972: http://www.spookshow.net/loco/bach484.html (http://www.spookshow.net/loco/bach484.html)
Magne-Matic couplers were introduced in 1969: https://www.micro-trains.com/50-years-of-magne-matic (https://www.micro-trains.com/50-years-of-magne-matic)
So, the couplers pre-date the locomotive model.
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The Bachmann 4-8-4 loco was introduced in 1972: http://www.spookshow.net/loco/bach484.html (http://www.spookshow.net/loco/bach484.html)
Magne-Matic couplers were introduced in 1969: https://www.micro-trains.com/50-years-of-magne-matic (https://www.micro-trains.com/50-years-of-magne-matic)
So, the couplers pre-date the locomotive model.
I wasn't questioning the timeline. Lee's layout depicts an average model railroader's effort. Sure, N scale knuckle couplers were available, but the percentage of adaptation was relatively low. I suspect that the modelers who had layouts of the type Lee created would be using rapido-equipped rolling stock. Even Kadee Micro-Trains cars were available with both, knuckle, and rapido couplers.
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Lee's layout depicts an average model railroader's effort.
IMO, calling it "average" is an insult to the quality of Lee's work.
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IMO, calling it "average" is an insult to the quality of Lee's work.
I agree. My understanding is that Lee is recapturing the trains he owned, or dreamed of owning, in his youth. The layout represents the technology available then, so that his layout is a time capsule.
DFF
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No offense taken. I'm having a ball taking this layout through its paces. I'm pretty happy with the results. Obviously, I'm working with skills and tools acquired over many decades, so this layout will have a better flavor than my low tech early projects. And I still like taking pictures in reasonably good scenery. But my time commitments are much different now, as is my budget, so while the equipment is pretty much two steps back, the layout itself remains a small step forward in my modeling lexicon... :D
Lee
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It was not meant as an insult. Lee obviously had way-above-average modeling skills, but for this "retro" layout he seems to have chosen to use many techniques and materials available in the '70s and '80s. It looks good, but it is not (by Lee's choice) a super realistic layout (like George Sellios' layout, or our own Mark Dance's). It is what it is - I enjoy following this thread, and occasionally posting kudos, or friendly jabs.
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like George Sellios' layout
(https://media.tenor.com/images/9862de35eff9627bd714af5c294607a8/tenor.gif)
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I can remember having a mix of both rapido and MT couplers when I started, so a retro railroad would have both and even with a judicious amount of conversion cars so both types can be in the same train. Sometimes, that in itself created some stranger consists depending on what you wanted to run.
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My 1972 Bachmann Northern has evolved into a foobie Western Maryland Potomac. The 8 axle tender is wrong, the cab is wrong, and the smoke box is wrong. And yet as I watch it haul a fast freight around the retro rig, it just feels right!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-131120230420.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21040)
The Northeast Decals I used are almost as old as the locomotive!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-131120230653.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21042)
In proper tourist trap tradition, I've numbered her one past the prototype roster. Appropriately on Friday the 13th! The original cab number still reads 2113, too! But I'll be fixing that after a little surgery on the boiler shell.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-131120231016.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21043)
She sure looks right at home crossing her namesake river!
Lee
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What's the story with the green smokebox?
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What's the story with the green smokebox?
Instead of green, maybe silver/graphite only on the front of the smokebox?
(https://www.railarchive.net/randomsteam/images/wm1406.jpg)
(https://brasstrains.sirv.com/products//038484/DSC07434.jpg)
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When you're color blind like me it's Gray! Seriously, the bottle it came out of said slate gray.
Lee
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When you're color blind like me it's Gray! Seriously, the bottle it came out of said slate gray.
Lee
Based on your photo, that "slate gray" color looks to me to be a close match for the Penn Central green paint used on old Con-Cor (Kato) cars and locos.
Or, not unlike the shade of green Great Northern used on their steam locos in the 'Glacier Park' scheme.
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The smokebox is very green, but it seems to fit the theme of that layout. I thought Lee did that on purpose. :)
If you can't trust the paint bottle label,s what can you trust? :(
I've been partnering with a fellow NTRAKker on the circus/carnival modules for couple decades now. He is also color blind (red/green), and I sometimes catch him making some really odd color choices.
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Having recently gone through the paint color selection on our house, I can attest that color names bear no resemblance to the actual color of the paint. :facepalm:
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Well *****. I guess I better revisit that. Rho confirms that it's very green!
Lee
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I thought the green smokebox was a deliberate choice, but was puzzled by the green side rods. Never considered that colorblindness (and poorly labeled paint) might have something to do with it. This reminds me of a story...
In the early 1980s I had a friend Mike who was red-green colorblind. We were watching the news one evening - on one of those analog color TVs where you had little dials to adjust the color (and other things). The color was clearly off - Dan Rather was oddly magenta - and Mike got up and started tweaking the dials. After a few moments he stopped, and looking very satisfied with himself sat back down. Then we had the following (paraphrased) conversation:
(me) Mike, you're colorblind!
(Mike) So?
(me) Dan Rather is an icky shade of green.
(Mike) He looks perfectly fine to me. Sounds like you have a problem.
That was a good lesson for me.
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"Stroudley's Improved Engine Green" was (apparently) an historical result of colorblindness. It was actually a "yellow ocher" color...
I also thought the model was one of the original early paint schemes, which often bore little resemblance to the prototype. Being a GN/BN modeler, my first thought was that the manufacturer had botched a GN Glacier Park scheme! It's odd, but I've seen far worse, including some old prototypes.
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Yeah, I don't know anything about the WM, but I thought it would be odd they'd paint the smokebox green.
However, the colorblindness makes more sense when I saw the valve gear painted a matching color.
Easy fix.
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After literally losing sleep over this, I mixed up my go to graphite blend of silver and black and repainted the smoke box and valve gear.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-161120052523.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21137)
I'll have to remember to get a more reliable set of eyes to verify my color selections going forward!
Thanks for the gently applied peer pressure... 8)
Lee
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Wow, I had no idea.
Also, there is still some green showing through. Get Rho to supervise your second coat.
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Nah. I'll just run it faster so no one notices! :D
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-161120052523.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21137)
I'll have to remember to get a more reliable set of eyes to verify my color selections going forward!
When you find that set of reliable eyes, maybe they can rerail that engine for you. :trollface:
DFF
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Bite me, Foxx.
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That’s what rerailer tracks are for.
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Meanwhile back at the ADHD Railroad Company, we've welcomed another albatross to the fleet...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-171120171157.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21147)
A 1st generation Bachmann 4-8-2 light mountain. It arrived caked in cigarette smoke, and was, as expected, a bit herky jerky.. A good cleaning, and some tinkering got it running reasonably well, but as Spookshow points out, it could barely haul itself around the loop. But it looks good doing it.
A bit more tinkering, and my tried and true trick of "painting" on a bit of mod podge to add a smidge of diameter to the traction tire got it pulling a respectable 10 car train around the layout. Oddly, it ran better clockwise on the inner loop with its min. 11" turn than it did counterclockwise on the outer loop at 12-3/8"... Probably my installation of the track more than anything else.
Now I have to work out whether it gets B&O livery or if it will become a part of the growing Laurel Valley steam fleet.
Lee
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A better way to get traction would be to put a sliver of Scotch tape in the bearing block ( above the block ) .....Mike
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My method requires no fussy reassembly! ;)
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Just a brain fart here, but has anyone ever tried using the tiny rubber bands that are used by orthodontists on braces for replacement traction tires?
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Just a brain fart here, but has anyone ever tried using the tiny rubber bands that are used by orthodontists on braces for replacement traction tires?
Why futz around with substitutes when a wide range of reasonably priced TTs is available here (https://lovetrainhobbies.com/N-scale-traction-tires-locomotive-engine-replacements-steam-diesel-N-scale-traction-tires-lovetrain-hobbies-mm-N-MAIN.html) . IIRC Max found that website.
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I think the main problem with rubber bands, is that they may or may not have a consistent thickness around their circumference. They are designed to create a tension from stretching, not to provide a constant diameter.
I've never tried my theory, and as you all know, I love finding cheap solutions to expensive problems, but that one seems like the finding the right rubber band for the job might be a bit labor intensive...
Lee
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Like I said... brain fart.
:facepalm:
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As my old philosophy professor once said, there are no stupid questions... Only stupid people asking them. :D :trollface: :ashat:
Lee
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As my old philosophy professor once said, there are no stupid questions... Only stupid people asking them. :D :trollface: :ashat:
Lee
Sometimes its the stupid people providing answers too :D
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My method requires no fussy reassembly! ;)
Have you thought about using Bullfrog snot?
http://www.bullfrogsnot.com/index.asp (http://www.bullfrogsnot.com/index.asp)
Scott
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Bullfrog snot is not retro. :D
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Bullfrog snot is not retro. :D
It'snot. ;)
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The gloss medium trick works fine, and I had it on hand. I suspect the Bullfrog Snot is a similar product repackaged (and re-priced :scared:) for the hobby market. Keep in mind that Woodland Scenics "Scenery Cement" is basically white glue that they buy by the carload, and sell by the ounce like it's Chanel #5.
Lee
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Back to the other "other" project... @PiperguyUMD had 3-D printed some parts for a Potomac he was working on, and had some spares, so I could start working on the Nose Job.
First, the pilot with the familiar WM "Rock Knocker" plow and air cylinders.
Eric designed his parts to fit on the J-1 drive, but it only took a few swipes of the file and some CA have it fit the Northern chassis like it was meant to be there the whole time.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-201120105110.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21166)
Next, I dremeled the smoke box front off of a shell he had printed that had flaws in the back, but was fine for my purposes. Again, with just a little tinkering, it was a perfect fit.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-201120105426.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21167)
Then I got out my bottle of NOT GREEN paint, and touched it up a bit.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-201120105612.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21168)
Hopefully this weekend I can work out the headlight situation (Hi mount... debating whether to use a light tube from the factory lamp or installing an LED... either way it's getting piped to a surplus Trix K-4 headlight fitting to make sure this still looks properly like a toy train!) then I can tidy up the side walk boards and get her re-numbered and install whatever remaining jewelry she'll need. The last think I'll need to do is some Dremel work to the plastic clam shell boxes so I can put her away safely when she's resting...
Lee
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Then I got out my bottle of NOT GREEN paint, and touched it up a bit.
Haha! From one red-green colorblind individual to another: "I feel your pain."
DFF
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So really. Today actually is a work day. But when the post arrives with goodies, it's hard to resist the temptation to play a little...
A few weeks ago I posted a request for yet another dumpster dive, in hopes of getting the needed parts to restore this:
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/20/9-071120174835.jpeg)
Thanks to @Mark5 , a box arrived last night which I retrieved from the mailbox this morning. To my delight, everything was there that I needed, including the "foggy window" glazing for the cab.
Between answering emails, visiting a job site and detailing a cool house plan I'm doing for a cat in Winchester, I shot a little primer, then a little paint, and put Humpty Dumpty together again...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-201120131910.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21171)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-201120132035.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21172)
I've put the shell I bought and now repaired onto an old Life Like lead sled drive, so now it has 8 wheel pick up and drive, and runs reasonably well. I have to a little more trimming, it seems, to get the hind end to sit down a little, which I will probably do after then next round of emails and drafting...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-201120132228.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21173)
Because... First things first, I had to dig out another carcass from the collection in order to properly punctuate the train...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-201120132501.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21174)
I need to thumb through the billions of decal scraps I have to see if I have a properly sized B&O reporting mark for the caboose, but this will do the trick for now.
I can't help but feel like I'm atoning for all the old sins I committed when I got rid of the trains of my youth and turned my gaze to more prototypical models.
Lee
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Okay so sometimes you have to just run trains on the high line so you can build the grade crossing at Paw Paw.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-211120005639.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21184)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-211120005726.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21185)
But as soon as the paint dries, it's back to JFRTM!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-211120005844.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21186)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-211120005940.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21187)
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OK Lee, why are those pieces of road surface so bowed? Did you make them out of cardboard and painted with water-based paints?! ;)
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No... they are craft foam, trimmed to fit but not yet installed. I have to do a little more landscaping on the other side of the tracks yet...
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With enough glue and clamps it'll only be a problem for the present.
And maybe for those 5yrs down the road.
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Personally, I prefer to use spackling compound for my roads. Painted to look like asphalt.
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No... they are craft foam, trimmed to fit ... do a little more landscaping ...
MAN-scaping...? :o :facepalm:
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Brought the Potomac a bit closer to completion...
Using a Trix K-4 headlight mount and a desperately contorted LED, I was able to get light to the high mount headlamp.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-221120113534.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21217)
Of course, the only way to see it on a DC layout is with a tracking shot! Also got the bell installed, which was gleaned from the OEM smokebox.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-221120114006.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21218)
I still have to patch in the walkboards at the smoke box sides, and decide whether I want to change the cab... The cab overhang of the original isn't a match to the WM's All Weather cab, but it helps disguise the spread between the cab and tender, which I need for my ridiculously tight turns. Maybe on the next one... :D The finishing touches for this, I think, will be the proper cab number and a few other distinctive decals to make it ready for prime time.
Lee
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That's an efficient way to put gravel on the roof of those structures but I'd like to see the engineering calcs. :trollface:
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A little holiday traveling this week... Hi rail style!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-271120104322.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21302)
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Making the scene...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-031220091207.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21370)
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Been having a hard time finding a Bachmann shorty in B&O, so I rolled my own.
Needed something to drag around behind the 'bug.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-031220091603.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21371)
Decal stripes will always be my Achilles heel.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-031220091912.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21372)
JFRTM now!
Lee
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Lee, if you hadn't said anything, I'd have thought that was the factory paint. Even under the usually unflattering close-up, it looks good.
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Decal stripes will always be my Achilles heel.
Your work is still going to be better than the factory paint jobs on half century old "retro" models.
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Lee, if you hadn't said anything, I'd have thought that was the factory paint. Even under the usually unflattering close-up, it looks good.
Your work is still going to be better than the factory paint jobs on half century old "retro" models.
^^This and ^this. However, those finish nails as bumpers?! C'mon man! Just do a pile of ballast or a couple of ties jammed into the end of the track.
DFF
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They aren't finish nails! Those are scale steel pipe bollards! Very authentic! :ashat:
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Yes. I’m using some scale steel pipe bollards at the moment on some joinery work with some 1” x 2” lumber. 🤫
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More scenery is underway
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-071220080008.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21462)
A new road bridge will give the people of Old Town access to the outside world.
Plus I ran trains...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-071220080203.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21463)
Lee
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I showed Aly your layout last night, and she wanted to know where the road bridge would go. I'll pass this information along to her.
Thanks,
DFF
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The superstructure is in place!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-071220100514.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21464)
Looking forward to the arrival of the deck!
Lee
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Turning the old girls loose for a while. Atlas C-Liners and ConCor PAs.
Passenger sets by Rivarossi and ConCor.
Lee
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Okay, Hive Mind. It looks like I'm really turning the corner on my scenery...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-081220115230.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21472)
I've been scratching my head about what do here for some time, particularly solving the riddle of what kind of overpass/tunnel portal/sleight of hand I need to do for the skewed bridge that will carry the curvy upper track over the curvy bottom track... I've narrowed it down to two possiblities.
First, I created a paper template so I could determine just exactly what the geometry is that I have to overcome. I also rerouted the track wiring to get it off of the bridge.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-081220115631.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21473)
Then I cut out some corrugated cardboard to provide the base structure for the thing. I will be sealing the cardboard on both sides with some spray paint to keep it from curling once the ballast etc. is applied.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-081220115851.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21474)
Note that the flat side on the inside of the curve will support some yet-to be determined scenic element that will provide a (removable) visual cover over the staging tracks behind the skyboard, probably made from 1/2" blue foam, which I have in abundance owing to the ongoing siding project happening here in the Land of Pleasant Living... But I digress... The matter at hand is, what configuration should the final installation be? Here are the options:
The shortest distance between two points...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-081220120233.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21475)
or, something a bit more elaborate, and perhaps more prototypical...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-081220120541.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21476)
So... Pros and Cons...
Option one will be dirt simple to build, and be relatively easy on the eye since it won't really call attention to itself. It can also be constructed with minimal obstruction to the trackwork below, basically flying across in a clear span... My inner structural engineer is not okay with that idea... but he might take a back seat to the JFRTM ethos we are hoping to achieve. With a few adornments like the concrete railings and a faux beam to conceal the edge of the cardboard, it should have a decent appearance none the less.
Option two would have a more logical approach to physics, with shorter spans over the individual tracks below, and the portals of the overpass stepped in such a way as to more realistically portray this overtly model railroady scene. The down side here is that it would require some posts or a vertical wall between the two tracks, which would have the potential to interfere with my strange collection of passenger cars, Hi Cubes, and if I ever lose my mind and drop $100 on a freight car, one of those 4-truck Atlas Jumbo cars. The swing of the smokebox on a my 2-8-8-2 is a bit much as well. I've got 11" radius on the inner loop below and 12-3/8" on the outer, And there's just not much clearance between the two when the Big Fellas are running. A little trimming and fitting can be done, and worst case, restrictions can be applied to the longer freight cars to keep them on the route with more elbow room.
Any thoughts?
Lee
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Okay, Hive Mind. It looks like I'm really turning the corner on my scenery...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-081220115230.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21472)
I've been scratching my head about what do here for some time, particularly solving the riddle of what kind of overpass/tunnel portal/sleight of hand I need to do for the skewed bridge that will carry the curvy upper track over the curvy bottom track... I've narrowed it down to two possiblities.
Any thoughts?
Option three: Forget the bridge and instead have the curvy lower level tracks enter a tunnel before they cross beneath the curvy upper level tracks.
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Option three: Forget the bridge and instead have the curvy lower level tracks enter a tunnel before they cross beneath the curvy upper level tracks.
^^^ This.
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Not practical I already have a little vignette brewing in the corner nearby which would force the portal too far in one direction or the other... Being on a curve, I'd have to fabricate an extra wide portal to handle the aforementioned clearance issues, and being an architectural nerd, I want to try to solve the problem with steel and concrete to create a visually interesting scene where I can see all four routes interacting. Unless I'm building the south end of Penn Station in Baltimore, I don't think the portal idea is going to work.
If the WM route above was single track, I'd consider using a skewed thru truss, which existed in several locations between Cumberland and Westernport. But double track on a 11" max curve would require a bridge that would be able to carry three tracks on the straight... a bit much.
I'll consider just options one and two, but thanks just the same for playing the home version!
Lee
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OK, I'm game to play. Here's my entry:
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/lee-bridge.jpg)
What we have here in this crayon sketch is a beam bridge, not unlike what you built for the Cumberland, just bigger and more complex (and probably with more beams than I've drawn). It would be built in two sections, with the center of the span--where the angle of the beams changes--supported on vertical beams that follow the curve of the lower tracks (even though they don't in my lousy sketch), which should help with clearance issues. And, being an open steel structure, you'll have a decent view of everything from all angles. Not shown are a pair of concrete abutments.
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This is a good illustration of the limitations for supporting the bridge from between the tracks.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-081220134353.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21478)
You can't run Hi Rail without silly oversize cars and fast passenger trains, so anything rising between the tracks will have to be razor thin. A straight beam or wall would be out of the question.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-081220134817.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21479)
And here we see the other variable. I need at least 22.5 scale feet between the rail head and the bottom of the superstructure so as not to impede my fleet of overhead electrics. This dimension has been confirmed with my several other bridges, and works for the GG1s, E60 and Metroliners. So a beam bridge will probably not be a functional solution, either.
But this is good.
The more options I can consider, the better the final product will be!
Lee
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The shortest distance between two points...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-081220120233.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21475)
Following the shortest distance between two points concept, suppose that you made a single span through plate girder bridge with the overall height of the girder as tall as you can make it while still clearing the tops of trains/pantographs on the lower level and any overhangs from trains on the upper level.
Could you mock that up to see how it looks?
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You can't run Hi Rail without silly oversize cars and fast passenger trains, so anything rising between the tracks will have to be razor thin. A straight beam or wall would be out of the question.
Sorry, your first picture had a wall between the tracks, so that led me to think it was an option.
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That's actually two posts, about 3/16" thick, with a curved beam on top... I took it out because it kept getting struck!
Lee
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I'm going out to the garage to get some of those 10p finish nails, and see if they don't work for pipe columns...
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-081220194612.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21483)
I have opted for simplicity.
You may now go on about your business.
Lee
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Mock up.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-081220201055.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21484)
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Yeah - JFRTM!!!
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Mock up.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-081220201055.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21484)
Now try it with high-cube boxcars on both lower level tracks.
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Since this is a fantasy bridge (too thin to be realistic), why even use center support? Instead of corrugated cardboard use a piece of 1/16" sheet aluminum. That will be plenty stiff to support the track on the upper level without any support in the middle. :trollface:
Or just use some sort of truss bridge. Those can get away with very thin bases. Never mind - truss on one side only would look really weird.
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I'll be installing a beam below the railing. Note that the caption says "mock up"
And the 86' hi cubes are running through there just fine.
Lee
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I'll be installing a beam below the railing. Note that the caption says "mock up"
And the 86' hi cubes are running through there just fine.
Lee
Oh, ok. I thought the vertical clearance (for GG1s with pantographs up) was a problem.
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Since this is a fantasy bridge (too thin to be realistic), why even use center support? Instead of corrugated cardboard use a piece of 1/16" sheet aluminum. That will be plenty stiff to support the track on the upper level without any support in the middle. :trollface:
Or just use some sort of truss bridge. Those can get away with very thin bases. Never mind - truss on one side only would look really weird.
This is where you’re drawing the “really weird” line???? :?
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This is where you’re drawing the “really weird” line???? :?
Yes, I guess. Seems that Lee has a bridge that only has one edge. The other side of the bridge surface blends into terra firma. Non-weird bridges usually have 2 edges or sides.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/medium_9-081220201055.jpeg)
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This sort of construction gives me the impression of a very urban-like development. A cross between a bridge and a tunnel.
Ah! It’s a “brunnel”.
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I'd suggest two single-track tunnel portals, perhaps staggered slightly, and fill in around them with scenery to disguise the situation, since it's now a one-sided bridge.
DFF
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I'd suggest two single-track tunnel portals, perhaps staggered slightly, and fill in around them with scenery to disguise the situation, since it's now a one-sided bridge.
DFF
Except...as Lee's mentioned, clearance between these tracks is a huge problem due both to curvature and equipment length. He won't be able to build a portal that doesn't foul equipment between the tracks.
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Except...as Lee's mentioned, clearance between these tracks is a huge problem due both to curvature and equipment length. He won't be able to build a portal that doesn't foul equipment between the tracks.
Sure he can, if he tries hard enough. I had a single-track tunnel on the Virginia Central, and the curved track contained within the tunnel was in the same ballpark as what Lee's curved track is. If necessary, he can go to a double-track portal and clearance the portal as necessary to make sh!t fit.
DFF
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-081220134353.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21478)
Lee
Sure he can, if he tries hard enough. I had a single-track tunnel on the Virginia Central, and the curved track contained within the tunnel was in the same ballpark as what Lee's curved track is. If necessary, he can go to a double-track portal and clearance the portal as necessary to make sh!t fit.
DFF
Gonna be a tight one! Lee already suggested he'd ruled out a double portal.
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I hear you, but he really needs to consider another alternative than what's posted above. Even Ed's Law is not going to come up with much to reconcile his mock-up.
If necessary, cut the double track portal in half and widen it. Build a new keystone to hide the cut and paint everything inside the tunnel black, except the track, to camouflage the gaping tunnel bore.
DFF
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I hear you, but he really needs to consider another alternative than what's posted above. Even Ed's Law is not going to come up with much to reconcile his mock-up.
If necessary, cut the double track portal in half and widen it. Build a new keystone to hide the cut and paint everything inside the tunnel black to camouflage the gaping tunnel bore.
DFF
I hear you too... But I think we have some cognitive dissonance, as Lee's entire modeling philosophy and style now is radically different from what it was on the WM. Realism is taking a back seat to nostalgia, and if this were me solving this problem as a train-crazy kid and not as a prototype-modeling adult, I'd also probably come up with a radically different (and far less realistic) solution. :D
Of course my childhood was HO scale so I'd probably be using cardboard from a Tyco box in there somewhere! :ashat:
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Well then, there is nothing more nostalgic than one of those Life Like 8" long white mountains with a big tunnel bore. :trollface:
I think Lee can pull this off but I agree it seems more urban than rural, so that's the way I'd try to play it off.
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Realism is taking a back seat to nostalgia.
That's why I suggested the double track portal, which I avoid like the plague, because they usually look horrible and display the unfinished interior of the tunnel. But it would fit the theme of a retro layout, as it is an option that many modelers back in the day would have chosen. Hell, they'd go triple bore without hesitation!
Of course my childhood was HO scale so I'd probably be using cardboard from a Tyco box in there somewhere! :ashat:
Haha! Your modeling has always been light years ahead of mine, and you don't even want to know about my modeling skills when I was a child. Awful is putting it mildly.
DFF
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Haha! Your modeling has always been light years ahead of mine, and you don't even want to know about my modeling skills when I was a child. Awful is putting it mildly.
DFF
Nah, man, my work as a kid was simply cringe-worthy. Like...SHAME. But we had a sh!tload of fun anyway, didn't we?
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-081220201055.jpeg)
But... Wait. Lee, if that nail clears, then you have room for posts (more nails ought to work fine) for the beam bridge... no?
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/lee-bridge.jpg)
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-081220201055.jpeg)
But... Wait. Lee, if that nail clears, then you have room for posts (more nails ought to work fine) for the beam bridge... no?
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/images/railwire/lee-bridge.jpg)
@DKS speaks much turth.
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@DKS speaks much turth.
The turth will set you free. :trollface:
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It would work if the row of posts follows the curve of the centerline between the two tracks. As depicted, it'll still cause fouling of the outer track at the ends and the inner track in the center.
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(https://media3.giphy.com/media/1gWitAIjMgeYKT0LfD/giphy-downsized.gif)
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How about a 3 track concrete portal, set at an angle, and recessed behind the concrete sidewalk bridge railing. This would suggest the existence of supporting beams behind the portal.
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(https://media3.giphy.com/media/1gWitAIjMgeYKT0LfD/giphy-downsized.gif)
At last. Someone understands my project!
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How about a 3 track concrete portal, set at an angle, and recessed behind the concrete sidewalk bridge railing. This would suggest the existence of supporting beams behind the portal.
Here’s a railroad bridge over a multi-lane highway that would work visually.
[attachimg=1]
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Why not just go balls-deep?
(https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/fileSendAction/fcType/0/fcOid/72805549396902545/filePointer/72805549416129685/fodoid/72805549416129680/imageType/LARGE/inlineImage/true/Hidden%2520Pass%2520Mountain%25204-trk%2520portal%2520sm%2520IMG_2474.jpg)
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That’s the spirit!
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Thanks again for all the input. All of it, and yet, none of it is helpful! :trollface:
Here are the priorities for what I need from the project.
1. When I look up from my desk, I want to see less blue foam.
2. When I look up from my desk, I don't want to see track hanging in space.
3. I need the open side to have the appearance of an overpass (Think of @randgust 's highway bridge against the backdrop, or for those of you old enough to remember, the York Road underpass in Cockeysville.)
4. I need the back side of it to look like a continuation of the landscape inside the upper loop for the purposes of establishing some more structures.
5. I need it to be functional for the ridiculous menagerie of N scale equipment I, a grown-a$$ man, play with, which includes silly looking long cars, overhead electric locomotives, and impossibly tight turns.
My preferences
1. I prefer that the solution not look ridiculous
2. I prefer that the solution use parts and pieces that I have on hand
3. I prefer that the solution not create more problems than it solves.
4. I prefer that the result create a nice backdrop (or 2) as a photo location
5. I prefer that it be reasonably easy to execute to a reasonable degree of quality/reliability
So, with those things in mind, I'm moving on building the components so I can more clearly see how I'm doing on the above list.
Stay tuned for further updates.
Lee
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Why not just go balls-deep?
(https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/fileSendAction/fcType/0/fcOid/72805549396902545/filePointer/72805549416129685/fodoid/72805549416129680/imageType/LARGE/inlineImage/true/Hidden%2520Pass%2520Mountain%25204-trk%2520portal%2520sm%2520IMG_2474.jpg)
The four-track tunnel portal, sure! But what really makes that wild is the wood tunnel portal (and presumably wood tunnel liner) boring underneath the four-track line. I'm sure that'll hold. :scared:
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Here, we've assembled the bridge rail and beam that will be the most visible part of the scene.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-091220152040.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21495)
I've glued a .60 x .60 styrene block to support the bridge rails, and a 3/16" I-Beam under that to represent the primary bridge structure. The inside of the I beam will be nested to the top edge of the cardboard, to allow the beam to drop just below it, giving the illusion of the beam bridge construction that @DKS suggests. I've left one representative nail/steel column between the tracks, because that's plenty. I can make sure it's adjusted to the fine tuning needed to reduce/prevent side swipes from longer cars. Anything I would put behind that would essentially be invisible anyway.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-091220152545.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21496)
This would be the most typically viewed angle. I think it makes the most logical appearance of a very model railroady situation. By enabling the installation of structures/scenery inside the upper loop for about a foot, the overpass becomes a small part of a larger scene, thus making the difficult to digest nature of the thing part of a larger salad for the eyes. Once the abutments are added and other details and weathering around it, hopefully it will be reasonably harmonious with the surroundings.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-091220153012.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21497)
Here's the view from the front of the layout. Here you can see how I built up the railing above the cardboard surface to give more of an illusion of depth on the other side. The additional elevation will be rendered invisible once I ballast this section of track. The straight railing is less jarring from this vantage point than the two single portals stepped around the curve would be, in my estimation. Once I fill in the surrounding scenery, again, this should be a reasonably plausible solution from either view.
Lee
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Why not just go balls-deep?
(https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/fileSendAction/fcType/0/fcOid/72805549396902545/filePointer/72805549416129685/fodoid/72805549416129680/imageType/LARGE/inlineImage/true/Hidden%2520Pass%2520Mountain%25204-trk%2520portal%2520sm%2520IMG_2474.jpg)
Noch makes a double-track version in N scale.
https://www.modeltrainstuff.com/noch-n-34852-double-track-oval-tunnel-portal-with-buttresses/ (https://www.modeltrainstuff.com/noch-n-34852-double-track-oval-tunnel-portal-with-buttresses/)
(https://shop.noch.com/media/catalog/product/8/5/853scr_a38024545b5132a_2_.jpg)
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(https://media3.giphy.com/media/1gWitAIjMgeYKT0LfD/giphy-downsized.gif)
Do you have a GIF of Wile E. Coyote (a/k/a Lee) painting himself into a corner? :trollface:
DFF
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I would just call my attorney to paint me out of it... :trollface:
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Meeep Meeep. 🤫
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I would just call my attorney to paint me out of it... :trollface:
ACME Legal Aide LP
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ACME Legal Aide LP
They are Dy-No-Mite!
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Basic colors applied.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-101220120828.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21506)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-101220120917.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21507)
Lee
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(https://media3.giphy.com/media/1gWitAIjMgeYKT0LfD/giphy-downsized.gif)
Reminds me of a scene from the TV show Titus where in a flashback scene to their childhood, Titus paints a tunnel on the wall and has his little brother run in to it, knocking himself out and Titus says "it worked on the Road Runner"...
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That GIF is far more applicable to our hobby than anyone will admit. What is we do if not create an illusion?
And just like Wile E. Coyote, once our tunnel portal is painted, a train usually comes rocketing out of it!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-111220095215.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21510)
All the best!
Lee
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Lee,
that treatment looks better than I expected it would. However, in place of the nail...what say you to an I-beam of similar width?
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Lee,
that treatment looks better than I expected it would. However, in place of the nail...what say you to an I-beam of similar width?
Just cover the front of the nail with said I beam and be done.
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However, in place of the nail...what say you to an I-beam of similar width?
C'mon Dave, give the nail a chance.
[attachimg=1]
Jason
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Now model the giant hammer. :trollface:
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C'mon Dave, give the nail a chance.
(Attachment Link)
Jason
Wait, is that one of those new Woodland Scenics sets? "Trina's T***y Bar?"
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OK, so who makes N-Scale dollar bills???? :trollface: :facepalm:
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OK, so who makes N-Scale dollar bills???? :trollface: :facepalm:
I can print those on my Alps printer! ;)
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C'mon Dave, give the nail a chance.
(Attachment Link)
Jason
Brilliant! Jason FTW.
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JFRTM!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-121220175012.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21525)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-121220175327.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21526)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-121220175509.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21527)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-121220175735.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21528)
Enjoy your weekend!
Lee
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JFRTM!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-121220175012.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21525)
Ooh! Switcher madness. Good times.
DFF
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If this Retroland, where's the hugely oversized Bachmann F units and GP40s? Or are they not allowed?
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They are queued up and waiting their turn! Penn Central Night is just around the corner!
There's a few more shades of Pennsy to run first, though.
Lee
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There's a few more shades of Pennsy to run first, though.
Will there be Con-Cor PAs in DGLE?
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Sadly no. But I do have some Minitrix steam, some poo-brown F7s, a ConCor E8 and an Arnold GP9! And let's not forget the GG1s! I usually save them for last, so when I have the Cat poles up its easy to transition to Penn Central Night with a Metroliner!
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About your double curve over another double curve track scenery situation -- have you thought about putting a tunnel opening for the lower tracks but scenery past that built out so it looks like once the tracks enter the tunnel they continue on straight but underground? It'd give you more real estate for the upper level and with the insides of the tunnel and foam painted black you shouldn't see much inside it.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/2970-151220095225.jpeg)
This would let you put the tunnel entrance squarely perpendicular to the tracks where it crosses them and give you plenty of side clearance for the opening. The red is the tunnel/viaduct entrance, the horizontal blue lines are the flat area over it for more town -- or you could build a small hill there -- and the slanting downward blue lines are the slope next to the tunnel entrance. Paint everything black inside the entrance (including the ballast) and use black construction paper as an overarching interior to block out any light from coming out of the tunnel. With no train coming through it'll look like an empty hole and any train coming out/going in is coming off a curve into the tunnel and that blocks off a direct view of seeing the train supposedly going straight thru the tunnel. And at first glance people will assume you're running trains into a tunnel and right off the layout. Nice optical illusion.
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An interesting concept. If I had better access to the tracks behind the sky board, I might consider it. One of the advantages of the current version is that it affords me a view into the netherworld THROUGH the underpass, with a reasonably clear path for the grabber claw that occasionally gets deployed when something inevitably ends up on the ground. I plan to add a removable "L" to the skyboard to give this area a bit of a backdrop when viewd from the end of the table.
With portal out on the curve like that, I would lose that view and access from below. There's about a foot of track, which includes the two turnouts at that end of the long storage sidings, that are best accessed that way. The rest of the back tracks get cleared using the five finger sky hook that gets dropped in over the backdrop from time to time.
I like that it would provide more real estate for those N scale land barons that spend all day riding around in their private train cars, but I'm afraid in this location, form must follow function...
Lee
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Could you construct some of the scenery such that it could be lifted out to provide emergency access?
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Yes, and that's the plan with the skyboard that will elbow around the corner.
The base will need to be more solidly attached because I want to do some lighted structures and what not. Easier to wire lights if the earth doesn't move under my feet!
Lee
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Still lobbying for the filled-in corner -- actually on p. 84 you have some shots of various versions of this scene,
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-081220115851.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21474)
Here you have a piece of cardboard with exactly the kind of upper level and tunnel mouth I suggested -- it extends over the whole curve and has the opening 90 degrees to the track centerlines at that point. If you build a second level out from there to the edge of the layout to make secure base for scenery, you couldn't use a solid chunk of foam, which is what I realize is the sticking point. BTW, this is one of the problems I see with using thick solid chunks of foam as scenery base. There's no "basement" you can use for other purposes. My idea for this corner comes out of my layout-building techniques which use wood panels on risers for track and above-track scenery. So I saw a large open underground whereas you see a solid mass of foam blocking access and visibility. But using a thinner piece of foam (0.5") as the top surface with a couple of thicker foam "legs" glued under it can give you the hollow underside "basement" you'd need for access, clear of any obstacles except minimal support for the upper level and pass-through wiring. You leave the lower level open at that edge of the layout for a clear view and probably a better access to the hidden tracks if you need to use the grabber. Make a flat removable panel to cover that opening when you don't need access. The only lower level permanent scenery I suggest adding would be the tunnel retaining wall and the slope behind it on the outer edge of the curve -- and that be only large enough to bridge the gap between the tunnel opening and the removable panel.
This is trying to address your scenic concerns with your maintenance accessibility requirements. I think you can satisfy both this way. The advantages to an illusion of the layout scenery extending beyond the edge of the layout -- instead of being abruptly cut off by a steep slope -- would eliminate that look that your little town area is completely cut off from the rest of the world. Not that there's anything wrong with that. :D Just add a helipad.
Hmmm... did you solder all your track joints?
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Lee,
The N scale bridge is boxed up nicely and ready to ship. I was able to get all six stubby posts out, which had been cut off for Aly’s layout. I found two more strips of that tubing and have thrown them in the box for you to make longer posts. See?
(https://i.imgur.com/P98owl4.jpg)
I think you’ll need to go this route (using these posts), rather than installing this on the girders you built, because this bridge already has the necessary I-beams and pier caps. Oh, and I used DKS’s go-to concrete color, if you can find it: Testor’s Flat Light Aircraft Gray, or you can repaint the whole thing.
I’ll get this in the mail as soon as I can get to the post office. I’ll PM you to confirm your address.
DFF
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Seriously contemplating @OldEastRR 's suggestion for reworking the corner. Will see about doing some mock ups tonight.
Looking forward to seeing that bridge, too, @davefoxx . Hopefully the piers amidships will clear my clumsy rolling stock! Nothing a minor modification can't handle, I'm sure.
Lee
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In other news...
I had enthusiastically purchased an old Atlas/Roco E-7 recently wearing the handsome, if understated blue B&O dip job, which will be (I think) the 4th or 5th one of these I've had during my long and storied career as a model railroader. To a man, every last of one of them eventually cooked the motor. Despite this one being "new old stock" within an hour or so of running, it suffered the same fate.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-201220133651.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21652)
Back in the 1980s, I was able to revive my original pair by replacing the motor with the robust 5-pole job from the old Life Like GP38-2 Lead Sled drive. It's pretty much a direct drop in swap. The only hitch is the shaft of the Life Like motor is a 1.5mm rod, while the original Roco motor is a 1 mm, so the universal couplings have to be carefully drilled out to fit properly. Once done, it's pretty much bing bang boom to swap it in.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-201220133928.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21654)
The New Haven F unit I had received in a swap from @hnipper was there in the roundhouse anticipating having its wire leads re-soldered, when I decided to gut it and put the E unit back into service. The surgery took about a half an hour, and the big passenger diesel has become one of my most reliable runners.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-201220133805.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21653)
I have several other Life Like F units, and one more E unit that needs the therapy. I will hold the New Haven shell in reserve, though, for those occasions when I'm running Penn Central Night, as it would be appropriate to have a well worn McGinnis theme in a lashup of Trix Uboats or Bachmann Geeps. I'll probably de-gear it and run it as an unpowered dummy.
Lee
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Lee, what was the failure mode of that motor? Do you have any photos of it?
When you make the other model into a dummy, remember to also remove the wheel contact wipers - those add quite a bit of drag.
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It runs, it slows, it stalls, it overheats. Same MO on every one I've ever owned. I'll send a photo later.
It's odd, because it's a 5 pole motor, it just doesn't have enough chutzpah to keep the 6 axle drive afloat for very long.
Lee
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It runs, it slows, it stalls, it overheats. Same MO on every one I've ever owned.
It's odd, because it's a 5 pole motor, it just doesn't have enough chutzpah to keep the 6 axle drive afloat for very long.
One option would be to buy the Con-Cor version with the Kato chassis and swap over the shell.
http://www.spookshow.net/loco/cce78.html (http://www.spookshow.net/loco/cce78.html)
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It runs, it slows, it stalls, it overheats. Same MO on every one I've ever owned. I'll send a photo later.
It's odd, because it's a 5 pole motor, it just doesn't have enough chutzpah to keep the 6 axle drive afloat for very long.
Lee
Is the motor similar to the one that I upgraded with super-magnets in that Model Power FA I sent you? These things have a high-friction mechanism, so the motor does need a lot of torque to get that loco moving.
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-221220072253.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21680)
It's actually remarkably similar to the Life Like motor in size and construction. But I think it uses cheap rubber magnets that expand with the heat of regular running, causing a bind.
I might experiment with pulling it apart to replace the magnets.
The drive is quite smooth, overall, and quieter than the ConCor. Just the motor seams to be a dud.
Lee
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It does look very similar to those good Life-Like motors which have lots of torque.
If the magnets are rubber/vinyl, or even ceramic filled plastic, you should be able to scratch the surface with a hobby knife. If it is a ceramic magnet, then it will be very hard. But I have also seen ceramic magnets that are weak.
Replacing the magnets would be a good thing to try.
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I've arrived at a hybrid solution.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-241220123942.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21694)
I relocated the portal to cross the tracks at a more perpendicular arrangement. This eliminates the need for the post between the tracks.
I'm still going to trick it out as a more urban underpass though, which I think will work fine. I'll have to find another spot for the camping scene that Rho made, though, because I do want to add more buildings.
As for access, I've built the whole thing to be easily removable. I left the original corrugated bridge in place (I had already glued it in and the track to it) so the whe corner bit can be lifted out of the way.
I can use a modular plug to connect the lighting, or just use a set of battery operated lights there.
Thanks to @OldEastRR for the nudge.
Lee
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While it have been Oldeast that provided the final nudge, I think this is what many of us were advocating for.
I think it's a much more believable looking solution.
Nice job Lee.
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played well. played very well.
sincerely
Gary
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To a man, every last of one of them eventually cooked the motor. Despite this one being "new old stock" within an hour or so of running, it suffered the same fate.
Back in the 1980s, I was able to revive my original pair by replacing the motor with the robust 5-pole job from the old Life Like GP38-2 Lead Sled drive. It's pretty much a direct drop in swap. The only hitch is the shaft of the Life Like motor is a 1.5mm rod, while the original Roco motor is a 1 mm, so the universal couplings have to be carefully drilled out to fit properly. Once done, it's pretty much bing bang boom to swap it in.
Lee
Do you have a motor that fits the frame? If shaft sizes and alignments is an issue, I know a guy. ;) PM if you want.
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I've had a bunch of the old Atlas/Roco E7s, (and still have a couple) and so far only one has ever cooked it's motor. That said, it was dramatic - it was on an N-Trak layout at a show when it happened, and smoke came out and put on a little show!
The Con-Cor/Kato E8 chassis is a good suggestion, and as an added benefit the Kato truck-mounted pilot looks much better than the Roco pilot.
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Christmas project.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-251220154113.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21705)
The Bachmann shorty cars are fun to run, but the series lacks a full baggage. So after finding some bargains on combines, I set about the business of correcting that shortcoming.
I'm pretty happy that my cuts turned out to be reasonably clean.
I modified the roof to allow all the doors to operate. I still have to block up the windows in the ends of the car, and perhaps add some step rails at the baggage door... then its off to the paint shop!
Lee
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I’ve never heard of Sanntral. Is that a transcontinental route? :D
DFF
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I’ve never heard of Sanntral. Is that a transcontinental route? :D
DFF
Short for the Sann Juann Sanntral.
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I’ve never heard of Sanntral. Is that a transcontinental route? :D
DFF
That's "Central" with a foreign accent. Call me politically incorrect! :D :trollface:
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I was looking at the other side... New York CaFe...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-251220201240.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21710)
She's taking her paint drying laps now.
BTW, Testers Model Master spray paint sucks. Might as will use a roller.
It does flatten out eventually, but the orange peeling going on is startling.
Lee
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A touch of gray, and some interior finishes...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-261220231400.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21754)
Lee
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-261220232034.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21755)
Next time, decals...
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I've arrived at a hybrid solution.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-241220123942.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21694)
\
Wow! Somebody actually took my advice and used it! THAT doesn't happen very often. Kudos to Lee for recognizing a great idea even if it wasn't like anything he'd heard of before. You are so very welcome, sir, for the compliment.
OK -- you said you're looking for an urban vibe to the scene? Well, the RR better have had a damn good reason to build an expensive retaining wall on the outside of the curve instead of using a nice cheap dirt fill with minor retaining wing wall. Since they built the tower, I'm pretty sure they'd have placed it somewhere without an expensive earthmoving task. I was going to suggest you have a sloping dirt embankment where the tower is (keep a notch-out for the signal, tho) but you're mention about an urban scenery means keep the retaining wall, but give it a reason -- like some big old factory sitting right there. Actually just part of a big factory, most of which is just off the layout. Not even much of structure- an L-shaped piece that roughly parallels the tracks. You already have a trackside industry with no service on the other end of the layout; you could duplicate that here. Then put a chain link fence separating the plant from the ROW and there you go: urban (plus lots of junk against the fence, for East Coast urban).
And to add to the urban look I suggest making a vertical retaining wing wall for the tunnel on the inside of the curve -- symmetry for imagery. Doesn't have to go far -- about 4-5" or less would do the trick.
And yeah, you need some end cover for that open end to keep the inside of the tunnel dark.
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So I think I'll move my Merchants Row over to the new corner setting.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-271220223040.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21771)
I think I'll straighten out the retaining wall to allow for a bit of a slope down to the tower, which should allow for the whole thing to become even more coherent.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-271220223657.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21772)
So now I will have to rethink the streetscape in PawPaw...
Lee
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Why not put the camping scene there? A roadside park --- those things are pretty small in the east.
I really like the look of the buildings on the new real estate. Looking forward to see how you develop all that white space.
Have you come up a solution for the "cover over" of the upper level hidden track opening? Now that you've made this a more urban scene possibly a large factory false front? And a covered passageway between it and a building painted on the back wall to frame the track opening. Like Puddington did on his layout where the track disappeared between two buildings before going though the divider. For a change of pace instead of a concrete tunnel entrance. I realize that means eliminating the sawmill, but a freight house would fit in well with the urban look, so you don't lose a working spur. A dinky FH from the N scale of the '60s would fulfill the retro requirement.
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Retaining walls fabricated and painted.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-291220132753.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21804)
Pavement, weathering, lighting and details added to the to do list!
Lee
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Nice!
DFF
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Nice Lee.
I do think the Rix railing to the left of the bore, adjacent to the upper level track is unnecessary and looks out of place.
There are no vehicles or pedestrians and it won't stop a derailing train.
Just my opinion.
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Lee - Very well executed. One suggestion... look at the shadow line in your tunnel... trace the line in pencil and then paint everything that falls behind the shadow line flat black, or a really dark charcoal gray. It will help hide the curve of the tunnel when there isn’t a train there.
Carl
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I agree with Bryan. Back in the 60s, and earlier, if there was anything at the top of the bank, it would probably have been a wire fence. The only reason for having anything there would be to keep people from falling, and the only people who should have been there would be railroaders. At night, in the dark, a 3-strand wire, or wove-wire, fence would have been useful.
For a "retro" layout, a half-inch wide strip of window screen, with straight pins for fence posts, would be appropriate...
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That will actually back up the platform of the little station up there. It also provides a nice view block for the gigantic Caboose ground throw!
Photo from the Before Times...and the opposite angle
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-291220144440.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21805)
I have some Atlas Hairpin fencing... I'll compare and decide what I like best.
Thanks for the input.
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Did a little mud work
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-311220115721.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21840)
Found a nice spot to go camping...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-311220115900.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21841)
And used the leftovers to do some work on The Ditch.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-311220120033.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21842)
Now I have to pretend I'm working :D
Lee
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Did you use Trail Mix (from your camping trip) for ground cover on the embankment behind the tower? :D
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You could say that... its the collected detritus from the bottom of a bag of old trees from the WM layout.
Lee
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Did a little mud work
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-311220115721.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21840)
Now I have to pretend I'm working :D
Lee
I'm really liking that little urban corner you've got going! Surely the WM or PRR went through some very urban areas? You've also got the space to do one of those funky three-way none of these streets line up across this intersection scenes so very typically east coast (with a highway angling in from across the tracks). Slice off the farthest RH building from the store block, shift the block to the edge, put the sliced off building abutting the back of the traingular building thus moving it out from the backdrop but shifted to give track R.O.W., and you're almost there.
A rotary! You'll need a rotary! With some old war statue/monument in the center!!
Additionally, this scenic choice very nicely hides the entrance to the lower hidden tracks.
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No buildings will be altered, at least not in the original DKS sourced Magnusen models Merchants Row kit.
I'll leave the street patterns to the Department of Public Works.
Thanks again for the suggestions.
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If you would use a small monument send me a PM.
This one:
[attach=2]
[attach=1]
For proportions:
[attach=3]
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A rotary! You'll need a rotary!
I can't be the only one who was thinking rotary (https://www.railpictures.net/photo/727792/)...
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I think he meant roundabout or traffic circle. Maybe they call it a rotary in his area.
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I think he meant roundabout or traffic circle. Maybe they call it a rotary in his area.
I don't think he's too far from my area and that would be the first time I've heard a roundabout described as a rotary.
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I’m familiar with roundabout, or in rural Cecil County, Maryland, a “crop circle.” When I think of a rotary, I think of this (https://images.thestar.com/sZdl89wPWaG5Gfm6AEPhvDY-GGg=/1086x935/smart/filters:cb(2700061000)/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/business/2012/04/10/rotary_phone_dial_up_the_memories/rotaryphone.jpeg).
DFF
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This immediately comes to mind to me for Rotary:
(https://clubrunner.blob.core.windows.net/00000004065/Stories/new-rotary-road-sign/IMG_6768b.jpg)
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Haven't really worked out what's happening there. Somewhere I have a monument. But I'm not sure about a roundabout.
It won't be a Rotary, though. More likely an Oddfellows! Seems more suited to our temperament...
Lee
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I don't think he's too far from my area and that would be the first time I've heard a roundabout described as a rotary.
In my area (Massachusetts) , there were traffic signs stating "ROTARY" at the entrance to a rotary/roundabout/traffic circle, but it seems that in the last several years those signs have been replaced with "TRAFFIC CIRCLE" signs.
(https://www.enterprisenews.com/storyimage/WL/20141201/NEWS/141209842/AR/0/AR-141209842.jpg)
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@OldEastRR may very well have moved here from the East.
Roundabouts here are a relatively new phenomena. We've been getting more and more but I'd say they've really only been around for +/- 15 years.
They've always been roundabouts even by WSDOT nomenclature.
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It’s apparently a regional thing, like the button hooks for left turns used in New Jersey.
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@OldEastRR may very well have moved here from the East.
Roundabouts here are a relatively new phenomena. We've been getting more and more but I'd say they've really only been around for +/- 15 years.
They've always been roundabouts even by WSDOT nomenclature.
Roundabout nomenclature is also used in UK. Like I mentioned, the term "rotary" is being replaced by "traffic circle", but not roundabout. We had these in New England area for many decades.
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Well, when I was bopping about MA, NH and ME in the '90s, they were called "rotaries". And not with any fondness by the natives. Whatever they're called, they are all over the county now. I'm glad to see you NE natives happily and enthusiastically embracing these roundabouts.
I also remember from my '90s times in Balto that there was double- and triple-parking common on every major street. I happened by just when the Inner Harbor had been rejuvenated and the Amtrak station restored to elegance.
And Lee, I'm sure you'll find a way to reproduce scenically just how jammed in RRs had to be in the already built-up cities of the mid-1800's. I have wonderful memories of late 1970's MA coast and how Norman Rockwell-ish the place felt. Coming back in 1990 and seeing the changes was jarring.
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It’s apparently a regional thing, like the button hooks for left turns used in New Jersey.
Button hooks? That's a new one. We call them Jug Handles in North Jersey.
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I grew up on the Jersey shore and they were known as traffic circles and jug handles. Never heard of rotaries and button hooks as terms to describe these things until this thread. Some of the traffic circles were notorious for accidents and a few were replaced with more traditional intersections because the original circles were not designed to handle the volume of traffic. Most of these traffic circles were fairly large and occupied a fair amount of real estate. There were several traffic circles on Route 70 going from Brielle, through Bricktown, Lakehurst and Marlton along with traffic circles on Route 35/34 in Monmouth county. Jug handles were common on all of the county and state highways. Took some time to getting used to making left turns from the left lane after moving from Jersey.
I live in SE Wisconsin now and roundabouts became all the rage a while back. We have many (almost too many) along the interstate and state highways. I'm not a big fan of them, but after learning how to drive thru traffic circles in Jersey, the roundabouts with WI are a piece of cake. The roundabouts in WI are much smaller than the traffic circles in Jersey and you have to go much slower thru the ones in WI because it is a pretty tight curve.
Scott
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I grew up on the Jersey shore and they were known as traffic circles and jug handles. Never heard of rotaries and button hooks as terms to describe these things until this thread. Some of the traffic circles were notorious for accidents and a few were replaced with more traditional intersections because the original circles were not designed to handle the volume of traffic. Most of these traffic circles were fairly large and occupied a fair amount of real estate. There were several traffic circles on Route 70 going from Brielle, through Bricktown, Lakehurst and Marlton along with traffic circles on Route 35/34 in Monmouth county. Jug handles were common on all of the county and state highways. Took some time to getting used to making left turns from the left lane after moving from Jersey.
As a young sailor, I went to school at Lakehurst in the 70s. One night, after a lot of drinking at Eisenhower's bar, my friend Norman and I decided to head to Philly .. I don't remember which roundabout since Norman was driviing .. he got into one of them, and couldn't figure out how to get out .. so we went around in circles a few time :) .. a different time, and different attitudes .. don't do this now, nor was it wise back then ..
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Well, when I was bopping about MA, NH and ME in the '90s, they were called "rotaries". And not with any fondness by the natives. Whatever they're called, they are all over the county now. I'm glad to see you NE natives happily and enthusiastically embracing these roundabouts.
I wouldn't say "enthusiastically embracing". Far from it. They are more of a pain, then useful. Well, one useful thing about them is if you lost, or unsure where to go, you can drive around in circles until you figure out which exit to take. But with the advent of GPS, that is not usually a problem.
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Embracing roundabouts? Born and raised in MA and can’t stand the damn things. Especially with my work rig, a 1 ton truck with a 14k dump trailer.. kill or be killed out there. :facepalm:
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I grew up on the Jersey shore and they were known as traffic circles and jug handles. Never heard of rotaries and button hooks as terms to describe these things until this thread. Some of the traffic circles were notorious for accidents and a few were replaced with more traditional intersections because the original circles were not designed to handle the volume of traffic. Most of these traffic circles were fairly large and occupied a fair amount of real estate. There were several traffic circles on Route 70 going from Brielle, through Bricktown, Lakehurst and Marlton along with traffic circles on Route 35/34 in Monmouth county. Jug handles were common on all of the county and state highways. Took some time to getting used to making left turns from the left lane after moving from Jersey.
I live in SE Wisconsin now and roundabouts became all the rage a while back. We have many (almost too many) along the interstate and state highways. I'm not a big fan of them, but after learning how to drive thru traffic circles in Jersey, the roundabouts with WI are a piece of cake. The roundabouts in WI are much smaller than the traffic circles in Jersey and you have to go much slower thru the ones in WI because it is a pretty tight curve.
Scott
As of this Summer all of the Circles in Monmouth County have been replaced by Roundabouts after a politician had a heated online argument about receiving a ticket in Wall.
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There have been traffic studies that indicate they cause less congestion than signaled intersections for moderate levels of average annual daily traffic. That’s probably why you’re seeing more of them, plus I’m guessing they’re cheaper.
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Embracing roundabouts? Born and raised in MA and can’t stand the damn things. Especially with my work rig, a 1 ton truck with a 14k dump trailer.. kill or be killed out there. :facepalm:
Even more fun with a Peterbuilt 567 and a 45’ dry van trailer. Especially the single lane ones with concrete aprons on the inside.
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Hers an overview of my N scale model railroad...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-040121080808.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21948)
You know, the one that doesn't have a traffic circle. Only circles of track.
Moving on, now.
Lee
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My brain finds this much easier to comprehend:
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/2065-040121084720.jpeg)
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Thanks Rick!
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There's a rarity! :o An amphibious steam locomotive in midstream. How many barges can it tow?
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A little more progress on Cornersville...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/21/9-080121223308.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=21992)
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Aha! The great void is sealed up! Now we await to see what scene covers it -- urban build-up or sweeping mountain vistas?
And, the saga of the Wandering Water Tank continues .... will he ever find a place to settle down? Is he destined to provide a station stop top-off or a mid-route refill? Stay tuned!!
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Someone check the basement for a body snatcher pod...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-150121222044.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22065)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-150121222230.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22066)
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Is Hell freezing over? :scared:
DFF
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Is Hell freezing over? :scared:
DFF
Not yet. That'll happen only if he gets some Chessie equipment with 'WM' sublettering.
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And that's not going to happen. :trollface:
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Lee -- where'd you get the nifty stonework printed paper for underneath the Atlas stone bridge?
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It was tucked in and amongst the decades worth of stacks of stuff. I think it's an old Faller Building Sheet that I had scanned. I may go back and redo it with something more along the line of the cut stone of the arches, though, and maybe color it darker to make it less in your eyeballs from that angle.
My new challenge with this scene is I just upgraded to a Samsung 20, and the damn lens is at the top of the phone when held as a landscape, so the WM bridge is all up in my grill when I try to shoot this angle. I took these with the old phone, which fortunately still works as a wifi device when I'm in the house, but it's got all those old phone issues, such as a very touchy touch screen, a quick-to-die battery, and scratchy viewer (and probably lens after 4 years!).
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-160121112251.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22070)
The new view.
Lee
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In other news,
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-160121114335.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22071)
Downtown PawPaw is undergoing some urban renewal...
Lee
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In other news,
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-160121114335.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22071)
Downtown PawPaw is undergoing some urban renewal...
Lee
The finescale modeller clawing its way out? Demanding that road go somewhere? :scared:
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That and a maddening desire to scratch bash an entire block of buildings! I've been monkeying around with a bunch of ideas all evening...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-170121002255.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22085)
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Needs a furniture store that is "going out of business" :trollface:
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Or perhaps one that is already out of business that now purveys sandwiches, beer and live music!
142 Appalachian Hwy
https://maps.app.goo.gl/W5DBadV1z34qpUZW8
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In other news,
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-160121114335.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22071)
Downtown PawPaw is undergoing some urban renewal...
Lee
I'm liking that hairpin grade!! But the lower half is MUCH too shallow a grade for Appalachia mountain towns. And be neat to have some building down at the foot of the grade with a ground frpnt entrance and then another entrance on an upper floor out on the same street. I suggest you move the top of the road so it crosses between the two switches instead of the frog on that one. To keep the road from looking like an inclined RR maybe start the grade down next to that billboard. You might want to make this whole area out of a block of foam half the height of your upper level carved to fit the area shown in the photo. Then cut away the hiway ROW, and add or remove foam in places as needed. The whole face along the lower tracks be a rock cut.
You might replace those green trees with a rock mass filling the same volume of space the trees do (Then put the trees on top of it). With a big shoulder of rock between the upper and lower tunnel openings, and the upper half of the road in a rock cut. that would help scenically separate the two tunnels. And not look like the bedrock graciously stopped short of where the road wanted to go, but was an obstacle it had to be cut through. Hmmm ... could this be a road that rises here, winds all the way across the upper level and comes out at the urban corner? "Yah cahn't get theah from heah". A road that travels miles between two points separated by much less. E.g., an Appalachian back road.
These are all suggestions, of course. If they help spark new ideas for you, great.
I must say, this seems to be the most enjoyable layout you've had during the time I've been on TRW. You had some other misfires that never seemed to coalesce. But here you said "f**k it, I'm going to throw down four loops of of track on two levels and just run stuff." And from there you've been adding scenic touches, spur adjustments, town arrangements just as you think of them and it's all working out beautifully. This is a very good example of an evolving layout -- not the usual work in progress that has many stages of construction during which it always looks half-finished. You can stop fiddling with this at any time and it would still look completed. Yet it could still be "under construction".
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It really has been fun. The challenge of the relatively generic run for four different trains is keeping a check on my train budget! Not to mention the piles of interesting stuff I need to find space for.
Thanks for enjoying the ride.
Lee
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Well now dammit...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-210121113515.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22177)
After assisting Otto with his turntable documents, I've decided I need another Retro Retrofit project...
I have a second copy of the kit for parts, and the one that's installed, while reasonably well thought out, has a tendency to hang up, plus the business of how the track power is wired. After doing some disassembly, I would venture a guess that the two issues are related.
On first inspection, it appears the originally installed bridge was trimmed at the bottom, I assume to improve its relationship to the fan tracks, which were not installed on any kind of roadbed. (There is a noticeable rise where the rails rest on the pit apron. The good news is I have an unmodified bridge from the parts donor kit, so hopefully as I refine the wiring and the drive mechanism, I can also clean up the bridge beams. In a nutshell, here's my list of goals for the project:
1. Improve the connection of the drive shaft to the bridge base so it rotates freely and evenly.
2. Restore the contacts to use the brass tubes and brushes, eliminating the wires that can become twisted around the drive shaft. (This may involve inventing an improved contact wiper using something spring loaded. The bendy phosphor bonze bits from the original kit are included, but over time lose their boingy boings.
3. Use some micro plugs to make the bridge removable electrically, and mounting screws so it can be secured, yet removable mechanically. (for maintenance, and in the initial stages, for modeling and detailing purposes... I did like how easily the newer Walther's turntable could be popped right out of the pit.
4. Improve the appearance of the turntable bridge.
a. Replace the track with c70 bridge track
b. Replace the big chonky railings with either Plastruct railings, or etched brass if I can find some.
c. Add walkboards and a harp that has better detail than the original.
d. Replace the clunky operator's shed I put on the original with something more refined.
5. Improve the operation of the bridge itself. There's a "rail" cast into the circumference of the pit floor. On the old scratch built turntable I did a million years ago, I modified some freight car wheels to glide on a similar rail. This helped balance the bridge and I think will help reduce the friction as this longer bridge takes its spins.
So, as with all things Lee. Let's not be in a big hurry to see immediate results. But I think if I break down the project into these several bite sized steps, I should be able to report back on the various things as they get underway. For now, I've just made a mess of my roundhouse module. Oh well.
Back to actual work work, now.
Lee
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BLW has some new-old-stock varnish for your layout:
(https://www.brooklynlocomotiveworks.com/blwphotos/CC-8516.jpg)
https://www.brooklynlocomotiveworks.com/odds-ends.htm#ccsets (https://www.brooklynlocomotiveworks.com/odds-ends.htm#ccsets)
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I have those passenger cars already, and have no use for DL-109s. But thanks for the referral.
I've got my eye on a couple of other dandies, though, and one major prize has been stalked and bagged, which I'm expecting to arrive on Saturday... According to tracking, it appears to have made it to the right state, so I'm hopeful it will make it on time.
Lee
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Not exactly Hi Rail, here.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-210121165854.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22178)
But it was dead sexy and way under priced. Glad I ran the price up a little!
Lee
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Not exactly Hi Rail, here. . . .
But it was dead sexy and way under priced. Glad I ran the price up a little!
Lee
I hear you, but that Conrail GP35 is probably more Hi-Rail than the Chessie (B&O) GP40-2 on the previous page with the printed numberboards.
DFF
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I'll go with that!
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I saw a turntable once that was rigged with a phone jack as a pivoting electrical connection. Unfortunately, I don’t remember the details of the drive system, but it did allow easy removal of the bridge deck.
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What a great idea. But forget phone jacks, go with something more precise. Music to my ears...
I think I’ll just sit here and watch Lee find all the pitfalls... :D
Thanks for your help so far, Lee,
Otto
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It is not *THAT* difficult to scratchbuild a brushes/slip-rings unit. Of course this one is (in my typical fashion) overengineered for reliability.
All it takes is some K&S Metals telescoping brass tubing, rolled up paper impregnated with CA for insulator, some phosphor-bronze wire for brushes, pieces of copper clad PC board, and styrene sheet to hold it all together.
This one is installed on the end of the driven shaft, but it would be just as easy to install the slip rings in the middle of the shaft. BTW, this setup is to supply power to an N scale carousel's lights.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/2700-210121232910-221792310.jpeg)
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I'm going for a blend of simple and reliable. I had built a scratch turntable using in a 1/4" headphone jack, which worked well enough, but it was a digital drive ( I used my finger). For that to work with a powered drive, I would either have to drill out the plug to insert the drive shaft, or add some sort of gear head to set the motor off to the side.
I'll see if there's some time over the weekend to do some tinkering.
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That's the way I remember seeing the phono-plug turntable. The one I remember was for a narrow gauge layout, and was strictly manual. So was the prototype, so it fit the layout perfectly.
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Meanwhile, down at the mailbox, this arrived today...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-220121233135.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22248)
This may be the capstone of my collection. Just arrived today. Arnold Pacific in B&O blue. With the silver Trix cars, it closely approximates the HO Mantua set that my dad would run at Christmas time.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-220121233518.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22249)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-220121233605.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22250)
I had to replace the wires between the engine and tender, but once that was remedied, an a dot of grease applied to the main gear, she was off and running!
Lee
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Those old Arnolds seem to last forever, don't they? I wonder how many of today's locos will run that well 50 years from now?
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Arnold was top shelf quality back in the day.
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They are elegantly simple machines.
I'm going to give her a few more laps this morning!
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The B&O retro fleet.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-230121111034.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22273)
Arnold Pacific, ConCor Rivarossi Heavy Pacific, Atlas Rivarossi light Pacific, and Atlas Rivarossi Mikado.
I also have an Arnold 0-6-0, and an Atlas Rivarossi 0-4-0, but they've become embedded in the strata of jewel boxes I suddenly find myself immersed in...
Lee
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CRL: I agree. I started out with a Lone Star 000 set - junk to start with! The only reason I didn't give up in junior high was an Arnold FA. It actually ran, and ran well. Rapido couplers and the LS loop/hook couplers even worked together, with a little bending of the hooks.
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Well. How about that...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-260121152231.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22367)
It turns out that on a day when all I do is stare at my design program accomplishing nothing, it turns out I can accomplish something! Computer generated highway stripes!
Lee
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@davefoxx heh. I got a dissertation on traffic circles, you get a dissertation on guard rails! Is this a great model railroad forum or what?!? :D
@wm3798, you're going to need some guardrails. :D
DFF
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Oh great. You HAD to go THERE! :facepalm:
The plan is to add a walkway on one side, and a guardrail on the other.
I'm going to tinker with the art to make the bridge deck concrete, with the necessary expansion joints.
Lee
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Since you are designing and printing the bridge surface on the computer, why not go to the next step and print the entire deck as a folding paper model? Then just cut it out, and fold it into a 3D shape. :) Print the expansion joints too.
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@wm3798, you're going to need some guardrails. :D
DFF
Or a good ambulance chaser attorney.
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I already got me one of them!!! And his hair dye stays in his hair!
Now that you mention it, @davefoxx should update his handle to "The Fixer" :trollface:
Lee
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Too funny. :D
DFF
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I already got me one of them!!! And his hair dye stays in his hair!
Now that you mention it, @davefoxx should update his handle to "The Fixer" :trollface:
Lee
Is he still licensed to practice law in N scale?
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Once one has a good pavement color, this is actually a fairly easy way to do N scale roads. Most of mine are painted styrene, with dry transfer stripes, as they're straight roads (town streets). But I have one that needed to be a nice curve, to match the railroad's curve. I drew it in Paint (in sections), had it laser printed, on cardstock, at a local office supply store, and it looks as good as the styrene ones.
The reason for laser printing is that inkjet inks DON'T like water, and the road may get a few drops on it during scenery work. I tested it, and that doesn't bother the laser printing, or the cardstock. Of course, soaking it would be another matter!
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Once one has a good pavement color, this is actually a fairly easy way to do N scale roads. Most of mine are painted styrene, with dry transfer stripes, as they're straight roads (town streets). But I have one that needed to be a nice curve, to match the railroad's curve. I drew it in Paint (in sections), had it laser printed, on cardstock, at a local office supply store, and it looks as good as the styrene ones.
The reason for laser printing is that inkjet inks DON'T like water, and the road may get a few drops on it during scenery work. I tested it, and that doesn't bother the laser printing, or the cardstock. Of course, soaking it would be another matter!
hmmm, would sealing it with some kind of varnish help with that?
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hmmm, would sealing it with some kind of varnish help with that?
In my experience, coating paper with any sort of varnish/clear-coat will make the paper translucent because the clear coat gets absorbed by the paper.
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The real estate developers are working their dark magic.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-270121221440.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22393)
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Dem34: It probably would, unless it turns the paper translucent, as Peteski warns. The problem is that most inkjet ink is water-soluble. In fact, on test pieces, using ordinary white glue on the back caused problems with the printing, as the moisture soaked through the paper.
Laser toner is waterproof, and I glued the pieces with no problems. Of course, being on cardstock, instead of ordinary printer paper, probably helped. I haven't tried a flat clear coat, but the copies themselves were cheap, so it would be worth a try.
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The real estate developers are working their dark magic.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-270121221440.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22393)
If this is supposed to represent Thurmond, then the buildings should be closer to the tracks.
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2815/9293436114_73c6a6e422_z.jpg)
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Thurmond has been done to great effect by @Kentuckian . I'm going more for Thomas, West Virginia.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-280121113806.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22399)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-280121113825.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22400)
Here's what I've worked on instead of actual work this morning...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-280121114718.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22403)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-280121114740.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22404)
A few details like awnings, downspouts, perhaps a fire escape... and of course signage and people on the sidewalks, it should be a pretty vibrant scene!
I can flip these renderings into a 2-D format so I can paste the facades up onto my foamcore mock up so it will look like something while I work on scratch building the 5 structures... Just what I needed. Another project!
Lee
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Printed out a mock up to play with.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-290121001725.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22417)
I think this will work just fine.
Now to start gathering materials.
Lee
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And, in the first picture, on the far left, is part of the Miners and Merchants Bank, from whom I borrowed the name for my mining town's bank - 40 years ago. I found the name in a banker's directory at work.
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The buildings are built on a slope. Cool! I liked the hairpin curve uphill road a lot, tho. This area would do nice as a halfway elevation between the lower level and the upper. Like I said before, use a chunk of 1" foam to fill the entire half-moon shaped area,, then cut away and shape the slope and the building foundations plus sidewalk or road, if there is one. The half-elevation provides a nice transition. The steep two inch drop off between levels all around the layout is monotonous, but I don't know if that's meant to be part of the retro look.
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I'm going more for Thomas, West Virginia.
Any plans to model the footbridge and baggage elevator?
(https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/b50aa1ea-c1b2-40b9-aa11-9cb1efe9b6e8/thomas_depot_wmhs.tiff)
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And, in the first picture, on the far left, is part of the Miners and Merchants Bank, from whom I borrowed the name for my mining town's bank - 40 years ago. I found the name in a banker's directory at work.
Here it is back in the day:
(https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/b50aa1ea-c1b2-40b9-aa11-9cb1efe9b6e8/Nutter%201906%20Miners%20and%20Merchants.jpg)
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-280121113806.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22399)
Same view in an earlier era:
(https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/b50aa1ea-c1b2-40b9-aa11-9cb1efe9b6e8/Joe%20Sagace%20Front%20Street%20Miners%20and%20Merchants.jpg)
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Any plans to model the footbridge and baggage elevator?
I'm going for overall Appalachian Town ethos. Going for the flavor, not the individual ingredients.
Thomas would make a great set of modules though. Calling @PiperguyUMD !
(https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/b50aa1ea-c1b2-40b9-aa11-9cb1efe9b6e8/thomas_depot_wmhs.tiff)
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Looks like I'm bringing some baggage to this relationship...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-300121004155.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22437)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-300121010053.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22442)
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Point353: Thank you! I was wondering if the main building was original, or a later construction designed to "blend in" with the older buildings. Obviously the same building!
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😅
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Did some actual layout engineering...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-310121110251.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22461)
I wanted a water column as part of my station platform. Since I run a lot of steam, and I like to take pictures, I wanted it to be posable.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-310121113726.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22462)
So I took the Walther's water column and drilled out the bottom and mounted it to the base with a MT coupler screw.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-310121113924.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22463)
So now I can swing it out of the way when it's time to JFRTM!
Lee
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A few more refinements to the base drawing for the new block in Paw Paw.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-010221165004.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22495)
I'm starting to resize the windows to match what I have in stock, and messing around with some colors. I've reprinted this and mocked it up in the layout.
The next step will be to do the individual buildings as paper mockups (all four sides of each) to get it ready for the first assembly of the foundations.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-010221170638.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22496)
It's almost like I know what I'm doing!
Lee
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Have you paid off the appropriate politicians and bureaucrats to get the zoning changes & setback waivers approved?
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It's West Virginia, man. You just leave a bottle of hooch for the building inspector. :D
Lee
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It's West Virginia, man. You just leave a bottle of hooch for the building inspector. :D
Lee
It helps, too, if your wife knows how to bake a pie.
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It helps, too, if your wife knows how to bake a pie.
Best movie ever. Anytime some asks “any questions?” I always respond with "When do we eat?" surprisingly few people get the reference
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Full paper mock ups
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-020221142401.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22504)
I'm liking this.
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Best movie ever. Anytime some asks “any questions?” I always respond with "When do we eat?" surprisingly few people get the reference
Isn’t that the scene where the Captain slams the prisoner in the gut after he asks that question?
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@CRL Yup. But I'm 6'6" so I haven't had anyone try to act out the scene yet :D
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Yet... Such a small word to have such potential. :trollface: :D
Beware the descendants of Durin’s Folk.
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Started cutting some styrene. I found big sheets of hideous green plastic in the "For Sale" sign department 12x16 for $2!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-040221142716.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22526)
Then I went to answer the door when a big brown truck showed up in the driveway...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-040221143101.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22527)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-040221143153.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22528)
The #CatalpaFalls looks pretty good slumming it with those old Rivarossi cars!
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Started cutting some styrene. I found big sheets of hideous green plastic in the "For Sale" sign department 12x16 for $2!
Love that green stuff!
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Love that green stuff!
Yeah, the interior is already pre-decorated! :D
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Then I went to answer the door when a big brown truck showed up in the driveway...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-040221143101.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22527)
The #CatalpaFalls looks pretty good slumming it with those old Rivarossi cars!
Thanks for posting that picture. I didn't realize they were out, that it was just an announcement the other day :facepalm:
Car ordered for my executive train :D
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Yeah, the interior is already pre-decorated! :D
I am modeling the 70s!
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I am modeling the 70s!
Perfect!
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Mine came the other day.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/1684-040221210928.jpeg)
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Maybe we need a Catalpa Falls thread... It'll be like the Puddington car, only without all the postage! :D
Lee
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Who's selling the Pennsy car? Is it still available?
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Link to website selling the car
https://catalpafalls.square.site/ (https://catalpafalls.square.site/)
https://catalpafalls.square.site/product/n-scale-prr-6dbr-buffet-lounge-8404-catalpa-falls-by-lowell-smith/2?cs=true&cst=custom (https://catalpafalls.square.site/product/n-scale-prr-6dbr-buffet-lounge-8404-catalpa-falls-by-lowell-smith/2?cs=true&cst=custom)
It's a special run Lowell Smith custom Kato car with Micro Trains printing.
I was not aware of this car.
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All this Pennsy talk made me need to cleanse my soul.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-070221003850.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22546)
Here we see the Capitol Limited waiting alongside the Shenandoah, with a faithful commuter rig waiting to take its customers home.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-070221004131.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22547)
Meanwhike the National Limited shows off its new hardware, a lovely set of E8s featuring Rivarossi shells on Kato drive, as sold by ConCor roughly 40 years ago.
JFRTM, my friends!
Lee
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Another relic of the WM layout re-emerges to create hundreds of jobs in Cornersville.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-090221124539.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22625)
I'm thinking in the foreground I'll add something like a boiler house to make good use of the several smoke stacks I have laying about.
The overhead walkway masks the entrance to the nether world beyond...
As it once was...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-090221124956.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22626)
Lee
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Another relic of the WM layout re-emerges to create hundreds of jobs in Cornersville.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-090221124539.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22625)
I'm thinking in the foreground I'll add something like a boiler house to make good use of the several smoke stacks I have laying about.
The overhead walkway masks the entrance to the nether world beyond...
As it once was...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-090221124956.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22626)
Lee
Did the sawmill not make the final cut?
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With some encouragement from @OldEastRR , I've shifted Cornersville from being a serene mountain village with a coal mine, to being a rural town with a sawmill, and now as a busy town with a factory.
Obviously, I still have all the structures to do any of the three, but I'm really liking the potential of this iteration.
Lee
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Hey, glad to see the new Cornersville (that sounds like a name some real NE city would have -- wait, no, it'd be High Cornersville). Those factories fit there perfectly, and glad you could use the overhead passageway to hide the back tracks. Now you need housing for the wage slaves. I suggest you buy the AMB 3 company houses kit, slap them together to look rundown, and jam them all up against the factory. Maybe squeeze in the retro Bachman farmhouse with a sign saying "Weldon's Rooming House" on the front. No lawns, no gangways, just houses right up against each other. Just like the Northeast!!
Wasn't there a spur nearby? Have that the coal delivery track for the boilerhouse.
This really is my favorite layout on TRW.
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Link to website selling the car
It's a special run Lowell Smith custom Kato car with Micro Trains printing.
I was not aware of this car.
ah ... I made my "Falls" series cars by adding a large window where a small bathroom window was on the KATO BL "Cove" cars. If done carefully there was no damage to the original KATO factory paint so no need to try to match it. Needed to decal new car names, obviously. I wanted "Falls" for some of my other 1952 Chi-NYC passengers trains on my last layout. I think somebody on TRW bought them when I changed to NH.
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More work on Paw Paw's main drag. The buildings are gradually evolving from paper cut outs to actual models.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-120221011043.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22656)
Lee
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No sleep. Build.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-130221070016.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22665)
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One down, four to go!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-140221202422.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22706)
Needs an awning and some signage, but the building is done and lit. I still need to wire the block, so this modest example will have to do.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-140221202816.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22708)
And on a retro note, the slate roof is a Faller building sheet that I remember buying at MB Klein on Gay Street in 1978 or so. The had a rack full of this stuff that I would thumb through every time I went.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-140221203212.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22710)
I saved this shard of their old "Sale" price sticker as a memento...
Lee
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I hope there will be some steps leading up to the front door. :D
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This conversation took place in Weekend Update (2/14/21) so I copied and pasted here to put it in the context of my build.
Lee, knowing that this view is no accident, and that 'hanging in space' cantilevered addition over the alley is so interesting, what's the prototype look like here that inspired you?
We've got one of those around here, but it's hanging off the front of the building instead over over top of an alley, but an equally impressive engineering feat to try to gain a few square feet of expense with dubious engineering efforts.
It actually could be any of a number of buildings featuring that kind of construction. But what I had in mind was actually the little alleys that we encountered in Edinburgh when we visited Scotland last year. They call such a passage A "close."
The main thing I was looking for was just something to break up the block visually and add a bit of interest, and a little something to put a light in and some details.
Hers another example from my adoptive home town of Cambridge, Md.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-150221120001.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22714)MD.
In this case the building on the right was a furniture store. As it grew more successful, it acquired the parcel next door and built the larger building on the left. The alley was bridged with the second floor to connect the two buildings.
Old downtowns are always full of interesting buildings with interesting stories behind them.
Lee
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Gluey gluey painty painty!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-150221234411.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22726)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-150221234456.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22727)
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I smell lots of litigation with all those front entrances about 5 feet up from the pavement. You should nail some boards across those doors so someone doesn't accidentally take a leap down, and break a leg, hip, or a back. :D
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Obviously, there will be a road and sidewalk rising from right to left.
Meanwhike, time to sit around watching paint dry.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-160221111237.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22733)
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It dried.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-160221123732.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22734)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-160221123915.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22735)
Needs some roof top details and some trim,and of course interior lighting.
Then it's on to the next one!
Lee
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Meanwhile, at the other end of the layout...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-180221103739.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22744)
The inspiration for the new town. Actually,a wide,spot in the road in Dorchester County west of Cambridge.
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Hahahahaha!!! That's fantastic. And, you can print a picture of that and make a sign for the layout. Go retro; use a toothpick for the post. :P
DFF
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I usually used sewing pins. Toothpicks were too fragile when the layout had to live with a cat.
He was a good cat, and didn't intentionally damage anything. But he weighed 18 pounds, and like to sleep on the layout, which had to be put on my bed to run. We lived in a relatively small mobile home, and it was stored UNDER the bed. He didn't go there, but if it was out, he'd sleep on it. One area of the board was left open for him!
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Meanwhile, at the other end of the layout...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-180221103739.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22744)
The inspiration for the new town. Actually,a wide,spot in the road in Dorchester County west of Cambridge.
Aha! I KNEW there was a real town named Cornersville somewhere in the arcane and antique reaches of New England.
I must say, Lee, this is the most enthused and happy I've seen you of all the layouts you tried and abandoned after the break-up of your huge layout (I joined TRW while you were parceling out pieces of it). You are continuously working on and coming back to this layout like you weren't with those other ones. Model Railroading IS fun, once a person finds their perfect niche in it. May you have many more happy days with this little gem.
And you spoke of a road going uphill in front of these buildings -- does that mean it'll continue around them and up to the upper level? For a really fun option you could have the road meander and go up and down and around from this spot in the pix all the way to Cornersville. A road that takes 4-5 times the distance to travel than a straight line route between the towns.
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Aha! I KNEW there was a real town named Cornersville somewhere in the arcane and antique reaches of New England.
No, sir. On the Eastern Shore of Maryland in Dorchester County. Definitely not New England.
DFF
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-160121114335.jpeg)
My original concept mock up from a few weeks ago.
There will be no road between the towns modeled. One must ride the train if one is passing from point a to point b.
Lee
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Must have been a hell of a snowstorm on that side of the country -- so many new posts on RRs in the Layout Engineering Reports because people got stuck at home during work days?? Pushed your thread to the 2nd page!?dlknfk
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The only snow drift around these parts is the pile of work on my desk. Better get back to shoveling!
Lee
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Here's a little something to brighten your day!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-250221152707.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22859)
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Back to some proper retro goodness...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-260221233858.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22883)
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Haha! I used to have the HO scale version of that rocket car when I was little. I bet your crew wishes there was an idler car or two, because they don't like the butt end of that rocket pointed into their faces. :P
DFF
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You need a little n-scale Slim Pickens riding that sucker.
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I sent you a rocket car before and you threw it out!
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Lee, now you need a few of these:
(https://imgprd19.hobbylobby.com/b/2f/8d/b2f8d74036ac94b5db0df5b181ed031ab2cbcfce/350Wx350H-354415-0519-px.jpg)
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Back to some proper retro goodness...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-260221233858.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22883)
Ah, a new photo for a caption contest.
My entry is: Be very, very quiet - I'm hunting Chessie. (as spoken in an Elmer Fudd voice)
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Back to some proper retro goodness...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-260221233858.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22883)
Lee’s hauling an explosive load, and the engine is off the track or going off the track. Anybody heard from Lee lately? :scared:
DFF
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Lee’s hauling an explosive load...
TWSS
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Lee, now you need a few of these:
(https://imgprd19.hobbylobby.com/b/2f/8d/b2f8d74036ac94b5db0df5b181ed031ab2cbcfce/350Wx350H-354415-0519-px.jpg)
Yeah, and Estes still makes the Honest John which is what the rocket on the layout looks like.
https://estesrockets.com/product/007240-honest-john/ (https://estesrockets.com/product/007240-honest-john/)
(https://estesrockets.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Honest_John.jpg)
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Worked on my B&O I-1 by @SkipGear ... a few more derails to add the some lettering.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-280221121148.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22927)
And following up on my prior post, I found some interiors I had built years ago for some DPM buildings, and stuck them under my Magnusen Merchants Row... (The buildings I had built them for are now on my TTrak modules with their backs turned to the audience, so the interiors are now surplus)
The fit isn't quite right, but it's better than vacant real estate!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-280221121633.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22928)
As for the cat, he has obtained a neutronium reducer, which enables him to process the core element of his primary attack cannon, which has returned a balance to our arms race. Mutual destruction thusly assured, it will be imperative to maintain this critical period of detente.
I've just got to train the dog so when he pushes open the office door, he has to turn around and close it before the feline invasion force can establish a beach head under the ottoman.
I'm still not sure where Rigby's true allegiance lies, however.
Lee
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Depends if you had him neutered or not.
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That happens Wednesday! :o
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[attachimg=1]
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Oh, no, it's the kitten that's gettin' the snippin'. Rigby paid that piper years ago!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-280221224918.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22939)
Looks like doggone will stay faithful to team Dad. Team Ollie is still very pointy.
Lee
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Congratulations, Lee! You've hit 100 pages on this thread. Keep it up! It's been a fun ride.
DFF
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My count is only 60 pages.
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My count is only 60 pages.
You don't have the default number of messages displayed per page.
Jason
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It's not the page count, it's the quality of the content...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-010321162852.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22943)
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1,499 replies sounds even more impressive. :)
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But not as impressive as 1500.
Take that!! :D
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Seeing @DKS post regarding his waterfall project has inspired me to put some thought into the one I've been planning behind my trestle.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-020321081904.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22957)
When we travel (remember travel?) We love to go on hikes that bring us to waterfalls like this one in the North Carolina High Country.. So it will be fun to model something like that on the layout.
And I have just the spot for it behind this wood trestle.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-020321082011.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22958)
Originally this was going to be a scene with a quaint mill race emptying into a falls, but since I industrialized Cornersville, the transition will be a little more challenging and less bucolic.
I'm thinking now the creek should fall from the left to a pool overlooked by the factory driveway, which would then cascade down beneath the sidings and on to the river below.
Just spitballin'
Lee
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-020321083447.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22959)
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Step one is to finalize the industrial tracks so I can see what I have to work around.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-020321092150.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22960)
I wanted to add a new siding for the big factory, so one more short radius peco switch and a hard left turn will get it.
I can make a warehouse addition to the brick building, or perhaps a coal dock and a power house for the factory.
I can also re cut my foam core base, which is removable to access track below, so the siding can be fixed, and the removable bit can be just under the building.
That can then be secured to the backboard with some magnets to keep it from shifting around.
For the sidings, I'll do some simple i-beam bridges to cross the ravine,
Hopefully truck mounted rapido couplers won't make switching this a nostalgic romp through the darker corners of my vocabulary!
So now the project will not only enhance the scenery, but also the play value of the upper branch!
Lee
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Well that escalated quickly!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-020321095646.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22961)
A 40' flatcar adaptively reused! Perfect cheap bridge for an old branch line!
Lee
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/22/9-020321100906.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=22963)
Another otherwise billable hour squandered.
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that flat car bridge is classic as retro and vintage
great call!
adding interest with each new project
looking great!
sincerely
Gary
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A waterfall coming off the mountain right next to the camper's vehicle would spill nicely into the pool next to the factory lot, and from thence on down to the sea. And the campers would have a great campsite.
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Would that flatcar bridge require idler cars as a handle to reach/drop cars to that industry?
DFF
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Would that flatcar bridge require idler cars as a handle to reach/drop cars to that industry?
DFF
Maybe another ex-GN flatcar to serve as a "handle" when spotting cars on the far side of a bridge made from an ex-GN flatcar?
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The only locomotives that run on the inner loop up top (which has a ruling radius of 7") are short wheelbase switchers. The Plymouth in the illustration will likely get most of the work when switching is being done.
I don't think there's any major risk of dropping it in the falls. The siding is only two car-lengths as it is!
Lee
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I don't think there's any major risk of dropping it in the falls.
Lee
That Reading car looks like it came perilously close dropping !
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That was before I leveled it and installed more securely.
Now, I'm pleased to report that as we approach the equinox, I get a nice beam of sunlight on the Cornersville end of the layout in the afternoon.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-100321090204.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23099)
Lee
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That is a decidedly NOT retro scene.
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That is a decidedly NOT retro scene.
Oh I don't know - the cast resin work truck on the road surface flying off into space screams early '70's layout to me
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Oh I don't know - the cast resin work truck on the road surface flying off into space screams early '70's layout to me
I'm workin' on it!! Sheesh!
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heh Heki grass matts.... I have one 'reclaimed' on my lounge floor now, awaiting an application for Resource Management, to create a field of something... :o
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It's actually a piece of Noch grass mat, which dates back to the Christmas garden my dad used to put up in the 1970s. It featured two tiers of 4x8 goodness (HO) and he kept a roll of loose "grass paper" to stuff into the gap where the high board crossed over the low board... It has been applied to numerous layouts over the years... the scraps I have left are as precious to me as that blanket is to Linus VanPelt....
Lee
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Hey retro layout guys ... do you only consider mass-produced products of that era -- or does this hand-produced item count?
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/2970-110321045726.jpeg)
I bought it pre-made like that, can't remember if by mail order, at a hobby shop, or some club member making them up to sell. Came in pairs. Certainly IS retro. And reminds me of other small run items like that pewter shell for the Atlas/RR 0-8-0 ... certainly Lee could find one of those for the 0-8-0 he has. And there have to be other retro things made by basement entrepreneurs or clever modelers for sale. Anybody else know of any?
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I have a Camden and Amboy resin cast I-1 conversion presently underway on a Minitrix 2-10-0 chassis... It's always fun to do a retrofit with a retro kit!
I would love to find one of those pewter 0-8-0 shells... but I'd need 4 of them to properly equip the whole fleet!
As for track bumpers, I have several old Peco plastic ones, the kind you fold up and click into the track. They may show up in lieu of the Atlas ones you see in my picture... they're taking up a lot of space...
Lee
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Hmm how about a Black River frankenstein?
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As for track bumpers, I have several old Peco plastic ones, the kind you fold up and click into the track. They may show up in lieu of the Atlas ones you see in my picture... they're taking up a lot of space...
Suggestion on track bumpers... I chopped the light support block off the back of the Atlas bumper. This both reduced its size and made it look much better.
(http://davidksmith.com/modeling/layouts/NewportRockFalls/images/IMG_3895.jpg)
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A bridge too far?
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-140321201244.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23241)
There's a new route to South Cornersville!
Lee
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SOUTH Cornersville? Name change or is there another city jammed into that corner?
Personally, I'm a guy who likes to see roads on a layout that look at least somewhat logical. And like seeing they go somewhere or connect to something. Not a comment on this layout, just a general preference. Minor roads have minor features -- timber trestle or skimpy steel bridges over land gaps, crossbucks at RR crossings, barely two-lane and usually gravel, steep grades, etc. Everything thing big, modern (for its era), and well-tended for major highways. Minor roads can end up going nowhere on a layout-- major highways, no.
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A bridge too far?
Classic movie reference - well played 8)
Frank
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-140321201244.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23241)
Has the LV established run-through service in cooperation with the NYC?
Or is WM-LV-NYC a new 'alphabet route'?
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No... That shot was posed for the previous owner of that unit. We did a little swap deal, so he posted a picture of the engine in tow leaving his layout, and I reciprocated once it arrived on mine.
As he pointed out, he bought it at a swap meet with intentions of repainting it because "it looks like it was painted with a potato", but he never got around to it.
Within 24 hours of arriving on the LRV, it's already been put into the "dip"... It's either going into the simplified B&O freight scheme, or the even simpler Penn Central.
Lee
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A closer look at the new arrival...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-150321170312.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23252)
My critique was that I had never seen pin striping painted with an actual bowling pin!
Lee
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A bridge too far?
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-140321201244.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23241)
There's a new route to South Cornersville!
Lee
Hmmm 🤔... I partially agree with @OldEastRR on bridges to nowhere (or South Cornersville 😉), but if one is necessary, I prefer to see the bridge end past an abutment where the fascia can come up to meet the roadbed instead of the end of the bridge hanging off into space.
However, it’s just a pet peeve of mine, and if you like it, that’s all that really matters. I do reserve the right to laugh & point. :trollface: :D
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As he pointed out, he bought it at a swap meet with intentions of repainting it because "it looks like it was painted with a potato", but he never got around to it.
One LHS used to do a significant business in pre-owned models.
The shop's proprietor would characterize poorly executed "custom" paint jobs as looking as though they had been painted using a hairbrush (as opposed to an airbrush).
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@CRL This Bud's for you!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-150321213414.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23254)
I prefer bridges that appear to match the task they are assigned to do, even when that task continues beyond the modeled scene.
That allows me to crop my photo to give the illusion that the scene continues beyond the frame. Ending a bridge arbitrarily at the layout's edge looks more "off" to me.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-150321214006.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23255)
Plus I can get this shot.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-150321214347.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23256)
Lee
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Laughing & pointing has commenced... almost shat myself.
Reminds me of that old Stephen King movie... The Langoliers.
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I actually am a fan of having items on the edge of the layout with the part chopped off that goes past the plane of the layout - just as if somebody cut a piece out of the world and lifted it out. Very cool. It makes the viewer realize that the layout's world extends past the layout edge. This works really neat for buildings. Backdrops do the same thing, but with a 2D illusion of the extended world that isn't really there. Too many layouts are scenicked as an end in themselves -- the edge of the layout really is the edge of the world.
However, using the "chopped off" technique surely isn't a retro concept of N scale 1960s. :D
Incidentally, I never called that new span a "bridge to nowhere". I am completely accepting that if somebody had to have a road go somewhere, they would have put it in using whatever means possible. My opinion was the bridge is too massive and modern for such a dinky road which apparently is a minor route into town. A single lane, through truss bridge of rickety design -- maybe a Howe truss certainly not load rated to hold a modern day big rig -- propped up on a forest of wooden pilings would be what I consider a realistic version. There may be a Z scale bridge that'd work.
Glad to see you decided its crossing of the tracks only merits a crossbucks and not a flashing signal with gates. Speaking of crossings -- what's the fatality rate and incident frequency for people hit trying to cross the multiple tracks in this area? :trollface:
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I had started out with the idea of a wood trestle carrying a narrow road into the station and the mill, but with the new urban ethos of Cornersville, I thought it would look terribly out of place. Plus, given its span across a curving double track main, the engineering demands on a timber trestle would have had to stretch the imagination a bit.
With the new track plan in place for the industrial area, I can extend the two lane road around to meet up with the road that comes in from downtown.
Should be a delightfully crowded scene in the best style of @DKS .
Something like this...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-160321105830.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23269)
Lee
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I had started out with the idea of a wood trestle carrying a narrow road into the station and the mill, but with the new urban ethos of Cornersville, I thought it would look terribly out of place. Plus, given its span across a curving double track main, the engineering demands on a timber trestle would have had to stretch the imagination a bit.
With the new track plan in place for the industrial area, I can extend the two lane road around to meet up with the road that comes in from downtown.
Should be a delightfully crowded scene in the best style of @DKS .
Something like this...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-160321105830.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23269)
Lee
That 90 degree "elbow" crossing, in the upper center, is going to be a bit tricky.
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I'm not sure why it would be necessary to have two paths into the center if there is one already to the far right?
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That 90 degree "elbow" crossing, in the upper center, is going to be a bit tricky.
Not sure why. I think they're called "doglegs." And many industrial urban roads are inundated with bits of sidings and whatnot.
I'm not sure why it would be necessary to have two paths into the center if there is one already to the far right?
Provides a route for through traffic, which adds interest--certainly better than the multiple dead-ends many layouts have (mine included).
DKS Stamp of Approval, Lee!
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I don’t mind roads leaving the edge of the layout. I just avoid having a bridge terminate in mid air. It just doesn’t look right to me... my term for this being the bridge to nowhere. It looks like a project that funding got pulled from because someone’s brother in law divorced someone’s sister. As a taxpayer, that wastefulness bothers me.
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What about snagging/catching on loose clothing, etc. as people walk by?
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Provides a route for through traffic, which adds interest--certainly better than the multiple dead-ends many layouts have (mine included).
DKS Stamp of Approval, Lee!
Oh, I 100% get that, but it comes at the cost of access and/or parking for some of the businesses and is akin to trying to put 2 feet in one sock.
It was only an observation and I am enjoying watching the progress.
Carry on.
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Goal Number One: Run Old Trains.
Goal Number Two: Build Interesting Scenes through which to Run Old Trains.
Goal Number Three: Use a bunch of buildings and kits I have laying around to enhance the enjoyment of Goal 2, and work on them while I RUN OLD TRAINS.
Goal Number Four: Enjoy the fruits of my labor in Goals 1-3 by sharing photos of the Interesting Scenery featuring OLD TRAINS RUNNING.
I'm typically not a Rule #1 Guy, I always appreciate feedback and suggestions. The existence of Cornersville at all is evidence of that.
My flying bridges are integral to goals 3, 4, and 5. They help promote the illusion that my layout extends beyond the edge of the table. My river extends beyond the scene, as to the mountains and flats along the backdrop. The only thing that's fully contained on the platform is the railroad tracks, but even they reach "beyond" by slipping behind the skyboard.
As for things snagging on the bridges, so far so good. The table height is about 48" above the floor, so it's well clear of my ample posterior and omnipresent gut, and with my workbench chair pretty much right below it, it is not in any danger of being in a traffic lane. So to with the new bridge which is at the end of the layout where no one really goes but me. (and periodically the cat).
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My flying bridges are integral to goals 3, 4, and 5.
Erm... I only see four goals... :P
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^^^^^^ 😆😆😆😆
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In a previous lifetime, I had a similar installation, although it might have been more to @CRL's liking.
The US 11 Bridge at North Junction ends abruptly at the fascia, but I'm hard pressed to find a photo that includes that.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-160321164755.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23270)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-160321165001.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23271)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-160321165113.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23272)
Ah, here's one.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-160321165147.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23273)
And another from during its construction...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-160321165258.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23277)
This bridge actually dates back to my layout from the late 80s, where it served much the same purpose.
Lee
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Erm... I only see four goals... :P
Goal Five is to JFRTM!
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enjoy following each day
your decisions and keeping with the theme are so appreciated
and your goals are things i can really relate to
thanks for sharing
sincerely
Gary
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We all have our own aesthetic preferences. I'm with Lee in liking the bridges cut the way he's done them.
In the end, though, we build these layouts for ourselves and our own enjoyment (or sometimes for clubs and public shows). Quite often, input from our fellow a$$hats can really help us create an even better scene than what we'd originally envisioned. But sometimes, our initial vision and intent prevails. That's perfectly okay.
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Thanks, Dave. That sounds good to this hard-headed Taurus!
Anyway, I realized I snuck one in on my TTrak module as well! Well,
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-160321193534.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23278)
TWO actually! :D
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Those 2 actually look good to my eye @wm3798. It’s a combination of the detailed river bed and the bridge ending even with a large support assembly at the fascia. No overhang sticking out into open air where a Langolier bit it off.
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OK, the new bridge is part of through road system. Didn't know all the roads would meet up. Funny how a simple thing like connecting the ends of two roads makes a big difference in the "reality" and choice of models of a layout.
I would've made the new bridge/road come into town at a different angle than Main St. Right now they're parallel. If the new road angled off rather sharply toward the front layout edge that suggests that the two roads go in very different directions out of town. In the hilly, twisty, rocky geology of the the NE-suggestive locale this is, the road routes out of town would be quite varied, and constructed along old wagon trails, which the new highways simply followed.
But for the Atlas bumpers, I second DKS's suggestion to chop off those empty lamp sockets. Those spur end rails are running right up to the main's ties.
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Not quite parallel, if Main Street comes in at 6 o'clock, Old East Road :D comes in at about 6:45!
Besides, plenty of instances where several streets cross a railroad or a river side by side, especially in a semi urban situation.
Lee
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Goal Five is to JFRTM!
There... are... FOUR... goals...
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The 1st is the element of surprise
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The 1st is the element of surprise
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1277/3067/products/elementsurprise_a3074b61-7d02-4ae5-a099-aa3b2b46d1ed_1800x.png)
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The 1st is the element of surprise
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"Substantial new bridge on old road"? Maybe the original bridge had to be replaced, and the road department decided to build one that would last? That happened at Iaeger, WV. The old bridge was at the bottom of a hill, with a sharp curve, severe weight limit so that only one loaded truck could be on it at a time, AND had the NS (N&W) mainline at one end. The new bridge has a better approach, and can support heavier loads.
This bridge is on US 52 - a major coal and freight route!
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Atlas Roco GP9 refreshed with a paint scheme from the era of the model.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-040421224533.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23536)
Now the eternal question...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-040421224638.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23537)
Whether to weather or not to weather?
Lee
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Now the eternal question...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-040421224638.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23537)
Whether to weather or not to weather?
Lee
Perhaps a proto photo will help you decide:
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/HwcAAOSwcMNeV2G5/s-l1600.jpg)
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Heh. That's exactly the shot I used as a reference. But I was looking at it on my phone, so I couldn't really see the light weathering on it.
Lee
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A little more monkeying around in the paint shop. I'm not 100 % sure, but I bet this is what the power looked like when my dad piled us onto the Cleveland Night Express at Camden Station in 1970. Con Cor dummy with rattle can paints and Micro Scale decals.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-170421145833.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23669)
Back outside now to beat back the poison ivy! Have a great weekend everyone!
Lee
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Tidied up some scenery around Cornersville
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-180421134511.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23674)
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Roughed in the rest of the platform lights at PawPaw
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-250421104531.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23738)
I need to tidy up the wiring next, but the beta test was successful!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-250421110752.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23739)
Running the night train has always been a big part of the magic of model railroading for me.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-250421111109.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23740)
And soon the Cleveland Night Express can actually run at night!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-250421111259.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23741)
This is a good thing, because I'm back into the busiest season for my work, so I have lots of time to watch the lights flashing by while I finish up those permit drawings!
Lee
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Gone fishing.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-290421081815.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23809)
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Insert Dueling Banjos soundtrack here ☝️☝️☝️
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Insert Dueling Banjos soundtrack here ☝️☝️☝️
[/i]
Also- beware of whirlpools!
And shouldn't that guy on the platform be in plaid????
-d :o
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I don't know what you guys have been up to, but I ballasted six inches of track, then realized I hadn't painted the track!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-100521003434.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23924)
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Another necessity resolved by invention. Just in time for Mother's Day!
As scenery begins to close in around the PawPaw end of the layout, the light switch situation has become the center of some controversy.
I came up with this contraption to reduce the risk to trains in the station, as well as allow me to install a more complete scene to mask the switch plate.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-100521112025.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23928)
I simply dremelled a slot into the nose of the switches and installed a stiff wire between them, with a properly shaped throw bar to pull the assembly up and down.
I used a scrap of brass as a keeper, attached to the switch plate with the mounting screws. A nub of wire insulation protects the operator's digits from the pointy bit of wire.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-100521112929.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23929)
I'll add a few roof details to provide further deception to the eye of the beholder, but more importantly, it works!
Lee
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I don't know what you guys have been up to, but I ballasted six inches of track, then realized I hadn't painted the track!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-100521003434.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23924)
I thought that was a stylistic choice, since the lower track to the left is also ballasted and not painted...
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I thought that was a stylistic choice, since the lower track to the left is also ballasted and not painted...
Oh, sh!t, DKS is right! Run for cover, boys!
DFF
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Maybe he shot it from the outside of the curve. Or… not.
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The lower track is painted, but used acrylics so it does flake off.
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The lower track is painted, but used acrylics so it does flake off.
Nice save! :lol:
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Further refinements on the light switch camouflage.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-110521122117.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23932)
Foam core spacers added, Magners installed to secure the flat to the switch plate, and test placement of a rooftop tank to see how it might look and work with details on the roof.
I'd say the subterfuge is nearly complete!
Even better when the two feet away rule is applied!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-110521122738.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23934)
Lee
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Brilliant. This is an excellent example of Weldon Engineering that I miss!
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Could you use a longer piece of rod and bend it 90 degrees so it fits into the top of the water tank? Maybe run a brass tube down the middle of the tank into the building for additional strength?
Just spitballing here; this is amazing work you are doing and I love following along with it!
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How about illuminating the end of the switch rod? That nobody will accidentally hit the model building with their hand when feeling around for the switch rod in the dark.
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Another necessity resolved by invention. Just in time for Mother's Day!
As scenery begins to close in around the PawPaw end of the layout, the light switch situation has become the center of some controversy.
I came up with this contraption to reduce the risk to trains in the station, as well as allow me to install a more complete scene to mask the switch plate.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-100521112025.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23928)
I simply dremelled a slot into the nose of the switches and installed a stiff wire between them, with a properly shaped throw bar to pull the assembly up and down.
I used a scrap of brass as a keeper, attached to the switch plate with the mounting screws. A nub of wire insulation protects the operator's digits from the pointy bit of wire.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-100521112929.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23929)
I'll add a few roof details to provide further deception to the eye of the beholder, but more importantly, it works!
Lee
DKS would have connected the throw bar to a switch machine, which would then be remotely actuated from the layout's control panel.
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(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/5c/91/e0/5c91e0ef0f432b24754739c337ca5e25.jpg)
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I'll keep it simple, I think.
Worst case, I'll paint the rod pale blue.
No need to make it glow... there's an enormous window that floods the room with daylight, so the only time I really need to see it is when I'm turning them off at the end of the night..
Lee
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-110521122117.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23932)
Man, I just hope that contraption isn't this coming over the horizon. :scared:
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/1292-120521120048.jpeg)
:D :D :D
DFF
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Been there done that!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-120521210541.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23939)
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That's right - Ghostbusters were dispatched too - I love it!
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Rotate that "handle" and the water tower a few degrees, put an LED on the end of the handle and have it illuminate the signage on the water tower. But what do I know....
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Hmm. What size resistor would I need to step down the household 110v to light an LED?
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Hmm. What size resistor would I need to step down the household 110v to light an LED?
Probably this thing:
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/2700-130521042556-238771731.jpeg)
:D :D :D
DFF
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Hmm. What size resistor would I need to step down the household 110v to light an LED?
None unless you want the LED to work more than once.
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Hmm. What size resistor would I need to step down the household 110v to light an LED?
If this is a serious question, I wouldn't recommend it.
If you really want do, it then you need another diode (like 1N4002) added in series with the resistor/LED (to protect the LED from excessive reverse current/voltage). Also since most of the power will be dissipated at the resistor, use a high efficiency LED (like white or blue), so it will be bright enough even with very low current passing through it < 1mA.
For around 0.5mA of current for the LED, the resistor would have to be around 116,000 ohms (116k ohms), 0.25W.
Much safer alternative would be to use one of those tiny cube USB chargers for a couple of bucks. They safely convert 120V AC to 5V DC. Voltage where LEDs are much more "at home".
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Heh. I really don't want to! :ashat:
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Just use one of these.
[attachimg=1]
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The power pole shown in Dave Foxx message what is the bunch of cables at the top in the canister used for ? Telecommunications or some other infernal contraption . I realise the 3 phase house supply is shown below running thru a type of hook or clamp but I have never seen phone cables above supply voltage cables ,it is usually always run & terminated below the power to minimise accidents ..
Cheers Tom in Oz .
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The power pole shown in Dave Foxx message what is the bunch of cables at the top in the canister used for ? Telecommunications or some other infernal contraption . I realise the 3 phase house supply is shown below running thru a type of hook or clamp but I have never seen phone cables above supply voltage cables ,it is usually always run & terminated below the power to minimise accidents ..
Cheers Tom in Oz .
Hi Tom,
Dave just used a photo of a cellular 5G antenna we have been discussing in another current thread started by me (with more photos, explanation and some typical Railwire humor). It is in the Crew Lounge https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=52046.0 (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=52046.0) . Unfortunately you need 25 posts to access the Crew Lounge. However, once you have 25 posts under your belt, you will be able to read all about that antenna. And yes, it is above the primary wires.
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Ah , we still use smoke signals & the occasional tin can & string trick down here . I used to be a comms tech for about 24 yrs & thought I was fairly up on new gismos but after that 24 yrs of torture I saw the light & jumped ship & became a trainee Train Driver / Locomotive Engineer down here on the east coast driving everything [well almost ] from the Indian Pacific[ Aust train #1 for seeing the country thru to Suburban trains taking the cattle to work n the morning & bringing them home at night .
Cheers Tom in Oz .
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Ah , we still use smoke signals & the occasional tin can & string trick down here . I used to be a comms tech for about 24 yrs & thought I was fairly up on new gismos but after that 24 yrs of torture I saw the light & jumped ship & became a trainee Train Driver / Locomotive Engineer down here on the east coast driving everything [well almost ] from the Indian Pacific[ Aust train #1 for seeing the country thru to Suburban trains taking the cattle to work n the morning & bringing them home at night .
I would also like to leave my high-tech computer job behind. Getting tired of the ever-faster-changing technology. I used to be a geek - now I'm getting geeked-out. Unfortunately retirement is still about a decade away.
The latest needlessly complicated thing I have encountered (just because "they" can) after dialing a phone number is a voice announcement stating "your call cannot be completed as dialed . . ." at which point I'm thinking "what the heck?" Did I dial a wrong number? Is there a problem on the line? Did the phone I'm calling get disconnected? But after that slight pause which made all those thoughts rush through my mind, it continues ". . . because the line is busy". WTF!? That stupid announcement made mind go through all those scenarios, just to tell me the line is busy!? WTF! WTF! You made me waste 20 seconds of my life listening to that stupid message, when a simple busy signal would have told me the same thing in couple of seconds. Beep, beep, beep. It was good for a 100 years, why complicate things with a long voice announcement with a scary sounding beginning. Stupid!! Stupid!
There, I feel better!
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I wondered what was up with that announcement… I hung up before it finished.
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Maybe they can't do beep, beep, beep with VOIP? :trollface:
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Peteski, Some one got paid big money for that change on what used to be a mechanical tone originating from the tone machine . " At the third stroke the time will be 10:27 . " the good old KISS principle . We had a large flat record with every 30 seconds laid into it , worked for almost 80 years with no problems apart from a occasional dust off. Then you see some idiot out of Uni keeping the seat warm in the bosses office designing a solid state program that will supersede the original recording so that management can boast what marvelous progress they have made since last year . Nup I changed jobs when I turned 40 & loved every minute running trains apart from where some stupidity in management when they want to change practices just for the sake of it , just walk away shaking your head . Now back to a room 9 5 meters full of Marklin models where I can only blame myself .
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. . .
Nup I changed jobs when I turned 40 & loved every minute running trains apart from where some stupidity in management when they want to change practices just for the sake of it , just walk away shaking your head . Now back to a room 9 5 meters full of Marklin models where I can only blame myself .
I love it! Good for you!
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Did some more work on the station. The safety gates are installed between the tracks.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-190521192856.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23996)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/23/9-190521193207.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=23997)
And a vintage touch to keep it real.
Lee
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very fine looking detail
it is always fun following your retro-hi-rail postings
thanks
sincerely
Gary
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Did some more work on the station. The safety gates are installed between the tracks.
Lee
I'm not sure what it's called in grammar, but surely you are referencing the 'fence', a wall; not the 'gates', an opening?
:facepalm:
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First train of the day or the last?
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/24/9-210521201702.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=24024)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/24/9-210521201822.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=24025)
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First train of the day or the last?
Ooh, can you give us a hint? Are we facing north or south. ;)
DFF
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Well, I busted the lens on my phone, so my pictures have been coming out a bit murky. Now it's acting up on the auto focus, so it's not really working for close up model photos anymore. So what do you do to photograph your vintage models?
You get out the vintage camera!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/24/9-240621105727.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=24378)
It's my 15 year old Canon Power Shot, originator of almost all of the pictures I've had published over the years. It's a lot more fiddly than the phone, and at only 5 mp, not nearly as crisp on the big screen, but perfectly functional for magazine work and other such adventures. While it's a bit clumsy to set all the settings, wait forever for that 10 second delay and 2 second exposure at F8, then of course, pulling out the SIM card, plugging it into the old laptop, transferring the files, uploading them manually.... well... you get the idea. But the results are very pleasing indeed!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/24/9-240621110151.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=24379)
The long exposure turns regular room lighting into a really nice daylight feel, and the small aperture gets far better depth of field than the phone can achieve. All the stacking programs in the world can't beat a pinhole and a couple of seconds.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/24/9-240621110412.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=24380)
This one floored me. It's a bit washed out, and the immediate foreground is distracting (mostly because lazy bones hasn't finished the scenery) but look at those locomotives! 3/4 viewing angle on two different planes, and they're both acceptably focused from nose to cab. The detail of the bridge vaults all the way back to the background trees is clear.
It's good to be reunited with an old friend! Now if I could just get it to stop eating batteries like candy!!
Lee
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Now if I could just get it to stop eating batteries like candy!!
Give it all the candy it wants... it's doing a great job. That second photo is t!ts!
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Thanks! I'm going to have make with the ground cover and stage up something more suitable!
Lee
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"Now if I could just get it to stop eating batteries like candy!!"
For indoor use, is there any way to replace the battery with an external supply?
I did that, years ago, with a portable radio. It needed 4 D-cells, and they didn't last long. It also didn't have an adapter socket. So, I cut a block of wood to fit the battery compartment, attached brass strips to both ends to match the "end" battery contacts, and wired it to a 6-volt lantern battery. Working for the railroad, my father could get those for free, and one would last months in the radio.
Today, the same idea could be used with a wall-wart power supply, and it would work as long as the power was on. The "plug" could be removed, and the battery reinstalled, for outdoor use.
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Yes. It has a port for a 7.4v DC supply. Looks to be about an 1/8" socket. I'll have to go through my mountain of wayward wall warts and see if I don't have something that fits...
Or do you suppose there's a source for such things to power a camera that's well over 10 years old?
Lee
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Yes. It has a port for a 7.4v DC supply. Looks to be about an 1/8" socket. I'll have to go through my mountain of wayward wall warts and see if I don't have something that fits...
Or do you suppose there's a source for such things to power a camera that's well over 10 years old?
Lee
EBay? Worth a try . . .
That is exactly how I use my Nikon CoolPix 8700. But I bought my genuine Nikon Wall-wart when the camera was still new, expecting that I would have long photo sessions of model photography, with the camera mounted on a tripod.
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Now if I could just get it to stop eating batteries like candy!!
Are you using rechargeable batteries?
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Or do you suppose there's a source for such things to power a camera that's well over 10 years old?
Lee
Here's one.
https://www.amazon.com/HQRP-Adapter-Supply-PowerShot-Digital/dp/B002WUH7YI
I'm sure there are others out there. Maybe even OEM ones on eBay.
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I guess I could have done that, but thanks! It's ordered and on the way.
The problem with the rechargable batteries is everytime you take them out you have to go back manually reset the time/date stamp.
While that's not mission critical to taking the pictures, it's a pain when I upload them to a gallery and they get filed under 2006.
Keeping it on the plug in close proximity to the layout will be useful in making that chore less frequent.
Lee
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The problem with the rechargable batteries is everytime you take them out you have to go back manually reset the time/date stamp.
While that's not mission critical to taking the pictures, it's a pain when I upload them to a gallery and they get filed under 2006.
There's a separate CR1220 "coin cell" battery that powers the clock.
Maybe that battery needs replacing?
It's in a little slide-out holder inside the compartment for the AA batteries.
https://support.usa.canon.com/kb/index?page=content&id=ART154719 (https://support.usa.canon.com/kb/index?page=content&id=ART154719)
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You guys that read the manuals are really something.
I, on the other hand, am a Man of Action. No time for fine print or exploded parts diagrams!
(I found it... thank you!... now I have to go to hunt down that particular battery!)
Lee
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You guys that read the manuals are really something.
I, on the other hand, am a Man of Action. No time for fine print or exploded parts diagrams!
(I found it... thank you!... now I have to go to hunt down that particular battery!)
Lee
I've found that if you drop complex items (like cameras, or model trains) from from a high enough point onto a concrete surface there is plenty of action and no need for an exploded parts diagram.
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You guys that read the manuals are really something.
I, on the other hand, am a Man of Action. No time for fine print or exploded parts diagrams!
(I found it... thank you!... now I have to go to hunt down that particular battery!)
Lee
Your local Walgreens should have it in stock.
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Hey Lee, you ever get those Rowa lighting kits?
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You guys that read the manuals are really something.
I, on the other hand, am a Man of Action. No time for fine print or exploded parts diagrams!
(I found it... thank you!... now I have to go to hunt down that particular battery!)
Lee
Most pharmacies, supermarkets, or even dollar stores carry a decent range of coin cells.
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Most pharmacies, supermarkets, or even dollar stores carry a decent range of coin cells.
Did you check the websites for any of those stores to see if they actually stock a 1220 type/size battery?
I did, and checked for local inventory, before suggesting that Lee go to Walgreens.
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Hey Lee, you ever get those Rowa lighting kits?
yes I did. Sorry I dit acknowledge that sooner. Thanks!
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When Lifelike gives you lemons make lemonade!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/24/9-210721121706.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=24965)
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3 more inches of river bank
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/24/9-230721183617.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=24989)
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/25/9-260721230305.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=25022)
Swap fodder demonstration reel.
I've negotiated a major trade with @learmoia that will send these prized vintage Bachmann diesels out to him in Iowa. I'll withhold discussing what's coming back here in the trade, but rest assured, you'll enjoy the result.
To celebrate their departure, I made this murky film of them hard at work on the Retro layout. I tried out the "slow motion" function on my phone (pardon the glare and fog from my broken lenz protector... in this case I think it adds to the effect!)
First, turn the sound way up. It's amazing how realistic the slo-mo sound is. Those clattering gears now sound almost like pistons in a 567, and those old metal Roco freight car wheels actually do clickety clack over the inevitable jointed rail of vintage snap track! The only flaw is the pulsing of the headlights, which I'm not sure why that's happening, since the engine is equipped with incandescent bulbs... I especially like the way the cars appear to sway over some poorly maintained trackwork. (probably caused by axle points that are almost imperceptibly off center, and not visible when operating at speed) Anyway, enjoy the ride.
How do you improve the performance of old Bachmann diesels?
Film them in slow motion... :D
Lee
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Shipping Lee's box this morning...
[attachimg=1]
Hint... Its not a dildo..
:D
~Ian
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Shipping Lee's box this morning...
(Attachment Link)
Hint... Its not a dildo..
:D
~Ian
This being the Railwire, a forum for modelers, that was my one and only guess
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This being the Railwire, a forum for modelers, that was my one and only guess
I was trying to find a way to make the packaging look very suspicious... like that is the first thing anyone would guess is in the box..
But I couldn't think of something to do without delaying the package..
I did cross my mind to see if I could 2 day prime myself a motion activated vibrator module to put in the box...
~Ian
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Just slap a label on it: FRAGILE - HANDLE WITH CARE - (USED <- optional) DILDO INSIDE :D
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Add a return address from the “Humpy Inflatable Adult Toy Co.”
DFF
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Okay, the sound on this one is extra fun. Two powered Bachmann brass gear diesels and a track joint. Turn it all the way up.
Again, filmed in slow motion on the Samsung 20. I need to get that cracked lens cover fixed, although I'm kind of diggin the weird foggy effect I'm getting...
As you watch this, I want you to ask yourself "How much did I pay for the last sound equipped locomotive I bought?" then contemplate that I might be out $60 bucks for the entire train you see there.
Sure, there's no horns or air pumps, but I'm digging how the gear noise ends up sounding like an old diesel slogging it out. The rocking of the cars is also fun to see.
Happy Hi Railing!
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Lee,
Wonderful job on the slo mo videos. I really enjoyed watching and listening to them.
Scott
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That sounds surprisingly good...
I'm a bit curious why the LED Strobes?
-
Shutter speed and a digital light fixture, I suppose. You'll be able to experiment with it when it gets there.
I hope you don't hole them up in that showcase permanently. They are actually pretty smooth runners! BTW, the F unit has original equipment incandescent. The Geep has the LEDs, and is directional!
I miss them already :oops:
Lee
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New building on the old layout
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/27/9-080122204410.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=27292)
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Had some business that took me to God's Country...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/27/9-190122004301.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=27541)
I picked up a handful of goodies to work on a few projects.
The best score was a couple of Kadee MicroTrains hoppers, complete with factory installed Rapido couplers.
The most functional score, though, was some Chooch flexible stone wall.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/27/9-190122004640.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=27542)
Inspired by @DKS , I am adding some modern materials to my retro layout!
This stuff will be showing up at several key locations on the layout.
More news as it happens.
Lee
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Also inspired by the Newport and Rock Falls, I'm going to close up a vexing gap in the industrial park
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/27/9-030222095026.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=27757)
The white card stock represents a new box culvert that will bring the falls into the scene from the Fifth Dimension under the factory tracks.
I'll use the same flexible stonework to fabricate the retaining wall and culvert.
Leo
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I think it will work just fine.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/27/9-030222110459.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=27758)
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That flexible wall stuff is the model railroad equivalent of "bondo and paint makes me the craftsman I ain't".
It's super handy.
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Reminds me of the way they buried the Jones Falls under Baltimore. Daylights just before emptying into the Inner Harbor.
DFF
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I love the rotating industries that cycle in and out of this area with each new picture. And can't wait to see what the final version of the road marked by the felt pen outline will look like.
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Stand by for news. (Photo from the phone, text from the keyboard shortly...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/27/9-040222155357.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=27777)
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I believe I have stumbled upon a satisfactory way to organize a little switching ops to keep me entertained.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/27/9-040222155357.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=27777)
After spending a few enjoyable sessions with the Newport and Rock Falls, where I have the capacity to bump about 6 to 8 cars into 3 industries, plus a house track, I decided it was time to come up with a system that allows me to serve the industries I've included on this layout. (which as @OldEastRR has pointed out, are in the habit of switching themselves!) In order to keep things mixed up rolling stock wise, I'm calling the three sidings at Cornersville, clockwise from the top, The Co-Op, the House Track, and the Team Track. I reckon I'll need to add a ramp to the Team Track, and perhaps an overhead crane, and a bit more detail around the freight house, to justify flat cars and gondolas being loaded and unloaded there. The Co-op will be receiving boxcars and covered hoppers mostly.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/27/9-040222160916.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=27778)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/27/9-040222160953.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=27779)
Down at Jerome, the truck dump tipple will provide some coal hopper traffic.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/27/9-040222161017.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=27780)
Since I don't have a yard in which to block cars and send them off into the wider world, we'll rely on a way freight to deliver the goods, which will then be switched locally by that most retro of retro locomotives, the erstwhile Fairbanks Morse Switcher from Minitrix. Note that for the purposes of this essay, everything is equipped with truck mounted Rapidos, because I am at heart a nonconformist. Also, I find that on my ridiculous 7-1/2" radius industrial tracks, these work just fine. I do all uncoupling digitally, usually with my forefinger and thumb.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/27/9-040222161039.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=27781)
In this view, we see the way freight coming across the bridge, and preparing to swap the cut of cars on the branch line for a pre-determined set of cars in its own consist. Our road power today is a couple of Atlas Roco classics, a factory painted FA-2 paired with a GP9 that I painted with a roller. Based on the available track between the upper main and the industrial switch, It's possible to shift as many as 6 cars in a cut.
The road train has a total of 18 cars in its consist, so I can identify which of them will be in play for this day's switching, then switch them out. I'm using my old switch list paperwork to keep track of what goes where.
The first move is to fetch the outbound cars off the branch line, and then pull the setouts from the train and drop them off for the local. The train gets reassembled, and the road freight gets underway.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/27/9-040222161151.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=27782)
Thanks to the miracle of Peco power routing turnouts, the local switcher can park on the industrial track until the swap has been made, then it emerges, couples up to the newly arrived cars, and then it too can go on about its work, complete with a caboose in tow.
So, using this system, I can have a whopping 30 cars in circulation up on the upper loops! (6 cars at the industries, 6 cars in the Arr/Dep track, 6 cars to be swapped in from the road freight, and 12 cars to be dragged around until it's their turn. And the best part is, I can run the road freight around the loop continuously without it getting in the way of the switching, and I can run "pretend" mileage with switcher by running laps between switching each industry. This allows me to drag out an ops session to last long enough to enjoy several cocktails!
The next thing I need to work out is to determine which cars in the road freight are due to be switched. It could be as simple as having three established blocks of 6, but that seems like no fun after a minute. I probably want to come with some sort of randomizer that makes me have to occasionally switch the road freight to set it up for the next go round. Maybe some sort of roll the dice scenario, or a system that relies on the daily lottery numbers. I dunno.
Maybe one day I'll build and extension that lets me switch trains from the upper to the lower levels, but until then, this scheme will let me enjoy watching a variety of vintage rolling stock do its thing, and still scratch the old switching itch. More news as it happens.
Lee
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Penn Central day, yo !
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A bit more development.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/27/9-050222015213.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=27798)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/27/9-050222015250.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=27799)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/27/9-050222015345.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=27800)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/27/9-050222015454.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=27801)
A little more work to tone down the lights a bit. But the effect is there!
Lee
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I still have one of those Roco(?) PRR 665000 hoppers, although I removed the peaked ends back in the 70s. It's retired now, but still serviceable.
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Note that for the purposes of this essay, everything is equipped with truck mounted Rapidos, because I am at heart a nonconformist. Also, I find that on my ridiculous 7-1/2" radius industrial tracks, these work just fine. I do all uncoupling digitally, usually with my forefinger and thumb.
I wouldn't worry too much about sticking with rapido couplers: they are still the standard N-scale coupler of the world. Only the U.S. shifted to knuckles. ;)
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Lookin' good. I see another store (or something)" has been added to Cornerville downtown. Also like the LED in place of the bulb in the Atlas track bumper. But I am bummed by seeing those wires sticking up along the retaining wall and under the team track. Surely the construction crews will come back and bury them underground!
Also making a major road extension through the industrial area makes the construction of the large expensive viaduct leading to it much more plausible. A suggestion for the outermost spur (next to the tiny shed) is to make it an oil dealership, as piping and a small shed would fit in there nicely, with the oil tank and off-loading to trucks filling platform on the opposite side of the road.
Are you planning on ballasting?
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In the more recent photos, the big thicket of wires has been concealed behind the retaining wall, and all you still see are micro plugs.
This allows me to pre-wire structures or clusters of structures that can then be plugged into the layout.
The road layout does justify the bridge, but reduces the number of cars I can spot (to keep the crossings clear) which you can read about a few posts ago.
The siding you mention is designated as a Team Track. This gives me flexibility to bring in all manner of vintage rolling stock, from helium cars, to vinegar tanks, and who knows, maybe a nuclear missile flat car!
And yes, now that the track plan on the upper level is established, I will be ballasting the track.
There are a few more details to work out, including which structures will finally occupy the sidings. But its coming together nicely now, thanks.
Lee
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Back in the 60s/70s many areas hadn't put their wires underground yet, so exposed wiring would be prototypical.
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This is so much fun.
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Cornersville gets lit!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/28/9-040322010119.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=28261)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/28/9-040322010502.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=28262)
I'm wiring the structures in blocks and connecting them to the lighting circuit with mini plugs.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/28/9-040322010531.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=28263)
And adding interior details, gradually. Unlike DKS, I won't have operating hand dryers in the restrooms, or animated bar flies who can tie a cherry stem into a knot with their N scale tongues...
Lee
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Cornersville gets lit!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/28/9-040322010119.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=28261)
Yeah, I'm going to need you to paint that wood patch on the 1:1 door casing at right in your picture above. It's too distracting and keeping me from focusing on the N scale goodness in your layout. :trollface:
DFF
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Stay in your lane, handyman. That's a window casing anyway! :trollface:
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Stay in your lane, handyman. That's a window casing anyway! :trollface:
Haha! I'll tell you what: I'll fix my post, if you fix your window casing. :D
DFF
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Dammit.
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Nice HO scale street lights! Yep… that’s definitely Retro. :D
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Stay in your lane, handyman. That's a window casing anyway! :trollface:
A nice drawing like a backdrop picture would go nice there -- have to custom draw the scene but it'd be easy and unmessy to install.
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Nice HO scale street lights! Yep… that’s definitely Retro. :D
Yeah... I got one of them to mash down a little shorter, but apparently that was an anomaly from the manufacturer, I couldn't get the base to budge on any of the other ones. Oh well! As you said, another Retro Special Effect!
Lee
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Yeah... I got one of them to mash down a little shorter, but apparently that was an anomaly from the manufacturer, I couldn't get the base to budge on any of the other ones. Oh well! As you said, another Retro Special Effect!
Lee
It’s not the height, it’s those massive globes that are no less than 2 N-scale feet wide. But, back then that’s what was sold as n-scale.
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Back then that was the smallest economically-practical light bulbs for 12-16 volts!
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It’s not the height, it’s those massive globes that are no less than 2 N-scale feet wide. But, back then that’s what was sold as n-scale.
If it's Uber proto accuracy your looking for, you're following the wrong layout build. And when the lamps are on, they are glaring enough that it's hard to discern the geometry of the fixture. Especially from my desk across the room. :D
Thanks as always for dropping by.
Lee
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If it's Uber proto accuracy your looking for, you're following the wrong layout build. And when the lamps are on, they are glaring enough that it's hard to discern the geometry of the fixture. Especially from my desk across the room. :D
Thanks as always for dropping by.
Lee
Nope… I think you’ve nailed the Retro look you’re going for, but a little chain yanking is always fun because you’ve got a good sense of humor. I appreciate your layout because you’ve left some room for scenery and have avoided (or at least minimized) the Atlas Track Plan Book spaghetti bowl look.
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Did some house keeping today. Mucked out the office, put away the roundhouse module, and finally made room for the Newport and Rock Falls where it can be more fully enjoyed.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/28/9-090322234601.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=28381)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/28/9-090322234628.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=28382)
It's right at home next to the Hi Rail layout.
And NO, there are no plans to connect the two. The N&RF is and will always be portable, and I hope to bring it to N Scale Weekend in September.
Lee
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Is that a north-facing window or will the N&RF take a beating from UV light?
DFF
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It's actually a southwest exposure, but we have gigantic maple trees in the front yard that shade the front of the house most of the summer. Also, the window you see there is a Weather Shield with UV coatings and a good thermal break. I'm sure it will be just fine. I'm more concerned about Mr. Ollie using it as an observation platform for keeping an eye on the bird feeders. Fortunately, he has three other windows to look out that don't involve sitting on line poles and 12v DC... :D
Lee
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When I hear UV coating, I think of a UV curable coating since I'm a paint chemist that has formulated UV curable coatings. However, I'm assuming the UV coating you mention is actually a glass coating to filter/block out UV light that could damage items inside.
Hopefully your Weather Shield windows hold up better than the ones made back in the '90's. Weather Shield and Marvin Windows had issues with rot back in the '90's. The company I work for was involved in a couple of lawsuits with Weather Shield and Marvin Windows. I was deposed for both lawsuits because I was involved with investigating the complaints and analyzing rotted windows. We settled with Weather Shield and lost big time against Marvin. I'll never buy Marvin Windows as a result of that lawsuit.
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These windows are circa 2015. They were actually ordered by a client of mine for a design I did, and somewhere along the line he decided to change to double hung windows, so these came out and went to our local ReStore. I recognized them, and made a ridiculously low offer to buy the lot of them (The client was my first since I had shuttered my design business after the crash of '08, and I did not charge anywhere near what I should have, so I didn't feel like anyone was getting cheated 8)) Anyway, they fit our house perfectly, with a couple of additional bits and pieces. I'm pretty satisfied with them so far.
@Philip H can attest to their quality! He helped put them in!
Lee
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They were heavy.
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More magic happening. I did manage to shorten the posts on these two.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/28/9-110322093939.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=28407)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/28/9-110322094049.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=28408)
All made possible with my own home brew "plug and play" system.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/28/9-110322094213.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=28409)
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Another scratch built structure for downtown PawPaw
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/28/9-120322214559.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=28436)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/28/9-120322214702.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=28437)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/28/9-120322214723.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=28438)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/28/9-120322214743.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=28439)
Now it's off to the paint shop.
And before any of you wags start carrying on about whether or not scratchbuilding has a place on a retro layout, I say yes it does. The tight curves and close quarters Elevation changes of a small loop layout has always presented real estate challenges that can't always be solved with a commercial kit. So kit bashing and scratchbuilding are legit in my estimation.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/28/9-120322215143.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=28440)
Plus, you know, Rule 1 Yada yada..Yada...
:ashat: :D
Lee
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There was a lot of scratchbuilding back in the day.
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One more building to go.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/28/9-140322102509.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=28458)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/28/9-140322102539.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=28459)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/28/9-140322102612.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=28460)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/28/9-140322102646.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=28461)
Sparkly!
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One more building to go./9-140322102646.jpeg[/img][/url]
Sparkly!
I think you should draw a 'fraidy face' on it!
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Oh, thats a clamp in the last image, was wondering when you added the gantry crane.
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Went back to work on PawPaw this week.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/29/9-070522112157.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=29120)
Installed the first section of sidewalk to establish the grade
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/29/9-070522112332.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=29121)
Then I built the road bed to establish the curve
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/29/9-070522112444.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=29122)
Then I did a little trimming to make sure the clearance worked...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/29/9-070522112619.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=29123)
And just like that it's starting to look like something.
Once I locate and wire in the street lights, I can glue it all in more permanent like. The structures and sidewalk remain removable so I can add details at the work bench.
Lee
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You got the road to go up the hill! Fantastic! It's amazing -- well, ingenious how a "retro" layout w/ '70s N scale turned into a very logical and realistic (in principles, if not in dimensions) scene. The stereotype vision is a tiny loop of roundy-round with scenery and buildings just crammed in. Roads thrown in haphazardly, no street access to industries, etc. You instead modeled only a portion of a railroad (from tunnel to tunnel) and thus it seems like a real railroad scene.
Bravo!
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Thats what I think the big takeway of the layout is. While it is following the template of those layouts it does frame itself nicely into that strip of land between Baltimore and Scranton where at one point it wasn't uncommon to have 3-4 railroads spaghetti over each other through a gap along a river.
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Thanks, guys.
I better get to work on that last building!
Lee
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I like how you set up "ops" w/ the industries on the upper level -- I believe your switching technique is called "multilap ops". Too bad you couldn't get an industry or two in on the lower loop. ??? Where did the wagon top box come from? Is that retro?
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I have 4 wagontops that are from old Precision N resin kits from the early 90s. I also have a couple of new Fox Valley cars.
No switching on the lower level, other than the sidings. I just wanted to showcase mainline trains running. There is very little industry along the B&O in the valley.
Lee
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A little fleet building thanks to @delamaize and his bargain bin.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/29/9-190522113440.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=29241)
What would a HiRail layout be without a Bachmann train set grade GP40?
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/29/9-190522113630.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=29242)
For nearly 50 years, the same shell has ridden on three different drives. The epitome of Hi Rail ethos. Millions have been manufactured over the years, and finally the version introduced in the 21st century came from the factory in Western Maryland paint. As usual, a few touch ups are needed to pass muster with this modeler, low though his standards may be.
In the first image, the factory paint is on the left. By some mystery, Bachmann was under the delusion that the cab roof should be black. And rather than have red handrails and yellow ladder grabs, they opted for full red down the sides and full yellow castings for the end platforms. C+ for trying... a little masking and a shot of red took care of the roof, and some touch up paint did the rest.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/29/9-190522114554.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=29243)
Under close scrutiny, you'll also notice they printed the nose herald lettering upside down! Fortunately I have a stash of old decals on hand to take care of that.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/29/9-190522114731.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=29244)
Lastly, since I received two of these, I needed to renumber one of them. I carefully rubbed off the 6 and replaced it with a 5 from an old Northeast Decals set. (The Microscale set's font was a bit too small to get away with). As you can see, the 5 is a tad wide, but we're not entering any contests with this.
So while the oldest thing about these model is the numeral 5, the chunky proportions, thick paint and thicker handrails make them right at home on the Hi Rail rig.
The more modern drive is good, but strangely no better than the first generation model with the brass gears.
Lee
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Those first generation Bachmann units didn't always look "right", but they ran!
In their defense, WM upside down is still WM, although the font looks funny. To someone at the factory, who's never seen a WM diesel, and may not be used to the Roman alphabet, it might not be obvious which way it should be.
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Recently changed my DCC layout to DC (temporarily) to test some non-DC locos before I sell them and wow! Retro N railroading rocks! Having locos just run around continuously while you watch is very pleasing. Might be a while before I re-hook the DCC. Not using retro rolling stock, tho, newer stuff w/ all that detail.
You're right, Lee! Model RRing is FUN again!
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By some mystery, Bachmann was under the delusion that the cab roof should be black.
Recently came cross this. Maybe Bachmann wasn't delusional?
(http://s3.amazonaws.com/rrpa_photos/5233/652.jpg)
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That photo has been the subject of debate in WM circles forever. It's from the Chessie era, and they never washed anything. The factory-delivered GP40s had red roofs on the cabs. That's where my inspiration is. (Bachmann also had the whole face of the cab roof painted black, so even if it's dirty, that would be red)
Lee
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Very artfully applied grime on that cab roof! (3795) :D
Other photos of the same unit do show red though.
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Those first generation Bachmann units didn't always look "right", but they ran!
In their defense, WM upside down is still WM, although the font looks funny. To someone at the factory, who's never seen a WM diesel, and may not be used to the Roman alphabet, it might not be obvious which way it should be.
The lettering on the rear of the long hood is actually correctly applied... Just a little hit or miss on the Quality Control... one of Bachmann's endearing qualities!
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Sometimes you have to abandon principle for functionality. As much as I loved the Retro look of these old short radius turnouts, one is vintage Arnold, the other a Trix, they just didn't work very well, especially with my old steam. Fortunately, slightly more modern Peco shorties have roughly the same geometry. And they let the Force flow through my 0-8-0 a lot better.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/30/9-181022092121.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=30902)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/30/9-181022092217.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=30903)
With a little ballast replaced I can finally move toward finishing the scenery behind this.
Lee
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I've always believed that smooth operation should trump every other consideration when it comes to trackwork. You made the right decision! And, FWIW, with the short radius, those Pecos looks every bit as retro as what they replaced.
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I have started a new 42" X 84" layout, just to have a space to run trains. I have gone to Peco Code 55 for the same reason. I don't like the tie spacing, but operation is bulletproof.
Dave
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Good call. Dr Hotballz' Colorado Midland speaks to how good that stuff can look with the proper care.
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Good call. Dr Hotballz' Colorado Midland speaks to how good that stuff can look with the proper care.
Well... Mine's the code 55 stuff versus the code 80.
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Well... Mine's the code 55 stuff versus the code 80.
Peco track? Isn't the tie spacing identical for both rail sizes? C55 track itself will look better than C80, but not because it has more accurate track spacing.
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Peco track? Isn't the tie spacing identical for both rail sizes? C55 track itself will look better than C80, but not because it has more accurate track spacing.
It is, and I know that. Just saying that comparing my track to Lee’s track, it will look different because of the rail height. In Lee’s case, the extra rail height is desirable for the retro look.
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As well as those retro flanges!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/30/9-191022000640.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=30909)
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Lee: Anything in N scale will run on Peco code 55, because there are no spikes on the inside. That's the main reason they used the double-base design - to allow ancient (and modern British/European) pizza cutters to run on the visually smaller rail.
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The short radius turnouts are not offered in c55. Plus I like the Retro look of the c80. It's part of the aesthetic!! Just like the lychen on the hillside!
Lee
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The short radius turnouts are not offered in c55. Plus I like the Retro look of the c80. It's part of the aesthetic!! Just like the lychen on the hillside!
Lee
True statement, but the Peco code 55 will still couple perfectly with the Peco code 80 because the total rail height including the buried rail on the code 55 is the same as the code 80. Therefore, you could use a shorty turnout on your code 55 layout. Just bury the excess rail in additional ballast/dirt to disguise it. Maybe blacken the lower rail web with paint also.
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True statement, but the Peco code 55 will still couple perfectly with the Peco code 80 because the total rail height including the buried rail on the code 55 is the same as the code 80. Therefore, you could use a shorty turnout on your code 55 layout. Just bury the excess rail in additional ballast/dirt to disguise it. Maybe blacken the lower rail web with paint also.
If code 80 rail is an important part of the aesthetic and Peco makes the correct radius for him in code 80, why should he use the code 55? :? I'm confused. It would end up being the only code 55 on the whole layout. The project itself is named in the title... "N Scale High Rail." Code 80 is essential to the retro-early-N-scale vibe as I understand it.
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True. Most of the track plan was built using various brands of snap track, including Atlas, Trix, Arnold and even ConCor. If I wanted to use c55 anything I would have. I still have a hugestockpile of Atlas from my old layout. The early posts in this thread that lay out the ethos of this entire project are recommended reading.
Thanks for your note just the same.
Lee
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True. Most of the track plan was built using various brands of snap track, including Atlas, Trix, Arnold and even ConCor. If I wanted to use c55 anything I would have. I still have a hugestockpile of Atlas from my old layout. The early posts in this thread that lay out the ethos of this entire project are recommended reading.
Thanks for your note just the same.
Lee
Agree. My comment was more related to @nkalanaga prior comment. The Peco code 80 & 55 will join smoothly together. The Peco Shorty code 80 turnouts are a true snap track style turnout in that it’s a radius type turnout. I have a couple on my old NTRAK corner quarry module and they still work perfectly even though they’re buried in dirt scenery. They’re right at home on your retro layout.
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A little progress at the PawPaw end of the WM loop. After the turnouts were replaced, I went ahead and installed the grade crossing. Who knows what scenery will bloom behind it once the glue dries!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/30/9-251022125807.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=30972)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/30/9-251022125852.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=30973)
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You should put the old retro "sidecar" switch machines back next to the Peco's. 8)
Those Bachmann geeps look "Hi Rail great" after your touchups. Love the progress!
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Repaired the Connie with a siderod from the @DKS collection.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/31/9-301022102229.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=31100)
Back in business!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/31/9-301022102350.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=31101)
Lee
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With all this work being done on the B&O/CSX line along the Potomac by the Bobs, I decided to get cracking on my modest representation of the Potomac Valley.
Tonight I worked on "The Ditch" adding the towpath and C&O Canal along the valley floor.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/31/9-081122002827.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=31185)
Next I can work on getting some water into the river...
Lee
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/31/9-081122002941.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=31186)
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Ballasted the last 12 inches of double track, which involved dealing with the PawPaw turnouts, at least partially.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/31/9-211222224927.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=31621)
Tomorrow when the glue dries I'll tidy it up a bit and get the Tortoise machines ready to cover.
With what, I know not!
Lee
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The one on the creek bank: Maybe a small shed, maybe with a couple windows and a stove pipe, with a pile of coal? Put some scrap foam around the moving parts, and a piece of plastic wrap over that, and you should be able to build a removable scenery piece custom fit to the location.
For the other one, at the base of a hill, maybe a large painted foam rock?
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Already done.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/31/9-231222121305.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=31625)
Prepping the other side for the obligatory switch tower.
Lee
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Looks good. Looks like the early years of N scale as well - keep it simple, don't cover the actual moving parts at all!
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The old MRC Berk is fired up and ready for the annual trip to the North Pole. Got your ticket?
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/31/9-241222134027.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=31645)
And Helpful Hi Rail Holiday Hot Tip...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/31/9-241222134159.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=31646)
A small drill and a bit of wire can turn all those surplus cabooses you've accumulated over the years into...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/31/9-241222134327.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=31647)
A clever and memorable Christmas gift! They'll never forget who gave it to them, and you'll free up space in your caboose drawer for road names you care about!
Merry Crimble, Hi Railers!
Lee
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Turning old model train cars into Christmas tree ornaments does look like a pretty cool idea.
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...
...
Do I smell a way to rid the world of High Speed Metal and make a dime in the process?
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Well, it's that time again.
Time to hit the "Pause" button.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/32/9-200123114354.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=32051)
We've had an offer we can't refuse made on our house in Easton, so it's time to pack up the train room once again and head for the hills. The good news is we have at least an intermediate place to land at my place in Berkeley Springs. The bad news is, just as this house is getting finished up and is now pretty pleasant to look at and to live in, we'll be rolling lock, stock and barrel into another work project. That and we'll be downsizing from 2700 square feet with a garage to 1600 square feet and a storage unit.
My house is pleasant enough, but it's still largely unfinished, and needs drywall finishing and flooring pretty much throughout, except in the powder room and bedroom that we've finished. It has a functional kitchen, but nowhere near a complete kitchen, and I still need to build a deck to add that most pleasant of amenities. Our ultimate goal is to finish it up and make it available as a vacation rental to generate some welcome revenue, with us moving our residence to a propertly we're developing near Boone, North Carolina.
So lots of stuff is going into storage, including a fair piece of the model railroading stuff.
The Hi Rail layout will be going into, let's call it "active storage" at my friend John's house near Annapolis, along with the rolling stock, so I'll be able to visit and play with it on those occasions when I'm crashing at his house (most of my work is still on the Eastern Shore). The Newport and Rock Falls will be coming with me, and carefully stored to keep it out of harm's way in regard to sawdust and drywall sanding. A small selection of retro rolling stock will be kept on hand for those occasions when I have the itch to run something... and the time :facepalm: I'll also enjoy adding to my TTrak module collection, for which I've already been granted on-site storage upstairs.
In the process of sifting through the rubble I'm sure I'll come across a few things I can sell, I already have the box of stuff that came back from N Scale Weekend unloved. So if you have something Retro you've been dying to have, let me know, I might have a spare I can part with.
The big move will be happening in late April, so I've got some time yet to enjoy the layout, but as things get packed up around it, that will become increasingly tenuous. Especially since I have to paint the wall behind it!
So, thanks once again for coming along for the ride as I've explored this nostalgic corner of N Scale Model Railroading. I'm not 100% sure what will come next, but with all the work I have to do between now and then, I'll have plenty of time to think about it.
All the best,
Lee
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So... are you leaving the sceniced light switch?
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No. It's on.my long list of things to fix...
Lee
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Well, it's that time again.
Time to hit the "Pause" button.
Good luck man!
I'm not envious of such a change, but hey if you gotta go.... good luck on the move and layout; fingers crossed nothing bad happens while you're/ it is relaying about :P
cheers from nz
dave
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Good luck Lee - you had said you had property somewhere around the Magnolia cutoff, but I didn't know you might move to NC. I hope all goes well for you! Bob
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We'll be in West Virginia for at least a year. We have to get that property fitted out to be a vacation rental, while simultaneously building our "forever" home in the Carolina High Country.
Lee
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I give Lee a year in NC before the Tweetsie bug bites!
Good luck with the move! We take a trip to PA each summer. I'll definitely reach out if I can sneak off down your way!
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I give Lee a year in NC before the Tweetsie bug bites!
I give him ten minutes! Boy, am I jealous. I used to live in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and Boone was only about ninety minutes away. That area of the Appalachian Mountains is one of my favorite places in the world.
DFF
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Boone/Banner Elk is great, gorgeous area of the mountains there. Nowadays I prefer the Asheville area because it’s closer for day trips and it’s a craft beer Mecca…one day I’m sure it’ll swing back to Boone/Banner Elk though
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Thanks to @peteski , I have begun lettering some of me decrepid old steam fleet into my Laurel Valley paint scheme.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/32/9-220223122010.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=32464)
Naturally, I didn't get the lettering centered on the tender, and I didn't notice it until I took the photo.
Oh well. Maybe I can dream up a fancy herald that can go up in the corner like a WM Fireball or something.
Anyway, it will be fun to get the troops in a new uniform.
Lee
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The 0-8-0 turned out better.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/32/9-220223143455.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=32466)
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Looking good Lee!
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Oh man. Perfect for hauling tourists around the valleys of Western Central PA too!
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That's a pretty crowded market these days!
I may just back date the whole operation, and start designing a proper steam era short line layout :ashat:
Lee
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The prototypes didn't always center the lettering either, so just tell people that's the way the shop crew decided to do it.
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Borrowed some scenery from the Newport and Rock Falls to get some shots of the new steam locomotives.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/32/9-230223133424.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=32468)
Looks like the paint shop boys have gotten hold of another one. Remember that basket case we picked up from @btrain in Altoona last year?
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/32/9-230223133553.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=32469)
All cleaned up and ready to haul some tonnage for her new owner now.
Lee
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Ooh! I think I recognize that B&O hopper!
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Yes, you should. I'm going to have to do some catching up with my weathering on the rest of my fleet...
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More handiwork from the Back Shops Boys.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/32/9-240223214309.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=32488)
An old Arnold bobber to bring up the rear.
Lee
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Who made that GN boxcar? The body is much too low, but the paint and lettering is probably the most accurate GN boxcar released in the very early years of N scale. Not only is the lettering correct for the road number, but they even got the red road name right.
I have an early ConCor car, with the 3-color herald and goat, that is much closer body-wise, but they used white lettering. As far as I know, the 40 ft boxcars with the standing goat all had red roadnames. To their credit, CC also used an unused road number, so nobody can claim they got it wrong!
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I think it's a ConCor. I had the same car when I was a kid, and I remember it being in there box with the red foam. This was loose in a collection I bought, but it had those crappy warpy trucks ConCor was infamous for.
It also has ice hatches.
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I think it's a ConCor. I had the same car when I was a kid, and I remember it being in there box with the red foam. This was loose in a collection I bought, but it had those crappy warpy trucks ConCor was infamous for.
It also has ice hatches.
Does it have a diecast metal underframe (like MTL cars) and it there is "Sekisui" name embossed on it? That would be an early Kato/Con-Cor car.
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I doubt that that's a ConCor car, although they may have sold it at some time. The early ConCor cars were taller, a good match to a 10 ft IH AAR boxcar, and still look pretty good by today's standards. Also, they have a tabbed side sill, and single vertical rivet rows.
It looks more like the Rivarossi car, once sold by Atlas and probably others. But I don't remember them having such nicely done lettering, much less coming in GN. I would have bought one if I'd seen it! Spookshow says it was sold by Arnold/Rivarossi long after Atlas ended their relationship with Rivarossi, so it may be newer than I suspected, accounting for the nice paint.
http://www.spookshow.net/freight/atlasriv1dbox.html (http://www.spookshow.net/freight/atlasriv1dbox.html)
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Here's another look at it.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/32/9-270223102224.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=32525)
I think it is a Rivarossi shell, akin to the old Morrell reefer I have. The later release would explain the truck/coupler change.
Although when I went to install Atlas 1G trucks, I had to add MT washers to get the trcks to swing freely...
Lee
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Lee, can you turn the car upside down, and tell us if there is anything written on the floor that would hint as to the car's origin? Or at least at the origin of the floor? Or will that just spoil the fun of trygin to guess? :) Maybe it is an old Life-Like, or Model Power car?
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Pretty sure the frankenbox (with roof hatches) is a Model Power attempt at a clone of the old Atlas/Rivarossi car, made by Mehano. They were common as dirt at train shows for a while.
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Made in Yugoslavia, so likely a later Mehano release
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/32/9-270223131530.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=32528)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/32/9-270223131744.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=32530)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/32/9-270223131932.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=32535)
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Well, that mystery is solved then. Like George, I believe that some Mehano stuff was sold under Model Power brand.
How prototypical are roof hatches on a standard (non reefer) boxcar?
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I hereby invoke Ed's Law :ashat:
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Thank you, everybody. I remember these cars, but the nice GN paint must be newer than the ones I remember.
Yes, I've seen those roof-hatch boxcars. As far as I know, they are totally unprototypical. There were a lot of boxcars with roof hatches, but most used covered hopper style hatches, and not at the ends of the roof.
I bought a number of Mehano reefers with the opposite problem - they had the boxcar roof with no hatches! Most iced reefers I saw in the Northwest had four hatches, where the Mehano reefer roof had only two, with the side roofwalks on the other corners. I changed the roofwalks, and built my own hatches, to get hatches on all four corners.
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Did you know...
GN 27024 was used several times in early N scale production.. (and mid-70s HO Production)..
[attachimg=1]
~Ian
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I've seen this on other road names as well, but most often on the same paint scheme over several different carbodies. Interesting that number stayed the same even over the several different color schemes and artwork.
What a bunch of slackers!!
Lee
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I've seen this on other road names as well, but most often on the same paint scheme over several different carbodies. Interesting that number stayed the same even over the several different color schemes and artwork.
What a bunch of slackers!!
Lee
Back when these were produced N scale was just a toy train scale. :)
Most manufacturers didn't care about duplicate road numbers. This was before Internet, so these were probably done using some photo from a book (if even that, since they were made in Eastern Europe, thousands of miles away from the prototype).
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We pretty much covered this topic ad nauseum about 60 pages ago. I just found it interesting that the same road number persisted over several completely different color schemes (albeit the same road name).
It would be interesting to see other examples of that.
Lee
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We pretty much covered this topic ad nauseum about 60 pages ago. I just found it interesting that the same road number persisted over several completely different color schemes (albeit the same road name).
LOL! I have hard time remembering what happened last week,and 60 pages ago seems like ancient history (and I don't religiously follow this thread either - sorry). :)
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I'm not sure it was an N scale 'Toy Train' mindset but a general production and cost savings mindset at the time.
In my latest research in vintage N scale variations, I have come to find out that most of the A1G / AHM and some Minitrix cars were direct (letter for letter) copies of AHM, Tyco, Lionel, and Athearn HO scale models.
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
[attachimg=3]
[attachimg=4]
There are plenty more I haven't put together yet.. but last night at the CSH show, I discovered the A1G Jack Frost 3 bay hopper is an (almost) copy of an AHM car (the HO car has red in the logo, where the N scale car is only blue and white).
~Ian
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Fresh from the paint shop. The latest addition to the Laurel Valley Retro Fleet.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/32/9-120323233607.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=32811)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/32/9-120323233733.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=32812)
The ancient and venerable Atlas C Liner.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/32/9-120323233928.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=32813)
Also a freshly lettered A1G boxcar. (Might be Trix) I oversprayed the WM markings and kept the data. The red I used was a pretty good match!
Lee
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It's getting closer. This weekend had me loading a couple of significant boxes of rolling stock and other supplies.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/32/9-180323234139.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=32879)
Next trip will likely have the layouts on the move.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/32/9-180323234325.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=32880)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/32/9-180323234608.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=32881)
The track and scenery boxes went into storage. It will be quite awhile before I'm building more layout.
But perhaps more important, the other B&O in my life successfully made the jump, along with a carefully curated selection from my vast record library. Emmylou Harris got the nod for the inaugural play in the new house.
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You must have really strong faith in those straps. I don't think I'd have trusted those totes in that position
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Yeah, I would put out those totes inside the cab. Looks scary unless you are taking local roads with 40 MPH speed limits. Even then...
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This ain't my first rodeo.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/32/9-190323095511.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=32882)
Chocked, blocked, one solid rock. 80 mph tested and true.
Besides, the back seat is already reserved.
Lee
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/32/9-190323095658.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=32883)
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I sure once strapped down, you gave it the old grab and tug test and said " that's not going anywhere" 😁
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And, the individual straps don't have to hold much after several bundles are packed into a solid mass. If his packing is like the shipments our plant gets, they're just to hold the pieces together until the entire skid (load) can be secured.
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Packed up the layouts and the stacks of stuff, and put them into storage for a few months...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/32/9-280323212416.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=32943)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/32/9-280323212450.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=32944)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/32/9-280323212518.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=32945)
They rode safely enclosed in "Mom's Attic" in the big U Haul we rented. I was a little surprised at how much "stuff" I had accumulated since starting the Hi Rail Project, and also how much stuff I had squirreled away from the old WM layout.
I may not have to buy another piece of track, scenery material, or piece of rolling stock ever again.
... But I think we all know how that will work out!...
Hopefully by September the drywall work will be far enough along that I can bring them safely into the new house. Renting monthly storage is going to eat up a lot of Hi Rail budget!
Until then, I shall rely on old photos and living through you all's work vicariously.
Lee
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Liberation Day!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/35/9-040923205529.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=35596)
We are in the process of consolidating our storage units to save expenses, so today I got to bring the layout and it's support furniture home! It's a bit premature, I don't even have an outlet installed to run it yet...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/35/9-040923205941.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=35597)
But guess what I'll be working on next!
Lee
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Nature abhors a vacuum.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/35/9-060923090240.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=35618)
Thinking about adding a TTrak interface...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/35/9-060923090359.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=35619)
The things that make you go "hmmmm..."
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I think you need to retrofit an access road between the tracks and the river that just ends, and add a pickup with two morons and a dog in it sitting there looking like "now what?".
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/35/9-060923102540.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=35621)
There's a prototype for everything!
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Love that picture! Had to put our Wheaten Terrier to sleep unexpectedly last week, so enjoy time with that pup!!!
Frank
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Love that picture! Had to put our Wheaten Terrier to sleep unexpectedly last week, so enjoy time with that pup!!!
Frank
Oh man, I'm so sorry. We had to do that with our old boy Damian a few weeks ago. It was really rough.
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On to happier thoughts.
So. A little back story. As has been described elsewhere in these pages, I moved into what was supposed to be my weekend getaway, and immediately chaos ensued.
We ended up taking 3 storage units, the combined monthly outlay being the cost of a fairly nice convertible. As such, we determined it was time to slim down our surplus a bit, and bring some of it to the house, even though there's an enormous amount of work yet to be done to make it fully habitable. What had been a happy place to retreat to where I could roll up my sleeves and monkey around with finishing the house quickly became a giant "TO DO" list staring me in the face every moment of every day.
We chose to use one of the bedrooms as a temporary storage unit, so after several trips back and forth, a large number of boxes have been stacked neatly in the back bedroom. This was going to be the next room that got the full treatment (drywall mud, paint, trim and flooring) but now it is squarely at the back of the list.
The higher priority now is to build out a bar counter in the basement that we can use for a camp kitchen while the main living area gets our full attention.
To prep for that, I got rid of a bunch of stuff, unpacked a bunch of tools and supplies, built a tool room, and otherwise cleaned up the basement space. This freed up my workshop table, which I've been using to clean up my TTrak modules to prep for Altoona next week.
Well, we reached the nexus of the layout being exposed in the storage unit, with the obvious need for it to move, and the space in the basement being cleared out to where there is now a spot for it. So, against everyone's better judgement, we brought it, and a bunch of the support boxes and furnishings home... the day before Rho was setting off to North Carolina for 3 or 4 days to work on the development we have underway down there... That's right, I was left Home Alone with a lifetime of model train stuff that needed to be dealt with... :scared: But I think she recognized the mental health value of the break from reality that Model Railroading provides.
Well, I've been a pretty good boy, so far. I finished a big project I needed to deliver yesterday, then I worked into the night on the wiring needed to plug in a few things in the basement ;)
By midnight, I was pulling out the power packs, monkeying around with wiring, and cleaning track, and by 2 a.m. I had some locomotives testing the trackwork. I'm happy to report that everything is moving along just fine. I still need to find the box with the structures... I know it's here somewhere, and there are a couple of more odds and ends still in the storage unit. But before I get too far ahead of myself, I still have to finish up some important work (billable hours!) and finish wiring the bar area.
So yeah, I've gone from worrying about when I'm going to have time to do anything to make progress on the house to having my number one priorities shifted to building a bar and getting the layout in order! Life is good here in the hill country.
Now if only I'd gotten more than 3 hours sleep, I'd be really forging ahead!!
Lee
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It's good to have the band back together. The layout, the workbench, the tools, and of course, the wayward bunch of orphans that have been dropped off at my doorstep over the past couple of years.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/35/9-080923032901.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=35637)
This pair of mint condition Rivarossi E8s rounds out my A1G collection. Both units are powered, and run very nicely. They came in a good sized box of surplus provided by @bbussey . Bryan informs me that these have languished in storage for nearly 50 years. A shot of contact cleaner and a drop of oil were all they needed to roar back to life. I just need to replace the light bulbs and they'll be good as new.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/35/9-080923033513.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=35638)
The next offering came, I believe, from @Ed Kapuscinski .
The much maligned ConCor SD50 by Mehano. This was a total basket case, it's wiring was trashed, the circuit board was a mess of solder blobs... but an hour or so of tinkering brought it back on line. I replaced the factory board with an LED assembly from an old Atlas split frame, and completely rewired it. After a little break in time it was running reasonably well, even at less than interstellar speeds. I think it will M U nicely with my Lifelike GP38-2s.
More projects are in the wings, so stay tuned... same Bat time, same Bat channel!
Lee
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Oh man, seeing that SD50 getting love makes me so happy! I was keeping it around for a lark for a long time, never thinking anyone would ever Restore It And Run It On The Mainline.
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Wait till you see the next old dog that's learning some new tricks... :lol:
But not until a few billable hours get put behind me. :|
Back to work everyone!
Lee
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Speaking of ConCor by Mehano... I had one of their SD40-2 models last year, and ended up selling it at N Scale Weekend after I gave up trying to get it to work. Now that I know what to do to fix it, I might see if I can get another one. The SD50 uses the same drive, just with a different truck at one end. The hardwired pick ups from the trucks are the weak link, but I think I've found a way to reduce the strain on the solder joints. And the idea of using an old Atlas light board to solve the power distribution and lighting problem came to me like a thunderbolt. I've got a whole drawer full of those things leftover from my decoder installation days. The LEDs are yellow, but when the model has as many other deficiencies as these things, it hardly matters. There isn't even a clear lens in the headlight casting for the light to come out of...
Speaking of which... I think this little bit of photo editing works particularly well with this one...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/35/9-080923135222.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=35639)
Happy Hi Railing, everyone!
Lee
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I seem to recall that the Con-Cor SD50, SD40 and C636 all had Mehano shells but Roco mechanisms.
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Here's the chapter and verse on how these evolved... The drive isn't officially by Roco, but it's apparently made in the same factory that Roco used... The drive is remarkably similar to the old Atlas E7 (a Roco product) and the later ConCor RDC, right down to the wired pick ups and red drive gears.
http://www.spookshow.net/loco/ccsd.html
Lee
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Okay, so I got a little work done.
As promised, here's the next repair from the @bbussey collection.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/35/9-080923173432.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=35640)
A first generation Bachmann 0-6-0, complete with the clam shell box, brass gearing, and the world's worst 3 pole plastic motor. After a bit of Dremel work, a deep dive into the parts bin for a barely used modern 5 pole motor from a Spectrum Connie, and some fumbling around with a gear puller, I effected the transplant, and now have yet another small steam switcher in the fleet. This one could see a lot of use, since Bryan had taken the trouble to install MT couplers, fore and aft.
I may yet upgrade to an all wheel pick up tender, but so far so good up on the Retro Loops.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/35/9-080923173920.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=35641)
Here you can see the new motor hanging out the back of the cab.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/35/9-080923174225.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=35642)
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I got a chuckle out of “Bachmann Quality Since 1833” - who was modelling anything, and what we’re they modelling, in 1833? Probably using the same factory…
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I got a chuckle out of “Bachmann Quality Since 1833” - who was modelling anything, and what we’re they modelling, in 1833? Probably using the same factory…
I got a chuckle out of that too. The actual history of the company is interesting though https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachmann_Industries
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I got a chuckle out of that too. The actual history of the company is interesting though https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachmann_Industries
It seems Bachmann started out manufacturing the ivory back scratchers preferred by C. Montgomery Burns.
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[clipped and pasted from Weekend Update for the purposes of the archive]
Thanks to the efforts of a couple of members here, I now have four nice groupings of classic ConCor PAs.
It all started with the arrival of three dummies from @chessie system fan , a beautifully custom painted A/B set of L&N, and a Southern A unit.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/36/9-211123094810.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=36885)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/36/9-211123095009.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=36886)
Next, i got a great deal on a fully powered ABA set from @ai5629 Jeff Lopez , all three drives are silky smooth runners (compared to their contemporaries anyway) Now, for those of you old enough to remember, three powered PA drives can pound out a 200 car train on an N track layout without blinking an eye, so I set about the task of shuffling things around a bit.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/36/9-211123100356.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=36887)
First, I picked up a bargain bin deal on a Dummy A unit while I was in San Diego last week.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/36/9-211123100623.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=36888)
This gave me some parts I would need to complete the transplants. (The Southern and L&N engine came with the pilots fixed to the shell, and I was not able to salvage the one from the SOU cab) also these were set up with a home brew link and pin set up, presumably to get closer coupling distance.
To keep the L&N shell intact, I opted to power the B unit. I replaced the link and pin set up with Unimates to keep the coupling close, and put a Rapido in the back to interface with my old passenger fleet. Since ConCor provides a light rig in the dummy A, the B can push it around and no one is any the wiser.
The other A drive went under the Southern shell pretty seamlessly (once I had broken off the OEM pilot)
With a bit of repair and replace on the dummies frames, I was able to put the B&O set back on the road with a powered A and two trailers. The set looks great handling my 8 car streamlined Columbian.
These, of course, now share the spotlight with my original PRR ABA set, also a singled powered A and two trailers.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/36/9-211123102800.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=36889)
When I run all four, the lights in half the county dim, but there's nothing like the thrum of those old motors as they whisk passengers along to their holiday destinations!
Lee
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Looks like somethings afoot in Cornersville...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/37/9-050124115037.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=37754)
What will it be?
A TTrack interface?
A yard?
A spur to connect the upper and lower loops?
I've got a fair amount of real estate to play with... we'll see what evolves.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/37/9-050124115333.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=37755)
Lee
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What will it be?
A TTrack interface?
A yard?
A spur to connect the upper and lower loops?
I've got a fair amount of real estate to play with... we'll see what evolves.
Things that make you go hummm...
Scott
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Here we go!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/37/9-050124233348.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=37761)
But I really need a stick of my Peco flex... and it's half a county away in my storage unit. With the snow we're expecting I won't see that till next week...
Dammit.
Lee
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But I really need a stick of my Peco flex... and it's half a county away in my storage unit. With the snow we're expecting I won't see that till next week...
Dammit.
Lee
I know you already have it, but you should have stopped at the top of the hill before you chased L137 down the hill and grabbed at stick :D
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I was grabbing the sectional track I "thought" I needed, and some Unitrak bits I need for the modules.
I got it sorted by carefully trimming a short piece of 9.75" to make the connection.
I had it running last night.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/37/9-060124095008.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=37775)
Alas, I'm once again confronted with a screwy scenery dilemma. Cornersville worked well, but the wye has obliterated the real estate, so I'll have to do some head scratching.
Lee
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Do a squashed Point of Rocks station. You could build the front profile and fudge the rest. And the tunnel is conveniently on the left of the wye, which works perfectly for you. There were plans in a modeling rag years ago. I have them somewhere.
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Playing around with lighting. At our old house, I had to mount my lights directly on the sky board, which provided really intense light. I had 3 clip lights with 60w equivalent LED soft white bulbs.
In tge new house, I still have to finish the basement, and I'd like to install recessed can lights. As an experiment, I clipped the original light fixtures up in the floor trusses, then added a daylight tube led to add some brightness. Overall I like the broader wash of the lights, but I think it still needs to be a bit brighter. What say you?
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/37/9-080124232423.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=37851)
The original scheme.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/37/9-080124232523.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=37852)
The experimental scheme.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/37/9-080124232624.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=37853)
The new look... less glare, less back lit.
It's getting close to time to install the wiring. I put in some adjustable color LED cans over the new bar, which I think will work well, but I can't help but recall fondly the positional heads of the track lighting I used over the old WM layout.
The trick here is to have it make sense in the room in case it's not used for trains... but still be useful for watching and photographing trains...
Something to think about anyway.
Lee
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It's been a while since I worked on scenery, so last night, while watering the TTrak modules, I went ahead and cleaned up the Potomac and added a coat of Mod Podge gloss along it's full length.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/37/9-150124090822.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=37964)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/37/9-150124091048.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=37965)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/37/9-150124091114.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=37966)
I guess I better find the canoes!
Lee
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I'll be interested to see now the former Cornerville site turns out. It would be neat to have a station in the middle of the wye, with platforms on both legs. And the new viaduct for the other wye leg. Is that switch way in the back going to be manual?
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A lot will hinge on what goes on beyond the wye to the right. I'm working toward building a set of TTrak yard modules that I can add to the display at Altoona next year, and they will be the most likely short term addition. That will help me add a bit of switching interest to the upper loop.
Longer term, if I ever get the room finished, I may add another HCD then build out some railroad to connect the two.
I definitely want to reincorporate the vintage Magnusen Merchant's Row into another town setting.
Until then, I'll keep picking away at the gaps in the current scenery I need to finish.
Lee
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Did some tidying up around the layout today.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-200124165833.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38057)
Still more organizing and sorting to do, but the shelving down the wall opens up a few opportunities...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-200124170004.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38058)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-200124170030.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38059)
Lee
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More fun with expansion planning.
I want to add capacity to my JFRTM lifestyle, which ideally will include a longer main line run and a fiddle yard.
As noted previously, I worked out the geometry of the upper loop, where hopefully I can add an interface to a TTrak compatible yard and balloon track. Next I want see what's possible down on the double track main line.
I don't want to interrupt the loop on the HCD, since there are no guarantees that downstream I'll have the opportunity to connect, so I'm working out a wye junction off of the outer main.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-040224094935.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38386)
In order for it to be fully functional, I'll also need a full interlocking between the inner and outer loops. I can locate half of it here.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-040224095216.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38387)
I'm checking my inventory of turnouts to see if I can get the other half just to the right of that.
Back to the scrap box!
Lee
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Found it!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-040224095707.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38388)
Time to start dissolving ballast!
Lee
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I spent the evening contemplating the pros and cons of changing up the track plan, and have concluded that it's not in the cards for now.
Adding the crossovers would require a nearly complete rewiring of the lower route, and I don't have a specific plan for what would come next in terms of expansion.
I'm also concerned that adding a bunch of turnouts will impact the reliability of the roundy round.
The basement still needs a lot of work, and I have to be careful not to get too far ahead of myself there.
So I'll focus on hanging a yard module off the upper loop at Cornersville, so I can add some better switching opportunities on the route that is already set up with block control.
Back to our regularly scheduled program.
Lee
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Newly arrived at the Home for Aging and Decrepit N scale, with acknowledgement to @sizemore along with the case of beer it cost me.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-090224130442.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38497)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-090224130509.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38498)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-090224130535.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38500)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-090224130556.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38501)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-090224130620.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38503)
All sorts of vintage N scale goodness. Several locomotives, a bunch of rolling stock (much of it from 80s vintage train sets) plus the bonus of some built up kits from the old days.
The best part is the story behind the collection. Tim's neighbor had collected this stuff for his son back in the day, and now he's getting ready to sell the house and move to a retirement home. Unfortunately, the son led a difficult life, and was lost a few years ago, and he knew that Tim would be able to find a good home for the trains. I'm grateful to now have them in my collection, to honor that memory.
All but one of the locomotives worked out of the box, and they all need some cleaning and TLC, but I'll be working them through my system to see if I can get them fully functional. Thanks for thinking of me, Tim. I'll keep you posted on my progress.
Lee
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Lots of Ozone, I'd imagine. :D
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Nice to see the ongoing development of your assisted-living community for geriatric N scale models. :D
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Welcome Lee! I'm happy their going to a home that can appreciate them and enjoy them also. They're sorta like old cars, its no fun leaving them in the garage.
Also it was really fun to hang out and shoot the stuff. Hopefully in the coming months I can host again, actually running trains this time!
The S.
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Cracked white box gear?
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-100224002926.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38514)
I took a bit of wire insulation and invented bypass surgery.
Lee
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Traction tires working well for you? :?
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I was afraid to move them and risk cracking the other gear. She pulls short trains on level track, so no worries there.
I'm going to try to super glue the gear and see if I can reinstall it.
Lee
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It's happening...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-100224131354.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38534)
But someone should have called Miss Utility...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-100224131440.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38535)
Lee
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But someone should have called Miss Utility...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-100224131440.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38535)
(https://media.compliancesigns.com/media/catalog/product/n/o/no-digging-sign-nhe-14058_1000_2.gif)
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A little more excavating
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-100224154724.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38542)
Test fit looks okay
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-100224154751.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38543)
The long view
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-100224154839.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38544)
First fruit!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-100224154911.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38545)
Now I have to run to the auto parts store for some wire.
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-110224101534.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38557)
It's a bit of a fixer upper, but I think there's some scenic possibilities here...
Lee
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I'm enjoying watching *YOU* enjoy the vintage N scale stuff!
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I'm enjoying watching enjoy the vintage N scale stuff!
Thanks Peteski!
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JFRTM just got a tad more interesting. As has been covered upthread, I've added a fiddle yard and a junction to the lower main line loops. There's still a bit of work to do to smooth out the trackwork and develop a more permanent electrical scheme, and as always, the yard could stand to be a bit longer, but for now I have accomplished the basic functionality of an out and back, point to point run, with the option to run laps in between... at least in one direction.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-110224132116.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38560)
Here we see the fabled Royal Blue cued up on Track 3, keen to depart on time.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-110224132148.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38562)
Entering the west bound junction at the back of the layout (this is where I've got to tidy up the rail alignment... it works for now, but I haven't really sampled a broad cross section of my rolling stock yet... I'm certain there will be issues)
Also of note in this view is the ballast in the foreground... by happy accident, after I pulled up the outer main to work in the switches, I had a cup of the wet ballast that I had scraped up. I usually install my unitrak on the module with latex Liquid Nails, squishing a little out the side for a good bond. It turns out, if you take wet, gluey ballast and press it into the seepage, it works out pretty well. It's not an exact color match, but I'm thinking a wash of dirty paintbrush water over the track and ballast should blend it together reasonably well. When I checked it this morning, it was like solid concrete. A true Bob Ross Happy Little Accident!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-110224132230.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38563)
Next, the station stop at PawPaw, which can now actually be on the way to somewhere.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-110224132256.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38564)
Then back on the main heading west up the valley toward Cumberland.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-110224132322.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38565)
At Mexico Farms, we reach the junction to head into the yard.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-110224132410.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38567)
... through yet another scene of a bridge and a river (am I Johnny One Note, or what?)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-110224132504.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38569)
Now arriving, Track One, the Royal Blue!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-110224132523.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38570)
The best part is I now have all my rolling stock storage just below the yard. It will be much easier to access the next train with the 0-5-0, and do it while another train is running circles.
:)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-110224132549.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38571)
And here's the view from the satellite. Note that yard is being accomplished with TTrak-compatible (if not quite fully compliant) modules. So when it's time to hang the drywall and finish the basement, it can all be unbuttoned and stowed, including the HCD layout, which remains fully independent structurally and (so far) electrically.
The next challenge will be working out the electrical schematic of the yard so it can be operated indepentently of the mains. I'll need a reversing section (or two) to handle the Wye, and then work out isolating the main into several operating blocks. Once all that is sorted out, the next hurdle will be adding a similar yard behind this one to accommodate the Western Maryland's local traffic on the upper level, and perhaps a not too steep interchange track between the two. We shall see.
So, now I officially have a TTrak interface. While I don't have any intention of filling the basement with a layout, there's no reason y'all can't load up your modules and come over once in a while and do it for me!
Lee
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So Cornerville still lives?
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At present it is "Cornersville Junction".
I haven't really worked out how the new scenery treatment will work. I've added to the conundrum of the multiple upper level tracks curving over the curving mains below by planning a wye. But I have the old Magnusen Merchant's Row ready to deploy somehow or another.
The wye will come together to head west behind the new lower yard so I can do some staging for the upper loops. This will be more important, since there's actual switching opportunities on the upper loop, so a couple of proper yard tracks will open up the possibility of staging and operating an actual local or two on the layout.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-120224223857.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38596)
As much as I love running loops with my ancient fleet of survivors, I do enjoy switching cars and running in a point to point scenario. This addition will enable me to do a bit of both.
Lee
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-120224231649.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38598)
With thanks to @Lemosteam , the fourth OEM jewel case arrived today.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-120224231744.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38599)
And with that, the band is back together! This is the PC set that I repowered with a Tomix trolley drive with the help of @randgust .
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-120224231931.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38600)
They have assumed a place of honor in the "What Do I Feel Like Running Tonight?" Department.
Thanks again, John.
Lee
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Started monkeying around with the WM yard.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-130224001930.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38602)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-130224002016.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38603)
Just a test fit really.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-130224002047.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38604)
And the BL2 has the honors of the first point to point spin.
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-120224231649.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38598)
With thanks to @Lemosteam , the fourth OEM jewel case arrived today.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-120224231744.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38599)
And with that, the band is back together! This is the PC set that I repowered with a Tomix trolley drive with the help of @randgust .
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-120224231931.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38600)
They have assumed a place of honor in the "What Do I Feel Like Running Tonight?" Department.
Thanks again, John.
Lee
Glad to be of service! When I picked up my two at a recent show, they were the first I'd ever seen at a show and I knew I had to buy two to up-date the LIRR IS for photos on the extension of a commuter under the wires.
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-120224231649.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38598)
Needs the original style of pantograph that was fixed in the extended position.
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I've got it in a box. It's my concession to being a runner and not a preservationist. On a four car set, two pans up, two pans down.
Lee
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The empire creeps inexorably into the frontier...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-140224224508.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38661)
The upper fiddle yard for the WM traffic starts to take shape...
Lee
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So. Many. Track. Re-railers. Love them.
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I realize I have an old Trix double slip switch... I'll have to see if I can work it into the yard throat...
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Go look at the track section of this at the bottom: https://conrail1285.com/for-sale/
If any of that looks useful, it's yours.
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I'll contact you to make the necessary arrangements...
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Experimented with some antique hardware.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-170224075519.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38714)
The geometry works out okay, but there's a reason these now reside mostly at the bottom of our junk boxes.
I'll be putting the Pecos back in today.
Lee
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Rework of Cornersville Jct underway.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-170224100254.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38715)
Not quite as versatile as the double slip, but functional. Did some minor modification to the track through the old Atlas girder plate bridge to get everything to flow. Min radius maintained at 11".
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-170224100506.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38716)
Clearance check. Please keep your head and arms inside the car at all times.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-170224100558.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38717)
Kinda has a Perryville vibe. I think it will be fine.
The next big job will be to pull the layout away from the wall so I can power the turnouts in the back and clean up the track alignment on the lower loop. I also need to cut in the crossovers on the front, and separate a couple of electrical blocks and build the control panels so it all works.
Lee
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This is entirely too cool.
My dad dabbled in HOn30 many, many years ago and I remember he had a box full of N scale snap track. We were an HO family through-and-through, but I used to really enjoy connecting the N scale snap track on a bare tabletop imagining "what if."
Lee, you've captured that "what if" with that same spirit I had as a young kid. These days, I don't make a move unless I have three dozen prototype photos to work from, and while that's fulfilling in its own right, I don't think it's nearly as adventurously fun as what you're doing.
This is one of my favorite build threads of all time, even if I don't have much I can contribute. Carry on, sir.
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Kind words indeed, @Dave V
Truth is, your Juniata Division was the primary demonstration case that I didn't have to fill a room with track to have a satisfying layout. When you added the Enola bit with the yard and shop building, it reached my definition of critical mass: A place to shuffle cars and display locomotives, and place to run them.
This small addition will help me achieve some of that. As for tinkering with snap track, is there really any other way? Sure, CAD can draw an accurate thing, but until you can squint your eye and marvel at the approaching headlight as it flickers through track joints that aren't soldered yet, what are you really doing?
Thanks again. Trust me, I'm enjoying it as much as y'all are. :lol:
Lee
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More fiddling in the fiddle yard.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-180224092700.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38752)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-180224092719.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38754)
Now I just have to remember how to wire electro frogs.
Lee
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Cut an actual plywood base for the upper yard, and started in with the roadbed.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-200224213327.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38846)
And found some stuff to start making it look like something.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-200224213443.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38847)
Lee
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Now I've gone and done it...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-270224221200.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38953)
Today I paid more for a piece of track than I paid for most of my locomotives.
The good news is that the yard wiring can now come into focus...
Lee
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Looks like a Unitrak crossover, but the brown ties, their spacing and layout, and the plastic frogs don't look like Unitrak. Is it some other Japanese track with integrated roadbed? Or maybe European? The Unitrak joiners seem to work with it.
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It's Unitrak, from the concrete tie line.
Compatible in every way but visually. :D
Lee
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It's Unitrak, from the concrete tie line.
Compatible in every way but visually. :D
Lee
The tie spacing looks a hell of a lot better.
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The tie spacing looks a hell of a lot better.
No kidding! It looks out of place surrounded with all the "hi-rail" Code 80 track and its tie spacing.
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You're right... I better replace that good looking track with something chunkier!
Meanwhile:
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-280224094832.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38954)
Thanks to a handy table saw, a Nail gun, and a few hours before Rho gets back from North Carolina, another double has emerged to bring the lower yard to its full and final configuration. Although I think I need another crossover at the far end to create a runaround for arriving eastbound traffic.
Time to build a control panel!
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Looks like a Unitrak crossover, but the brown ties, their spacing and layout, and the plastic frogs don't look like Unitrak. Is it some other Japanese track with integrated roadbed? Or maybe European? The Unitrak joiners seem to work with it.
100% Unitrack.
https://katousa.com/n-unitrack-concrete/
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The tie spacing looks a hell of a lot better.
It's why one of the secrets of better looking TTRAK modules is using that stuff and painting it.
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Built my first DKS 9v battery throttle, and wired in the requisite DPDT switches.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/38/9-010324095230.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=38991)
I was able to run the first train out of the lower yard, around the main a few laps, and back into the yard, almost flawlessly... the far turnout needs to be wired, and there's a minor alignment issue that needs to be worked out, but otherwise, it was very pleasing.
Lee
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Nice!
Is that 9V throttle powered by a standard 9V battery? Those batteries do not have much capacity. You'll likely be replacing them fairly often.
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This will only be used to assemble trains in the yard.
If I grow weary of changing the battery, I have a 9v DC wall wart that I can hard wire to it. I've already ordered a 4 pin handset cord to make that connection.
It may happen sooner rather than later. A few of my old locos are real Amp hogs, and even a fresh battery struggles to budge the old 3-pole motor.
Lee
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This will only be used to assemble trains in the yard.
If I grow weary of changing the battery, I have a 9v DC wall wart that I can hard wire to it. I've already ordered a 4 pin handset cord to make that connection.
It may happen sooner rather than later. A few of my old locos are real Amp hogs, and even a fresh battery struggles to budge the old 3-pole motor.
Lee
Using a bank of 6 AA batteries would give you much more amperage and capacity, but that will wont fit in the handheld unit, but with external power being considered a wall-wart will be a more permanent solution..
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I wish Kato would release the Concrete line of track with black ties to 'match' the single track line.. (At least the super elevated curves)
I picked up a set to try out my steady hand with a black paint pen..
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I wish Kato would release the Concrete line of track with black ties to 'match' the single track line.. (At least the super elevated curves)
I picked up a set to try out my steady hand with a black paint pen..
Paint the whole thing raw umber, do the rail brownish, and ballast. It is my way.
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I'm continuing to work on my TTrak flavored yard shelf, extended from the Hi Rail Hollow Core Door via two wyes, upper and lower.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/39/9-090324234306.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=39266)
Tonight I carved out enough space for a modest engine terminal.
The turntable is long enough to handle my fleet of Rivarossi Mike's and Pacific's, and one F unit at a time.
The engine house you may recognize as the old Pola Foundry kit. I had modified it back in the late 80s for my original Laurel Valley layout, but it has lingered in Structure Limbo since about 1991. The small footprint makes it a perfect shelter for a couple of locomotives.
The stub tracks can accommodate a switcher or two.
I believe the turntable is a vintage Pola or Faller model. I picked it up in a lot purchase at N Scale Weekend last year. I plan to motorized it some kind of way. I have a couple of geared motors floating around so I'm sure something can be cobbled together.
I've also started affixing the approach and yard tracks on the lower level, and the beginnings of a control panel are starting to emerge from the mist.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/39/9-090324235328.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=39268)
Onward and upward in the tar pits of N scale.
Speaking of dinosaurs, I popped in to Main Line today to engage in a modest swap meet with Adam, and received this diamond in the rough...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/39/9-090324235709.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=39269)
An Arnold Rapido GP9. It was in a million pieces... he offered it to me for the hand rails (See my inquiry on the Trading Post) but it was mostly complete, save for the vital fuel tank weight, which holds the thing together so it can run. After a short dumpster dive into my parts inventory, I was able to produce one, and after a shot of contact cleaner and some gear oil, it's now on the active Hi Rail roster... although it too needs some handrails.
The quest continues..
Lee
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All wired up and functional.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/39/9-100324225824.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=39284)
Next to sort out the engine house tracks.
Then on to the upper yard.
Lee
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All wired up and functional.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/39/9-100324225824.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=39284)
Next to sort out the engine house tracks.
Then on to the upper yard.
Lee
I know that little guy!
The S.
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A bit more progress in the lower fiddle yard. The little turntable needed a minor adjustment to improve clearances. Things were hanging up on the handrails, so I uninstalled them and reinstalled them outboard of the walkways. This widened the gap between them enough that longer equipment wouldn't nudge the bridge out of alignment as it rolls on and off the turntable. It also lowered the railing to a more reasonable height. They're still plump as sausages, but it's classic authentic vintage, right?
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/39/9-150324120651.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=39357)
I also picked up another switch to build the second approach track, which will also have some servicing facilities along its length when I get around to scenery.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/39/9-150324121111.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=39359)
And here's where they all hit the pit. I did some fine tuning to the electrical pick ups in the turntable bridge, and trimmed the Unitrak bits to length to keep the next module free to be removed.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/39/9-150324121549.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=39361)
A few more bits of track around the engine house, and then I can commence with the finish wiring.
Lee
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Just burning a little daylight.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/39/9-200324122053.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=39483)
When the sun pops over the 1800 foot Ridge across the river, it floods light through the patio door and across part of the layout.
Naturally, this makes me smile.
For @Ed Kapuscinski , here's my version of the Parkton Local. Grab your coffee and get to work!
Lee
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Just burning a little daylight.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/39/9-200324122053.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=39483)
When the sun pops over the 1800 foot Ridge across the river, it floods light through the patio door and across part of the layout.
Naturally, this makes me smile.
For @Ed Kapuscinski , here's my version of the Parkton Local. Grab your coffee and get to work!
Lee
Love it!
All it needs now is a single rider in it, lol.
Also, who are Harbeck and Sons? I know that's not a random name.
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Love it!
Also, who are Harbeck and Sons? I know that's not a random name.
Wait, Lee, don't answer that, let us go with Wrong Answers Only for a while.
So far, I've got a Harbeck who was a filmmaker who was working for the Canadian Pacific - who died on the Titanic along with a 22 year old French woman who was "not his wife".
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Hello everyone, I have been enjoying reading this long 123 page topic. So far I have read about 100 pages, I have not finished reading the entire 123 pages so far. I really like your style of model railroading, and your layout Lee Weldon. I'm also a member at the Facebook group "N Scale Hi-Rail", and I have enjoying watching your YouTube channel about your retro hollow core door N scale layout. I have a few questions for you, and anyone else that has the same experience.
Do you have any problems with overhang, running your long equipment on your 9.75 inch and 11 inch curves, on your lower level? I ask because I sometimes see you using long locomotives like the Minitrix U28C, big steam locomotives, long vintage passenger cars, vintage autoracks, etc. Yes I'm aware many of those vintage models made in the 1960's and 1970's with the truck mounted rapido couplers, can handle the 8 inch curves that both Minitrix and Arnold Rapido made. Do you have any problems with the overhang, clearance issues, derailments, coupler issues, etc?
I'm planning on building (later this year) a vintage N scale layout on a 30 inch wide by 72 inch long folding table. I'm living in an apartment, it's all the space I have available for N scale. I'm in the planning stages of building a N scale layout, I will be doing something generic so I can run various trains from the 1950s to the 1970s or 1980s. Including North American and European trains. But the majority will be vintage N scale locomotives and rolling stock, of North American type equipment. Using mostly Atlas code 80 track, Atlas and Peco turnouts, MRC brand DC power packs, mostly truck mounted Rapido couplers, and inexpensive kitbashed structures. Mostly vintage locomotives made by Kato, Minitrix and Arnold Rapido, but some of the other brands too such as Like-Like, Atlas, Bachmann, Rivarossi, etc. I want a fun, budget friendly and dependable layout.
I have been involved with model trains since my dad built the typical 4'x8' plywood table in HO scale, around 1985 when I was 10 years old, using train set quality HO scale model trains. I believe most of the track was Atlas code 100, might have been some other brands mixed in. Locomotives and freight cars were mostly AHM, Life-Like, Bachmann, Model Power, Tyco, etc. Many of them bought used at train shows. I had a lot of fun with those trains. Later I would upgrade to Athearn Blue Box locomotives and freight cars, MDC Roundhouse freight cars, and a couple MRC Tech 2 power packs.
I first got involved with N scale trains in the middle 1990s. I have a bunch of model railroading books and magazines, I have been a member of various model railroad Internet forums for the past 15 to 20 years, and I have a small but growing collection of N scale equipment. Currently have about 6 working locomotives and about 70 pieces of rolling stock. I have more equipment coming in the mail. And I already have plenty of Atlas code 80 track to make a layout on my 30 inch wide by 72 inch long table. Just need to finalize on a track plan, and purchase some buildings and other scenery items. Most of my track is the 9.75, 11 and 19 inch radius curves, and lots of 5 inch straights from Atlas. I have about 10 Atlas turnouts (Italy and Austria), and about 10 turnouts from Cassido (Italy). And I have 6 smooth turnouts from Peco. I have a few 8 inch radius curves from AHM, and about 11 of the 7-5/8 inch turnouts from Aurora Postage Stamp Trains (made by Minitrix). And I have a decent amount of the steel alloy track from Arnold Rapido, lots of various straights, about 10 turnouts (17 inch radius), and a large amount of the 8 inch and 17 inch radius curves. Most of my equipment doesn't like those Arnold Rapido turnouts, they cause too many derailments with my trains. I don't really like the 7-5/8 inch radius turnouts from Minitrix either, they are very rough.
I also have a decent amount of Kato Unitrack I use currently, to build temporary layouts. Lot's of straights, some 718mm (28-1/4 inch) curves, about 5 of the #6 turnouts, and mostly 315mm (12-3/8 inch) radius and tighter curves.
For my permanent layout, I plan on using mostly the Atlas sectional track 9.75 and 11 inch radius curves, and their regular turnouts (19 inch radius), and some #6 medium Peco turnouts (which are 18 inch radius). I can also mix in some of my other brands of track, it's all code 80 anyway.
I have always heard it's best to keep to 4 axle locomotives and 50 foot or shorter freight cars, when using those sharp 9.75 and 11 inch curves. But I see you and other people using 6 axle locomotives, vintage 80 foot passenger cars, and vintage intermodal and auto racks on 9.75 and 11 inch radius curves. I'm assuming the truck mounted rapido couplers help with the sharp curves? What about body overhang and side-swiping other trains on parallel curves, or hitting tunnel portals and bridges, which are next to the curves?
My longest rolling stock are currently 50 to 60 foot freight cars, and a few 73 foot Aurora Postage Stamp passenger cars, made by Minitrix. I have a couple vintage Minitrix U28C locomotives (coming in the mail), and I already have two Con-Cor PA locomotives made by Kato, a vintage Bachmann F9-A with the brass metal gears (not later plastic gear versions), a vintage European 6 axle Arnold Rapido electric locomotive, a vintage Minitrix F9-A locomotive, a vintage 1970's or 1980's diesel from Piko of East Germany, and a couple of year 2000 vintage Life-Like FA-1 with body mounted rapido couplers. All of my freight and passenger cars have truck mounted couplers, about 50 are Rapido couplers, and 19 with knuckle couplers (Micro-Trains and Atlas Accumates). My cabooses are a combination of body mounted and truck mounted couplers, both knuckle and Rapido types. I'm also currently bidding at eBay on two vintage Arnold Rapido locomotives, a FA-1 with metal body shell, and a FP9-A diesel locomotive.
I have never owned anything longer, such as 80 to 90 feet long passenger, auto racks or intermodal freight cars.
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Hopefully you saw my replies on the Facetoobs.
When I get a chance I'll repeat them here, because your questions are good ones, and it will be helpful for those among us who wisely avoid social media :D
Lee
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Yes, I saw your reply at Facebook, thank you for the information, and the pictures, and the video of your layout. You have answered all of my questions, thank you.
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How do I access your Facetoobs video about this topic?
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@OldEastRR I have a series of videos on my YouTube channel from the Covid era, when I started to amass my Hi Rail Empire. I've posted them previously in this thread.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCp6NjJELGbkc8r07DvdBiLKfaqaKbvuh&si=0TErEoXfnat85cne
Lee
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In other news, I picked up 47.25 Sq. Ft of sky at Michael's this afternoon for $10.
That's going to make a lot of module backer boards!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/39/9-020424215425.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=39705)
At 12" tall, that works out to 48 feet of sky!
Lee
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I’m using the same thing for my layout.
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Thanks for the link to the videos. One thing while watching them: have you ever thought about darkening the shiny wheels on locos? the steamers, actually. Maybe not the drivers, but the lead and trailing truck wheels? Or would that ruin the nostalgia? I think it might look pretty good, myself.
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It would look better, but would also ruin the nostalgia. That's the way things looked 50 years ago!
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It would look better, but would also ruin the nostalgia. That's the way things looked 50 years ago!
Already been done by using Unitrack.
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True, but Unitrack doesn't look that different from neatly ballasted track from the early days. The rail and ties are about the same, but the ballast is neater than most modelers managed.
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Already been done by u[sing Unitrack.
I used Unitrak on the yard, which is designed to also work with my TTrak modules, thus requiring the Kato products. Form follows function in this case.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/39/9-090324234306.jpeg)
Here's the ballasted transition between the Atlas snap track and the Unitrack at lower left near the girder plate bridge. The color is a bit off, but once the scenery goes in around it I think it will be fine, especially once the rails are painted and some weathering is applied.
Lee
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You could also say that it represents recently built, repaired, or reballasted track, which is why it's a different color, and looks neater. Not all track in a town, prototype or model, has to be the same age.
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Precious little work on the layout, but the Crew Lounge continues to blossom.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/40/9-150424103026.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=40150)
I used a faux stainless paint to convert the $15 dishwasher from white. It's remarkably effective stuff. The butcher block countertop is stained, and the cabinetry is set. I just have to put the finish on the countertop and screw it down, color correct the white receptacles, and make the plumbing connections, then it's Martini Time!
I did run some trains across the room while I was tinkering... just to keep the update on topic...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/40/9-150424105536.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=40152)
Lee
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I did run some trains across the room while I was tinkering... just to keep the update on topic...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/40/9-150424105536.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=40152)
Lee
Was that the 0-4-0 from the neighbors Wonder Emporium?
The S.
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Indeed it is! It's the fourth one I have on the roster.
I was just giving it a spin earlier this evening!
Oh, and by the way, the bar is, for all intents and purposes, OPEN! I made the final connections to the sink and dishwasher this afternoon.
Tomorrow I'll start relocating the kitchen to the basement, and by the end of the weekend, the scaffolding will be up in the living room!
Lee
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Indeed it is! It's the fourth one I have on the roster.
I was just giving it a spin earlier this evening!
Oh, and by the way, the bar is, for all intents and purposes, OPEN! I made the final connections to the sink and dishwasher this afternoon.
Tomorrow I'll start relocating the kitchen to the basement, and by the end of the weekend, the scaffolding will be up in the living room!
Lee
Excellent on both! I am almost ready to put the bathroom in down stairs. Trains in two directions and I can use the loo, living the dream.
The S.
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/40/9-190424104913.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=40210)
Ready for Happy Hour!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/40/9-190424105002.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=40211)
Plus running some trains...
Lee
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Pans and glasses up!
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/39/9-090324234306.jpeg)
Is this wye/turntable section permanently attached to the original layout?
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Semi. I still have to pull the layout away from the wall to properly install the wye legs in the back. Presently they are functional, but loosely tied in, which is problematic for my articulated steam and a few other old warhorse.
I may also rebuild the connections to the layout to use Unitrak. You just can't beat it's dimensional stability, plus it can work the same way the TTrak modules do when it's time to put the toys away.
I have set it up so the requisite reversing circuit is isolated on this module, so all the hairy wiring and yard control can be semi percent as well, then just use the Kato connectors to attach the TTrak standard yard modules.
Hope this clears it up.
Lee
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Invested in a bit more infrastructure.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/40/9-290424212241.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=40455)
This will add considerable flexibility to the yard, once I figure out how to wire it.
Lee
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Also ballasted a few more inches of track.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/40/9-290424212954.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=40456)
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More Birthday Booty. Looks like I found a Unicorn.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/40/9-300424160827.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=40457)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/40/9-300424163452.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=40459)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/40/9-300424163517.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=40460)
I didn't get the smoke box door casting, but the OEM plastic part fit like a glove. Debating now whether to paint it, or polish it up and apply some lacquer.
Lee
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. . . or leave it as-is, with the vintage train patina on it.
Just like some antique autombiles which are left unrestored.
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. . . or leave it as-is, with the vintage train patina on it.
Just like some antique autombiles which are left unrestored.
@peteski , I may want to re-order some Laurel Valley steam era decals ... just in case!
Lee
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@peteski , I may want to re-order some Laurel Valley steam era decals ... just in case!
Lee
No problem!
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I was getting too many derailment with my junction, which just had to get fixed.
I had a curved turnout in stock, but for some reason I went with a medium. So I went back to the big bag of track and redid the junction with the much gentler curved.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/40/9-050524141534.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=40635)
So far the tests are positive. I'll be putting some of the bigger steam through, the ones eaten alive by the old switch, to see if the problem is truly saved.
Then, when I get around to the the back corner, I'll rework that in a similar manner.
Lee
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/40/9-050524141825.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=40636)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/40/9-050524141921.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=40637)
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@peteski , I may want to re-order some Laurel Valley steam era decals ... just in case!
Lee
Add some old Lima heavyweight passenger cars decorated for the Laurel Valley and run a steam excursion.
http://www.spookshow.net/passenger/limaheavy.html (http://www.spookshow.net/passenger/limaheavy.html)
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Already heading in that direction...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/40/9-050524184312.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=40638)
Went on ahead and fixed the back switch, too.
Now I can finalize the control box for the lower yard.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/40/9-050524184643.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=40639)
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Lee, in case you need em: https://conrail1285.square.site/shop/track/AJOYEDFKHFYNEEC46UCX272P
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More work on the upper loop wye. I did some excavating to install a Peco motor to the Wye track in front of the train order office at Old Town.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/40/9-130524173832.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=40790)
There was a lingering gauge issue (since I fearlessly deploy used track components when others would choose more wisely.) Which I addressed after the wiring and basic functionality was established.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/40/9-130524174835.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=40791)
The Nerve Center of the Wye Junction. I'll need to whip up some labels so remember what the hell I did...
For reference, left to right, you have upper loop front switch, then upper rear, then lower front, then lower rear.
The third point of each wye will be controlled at the yard end of things. I have the reversing set up so that trains entering the yard will have to pause to get clearance before moving into the receiving track, while outbound trains can just run out the other leg. Once I figure out where I'm putting crossovers in (so the lower, inner loop can also be operated) the switches will be set up to work in the opposite direction. (I think).
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/40/9-130524174854.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=40792)
Here we see some Pennsy sharks making their way off the main and into the lower loop wye.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/40/9-130524174908.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=40793)
And finally, the gauge repair. For some reason the turnout (which is a Peco medium Wye) was pinched just before the points, Everything appeared to be in order, but the application of track gauge revealed the problem. Since the pinch point was right above the opening for the subterranean switch machine, there was no way to correct the issue using spikes. Also, with the subroadbed being foam, that wouldn't have done much good anyway. After puzzling over it for a bit, I figured I'd try a scratch building trick. I took an old Intermountain light board from an F unit, and cut a strip long enough to serve as a tie. I then nicked it in the center to create two soldering pads. This was going to be tricky, because of the hole underneath and the fact that the trackwork was already soldered and glued down. I used to point of my soldering iron to burn off the tie just ahead of the points, then cleaned the bottom of the rail with a small file.
Using the track gauge as a clip to hold the alignment, I attached the PC board firmly with solder. There's still a little rumble rumble and clickety clack, but everything makes it through now.
Lee
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The lower yard is now configured, and the upper yard just needs a bit more work.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/40/9-180524201448.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=40873)
Just need to cut a few gaps and wire in some block control.
Upper yard needs to be extended with a runaround added to the A/D track.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/40/9-180524203223.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=40875)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/40/9-180524203241.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=40876)
Any hints for gapping and wiring Unitrak for block control will be helpful.
Lee
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This week's new arrivals at the N Scale Hi Rail Rescue...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/40/9-220524102154.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=40912)
A Rivarossi Pacific that the seller said didn't work, but after a quick dip into the parts bin it did....
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/40/9-220524102431.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=40913)
Another Pacific, painted with a potato apparently, that was supposed to work, but didn't, as it turns out the zinc rot is terminal... and a giant box of antiquities advanced to me by @Mike C. Lots of original boxes and interesting odds and ends.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/40/9-220524102557.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=40914)
Thanks, Mike!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/40/9-220524103050.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=40915)
I'm going to run down to Woolco and see if I can pick up a few more of these!
Lee
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Seeing that SC Johnson car reminded me: if you EVER see the Rohm and Haas equivalent, PLEASE grab it for me. That goes for everyone. I've been looking for one of those for YEARS.
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No boxcar but here's a R&H tank car, $20 or best offer. I doubt your best offer would get a look from them given the $20 BIN but never know
https://www.ebay.com/itm/125687524746
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No boxcar but here's a R&H tank car, $20 or best offer. I doubt your best offer would get a look from them given the $20 BIN but never know
https://www.ebay.com/itm/125687524746
Whoa, that is something. I had never seen that before! Too bad the printing is so bad.
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Whoa, that is something. I had never seen that before! Too bad the printing is so bad.
Earl Scheib painted train cars, too!
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Is it Hi Rail?
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/40/9-230524163943.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=40933)
It's shiny and flashy, and built in 1987. So maybe not Hi Rail, but definitely a vintage classic.
I'll be putting her on the layout shortly.
Spookshow is quite enthusiastic about this one. So am I.
Lee
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That's pretty!
With the very fine photoetched running gear, is this a brass loco? If it is then yes, itdoes not seem to fit with the tru Hi-rail Bachmann, early Arnold, or Minitrix locos. :trollface:
But it is so pretty! ;)
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I had one of those, sold it on ebay.
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With the very fine photoetched running gear, is this a brass loco?
http://www.spookshow.net/loco/keyp7d.html (http://www.spookshow.net/loco/keyp7d.html)
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It ran beautifully for about an hour, then the universals jammed up.
Then they started slipping on the drive shaft.
Looks like I'll be tearing it down to assess the problem.
:|
Lee
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New shipper on the layout...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/41/9-110624220159.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=41311)
Lee aka Old Salty
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Did a little flippy floppy.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/41/9-190624110133.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=41437)
The original set up had the Tower of Power (packs) to the left side. Since I added the yard modules to the right, this no longer made sense, so I jacked up the layout about 3", pulled my H frame out, and flipped it over, putting the power pack rack to the right, and more centered on the overall layout space. With this completed, I can now begin working on the control panels needed to make the yards work properly.
Here's the best "Before" shot I could dredge up. The yard is modular and is presently not installed pending the wiring project.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/41/9-190624110831.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=41438)
Lee
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What’s your favorite of all your retro locomotive fleet?
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Easy... The NEXT one! :D
But seriously folks, it really depends on what I'm in the mood for.
With the Max-Magnet rebuilt motors, my Rivarossi steam is probably the most enjoyable to run. I do like the motion of the siderods, and the steam era rolling stock. I've got good examples of just about everything they built (no Challenger or Big Boy, because what's the point on a loopty loop, and plus YouPee... Blecch. But I do have a 2-8-8-0 with a vandy, because B&O)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/41/9-250624115322.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=41638)
But I also enjoy the growl of old Trix and Roco diesels, and Arnold and early Bachmann offerings with brass gears and 200 amp blender motors.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/41/9-250624115204.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=41637)
When I just want a train to run for hours, I have two sets of Con Cor PAs, which have Kato drives and are basically indestructible. Of course, they're hitched to strings of Con Cor smooth side passenger cars.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/41/9-250624115508.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=41639)
On the freight trains, I'll pull out the Life Like FAs and F7 lead sleds, which also purr smoothly for days, and will pull the paint off the wall if instructed to do so.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/41/9-250624115610.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=41640)
There are dozens of other engines that periodically make appearances, including more modern Atlas Classic geeps, Model Power's Korean steamers, and Bachmann Spectrum doodlebugs.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/41/9-250624115709.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=41641)
The good news is that I don't focus on any particular time frame or locale, so I get away with a fair amount of Rule #1. I'm an Appalachian scenery guy, so I don't bother with western stuff, and most of what I run is B&O/WM/PRR/PC and of course my Laurel Valley
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/41/9-250624115833.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=41642)
As you may have guessed, I'm on the ADHD spectrum, with the needle usually pegged in the red zone. Which isn't always good for the budget, or the storage requirements!
But the bottom line is, to just have fun. Which I do, right up until I have to do wiring. But you know, you gotta take the bad with the good! :D
Thanks for asking!
Lee
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It's time..
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/41/9-260624183611.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=41675)
...to properly wire the yards.
Lee
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Progress continues to be made on the new yard.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/41/9-010724232756.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=41904)
The turnouts are all wired up and working, and the switcher can move freely from one end of the yard to the other.
Next I have to isolate the three run around tracks to allow an outbound train to be parked while the inbound train arrives.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/41/9-010724233142.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=41905)
I'll also need to work on some improved lettering for the control box...
Lee
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Finished wiring the TTrak compatible yard, and got it reinstalled.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/41/9-040724221958.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=41970)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/41/9-040724220921.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=41963)
Then I got a wild hair to add an industrial track at PawPaw. I've had the warehouse there since the very beginning, and had a sort of abandoned track thrown down, but now that I have a yard and a wye, I can actually send a short local out to do a little switching.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/41/9-040724222018.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=41971)
And so I did!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/41/9-040724221140.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=41965)
I grabbed a bit of whatever was at hand, in this case a Lifelike switcher, a couple of freight cars and a Cheesie caboose.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/41/9-040724221233.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=41967)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/41/9-040724221300.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=41968)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/41/9-040724221330.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=41969)
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With the impending arrival of the drug store on the corner in Paw Paw, I've decided to put some badly needed attention into the suburbs at the top of Winchester Street.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/42/9-110824221923.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=42846)
I had some foam core bits just kind of thrown in there, but now it's time to build a proper base and get the sitework started for a couple of houses and the vintage branch line depot.
Let's see how much of a hurry I am to get this pushed forward.
Step one is the base, which I have templated here in cardboard. Next will be to establish the elevations for the house lots. The diner will be at grade with the depot, the blue house a bit higher, and the white house higher still, with the road curling into the back drop between the white house and the tunnel portal.
Where the spray foam is, will be an elevated roadway above the tunnel to reach the truck dump coal loader just out of frame to the right.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/42/9-110824222508.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=42847)
This is an earlier shot I took when I was thinking of putting three houses (actually four, the one on the left is a duplex) but I opted to make it less crowded and add the diner so there's a place to get some meatloaf in this God foresaken town. (plus, it's one of the last remaining remnants of my earliest modeling efforts!)
I've already got a power drop wired to that section which I can plug the building and exterior lighting into. Getting substantially underway will be the hardest part, but once started, it should come together pretty quickly.
Lee
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Have you thought about using AMB company houses instead of the Bachmann farm houses? (which look a little too upscale for a mining town).
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Have you thought about using AMB company houses instead of the Bachmann farm houses? (which look a little too upscale for a mining town).
The bird in hand, my friend. I probably have five more of them.
Plus they fit well with my vintage ethos. I also really enjoyed "renovating" the blue one.
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Stopped to visit @John and picked up the building he printed for me from a design I whipped up for Winchester Street.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/42/9-130824221916.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=42906)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/42/9-130824221942.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=42907)
He did a great job reworking my file to improve the textures and fit. I'm looking forward to painting and detailing it
A little Hi Tech has made it's way onto the Hi Rail layout.
Thank you John!
Lee
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Your layout looks great Lee, love the yard addition and the overall retro "pizza cutter" vibe, great to see the older stuff still running.
Brent
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When you say old stuff, do you mean me or the trains? :facepalm:
Thanks for your kind words... :)
Lee
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Why just the trains of course….at least your avatar looks young….ish…
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This week's highlight.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/43/9-230824113148.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=43052)
JFRTM!
Lee
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Getting the Railwire Cafe ready for installation.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/43/9-230824190307.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=43064)
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Looking good!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/43/9-230824231759.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=43068)
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Ok, you say it's only retro stuff on the layout, but then you've got 3D printed buildings. Or is the retro only the rolling stock? Hey, it's your layout ... or maybe say it's "retro+".
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Ok, you say it's only retro stuff on the layout, but then you've got 3D printed buildings. Or is the retro only the rolling stock? Hey, it's your layout ... or maybe say it's "retro+".
Hmmm . . . LOL.
Well, if we dig a bit deeper, isn't Lee using styofoam (pink or blue) stuff for the terrain? Real retro would be hard-shell scenery (plaster over screen or newspaper) and Zip Texturing for ground cover. Remember those? It was before my time, but I read about them in model RR books. :)
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Zip Texturing for ground cover.
LOL, there's a blast from the past. And people really thought it looked good, too. Add some lichen for bushes and some sawdust grass, and you got yourself a landscape.
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LOL, there's a blast from the past. And people really thought it looked good, too. Add some lichen for bushes and some sawdust grass, and you got yourself a landscape.
This is really bringing in the memories of my first layout were I was just going off knowledge acrued by ancient VHS tapes on layout building.
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On my first layout (in Poland, TT scale, built in early to mid '70s) I used some green dyed sawdust, but I also had access and used some paper mats with various color static-grass on them.
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You guys talk ***** about sawdust, but it's a useful part of my forest floor blend.
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Hmmm . . . LOL.
Well, if we dig a bit deeper, isn't Lee using styofoam (pink or blue) stuff for the terrain? Real retro would be hard-shell scenery (plaster over screen or newspaper) and Zip Texturing for ground cover. Remember those? It was before my time, but I read about them in model RR books. :)
Another retro scenery material (that's still available) is this stuff:
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/66wAAOSw9DVmtASA/s-l960.webp)
https://www.activaproducts.com/5-lb-package-celluclay (https://www.activaproducts.com/5-lb-package-celluclay)
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^ Is that like Sculptamold?
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Celluclay is still my go to for my base layer texture. I use the white version (as opposed to the gray) mixed with 50/50 dirt colored latex paint / water. Apply the mixture over your carved foam base in a thin 1/8” layer, then sift your choice of dirt, ground foam, etc over the goop while it’s still wet. Spray with wet water until the latex paint color starts to bleed through, then let dry. This will bond everything together in most cases, but you can add diluted white glue or cheerleader level hairspray if you need more adhesive. This will give you a very tough but impact resistant base layer that is light weight but won’t chip.
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^ Is that like Sculptamold?
Similar, but Sculptamold has a plaster base & the Celluclay is more of a starch like glue base.
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You guys talk ***** about sawdust, but it's a useful part of my forest floor blend.
The key is knowing its good for representing earthy wood detritus but is rather poor at being a grass facsimile.
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The key is knowing its good for representing earthy wood detritus but is rather poor at being a grass facsimile.
How much of it did you smoke before you figured that out? :trollface:
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Another retro scenery material (that's still available) is this stuff:
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/66wAAOSw9DVmtASA/s-l960.webp)
https://www.activaproducts.com/5-lb-package-celluclay (https://www.activaproducts.com/5-lb-package-celluclay)
I did most of my first layout with that stuff back in the 70s. I actually took my sectional track, propped it up on my Atlas "over and under" pier set, then stuffed Celluclay under the track to bring the grade up to the track. What I didn't realize until too late was that A: it was very sticky going on B: it shrinks quite a bit as it dries, and C: it forms a near permanent bond with the underside of the track as it cures. What started out as a brilliant idea for a short cut, turned out to be a disaster!
This was long before VHS tapes, much less YouTube tutorials!!
Lee
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Anyone remember Perma Scene??
Mix with water, looked like oatmeal??
I used it on my first N Scale layout in 1967-68.
Greg O.
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Some sort of vermiculite as I recall. I might still have half a box of that mess laying around somewhere... :facepalm:
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I did most of my first layout with that stuff back in the 70s. I actually took my sectional track, propped it up on my Atlas "over and under" pier set, then stuffed Celluclay under the track to bring the grade up to the track. What I didn't realize until too late was that A: it was very sticky going on B: it shrinks quite a bit as it dries, and C: it forms a near permanent bond with the underside of the track as it cures. What started out as a brilliant idea for a short cut, turned out to be a disaster!
This was long before VHS tapes, much less YouTube tutorials!!
Lee
Yep. It also cracks as it dries if applied in a thick layer. THIN layer no more than 1/8” is the secret. You can also apply it over cheesecloth draped & hot glued over random bits of scrap foam. Makes for quick & interesting open country hills.
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Anyone remember Perma Scene??
Mix with water, looked like oatmeal??
I used it on my first N Scale layout in 1967-68.
Greg O.
Yep, used that on my first large N layout in the early 80s. Looked ok, but had a propensity to create mold spots here and there over time.
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Ok, you say it's only retro stuff on the layout, but then you've got 3D printed buildings. Or is the retro only the rolling stock? Hey, it's your layout ... or maybe say it's "retro+".
It's retro because I used expired resin to print his building .. :)
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On to another project! (The ADHD is strong with this one!)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/43/9-270824163450.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=43135)
It's time to build out the highway bridge over the new yard lead.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/43/9-270824163623.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=43136)
This old Faller Kit, which was incomplete and missing its deck, was purchased for a song, and is perfect for the task.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/43/9-270824163751.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=43137)
I'll need to cut up the old Cumberland bridge deck to make it two lanes, and rework the sidewalks and railings, but that shouldn't be too hard.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/43/9-270824163913.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=43138)
And as long as I keep an eye on my clearances, it should be just fine.
Stay tuned for more news as it happens!
Lee
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That once "jest a country road moseyin' into town" is turning into a superhighway. I remember when it was barely a overpass on simple piers. Where's the subdivision for it going? :trollface: Is there going to be waterway under it? Seriously, I'm glad this project keeps rolling merrily along --- I remember your earlier ones falling by the wayside with time.
Scenery how-to's: I got my first ones from the hobby articles in Boy's Life, a zillion years ago. Dyed sawdust, you built the track right on the plywood, and it you wanted a sub-bed creek, you chiseled and gouged it out of the plywood!! But best not to use 3/8" plywood!! they said use tile cement for water. Brown stinky goopy stuff.
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Yes. The Mighty Potomac runs right to left, and a tributary comes in from behind the girder plate bridge. This scene will be very "Model Railroady".
Lee
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Progress on the highway bridge.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/43/9-290824213959.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=43171)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/43/9-290824214051.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=43172)
Lee
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You made the AHM Bakery into an enginehouse. Neat!
Maybe "Cornersville" should be renamed "Bridgeton" now.
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Yes, I made that conversion ... jeez... 35 years ago. I needed a small engine house for a very compact shelf style yard.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/43/9-300824084742.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=43176)
In that instance the turntable was scratch built with an embroidery hoop and a headphone jack.
Lee
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This new scene gives me big Grand Junction vibes.
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Test fit.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/43/9-300824123811.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=43184)
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I got a new toner cartridge, so I was finally able to print the roadway for my new highway bridge.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/43/9-010924190339.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=43255)
Since it's a black and white printer, I have to "color in" the lines.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/43/9-010924190518.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=43256)
Easily done with a straight edge and a yellow highlighter.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/43/9-010924190634.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=43257)
I used the same file I made several years ago when I printed the original section of the bridge when I used a color ink jet. Pretty good match, wouldn't you say?
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/43/9-010924190731.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=43258)
So next to build the deck and prep the sidewalks. I think I have a couple more of those street lights, I just have to remember where I put them...
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/43/9-010924191029.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=43259)
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Dug through everything I own last night and couldn't produce the remains of the 3/8 tile Evergreen sheet I used for sidewalks. I've got all the strip stock and railings I need, but nothing to glue it too.
Also holding up the Paw Paw building installation.
Guess I'll be heading up the hill to see the good folks at Main Line sometime this week!
Lee
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The bridge and roadway look great Lee. I have to commend you on your modelling speed, you’re not messing around! I’m more of a doddler, tend to over think things and not get near as much done…
Brent
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My modeling time is pretty catch as catch can, so I try to have all my ducks in a row when it's time to actually hit the workbench.
Which is why it was so frustrating to not be able to find the sheet of 3/8 tile that I KNOW I have somewhere. The damn thing would have been done last night were it not for that!
Lee
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Sweet highlighter hack right there!!!
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Finished the bridge deck at the junction.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/43/9-070924114655.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=43439)
Of course, after assembly, I found the can of "sand dollar" I used on the original bridge. I used Camo Khaki on the new section. Bothe are good concrete colors, but as you can see, not the same when juxtaposed.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/43/9-070924115044.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=43440)
Once I get the fascia sorted, I'll trim the bridge to follow it.
I also have to build a pier that makes sense crossing the river at the angle it does. I'm thinking two or three columns with a lintel.
Then on to lighting and detailing. I think I'll drop a light under the deck to illuminate the wye track below.
Generally the scene is coming together the way I envisioned it.
Now, enough procrastination. Time to sift through the mountain of accumulated stuff to see what's getting sacrificed on the Altar of N Scale Weekend...a mere week away!
:scared:
Lee
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Did you use Camo Khaki or Camo Tan? They're not the same, and I've actually labeled my Khaki can "NOT FOR USE FOR CONCRETE".
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As I said in Weekend Update, who says both bridges were built at the same time, or with the same aggregate mix?
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Working on the sidewalks to finish up Winchester Street in downtown PawPaw.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/43/9-290924141648.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=43911)
A little tricky to get the geometry right around and up the switchback. But it's coming together.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/43/9-290924141800.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=43912)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/43/9-290924141912.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=43913)
With this bit of business done, it's on to the paint booth for some concrete. When that cures I can glue it all together and install the fiddledy bits in the alley.
Also built the new pier for the extended highway bridge.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/43/9-290924162937.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=43914)
Lee
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And now painted and assembled.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/43/9-290924165756.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=43915)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/43/9-290924165841.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=43916)
Lee
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Have you thought about putting a pedestrian stairway next to the side of the lowest level building? For people to get to the upper town w/o taking their chances walking along or crossing that very narrow, blind-curve street. The stairway (w. railings) could angle up the side of the end building, then take a turn around the back of it to angle up to a walkway/platform that comes out at the side of the grade crossing on the upper level. From there a sidewalk crossing the tracks and going to the homes on the top side. Whole thing, of timbers.
Remembering an era when people didn't only drive to where they were going.
Oof ... I wouldn't try driving down (or up) that road on a sleety, icy night.
I like how you just chop off the highway overpass structural members where they come to the edge of the world (layout). :)
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Short answer, probably not.
Here's the preliminary installation.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/43/9-300924105331.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=43938)
I'll need to shim the roadway a bit to snug it up under the curb. Then I'll finish detailing the 3D printed building with window glass, interiors, lighting etc. Also need to construct the landing for the two side doors.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/43/9-300924105721.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=43939)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/43/9-300924110017.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=43940)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/43/9-300924110053.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=43941)
There's the whole scratch designed block, 80 % scratch built, with @John 's wonderful 3D work to cap it off.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/43/9-300924111600.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=43942)
Pretty much as I originally envisioned it.
Lee
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Such a stairway would be quite common in many older Eastern towns, and could be either wood or concrete.
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Looks great Lee, lots of interest in such a compact area!
Brent
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Another bucket list acquisition for the Retro fleet.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/44/9-211024233321.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=44319)
A set of Con Cor F3s with the original Fleischmann drive was cobbled together after a swap with @learmoia recently. After some coupler tinkering and a shot of contact cleaner they're growling around the layout nicely.
Lee
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Whoa. Those are things I never knew existed!
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Cool.. you got the drive to run... It showed signs of life when I tested it..
~Ian
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Whoa. Those are things I never knew existed!
They sure are a blast from the past. Of course Mark has them covered http://spookshow.net/loco/concorf3.html (http://spookshow.net/loco/concorf3.html)
The trucks look wonky (the wheelbase seems too wide) as they probably just utilized existing trucks from some European loco, just making American-looking sideframes, but they are overall not bad for a model made around 50 years ago by a company which made (and still makes) European prototype models!
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They look like Beefy pullers with that fat metal chassis and with an isolated motor essentially DCC Ready for you Lee! :D
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They sure are a blast from the past. Of course Mark has them covered http://spookshow.net/loco/concorf3.html (http://spookshow.net/loco/concorf3.html)
The trucks look wonky (the wheelbase seems too wide) as they probably just utilized existing trucks from some European loco, just making American-looking sideframes, but they are overall not bad for a model made around 50 years ago by a company which made (and still makes) European prototype models!
They remind me of the old Life-Like F unit trucks.
Those engines were one of my early loves.
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Behold the glory!
I'm going to go through all my Retro fleet videos and create a series of these for posterity.
Lee
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Details, details!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/44/9-221024234841.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=44337)
Now I can get those apartments upstairs rented!
Lee
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Details, details!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/44/9-221024234841.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=44337)
Now I can get those apartments upstairs rented!
Lee
That row of buildings reminds me of some I saw in either West Virginia or Kentucky. Great work.
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looking really top notch, Lee. Your pace and skillfulness piques the imagination and interest. the theme just adds another nugget as in why to follow.
was wondering if making the street one way with proper signage would be helpful? whatever. it continues to come together nicely and i give you my kudos.
as always
Gary
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looking really top notch, Lee. Your pace and skillfulness piques the imagination and interest. the theme just adds another nugget as in why to follow.
was wondering if making the street one way with proper signage would be helpful? whatever. it continues to come together nicely and i give you my kudos.
as always
Gary
If I had a bit more room... When I finally made a visit to Thomas, WV (once a major hub of WM coal operations, and top end of the famous Black Fork Grade) I found it was set up that way... US 219/48 splits, with the east/southbound lanes along the front street, and the west/northbound lanes a block up the hill. The vibe I was trying to capture here was more akin to Thomas than to PawPaw, the given name of this little scene. PawPaw barely has a business district, and it's main street is a smattering of houses, a post office and a school. There may have been more at one point, but it's hard to see where it might have been.
Thanks for your kind words.
Lee
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Harvest time! Rigby and I headed up to the woods where he helped me scout some lichen blooms.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/44/9-261024100009.jpeg)
Success!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/44/9-261024095424.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=44414)
After some cleaning to get the leaves, bark and other schmutz down to a minimum, it went into the kettle with some hot water and alcohol to sterilize it, and I'm doing this batch with black dye to see how it might work for tree armatures.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/44/9-261024095437.jpeg)
You Dead Season guys might want to stay tuned.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=44415)
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So far I'm pleased with the results.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/44/9-261024110851.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=44417)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/44/9-261024110929.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=44418)
While I have the brine working I also threw in a batch of Super Trees that @mu26aeh gave me.
Lee
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Staying tuned.
Also, at first I thought that was a bear! Such a linebacker. Lol. Give him some scritches for me.
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I added my new lichen crop to parts of the layout that needed filling in.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/44/9-261024223716.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=44438)
I was able to move around many of my China trees to even things out. I took the gray/black dye lichen and applied som spray mount, then rolled it around in green flocking.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/44/9-261024224025.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=44439)
I filled in existing areas where I thinned out the China trees, similar to what one might do with puff ball trees. I think the lichen gives a superior look. And for me, it's cheaper.
Then, I started adding a few Super Trees to the freground.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/44/9-261024224256.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=44440)
With predictably good results.
I'll be adding more as days grind on.
Lee
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I’m liking this black dye trick! What is it? India Ink?
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Rit Dye. Available wherever fabrics are sold.
Full disclosure: It did not take as well to the Super Trees, but they did benefit from the glycerin. They're much more flexible. I ended up shooting them with some flat black paint to darken the trunks.
If you need some lichen, pop around next time you're in the hood! We can take a stroll up the ridge and collect all you want!
Lee
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The trees are great and look right -- with all that lushness, I'd expect tall grasses and heavy shrubbery on open ground not covered with trees. Bare and clear along the ROW, of course.
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Last night I stayed up way too late monkeying around with several of the locomotives that were sent in a bundle of surplus from @Albert in N . I replaced the motor and the draw bar on the Rivarossi Mike, and it's running like a champ. I'll be adding that to my Laurel Valley fleet once I get some time to do the lettering.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/45/9-150125133514.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=45881)
The Bachman U23/30 had a bad decoder. Apparently the model's been discontinued and parts are no longer available... just painted shells... so I again rummaged through my endless supply of junkboxes and found an old Atlas light board so I could bypass the decoder and run it on DC. I'm thinking I might order a Digitrax decoder and hardwire it in, as well as a Conrail shell I can use when I go run trains with Ed. Might also make it a bit more marketable at the swap meet in Altoona. Anyway, it's now running too.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/45/9-150125133226.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=45878)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/45/9-150125133314.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=45879)
The Bachmann Prairie 2-6-2 runs smoothly enough, but there is definitely a click. I don't think it's a cracked gear, though, because there's no binding or hesitation when it runs. I think there's something in the drive rods that's out of alignment and catches just enough to make the click. For now I'm calling it a "sound system"... It's not like little tramp steamers are silky smooth runners!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/45/9-150125133410.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=45880)
I took apart the one basket case SD40-2 as well. Something is causing a dead short when the frame is reassembled. The motor works fine outside the frame, but not in. Since the shell is pretty rough, that will probably be parted out. Its stablemate, though, runs very well, and the blinky light is kind of fun!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/45/9-150125133626.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=45882)
The Atlas 0-8-0 Cotton Belt likewise has a good motor, but it binds up when reassembled. I've done a bunch of these, and it's likely that there's enough zinc rot to misalign the drivers, as they won't stay seated when power is applied. It will probably also find its destiny in the parts department. With those old dogs, either they ran great until they cooked the motor, or the frame warped so the motor has barely been used.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/45/9-150125133710.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=45883)
I haven't dug in to the two Atlas diesels yet. I could get both to run forward and backward, but there's definitely some slipping going on in the drive train. They both suffer from slippy universals. A dot of super glue strategically placed should get them back on the road, but that will require a clear head, and a clear workbench!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/45/9-150125133813.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=45884)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/45/9-150125133839.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=45885)
There was also a significant quantity of rolling stock, including many vintage pieces, several MicroTrains cars, and a bunch of cabooses. I'm grateful for the opportunity to tinker with all of this, and see if I can get some of them back into service.
Lee
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(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/45/9-210125191206.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=45978)
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Would
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Naw, I think brass
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Bachmann. With a nose job.
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Nice shot Lee!
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Excursion night!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/46/9-290125212331.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=46121)
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Started reworking the yard area. The upper yard had been attached to the lower yard, which is set up as a TTRAK modular design.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/46/9-090225154731.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=46258)
I've separated them, and will hang the upper yard on some shelf brackets so I can pull out the TTRAK yard for those occasions when it needs to be portable.
Of course, it's all very temporary. Hopefully I'll be getting the round tuits necessary to finish the basement somewhere in the next 12 months.
Lee
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/46/9-090225154934.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=46259)
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I'll respond to these over here so as not to clutter up the Weekend Update unnecessarily... First, from @OldEastRR
That's a lot of yard for such a short mainline. I assume it's basically a parking lot for equipment. :)
It's actually not that much yard. There are only 2 actual yard tracks, each about 4' long. Then there's two "main line" tracks, and at the front, a run around. You'll notice that most of my rolling stock storage is in the drawers below the yard. At some point, when I'm a bit more disciplined and less distracted by my other hobbies (cigareets and whuskey and wild, wild wimmin) I'll be able to set up an evening's JFRTM by plucking the trains du jour from my drawers :scared:, setting them up on the yard tracks, then turning them loose on a sort of schedule. The lower main line is still pretty much a double track loop, with the inner not connected to anything yet. The plan is to put a Kato double crossover near the stone arch bridge so I can run trains out in either direction then back into the yard again. With two staging tracks already available on the layout, the additional two yard tracks will make it possible to operate up to 6 trains over the course of a session. A seventh is possible thanks to the runaround track, but I'll probably want to keep that clear for arrivals and departures. So in essence, it's really pretty minimalist. There's not much room for shifting cars and setting up trains with a crew, f'rinstance, but since the ops on the lower loops are limited to run throughs and passenger trains, that's not really mission critical.
Our next piece of viewer mail comes from @seusscaboose
that last pic looks like the Old' Elkins.... in the old house...
It does trick the eye a bit, doesn't it? The Elkins yard now resides down on the coast of the Gulf of Murca at @Philip H 's Swamp Gas Central.
But this is more like the original Ridgeley Yard from the earlier iteration, since it's c80 track, and like the above noted yard, fairly minimalist.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/46/9-100225164027.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=46279)
If I'm not mistaken, the carcass of the old yard is still leaning up against the wall of my old garage, moldering away, beyond salvaging at this point.
The upper yard will be a bit busier, since there's the opportunity to switch industries on that route, and I'm anxious to get that properly hooked up and operational for that purpose. I do miss bumping cars! :lol:
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/46/9-100225164822.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=46280)
Lee
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Are you going to build a route connecting the two levels?
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It's not off the table, but it would have to be off the table! I could build a loop at the far end that connects the top and bottom, but it would have to be detachable, since it would block the stairway a bit. It's not really a priority.
I'll probably leave it as is for the time being. As you can see, the wall still needs to be finished (as does the rest of the room) and when that happens, I may design an entirely new layout that offers a bit more operations, but occupies a smaller footprint overall.
Last night I stabilized the upper yard platform, so structurally at least it does what I need it to do. I have to work out the wiring scheme and get that done before I can semi-permanently mount it to the brackets. But it's coming together.
Lee
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Well, if you build a brand new layout, please retro Loopty-Loop back to what it was, it's got character. You could leave one interchange track to the New Layout for access, but for all intents and purposes it would be a small RR connected to a major one -- it could keep "its" equipment online in the holding tracks. Maybe a sleeper that was left on the station track overnight is forwarded on to the BIG Layout and a Big City. I really love that little layout. I like Chris333's small Erie layout too.
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Time to make with the Dremel tool!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/46/9-130225183902.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=46308)
Lee
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Started tearing up the place earlier this evening.
A short time later
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/46/9-130225232517.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=46309)
By 11 p.m. trains were running again.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/46/9-130225232643.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=46310)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/46/9-130225232807.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=46311)
Lee
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That first picture looks like Appalachia after one of our rainstorms.
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Really... except the bridge is still there!
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It's now Retro+ Layout.
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We don't always lose the bridges, especially the older stone and concrete ones. Often we just have to remove the mud and debris from them.
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I feel an old school control panel coming on!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/46/9-150225220522.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=46329)
Lee
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Oh, man! I was just perusing some 1965 issues of Model Railroader and was reminded of the complex block wiring we used to have to do. Good luck!
DFF
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I feel an old school control panel coming on!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/46/9-150225220522.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=46329)
Lee
Hey, if you'd like a shitload of DPDT heavy-duty toggle switches I've got ones I've been hanging onto for some reason. Let me know if you want them.
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I feel an old school control panel coming on!
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/46/9-150225220522.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=46329)
Lee
Dual cab control that'll get used once then never again? I've done that for a client once.
@EL3632 and @VonRyan know who I'm talking about.
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I’m so glad I went DCC, almost pulled the pin on 18 new DPDT switches to wire for dual cab block control….
Post some pics of your Retro Control Panel when you get there!
Brent
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I just got 25 DPDTs, but I only expect to use a handful of them.
The first thing I have to do diagram the track plan to see how complex I need to make it.
The big Chonky SPSTs are to control the 5 yard tracks on the upper yard. Having been an English Major, it always take a bit of head scratching to sort it all out, but I usually start with what I need the tracks to do, then set up the blocks accordingly. As for style points, I'm not really going for any. Here's what my present control panels look like:
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/46/9-170225122006.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=46336)
I'd like to try to work the new block switches into these, although I'll need to build a new one to operate the upper yard.
As it stands, there will be only a few blocks, each of the four tracks through the passenger station, the two wye tracks leading into the yard, and the bits of main line between the new double crossover, the wye, and the station tracks.
I expect the usual process of trial and error, the "AHA" moment where it all becomes clear (usually at 3 a.m. when I have a meeting in the morning) followed by the feverish work session to get it all wired. This of course will be followed by the mystery short, the exploration of everything possible I could have done wrong, and the eventual discovery of the absolutely last thing I check for errors. Depending on the time and day of this discovery, there may be pot of black coffee or a fifth of brown liquor applied smooth the rough edges, and finally, at long last, trains will again be running.
No problem, right?
Lee
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Upper yard run around is installed.
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/46/9-170225230028.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=46370)
Next up the three tail tracks followed by wiring.
Lee
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/46/9-170225230100.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=46371)