Rokuhan dual gauge expiriment

[randgust]

OK, so those of you that have seen my Nn3 test track on the T-trak module saw a loop of Rokuhan on a triple.  Not very inspirational, but useful.

My actual intent is to have a little operating module of the small McCabe Lumber Mill near West Hickory, that only existed for a few years but hosted a 36" Climax A.

On the model, the usual two-track main across at T-trak module.   In order to load any lumber out of the mill though, a siding needs to be beside the mill.  But that's where my loop of Nn3 is.

So, I need a little bit of dual gauge trackage, and a single-point switch.   It's a low-priority project.    I just got some additional Rokuhan Z sectional track and as an experiment, tried to make a section of dual-gauge by adding a third rail for standard gauge. rather than adding an internal rail to N track.   The rail is smaller, and the primary track through there is already Rokuhan.    The surprise is that I think it will actually work.    I Zona-sawed the edge of the ballast section off right at the edge of the tie plate, and cut a third rail in the gauge side of another piece and glued them up, using an MT gauge as a jig to hold it while drying.



I've got a medium switch to tinker with too, for the single switchpoint.  More about that later.  But first step was about a foot or so of dual-gauge siding, and that much looks like it will work just fine.

Yeah, there's a lot of skill out there for handlaid and precise dual-gauge trackwork, my attempts to handlay track have been pretty much failures and have not held up, I want something that can take more of a beating.  This is just another way to do it, and may encourage somebody else to expiriment.

[Dave V]

Well done!

[narrowminded]

Randy sees no obstacles.     Very creative!

[nkalanaga]

OK!  I've laid dual-gauge track in N scale, but never thought of doing it with roadbed-style sectional track.  Clever!

If all you need to do is separate the gauges, you can use a no-point "switch".  I have one, that works fine, and the D&RGW had several.  It looks like a dual-gauge turnout, but without the point.  The rail where the point should be tapers to a point, leaving a flangeway for the other gauge to pass through.  A guardrail on the opposite side makes sure the diverging train goes the right way.

I suspect, though, that with your kitbashed track, using a regular point is probably simpler.

[Chris333]

You could probably zip that right to size on a table saw.

[randgust]

I think the kerf on my B&D overhead radial 10" is wider than the gauge difference!   A zona saw cuts through that stuff pretty easily, for what little I have to do here.

Next surprise was that I rolled a pizza-cutter equipped boxcar on the N scale gauge and it didn't touch the ties.....  Remember I'm also a Peco C55 guy.   

Because my dual-gauge siding is right next to a T-trak 'main line' an actual point turnout will also work as a derail.   At least that's my excuse, that's the way it would have been done anyway.   But disassembling and modifying one of those Rokuhan turnouts ought to be ...fun.    I'll take photos of the configuration here shortly, but job 1 was to even see if I could glue this stuff up to gauge.

My other brilliant idea for this module - during initial design, was a Nn3/N crossing, I cobbled it together, did not work very well at all as the Rokuhan tiny Z wheels would hit a gap drop like a pothole.  So we'll see how this does.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

You could probably zip that right to size on a table saw.

I was just about to volunteer some time on my mini-saw if Randy needs it. Just tell me where to set the fence and I'll be happy to blitz off whatever is needed.

That was immediately after I was going to say "GTFO with this dark magic".

[randgust]

OK, it works, mostly because I refused to do it any other way.   I'm sure I'll get more that a few 'it would have been easier on PCB ties with jigs' thoughts, but for me, it actually works.......

 

That's with old Quality Craft standard gauge log buggy next to a Showcase Miniatures Nn3 log buggy



I discovered that you simply can't get the points apart of a Rokuhan without breaking something, so I left them and decided, well, i needed a narrow gauge derail there anyway if it was thrown to the N side main line....yeah, that's it.   It's also a derail.....  But you know, grafting on the rail on the outside actually worked.  I glued it, ACC'd it, and added a layer of JB weld underneath, and to hold on the new standard gauge guard rail.

Wiring this thing is a challenge, because it's T-trak, and having to completely isolate the N from the Nn3, so the only rail that's really a mess is the 'north' rail that is both standard gauge and Nn3, that has to be put on a toggle switch for selection.   Oh, and yeah, the Rokuhan's are power routing and my Peco C55 is electrofrog, so, well, this takes a little bit of thought on how not to short out everything.....and add every possible place now you might need power or jumpers.

     

This actually does make sense because to 'load out' finished lumber I had to get a standard-gauge track to the inside of the mill, somehow.   But cutting and fitting that crossover, well, that was pretty much a bear.   I got it.   But I'm putting in all the additional power jumpers I can think of, and now I'll be prepainting the turnouts before I install them, too much chance of bunging them up later.  I've found that painting Kato Unitrak is more than practical, just a pain, Rokuhan is the same.   But I'm field-stripping everything I can off that turnout before I do.  Rokuhan uses springs on the bottom of the rail to connect to an internal power routing lever, quite clever, but you don't soak these in ballast glue.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

You are a certified madlad.

[narrowminded]

  Very clever, Randy!  

[nkalanaga]

Very interesting.  And, yes, if you need a derail anyway, the prototype would probably do just what you did.

My dual gauge was a lot simpler to wire, as the narrow and standard gauge rails are treated as one rail.

[randgust]

So the next challenge is painting these, as the uses of the track varies wildly.... I did this on the Trunkeyville module to a certain extent so that there was a great visual distinction between tracks.   If you look at the RH edge, that Kato turnout is painted like I'll do the Rokuhan track.
https://www.facebook.com/The-National-T-TRAK-Layout-785161841878142/photos/1185846675142988

Outer T-trak main = Peco C55 = ballasted PRR main line, PRR brown-gray ballast, gray painted ties, weathered.

Inner T-trak main = Peco C55 - secondary siding, cinder ballast, gray painted ties, weathered.

Dual-gauge siding (assuming had to be to standard gauge standards for service)  = Rokuhan dual-gauge hybrid, along with turnout.  Spray painted flat black roadbed to blend in with adjacent 'cinders', individually painted ties and rail.   Turnout same.

Nn3 logging trackage NOT on the dual gauge siding:  Ties on earthen roadbed, no ballast or cinder distinction.  All Rokuhan. Brownish-gray ties contaminated with dirt.   Actual logging line lasted less than 10 years at the most.   Likely track spray-painted earth color.

Tie colors on the logging line were never treated.  Sun-exposed untreated ties in this area tend to go grayish with brown weathering.  Rail colors lighter due to limestone/granite dusting on main line, more reddish-brownish deep rust on sidings without any traffic at speed.

Visually, you actually can get this stuff to look almost like handlaid track, but it's not particularly easy.   If you remember what John Sing did with ballasting Kato Unitrak, that's what got me inspired to try this.

Here, this shot of the Tionesta Valley shops and yard at Sheffield in 1941 made me feel much better about my mess.   Alamosa eat your heart out.
https://ngdiscussion.net/phorum/file.php?1,file=28024,in_body_attachment=1
Light ties, dirt and cinder ballast.

And, this local postcard to this project ..... my Hickory Valley.   That's not a guard rail, they had dual-gauge 48" and standard gauge as their first locomotive was a 48" 0-4-0.  Apparently this dual-gauge went to West Hickory, which meant there was three gauges there for a period; standard gauge, 48", and the 36" of McCabe Lumber.   The flood referenced in the postcard is the same one that wiped the McCabe mill out entirely and floated everything to Pittsburgh.
http://www.randgust.com/HVbridge1908.jpg

[nkalanaga]

48 inch?  I heard of one railroad, in Michigan I believe, that was 48.5", because the loco builder misread the order.  Instead of 4'8.5" they read it as 48.5", and it was cheaper to regauge the railroad than to rebuild the loco.  Obviously interchange wasn't an issue!

[randgust]

While it's possible to paint this track after installation, sometimes with sectional (and particularly turnouts) it's just easier to do as much as possible before installation.

As outlined above... the dual-gauge is a yard/loading siding, so the gray ballast with brown ties and silver rails doesn't make it.   I paint everything.   So here's the sequence for my 'yard tracks' and this applies for Kato unitrack as well as Rokuhan.   And I'll throw the Peco turnout in there too.

From right to left:

1)  Spray paint everything flat black for a cinder-based yard.
2)  Paint the ties - by hand - gray.   I like SP lettering gray, but that's your call.
3)  Weather the ties - I use MicroMark railroad tie and bridge stain 83760 gray brown and it's thin enough you may want to add a couple coats.  But application is not precise.
4)  Paint rail.   For yard tracks, I've got a lifetime supply of Floquil Roof Brown, and yes, I brush paint the rail on this stuff.



Note that I mask off where the rail joiners are going, after final assembly I VERY lightly touch up the rails.   

On the Peco turnout, that got the additional power jumpers to the points FIRST, then spray-painted light gray, ties weathered, and rail painted.   Electrofrog power routing.

Note that I've got feeders everywhere, soldered in, I'll record the colors, feed through the roadbed, and move on.

When I bring up cinders to the edge of these they really look good.   You don't have to live with yard track that looks like a main line in this stuff.

[ztrack]

Great job! What a cool concept and neat way to use the Rokuhan track system!