The Transcontinental PRR

[eric220]

I moved the Amtrak trains up out of staging and onto the platform tracks.  I also moved the Pennsylvania Limited and the California Limited over to different tracks.  With the exception of the California Limited (the Con Cor Congo cars) this was all done with locomotive power.  Kato BL cars, superliners, and amfleets, as well as the Bachmann Acela and Con Cor lightweights all traversed the throat pushed and pulled with nary a hiccup.  Well, from a staying on the tracks standpoint.  There are a few dead spots in there, but I think that's mostly due to dirty track (I haven't given it a good cleaning since installing it).

The freight network is now clear of passenger trains.  Looks like it's about time to give the upper level local a go.

[packers#1]

Now that is going to be one HAWT photo location!

[John]

time for a camera car

[eric220]

time for a camera car

As per your request, please find enclosed one cab ride.

[glakedylan]

sweet! superbly sweet!
thanks for posting
Gary

[GaryHinshaw]

Very nice!  No selective compression required.

[C855B]

In my mind's eye I am so seeing the Pennsy-style dwarfs protecting each switch as we progress through the throat. That's in the plan, right?

[eric220]

In my mind's eye I am so seeing the Pennsy-style dwarfs protecting each switch as we progress through the throat. That's in the plan, right?

As soon as an RTR version comes out, I'm in for about 20 of them.

[C855B]

As soon as an RTR version comes out, I'm in for about 20 of them.

On second thought, maybe it was a dumb idea. I glanced at a few photos of PRR PL dwarfs, and in a    I realized they're only about 16" tall and wide. That's 0.1" to us. Not impossible, but a working model? Wow.

[peteski]

On second thought, maybe it was a dumb idea. I glanced at a few photos of PRR PL dwarfs, and in a    I realized they're only about 16" tall and wide. That's 0.1" to us. Not impossible, but a working model? Wow.

I think that even if the N scale version was 50-100% oversize, they would still look good.  The 0402 size LEDs are only 0.040" X 0.020". 

Too bad there aren't any slip switches in that complex track-work (I know, it wasn't meant to be).   The live-feed RF-System Lab camera is working nicely. 

[eric220]

I think that even if the N scale version was 50-100% oversize, they would still look good.  The 0402 size LEDs are only 0.040" X 0.020". 

Too bad there aren't any slip switches in that complex track-work (I know, it wasn't meant to be).   The live-feed RF-System Lab camera is working nicely. 

There's the link I posted to the guy that's making a European dwarf signal that would be a quite acceptable stand in. Unfortunately, it's a Shapeways shell, so I'd have to install the LEDs myself. One or two I might try. The number needed for the whole throat? I've got other projects to spend my time on.

The camera is indeed working nicely. I do think it's about time to get that external antenna. I'm also not happy with the system that I'm using to translate the analog signal to digital. It consistently makes the image darker than what I see when I just plug the receiver directly into a TV.

[C855B]

I think that even if the N scale version was 50-100% oversize, they would still look good.  The 0402 size LEDs are only 0.040" X 0.020". 

Even 0402s would be challenging at scale; don't discount thickness. The new Kingbright "Minikin-Air" series would work since they are only .008" thick, but you'd be stuck with amber since they don't have a white version yet.

The Shapeways close-enough find aside (do we know how big it is/isn't?), I would probably build it up as a wire-and-LED matrix, like my feeble attempts at rotary beacons (example). Then I'd fill-in with black paint, maybe fashioning a back out of .005 styrene. It would be passable especially if you wrangled the wires to represent the mounting ears and the center conduit, two wires per ear and one for the conduit.

I was thinking maybe going further and building a master for a resin mold to capture the visors that would accommodate the wire matrix - drop of resin in the tiny mold, push in the matrix, scrape the back flat. Challenge there would be light separation.

[John]

kudos on your track work

[DKS]

After all of that back and forth over the throat design, it sure came out superbly.

[eric220]

So far I am very happy with it. Many thanks for your help in the design, Mr. Smith!