The Transcontinental PRR

[eric220]

Good news and bad news. As I mentioned before, the grade actually does change at the transition to pick up an extra 1/8". Evidently that was set up as a 3% grade over two feet (the steep part on the uphill side of the transition). I dropped one of the anchor points 1/16", changing it to 2.5% over four feet. The change is visible, but I still think at least its severity is mostly an optical illusion.

The third level down, however, is badly warped, dipping significantly between anchors. Trains have traversed it with no problem, but that's an issue that needs addressing, and I'm not really sure what to do about it.

[eric220]

Eric, I have two leftover right #10's you can have if that would help. PM me if interested.
Oh, and there's one on feebay...
Otto K.

YES!

[OldEastRR]

Are there supports that attach to a vertical girder, under each of those plywood joints on the helix curve?

[eric220]

Yes. There is a metal plate under each joint connected to a threaded rod, and there are only two joints per turn, with two intermediate support plates on each side. The sag is occurring between one joint and the next plate.

[eric220]

Ran some trains today and made a video.

[Lemosteam]

Scha-WING!  dem trucks goin by!

[eric220]

@Lemosteam you know it! The other three will have to wait until Shapeways can print two more sets.

[Lemosteam]

Do you have any Lima P70's? If yes check the product discussion page...

[eric220]

@Lemosteam I saw that, and I do have a bunch of those cars that I was planning to upgrade. That is until the Bachmanns came along. Applying those damn stripes is a major intimidating factor. I've done them once, and I never want to do them again. The Bachmann cars are expensive, but they're RTR. With a simple truck upgrade, they're downright sexy. We'll see.

[wm3798]

Looks like it might be time to go the Blue Foam store!  I love the sweeping curves... better start building a few trees every night...

Lee

[Ed Kapuscinski]

better start building a few trees every night...

Dammit....

In other news, Eric, that looks great!! I'm really looking forward to seeing more scenery in place. Even if you have more construction to do, I highly recommend getting started.

Did you shoot that with your iphone? Something else?

[eric220]

Shot on iPhone!

Yeah, I've been thinking about some basic scenery. Even just land forms through Colorado would be nice. However, there's still a lot of electrical work to do in that area, and I need to plan how I'm going to access tortoises and wiring that will be buried.

[Philip H]

Shot on iPhone!

Yeah, I've been thinking about some basic scenery. Even just land forms through Colorado would be nice. However, there's still a lot of electrical work to do in that area, and I need to plan how I'm going to access tortoises and wiring that will be buried.

Throw vertically oriented pink foam up in Colorado and you'll have a good start.  Then get your dad and @Dave Vollmer to send you a couple boxes of decomposed granite from their backyards for initial ground cover. add about 9000 grass tufts from Scenic Express and call it good.

[eric220]

My dad actually has buckets of sifted dirt from the Great Dumont Dirt Pile. That's what he used on his railroad, and it's all sorted by material size!

Given that it's mine tailings, I'm not sure I really want to use it...

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Throw vertically oriented pink foam up in Colorado and you'll have a good start.  Then get your dad and @Dave Vollmer to send you a couple boxes of decomposed granite from their backyards for initial ground cover. add about 9000 grass tufts from Scenic Express and call it good.

Hell, just carve the foam, tack it together with a little hot glue and paint it tan.