Tehachapi, BC

[JSL]

One word! Fabulous!

[Smike]

Now back to track-laying!

That is pure art.

[GaryHinshaw]

Thanks guys.  I neglected to mention that I adopted the staggered joiner method that David noted upstream, and it's the bomb.   Even with the track just resting in place, the joints are smooth enough to pass the solo truck test, and virtually invisible.  I highly recommend it.

-gfh

[ednadolski]

Now back to track-laying!

That is pure art.

+1!   Even at the 'just plywood' stage, you can tell it's going to be like an awesome Roger Snyder shot: http://www.railpictures.net/images/d1/7/3/3/3733.1336574017.jpg

Ed

[ednadolski]

The curve between Cameron and Monolith is 18" on a 2.2% grade, and it currently has no super-elevation.  Here is my first encounter with string-lining in this curve:



It's a new BLMA 89' flat at the head end of a 22 car train.  FWIW, an MT 89' flat in the same position in the same train shows no tendency to string-line (same for a Red Caboose auto-rack).  Why is that??  The cars have almost identical mass, length, wheel-base, etc.  As much as I hate to admit it, my theory is body-mount couplers.

So in this picture, the locos and the uphill direction are both off to the right -- is that correct?

I may have overlooked something, but what happens if you put an autorack (or the Frankenflat) between the two cars in this pic?

[GaryHinshaw]

Hi Ed, I saw that Roger Snyder shot last night and smiled.  Now I know where to put every tree.   

You are correct about the orientation of the photo.  I think substituting any car with a truck-mount for the spine would produce the same result.  I should try substituting a body-mount there to see if that helps.  But clearly some restriction will be needed.  That's alright though.

BTW, I wired up half of the Loop last night and ran a 10-car auto rack train part way through.  Yum!

[GaryHinshaw]

The first test run around the Loop -- 4 units hauling a 14' rack train without incident:

[Same as posted to WU - put here for posterity.]  Wish I had sound like that in reality!

[Bendtracker1]

Oh man!  That looks like it's going to be a lot of FUN!

Nice Gary, very nice!

[ednadolski]

The first test run around the Loop -- 4 units hauling a 14' rack train without incident:

Wow, that looks awesome!   Almost a dead ringer for the autorack train I caught on the Loop about 7 or 8 weeks ago!   

Wish I had sound like that in reality!

Don't we all!   Onboard loco sound decoders in N have a long way to go, so I had always thought that maybe I could put something o my iPod and play it back on the small set of Bose speakers....

[Spades]

Wow, that looks awesome!   Almost a dead ringer for the autorack train I caught on the Loop about 7 or 8 weeks ago!   
Don't we all!   Onboard loco sound decoders in N have a long way to go, so I had always thought that maybe I could put something o my iPod and play it back on the small set of Bose speakers....

For some sound options try Lance Mindheim blog: http://www.lancemindheim.com/blog.htm  His  September 2011 entry tells of mounting speaker and an old soundtrax decoder for under the layout sound.  By April 2012 he refined the system to utilize wireless head sets.

Greg

[GaryHinshaw]

Someone was just telling me about Lance's headset idea.  That is a clever approach.  I really can't get over how much the soundtrack (and scale speeds) add to an otherwise shaky and blurry video clip.  This layout is becoming more fun than one man should be allowed to have.

-gfh

[James Costello]

We need a mind-blown emoticon. Very nice Gary!

[ednadolski]

We need a mind-blown emoticon.

As long as it isn't combined with the AH one....   

[shark_jj]

Hi Gary, just catching up on this thread and the layout is looking great.  Quick question for you and David Smith, I noted a few posts back you talked about offsetting the joints by about 15 to 20 ties on curves.  Am I to correctly assume that you are threading the rail on the one side, through the tie plates and then undercutting the two or three tieplates where the joiner will sit? 

[DKS]

Hi Gary, just catching up on this thread and the layout is looking great.  Quick question for you and David Smith, I noted a few posts back you talked about offsetting the joints by about 15 to 20 ties on curves.  Am I to correctly assume that you are threading the rail on the one side, through the tie plates and then undercutting the two or three tieplates where the joiner will sit?

Yes and no. Rails are slid through the ties. But no rail joiners.