Weekend Update 9/2/12

[R L Smith]

Since it was a dreary Labor day, I had several hours to make more "puff-ball" trees for another 7' segment of layout.  Nothing like volunteering to participate in a layout tour to get one off the dime!  I have less than two weeks left to get ready.

It's always risky to post pix of "trees by the dozen" in the same thread with David Gray and Jim Reising's work, but here goes...

Initial row of WS tree kits:



My SO helped make the trees, so I got alot farther than I otherwise would have.  (Sorry guys, couldn't get her out from behind the camera.)





Hopefully this will look familiar to Erie / EL fans:







Ron

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Congrats! Now where's the video or it didn't happen, 

I had to iron out a short (this is what happens when I work on this stuff at 2am), but here it is tonight:

[bc6]

Ron the work youve done with the trees is freaking AMAZiNG!!!!!!!!!!!

Since it was a dreary Labor day, I had several hours to make more "puff-ball" trees for another 7' segment of layout.  Nothing like volunteering to participate in a layout tour to get one off the dime!  I have less than two weeks left to get ready.

It's always risky to post pix of "trees by the dozen" in the same thread with David Gray and Jim Reising's work, but here goes...

Initial row of WS tree kits:



My SO helped make the trees, so I got alot farther than I otherwise would have.  (Sorry guys, couldn't get her out from behind the camera.)





Hopefully this will look familiar to Erie / EL fans:







Ron

[GaryHinshaw]

Gary,

No, I don't mind at all.  Posting photos and explaining what I'm doing is my way of getting a hopefully better way of making turnouts made public and overcoming some common problems that exist with nearly every one made.

...

Cheers!
Bob Gilmore.

Thanks for the detailed response Bob.  For what it's worth, I have not had any shorting problems either, but  I note that it's a theoretical possibility with all those PC ties.  I think careful dressing and paint is sufficient to mitigate that though. 

Thanks for the rail base drilling tips.  The trick for me is starting the hole without having the bit walk; I'll try your methods.   One more related question if I may: one reason I went with one soldered throwbar is lateral stability of the point.  When I tried using wire through a base hole, the points would not stay vertical very reliably.  I'm guessing you must have the wire pinning the base of the point rail to the throwbar pretty firmly?  Do you have any challenges keeping the points vertical with your scheme?

Cheers,
Gary

P.S. I've been out of town, so no progress for me; but I'm impressed with all the contributions this week!  davidgray1974: your scene is a real showpiece!  I'd forgotten that its genesis was covered in an Engineering thread.  Are you still planning to include the staging yard in your layout?

[sizemore]

Really like the pull out tray for the Digitrax throttle.  I think this is a great way to keep it stored away.  Will definitely use this idea on my layout.

Thanks! I somewhat threw this together while in the hardware store. If I had it to do again, I'd probably build the physical shelf a little differently.

The S.

[Smike]

I had to iron out a short (this is what happens when I work on this stuff at 2am), but here it is tonight:

Nice! But there is some strange lights being reflected off the cars as they go buy, is that possibly from “Curiosity” the recently arrived MARS exploration vehicle that’s been roaming around?

[M.C. Fujiwara]

Lots of groovy work this week!

Last week on the Free-moN return loop I went from bare ply to running trains.
This week I got 90% of the scenery done, including 4 time-consuming oaks & 5 scratched buildings:









More picts (too many?) over on the layout report thread.
Cheers!

[unittrain]

I had to iron out a short (this is what happens when I work on this stuff at 2am), but here it is tonight:

I really like the track side perspective with the train approaching down the staight away. This will be over the top when the scenery is done.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I really like the track side perspective with the train approaching down the staight away. This will be over the top when the scenery is done.

Thanks! That's what I'm hoping.

I also realized I gotta get a new video camera

[VonRyan]

Nice oak trees! What method did you use to make those, and what did you use for foliage?

-Cody F.

[M.C. Fujiwara]

That's the abridged version.
There's a three-part, 30-minute step-by-step on my YouTube Channel if you have insomnia 

[VonRyan]

Looks like i'll be making some trees today and tomorrow afternoon.

-Cody F.

[alhoop]

Al could you have put it to the left of the door and added a ladder or grabs ?

Could have mounted it to the left of the door. It was a fathers day gift and I doubt the
kids would know which side it should go on, they just wanted it mounted on the building,
It was enough work cleaning. priming and painting - I think it even spent some time buried.
Just glad to get it up out of the way - it will bark your shins.

Al

[Dave Schneider]

Completed by gravel pad for the RR trailer. Moved 35 tons of gravel in all....it adds up fast! Got the trailer off the axles and onto RR ties! As an added bonus the faint smell of creosote greats you as you approach. I have the electrician scheduled to come tomorrow to put in the 50 amp service, but weather may delay that. Winds in Anchorage are forecast to be up to 70-100 mph this afternoon...slightly lower near my house!  The NWS suggests that people secure loose debris, but that is how most of us clean out our yards. This will be a good weather test for the Beer Line!



Best wishes, Dave

[robert3985]

Thanks for the detailed response Bob.  For what it's worth, I have not had any shorting problems either, but  I note that it's a theoretical possibility with all those PC ties.  I think careful dressing and paint is sufficient to mitigate that though. 

Thanks for the rail base drilling tips.  The trick for me is starting the hole without having the bit walk; I'll try your methods.   One more related question if I may: one reason I went with one soldered throwbar is lateral stability of the point.  When I tried using wire through a base hole, the points would not stay vertical very reliably.  I'm guessing you must have the wire pinning the base of the point rail to the throwbar pretty firmly?  Do you have any challenges keeping the points vertical with your scheme?

Cheers,
Gary

Gary,

One of the problems I had with the tri-planed Proto87 Stores points, which are HO scale, is that if I want the length to be correct for my shorter turnouts (such as my #4 Wye), the points do not have an intact rail-foot to hold them upright anywhere on their length. 

So, I had a choice, to make them much longer than prototype practice for stability, or figure a way to get them to stay upright and keep them the correct length.

With my wire method...particularly iteration #2 which involves soldering the .015" rod/wire to the top of the PCB throwbar, I bend the wire on the bottom of the PCB throwbar first, then bend the wire running through the hole drilled into the remnant of the foot of the rail on the top surface of the PCB throwbar,  very tightly against the rail, and hold it with the square end of a rectangular jeweler's file when I solder it to the PCB throwbar.

However, if you're going to use Andy's point hinge etchings, I believe soldering the points to a PCB throwbar, with a pin going through it like I produce, would probably be robust, since there is no rigid parallelogram to break the solder joints.  The soldered points, combined with the PCB throwbars would form an elongated and rigid "C" or "[", and since the Proto87 Stores hinges allow the point rails to travel minutely parallel to the stock rails, there is very little torsion on the solder joints. 

I'd go for it from a durability standpoint.  Adding the wire through the holes adds mechanical advantages, and a more prototypical look.

If you're using Andy's tri-planed closure points, I'd go with the wire reinforcements, since there is very little "foot" left after the points are milled/planed for solder to stick to, even with your fillet of solder.

No...I don't have any problems with keeping the point rails vertical. But, it is necessary to have tight tolerances between the holes and wire, as well as the bends being tight.   Also, having two throwbars helps too.

Cheers!
Bob Gilmore