Allegheny Eastern: Clean Slate

[Dave V]

You're absolutely right; roadbed on bridges should be installed prior to tracklaying in order to avoid damaging the track and maintaining a smooth surface.  My version of Spruce Creek before:



And over US 522...



Once your track is fixed, though, that will be a signature scene for your layout!  I can't wait to see it scenicked.  I love the superelevation on the curves!

[kelticsylk]

Daves...
I think that's a solder joint on the rear rail. It's not as smooth as it should be.

I worked on relaying the track today in between other jobs around the house. The track is fixed except for soldering the code 55 to the code 80. I haven't soldered it yet because of an idea I'm getting.

I wish I could have fit both ends of the tunnels in. I really like the way tracks 1 and 2 cross to the other side of the river and then cross again to the tunnels...

Since the mains run along the Juniata for a while in this area I think I'd like to create that. I just haven't figured it out yet. I could take out the bridge under tracks 1 and 2 and move it "east" under 3 and 4. Something like an opposite hand Spruce Creek...

Right now it looks something like this...

What I'd like to do...

It means more jigsawing, so if I go this way I'll have to pull up the track (yet again). I'll mock it up tomorrow and see what it looks like. Apparently planning the scenery is another thing I have to do hands on. Can't really see some of it in my head yet. I had thought I would start scenery from Gallitzin heading "east" . Spruce Creek was at the end of the list. I think I got caught up in it because it's one of the few areas on the layout with river and bridges.

Frank

[kelticsylk]

Just had to go in the garage for something and took a look at that corner of the layout. Not gonna work. I'd have to reallign a curve to a tighter radius and other work I don't think I should do. I think this is what that corner will look like...

Time for bed.

Regards,
Frank

[kelticsylk]

This morning I finished up repairing the track (our gandy dancers work on Sundays). Needs paint...

I also created a channel for the Juniata River...

Then I threw up a mock-up of Short Mountain, the "hill" the tunnels pierce to get a real idea of the scenery...

The summit is about 360 feet above the river and tracks or 27". Most of the layout will be sceniced like this. with Kittaning point being the highest at about 600 feet above the rails (almost four feet). Unfortunately, I can only go 36" because of the garage door opener. Don't think I can get away with removing that 

Regards,
Frank Musick

[Hornwrecker]

Something I've learned from making brass musical instruments: to leave a clean solder joint, wipe it with a Q-tip while the solder is still in its liquid phase.  If the solder is already cooled, apply a small amount of liquid flux with a brush, reapply heat, then wipe with the Q-tip.

(I use a torch to solder brass, and I've set many a Q-tip on fire when I get the timing a little bit off.  Oops)

[kelticsylk]

Never thought of using a q-tip. On plumbing joints I have used the rosin brush to smooth the liquified solder, but never on anything else. Never occurred to me. Good idea.

As far as the scenery goes, I was in the garage again and realized the door opener is not above The Curve. There's room in that area to go the full 45" if I want. Despite that I'm thinking that a continuous backdrop shouldn't be more that 36" high. I'll think about it. Backdrop isn't a priority at the moment.

Regards,
Frank

[kelticsylk]

Only a little progress over the last few days. Four tracks laid as far as East Altoona where the main line splits. We're looking east towards Spruce Creek. The tracks to the left are passenger mains (east and west) and go around the yards to Altoona depot. The tracks to the right are the freight mains. They go past the engine terminal (behind the camera) and into the yards...

Yuengling Brewery provides refreshment for our track gangs. Probably explains some of the wavy right of way.

This will be the location for the Antis interlocking and tower. I keep images of various spots along the right of way as a kind of inspiration. They also provide details for scenery construction...

Altoona Northern's FM switcher is temporarily assigned to track testing chores...

Regards,
Frank Musick

[kelticsylk]

Ah, the beauty of serendipity. I ran out of two things while laying the track west of Altoona. One was the thick paper I use to lift the two inner tracks above tracks 1 and 4. The second was foam ballast strip. I even used up the new 25' roll i recently purchased. This could be good news. It probably means the new main line is a lot longer than the previous incarnation. Hopefully I won't run out of code 55 flex track.

The serendipitous part is that I had more ballast strip, but didn't know it. I had several pieces of Woodland Scenics "Super Sheet" about 12" x 14". It's the same thickness as the ballast strip AND the paper put together. This means I could reclaim the ballast strip from the center tracks and use it to complete the outer two. By cutting the sheets into 2" strips I could make new ballast strips for the two center tracks that no longer needed to be shimmed up with paper. Better yet, there was enough of this stuff to do the entire layout!

Probably the hardest part was pulling up the ballast strip and removing the paper. Aleene's tacky glue is a bit stronger than you would think. Fortunately, it doesn't harden like white glue so it is a lot easier to pull things back up when you need to. I've already started to relay the ballast strips and didn't have to spend a cent.

Regards,
Frank Musick

[kelticsylk]

While tracks 1,2 and 3 were being completed the grandkids showed up. Under their sharp supervision we began a series of track tests on track #4. This is the only track at present that runs a complete circuit of the layout. There very few problems on the code 55 sections. Most of them appear to have been equipment issues like maladjusted couplers. We did find that the super-elevating of the curves at Gallitzin needed to be changed. The "shims" were placed directly under the rail. The super-elevation was too steep and many of the cars in the test train fell over. The super-elevation at Spruce Creek, where the "shims" were moved out to the ends of the ties worked fine. I removed the shims at Gallitzin for the time being.

The biggest issue we found was Track #4 though the helix. There were several rail joints that had sprung out of alignment. Unfortunately, with the helix assembled it was impossible to correct the problem. The best way to make the repair would be to disassemble the helix. This got me thinking.

I know somebody is gonna say "Should have planned it all out and built things right in the first place", but it doesn't work that way for me. I'm developing ideas and methods as I go and I don't mind redoing something if it doesn't work the way I think it should. So I decided to build a new helix. Disassembling the current one would probably result it wrecking it. Constructing a new one gives me the opportunity to make a few design changes. For one, I wasn't crazy about the finished product. I had to fudge quite a bit to make the current one work and knew it could be done better. Secondly, I had an idea that would make sure the curve radius had no variations and that the track stayed where it was supposed to.

The first thing I did was buy all new materials. I purchased three 4' x 8' sheets of 1/4" thick plywood underlayment. I had Lowes cut them into six 4' x 4' sections. I shouldn't need six, but from past experience a spare or two won't be a bad thing. I also purchased eight 1/2" diameter x 36" long hardwood dowels and three 10 foot lengths of 1/2" schedule 40 PVC pipe. I think the total cost of materials was around $50.

When I got all this stuff to my garage I stacked all the  4' x 4' plywood pieces and screwed them together at the corners. This will enable me to drill the holes in all six sheets at the same time. I started laying out the helix on the topmost piece. The most important part of this process is the "radial" lines that mark the support post centers. I established a center by drawing lines from opposite corners of the square sheet. Once I had established the center I then began to draw a line every 22.5 degrees. These are the radial center lines for the 32 posts that support the helix levels...

To draw the lines I used an adjustable drafting triangle and a metal straightedge. I lined up the triangle with the first lines I drew to find th center. As each new line was drawn I lined up on that one to create yet another. I did this until I had 16 lines radiating from the center of the sheet...

Before I drilled any holes in the plywood sheets I created a special tapered base for my router. The base is about 30" long. At one end are the mounting holes for the router. Along the rest of the base are a series of holes that will serve as pivot points for the radius of post hole and track centers. There are also pivot holes for the inside and outside circular cuts. The pivot holes are big enough for a pretty stout bolt...

I drilled a hole through the center of the stacked sheets. The bolt passes through whatever pivot I select on the router base and thru the center marked on the plywood.

I installed a 1/4" diameter cutting bit in the router (I would have gone with 1/8" if I hadn't broke that). I then starting routing using the different pivots on the router base. I started with the 24" radius at the outer edge and worked in towards the center.

I now had the locations for the track centers and the support post holes. I drilled out all 32 of the post holes with a 1/2" diameter boring flat bit...

As the drilling progressed around the stack, I test fit some of the posts...

After I had drilled all the post holes. I switched back to my router and installed a 3/4" diameter bit to cut slots for the code 80 flex track. The slot is about 1/16th of an inch deep (about the thickness of the ties) and a perfect fit for the tie strip on the track. The fit is so close that glue might not be necessary. Since, however, the whole idea of the slot is to keep the track where I want it, it will be glued in place...

With the machining of the first sheet done and the track test fitted into the slots, I can start on the other sheets. More on this later.

Regards,
Frank Musick

[MichaelWinicki]

Frank, I admire your dogged stubborness when it comes to this helix.


But I think you've pretty much convinced me that if I ever need a helix, I'm going to either have someone make it for me or I'm getting one of those off ebay or out of MR.  LOL!

[kelticsylk]

But I think you've pretty much convinced me that if I ever need a helix, I'm going to either have someone make it for me or I'm getting one of those off ebay or out of MR.  LOL!

I know it looks like a ton of work (especially since this is the third try), but the only tough part is laying out the degree radial lines at 22.5 degrees. The router makes the rest of the work pretty easy. With that base as a guide, you just push the router around the plywood (make sure you fasten the pivot bolt first  ). I made a test route first so I could see if it all worked out, but I really didn't need to. I could have just used the router base as a compass of sorts and drawn lines.

The drilling was straight forward too. I just had to make sure the holes were where they should be, something that didn't happen on the earlier versions. I had all kinds of trouble with posts out of line. I even broke a couple. The other thing I'm doing at assembly this time is keeping each level in the same orientation as they were in the stack. This will help just in case some of the post holes are off center.  Once I get all the levels machined I will cut the joints all at the same time so they actually match up. The key to getting it right is to do all the holes slots and joints before the final cuts that make the circular shape (famous last words).

Hopefully I will get a well built, good looking and trouble free helix.

Frank

[LKOrailroad]

Curious about the geometry. Since a helix is not really a circle but rather a circle on an inclined plane, isn't there going to be a slight radius error introduced by routing exact circles on a flat board? On a helix the Pi*D=circumference measurement doesn't hold true. Mention only because would really hate to see you forced into attempt #4.

[davefoxx]

I think LKO railroad is on to something there in the previous post.  So, probably the biggest improvement that you can make to your helix is to solder your rail joints to make smooth curves.  That's really the best way to prevent the kinks that are dogging you.

Look at the rail joint at bottom right in the picture below (easily spotted with the missing ties).  I soldered this rail joint before bending the track to the final shape, and this made for a smooth curve throughout.  I don't know your skills with a soldering iron, but, if you're hesitant, remember the joints don't have to be pretty in the helix, just smooth.



Hope this helps,
Dave Foxx

[GaryHinshaw]

The radius of the helix is unaffected by the incline, but the total path length required to complete a single loop is a bit longer by the quadrature sum of the flat circumference, C, and the elevation change per loop, Z:

L = SQRT(C² + Z²)

For a 20" radius we have C=125.6"; add a 2.5" elevation gain per loop, and we get

L = SQRT(125.6² + 2.5²⁾ = 125.62"

So yes, the actual path required is longer, but only by 0.02" (corresponding to .07 degrees of extra arc).  I suspect this is within Frank's error budget.

I admire your tenacity Frank.  I hope this version is a keeper.

[DKS]

The radius of the helix is unaffected by the incline, but the total path length required to complete a single loop is a bit longer by the quadrature sum of the flat circumference, C, and the elevation change per loop, Z:

L = SQRT(C² + Z²)

For a 20" radius we have C=125.6"; add a 2.5" elevation gain per loop, and we get

L = SQRT(125.6² + 2.5²⁾ = 125.62"

So yes, the actual path required is longer, but only by 0.02" (corresponding to .07 degrees of extra arc).  I suspect this is within Frank's error budget.

I admire your tenacity Frank.  I hope this version is a keeper.

Spoken (or rather posted) like a true RW .