City Belt Line (N-scale )

[Ted Thorson]

Really nice work.

[jagged ben]

Agree.  Hope you are noticing the upvotes even when there aren't replies.  This is fun to watch.

[Slim Rail Mike]

Testing and adjusting track work. (Playing with trains.)

The photos show up the flaws that my eyes miss.
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The flat is derailed
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There were a few derailments, need to more carefully check the track with the nmra gauge. Used some three point gauges the lay the rail, they are right at the minimum, thus there must be tight spots.  Motive power was the trusty 0-5-0. When there is juice to the rails the testing will be more fun.

Set up all the sections of this module today. Found the wooden legs are both heavy and fiddly to adjust. Removed the legs from the "Pier" and "Yard lead" sections. I'll try using adjustable paint roller handles for legs if they can be found relatively cheap.

[Slim Rail Mike]

It is Spring and my seedling module is sprouting roots. 

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Fixed the tight spots, cars roll on and off the ferry without issue. As can be seen attached feeder drops to the track. Can't wait to run a loco and some cuts of cars over this.

[Slim Rail Mike]

Made some down and dirty manual turnout throws out of slide switches. Got power to the rails.

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The loco can move cuts of cars to all of the ferry's tracks. Through the turnouts every body stays on the rails, even though there are some rough spots to deal with.

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I kept hearing sounds like equipment dragging on the ties. I'd stop and check, no derailment.???

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Well there are a couple of issues with the dolphins that will protect the apron lift gantry. There isn't enough clearance and some cars are rubbing against the pilings. That was the sound I was hearing. I'll try sanding them back and see how that looks, before more radical surgery.

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The other issue is the starboard turnout is so far forward and so sharp that, 50' cars almost capsize against the dolphin. I don't think I can create enough clearance to solve this. We'll see. One issue at a time.

[Slim Rail Mike]

5/16

   The pier section is done for the moment. I’ve lifted the rails, to paint them, and add the wooden ties. When the next section is along enough to operate, I’ll come back and permanently secure the pier and track work down to the module.

   Track laying on the next section, starting with the Boat yard ladder, is under way. I like working at the bench where I have magnification, and the tools at hand. On the layout the Fast Track templates are covered with packing tape, so they can be removed before the finished track is attached to the module. PCB ties are attached with pva (Elmers). Then the stock rail are soldered to the ties working just on the outside of the rails. The glue doesn’t hold well to the tape nor the ties. This makes removing the assembly to the bench easy.

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[Spades]

RS Mike

Great concept and modelling.  I don't know if you belong to Facebook and follow the Western Pacific Railroad Group,  Rob Sarberenyi posted a photo by Steve Vincent. Its shows Las Plumas and a couple of WP SW1500 at San Francisco's 25th Street Yard on July 14, 1975. There is a lot details in the photo.

[wazzou]

Post full-size photos at 1024x768.  I don’t know if you have a gallery here, but it’s easy.

[Slim Rail Mike]

@Spades Thanks for the lead to more info. Just requested to join the WP group.
@ wazzou Sure I'll try setting up a gallery.

[Slim Rail Mike]

5/27

    The work on the ladders continues. The boat yard ladder on the left is mostly done. Track on the right is the ladder to the classification tracks. The yard lead (drill track) is on a thin peninsula that sticks out into the bay.
 
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    I am still in learning curve for turnout building. I’m developing a work flow, to assembly-line the builds. Lining up the frog and the wings of the closure rails on some of the turnouts has been a hassle. Also when rolling cars through the turnouts the car dodges to the side just about at the point of the frog.
   Well I had an ah ha moment. Those frog points that the cars jogged on, were a much higher number than the #7 s I was trying to build. I had been pushing the rails too deep into the little fixture to hold the rail in place to solder. Thus pinching them to a higher number.


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   Made another fixture to add to my arsenal of jigs. My jig are, starting at the 10 o’clock position:
    Tubes to help cut, the correct length for each part.
    In the vise a block that the points and stock rails are filed on.
    The little frog point soldering jig.
    New new jig to make up the Frog/Closure rail assembly. The frog point filing jigs are on here too.

I added pictures to a gallery here on therailwire

[Slim Rail Mike]

Finished the nine turnouts on the east end of the module.

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Added wire drops to the frogs. Used #30 decoder wire to bond the points to the closure rails. The Plan is to feed power to just about every piece of track.

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There are a few switches with tight spots to adjust. The issue is mostly in the gauge at points or the flange way of the guard rail.

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All in all I feel as though some progress has been made. I’ll get the adjustments done and the rails powered. Then I’ll focus on some model building, and train running, before tackling the other end of the yard.

[Slim Rail Mike]

Changed out the legs from wood to ½ inch EMT. Made pockets to receive the EMT. There is a tee nut in the frame and a set screw that comes through the fascia. Drove a 3/8 inch nut into the end and secured it with a bead of JB Weld. The foot is a carriage bolt with a rubber chair foot on it. This is easier the set up and adjust than the wooden legs.
 
    Added a 2x2 aluminum L angle to each end of the center section, This to help line up the sections a bit more easily. It also allowed me to eliminate four legs, two on the yard lead and two on the pier sections, as they can rest on the angle iron. I suppose I could skip two more legs on the West End section, but it may make the module too wobbly.

    Faired the road bed at the section joints. Cut pcb the width of the ties and about 2 inches long, when filed ties into them, for diy end tie plates.

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   Followed M.C. Fugiwara’s suggestion it the video

/>of using a 0.020 styrene sheet between the clamped sections.

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Bridged the gap with the pcb end plates, glued them down, then spiked them with some G scale spikes. Used a diamond cut-off wheel in the dremel to cut the rail and tie plate. Then removed the styrene.

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    Now starting to wire up the turnouts, and make the slide switch ground throws.

[Ted Thorson]

That is a really neat trick.

[Slim Rail Mike]

Chaos to order. Worked on some wiring, it is not as pretty, like the work of some folk. Checked with a meter as each connection was made. Every rail is soldered to something, either a wire, or another track that is wired.

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Black = South rail.
White = North Rail
#12 Gauge Buss
#18 Gauge Sub-Buss
#24 Gauge Feeders.

[Slim Rail Mike]

Back on task, finially!

    The project was left with the most of the turnouts laid on the center section.




 Today was spent joyfully sliding ties under the said same turnouts. The ties on hand were Clover House old time switch ties. These redwood ties are a tad lower than the rail and have slightly smaller measurements than the Atlas flex track ties. After they are painted and buried in the yards ballast, I think they will blend in, well enough.



    Cleaned the track to run a loco back and forth. Electrical gremlins were at play while I was away. About half the tracks have no power. This is better than a short for sure. Something must have come lose. I’ll trace it down tomorrow.

    What else I found this past summer, is that all of the hobby shops I used to visit when I last build models were gone. I did find one hobby shop that had trains in my county. Poggies Trains in Rohnert Park. It is a small shop, but the folk are friendly, and they do have other hobby supplies if not a lot of N. I’ve stopped in a couple of times now. It is nice to check stuff out in person, and to talk to people.