Oh no! I'm Having THOSE Kinds of Thoughts Again!

[davefoxx]

I reckon you're going to want dirt samples, aren't you?

I don't necessarily need actual dirt samples.  However, since I will soon be looking to hide the foam color soon, a couple of photographs that might give me an idea of the proper color of the earth in the sandhills area (obviously sandy soil) would be helpful.  I'll use those pictures to help me determine the paint color for my base scenery (and likely my fascia color).

Thanks,
Dave Foxx

EDIT:  Oh yeah, a couple of clear shots of the right of way to give me guidance on ballast color would be very useful, too.  Besides weeds, is there any difference in the ballast colors of CSX, NS, A&R, or L&S?

[davefoxx]

Noticeable progress on the A&R has come to a screeching halt.  I'm having significant trouble with Atlas curved turnouts.  There are a number on my layout that are both narrow and wide in gauge, causing all sorts of tracking problems.  I have had to remove spikes to narrow the gauge on the portion between the points and the end of the turnout, and I have had to do some "tweaking" on the points to widen the gauge (which is risky because they're fragile).  I'm not finished to my satisfaction, because I'm still getting occasional derailments.  Also, while I can't attribute derailments to the frogs yet, Fox Valley wheelsets "hop" through the frog, because the flange is shallower than the depth of the frog.

I won't be satisfied until I can run for a long time without derailment, e.g., I used to let a train run on the Virginia Central often while I was on the treadmill for 45-60 minutes and sometimes even longer.  I have more work to do to get to that point.

[93cram]

Sorry to hear you have issues with those curved c55 turnout Dave 
Have you posted on the Atlas forum to know whether other modelers experienced similar troubles ?

Anyway, you're entirely right not wanting to go forward on your layout lest the derailing problems are fully resolved 

Marc

[Bob Bufkin]

Dave

Don't know if it's been mentioned or not but Trains special Locomotive 2010 has an article on the A&R "Stronghold in the Sandhills".  Nice article.

Bob

[davefoxx]

Dave

Don't know if it's been mentioned or not but Trains special Locomotive 2010 has an article on the A&R "Stronghold in the Sandhills".  Nice article.

Bob

Hi, Bob,

That very article was the inspiration for my waffling and deciding to build a HCD based on the Aberdeen & Rockfish RR.  It is a great article and was alone worth the price of the magazine.

Merry Christmas,
Dave

[davefoxx]

Sorry to hear you have issues with those curved c55 turnout Dave 
Have you posted on the Atlas forum to know whether other modelers experienced similar troubles ?

Anyway, you're entirely right not wanting to go forward on your layout lest the derailing problems are fully resolved 

Marc

No, I haven't posted over on the A-board yet with these issues.  I'll do so now.

DFF

[davefoxx]

Originally posted by Cory Rothlisberger
Dave, how do the point rails look to you? Do they look consistent from one turnout to the next? There has been a rare instance in the past where the factory put the wrong point in the wrong mount. If you could, shoot some pictures over to my email. I'd like to figure this one out!

Cory Rothlisberger
Product Development
Atlas Model R.R. Co.

I received the above response from Cory Rothlisberger at Atlas over on the A-board.  I promised to send him photos within the next few days around the holidays to document what I'm experiencing.  I'll keep you all posted, too.

DFF

[John]

Noticeable progress on the A&R has come to a screeching halt.  I'm having significant trouble with Atlas curved turnouts.  There are a number on my layout that are both narrow and wide in gauge, causing all sorts of tracking problems.  I have had to remove spikes to narrow the gauge on the portion between the points and the end of the turnout, and I have had to do some "tweaking" on the points to widen the gauge (which is risky because they're fragile).  I'm not finished to my satisfaction, because I'm still getting occasional derailments.  Also, while I can't attribute derailments to the frogs yet, Fox Valley wheelsets "hop" through the frog, because the flange is shallower than the depth of the frog.

I won't be satisfied until I can run for a long time without derailment, e.g., I used to let a train run on the Virginia Central often while I was on the treadmill for 45-60 minutes and sometimes even longer.  I have more work to do to get to that point.

I have 4-6 of these on my new section .. I will check them all with a guage tonight .. this worries me also, since several of these are on the main ..

[DKS]

Oh dear. I feel somewhat responsible for all of this trouble. I hope a relatively simple "cure" can be devised, as these switches are a real godsend for small track plans, and I'm using them on an increasing basis.

[Bob Bufkin]

Saw that reply from Cory and am impressed that Atlas is seeking answers to your problems in such a fast manner.  Wish all manufacturers were this way.
 

[davefoxx]

Oh dear. I feel somewhat responsible for all of this trouble. I hope a relatively simple "cure" can be devised, as these switches are a real godsend for small track plans, and I'm using them on an increasing basis.

David,

You're not responsible at all.  If you remember my very crude drawing of the A&R done with a Sharpie that I posted and which initiated your much appreciated assistance, this is my own doing.  I always knew I would use curved turnouts, because they can be sooooooooo space-saving.  Even if I have to continue to "tweak" or end up replacing them, there's no way I want to build this layout without curved turnouts.  The design just won't work.

DFF

[davefoxx]

I have 4-6 of these on my new section .. I will check them all with a guage tonight .. this worries me also, since several of these are on the main ..

John,

I hope you have better luck than me.

DFF

[davefoxx]

Oh no!  I'm having MORE of THOSE kind of thoughts again!  Follow me on this one.  You may recall that Atlas' new curved turnouts are giving me fits.  I'm really frustrated that I have a new layout that will not run reliably.  So, I'm considering tearing out the code 55 track on everything but the Seaboard System mainline, the Southern Ry. interchange, and the joint SBD-SOU-A&R yard and replacing it with handlaid code 40 track.  Not only would this distinguish the rail differences between the Class 1s and the short line A&R, but I could get rid of the track that's driving me crazy.

Problem #1: I have spent a serious chunk of cash on the code 55 track.  I hate to eat it, and I doubt that Atlas is going to give me a refund.  Although, now that I think about it, I believe that I would be tearing out less than half of my code 55 purchase.  Maybe the problem of sunk costs is not so bad, but I'll still have the costs to purchase the new track materials and tools.  That, and my wife may kill me.

Problem #2: I have never handlaid N scale track, and I have never built a turnout in any scale, especially curved turnouts, of which I would need a handful to replace the code 55 turnouts.  However, Chris333's excellent curved turnout that he custom built for me has long been an inspiration to me to give handlaid track a try.  If I go this route, what tools will I need and how expensive will the initial outlay of cash be to replace the track on one-half of my HCD layout (the Raeford side)?  I might consider a FastTracks template, if one is built to the radii of Atlas' curved turnouts.  Is this crazy to consider this much handlaid track when I have practically no experience at it?

I appreciate your comments.

Thanks,
DFF

[Dave V]

Dave,

I would go for it.  Get the FastTracks jig.  The good news is that they're all the same geometry, just left and right versions, so replacing them should require just the one jig.  I bought some pre-made ones, and while I was working with them I managed to damage both of them (though my own incompetence), and ended up having to do some of the soldering myself to repair them.  So it's not as bad as all that.

Maybe you can ask Jerry how he got Atlas to settle with him after his Eastern Region track went bad.

I'm disappointed that Atlas' c55 turnouts have been so plagued with trouble.  I may consider when it's time to build the "big one" building my own FastTrack turnouts if Atlas hasn't worked out the QC by then.

[DKS]

Dave, why throw the babies out with the bathwater? If the problems are just with the curved switches, then why not hand-lay only them, instead of everything? Anyway, Code 55 rail will be a bit more forgiving than Code 40 for a first-timer.

You don't need a huge pile of tools to hand lay track. The most important tool is a thermostatted soldering iron with a pencil tip. You'll also need a couple of track gauge tools. The rest is run-of-the-mill stuff--needle nose pliers, flush cutters, jeweler's files, and so on. A small smooth-jaw vice makes it easier to file the points and frog parts--a Pana-Vice with steel jaws would do, although there are alternatives.