Tehachapi Loop II

[jagged ben]

Love that site.

So you're layout will be pre-2005?  Or post 2004?  (i.e. where will the east signal for Walong Main be?  )   

[GaryHinshaw]

What about this one?    How are you planning to detect the mains?

RE the helix, how visible/accessible is it in general?  Can you see it over the top of your backdrop, or easily duck under to see it?  It might not be worth the trouble to set up all those sensors, but it would be cool.  If you went with current sensing, you could get by with fewer sensors, at the cost of equipping your cars with with some 10K wheels.  I love the prototypical aspect of current sensing though.

[ednadolski]

So you're layout will be pre-2005?  Or post 2004?  (i.e. where will the east signal for Walong Main be?  )   

Nominally it will be Spring 2004, since that is one of the times that I got to visit the loop.  So that means the signal would be between the main & the siding (the taller version)

However I am still planning to allow post-2004 engines and rolling stock...  gotta have those ES44s and SD70Aces!   

What about this one? 

That one won't actually be represented on the layout, since I have the South Woodford switch there.   I would really have liked to include that segment,  but I would have had to remove a wall and intrude well into the finished area of the basement.... 

How are you planning to detect the mains?

Either optical or current sensing, I still have to decide.   I'm sure either could work, but I'm not crazy about the idea of visible sensors,  nor am I too enthusiastic about the idea of installing resistor wheelsets on too many cars.   Perhaps current sensing is easier with mid- and rear-end DPUs, but not all trains on Tehachapi have those.   I am not planning for any 'night' operating, so at the least there will always be sufficient ambient light to operate optical sensors.

RE the helix, how visible/accessible is it in general?  Can you see it over the top of your backdrop, or easily duck under to see it?  It might not be worth the trouble to set up all those sensors, but it would be cool.  If you went with current sensing, you could get by with fewer sensors, at the cost of equipping your cars with with some 10K wheels.  I love the prototypical aspect of current sensing though.

The backdrop will go up to about 90" height, so the heilx will be totally out of view.   I was also considering perhaps a few web cams, but since it is 4 tracks wide in there, the middle tracks would be mostly obscured.   I'm planning to breadboard a couple of very simple detector circuits and try them out on my existing helix.


Ed

[GaryHinshaw]

Either optical or current sensing, I still have to decide.   I'm sure either could work, but I'm not crazy about the idea of visible sensors,  nor am I too enthusiastic about the idea of installing resistor wheelsets on too many cars.   Perhaps current sensing is easier with mid- and rear-end DPUs, but not all trains on Tehachapi have those.

I really like the prototypical aspect of current sensing with resistor equipped wheels, and that approach just got a whole lot easier with the new FVM wheels.  But you really do need the cars to be equipped to make it work authentically.

The backdrop will go up to about 90" height, so the heilx will be totally out of view.   I was also considering perhaps a few web cams, but since it is 4 tracks wide in there, the middle tracks would be mostly obscured.   I'm planning to breadboard a couple of very simple detector circuits and try them out on my existing helix.

I think optical sensing could work perfectly well here, but I  personally like to be able to see the trains in situations like that, especially if I'm running helpers there.  Regardless of how well executed the plan is, you'll have the occasional string-line, spontaneous uncoupling, etc.  In the Vortex, I have enough vertical clearance that I can see the middle track pretty well.  If your plan is similar, a webcam might give you more piece of mind.

I would really have liked to include that segment,  but I would have had to remove a wall and intrude well into the finished area of the basement.... 

Sounds like a win-win situation.

[ednadolski]

Looks like I am overdue for an update on this.

I've been spending some time over the last couple of weekends (between snowstorms) outside on my driveway, generating copious amounts of sawdust with my router.   Over three sheets of plywood later, I've ended up with a stack of roadbed sections and other parts that will be going into my new helix.   Here is how they are looking:




The individual arc sections are 72 degrees each, so it takes five of them to make one full turn on the helix.  To join them, I will be using a slot cutter bit in the router to cut a 1/8" x 1/2" deep groove in the ends of each section, and join them together with 1/8" x 1" basswood splines.   More sawdust to come.... 


I've also completed the main construction for the curved turnouts that will sit at the top of the staging helix.  This is actually three consecutive curved turnouts all hand-built as a single piece.  This had the double benefit of reducing the number of joints, as well as allow me to save a bit of space by locating the turnouts closer together. I used the Fasttracks paper templates for the 30"/24" turnouts as a guide (tho I made up my own pattern for the PCB ties.   Since it is at the top of the helix it will go in last.  It's all code 55 rail, and the points are hinged with rail joiners:






Thanks for looking!


Ed

[Santa Fe Guy]

WOW
Rod.

[Chris333]

Love those turnouts 

[Scottl]

The first photo does not come up fully for me, but the turnouts make up for it.  Awesome!

[ednadolski]

Thanks amigos!    Scott, I bet that partial image is getting cached somewhere, try this link:  http://s119.photobucket.com/user/ednadolski/media/IMG_0840_1.jpg.html

Ed

[Bendtracker1]

Man! Those turnouts look awesome Ed.

[Cajonpassfan]

Holy crapski Edski, that's beautiful! ....and these are going to be HIDDEN on top of the helix just east of Tunnel 10?
Between you and Hinshaw, who painstakingly ballasts hidden trackage, I give up. I'm having enough trouble getting the VISIBLE part looking alright
Otto K.

[GaryHinshaw]

I expect no less from you Ed.    Are you going to gap those for block detection?

Seriously impressive work.

[bdennis]

Hmm very nice Ed.. Now there is a challenge..
Have been rolling my own #6's recently using the Fastracks Jig and am yet to try anything free hand.. Looks like time to give it a go.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Again, another reason you're "The good Ed".

[svedblen]

Very nice Ed!