discussion HO 80s/90s CSX, NS, & Conrail layout resurrection.

[boatman]

PaulE THIS is looking great i love a layout how you are doin this plenty of lines goin in all dirctions but a question please how wil you clean all this track as that was part of my nemis on my layout ?
chris

 

[minitnkr]

Rick, it's only 4% so I don't think I'll need helpers, but we will see. Chris, it's a dry basement which helps, the nickle is more tolerant than the brass & I'm not adverse to cleaning before sessions, but I'm more concerned with loco wheels which was a problem before. All the added detail to the locos makes a cradle or shell removal problematic. Before I added the detail it was easy to remove the shell, clip on some leads & throttle up w/cleaning rag applied to the turning wheels & presto clean wheels. PaulE

 

[Guest]

They look like re-railers to me John. In UK practice we used to build our own using plastic card and use them in what we called “fiddle yards” (Areas of track where the stock and locos were swapped over). They make it fast and to put stock on the track. You just slide the wagon or whatever across the railer and the wheels are aligned with the rails.
UK homes rarely have this much space, so the usual idea was build the interesting bit, such as a station (usually a terminus rather than a through station) and swap out stock in an “off stage” area so you can vary the trains running into the station.
As an illustration, this was the last one I worked on....It was a club layout, and I made the big warehouse in the background....never did get around to the windows.
https:tongue-out3:/www.scalefour.org/layouts/woolworthroad.html

Both ends of this had fiddle yards to vary the stock.
Sorry to hijack this a little Paul, I’ll delete it if you want.

Thanks Tim.:thumb2: I thought it was some sort of uncoupling system like is used in freight yards.

 

[Guest]

Rick, it's only 4% so I don't think I'll need helpers, but we will see. Chris, it's a dry basement which helps, the nickle is more tolerant than the brass & I'm not adverse to cleaning before sessions, but I'm more concerned with loco wheels which was a problem before. All the added detail to the locos makes a cradle or shell removal problematic. Before I added the detail it was easy to remove the shell, clip on some leads & throttle up w/cleaning rag applied to the turning wheels & presto clean wheels. PaulE

No worries Tim. Dzohn, Tim is correct, they are re-railers I use for grade crossings & magnet holders for decouplers as well as their intended use as he mentions. Chris, sharp eye, this is the cheat area I spoke of where I couldn't hold to the grade standard, but like you say the angle of view exaggerates the grade. Right now the continuous run will be one way going downhill here. Switchers working locals won't need to go here. PaulE

Thanks Paul .

 

[minitnkr]

Last curve completed.

Bench work done except for nagging grade violation.

Discarded tunnel idea to hide it & am playing with a bridge solution.

C&Cs encouraged. PaulE

 

[Guest]

Paul hi , what was the trouble with the gradient, too steep ?
Apart from that it's looking great, having that room certainly gives you the chance to have a really detailed track and buildings.

 

[minitnkr]

Yeah Dzohn, I think so, but what was worse was the crowding in that corner making scenicing difficult.

 

[Guest]

Paul, think you have to physically try some things, that seem possible when thinking about it. It's only then that you realise.
Going to be fantastic model when completed, really enjoying this .

 

[ozdell]

She's very aware Rick (hammering/sawing/cursing/swearing), just not very concerned as I had remodeled very nicely before starting trains.
Never had school or work on my b'day & most remembered it Chris. There are three rooms (laundry/bath, bedroom/momcave/mancave annex, sitting room/mancave/trainroom), in the basement. Laundry is cool, as sorting/folding are mindless tasks allowing contemplation of modeling issues and washing/drying are easy as I'm down there modeling anyway also humping laundry up & down in sync w/meals/snaks is no sweat.
Very cool Tony. PaulE

Hi PaulE thanks the channel is before the Port of Lubeck u with the two dots above, the ships captain will take some more pics , when he is back on board next week, posted some more updates on my post. Tony

 

[minitnkr]

Dzohn, tried a few things, settled on a solution. Tacked it in & tested rolling stock/unit trains to verify operations. BAD news. Grade violation transition is problematic & causes derailments of low riding rolling stock & HI-CUBE boxcars hit overhead. Tested initially w/doublestacks thinking they were tallest. New solution moves turnout as shown here to allow a better grade transition.

Other side. CSX & NS trains in background

These five have tracking problems or repairs needing attention. Grade transition in foreground and turnout to upper yards.

Test trains

More test trains

Re-positioned tunnel portal.

 

[Lee Drennen]

Paul. Looks good

 

[Guest]

Can see your point about the gradients Paul, but what a layout, so much to see, very reminiscent of that large dio you had with all the units on .

 

[ozdell]

Dzohn, tried a few things, settled on a solution. Tacked it in & tested rolling stock/unit trains to verify operations. BAD news. Grade violation transition is problematic & causes derailments of low riding rolling stock & HI-CUBE boxcars hit overhead. Tested initially w/doublestacks thinking they were tallest. New solution moves turnout as shown here to allow a better grade transition.

Other side. CSX & NS trains in background

These five have tracking problems or repairs needing attention. Grade transition in foreground and turnout to upper yards.

Test trains

More test trains

Re-positioned tunnel portal.

Hi PaulE, I had the same issue my trains were derailling at the start of the grade, finding out the beginning of the grade was too shape, to solve that you cut back a foot on both sides of the track, will have to take the track off, that fixed the issue is called a special name not good to start from a point either unless the point is on the extra length, wont even notice it with the ply. Layout is looking awesome indeed , see you have some piggy backs on flat wagons, I have those spine cars 25 of them nice rake.
I am trying to build up a manifest train, they are very long in the States .
Keep the pics flowing and good work up, Tony.

 

[minitnkr]

Derailments solved. New config. has smooth operation with new 'extreme grade' in & out transitions. PaulE

 

[Guest]

Just shows Paul in that last photo how steep it is. !

 

[boatman]

Just shows Paul in that last photo how steep it is. !

YEA to me its looks to steep but again might be camera angle an PaulE are your loco's fitted with magneishion ? as that magnets in the train chassis so a better grip on the rails
chris

 

[minitnkr]

Thanks guys. Now, enough of the fun stuff. Wiring next. No magna-traction, only in O scale to my knowledge. PaulE

 

[minitnkr]

Working NS & CSX loco extra details like scale profile brass wheels, metal couplers, sand hoses, snow plows, MU hoses/cables, grab irons, lift rings, bells, antennae, sun shades, air & fuel lines & filters instead of hated wiring chore. PaulE

 

[Guest]

More fun then Paul. :smiling3:
I watch Jaw Tooth on U tube all about US railways oh and Virtual Railfan, great sites.

 

[minitnkr]

Then you've probably seen much of my rolling stock & locos on film Dzohn. PaulE