My wife is going to do a reading of The Polar Express as a children's program at the KATY depot museum in a couple of weeks. She has asked me to put together a P.E. layout as a display.
The layout will be temporary, so I am building it in 3' by 6' panels that will be relatively easy to move.
Here are some snapshots as it is going together:
[View:http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/themes/trc/utility/
The framework is made from 2x4's and 1x4's with 3/8" plywood top
Rough track layout. It is inspired by the 'Three Times Around the Tree' layoue from a few years back in CTT.
It is possible to make this layout with stock Fastrack sections, but you need something like 14 of the 1 3/8" sections. That gets kind of pricey, so I figured that I could try custom cutting Fastrack. To do that, I built a crosscut jig for my table saw to cut the track.
With the four custom sections cut, it was time to work the grades on the layout and give it a test run.[View:http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/themes/trc/utility/
The next thing is to build the legs, fasten the roadbed, then start on the scenery.
I'll post more pictures as that work proceeds.
Very nice looking benchwork. I would lower the upper half , so that the train has just enough clearance for the over-under. It will lead to steadier train speeds and less wear and tear on the engine. 3 passenger cars would be enough.
Will you be "planting" a tree in the center, or will you be recreating the North Pole? Tons of possibilities.
At first glance I thought ( by the title ) it was a Pacific Electric layout. That is some very nice work.
I hope you post followup photos.
Nothing is more fairly distributed than common sense: no one thinks he needs more of it than he already has.
Yes that will be a nice looking layout. And I agree, progress pix would be great!
Options for the scenery are still being considered. I wanted to make a 'north pole' in the center, but that does not seem to be at the top of the list.
That upper elevation is more or less set by the clearance under the Polar Express bridge. The uphill grade is about 3/4" at that point. Likewise, the downhill grade is about 3/4" high where it passes under the upper level.
Not much progress for pictures at the moment. I'm working out wiring details - particularly how to reduce the voltage on the downgrade part of the layout. Today's work determined that the voltage needs to be dropped about 5 volts to control the speed going down hill. I'll handle that by making a block out of the down grade and cutting the voltage with a string of diodes.
wallyworld At first glance I thought ( by the title ) it was a Pacific Electric layout. That is some very nice work. I hope you post followup photos.
Well you're ahead of me Bruce! The first thing that came to MY mind was "Physical Education!"
Seriously though, I LOVE that track plan!
Becky
Trains, trains, wonderful trains. The more you get, the more you toot!
If you can find one, LEMAX made a wolves den as part of their Spookytown series a few years ago. It had a blue light set inside, and at the time I thought it would look fabulous tucked in a corner of a PE themed layout.
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8n - I looked into doing this layout a few years back and I found that if you move the track that makes up the incline to the right a few inches, extend the incline track back toward the rear most track, and move the decending track out to the right, rear, and left you can actually reduce the grade %ages quite a bit. And you don't need so many of the 'special' sections of track either.Just something to consider before you get too far along.
I was thinking more or less along the sames lines also.
lionroar88 8n - I looked into doing this layout a few years back and I found that if you move the track that makes up the incline to the right a few inches, extend the incline track back toward the rear most track, and move the decending track out to the right, rear, and left you can actually reduce the grade %ages quite a bit. And you don't need so many of the 'special' sections of track either.Just something to consider before you get too far along.
Saw this at the Greenberg show:
Might be just the backdrop you've been looking for...
Looking good, should be a cool Polar Express layout when finished.
Bill T.
Some update photos here. Since I last posted, I've moved the layout into the diningroom, built legs, bolted the sections together, set up the track blocks, wired the track and gotten the first layer of scenery down.
[View:http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/themes/trc/utility/:550:0]
The scenery consists of white bed sheet laid over the benchwork and wadded up newsprint. Masking tape and hot glue keep the newsprint where it is supposed to be.
Yes, the benchwork is low. The program is a kid's program, so I designed the layout to suit a kid's sight line.
We'll work through the week putting finishing touches on it - a few buildings, some trees, an 027 circle for the elf hand car, retaining walls, attaching the tunnel portals, add skirting, etc.
Fife - I do have that back drop. It didn't work into what we had in mind.
The reading at the depot is full next weekend. I suspect that we will be doing this again next year
Here is the finished product set up for the reading yesterday at the KATY depot museum. Had about 30 kids plus parents.
The Polar Express Berkshire was smoking better than I have ever seen it. Must have been the extended operation and that uphill grade.
Was using a Powerhouse and a TPC400 to power the main loop and a CW80 for the 027 loop the elf hand car was on and the lights in the platform. #14 wiring was used, joined at terminal strips where the 3' by 6' table sections joined. Landscape was white bed sheets with crumpled packing paper hot glued into place to provide the contours. The animals are Lionel Polar Express items, trees are mostly discount house ceramic building accessories. The stonework retaining wall was printed from an internet site. Tunnel portals and bridge are black core board. The 'North Pole' is a piece of 5/8" dowel with a ping pong ball glued on top, painted gold, then wrapped in candy cane stripe duct tape.
Mechanically, and electrically, it worked flawlessly. The only glitches were caused by the operator.
It has been a fun project, especially seeing how much the kids at the program enjoyed it.
What a great layout! Man, you really do good work!
RIP Chewy - best dog I ever had.
Sweet job !
Kudos to you and the Mrs. for your efforts.
Now the question begs, will this become your Christmas layout for this year and possibly more?
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Yup. This will hang around for a bit.
There is talk of doing this program again next year. To that end, we have made notes for improvements to make it easier to transport and set up. I'm also going to take a look at the track plan to see if I can get the uphill part of the layout to go around the outside. This will provide better viewing when viewed from a kid's point of view.
Very nicely done!
8n.........I really like the whole theme you have recreated.
I have a Postwar bias. But like some have expressed elsewhere in this forum, I was thinking about picking up a Postwar Berk and then just the PE set cars and the add-ons to create my own Polar Express for next year's Christmas layout..
But for just the price tag for three PE passenger cars on, say, EvilBay.......it seems one can make out better to just buy the PE set new (prices range $265 to $295) and get not only the cars but the PE Berk, the track, and what for me would be an extra transformer.
Anyone with a Postwar Berk do this, just buy the cars to create the consist? Does the PE Berk have decent pulling power versus the Postwar Berk, including handling the load and the grades? The PE engine looks fairly detailed, especially with the drivers.
Jack
IF IT WON'T COME LOOSE BY TAPPING ON IT, DON'T TRY TO FORCE IT. USE A BIGGER HAMMER.
Jack - I don't have a postwar Berk, so I can't really give you a comparison.
The current Polar Express Berk relies on weight and two traction tires to make tractive effort. I'm thinking that the postwar Berks had magne-traction?
I can say that the current Polar Express Berk Jr will happily pull all 8 of the currently available P.E. cars around on a level layout - even on 027 curves.
When asked to do the same feat on the grades I built on this layout - 5 1/2" rise in about 80", the P.E. Berk Jr was working very hard. No wheel slip, but it required almost full throttle to make it up the hill, ans it was going very slowly at the top - not the conditions you'd want to run for any length of time. For the program, I was pulling 4 cars.
8N...........According to Postwar Lionel.com, there were two Postwar Berks. The 726 was produced from 1946-1949, and 1952. The 736 was produced from 1950-1968. I think 1950 was the first year Lionel offered Magnetraction.
I guess from a practical standpoint, the ability to haul 6 passenger cars for the 1225 Berk in the Polar Express set is just fine.
I was just thinking that to me (and my Postwar predeliction) a 726 or 736 Berk (w. tender) might be a better choice, especially the 736 with the magnetraction. The guy at my train shop recommended the PE set and said I could sell off everything else (including the engine) except the passenger cars I need to help fund a Postwar Berk in better shape and build a PE train that way.
Wow! The "benchwork" . Nice neat job.
Jack - Sounds like a good plan. I'd try for the version with magnetraction. I have an #210 Alco and a #600 SW2 switcher, both with magnetraction. Both will pull six cars with ease.
All of the P.E. cars are lighted, except the baggage car. You will have to use a power supply with enough guts to run all of that. On level track, pulling six cars, you might get away with something like a 1033 or a CW80. Bigger would be better though.
I'll point out that the Polar Express set comes with three cars, not 6.
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