The Saga of My Ever Shrinking Railroad...Part Deux

[vsmith]

Its ALIVE!!

This will be the new home of the building log of my indoor layout, the Borracho Springs RR, a small mining themed line based on several historical lines like the Gilpin Tramway, the Coronada RR, later AKA the Arizona Copper Co RR, with influences from a couple model RRs, like John Allens G&D, Bob Hegges Crooked Mountain Lines, Malcomn Furlow's work, and Joe Crea's Pitkin Tramway.

The Plan:
http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/vsmith/GarageStudyTRY%20AGAINx2.pdf

The location is indoors again, like the previous incarnations, in my newly rebuilt garage which unlike the old one, is insulated and plywood sheathed on the interior walls.  Almost all the benchwork is already completed for a previous plan which after setting up, I was unhappy with.

So away we go...

[dwbeckett]

I know the feeling well The New DNRR never happened as planed, it is currently a two track loop of 10/11.5 in a 20x21.5 space. Revised plans V8.0 is simaluar to the SAN JUAN CENTRAL BUT in a Mirror imiage ( GOT IT PRINT THAT WAY TODAY )  Maybe the woman will let me have some of the side yard for summer running?? Best of luck with your new Plan and did you use 3rail cad for the plan?  

[vsmith]

Nope, it Autocadd, I'd be curious to see your plan once you convert it to large scale, the San Juan Central is one of the layouts I use for reference also, I too have that book.

[Rastun]

AKKKKKK!!!

 

Vic,

You mean you didn't like the layout once you got it all put down? Wow I thought it was just pulled up for the garage reconstruction.

Jack 

[vsmith]

Hi Jack,

The older predestruction version had some restrictions I was never happy with, one of the hazard doing LS indoors. The very short loop being the primary one, I could only run very short trains. When I started rebuilding in the new garage, I tried a point to point, but again I realized I could never really run the large size stuff I had not even my Monster, the AC Price 16 wheeler, even an Annie and 2 boxcars was out of the question functionally. So I pulled it up, sice doing so I have managed to pick up some very large cars (to me) like 3 LGB closed vestibule coaches, so a redseign to accomodate was in hand, Now this latest I can run short mining trains like before plus I can run longer trains and my large engines if I chose to do so. Plus the over and under gives me the opportunity to run double-headers

[ttrigg]

Vic:

That seems to be a rather sharp grade?  What are the overall dimensions? I don't see the three way switch, or was it not used on purpose?

[vsmith]

I dropped the threeway in favor of the current redesign of the yard of the righthand side, in this form I do not have any switches beyond my reach.

The left side grade up should be around 3.5% the right hand grade should be closer to 3%, not too bad, even if its steeper, I can double head anything else, or triple head?

Overall the rear wall is 19' - 6", the left side is about 9' and the right side is 10' - 6", all curves are R1.

[ttrigg]

Looking forward to seeing a pictorial log of construction.  Looks like a fun one to build.

[SandyR]

I second the motion!

SandyR

[vsmith]

A little progress. Got the benchwork expanded:

Left side benchwork, expanded to accomodate the R1 turnaround

Right side benchwork, widened about 12" for the R1 turnaround on this side and for the track on the fiddle yard.

Fiddle yard widened to accomodate 3 tracks.

 

[vsmith]

Track test laying, how about that, the CADD program was right, IT FITS!

Right hand side, Borracho yard, and the lower section of Long Grade

Upper part of Long Grade

The curve at Agony Point

Lower Agony Point at Heckawee, upper level mining sidings

the yard at Heckawee

 

Looking down Long Grade

Siding at the fiddle yard

Now comes a part I've dreaded, cleaning the track

I've got 3 years of dirty gritty conductive grease to remove, so I can put shiny new conductive grease on the joints, somehow that seams a little contradictory doesnt it ?

[S&G Rute of the Silver River]

shoot a grinder with a polishing disk will get that one quick.

the pads are usually 10.00 a box or 3.00 each at home depot

grinders....      .... they might have a sale.

 

I see why is called agony pt. Now to get a mallet and record it going up.

[vsmith]

I might try that

Its called Agony Point after a notorious curve on one of my favorite railways, the Darjeeling Himilayn Rwy, heres a nice pic I just found:

Yes, thats a REAL photo!

[Anonymous]

Vic.....lets go ride it!! Heck ain't a pusher in sight!!! Think maybe I might rethink it cause I know my back side would pucker up the seat.

Toad (swimn in cold Swamp Water)

 

[S&G Rute of the Silver River]

perhaps we should all go ride it, just not simaltaniously lest the traction fail and we all sail to the bottom of the grade.

[ttrigg]

Man that would make for one awsome wild ride!

[SNOWSHOE]

That is somepicture, reminds me of the cog railway that goes to the top of Mt Washington in NH.  I have not road it yet but I did hike to the top in the winter.  Next trip will be to ride the train up.  heres a link for pictures and about it.   http://www.thecog.com/

This is a cool picture http://www.thecog.com/cog_scene.php?img=ascending_jacobs_ladder

[vsmith]

Test run #1 today on the mainline, using the Scientific guinnie pig as their no track power yet, mostly to test track transitions going up and down the grades. I've been using small wood shims to build up bases under the track at the transitions so there is a continuous solid base under all the track, so far got the left side transitions done, leaving only the transition at the right hand side left to do. Found a couple high and low spots during testing, thats what that stupid Scientific is great for, if IT will run on it, almost everything else will. Only a few rather funny derailments. It was funny to watch it run, since several track sections are still missing joiners, yet it trundled right along.

[vsmith]

A little more info on the Darjeeling RR

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darjeeling_Himalayan_Railway

if your interested

[vsmith]

OK been testing ELECTRIC trains, over part of the track, I actually just hooked up a powerpack to the track and surprise, its conducts current all the way around, even with all the crap in the joints. Agony Point is well named, its steep, and slippery, just like its prototypes on the Darj and the Uintah RRs, need to add a little more weight to my Bug Maulers, transitions seem to be working well. Discovered that Buddy L and Bachmann couplers dont....at least on curves, the knuckles dont overlap enough and on a curve they simply slip apart. Hmmm. So thats one more thing to fix, convert them all to B'manns

[vsmith]

First big fault found

Had to eliminate the reverse S curve at the base of Agony Point, was causing derailments, added a 6" straight on each side. Need to rework some of the upper level supports where track will now go. The 6" straights on the other reverse S curves help a great deal, I now have to see how it effects the only remaining reverse S, at the bybass track at the base of Long Grade, I have to see if I can add a 6" straight there as well and shift the bypass track back a little.

This is why you always test and test and test again before you fix down any track or start any scenery,

[dwbeckett]

Hmmm. So thats one more thing to fix, convert them all to B'manns

try KAYDEE 820 or 1820's u well like them

Dave

[vsmith]

Dave if I had deep pockets I would, but I have a pile of Bachmann couplers accumulated over the years, so before I spend another raft full of cash on Kadees, I'll try using up what I've got laying around first. If they prove unreliable, then maybe I'll have no other choice.

[FJ and G]

I know the feeling about pinching pennies!

[vsmith]

An progress update!

Slowly and steadily working  on the layout, I got all the track down, all the blocks wired, all the wires run, the powerpack installed, the BTE wired into it so I figure I've got all the pices in place to give it a try, turn on the pack, put an engine on the track and started presing buttons and got..

nothin'

not a sausage! check the wires, nothin', checked the block controls, nothin'a quick check of the BTE controller revealed the problem:

Dead battery

...and after a search of the house, there are not any spares or ones to cannibalis in the house, Grrrr

Oh well, looks like tommorow

[ttrigg]

Looks like Murphys first law of coorlative effects has stuck!

 

If it can go wrong,

it will, at the worst possible time.

[vsmith]

Found a battery, figured out one wiring change, got it running this AM.

Whoopie!

[vsmith]

Test running, my stock Bug Mauler pulled two full size boxcars and caboose around in both directions, some slipping on the 4% grade, just like the real thing only i dont have any sand to lay down, but it didnt stop. I take that as a success! I was more worried about derails on the transition sections but so far A-OK

[dwbeckett]

Any test run picture's??

[vsmith]

No not yet, still need to do some clean up out there, maybe by this weekend I can post some test run pics.

I also need to find out if I can post video to my MLS photo hosting.

I wired up the last siding this AM. Its ready to rock and roll!

 

 

..after I clean the track