At Last! A first run.

[mtm1site]

At last the first train has run on the line. Laying the roadbed is not as easy as it looks. 90 degree temps & humidity in the high eighties made it rought going. The worst part was #1- anything to do with SMALL SCREWS COVERED WITH RED WAX. Human fingers were not made to do TINY TASKS like this.I only managed to lose two screws.Problem #2- ground level layout. Now I know why you guys bring in topsoil for elevation. My knees are killing me! BUT! I tested the voltage at various points and there is no loss at all and this is only using the transformer that came with the starter set. So a little final leveling and the chicken grit goes down(I couldn,t help myself and ran a train before final leveling). So, I have taken about 30 pictures of the work and as soon as my son shows me how to post them I,ll do so. I know I read somewhere in this forum how to post pictures but I cannot find them. TOM

[GP-9_Man11786]

Congrats! Isn't that the best feeling in the world?

[mtm1site]

You got that right GP-9 its after 9 PM in virginia and I have just came in from running the train. TOM

[Anonymous]

tom
to hot to play with trains, i weight for the sun to go down , and run in the dark , that looks nice at night, i run a passenger train at night with the cars lit up, when it goes by my pond it looks neat with the lites reflecting off the water. , enjoy your GARDEN RAIL ROAD it's habbit foruming, it will get bigger . BEN[:)]

[mtm1site]

I cannot wait until I have towns with street lights Ben. I have enjoyed watching the lighted engine & cars go by. Its a lot of work but an enjoyment. TOM

[Anonymous]

Nice one Tom, it's great to sit back and admire your work, then you start to think, 'hang on, I could put a switch in there....................' The bug has bitten!
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]

[tangerine-jack]

Great news, Tom!!!!!

Yes, I can personaly vouch for the HOT weather as I live about 40 miles away from Tom. Letting the sun go down does NOTHING for the heat and humidity around here, in fact I think it gets even hotter. I just upgraded to wireless so I was out until 11PM with the trains- covered in sweat and smiles!

Yes, Kim, I was re-bitten by the bug and already ordered more stuff for the wireless, as well as thought up about 400 new ideas, hmm, maybe if I put this here and added that there.........................

We gotta get together soon, Tom, run some trains and tell some BS stories over the BBQ.


[oX)]

[Capt Bob Johnson]

Too bad I'm a trifle far away to make it to that bbq, cause TJ & co are good company!

TJ, I just started on going up the back side of the mountain, slo going so far cause trying to figure out what to do bout retaining walls so I don't have mudslides taking out the track!

[Tom The Brat]

Cool!

I'm looking to borrow a wheelbarrow and shovel now.

[mtm1site]

Thanks to all you,al for your advice(not finished asking though). JACK, I plan to get with you but I have so many other summer things happening(sail boat,veggie garden,grandson in from CA, & R.V., now garden railroad) ) time is tight this time of year(even retired),but I,ll get over to the southside as soon as I can. Also I think I read one of your archived forum replies about posting pictures on this forum. If you or anyone else can steer me to it I,ll try to get some pictures posted of the progress so far. You are right KIMBIT I,ve already started planning the yard outside of the mainline and also extending the mainline with a turnout going to the pet cemetary( we have 2 dogs & 2 cats that I made coffins for buried about 20 feet to the left of the railway). And Torby, wish I could get the tools to you but I need them right now. Capt Bob I hope to meet you one day (beautiful GRR you have). TOM

[Train 284]

Congrats! I know what you went through on those track screws! Aristo-Craft I assume? I got so frustrated with those it took me about three days to complete the darn thing!

[mtm1site]

I don,t know if you had the same experience with the astro track screws, TRAIN284 but I figure the people at aristro must give you this test as a rite of passage that enables you to proceed to the next level of the hobby. I must have passed because the train runs OK and my fingers and eyeballs are ok,knees are another thing.I believe the red wax that they use in CHINA has the same qualities as teflon because it really is slippery when the temps are in the mid 90s. I finally put a little grease on the allen wrench to hold the screw but that didn,t last to long so I just kept at it until all was done. PHEW! TOM

[tangerine-jack]

I pre assemble long sections of the aristo track inside on the table where I can see better. I then move the sections outside, that way I only have to fool around with a small number of screws. In any case, I like the aristo track and the screws, maybe I'm just nuts, I don't know.

Hey Tom, how about this rain?? Must be our fault, yours for getting track down for the first time and mine for getting the wireless, naturally it will be raining for the next week or so because we both want to play with our new toys. I think I got about 3" of rain just last night.[B)][:(]



[oX)]

[Tom The Brat]

Aristo (or USA Trains) track screws will cost you some bad words before you gain the knack. They should sell a button:

"I assemble Aristo Track Screws."

[mtm1site]

I was starting to feel a little more confident as I went along TORBY. I only connected about 80 or 90 ft. of track for the small mainline but when I expand It I think I,ll be alright using the screws. There is something to be said about FLEX track butt I have never used a rail bender and don't think I want to. I am glad I ordered HILLMAN clamps for the turnouts that will come later. I also used hillman power connectors which were easy to use. JACK I did pre assemble some portions of the curved sections on the ground but there was enough track left to make things miserable.( getting older). I also like the aristo sectional track and will continue to use it because of its conductively without soldering.The only thing I would do differently is to use stainless steel track,but I,am committed to brass(I like the look) as I feel it will weather out nicely. But, I hope the brass will support DCC at a later date.As for the RAIN, I have had enought of it so far. I think you have had more then the peninsula, but we have had so much that I heard a gurgling sound coming from my Tomatoes,squash & cucumbers, and when I went to check they had all drowned. Tried CPR on them but all were DOA, So I did what a good firefighter would do,fried the squash and made a salad with the rest. TOM

[Capt Bob Johnson]

Tom
When I used those #@#$*&^%$ little screws I found that it was a lot easier using a tiny dab from an elmer's glue stick on the end of the driver. It would hold reasonably to let you get the darn thing started. I finally bit the bullet and am now using all SJ clamps!

[mtm1site]

I'am with you Bob. I might just spring for rail clamps for the expansion I plan for next spring. The screws will just be a fading memory(I hope) as I add a small hill with a cut thru and a small crossroad town. I've been looking at houses and trackside structures for the crossroads but for now I've spent enought $. I have to plan carefully because I am going to bury some PVC piping for lighting cables to the area. I'am thinking about basing the crossroads to look something like a small area above Williamsburg Va. called Providence Forge,which has a CSX rail line going thru it. Don't want to ru***hough. TOM

[GP-9_Man11786]

And why can't Aristo give us a magnetic screwdriver? I went throught this too. I had to pre-assemble large sections of track indoors and put it together outside.

[Anonymous]

Yes use Aristo-Craft track and their small screws and also moving and adding switches also.

mikadousrp

[mtm1site]

I feel your pain GP9&mikadousrp. I,am just a newbie(but old guy) to large scale but after I fini***hings (the hard way) it makes me appreciate the times that things are going well. TOM

[Anonymous]

Magnetizing the Aristo driver is simple, just stroke it across a strong magnet (same direction each time) about 50 - 100 times and it's magnetized.

I just went outside and did this. But the Aristo screws are stainless, and only mildly magnetic, so the screw stays on the driver a bit better but not much.

The big problem is that many of the screws have shallow heads. Luckily if you buy a replacement bag of screws, the heads are much deeper and stay on the driver just fine. The screws are cheap.

Regards, Greg