Well... I didn't get any good pictures of the train barn rebuild, due to cockpit problems with the operator...... but here are a couple that I got while putting in the sidings for my town and stockyards
Looking at some or my other posts I believe I screwed them up by reorganizing my PhotoBucket albums...... sorry about that...
More to come...
Mark
Spent today reworking the train barn storage layout with some aristo wide radius switches. I've had several issues with the small radius switches I originally placed there, including derailments on the main and when positioning trains or backing through them to store some of the rolling stock. I had to eliminate one siding that was too short anyway to put together the #10s I needed, but small issue to eliminate the problems of late.
I thought I'd lose some space with the wider radius, but was able to make it up by moving the points out about a foot on one end and placing 2 of the small radius switches back to back in the middle of the last yard track to create a storage only track with bumpers at both ends.
The one thing that irks me about Aristo track is there are no make up pieces, and you have to cut something 2 or 3 inches to fit the track even using all of their different lengths 1 to 8 feet long. I cut 3inches off a 3 foot, 2 inches off a 2 foot and still needed to cut a 4 inch piece to fill in another gap. Just irritating!!! Pictures to follow tomorrow if the weather holds off..... More to come..........
It's been four months since I updated the construction log, and as my doctor says .... Shame on me!!!! In the interim, I've done a Phoenix install on the Forney, gone mule deer hunting in Texas (got the best one in 38 years of hunting 181 7/8s B&C), detailed the Shay with some weathering and decals from Stan Cedarleaf, burned up and repared my Bridgewerks 1000 and maybe broke it again last week end, laid about 60 additional feet of trackage, done absolutely nothing on the water feature and ran trains for the Grandkids Good Friday..... May be I'll get some landscaping done and post some pictures by Monday.
Yes, it is fun!!!!
But,you know when your dumb you suffer .....I went into town got a new sprinkler controller, and a solinoid, and got exactly the same results as with the first one!! I apparently can't read the destructions .......put the batteries in correctly, press enter when your programing it, and then close the relief port on the sprinkler valve itself and everything works as per plan....well almost anyway .... just need to adjust the adjustable sprinkler heads to stop watering the sidewalk! And the new controller goes back to the big box store......
Here's an inside pic of the finished train barn,
and an overhead shot of the garden in total
Still need to mortar and rock the water feature, which requires me to dig some river rock, and dedicate probably 2 full days to heavy labor...... well it'll have to wait till I have some free time....got to get ready for a mule deer hunt and deal with keeping my kitchen pass from the queen of the house in effect......
More to come......
Well -- got the last (highest) level of rock in... don't like the look and ran out of head and double head sized stones in both Moss and holy wall rock.... guess I'll need to go get between 5 and 10 to rework and finish the mountain...
However I got the storage track in the train barn done today... but oh my #%$&**#$# what a suprise!!! It's really not much storage for 1:20 ... 2 tracks at 9 and 11 feet, and one at 6... what was I thinking.....
then I tried to hook up the sprinklers..... nothing worked... 24 vac in .6 out.... bad controller??... bad installation??....bad wire??...
more to come....
mark
Well, just got back from Lost Wages, went by St.Aubin with my wife, met Mark and Dave and spent a couple of hours there... got a couple of cars and buildings shipped directly to the house... great store and people. Will probably not get anything posted for 4 or 5 days since I've got to catch up on the ranch work and honeydo's to keep the kitchen pass for the next hunting trip the day after ThanksGiving........did get a good antelope and a small mule deer buck in Wyoming.....
Hopefully my loverly bride will decide where the buildings go so I can cut bases and place them later this week... we'll see..... she does want to weather them before we put them out. She was really impressed by a couple of the cars that had been very realistically done in St. Aubins, and wants to make sure we treat ours to achieve that 'well used, damn near wore out, and almost broke' look.
More to come....
Glad to see thingd are going well. You might want to get a repower for that hauler from barries Big Trains. there is another posting around here somewere...
http://www.trains.com/trccs/forums/1225399/ShowPost.aspx
http://www.barrysbigtrains.com/
Hope that helps.
The GRR is looking good! Running is what its all about so glad to hear you're getting some.
Good luck on your hunting. I gave that up after Viet Nam. There is something about return fire that takes the fun out of it. My oldest son hunts but hasn't gotten anything with his bow yet this year. He's been hunting turkeys and usually gets one each year.
Rex
It's been about a month since I last updated this journal of elation, education, melodrama and dismay, and as my Doc says about my weight, "shame on you!"... but I've been busy... well part of the time anyway...
I've gotten damn near through with the rock work on the overall garden...one last teir to get it to the peak, (thank God!! pictures to follow), Have gotten the stream bed(s) in place and ready to be lined and mortared, have done a some ballasting, laid in some rock mulch, and gotten, best of all!! 2 new engines.
I have repaired and reworked the Big Hauler I fried, but it still is not the consistent performer I'd hoped for, hence the acquisition of the 3 truck shay and the Forney..( yes I know the picture of the forney looks strange, but the BH tender is the only H&L to coupler car I have right now!)
I ran trains for a friend for about 3 hours and He really liked the way the Shay moves around the track, steady and with authority.... the forney is faster, but less forgiving of some of the imperfections in my track, so we'll see what happens as I work these issues out...
Hunting season is upon us and I'm on my way to Wyoming next Wednesday for a week of antelope and mule deer hunting!!!, and then off to Lost Wages Nevada for some quality time on the craps and poker tables with my loverly bride and several thousand of my closest acquaintances. Hey, life is tough but somebody got to do it!!!!
More to come... and soon I hope!!!
Commander -- Good morning, good to hear from you. Having lived in the Mid Cities of DFW from '85 to '03, I have a good idea where you're located. Nice area! Next time we're gonna be in the area for any amount of time I'll let you know maybe we can meet some where.
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you and Byron, but have had a little work , a pc issue and some better half required vacation keep me off the forum for the last couple of weeks.
Byron -- We did get 7+ inches of rain out of Erin. That brought the river up 12 1/2 feet and out of it's banks into a normally dry wash in the middle of my place, destroying about 320'-350' of fence, and opening up about 200' of water gap in another.
The first picture is about 1000' from the normal river bank in the center of my place. The second is looking back to the southeast about 100 yards off my north fence, and the third is looking at my north fence main watergap from nearly the same location. The water is 180' -200' wide and 3'-5' deep. I have trees/logs and trashin places I didn't have any and lost some of the samein places I did.
So I have not gotten much done on the railway, but hope to make some progress in the upcoming two weeks. Need to lay my river fence out a little differently and weld up and set a bunch of bracing to create a laydown watergap, but it'll wait while I do something more enjoyable.
Howdy Mark!
Your layout is spectacular, to say the lest. I read all your threads, but I did not recall where in West Texas you are actually located? You did mention travel to DFW to pick up the Granddaughters so it is obviously west of Dallas/Ft. Worth. You also mentioned that you did not know of too many G-scale layouts in your area, but if you are traveling to DFW near Mineral Wells, there is really nice 700 foot layout at Clark Gardens http://www.clarkgardens.com/12.garden.trains.htm .
They run multi-trains on different circuits from an indoor command center and the operators are more than happy to discuss their rail road. There are quite of few photo displays in the command building showing the construction of their layout. They certainly inspired me to take on yet another hobby in my fifth-decade years.
I have one grandson who is truly train crazy. He is just 3, but loves to watch the BNSF trains which pass near our home in Burleson, Texas. We almost never got him out of Clark Gardens or the Children's Hospital lobby in Dallas, which also has a spectacular indoor O-scale train layout. My wife convinced me to follow an almost identical path to yours, where we are starting a garden railroad behind our swimming pool area. I chose a simple track-powered layout plan with the typical two bridges and two tunnels like almost everyone has. I also bought a Bachman Big Hauler train to start, but quickly followed it with an AristoCraft BNSF GE Dash-9 44CW, since that's what passes behind our property many times a day. We live in an area called "Tantarra Estates", so we are calling our garden railroad the "Tantarra Western". The neighbors love the idea and some have even offer to help with construction (of course it involves lots of beer to keep from getting heat stroke! <g>).
I too have not had trains as a hobby since the 1960's when Lionel was the only thing to have and briefly in the 70's doing a fun HO layout built on an old ping-pong table. I have done R/C scale ships in the 80's and R/C scale aircraft during the 90's. I then "grew up" and changed my hobby to flying, so in the 00's I have been "playing" with a Rockwell Commander 112A which I hangar and fly out of Cleburne. I wonder how many others on this web site have had similar hobby histories? Small world, huh?
Anyway, I have enjoyed your posts and pictures over the past few days and hope we might meet some day.
Best regards,
Commander Jack
Burleson, Texas
user="imrnjr"] had nearly 25V DC any where on the track so I'm thinking it's the big hauler engine. We bought the Big Hauler's to make sure we were going to commit to the hobby before we sunk a serious amount of money in rolling stock and motive power. (like we didn't do that with the track! penny wise and pound foolish some might say.....) The engine issue,Help!! I know others have done the hard work to make these engines better, I just need to get to the information. Thanks in advance....But given the lack of success with the kids I'm seriously thinking of going from track to RC/Battery and giving up on the DCC stuff I was thinking about doing. Just don't need to spend all day fixing power....... or picking up trains........or.......More to come.....mark
had nearly 25V DC any where on the track so I'm thinking it's the big hauler engine. We bought the Big Hauler's to make sure we were going to commit to the hobby before we sunk a serious amount of money in rolling stock and motive power. (like we didn't do that with the track! penny wise and pound foolish some might say.....) The engine issue,
Help!! I know others have done the hard work to make these engines better, I just need to get to the information. Thanks in advance....But given the lack of success with the kids I'm seriously thinking of going from track to RC/Battery and giving up on the DCC stuff I was thinking about doing. Just don't need to spend all day fixing power....... or picking up trains........or.......More to come.....mark
I'm not a gonna get into a debate over who likes what or when, here on this forum again.
I will just say that I am not a kitbasher, modeler, modifier or anything for that matter to any real degree of proficiency, except I can get track together and trains running.......
And I will say that I am one who likes to set a train/engine on the track and see it run.....
That said, I willnot/donot purchase any of the models that others have said or indicate need lots of after purchase modifications to get them to run, just say, OK.....
I do run track power, stainless track, with rail clamps.....For me it has proven to be best, SO FAR. I don't want to mess with modifying cars, tenders and a bunch of battery configurations and testing, to see what works or doesn't work best, I've probably opened a whole can of worms with that comment.
As I have mentioned in the past, my LGB track cleaning engine gets little use, now that I have gone with stainless steel track. I generally just put the Aristo track cleaning Caboose on in front of the first train out, push it around the loops a couple'a times to remove Squirrel sand on the top of the rails and away I go.
So on to other matters-----You getting any rain from Erin today??? And how'bout the expected path of Dean, you might be rid of that drought real soon my friend, and wish you were back in a drought again afterwards-----been there......
Byron
I hear you. I've been there with track power issues on my last layouts. I soldered wire jumpers and cleaned track until I was sick of it. It was a great day when the train ran one complete loop. Keeping it going or starting it up when the kids came to visit was a nightmare.
This time I went RC battery power in the hopes that life would get better. I haven't even finished the upper main line but I put a loco on the segment I had and it ran and ran and ran which surprised the heck out of me. The next day the kids came while I was working on the helix so I asked them if they wanted to see the train run. Of course they did so I set the loco on the track segment again. I ran it once and then asked them if they'd like to try it. I just turned over the throttle to some kids I had just met who had never seen a GRR before. It ran just fine: forward and reverse, forward and reverse, but hey they didn't care. They did manage to derail it and I guess they thought I was going to take control away from them. I didn't although I had to restrain myself pretty hard. I talked the boys through getting it back on the track and off it went again. Before I knew it I had a whole bunch of kids and some parents there. What a great time we had before I had to shut down to go back to the heat of the desert. They added cars. They had them come uncoupled and derailed and they put them back together. That's the beauty of big cars. Kids can actually handle them and they don't break! I didn't have to shepard the train like I did my previous layouts. I guess what I'm saying is if you want to have fun with grandkids or neighborhood kids the train has to run. Kids have very short attention spans when things don't work. Electrical issues are something they can't fix by themselves so kids are out of the loop when those problems happen. Battery power wasn't cheap but I think it was worth every penny.
My two cents to add to the other two cents,
Tried to run trains with and for the Granddaughters and Nieces today....
Not a success story if I may put it bluntly. The Kids were interested for a little while but I just could not keep the trains working., so it went downhill pretty quickly......
They enjoyed them when I did get one to make a couple of loops, but with the inconsistent problems I was having that was about all I could get out of the equipment.Continutity, derailments, engine issues, random uncouplings, and switch frog depth and gauge issues just beat me down.
I have stainless track with splitjaw clamps, track power from a Bridgewerks DL1000 and after resetting a couple (several) of dirty joints, had nearly 25V DC any where on the track so I'm thinking it's the big hauler engine. We bought the Big Hauler's to make sure we were going to commit to the hobby before we sunk a serious amount of money in rolling stock and motive power. (like we didn't do that with the track! penny wise and pound foolish some might say.....) The engine issue, well it just could be something simple or something I just am not going to have a clue on since this is the first train in 40+ years.I know I've seen a thread or two on Big Hauler upgrades or improvements, but none of my searches got any hits.
Help!! I know others have done the hard work to make these engines better, I just need to get to the information. Thanks in advance....I have info on the switch fixes and I posted a couple of questions on RCC versus DCC on another forum. I think got most of the continuity issues resolved (for now) and the 2 that I didn't are at switches so I think I know what the issue is there. But given the lack of success with the kids I'm seriously thinking of going from track to RC/Battery and giving up on the DCC stuff I was thinking about doing. Just don't need to spend all day fixing power....... or picking up trains........or.......More to come.....mark
Thanks for the compliments on the bridges, but I can't take credit for building them. They are Bridegewerks and Eaglewings. The milk carton thing is a good idea but don't think it'll work for me since they need to be various lengths from 14" to a little over 26" tall, depending on the final depth of the under construction pond. I'm thinking of getting some vinyl rain gutter, but don't really like that ribbed look. I guess I could use some square 5" metal downspout instead of gutter. I wonder how hard it would be to get the pier out and reuse??..... or I could just build a tapered form and cast them long to short with a movable base block in the form....not a very elegant solution, but something I could easly put together..........
may try one of the downspout editions and see...or not....
Well -- We have finally broken into the standard West Texas summer.....hot and dry!!
We went up to the DFW area over the past few days to pick up the grand daughters and bring them down to the ranch for a week before they go back to school. I'll get them into running the trains before the week is over.
We have gotten a couple of things done since the last post.
The upperloop and water feature landscaping has started, with about a ton of rock
The first two bridges have been placed,
and the second two await their concrete abutments and piers. I've formed and poured a couple of abutments, but don't really like the way they look, so pictures will wait . Need to create some piers, but have not decided how to do it.
Need to gather up some more tumbled rock down at the river to utilize in the stream beds of the water feature.... where did I put the tractor keys??......I really don't want to load 2 tons of this stuff with a shovel......
well ... it's raining again in normally dry dusty west Texas again.... and for that my goats thank you Lord!!!
However it is reeking havoc on my construction schedule... 2.2 inches last Sunday, a quarter inch friday before that, .1 on Tuesday and .2 inches today have made working in the garden a muddy mess.
The track crew did persist and get the upper loop road bed set and rail clamped the track together on Wednesday, as well as getting another 500 lbs of rock retaining wall in place, and another 500 or so lbs. of rock over to the garden for near term placement. What the track crews have left to do are the 3 sidings, 2 on the lower loop and 1 on the upper. Hopefully they will be at it on overtime until done but with rain priorities may be changed with the upcoming arrival of some of the Grandkids.
Pictures in the next couple of days..
imrnjr wrote: I Still want DCC in the Garden, but we'll see what I can learn and cobble together over the next few months to make the decision. More to come.....Mark
I Still want DCC in the Garden, but we'll see what I can learn and cobble together over the next few months to make the decision.
More to come.....
Interesting topic this DCC in LARGE SCALE OPERATIONS......check the thread.
Well what I'm finding is that while the NMRA DCC standard should allow the different manufacturers components to interwork, the level of "standard" implementation by the manufacturer has a great deal to do with what works, when it works and where it will work. Some decoders say they work with any system thru a specific funtion level, but some don't support newer functions (say released in the last 2-4 years) either because of design timing, the implementation in the various Cab/decoder designs (not exactly as per NMRA standard due to cost or ???) or chosen limitations in CAB/decoder design based on marketing/strategy decisions. Not very many of the vendors are carring the NMRA DCC certification.
And naturally each vendor/manufacturer is looking for some level of unique marketability to tie their products together and to us.
As an example, CVP has been working hard to interwork their radio unit with the other manufacturers, but last I checked (2 months or so ago) it could not be used with NCE yet (under development), but for a number of folks with LENZ it was the thing to do versus the Lenz 900mhz radio system.
Since I'm relatively new at this hobby, I know I'm not an expert (I wish I was, but me little pea brain may not be able to deal with the rather steep cost of the learning curve). My career background is in marketing/product management and market strategy, and I understand that with the volumes associated with "G", production and upgrade cost recovery probably does cause a much slower implementation of 'new' features. Honestly I think the volume issue drives most manufacturers to less standardization than more.(A lack of competitive driving force if you will.)
imrnjr wrote: I guess I'll just have to bite the bullet..... but it could be such an expensive mistake, I'm just not ready to jump off the cliff yet! mark
I guess I'll just have to bite the bullet..... but it could be such an expensive mistake, I'm just not ready to jump off the cliff yet!
I am, or should I say have heard, alot of talk about DCC not working too well with LARGE SCALE LAYOUTS, and I'm not talking "G Scale", I mean with lots of main line trackage. My mainline at present is about 500 foot.
I for one, am experiencing alot of problems trying to get MTH's DCS system to work properly and allow for complete engine control through out the whole main line circuit, oh yeah, I seem to have it OK on a portion of the trackage, but not totally.
And I'm also experiencing limited R/C reception to the engines with the Loco-Linc system, I've been told about the use of another antenna that will work better, maybe gonna try it later this fall, when it cools down a bit here, way too hot now.....
My advise......for what It may be worth to ya.....ask alot of questions, questions, questions, and read up on it also.
So far I have invested well over $5000.00 on the choices of power systems(2-Bridgewerks TDR 25's, a MAG-18, an SR-15, plus a MAG-15) and a slew of R/C receivers so far, for each engine, at a pop of about 120.00 each, as well as 4 transmitters, and 3 complete MTH, DCS systems.
Mind you I'm not even talking yet about the cost and investment in sound board purchases....now that is another whole different number.
But as you say, AIN"T WE HAVING FUNNNNNN....OH YEAH !!!!
Byron- good job on your road! Yes I have done all this by myself, and to be honest it's been a huge amount of fun. I think the Mainline outside loop is about 160'to180' with an additional 50' of station/work sidings and 40' of storage sidings in the barn. The inside loop is about 140'-160' with the climbing loop and tunnels.
As for the DCC discussion, right now I'm utilizing a Bridgewerks 1000 as a track power unit, but have just not settled on which of the DCC vendors to go with. I like the CVP radios, the NCE Cab, and Digitrax transponding features....so I procrastinate on selection.
There is not a club anywhere near me, and only 3 other Garden railroads that I've been able to find within a 100 mile radius of the house so hands on experience with the units mentioned is not an option. I've asked several questions in the radio/battery forum and on a couple of other sites in the past, and gotten good responses, but each brand has it's champions and detractors in about equal shares, so that did not clear the path to a decision for me.
Hi Mark,
That's quite an undertaking you've got going there, must be nice to have unlimited space....So are/have you been doing most all of this pretty much by yourself ?
I know what you mean about having so much rain lately, I'm here in "SUNNY" central Florida and with the hot summer now and all the rain we've been having, I too am not getting to much accomplished on my line lately. I recently posted some photos of my line under the General discussion heading.
I've chosen to go the route of Loco-Linc RC control, with Bridgewerks track power. So have you decided to do DCC yourself ?
Also about how long will your main line trackage be ? Anyway it's all looking really nice keep us posted.....
Well.... It's been two weeks since I last provided an update... and I can honestly say other things have take priority over the railway. We had a get together the week end before the fourth of July, and the CFO had several projects for me to complete before hand, plus it rained over 4 inches in June which is absolutely amazing here in dry west Texas.
I have made a little progress since the last post, but I have to admit to taking off about 2 weeks to deal with ranch work, some golf, and some I just don't want to do anything today kind of days.
One of the CFO's projects was a pergola, which we completed before the party (thank the lord!!!)....
.....and another yet to be started or completed is a stone walkway around the train garden and to other points in the yard. Stone is in hand ...and the project shoould be completed in the next 10 days or so per her royal 'ighness the CFO so the grand daughters can avoid the bugs in the yard and keep from getting muddy feet when they come to stay in the next couple of weeks.
The progress I have made in the garden consists of tunnel portals, and completing the climbing loop on the south side.
I've gotten all the bridges in from EagleWings, and Bridgewerks, but need to get some track work done to set them. I got started on that today, but did not get very far before I was interrupted with a urgent call to make a fourth for a golf match.... Should have kept working.....
Well, it's been a couple of weeks since I posted an update... shame on me!!
About the time it dried out two weeks ago we got 65 to 70 mph winds and 1.5 inches of rain and nickle to quarter sized hail in about 45 minutes. So another couple of days went by before any progress could be made and took some vacation in Vegas and played in a golf tourney in the DFW area.... so all the delays are not Momma Nature's doing.
Also had to take goats to auction.... should get about a Big boy or Hudson sized check in the next couple of days.
Here are a couple of pictures of the long horseshoe cure and retaining walls I've put in. I have since finished the trestle and backfilled the retaining wall, but don't have pictures yet.
Ordered 4 bridges 2 from Eagle wings and 2 from Bridgemasters... already got the ones from BridgeMasters, but can't put them in till I get the climbing run to the intererior loop done. I'm still placing rock and have to build yet another 8 to 9 feet of retaining wall/cribbing for that climbing run ... but things will probably go a liitle slower for the next couple of days.
I fell off the retaining wall carring a 60 pound rock and bruised (I think) my heel so badly I can barely walk..... gonna go take care of some paperwork and maybe start on a couple of buildings.... something I can do sitting down since I can't really move rock using a crutch....
More to come .....I hope soon......
imrnjr wrote:...due to the continued blessing of rain to this normally dry landscape. We have gotten over twice the average rainfall for the year so far.
Amen on that!! Looks great so far.
Get the Garden Railways newsletter delivered to your inbox twice a month