First Photos

[der5997]

I've put some trial photos on the railimages.com website. These are of a part of my N scale layout. I think the link is <http://www.railimages.com/gallery/view_album.php> and browse for John Wood. (If you are interested, that is [:D]

[der5997]

Being currious, I tried the link. It didn't work. So I went to www.railimages.com and enterd the site, went to New Members, and Browsed there until I found my album. At that point the URL was http://www.railimages.com/gallery/newalbums
Sorry for the glitches. John.

[Anonymous]

No longer in the New Albums page John. The new permanent link is: http://www.railimages.com/gallery/johnwood

Impressive viaduct! I like the removable modules. Much of my new layout will be permanent"islands" connected by 5' to 8' removable sections. I'd be interested in hearing about your use of the 16 pin computer plugs in making electrical connections in aligning the modules. Since the photos indicate the track is flush with the end of the modules, are you using rail joiners? From the photos, it doesn't look like you're using a short connecting section of track as I've seen others use.

Looking forward to seeing more progress photos.

Wayne

[der5997]

Wayne: Yes, I've seen the move within Railimages, thanks for posting the new URL.
I don't use rail joiners, just careful alignment of the tracks. These modules have to be able to move in a hurry, or without incident, especially the window one. I didn't want joiners ripping up track if the modules were moved quickly without the joiners being "remembered".
The roadbed is AMI. This gives a little, and so far I've been able to slightly adjust any misalignments. The viaduct isn't so forgiving, being plastic, and I get that right before nudging the embankment into place, so to speak.

The scale is N, and the viaduct is 4' 4 1/2 " which works out to about 700 feet. I had to cast plaster extensions for the piers which work out to 100 scale feet high. The joins are hiden by strips of styrene stonework razor sawed to give the stone bloks, and additional pieces of styrene strip added for the blocks that stick out. I found that an old Primus phone card was just the right thickness for those! I used latex contact cement to bond the platers to the Atlas viaduct sections. I added to the surface area of the base of the Atlas sections by filling the piers with expanding foam insulation, and cutting it flush when dry. The latex contact cement doesn't disolve the foam, and is slightly flexible. I thought that that would act as a shock absorber when the module is moved. So far, so good! Since there are no rail joiners, the viaduct and embankment track are powered from the power circuits carried across the module from thte connectors. In the case of the viaduct, a central pier was cast with a drinking straw in it so that wires could be carried up the pier to the track.

The old style computer connections are AMPHEMOL 26-4501-16P. At least, that's what's on the metal casing (which I discard for this application). If you do a search for it at <http://www.aeri.com/> you will see that there are 32 available world wide, so hurry if you want them!
I got mine at a train show in Dartmouth Nova Scotia. They are big enough to hold the module securely when it's docked using the two parts of the plug. I have mine arranged with the "male" connectors on the module, and the "female" built into boxes that sit on the door frame. (Had to cut out the door trim to do that, but it is our house!)
I'll see if I can take some detailed photos and put them up in Railimages.
Good luck with your multi Island universe[:D]

[Anonymous]

John thanks for sharing this, I'm in the process of crossing a closet door right now, and this gives me some ideas. Origional idea was get whatever you want out of the closet because I'm not removing this train module more than 2x a lifetime :) Dave

[der5997]

Dave: I have put up some photos of what happened to the closet in the Train room It was never built with any closet framework, and the "wings" had holes for track built right in when it was framed. My loops and yards (the yards run off the reversing loops, one reason I'm going DCC) are pretty much in the closet. The album has moved to page 4 in railimages, but htis URL should get you there: http://www.railimages.com/gallery/johnwood

[Anonymous]

That is an impressive layout. I like the idea of the industry hiding the triple layered area. Good luck.
Reed

[Anonymous]

I've been thinking about your removable sections. If the heavy duty computer connectors are not available you could use other electrical connectors and use industrial strength Velcro to hold it in place. We have a photo studio. Our props need to be light and portable. Many are held together with Velcro. You can buy the heavy duty stuff at hardware stores. It's real strong, the military and Nasa use it. Just a thought.

[der5997]

Great idea for the physical docking requirement, thanks. There's still the need for electrical circuits to bridge the gap, and to power the tracks on the module. One could route wires up and over the doorway, (not my first choice), and under or over the window, (again nmfc), but the power to the tracks requirement remains. What other kinds of electrical connectors would give a sure and solid docking connection. One can't see the connectors when making the "dock" manouver.

[Anonymous]

Your way of using the connectors for both elctrical and mechanical connection is a very good one. But for those who can't find any more old Amphenol Connectors you could use more readily available 9 or 25 pin serial computer connectors or if there are enough pins a 5 pin male / female DIN connector also readily avaialable at Radio Shack or a PC Edge connector like you plug your PC cards into. Dave

[der5997]

Yes Dave, I 've thought about the connectors you mention. I think that if I were to have to use those, I'd put them where I could see them during docking of the module. That's because they are smaller, with what look to me too be more easilly damaged edges. 5 or 9 pins might not give all the circuit carrying capacity one may need. 25 pin should be ample. On the bridge module I'm using 14 of the 16 available, but all the connections are hardwired, so I've a spare circuit left.
Thanks for your thoughts.

[Anonymous]

nice layout like the bridge

[der5997]

Thanks bikemen: The bridge is 2 Walthers Cornerstone double track bridge kits. Paint is acrylic flat black with a bit of the pinkish grey that the viaduct stone is based on thrown in to give a not quite black finish. No decals on yet, and those included in the kits contain graphiti. Those won't get used. It's my road, and so I can ban graphiti and make the ban stick![^]

[der5997]

More photos up. The start of the fiddle yard for the interchange.