There was a show called "Workin' on the Railroad" on DIY Network a few years ago. They built the River Pass; did a pretty decent job of it, too. I don't know if a DVD of the series is available, but it might be worth checking out.
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
Phoebe Vet Steve: Here is why I bought the Riverpass:
Steve:
Here is why I bought the Riverpass:
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
If you look carefully you will see the seam where some layout was added to the Riverpass. The tunnel portal is part of the Riverpass, the two houses are not.
I built the layout in 8 foot long modules. Wired them while I could turn them over on saw horses, then bolted them together.
This is the Riverpass shot from near the swing gate. (I'm too old for duck unders.)
My Thomas has a TCS decoder and no other modifications except working head and tail lights. On the very steep hills of the RiverPass, he can pull Annie & Clarabelle but not much more. If they were weighted, he probably couldn't pull them up those hills. It is a traction issue, not power. On the flat which is the rest of the layout he pulls the Hogwart's consist with no problem at all. There is nothing added to the cars. My grandson has his own UT4D with which he drives it.
You mentioned that you were going to be running a "Thomas the Tank Engine" on your layout. The club I go to has one that we run for little kids (and they love it.) The problem with Thomas is his short wheelbase and light weight. He is very limited in terms of pulling power, and stalls going over pretty much any insulated frog switch.
When you get DCC, you will need to install a DCC decoder in Thomas to run him on the layout. Don't skimp on the decoder. I would recommend getting a Train Control Systems (TCS) MC2 hardwire decoder, measuring .42 by .743 by .191 inches and rated a 1 amp. The MC decoders have auto adjusting Back-EMF for smoother running, "Quiet Drive," and two lighting functions. Walthers number 745-1013, $29.95.
Before you install the decoder, you will need to do something about Thomas's pickup, or lack thereof. I would suggest either permanently wiring Thomas, Annie, and Clarabelle together, or spending a bit extra and getting special electrically conductive couplers. Wiring them together would be simple and easy, but then you would have a permanent unit, which might be trouble if your grandkids want to have Thomas pull some "troublesome trucks." Conductive couplers are pricey, but you can get a two-pole pair on sale for less than $20. The advantage of the conductive couplers is that they come pre-wired, and allow flexibility in train arrangement while still allowing for all-wheel pickup on the train. Whatever you decide, wire Annie and Clarabelle for pickup by adding brass or phosphor bronze wipers to the backs of the wheels. When you're done, Thomas will now have 14-wheel pickup (or possibly more if you go the conductive coupler route.)
The top of Thomas's cab is just clipped in and can pop off for easy access. The decoder will go in the cab, and some disassembly may be required to hardwire in the decoder. If you haven't done it before, wiring in a decoder is pretty easy, and TCS decoders come with instructions. If you're reeling ambitious, you could drill out the lamps on Thomas and put in LEDs to make them light up when you activate the functions on the decoder.
Thomas doesn't have much room inside his shell, so weighting isn't an option. Instead, get a bottle of "Bullfrog Snot" and make traction tires on a pair of Thomas's wheels. Normally this wouldn't be a good idea with such a small locomotive, but putting pickups on Annie and Clarabelle and wiring them together will make sure that you will still have plenty of pickup. Bullfrog Snot will give Thomas plenty of pulling power, and allow him to easily climb the 4% grades on the Woodland Pass layout.
Finally a couple of random notes.
If you decide to wire Thomas, Annie, and Clarabelle together, be sure to use small, highly flexible wires. Stiff wires will pull the train off the tracks on curves.
Put some weight in Annie and Clarabelle. The models as Bachmann distributes them are way too light, and the increased weight will make them track better. NMRA recommended practice 20.1 suggests to have an HO car's total weight be equal to 1 oz plus 1/2 oz for each inch of body length. Therefore Annie and Clarabelle should weigh approximately 5 1/2 ounces each.
If you can find any extra room in Thomas, put some lead weights in him too.
S&S
Modeling the Pennsy and loving it!
Thanks Dave!
I will take your advice and add the extra turn outs for future expansion. I would love to see more photos of your complete layout. Looks great of what I saw. I am completing a shelf mount Lionel O gauge layout around the top of the room and an HO Fair layout using Woodland Scenics pave it & ground cover and Mr. Christmas World’s Fair ride collection I have before starting on the River Pass layout.
Thanks again!
Steve
SteveD Thanks Dave! Just what we want a project we can work with our two granddaughters. Just wish the grandson was older but I don't them growing up to fast!
Thanks Dave! Just what we want a project we can work with our two granddaughters. Just wish the grandson was older but I don't them growing up to fast!
At the time we were building it, the only train we had was Bachmann's Thomas the Tank Engine and I was getting tired of watching the two granddaughters fight over it as it ran around in a 36 inch circle. We were building it for Thomas.
Long before we had it completed, I remembered how much I had enjoyed my trains in my youth, so I modified the track plan to add 4 more turnouts because I just KNEW that we were going to expand it.
Notice the two turnouts to nowhere on the front straight, and the back left corner where the roadbed runs to the edge. We then went on to finish the River Pass. They then had more room to run Thomas while I began the real layout.
As it exists now. Notice the 4x8 piece at the top. That is the original River Pass.
SteveD Thanks for the info. The price is OK with me and I know that it will take "extras". I just want something that my wife and I, maybe the grandkids, can work on together and look nice in the end. We are not in to the yards and industries but more of the scenery of the layout. Thanks again!! Steve
Thanks for the info. The price is OK with me and I know that it will take "extras". I just want something that my wife and I, maybe the grandkids, can work on together and look nice in the end. We are not in to the yards and industries but more of the scenery of the layout.
Thanks again!!
Steve,
Good for you,,,,then the one,with the most scenery,is the way to go...Enjoy and have fun
Cheers,
Frank
My granddaughter working on the River Pass.
18" curves and 4% grade. But we put a couple extra turnouts in it during the construction and it now is just a small part of a 18x16 around the garage layout.
Connecticut Valley Railroad A Branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." -- Henry Ford
BrianinBuffaloI think you can run two trains independently on the River Pass.
Not simultaneously and continuously, it would appear. The two paths seem to share a stretch of track. The instructions are downloadable here and the track plan is the final page.
Layout Design GalleryLayout Design Special Interest Group
I don't ever recall MR,doing a review,on either one of those..
To add what Cuyama said,unless they changed how they are packaged,not everything comes in one kit,layout,track and scenery and buildings,,are all separate kits,that you have to buy to complete it and that does not include,DC or DCC,power to run it,,,,be prepared to spend upwards of 1200.00 dollars in the end..
Just a thought!!
Each of those layouts has tight curves and fairly steep grades (4%), which limits a bit the length of trains and the kinds of equipment you can operate. In addition, with only a couple of sharp SnapSwitch turnouts in each track plan, there is not a lot of long term operating interest possible.
I believe that the River Pass has no industry tracks where you may place cars, just two routes. The Grand Valley layout has a couple of industry spots, I think.
If you like the idea of purchasing an all-in-one package and your interests run more to building structures and scenery for a train to orbit through, then it might be a good fit. Of course, there are many alternatives to the HO 4X8 (and even within the realm of the HO 4X8, there are more interesting long-term alternatives to these track plans). But these alternatives aren't available as all-in-one kits.
Best of luck with your layout.
Just starting out in the hobby and have limited space. The Woodland Scenic River Pass 4x8 layout has caught my eye. I have done several of their practice kits and love doing it.
I was looking for some feedback or suggestions on the system and this layout.
Except for the water feature on the River Pass is there much difference (technically) between it and the Grand Valley layout offered by woodland Scenic?
I have sent emails to MR asking if they ever did a review of either layout but have not received any answer back. Does anyone know if they ever did a review and if so I can I obtain a copy of it?
Thanks!