I've nothing to show today really. I did lay some track but due to the lack of time nothing spectacular. There's one other thing though that I want to share at this point.
I miss N scale. No, I'm not going back to it but I miss the simplicity of the models. H0 models have so much more detail, it's sometimes breathtaking and - it's easy to break it off as I have found out. It might just be my clumsy fingers but now I'm almost scared to take a new locomotive out of it's box because I might break some ridiculous thin molded hand rail or antenna or whatever else there is. Why are they so overdoing it in H0? Just because they can? Whatever happened to models you can 'play' with?
N scale locomotives used to be so simple and safe (and inexpensive). Did I say that I miss them?
Michael
The Breitenbach - Rosenheim Railroad V3
Michael,
I can see where you are coming from.
Today´s models are highly detailed, but I am inclined to say they are over-detailed, but way too fragile for some hard ops on a layout. I model HOm gauge Swiss narrow gauge lines and the locos and cars from Bemo certainly fit this description. Even worse, they are highly detailed, but badly engineered, quite often they end up as expensive shelf queens.
I still have some old Marklin locos, which were first marketed in the late 1950´s and sold unchanged way into the 1980´s. They are rugged, well engineered "beasts" you can´t kill, smooth runners, but with a lot lower level of detail, which you notice only on the second glance. The best of them is that if I re-calculate their 1950´s price into today´s money, they´d go for a tad over a third of the current model, not to mention thefact that they were manufactured domestically instead of a far away country.
Both locos are round and about 35 years old now. I have run them just recently, straight out of the box in which they had rested for over 30 years!
They don´t make `em like this anymore
michaelrose55H0 models have so much more detail, it's sometimes breathtaking and - it's easy to break it off as I have found out.
Michael, I know exactly how you feel! Been there, done that! When I first got into the hobby it took me a while to learn to pause and think before I picked up a locomotive so I could handle it without doing damage. Some of my first locomotives were P2Ks with the plastic hand rails. If you touched them they broke! The exhaust stacks and lift rings on the P2K E6s and 7s were so finely molded that they could be crushed instantly if you put the locomotive on its roof without a foam cradle. Very frustrating. Now I don't work on a locomotive upside down without the foam cradle.
Fortunately I was able to score some spare exhaust stacks and I have replaced most of the vulnerable plastic grabs and lift rings on the E locomotives with metal ones. That was actually not too difficult. I'm not sure if you have the same options.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Dave,
You can buy body parts from any of the manufacturers of European stock, but they charge you more than an arm and a leg for it (pun intended)!
I managed to do a little work today. I finished this passing siding:
I installed two turnouts at the south end of the station:
...and another two turnouts and a piece of track at the northern end:
Michael:
I am eagerly awaiting the point when you start to do your scenery. You have a lot of large areas to fill, but I'm sure you have it all planned out.
hon30critter Michael: I am eagerly awaiting the point when you start to do your scenery. You have a lot of large areas to fill, but I'm sure you have it all planned out. Dave
You'll have to be patient, I have a ton of track to lay first! But yes, there is a plan !
The third station track is complete:
This morning I had another visitor. Gordon from Colorado came to visit family in Florida and stopped by on his way from the airport:
The daily progress report - one additional station track again:
Again, another station track finished:
...and a freight train has arrived as well:
I'm getting closer to the finish line at Rosenheim:
As always a test train:
I laid more track at the Rosenheim station this morning. I'm getting close!
The Rosenheim station is almost done. I will have to stop now because I've run out of Tillig track and turnouts. I should get a shipment before Christmas so there is hope that I can continue.
Today I finished the south end of the station:
At the northern end I added two stub tracks for commuter trains:
I took some overview pictures of the station as it is now:
I just wanted to let you know that I'm really enjoying watching your progress and I appreciate that you're sharing it.
-matthew
krupa I just wanted to let you know that I'm really enjoying watching your progress and I appreciate that you're sharing it. -matthew
Matthew,
It's a lot of fun and more so if you share it with friends!
After taking the ET 11 out of the box I just had to see whether it would run. This is an electric train that was built in the 1930s and ran between Munich and Berlin at speeds of up to 160 km/h (100 mph).
I need some input on bridges. I still have the single track viaduct that I built for the last German layout:
It would fit in perfectly where the branch line enters the Breitenbach peninsula. But there are two other locations where I have to have two more viaducts, one on the same branch line (single track, curved viaduct) and one on the main line (dual track with a 2% grade). In these locations nothing but a viaduct makes sense.
What I'm afraid of is that I might end up with too much of the same and therefore should not use the existing bridge, use some other type bridge instead. On the other hand the thing just looks soo good!
So, can you have too many viaducts when you're not modeling Switzerland?
Being out of track I decided to work on the layout lighting again. I installed 8 feet yesterday evening:
Hey Michael,
First, great project. Second, great design and craftsmanship. Third, great idea to share on this forum. It has been interesting to watch progress in real time.
Fourth, questions about specific details. I understand CAD and laser cutting and (now) taskboard. What subroadbed are you using, and how is the taskboard attached thereto? How is the flextrack attached to the taskboard? And how do you get the track so dang straight? And keep it straight while the adhesive sets up? Holy cow! Lots of before photos, lots of design photos, and lots of after photos. Can you post few shots of the actual work? You know, clamps, dead weights, straightedges, glue pots, messy brushes, and whatnot.
Thanks for sharing.
Robert
LINK to SNSR Blog
Robert,
I promise to post some close-ups when I start laying track again. Let's hope I don't forget about it...
Let me try and answer your questions:
That's about it!
Plus/minus 0.5mm . . . gotta love that!
ROBERT PETRICK Plus/minus 0.5mm . . . gotta love that! Robert
That might sound funny to you but even such a small error is quite visible! I'm trying to stay below that threshold but it's not always easy.
michaelrose55 ROBERT PETRICK Plus/minus 0.5mm . . . gotta love that! Robert That might sound funny to you but even such a small error is quite visible! I'm trying to stay below that threshold but it's not always easy.
No, no, no . . . please don't misunderstand. I was not being sarcastic, and apparently I was not being funny either. I admire close-tolerance work, and I know just how hard it is to achieve.
You are doing great work. Really.
I didn't take it the wrong way, I should have added a smiley to my answer! Sorry !
You mentioned that you are using wood glue to attach the track to the roadbed. What are the ties made out of?
Thanks
hon30critter Michael: You mentioned that you are using wood glue to attach the track to the roadbed. What are the ties made out of? Thanks Dave
The track has plastic ties. I use this glue and it holds the track without problems. I use it because you can pop out the track with a knife blade if you have to.
A few decoders showed up in the mail today. That gives me something to do later...
I picked 5 locomotives and installed decoders. Here comes a short video of the test runs (nothing fancy):
Besides installing and testing decoders I added 6' of led strip to expand my room lighting. Now the light runs across the back of the Breitenbach peninsula already !