No pictures today but I did run some trains. I found three turnouts where cars want to derail so I will have to look into that. Otherwise the layout runs just fine. The City of Los Angeles takes about 30 minutes for a full loop .
Michael
The Breitenbach - Rosenheim Railroad V3
I have installed a temporary DCC bus and connected all the blocks that make up the main line. Now I can run trains! The first passenger train made it all the way from the east staging yard to the west end of the layout:
I have closed the loop!
I spent the afternoon laying more track for a total of 21 pieces of Atlas flex track which amounts to a little over 51'. The return loop is almost complete:
I've reached the staging yard:
I started work on the staging yard area by drawing long, long lines for the yard lead and 17 staging tracks:
Ready for the second staging yard:
After taking off the old H0 track and carefully sanding the glue the surface is still too uneven as a base for the staging yard so I decided to glue another layer of 5mm foamboard on top. This will give me a clean surface to work on.
It took less than 30 minutes to remove all the track:
Now that all the track has been laid I will start on the west staging area. I have decided that at the moment I'm too lazy to build another staging yard. For one, I don't really know how long we're going to stay in this house, and secondly, I don't have enough trains to fill the existing east staging yard so I really don't need it at this time. What I need is a return loop and that's what I'm going to build.
This is how the area looks like today - surprise, surprise, the H0 staging yard is still there (just in case...). That will have to come out first.
Michael, when you get the trains up and running, you should do some videos.
Rich
Alton Junction
All the track work is done! I've completed the branch line as well:
Later today I will start to work on the return loop in the staging area, soon I will be running trains !
I somehow managed to lay about 35 feet of branch line track this afternoon:
carl425 michaelrose55 Here's a shot across most of the layout. Can you spot the train? Are the double track truss bridges in the foreground of this picture built from a kit? If so, which one?
michaelrose55 Here's a shot across most of the layout. Can you spot the train?
Here's a shot across most of the layout. Can you spot the train?
Are the double track truss bridges in the foreground of this picture built from a kit? If so, which one?
That's 2 Walthers kits combined.
I have the right to remain silent. By posting here I have given up that right and accept that anything I say can and will be used as evidence to critique me.
michaelrose55 The room including the 2 staging areas is 41 x 28'.
The room including the 2 staging areas is 41 x 28'.
I have a basement space that measures 42' x 25', but I actually only use about half that space in an L-shape and I run HO scale. The rest of the space is taken up by the furnace, water heaters, and laundry facilities.
So, a dedicated 41' x 28' space for N scale is simply huge, but you already know that, and I am envious.
I didn't find Waldo, but I did find 4 trains....
No Golden Spike but at least a yellow train... The last piece of mainline track has been installed:
You can click here for a bigger, high resolution image.
Now all that's missing are about 50 feet of branch line and the second staging yard/return loop.
Are you going to have a 'golden spike' ceremony?
This is the last missing piece of track to complete the mainline:
The main line made it across the bridge as well:
It's finally cool enough in Florida to work outside so instead of having fun with the layout I spent all day yesterday and this morning doing the final cleanup from the hurricane. But now I'm back inside and layiong track again, starting with the branch line out of Barnesville:
I have learned the hard way how easy it is to be off with some dimensions when creating drawings for a new building. Many structures I built I actually built at least twice: one for the trash can and one for the layout. So I decided that from now on I will always test fit the raw walls before doing all the detail work.
I used a leftover piece of taskboard and made walls a little over an inch high for the test fit. Now that I know everything is perfect I can create the final structure without having to worry.
Old Fat Robert Looks like you need the computer to cut some floor joists!! Just kidding. Your work is terrific. Just wonderful. Old Fat Robert
Looks like you need the computer to cut some floor joists!! Just kidding. Your work is terrific. Just wonderful.
Old Fat Robert
I'm glad you like it. It's a lot of fun as well !
I applied some gray and brown zip texture around the bridge abutments (still wet):
With the bridges in place:
Yesterday evening I started to work on the design for the first new structure. I created the base and had the laser cut it out today to see how it fits:
Old Fat Robert Somewhat off topic but (considering your European influences) have you any experience with the PIKO systems? I have been looking at their system due to a particular "situation" with one of my frequent visiting operators. Old Fat Robert
Somewhat off topic but (considering your European influences) have you any experience with the PIKO systems? I have been looking at their system due to a particular "situation" with one of my frequent visiting operators.
No, I have not looked at PIKO at all.
Old Fat Robert Personally, I preferred the original (pre paint) arrangement for the bridges, but my question is: What control system are you going to use? My apologies if this has already been asked and answered. Old Fat Robert
Personally, I preferred the original (pre paint) arrangement for the bridges, but my question is: What control system are you going to use? My apologies if this has already been asked and answered.
Robert,
I don't know yet. There is a really good German software solution that I like but for some crazy reason the owner of the company that makes it took the last US election personally and now does not sell to states that went for the president. I don't know what his issue is but even if I get the program through a friend someplace else I would be stuck without support. And just in principle I can't support a company that acts like this.
That leaves me with several second choices but I haven't made a decision yet.