Teen Model Railroad Place March 2010

[RailfanS]

Packers#1

 I'm not sure. code 80 has #6s and #8s, code 55 has #5s and #7s. if you're going code 80 I'd GUESS it to be a number 6 but I wouldn't swear to it. It's probably be smarter to go with a number 6 if you're in doubt b/c most locomotives can survive the diverging leg of a #6 decently and it's probably easier to deal with a number 6 instead of a number 8 than vice versa

Thanks, I think I'll go with number 6's.

Okay though I still don't have a digital version of the plan to share with you I'll try to explain what's going on here. We'll start at the beginning:

1. 3-4 months ago a judge in the town of Clayton donated a n-scale layout that represented the town in the early 1900's to a local museum. Our club was called and on "moving day" we moved the Appx. 4x8 layout from the judges house to the museum.

2. About Feb. 10th the museum contacted us and asked if we wanted to help with the "restoration" project, to improve the donated layout. We held our first meeting at the museum Feb. 24th. At that meeting we decided the donated layout was in rough shape and restoring it would be more work than it was worth. So the museum decided to start building a layout from scratch. In the museums archives we found a 1:1200 scale blueprint of the towns track in 1939. We immediatly decided to base our layout on this trackplan. Using some awesome computers and printers, we blew up the 1:1200 blueprint to 1:160 scale, producing a 4 foot by 10 foot, exact N-scale.

3. Our next meeting was March 3rd. We met once again at the museum with our 1:160 track plan. We laid out the plan on a table and began guesstimating the amount of track we would need. We figured about 81ft of track (27 3ft sections of flextrack). We also counted 10 left hand and 5 right hand turnouts in the plan. We also did the calculations and came up with the plans for the 4' x10' benchwork. One of the museum officials if supposed to build the benchwork in his shop this week. It is supposed to be ready by this Wednesday. This leaves me with a shopping list:

• 27 pieces flextrack (Atlas code 80?)
• 5 right hand turnouts (Atlas Custom #6?)   
• 10 left hand turnouts (Atlas Custom #6?)
• 25 pieces cork roadbed (Midwest Products?)
• insulated rail joiners
• Standard rail joiners

I was instructed to find a retailer that carrys all of this at a good price and submit it to the museum official responsible for the layout project by Wednesday, March 10th.

The strange part about this layout: The museum is still deciding if the layout will be completely static, or feature LIMITED operation. By limited operation I mean, having museum visitors push a button and having a train move down the mainline into the yard, and stop at the station before automatically reversing out of the yard (no continuous loop). We have individuals capable of building the cuicritry, but because of maintenance issues the museum still doesn't know if they want it to have the layout operate at all. If it does it will only be the mainline and none of the turnouts will have to be functional.

I think thats about it. Our club only consist of 4 members that show up regularly, making this project a challenge. I keep asking questions and getting answers so everyone deserves to know what I'm up to. Feel free to ask questions, I probably forgot something along the way...

Jamie 

 

 

[Packers#1]

 I'm not sure. code 80 has #6s and #8s, code 55 has #5s and #7s. if you're going code 80 I'd GUESS it to be a number 6 but I wouldn't swear to it. It's probably be smarter to go with a number 6 if you're in doubt b/c most locomotives can survive the diverging leg of a #6 decently and it's probably easier to deal with a number 6 instead of a number 8 than vice versa

[RailfanS]

ns3010

The containers of Gensets are apparently not coming till June now... From January, to February, to March, to JUNE!!!!!!!!!?!?!?!? Seriously?

Don't you LOVE preorders?

Thank you for your help, I'll probably go with code 80 if it's easier to get ahold of. Modeltrainstuff.com seems to have decent prices so I'll keep it in mind. Next question: I have to figure out which turnouts fit the track plan. Most are this size:

Is this a NO. 6 turnout?

I'm in a bit of a hurry because museum officials gave me until Wednesday to give them a complete track list, along with a list of vendors to buy from. Being the first deadline on this project, I'd really like to make it. Not to mention the sooner we get the supplies the sooner we can get started. As for the explanation I promised, I'll get there soon. My scanner has "issues" so It'll be a few more days before I post the trackplan.

Thanks again for the help,

Jamie

[ns3010]

The containers of Gensets are apparently not coming till June now... From January, to February, to March, to JUNE!!!!!!!!!?!?!?!? Seriously?

[Guilford Guy]

Good luck getting Atlas Code 55 flex. The molds broke and I'm not sure when the containers will get here, not to mention Ian has bought every piece of flex from every conceivable vendor.

[ns3010]

Uh, Youtube never changed. Unless it's like the last Facebook change where everyone was like "OMG!!! IT'S DIFFERENT!!!!!!!" and mine didn't change until a week later...

So I actually did something! I painted my SW1500 into the genset green and blue! It needs a little touch up, and I won't have decals for a while, since I can't print them in white.
I'll have photos later.

[Packers#1]

 I've used both Atlas code 80 track and code 55. code 55 is what I'm currently using and is the most realistic. However, code 80 doesn't look terribly out of scale if painted right and also older equipment will not run on code 55 (in fact, I do believe Micro-trains cars still won't unless they have new low-profile wheelsets) because they have "cookie-cutter" wheels, which have HUGE flanges. however, most everything today has the rp-25 wheelsets for code 55. As to track prices, you'll have to do some shopping around. I bought some second-hand switches from one guy and then traded two locos I wouldn't be using to another guy who decided to go with code 80 and got almost all the other code 55 I needed. modeltrainstuff.com is probably a good place to begin your hunt though.

[RailfanS]

Okay you N-scalers,

I have a question for you: What code track would be most realistic for a yard, and where would you buy it (best price)?

Our club met last night and, with our 1:160 blueprint/ trackplan which is 4' x 10', and decided we need 81' of track (which is 27 pieces of 3' flex). We decided on Nickel-Silver Atlas track, but we don't know what code to use. Also if you know anywhere that sells this at a good price please share.  

I have a meeting to go to tonight (not train related) so I can't spend too much time here. I'll upload the trackplan in a couple of days and explain what's going on in more detail. This project is moving at a MUCH faster pace than I'm used to.

Thanks in advance, 

Jamie 

[Packers#1]

RailfanS

Packers#1

we have cupcakes

I like cupcakes, you had better have ALOT OF THEM. After all an n-scale cupcake is what, 1/64" in diameter...

 

No worries, they're baked 160x their true n scale proportions

Tyler, whatever happened to youtube, it's fine for me now.

Joe, thanks man, I've been workin hard on the layout. and I don't think I wanna know that joke lol...

[Railfan Alex]

TrainManTy

Railfan Alex

And now Youtube has returned to it's former self...

 

Still looks weird to me. What did you change?

I didn't change anything.

[Anonymous]

Railfan Alex

And now Youtube has returned to it's former self...

 

Still looks weird to me. What did you change?

[Railfan Alex]

And now Youtube has returned to it's former self...

[IVRW]

I honestly never noticed it until you guys brought it up.

[Railfan Alex]

I don't find it that bad, but I don't like the fact they eliminated the "more videos from this user" bar, and instead you are stuck with a long line of related videos, which are for the most part unrelated to the video...

[Anonymous]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

What happened to YouTube? It's all weird now! They killed the ratings system and moved everything around! Now it looks like *gasp* Google Videos!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6AsFYCZeeY

[ns3010]

(back?) Jackson! I musta came after you left.

John, sounds like a cool load!

Yeah, the April Fools joke was really obvious. I said that in my thread, yet some people still didn't notice...

And yes, cookies are better. And they don't give me disgusting mental pictures like what the N scalers have...

[IVRW]

Welcome Jackson,

Thanks guys,

Jamie, HO has bigger cupcakes. We also have cookies, which are way better. Well, Birthday today. I got paint brushed, a whole Xacto set, and a bunch of back issues of MRM. Yes, I saw the sore thumb/April fools. And I am in Florida. From school, I went to TAA in Salt Lake and HSC in Minneapolis. Algebra was supposed to be held at 30,000 feet in the air, but the in flight wifi was canceled. For my b-day, I will go to this awesome MR exhibit.

[super cheif n]

 Haven't been here in like 2 years. For those who may(or may not) remember me, I'm an N scale moderler...and after sitting around for 2 years doing nothing I pulled out my trains and have plan on finally finishing that module that I have been "working" on for years now.

[ns3010]

John!

Sawyer, yeah, I saw them! And I must say, it looks amazing!

And I heard this joke about cupcakes, and I can never look at them the same way again. It's very disturbing... I don't think I can ever eat a cupcake without puking again... lol

And in N scale, a cupcake would be 0.01875" in diameter. If not smaller...

[RailfanS]

Packers#1

ah, and so the conversion process begins.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!

That's funny.

Packers#1

we have cupcakes

I like cupcakes, you had better have ALOT OF THEM. After all an n-scale cupcake is what, 1/64" in diameter...

Jamie

[Packers#1]

RailfanS

The only new thing around here is my youth club has started working with a local museum to build an N scale model of the our neighboring town, Clayton, in the 1940's. This model centers around the railyard that existed back then. I'll hopefully have some more info, and maybe pictures soon, along with my thoughts on N scale.

 

ah, and so the conversion process begins. welcome to the N scale side, we have cupcakes

 I'm guessing y'all saw my progress pics in WPF. otherwise, nothin new from me

Happy Birthday John! and once again, welcome to the TAMR!

[Anonymous]

RailfanS

I'll hopefully have some more info, and maybe pictures soon, along with my thoughts on N scale.

 

Try not to sneeze... 

I hope to get my new ballast in Lebanon airbrushed this afternoon before volleyball, in which case I should have photos for this weekend!

[ns3010]

John, (early) !!!

As always, I have nothing new. So please enjoy this cartoon:

I created it to describe a certain other forum that I cannot mention. If you're curious, PM me and I'll send you links that explain it...

[RailfanS]

YES,

I get to start this month off

Well not much happening up here on the CVS. I've been too busy with school and other activities to work on my own railroad. I am looking forward to visiting the local club later this month and getting to run my trains on their modular layout, but more on that later. Some business from the other tread:

John: Welcome to the TAMR. And Happy Birthday too.

Alex: Can't wait to see that SOO Geep, your friend is lucky.

everyone else: great work, I've seen your progress over on WPF.

In response to the question "Who here likes trains?" HMMMMM...?? oh yes, ME.

The only new thing around here is my youth club has started working with a local museum to build an N scale model of the our neighboring town, Clayton, in the 1940's. This model centers around the railyard that existed back then. I'll hopefully have some more info, and maybe pictures soon, along with my thoughts on N scale.

Well I'm tired, goodnight.

Jamie