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Teen Model Railroader Place -Spring 2010-

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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, May 16, 2010 8:04 PM

Packers#1
Quinton Fallon

I know this is a little off topic but what is the Teen Model Railroader Place string? is there requirements?please help? i'd like to join.

thanks in advance Smile,Wink, & Grin

just be under 21 to join really. although I think when all of us are older we'll still be dropping in. are there really any requirements other than being a teen actually? I think the last discussion on that was over a year ago.

 

Sawyer is correct - we have no requirements. This is Kalmbach's forum so they make the rules, not us. You're welcome to join in the discussion! A lot of our most regular members are really busy this time of year so it's been really quiet recently!

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Posted by Packers#1 on Sunday, May 16, 2010 7:28 PM
Quinton Fallon

I know this is a little off topic but what is the Teen Model Railroader Place string? is there requirements?please help? i'd like to join.

thanks in advance Smile,Wink, & Grin

just be under 21 to join really. although I think when all of us are older we'll still be dropping in. are there really any requirements other than being a teen actually? I think the last discussion on that was over a year ago.

Sawyer Berry

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Building a protolanced industrial park layout

 

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Posted by Quinton Fallon on Sunday, May 16, 2010 7:03 PM

 

hey if it is worth it keep it ... ...if it is perfict its not yours... but still dont take it for granted
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Posted by Packers#1 on Sunday, May 16, 2010 5:40 PM
givin the thread a bump. John, nope, no new pictures, ain't done much else either. Tyler, interesting project! Like I said, I haven't done much on the layout. once my dad fixes the compressor and I get some aged concrete I'll paint my Dixie Quick-Mix plant and start that scenery. Also doing some work on the cannery right now though.

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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, May 13, 2010 7:34 PM

Took this for part of my 365 Project. Yes, it is a model...

Full-size: http://www.flickr.com/photos/trainmanty/4604796427/

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Posted by IVRW on Sunday, May 9, 2010 9:47 AM
Sawyer. Outstanding!!! You have done so much lately. Any more pictures?

~G4

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Posted by Packers#1 on Saturday, May 8, 2010 4:58 PM
Kade, then just take the switches etc. and kick them around until you have a little industrial park that operates good. well, I've been scratchbuilding this weekend. Overview: Spotting cars: The lot. I need some trucks to fill the lot up. Pulling by the cannery: The Dixie Quick-Mix bagging plant. I have a lot left to do but the two basic structures are there. Looking between the buildings: Pulling out of the spur:

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Posted by SD60M on Friday, May 7, 2010 5:28 PM

Packers#1
Joe, thanks! Well, today as a little "gift" i suppose you'd call it my grandma bought me two bags of woodland scenics turf and also two boards of foam board for scratchbuilding. so hopefully that'll work and I'll have the cannery and bagging plant cores built and just need some texture covering by monday. Kade, any input you have on that industrial park? I'm thinking a 44-tonner would be a perfect switcher for it, or heck, even a trackmobile. just pm me with anything you'd like to see done differently.

I really like the idea and i already have a SW1000 for switching plus several Geeps. I like the overal design i have a mix of 22" and 18" curves in EZ track, some atlas code 100 flex track, and other sections of of code 100 rail i could use the ez switches and then use the atlas track for spurs so the industry rails dont have the same height as the mainline. I
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Posted by Packers#1 on Friday, May 7, 2010 5:04 PM
Joe, thanks! Well, today as a little "gift" i suppose you'd call it my grandma bought me two bags of woodland scenics turf and also two boards of foam board for scratchbuilding. so hopefully that'll work and I'll have the cannery and bagging plant cores built and just need some texture covering by monday. Kade, any input you have on that industrial park? I'm thinking a 44-tonner would be a perfect switcher for it, or heck, even a trackmobile. just pm me with anything you'd like to see done differently.

Sawyer Berry

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Building a protolanced industrial park layout

 

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Posted by IVRW on Friday, May 7, 2010 8:55 AM
Here is all I know:

a) DC locomotive works, but will not be recognized or controlled by this DCC system, when it can be on other systems.

b) DCC locomotives are shorting out.

c) Locomotive 1 was not shorting out before, but now is on this and another DCC system.

d) Locomotive 2 had a few programing problems, but issue was solved by reprogramming the locomotive with a new address. Suddenly, a few weeks after it was working fine, it started shorting out. It is not known if it will on other systems.

e) Locomotive 3 is known to be working, however it too shorts out.

f) Before I moved to Utah, everything worked spotlessly.

g) When I moved to Utah, after extreme disuse due to broken leg, similar problems arose. It was found the cause was extremely dirty track. After some good cleaning, all locomotives, except DC one, worked fine.

h) My hypothesis is that the DCC system is somehow doing something that is shorting the DCC decoders in the locomotives. I also believe that there is a short in the DCC system. I will soon try the method you recommended Tyler, and that might finally prove something.

~G4

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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, May 7, 2010 6:52 AM

That narrows it down considerably. What was the problem again? A short? Are you sure it's that? I have the Zephyr but a quick look at the DB150 turned up this:

Auto shutdown if command control drive signal is lost so that the layout will not convert to DC operation if a cable or connection is broken. The trains won't just "take-off" if they are not getting the DCC signal.

This could easily act just like a short if you've tried everything else. I'm not sure how the signal would be lost though.

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Posted by IVRW on Thursday, May 6, 2010 10:07 PM
No Tyler, I did some looking and its a DB 150. http://www.digitrax.com/prd_boost_db150.php He bought that with two utility controllers.

~G4

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Posted by SD60M on Thursday, May 6, 2010 10:01 PM

WOW! Thats awsome Sawyer i really like the idea i wanted to have a warehouse as a industry anyway since i work at one. I really thank you man for doing this for me i cant wait to see what else you come up with!

-Kade

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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, May 6, 2010 9:10 PM
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Posted by IVRW on Thursday, May 6, 2010 8:38 PM
Joe, its a digitrax. I dont know anything beyond that because poor grandpa forgot the instructions.

~G4

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Posted by IVRW on Thursday, May 6, 2010 8:31 PM

One idea I had was for you to slice away some of the width of your board and tack it on to the end for length, to give you an industrial branch line separating away from the main at the yard. If you take Sawyer's drawing, you can see that there are relatively few options. Option a) is to make a big yard closest to the finished section on the inside, while option b) is to put industries in the same area. It all depends on what you want more. Here is my suggestion: I would make a yard in the big area with engine facilities, and I would cut away all other wood not in use. I would then make that wood into another extension off in the direction of Sawyer's small yard. Here you could have a small industrial section. It must also be noted that the industrial area could be forgotten, it's board remain where it came from, and an industrial area could be there. I hope I helped. ~John

~G4

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Posted by ns3010 on Thursday, May 6, 2010 8:29 PM

Ah, I see. You guys certainly weren't slacking, you were just too busy doing actual modeling to post. Makes sense.

Watch out guys, Tyler's an arsonist! Wink
Seriously, nice barn. And that's a, uh, "interesting" derailment. Or i guess it's not really a derailment, just an equipment malfunction???
And no, you didn't crash my computer again. In fact, it never crashed... It just burned out my power cord (for like the fourth time...), so I can't charge it, so I have to use a different computer for now...

John, sorry to hear about your grandfather Angel
As for the DCC system, who makes it? That might make things a little easier...

BigBlue, for some reason, Youtube doesn't work on this computer, so I can't watch it- sorry!

Kade, if you run the main down the center, you could get a small two (maybe three) track yard on one side of it. It could be stub ended with a crossover at the end. Then you could probably get at least two industries on the other side of the main.

Wow, Sawyer, North Branch is looking great!

Cdog, it could be what John said, or maybe the points weren't moved fully into the right position or something like taht.?

 

Well, nothing new from me, as always. Been overly busy with lacrosse, and now not being able to play because of bruised ribs and all kinds of fun stuff like that. But the season ends in less than two weeks, so things will be less busy then.

I also got some money from making my Confirmation, so maybe I'll be able to do something (finish benchwork maybe?) with the money left over from when I buy new shoes (sorry, but I REALLY need those- much higher on the priority list than trains!).

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Posted by Packers#1 on Thursday, May 6, 2010 7:01 PM
Packers#1
I'll play around with that in RTS and see what I come up with.
well, just kinda went from my mind to the plan. it's a very rough draft, and you really can't help but hog the main while doing anything. the yard is just there, can be used to re-block cars how the conductor sees fit (for modeling this just drop the cars into random order on the sceniced side and use that main as staging.) the train will roll in, run around the cars if it pulls in from right to left, then start switching. I used Atlas #4, and I'd suggest using either a switcher or a 4 axle unit. if you use EZ track you'll probably need to jostle stuff around, but I mean for this plan to be a jumping-off point. some flaws but could still provide some decent switching ops.

Sawyer Berry

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Building a protolanced industrial park layout

 

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Posted by Packers#1 on Thursday, May 6, 2010 6:26 PM
SD60M

Packers#1
Kade, do you have a trackplan showing where those rails are on the layout? 

Well thats the problem. The only part of the layout that has rails that will stay is where the hill and river are. Every other part of the layout i havent a clue. The stretch is 2' wide and 8' feet long does that length have any possibility for a small yard and maybe a couple of industries in HO scale.

I'll play around with that in RTS and see what I come up with.

Sawyer Berry

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Building a protolanced industrial park layout

 

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Posted by SD60M on Thursday, May 6, 2010 6:10 PM

Packers#1
Kade, do you have a trackplan showing where those rails are on the layout? 

Well thats the problem. The only part of the layout that has rails that will stay is where the hill and river are. Every other part of the layout i havent a clue. The stretch is 2' wide and 8' feet long does that length have any possibility for a small yard and maybe a couple of industries in HO scale.

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Posted by ns3010 on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 8:32 PM

Hmm, it seems like there's finally some activity here...

Can't stay and look, but I'm not going to practice tomorrow, so I'll be home early, and I'll explain that and read posts and all that stuff then...

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Posted by Packers#1 on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 7:44 PM
cdog, do you have anything holding the switch closed? could be the points coming undone midway through. otherwise, check out john's explanation.

Sawyer Berry

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Building a protolanced industrial park layout

 

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Posted by IVRW on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 5:19 PM
More information would be nice cdog, but from what I can tell, I believe the edge of the switching rail isn't flush with the diverging route, so I would either file down the stub if there is one, or bend the switching rail until it can easily be flush.

~G4

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Posted by cdog565 on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 4:37 PM

Well i finally decided to get off my butt and start getting a idea what i can do with the 4 by 4 foot board. I got track set up but is not secured ( i am using a fabric like stuff for grass). I will put pictures up later. But as i was running a couple of my engines the derailed on the switches along with several cars, can anwone tell me how to fix that?

Chris

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Posted by Packers#1 on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 3:46 PM
IVRW
Wow Sawyer, the progress is amazing!
thanks man, hey, it's a great way to calm down after a stressful school week!

Sawyer Berry

Clemson University c/o 2018

Building a protolanced industrial park layout

 

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Posted by IVRW on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 3:44 PM
Wow Sawyer, the progress is amazing!

~G4

19 Years old, modeling the Cowlitz, Chehalis, and Cascade Railroad of Western Washington in 1927 in 6X6 feet.

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Posted by Packers#1 on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 2:20 PM
Kade, do you have a trackplan showing where those rails are on the layout? Well, today is early release day from school, and I went upstairs and took some more pics. And lo and behold I played with the settings and check out the results: First some overview pics: GP35 #5 pulls a cut of cars off the cannery spur: Wow, the front of a '35 is BEAST!: This grade crossing is the best spot to get a good shot of a loco: here's a view of the other end: Check out the GP9! Finally a crossing pic of the U23B and a boxcar and the bus that was EVERYWHERE today downtown, while no one else was downtown.

Sawyer Berry

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Building a protolanced industrial park layout

 

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Posted by SD60M on Monday, May 3, 2010 7:30 PM

Went out to work on the layout and im having a block in creativity. Can somone give me an idea of what i can can do with the left side of the of my layout. I have scenery on the right, which is fine but i would like some industries and maybe a small yard. the area is about 2' wide and 8' long. Any help would be appreciated. Also here is a pic of the part of my layout im talking about.

-Kade

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Posted by BigBlueConrail on Monday, May 3, 2010 6:16 PM
Video New video I recorded the other day after I bought some new athearn shipping containters, enjoy!
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Posted by Anonymous on Monday, May 3, 2010 3:52 PM

Yes, Pikestuff kits come with so much extra awesomeness. I love them.

IVRW
I also got something for you guys which might just save my DCC system. My hobby shop guru said whenever you call up a locomotive's address, it fills up a slot. Every few years, the slots have to be emptied and reset in order to call up another locomotive. Is shorting out a characteristic of full slots? If so, then how might I reset the slots, as poor grandpa forgot to include the manual.

 

I'm sorry to hear about your grandfather, John. I've had almost half a dozen friends get diagnosed with various forms of cancer (two of them my age) and all of them are now fine, physically if not psychologically... Disapprove

What DCC system do you have? I have the Digitrax Zephyr and can walk you through the process of clearing the selected locos. BUT, this would not cause shorting so I doubt that's the problem. I'd connect your DCC system to a single piece of flextrack and see if it shorts with no loco, and then with a various selection of engines (to make sure it's not one engine that's the problem). If there's no short, it's your layout, rolling stock, or engines. If it's a short, it's the DCC system. Locate the problem before you try to fix it...

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