Brunton wrote: TheK4Kid wrote:Maybe I shouldn't say this, got my 130 foot TT for $229.Yes it takes up some real estate!I figure my engine service yard area will be first to be built.But there has been 10,000 other projects that needed done before winter sets in, like painting all the trim on my house, and now a new roof.All of you guys with your pictures keep inspiring me on! Going to go lay down and read Digitrax book "The Big Book of DCC" until I fall asleep.TheK4KidI got my 90-footer at Timonium this past weekend for $210 - Twenty bucks cheaper than anyone else selling them there. The 130-footer the guy had was also $210. New, not used. I was building the Walthers 90 foot turntable kit, but decided the spot I was going to put it will be too busy to trust with what many report is a problematic unit, so in will go the new one instead. The kit I'll use at another, lower traffic location instead.
TheK4Kid wrote:Maybe I shouldn't say this, got my 130 foot TT for $229.Yes it takes up some real estate!I figure my engine service yard area will be first to be built.But there has been 10,000 other projects that needed done before winter sets in, like painting all the trim on my house, and now a new roof.All of you guys with your pictures keep inspiring me on! Going to go lay down and read Digitrax book "The Big Book of DCC" until I fall asleep.TheK4Kid
Smart move, mine was nothing but trouble, it is now at an abandoned terminal (the shelf!)
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
Milwhiawatha wrote:Thats how much I paid for mine two. Got it from a guy on ebay selling real cheap. I got photos on my website of it. I havent gotten photos of the 90' at the cement silos.
Nice photos and website
Wow! Great reviews for a Walthers' product? Whoda thunk it. I'm thrilled to hear it though, as I also got mine "cheap" on Ebay and now can't wait to go get it put in...
Fianly got a picture of our Ashley yard
This is the larger of the the two yards. At least the roundhouses fit this time!!
Safety Valve wrote: Those pictures are nice. The Falls Valley Railroad might be acquiring a turn table in 2007 despite my hard fisted stubborn reluctance to blow 4 square feet to a nice 130'er The more I look at my operating plan the more it sinks in that I will need to have one of those big tables. But they are NOT cheap.
Those pictures are nice.
The Falls Valley Railroad might be acquiring a turn table in 2007 despite my hard fisted stubborn reluctance to blow 4 square feet to a nice 130'er The more I look at my operating plan the more it sinks in that I will need to have one of those big tables. But they are NOT cheap.
Got that right! I got one for $285.00 and the other for $260.00. The CFO of the rail road helps me find deals!!!
George,
Great water. I will not be doing water for awhile. Nice detail on your loco photo.
We are trying to hold off on spending. That TT was the price of another loco.
I put two layers of stain on the rocks tonight. Not even close to the color that I want. Oh, well.
Sue
Anything is possible if you do not know what you are talking about.
This is a better shot of my water formula:
These are the latest additions; 0-6-0 is a P2K and the BLI Cab Forward.
I tore out 6 turnouts to handle my crazy idea to run Big Steam on all routes. Only Have one loco to complete the collection an Allegheny. Want the brass BUT after the Brass Big Boy that would be pushing my luck. Can not wait for that to come in!!!
No, it is a Proto 2000. Most everything on our layout has been designed for this guy. Once you have had sound, it is hard to go back. Can you tell that this is my favorite Loco?
Weathering is chalks. Any excess vaccuums out.
gear-jammer wrote: We use Makita cordless drills. We have 2 from house building days. Screws are more efficient if you make changes. Here are some TT photos. Sue
We use Makita cordless drills. We have 2 from house building days. Screws are more efficient if you make changes.
Here are some TT photos.
Braver than me Miss Sue! I have not done anything to disturb the Turn Table Gods by weathering their area. Waiting till it is bullet proof around it then I will tempt Murphey!
Looks good, like the Loco, Spectrum?
TheK4Kid wrote: I looked at a "Senco" screw gun at Home Depot on Saturday 10-14, anyone have any experince with them?These were both battery ( cordless and AC powered) --Uses ":collated" screws.Thought it would make building tables easier and quicker, and putting up drywall around the layout room easier also.Really don't want to use nails.
Save your money, bought one and took it back. I bought a 24V drill driver with the special head for drywall screws. It is easy as heck. Magnetic so it hold the 1 5/8" screws for the "L" girder and also the 1" for the drywall. It runs the screw flush then releases so you do not go THRU the drywall.
I have Cork and Foam roadbed. As we make changes (already) all the cork that comes out in PIECES is being replaced with WS foam. I took out a 42 " passing siding that was foam and saved all the foam and the track. I moved an 18:" siding that was cork and lost all the cork.
gear-jammer wrote: George, Our house is about 2300 sq. ft. I can not imagine a layout room that size. Our 13' x 13' is a good starting point. The room is actually 13' x 28', but we would have to remove a climbing wall and find a place for our weight room equipment. We did not get our track to the TT this weekend. Larry had to take off for California. We got the frogs powered for three turnouts and another siding in the yard completed. I think that we are going to make some changes to the original yard. The larger TT, and the Walthers 3 stall RH, have taken up some space. I finished placing the geodesic rocks on the section that I have been taking photos of. Hopefully, I will have photos tomorrow. We even found time to ride our dirt bikes, and share the layout with a friend who stopped by. Sue
Our house is about 2300 sq. ft. I can not imagine a layout room that size. Our 13' x 13' is a good starting point. The room is actually 13' x 28', but we would have to remove a climbing wall and find a place for our weight room equipment.
We did not get our track to the TT this weekend. Larry had to take off for California. We got the frogs powered for three turnouts and another siding in the yard completed. I think that we are going to make some changes to the original yard. The larger TT, and the Walthers 3 stall RH, have taken up some space.
I finished placing the geodesic rocks on the section that I have been taking photos of. Hopefully, I will have photos tomorrow.
We even found time to ride our dirt bikes, and share the layout with a friend who stopped by.
This is a whole top floor he had added just for the trains. He has a seperate A/C and power panel. I think 30 breakers just for lights and the layout. His problem is like mine AGE!!! I could gave went to the full 1800 sq ft of the basement but thought that would take longer than I have to get it to at least some scenery. The CFO (Krysti) wanted me to build what ever I wanted so budget just build it. We are adding CCTV for the Dispatcher feeding back 4 cameras to a 28" LCD which looks to be to small. If this works out then I will start on some scenery.
We tried running without the cameras but with the 2 room type of arrangemwnt you can not see most of the layout at any one time.
Well it is annib. on the 15th so will see what she wants to do. Probably drive her Corvette or her Jag I guess.
selector wrote: Safety Valve wrote: Probably because you are dealing with the motion of the Earth and also of the stars and other deep space objects in real time. Is there any mechanical peices that are wearing thin on that turntable anywhere? For the timescale we are talking about, and since the earth is an ultra stable platform, the motions you mention are negligible, even over years. What I am referring to is gear lash, bearing tolerances, and machining errors, not to mention discrete errors in optical reading. For the price we pay, we are getting 20 year-old technology, even older, so these things, with their standard cumulative errors, will slowly get out of calibration over 20-40 slews to a given coordinate, whether to a star or planet whose position is known, or to a pair of roundhouse rails. At some point, you have to tell the memory where "zero" is.
Safety Valve wrote: Probably because you are dealing with the motion of the Earth and also of the stars and other deep space objects in real time. Is there any mechanical peices that are wearing thin on that turntable anywhere?
Probably because you are dealing with the motion of the Earth and also of the stars and other deep space objects in real time.
Is there any mechanical peices that are wearing thin on that turntable anywhere?
For the timescale we are talking about, and since the earth is an ultra stable platform, the motions you mention are negligible, even over years. What I am referring to is gear lash, bearing tolerances, and machining errors, not to mention discrete errors in optical reading. For the price we pay, we are getting 20 year-old technology, even older, so these things, with their standard cumulative errors, will slowly get out of calibration over 20-40 slews to a given coordinate, whether to a star or planet whose position is known, or to a pair of roundhouse rails. At some point, you have to tell the memory where "zero" is.
Well I had to know. The 130 ft turntable goes out of calibration by .002 in. EVERY time it moves. Gee I need to get those guys some REAL work to do!!!
Safety Valve wrote: gear-jammer wrote: We will be working on the yard this weekend. I can hardly wait to run an engine onto the TT and turn it around. Lots of turnout placement and being short one #5 could hold us up. That will mean a trip to the not so LHS because our LHS does not carry code 83. Sue WHAT? No one knows how to hand-lay rail? LOL Just teasing. Good luck!
gear-jammer wrote: We will be working on the yard this weekend. I can hardly wait to run an engine onto the TT and turn it around. Lots of turnout placement and being short one #5 could hold us up. That will mean a trip to the not so LHS because our LHS does not carry code 83. Sue
We will be working on the yard this weekend. I can hardly wait to run an engine onto the TT and turn it around. Lots of turnout placement and being short one #5 could hold us up. That will mean a trip to the not so LHS because our LHS does not carry code 83.
WHAT? No one knows how to hand-lay rail?
LOL Just teasing.
Good luck!
I would like my railroad running BEFORE I die.
I have a friend who is over 60 and thinks he going to start NOW and put down 2000 feet of tarck and build over 1500 turnouts in his lifetime. He built a 2nd floor on his house of 2,300 sq ft just for his dream. Hope he makes it!!
George, Thanks for the tip on spiking the track as close to the TT as possible. We put four very-very thin dots of liquid nails, knowing that we can break the bead if we need to remove it.
Selector, Your reference to celestial coordinates was great. We recently purchase a small telescope and are addicted to spotting deep space objects on clear nights. In Washington, we will soon be back into our 6 month long cloud.
Tweet, Let us know when you get the brain strain figured out. That is why we gave up on our 98' Heljan TT.
Safety Valve wrote: selector wrote: Probably because you are dealing with the motion of the Earth and also of the stars and other deep space objects in real time. Is there any mechanical peices that are wearing thin on that turntable anywhere?
selector wrote:
No Mechanical problems at all. Just Mr. Murphy having it a half rail off every time you think it is perfect. Maybe it is ET using a cosmic event to have the planets move?
Both are working perfect and are trained to act up only on operating nights!
I guess I could take out this table and use the Walthers 90ft manual table with the Mickey Mouse drive, NO WAY!
selector wrote: I suppose the technology with optical readers is fairly well developed by now, although I am unsure of their method for this turntable. In any case, there will necessarily be incremental errors with each use, not from the digital side of things, but from the mechanical side of things. So, even though your calibration point has not changed in memory, it has slipped a tiny fraction of an inch each time you ask the device to align itself anywhere. Eventually, the error is sufficient that you can see it, and it is at this point that it must be re-calibrated. I believe, although I have not actually used one, that the computerized amateur telescopes available in the $3K-$15K range have this very issue. Your alignment with celestial coordinates might be fine for the first hour or so, but at some point you must recalibrate on bright stars whose coordinate positions are well known. This is very important because the fields of view in a telescope are very small, typically, and a cumulative error of even 30 arc seconds can put something out of the field of view. Once that happens, which way do you move the scope to find it? Up, down, right, left? So, if I were to get one of these TT's, I suppose I would simply recalibrate it every other day or so.
I suppose the technology with optical readers is fairly well developed by now, although I am unsure of their method for this turntable. In any case, there will necessarily be incremental errors with each use, not from the digital side of things, but from the mechanical side of things. So, even though your calibration point has not changed in memory, it has slipped a tiny fraction of an inch each time you ask the device to align itself anywhere. Eventually, the error is sufficient that you can see it, and it is at this point that it must be re-calibrated. I believe, although I have not actually used one, that the computerized amateur telescopes available in the $3K-$15K range have this very issue. Your alignment with celestial coordinates might be fine for the first hour or so, but at some point you must recalibrate on bright stars whose coordinate positions are well known. This is very important because the fields of view in a telescope are very small, typically, and a cumulative error of even 30 arc seconds can put something out of the field of view. Once that happens, which way do you move the scope to find it? Up, down, right, left?
So, if I were to get one of these TT's, I suppose I would simply recalibrate it every other day or so.