Building the North Texas Railroad

[NorthTexasRailroad]

Starting a layout build thread for the layout. Right now it's just plywood over folding tables with an oval of nickel silver EZ Track and a couple bridges awaiting a river to flow under it. Expanded it recently with a couple 36" straights from the train shop. Saving up for turnouts!

 

[Smudge617]

Starting a layout build thread for the layout. Right now it's just plywood over folding tables with an oval of nickel silver EZ Track and a couple bridges awaiting a river to flow under it. Expanded it recently with a couple 36" straights from the train shop. Saving up for turnouts!

Nice, so what are you thinking layout wise, what do you want to do, are you thinking switching or just run trains. Are intending to run a particular RR or era ?

 

[NorthTexasRailroad]

Planning a mix of running trains with a few options for operations with an industry spur, an operations track with runaround for a couple industries, and a couple mini-passenger stations on either end (see layout design below). Right now, doing modern era (1970-present) freight with an emphasis on stuff local to northern Texas (BNSF, UP). We do see a lot of varied traffic here in DFW, so who knows what might show up? Went to a ScaleTrains Road Trip event last week and I got more ideas.

 

[santafewillie]

Went to a ScaleTrains Road Trip event last week

Tell me more about the ScaeTrains road trip please. Did you go to the one in Dallas at the Texas Northern club or the one in Ft Worth at the Texas Western? I was unable to get away for either one unfortunately. I was at Texas Northern Model Railroad Club a few weeks ago and posted a few pictures over in the Coffee Shop. I have not seen the new location of Texas Western Club since they had to move, but the old location was done very well.

 

[goscrewyourselves]

You have a decent start @NorthTexasRailroad - bench work and some track

I also like your thoughts about a "bit of a mix" with what you run - that gives you options for your final track plan

 

[NorthTexasRailroad]

Tell me more about the ScaeTrains road trip please. Did you go to the one in Dallas at the Texas Northern club or the one in Ft Worth at the Texas Western? I was unable to get away for either one unfortunately. I was at Texas Northern Model Railroad Club a few weeks ago and posted a few pictures over in the Coffee Shop. I have not seen the new location of Texas Western Club since they had to move, but the old location was done very well.

Willie, I went to the Texas Western Club's hosting of Scale Trains in Fort Worth (Forest Hill). Very informative talk that they gave on their story, how model trains are made (I see what they are $$$), and some news on upcoming products along with Q&A. They also had examples that you could look at and touch up front afterward. If folks are on Facebook, they have some pictures and a short video of the event. I couldn't stay much longer to take a look at the club's setup though since I needed to get home.

 

[NorthTexasRailroad]

You have a decent start @NorthTexasRailroad - bench work and some track

I also like your thoughts about a "bit of a mix" with what you run - that gives you options for your final track plan

Thank you Tony. It's taken a bit of work just to get this far, but everything's still new and exciting to me. Hard to hold off on getting trains versus layout supplies, but trying to balance a bit of both. I need both though since I'm just starting out (just started model trains last August). Watched a lot of videos and read blogs online that made me realize that I will want options (operations and running trains) to keep things interesting over the long-term.

 

[goscrewyourselves]

@NorthTexasRailroad - well, welcome to the most addictive, infuriating, frustrating and best hobby around, and one that will keep you perenially "BROKE"!

As I mentioned - you have a good start, the only thing I might suggest, and this is a sort of unwritten rule of thumb thing, try not to design your track plan around the edges of your benchwork - try to incorporate a little variation, a curve or two - even small ones, it just adds to the interest and gives you some options for scenery

I have built quite a few layouts and always focused on getting the track work down - once that is in place and working well I could then run a train - even if I only had 1 of them to run - I could achieve the purpose of the layout

My way of thinking is this - the track work is the most important because without it - nothing else happens or matters so to speak. Then I get an engine or two and half a dozen pieces of rolling stock or passenger cars, which ever you want to run. Then I sit back and think about the scenery and where I want things to go and how I want it all to look. It is a slow process, but a very rewarding one as well

 

[ctclibby]

NTR: I think it a little different than Tony which in my case is a multi-step process. 1st I envision where the railroad will be. Mountains, Plains, both; existing towns/cities? The land is always there before the RR. Then I start working in where the RoW is going to go servicing what ever town might be included. Have to get around those land based blobs to get to those towns. Up some hill, across a canyon or river. You get the idea.

Track does get laid and trains run. Now I go back again checking out where the railroad is in respect to towns and land blobs. Saws-all is your friend if you need to 'make space' for a tunnel, cut or the like. Nothing is caste-in-stone for the most part. As long as your RoW is smooth and the grade or curve transitions are not too much, you will be good to go. Don't be afraid of changing stuff. Think 'Earth Quake' and get-r done.

Later

 

[NorthTexasRailroad]

Question for the more experienced modelers out there: I'm planning on doing DCC for the layout. My initial thought was to get all DCC-controlled turnouts/switches, but then looking at price and the fact that 90% were in very easy reach of the table edge I wondered: do I really need all DCC or just for some that are less accessible? All DCC certainly seems nice and easy once programmed, but tacking $20-30 extra per switch made me wonder if it is just a nice to have or a necessity. I know that DCC turnouts aren't compatible with DC generally speaking so that would lock me into DCC or DC depending on what I choose.

 

[Smudge617]

Question for the more experienced modelers out there: I'm planning on doing DCC for the layout. My initial thought was to get all DCC-controlled turnouts/switches, but then looking at price and the fact that 90% were in very easy reach of the table edge I wondered: do I really need all DCC or just for some that are less accessible? All DCC certainly seems nice and easy once programmed, but tacking $20-30 extra per switch made me wonder if it is just a nice to have or a necessity. I know that DCC turnouts aren't compatible with DC generally speaking so that would lock me into DCC or DC depending on what I choose.

I have a DCC layout, all my turnouts are powered using 12v wall wart through a CDU, switches themselves are operated via a spdt switch

 

[goscrewyourselves]

Um, so your asking if you need your turnouts powered or just to change them by hand right? The short and to the point answer is - if you can reach them, change them by hand, less things to work on and to go wrong.

If you can't reach them, then hope and pray the "reach police" aren't listening or they'll be on your bask Actually, if you can't reach a turnout, or your reach is obstructed then I would consider using a Switch Machine like a DCC Concepts machine (see below) that gets fitted beneath the layout to the "Sub Roadbed" and connects to the turnout/points from below.

So, in summary - if you can reach em - change manually like I do. If you can't then you really have no choice, power em up using a switch machine or use some sort of remote method. See @Smudge617.

DCCconcepts Cobalt Point Motors

DCCconcepts Cobalt Point Motors make it super-easy to add reliable, realistic point operation to your model railway layout!

www.dccconcepts.com

 

[ctclibby]

NTR: My take on this is a little different. If you are taking power from the DCC bus, besides stealing current for each device, everything you add will load the buss with just a little more capacitance. That *could* cause problems in the long run with slower rise and fall times for the signal. Sooner or later you will be borderline on the specification and things will be wonky. Each device connected has some sort of current draw just to monitor the DCC buss so it/they can do what they need to do when the time comes. For instance, Detection and Signal control needs some bias current to keep the logic alive. Now think about firing a switch machine. Higher current for a short burst stolen from the DCC buss. Even if a CDU is firing the switch machine, it still needs to charge back up afterwards. This all adds to the current necessary to keep all those devices alive which takes away from your DCC and Sound equipped power.

If a power district shuts down because of some sort of DCC problem, you have zero control of the devices in that district. Because you have more devices connected, troubleshooting becomes more and more cumbersome to find out what went sideways. There is no power so you end up un-plugging stuff until the district magically comes alive. Might not matter much on a small(er) railroad but something to consider.

Later

 

[goscrewyourselves]

NTR: My take on this is a little different. If you are taking power from the DCC bus, besides stealing current for each device, everything you add will load the buss with just a little more capacitance. That *could* cause problems in the long run with slower rise and fall times for the signal. Sooner or later you will be borderline on the specification and things will be wonky. Each device connected has some sort of current draw just to monitor the DCC buss so it/they can do what they need to do when the time comes. For instance, Detection and Signal control needs some bias current to keep the logic alive. Now think about firing a switch machine. Higher current for a short burst stolen from the DCC buss. Even if a CDU is firing the switch machine, it still needs to charge back up afterwards. This all adds to the current necessary to keep all those devices alive which takes away from your DCC and Sound equipped power.

If a power district shuts down because of some sort of DCC problem, you have zero control of the devices in that district. Because you have more devices connected, troubleshooting becomes more and more cumbersome to find out what went sideways. There is no power so you end up un-plugging stuff until the district magically comes alive. Might not matter much on a small(er) railroad but something to consider.

Later

And this is why you dedicate your DCC system to your track work and nothing else. And why you run a separate BUS for all other things, a BUS that is powered by a separate power source. Also, the vast majority of all other things run of DC any way.

 

[santafewillie]

I know that DCC turnouts aren't compatible with DC generally speaking so that would lock me into DCC or DC depending on what I choose.

Untrue. Most switches with plastic frogs like Atlas Customline are compatible with either system as far as trackwork is concerned. controlling them is another thing. Todd explains it well. Anything within easy reach can be controlled with ground throws. No electronics, no fuss.

 

[goscrewyourselves]

Anything within easy reach can be controlled with ground throws. No electronics, no fuss.

Bingo!!

 

[ctclibby]

Got to thunking about this a bit. My drug of choice is HO Scale and just like the folks that use the 'other' types of drugs, I can not get enough and want more! Means that the layout could grow by leaps and bounds. I have decided that all main line turnouts are remote controlled in the case of sidings or junctions. Reachable turnouts off the main are ground throws, or 'finger in the points' to move. Plan ahead.

What if you are sitting and doing other stuff and you have a train looping? To me, easier to push a button than get up to go and change a route. Ya, ima lazy; besides when I am sitting doing something else, there is usually stuff all around all over the place; in my lap too. To change a route, I would need to get up; then, on the floor it goes or needs to be moved as I am usually trapped!

Later

 

[David_B]

For those switches that you can’t reach consider a choke cable or even a control rod like they use for RC planes that you can mount on the facia. Blue Point also makes manual switch machines for remote mounting. I’ve used RC servos like SG90. Cheap as chips as they say

 

[NorthTexasRailroad]

Got in all of the turnouts finally late last week. Got them integrated into the layout along with some small connectors. This leaves the outer loop essentially complete including the runaround track.

Now to fill in the gaps where the turnouts are going into and out of the loop. Glad to make some real progress!

 

[MilwRoader_Steve]

Looking good!

It looks like you have access to all sides of the table. Very, very nice. Stay manual control - no need to automate unless you just want to. I am not familiar with the EZ track - do the turnouts have nice reliable positive point control? In other words, when you throw or close the turnout, does it have a spring or something to hold the points securely against the rails? If so - - you're golden.

I am automating my yard turnouts for route selection ability and because I have some long reaches. But the main table is easy reach, so I just rely on the positive action of the Peco TOs and I put Caboose ground throws on the Walthers. Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy. The automation project, on the other hand ... ... .... has me bogged down for months!! It will be nice when it is done!

Steve