Recent content by Brakeman Hal

I always form my flex track curves, (complete with transitions), before joining the sections. Then I cut the rails to match and then slip on rail joiners, then solder the joints. Hup Hup Hup!

WOW, TrainHobbit... Two thousand pounds of model railroad equipment! How will you support it all? You'll need heavy steel benchwork. Brakeman Hal

J. Albert- I agree excerpt for one detail: The Master bedroom leads directly to the Master Bathroom, which has a Tub, not a Shower. I never use a bathtub, only the shower. In the 23 years we lived in our present home, I never used the bathtub ONCE. To take a shower, I would have to go from the...

We had some real competition on this course, and it was fun to run solo too! (The course also ran 15 feet off to the right.) The cars were 1/32 scale. Redline Hal

Here's the floor plan of the apartment I chose instead of the one posted earlier. It has larger rooms, and I'll be using the master bedroom for the layout. The dark areas represent 2-1/2 4x8 sheets of plywood. The clearance between the walls is enough for my legs, as the layout will be below...

Sir Foldalot, the $3050 is my monthly rent. All Meals, Utilities, and Maintenance are paid from that. My monthly retirement income just covers the rent. Hup Hup Hup Hal

You mean like this dogbone? The right hand loop is 7-1/2 feet in diameter, and I've never had any problems on it, mainly because I run my railroad as simple as possible, with a single train on a single uninterrupted track, with no spurs, sidings, or switches to complicate things. I also...

That plan won't work because I won't have the space for it across the narrow end of the room, which is only 4 feet wide. My old (present) room is 20' x 25', and I never had to do any "reaching" of any kind on the 0-scale layout.

Are the latest generation of Bachman HO steam locos now as detailed and realistic in operation as the Atlas, and MTH? I have the 2021 Bachman catalog and there are some models that have DCC and 16-bit Sound. Do any of you have the newer Bachman HO steamers? Thanks, Brakeman Hal

I can easily reach across the 4 foot width of my layout...I'm 6' 2" tall. Otherwise, I can move the layout a foot from the wall to give me an aisleway. Didn't you see the sketch of my layout in this thread? It IS an L-shaped dogbone, man!

Hey Bigboy57, Here's a floor plan of the entire apartment, with the 2 dark rectangles representing the two 4x8 sheets of plywood. Yowzah! Hal

OK, Big Boy # 4014, here's the projected bedroom layout when I move into my "assorted living" senior apartment village: It'll be built on two 4x8 sheets of select Birch plywood. The curve radii will be 22", as shown. All Aboard! No, I haven't considered Kato Unitrack, mainly because I never...

The smallest radius on my proposed HO layout will be 22", which is allowable within the confines of a 4x8 plywood sheet. I'll use my trammel beam to provide the exact radius. Ho Ho Ho!

My curves will follow a pencil line made on the baseboard by a radius stick with a pencil in one end and a sharpened nail in the other end. The radius will be absolutely constant, like the 26", 45", and 50" radii on my 130-foot O-scale layout. Hal

My new Walthers catalog has a lot of choices in freight rolling stock and 2-8-2, 2-8-0, 2-6-2, and 4-6-0 locos...Yummy! I'll have room in my second bedroom for a layout with two 4x8 sheets of plywood, where my curves will be 22" radius. Hal