HOexplorer
Well-Known Member
toot, Correct! I must be slipping. I don't know how I missed that tree.
Jim
Jim
Building the Pinnacle Creek Mining & Timber Co. RR
- Thread starter HOexplorer
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HOexplorer
Well-Known Member
Stoker, Welcome. That is probably the reason for sure. Funny things about layouts: it usually the things that you don't see that make a difference. You would be surprised to see how many Woodland Scenics Foam Pins are holding trees straight up and down in any given photograph.
Another way to hold trees straight up is to put a dab of Stucco Patch under the tree where it sticks throught the plaster cloth. With pins holding the tree straight the dried Stucco Patch makes 'bomb proof' tree holder! Jim
Another way to hold trees straight up is to put a dab of Stucco Patch under the tree where it sticks throught the plaster cloth. With pins holding the tree straight the dried Stucco Patch makes 'bomb proof' tree holder! Jim
HOexplorer
Well-Known Member
Here is a photo of actual 'operations' on the PCM&T Co. layout. Jim
Gotta get those wheels rolling on those tracks before it all comes down again, that's fo' sure.
HOexplorer
Well-Known Member
Toot, We'll just have to see about the coming down part. I had an NMRA honk over this week and I got scolded for my troubles concerning deconstruction!
Here's a project I finished this morning. Two 40' flatcars. Tichy is the manufacturer. I like there stuff. All my ore cars are Tichy. I like building these cars two at a time. It seems less tedious than one after another. Jim
Here's a project I finished this morning. Two 40' flatcars. Tichy is the manufacturer. I like there stuff. All my ore cars are Tichy. I like building these cars two at a time. It seems less tedious than one after another. Jim
Silverton
Member
Jim, I like your two new flatcars. What kind of a load are you going to put on top? Just ten minutes ago I was turning to our local news and caught just the tail end of CBS national news, but anyway, they were talking about a mountain climber, lives in Seattle, by the name of Jim Whittaker (84 yrs old). Climbed Mount Everest and Mount Kennedy with Robert Kennedy. I bet you knew him. It sounds like he did what you used to do. - Chris
outlaw bill
New Member
Just finally got through the whole thread on your layout. All I can say is "Fantastic". I hope when I get moved and get ready to start my layout It turns out half as good as yours.
HOexplorer
Well-Known Member
Chris, I haven't a clue what to put on the flatcars! I'm open to any ideas.
I never met the Whittaker brothers. In '63 I was still in HS. Later, like many things "politics" played a large part in Himalayan climbing. You had to be a member or sponsored by the gray hairs in the American Alpine Society. Not a game many of us were willing to play in the late 60s or 70s. This resulted in little or no chance to 'live free and climb hard' in the Himalayas. For good or bad this all changed when Nepal realized the dollar was mightier than protocal. My climbs there were unsponsored, expensive, but certainly rewarding. No Everest or any of the 8000 meter peaks but climbing was difficult and I have no regrets. Jim
I never met the Whittaker brothers. In '63 I was still in HS. Later, like many things "politics" played a large part in Himalayan climbing. You had to be a member or sponsored by the gray hairs in the American Alpine Society. Not a game many of us were willing to play in the late 60s or 70s. This resulted in little or no chance to 'live free and climb hard' in the Himalayas. For good or bad this all changed when Nepal realized the dollar was mightier than protocal. My climbs there were unsponsored, expensive, but certainly rewarding. No Everest or any of the 8000 meter peaks but climbing was difficult and I have no regrets. Jim
HOexplorer
Well-Known Member
Outlaw Bill, Welcome. The thread is now a bit of challenge to finish these days as it seems to have taken on a life of its own. This is good I think. Buried in the pages is knowlege free to all who may want or need it. Probably this September this layout will be history and a final one begun to take its place. Jim
But in my experience, not all trees grow straight up & down. A few (very few, admittedly) just happen to lean.toot, Correct! I must be slipping. I don't know how I missed that tree.
I have a question for you gurus out here...
I'm working on a switchback with 5 legs to bring a train from NTrack Mountain line to Blue line. Requires 7 switches, using Pecos.
Is it feasible to control all switches with one activator? I.e. connect all switches so a single activator can throw them all at the same time -- either manual or power?
If I go with power, can it be done with one switch machine or would I have to have a machine per switch?
Are there any machines that are instantaneous rather than slow (tortoise)?
Thanks...
Walt
I'm working on a switchback with 5 legs to bring a train from NTrack Mountain line to Blue line. Requires 7 switches, using Pecos.
Is it feasible to control all switches with one activator? I.e. connect all switches so a single activator can throw them all at the same time -- either manual or power?
If I go with power, can it be done with one switch machine or would I have to have a machine per switch?
Are there any machines that are instantaneous rather than slow (tortoise)?
Thanks...
Walt
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HOexplorer
Well-Known Member
Stoker, Welcome. Sounds like you are on the right track. Nothing wrong with making do with what different situations allow us. You probably won't have much scenery and that's okay. Seldom do shelf type layouts lend themselves to scenery.
If you've been absent from the hobby for 35 years then I'm guessing you may be in your late fifties or in your sixties? My best advice to modelers starting later in life, I started at sixty-one, is don't get so involved in "temporary" layouts so much that they become the problem and not the solution.
Always be willing to stop trial layouts and get on with the real deal as soon as practical. Jim
If you've been absent from the hobby for 35 years then I'm guessing you may be in your late fifties or in your sixties? My best advice to modelers starting later in life, I started at sixty-one, is don't get so involved in "temporary" layouts so much that they become the problem and not the solution.
Always be willing to stop trial layouts and get on with the real deal as soon as practical. Jim
HOexplorer
Well-Known Member
Walt, Welcome as well. If you've read through the thread you know I'm not the person to answer your question concerning electrics. However, I realize what you want in your question and let me say this: Let's pretend loco 1 is starting on the second swithback on the way to turnout #2. You have to open turnout #2 to your loco. Seems like all the turnouts up the hill and below would then all turn open and then be reset about 9 times as loco 1 gets to the top.
If this makes sense then it seems to me that there is a lot of moving switches to make the climb or descent. You would certainly be limited to only loco 1 on the switchbacks because what is 'open' for loco 1 would be closed for loco 2 for example. Of course there would be a lot of moving swithes if this was all done by hand as well. I'm curious now.
How big is your layout that you need 5 switchbacks. Give us a photo. Hopefully someone has an answer for you and me! This would be good knowledge to have.
As for the tree-----I missed it! Jim
If this makes sense then it seems to me that there is a lot of moving switches to make the climb or descent. You would certainly be limited to only loco 1 on the switchbacks because what is 'open' for loco 1 would be closed for loco 2 for example. Of course there would be a lot of moving swithes if this was all done by hand as well. I'm curious now.
How big is your layout that you need 5 switchbacks. Give us a photo. Hopefully someone has an answer for you and me! This would be good knowledge to have.
As for the tree-----I missed it! Jim
HOexplorer
Well-Known Member
Chris, When I mentioned tearing the layout down the fellow kinda freaked out. He almost played the "you're crazy" card. I was scolded because I mentioned that I thought I had one more layout in my future before I die.
He said and I quote, "This is the best layout I've seen in my 40 years of model railroading. I've seen bigger, but what you've done in a small bedroom is simply fantastic!"
I said this was layout number 5 in six years in this bedroom. I thought he was going to have a heart attack. He mentioned that he was in the second decade building his layout. I said, "Do you want me to come over and help you finish?" He started mumbling to himself after my wise crack.
I wouldn't say I'm on his Christmas card list, but that's okay. We are all different and that just the way it is, and should be.
Still no decision on the Southern Division, but odds are in its favor. Jim
He said and I quote, "This is the best layout I've seen in my 40 years of model railroading. I've seen bigger, but what you've done in a small bedroom is simply fantastic!"
I said this was layout number 5 in six years in this bedroom. I thought he was going to have a heart attack. He mentioned that he was in the second decade building his layout. I said, "Do you want me to come over and help you finish?" He started mumbling to himself after my wise crack.
I wouldn't say I'm on his Christmas card list, but that's okay. We are all different and that just the way it is, and should be.
Still no decision on the Southern Division, but odds are in its favor. Jim
HOexplorer
Well-Known Member
WaltP, Some of my DCC buddies say yes. No one from the DC side has returned my call. I offer this for now: https://sites.google.com/site/markgurries/home/nce-info/nce-macros
Jim
Jim
HOexplorer
Well-Known Member
WaltP, Here is another answer: Yes, there are a number of ways to accomplish this. Using a macro would be the way to go if you are using DCC controlled TO's. If not using DCC controlled TO's, you can accomplish the same thing by using a single switch to toggle all the Tortoise motors, servo's, or coils. You will probably need to concern yourself about having enough power to trigger them all at once. If that's a problem, you can use a single switch to trip a relay that handles all the power.
Jim
Jim
I have a similar "challenge".
At the moment I am using manual changes but that is gonna get old.
I'm leaning towards individual control of each switch.....tho I dislike electrical complexity/work.......the cost of 10 Tortise machines doesn't thrill me either. Quick action motors are more common than the slow ones.....cheeper too, but ugly when exposed, IMO.
Sorry for stepping on your thread, Jim.
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HOexplorer
Well-Known Member
JPIII, No worries. I would like folks to visit this thread and learn something regardless of who the 'teacher' is. Keep it coming. Jim
Yes, each switch would be changed 8 times to get one traversal of the switchback. The plan is one dedicated loco to the area, kinda like a ferry across the Mersey
Theory being the Mountain line is one RR and the Blue line is another, so this is in effect a privately owned junction.NTrak modules are 2x4. There's a 3in drop from Mtn to Blue lines with 13 inches between them. In my case, I have 2 sidings making the distance 11 inches. Picture attached.
I'd really prefer quick action rather than slow. I just haven't found any under-layout ones that can handle the 3" distance. Actually, haven't found any. Does anyone know of instantaneous machines?
I figure one tortoise (or the like) can probably handle more than 1 switch each so I probably don't need all 7 individually machined. But that's just a guess.
Oh, and the switchback itself will be DC. The engine I have is very small and converting to DCC may not be an easy option.
Speaking of, anyone know where I can find one of these? They're about the same size, just can't find one...
Thanks guys...
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