Crazy idea what do you think


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Gary B said:
Boy, lost track of this thread here for a bit and man you got alot of work done. Advantage of being laid off I guess. Really nice work Jim.
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Thanks. I didn't do much on the layout today. I did a little carving of some spare foam board pieces (pink and blue) this afternoon, just to see how my Woodland Scenics barn will fit into the scene. I'll shape the foam more with a hot wire cutter later, once all the track is down and the trains are running.
The foam behind the barn will be surrounded on two of three sides by the removable town sections and will form a pie shaped center that the removable sections will fit up against. In these photos, the little silver water tower is sitting on the pie shaped stack of foam I was cutting today. Knowing how the foam would extend up in this triangular shaped area needed to be figured out before going much farther anyway. Eventually, when I near completion of the layout scenery, I will probably put a small hill (probably more of a mound) in the triangular shaped area where the water tower is. This would be mainly t o break up the large flat areas surrounding it where the town is built. It will also help separate the rural area where the barn is from the town.
 
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The next problem to overcome is in the blue guest room where I am reusing much of the original layout. There is a section that crosses in front of the window and extends to the wall where the track will then tunnel into the room next door. I really think I need to have the section in front of the window to be removable to allow access to the window and to allow access to otherwise unreachable parts of the layout. The problem is that both the inner and outer loop of track cross this section twice at different elevations. There is a large truss bridge with one abutment on the part that would be removable and one abutment on the "fixed" part of the layout.
Finally, two spurs originate on this section and extend onto the "fixed" part of the layout.
With all this going on in a relatively small part of the layout, I am not comfortable with engineering a removable section with ten points at which I would need to engineer track connections from removable to "fixed" sections.
I am now trying to figure out how I can re-route much of the track in this section to allow sufficient space on the window side of the section for access to avoid needing a removable section.
The problem is, even with changes, I don't think I will get the needed space to get my fat torso between the window and the rear edge of the layout. I cut away part of the foam adjacent to the window and layed out a few pieces of track. I can just get my head and arms in there though, and that might be the best I'll be able to manage for this area.
 
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otiscnj said:
Jim,

Do you have a trackplan? Even a sketch will do.

Otis
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I made a very rough sketch of the layout. My computer is not currently on speaking terms with my scanner, so I took a photo instead.
I don't intend to make any changes on the existing part of the layout that I am re-using, since I have no desire to rip out any more scenery. The area in front of the window in the room on the right is my problem area.
The only change on the existing part of the layout that I may make is eliminating the double crossover and instead have four turnouts on the expansion part of the layout that will accomplish the same thing. (The crossover in the drawing on the left side of town #1 isn't there. That was a slip of the pen.)
There are a couple more spurs on the existing part of the layout that I didn't draw in to keep the drawing from getting too cluttered.
 
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Jim! I watch closely the progress of the construction. It will be interesting to see continue.

And yet - I would love to have gone to you for coffee ... and helped in any way I can, but go a long way)))
If you do not mind? ;-)
 
rustam said:
Jim! I watch closely the progress of the construction. It will be interesting to see continue.

And yet - I would love to have gone to you for coffee ... and helped in any way I can, but go a long way)))
If you do not mind? ;-)
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Rustam, thanks for your offer to help, and yes, it would be good to meet you for coffee (except I don't drink coffee). But, as you pointed out, it would be a long way from Moscow to Washington, DC.
 
Jim,

Looks interesting! Keep us posted. Looks like you have a couple of junctions that would be nice to signal-when you get around to it.
 
Jim 68cuda said:
Rustam, thanks for your offer to help, and yes, it would be good to meet you for coffee (except I don't drink coffee). But, as you pointed out, it would be a long way from Moscow to Washington, DC.
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by the way! What drink more american passengers coaches?
 
I worked a little on the "problem area" today. I rearranged track, and managed to get an extra few inches between the window and the back of the layout for access. I can squeeze in there now.
But, the solution required compromises. I'll now have a little tighter radius curve just before the track enters the bridge on the old part of the layout. That allowed me to move the opposite bridge abutment slightly closer to the front, and thus move the two lines closest to the window forward as well. The existing bridge abutment on the old part of the layout is no longer at the proper angle for the bridge, but it still works fine. From a normal viewing angle no one will be able to tell.
Next time I make a trip to the hobby shop, I'll pick up a couple turnouts to see if I can fit the spurs back in close to where they were on the original layout. The turnouts I had here are too long to fit without creating an "S" curve on the main line. I need to try a tighter radius turnout for two spurs for this section (one going to a factory and the other to a coal yard).
I'm getting closer to being ready to put tunnels through the wall. But first I need to work on the transition from the old part of the layout to this new section so that the track will make a smooth transition from old to new. The bridge is good now, but there are three more points where track transitions from old to new, and all three are at different elevations.
 
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Hi Jim, I have kind of kept an eye on your progress, specially when i read you were going through a wall.
In your last photo in post 42 your track appears to be about 3-4 inches from wall corner, but in post 49 the track seems closer, am I seeing that right, or is it just the angle?

The only reason I say anything, normally there are sheet rock nailers in to corners, hate to see you get the track area fixed just to run into a wall stud.
I'm sure you have already found the wall studs, its just the corner may be a problem.

If its just the angle making the track appear closer to the corner disregard everything I just typed.:rolleyes::D

BTW .......... I like the weathered barn, reminds me of the farm I grew up on.:)
 
Gac66610 said:
Hi Jim, I have kind of kept an eye on your progress, specially when i read you were going through a wall.
In your last photo in post 42 your track appears to be about 3-4 inches from wall corner, but in post 49 the track seems closer, am I seeing that right, or is it just the angle?

The only reason I say anything, normally there are sheet rock nailers in to corners, hate to see you get the track area fixed just to run into a wall stud.
I'm sure you have already found the wall studs, its just the corner may be a problem.

If its just the angle making the track appear closer to the corner disregard everything I just typed.:rolleyes::D

BTW .......... I like the weathered barn, reminds me of the farm I grew up on.:)
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The track isn't permanantly in place yet, and doesn't need to be that close to the corner. The exact location for the holes in the wall isn't critical as I have plenty of wiggle room in the track plan at the wall on both sides. I do plan to get the track as close to the corner as possible. I have a stud finder which I already used once to locate the studs from the other side of the wall.
But, since you mention the corner, the last stud I find is 15 1/2" from the corner. I expected I would need to be away from the corner, but really hope I don't need to be on the other side of that stud.
I can't take credit for the weathered barn. Its a Woodland Senics piece that came preassembled and weathered. I saw it at a train show and couldn't resist.
 
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No, the train isn't running. But, I am finally at a point that I can roll a car around the full length of track in both rooms. Of course I still need to punch holes in the wall to connect the track in the two rooms. And I still need to get some turnouts to use on the expansion part of the layout in the second room. And, I need to resolve a few issues under the truss bridge. But, I can sort of see a light at the end of the tunnel at this point. I know where the problems are and what I need to do to resolve them. I think a "Y" turnout for the coal yard will solve a problem I have with lining up the track properly. I need a 1/2" thick piece of foam to put under all the track in the entire area under the bridge for a flat surface for all the tracks and turnouts that go under there. I notice I have room in the foreground in front of the bridge for an industry or something. That'll make a nice future project, but I may go ahead and add a spur there before going much farther.
I plan to remove the double crossover thats in front of the passenger station on the original layout. I put it in place here, but found it didn't survive the move very well and its coming apart. I will get and install four turnouts and a 30 degree crossing in the other room to accomplish the same thing. Originally, this was the only place on the original layout, as built 20 years ago, that I could fit any kind of cross over from the inside loop to the outside loop.
 
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I went to the local hobby shop yesterday and picked up a "Y" turnout and a couple additional #4 turnouts. I went back today for another "Y" turnout. I now have all the track laid out in place with the exception of the areas where I will need to tunnel through the wall. Again, nothing is attached as yet. This is still just test fitting everything together to make sure it will all work before making anything permanant.
The area under the bridge still needs work. The spurs going to the coal yard and the factory are much shorter with the revisions then they were on the original layout. The track to the coal yard now has an "S" curve that I had tried to avoid. But the "S" curve was the only way I could make it work without ripping up and reconfiguring even more scenery.
I still need to work on the area under the bridge to make sure I have a good surface to mount the track on without creating a dip (yet maintain the necessary clearance under the bridge). Part of that will mean lowering the track elevation going to the coal yard and the factory.
I've laid out track with four turnouts to move trains from the inner loop to the outer loop and back. This will be hidden underneath the raised town site that is removable. With the town in place visitors won't know which tunnel opening a train will emerge from. I will also scenic around the tracks in the area under the town, so that I will have the ability to change the scenery easily from the town to what ever I end up putting underneath. That end of the layout will have two completely different looks that can be changed back and forth in just a few minutes by simply removing the lift off town sections.
I would still like to figure out a better way to work one of the four turnouts that will be under the removable town section. I'm afraid the turnout will make an "S" curve that could be a problem in the future. But for now, I have pushed and pulled an entire train of my longest cars though the switch and crossover with out any sign of a problem.
 
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Your town looks great. Curves add interest, if they don't get too tight. I'm looking forward to seeing more! I got a set of ivar drawers the other week to hold some rolling stock. Cost about $125-weighs a lot in the box.
 
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Jim 68cuda said:
...The track to the coal yard now has an "S" curve that I had tried to avoid. But the "S" curve was the only way I could make it work without ripping up and reconfiguring even more scenery.
...
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Jim, don't worry about that S curve. Since this is a spur to an industry, a slow realistic switching speed will defeat that problem.
 
I like your layout, and your progress is great. I like how those tracks crossover in picture #2. I like all those pictures actually.

More pics, more pics:D
 
otiscnj said:
Your town looks great. Curves add interest, if they don't get too tight. I'm looking forward to seeing more! I got a set of ivar drawers the other week to hold some rolling stock. Cost about $125-weighs a lot in the box.
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The minimum radius on the layout is 18". Thats what it was when I built the original layout 20 years ago and I'm re-using much of the original layout. Most of the curves are 22" radius. With a 4' width for both inner and outer loops its difficult to get a larger radius in there.
Let me know how the drawers work out for you. I didn't use any of the drawers on my Ikea shelving. I am actually very happy with how well the Ikea Ivar shelving has worked for my benchwork. It turned out to be a great way to build the layout above the bed and above the desk at a good viewing level.

Cjcrescent said:
Jim, don't worry about that S curve. Since this is a spur to an industry, a slow realistic switching speed will defeat that problem.
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Thanks, thats kind of what I figured. I think the biggest problem on that spur will end up being an incline (which I'm trying to reduce).

joed2323 said:
I like your layout, and your progress is great. I like how those tracks crossover in picture #2. I like all those pictures actually.

More pics, more pics:D
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Thanks. I still need to solve my incline problems under the bridge before cutting holes in the wall to connect the track in the two rooms, so thats the next project. That crossover in picture #2 will be hidden when the lift off town is in place. I'll still scenic that area so it can be displayed with the town removed. These turnouts will all need to be powered as they won't be reachable with the lift off section in place.
Part of the reason all the structures are in place in the photos, is because there are just over 100 of them, and theres no place safer to put them.
 
I hate when you resolve one problem only to create a new problem somewhere else.
My mother went into the hospital a couple weeks ago and haven't touched the layout since then. She's now in rehab for therapy, and tonight I spent an hour or two with a piece of 1/2" thick foam core board trying to resolve the incline and clearance problems under the truss bridge. For the first time I tried putting a level on the bridge itself and determined the left abutment needed to be raised up a little if I wanted the bridge to be level. I resolved the incline problem below the bridge by raising the elevation under the bridge by 1/2".
The new problem now is that the incline doesn't quite come down to the same level as the outer track before hitting the wall. That means the slope will need to continue downward as it goes through the wall. I wanted both tracks to be level and at the same elevation as it goes through the wall. On the other side of the wall, the incline will continue but will complicate two grade crossings for a couple streets in one town in the other room.
 
Sorry to disappoint you Rustam, but the trains are not yet running. I won't hook power up to the rails till I've knocked the holes through the wall and connected the track from room to room. I have just put the trains on the track for now to help me visualize the future scenes and to help motivate me to continue my efforts.
 
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