Royal Pacific Railway Layout....


This was back when we first went to DCC. I guess no-one thought of it, especially being not only different roads but different countries. He happened to be running on the other side of the layout and me just setting up. No, no-one checks, not even now. Never had it happen again. He's still a club member, but he may have changed scale. We have a purely Queensland group who run Sn3.5 on the HO track. Running sessions are pretty casual. More problem solving knowledge now so would probably pick it up sooner. The most important things to watch for is someone putting a DC only loco on and burning out their motor or bringing their own NCE radio cab and connecting wirelessly wihout getting a unique cab number. That latter, can and has stuffed up the system, requiring a complete reset of it.
 
Thanks mate, I was wondering because I'd be surprised if some one turned up to run their train and someone else has bought the identicle train.
 
I had the instance once of running a train at the club and wondering why it was acting up, until I found another member with the same number on his loco, not even from the same country's prototype. Had both of us baffled.
That is both funny and all too common. At the museum we have a board of channels already on the layout, a volunteer cannot put a loco on the track until they check that board. Failure to do so will result in that volunteer being banned from running their own equipment (at least for a while) on the museum layout. The museum has also banned consists. Not because they are bad, but people kept forgetting to "undo" them and all the channel numbers were getting locked up in various sets people had entered.

Before any of that happens volunteers' personal equipment must be inspected and certified that it meets all the museum criteria. Smooth and safe operation doesn't just happen.

Before the museum at the various clubs I've belonged to we had specific numbers assigned to specific people. Way back in the day I owned channels 4, 5, & 6. I didn't have to check with anyone if my locos were on those three channels. No one else was allowed to use them.
 
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That is both funny and all too common. At the museum we have a board of channels already on the layout, a volunteer cannot put a loco on the track until they check that board. Failure to do so will result in that volunteer being banned from running their own equipment (at least for a while) on the museum layout. The museum has also banned consists. Not because they are bad, but people kept forgetting to "undo" them and all the channel numbers were getting locked up in various sets people had entered.

Before any of that happens volunteers' personal equipment must be inspected and certified that it meets all the museum criteria. Smooth and safe operation doesn't just happen.

Before the museum at the various clubs I've belonged to we had specific numbers assigned to specific people. Way back in the day I owned channels 4, 5, & 6. I didn't have to check with anyone if my locos were on those three channels. No one else was allowed to use them.
Most members use their phones, there's only a handful that use Cabs and each must have it assigned a channel before using it.
 
Anyway ... have all of the risers in that I can put in until I add the extra bearers/cross members. The 4lb density polyethylene (1/8" thick) is on its way for the underlay. Once the risers and grades are in and I get and lay the foam I'll be able to start wiring everything up. Fingers crossed that there are no problems in doing that.
 
Lynn,

Thanks and yes, it took awhile top get there BUT I think all of the planning and prep was worth it. An "Empire", well, not sure about that but it is going to be a decent size.

Today I have been fighting with the risers to get the grades and clearances right. As it stand at the moment, I think I am going to be tight with clearances beneath two bridges and retain the (now) 2.25 grade that will be the layout. When I say "tight" they will be enough at 1.75" for your normal everyday train but wont get a double stack OR my micro camera under them. I was aiming at 2" clearances all round. If worse comes to worse, I might have to increase the grade by 0.125 up and down JUST for those two bridge areas.
Yep been there with the clearances , grades and risers. You will have to treat the clearances and grades all as one big project, changing one will have an effect on another and all the way down the line. If you can't lower an area then you may have to raise the entire layout and start again so that you can lower and raise at the same time. Where there's cross pvers and clearances needed certain types of bridges will help. Having cross overs where clearance is needed is a pain in the butt but well worth it and quite doable with the risers. Try to stretch the grades out as far as you can so you can acheive the clearances trying to keep the rails as level as possible and raise and lower the landscape to gain effects. Hope this makes scence.
 
I got impatient and did the cleanup of the layout so, here is a quick video over view of how it all looks so far:

Looking at the video I can see many places where the lower track can be even lower and then the upper can be raised. For the solid piece f plywood it can also be put on risers or taken right out of there and sections of the town or whatever can be raised or lowered to get that none flat layout appearance.
 
Lynn,

Thanks and he "flat sheets of ply" you see are only there for some where to keep them at the moment; although they will be cut up to form the base for my scenery.

I agree that I have some room for raising and lowering things. I know the rear track can be raised another 1/2" at its highest point without effecting the grade. I still have an inch of play for lowering things along the lowest points as well. It really is as you said, a matter of fine adjustments with one adjustment effecting some thing else.

At the moment I am leaving it all as is until I get that Micro Mark Level and can see exactly what is what. It could be that my grades are not as steep as I think they are or visa versa. I just hope that level is accurate.

As for the scenery - I hate flat so everything is going to be on a variety of elevations, including the towns :)
 
Nothing happening at the moment as I am awaiting two things so I can proceed:

1. Micro Mark Digital Grade Level and,
2. 4lb density foam for the underlay.

Hopefully I'll have both by the end of this week.
 
Toot'n, couldn't agree more with you more when you say having two (or more) engines in a consist looks and sounds good - you get no argument out of me about that.

My layout is not big enough to run any more than 1 train pulling (maybe) 15 cars tops, at least I don't think it is. As such, I would never have a need to consist engines, other than for the look or, if my grades were too steep for one engine - which I now don't think they are; although, that is yet to be seen. I also agree if you were running long trains all (or most of the time or regularly) then using the consisting system would be the way to go for the reasons you mentioned.
Consisting is a good excuse for buying more engines even if you don't need them.
 
Oh I forgot to mention something - while I'm out buying the two new DCC with Sound Equipped Kato engines, you'll be explaining it all to the CEO ;)
 
Even when I'm running a regulation size train (10ft) at the club, I've only run a single loco a couple of times. Somebody will then say "A bit overpowered aren't we?" I say, "Yeah, but I've got all those imaginary ones behind, they're heavy!"
This is actually a real problem with the railroads. They have discovered that too much power is being utilized on the trains and too much held in reserve. That is wasted fuel, wasted pay to "weight-on-drives", extra wear on rails, wasted money for property taxes, etc. Goal is now to remove thousands of locos system wide.
 



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