ledzeppelinfan1's Layout Journal...

ModelRailroadForums.com is a free Model Railroad Discussion Forum and photo gallery. We cover all scales and sizes of model railroads. Online since 2002, it's one of the oldest and largest model railroad forums on the web. Whether you're a master model railroader or just getting started, you'll find something of interest here.


Stephen,

It is an absolute gaurentee that your local hardware store will become your second home., and that you will never order enough stuff :)

Cheers,
 
Welp all the foam is down and now its just time to wait for supplies so I can start laying roadbed. So...tonight I marked the main line radius with a pen and basically have that whole loop traces around the layout.

The measuring of radius went about 3 million times better when I switched from a nail and pen with string in between to drilling two holes in a yard stick. A little more effort to prepare the yardstick, but totally worth it.

I will lay the outer main lines road bed before I trace out the inner main/local line so I base it off the right measurements. For example, I'm not sure how wide the roadbed is until I put it together and lay it. Then I'll know what to do from there.

Also, cutting the foam board was quite easy. However, making a slot for my hard board backdrop is going to be much harder than I was planning. So I am going to have to think of another way to erect my backdrop. I'm thinking that two lines of nails (on on each side) might work as you could slide the hardboard between the lines of nails and they should hold it up. Would be better to find something a little less jerry rigged. Maybe 4 L-shaped jigs (2 on each side of the backdrop) glued to the foam board would be a lot neater and more durable. They could be hidden behind trees to make them work.

Can anyone think of something L-shaped that could be used?
 
Magic,
If you haven't attached your foam yet? How about regular L brackets (long enough to go thru the foam Say oh 4" or so) attached to the plywood and then set the foam then paint/hide exposed legs! Just a thought!!
 


ledzeppelinfan1 said:
Found some closet track guides that are perfect for the task. Problem solved. :) Will be away the next couple days, but when I come home it should be like Christmas morning!!!
Click to expand...

Ahhh yes...and Christmas morning it was. Love the stuff. I took out a piece of the Peco flex and played with it...I had read that both rails move and it turns out to be true. How does that effect laying track? If both rails move then it shouldn't matter which rail is on the inside of a curve when the track is layed?

Seems like it should be easier. I like how it holds its shape, but is also very easy to bend. Great stuff, I can tell already I made the right choice.
 
I've read the model railroader book basic trackwork and in the back they have a chart on the size of all the major track atlas height is .666" and peco is .658" for both both code 70 and 100 didn't say whatcode 83 is i am know means a expert but that the info I've found for comparisons.
 
So I thought I would be able to begin laying the cork today...

except that I woke up and could not bare any weight on my right foot. I was playing basketball a couple nights ago and twisted my ankle. I was able to keep playing and yesterday it didn't bother me too much...but today, I am bed ridden.

Disappointed.

I spend all this time looking forward to this and this is what happens? Figures.
 
Zep fan don't be to dissappointed. I wake up all the time and go back to bed with something seriously wrong. I suspect that's the case with other members too. Consider yourself lucky, I haven't played a game of hoops in ... 35 years. Baseball? maybe 25 years.

You'll get back to the RR. JimT
 


Sorry to hear about your injury, but as JimT says, a lot of us are in the same situation, some times on a daily basis. The "good thing" about it is that while it may dampen your excitement, it will give you the chance to lay back and look forward to doing the track work. That will still be there when your ankle recovers :)
 
CSX_road_slug said:
Ouch - my bad!:o I figured since you went a full day before having any pain that it was more like a case of sore muscles. When I messed up my ankle during a street football game, I knew immediately that I was in trouble.
Click to expand...


So far, however, its much better today. So I will begin to lay roadbed. Should be fun.
 
Well I laid most of the road bed (only lack the yard and spurs) and laid the flex track for the outer loop. My first experience with flex track was...interesting. It went pretty well all in all...but the inner loop is where the real challenges lay in wait as there is a little more to think about. So, that said, I'm happy to have gotten my feet wet tonight before I tackle the more complex parts of the track work. Tomorrow, once all is dry, I will mount the control panel to wire it up and test a train.

Hopefully it works. :/
 
Well, I jerry-rigged my power pack and tested the outer line. Works like a charm. Was nice to run a train. I ran one of my two CN diesels and 5 CSX Hopper cars I got for Christmas.
 


Well, compared to my last layout (an impractical 8X8), my track so far is about a zillion times better. I have this 5 set of Southern Pacific bulkhead flat cars that were terrible on my last layout. For example, no exagerations, they could not go around once without a catastrophe taking place. It was a shame as I really liked them, but couldn't use them. Worst five cars of my 140+ fleet.

Tested my track with them and they went around several times without issue.

That is a huge plus. Derailments can KILL a good time on your pike!!!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.




Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a commision from some of the links and ads shown on this website (Learn More Here)

Back
Top