Acela's HO Layout Progress Update

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

WEEK ONE:

Roadbed and Track Laid. Control Panel completed. 5 turnout machines wired and in place. Some Minor track bugs to work out.

Photo’s Here: http://picasaweb.google.com/106532312475261775694/DropBox?authkey=Gv1sRgCJWBnMTb2tnOcw&feat=directlink

2

Looks pretty good. What else do you have plain? Grain Elevator would look good in the center!

Cuda Ken

3

The hole in the board is the future site of a small pond. A highway will run thru a small town, and I like the grain elevator idea! Maybe I’ll put one on the spur track (The one that has the Chessie caboose)

I am also gradually making the switch over to Kadee’s, and metal trucks/wheels on some of the cheaper cars. Later in the project, I plan to do some moderate weathering on most of my stock.

More plans will be announced soon.

Acela

4

Acela, if you are going to upgrade you more affordable cars (I did see the Life Like Passenger car) I would get one of theses.

http://www.micromark.com/HO-TRUCK-TUNER,8241.html

You will need it to make some of the axle bearing point wider for better wheel sets. If you happen to have any Tyco cars, you can use Kadee Washers to help get the coupler height right. You have to snip the washer so you can slip it on to the neck of the coupler.

Far as the Grain Elevator, I have the Walther’s and pretty happy with it.

Cuda Ken

5

Nice start on your layout. Your interior area is similar to my 4 x 8, a idea for it.

6

WEEK TWO

Track Bugs fixed.

Track any silver nail heads on track were painted brown, as well as the neon-orange insulators.

No other news to report. Scenery will be started after I get the switch machines that are on order.

7

WEEK 3,4&5

Not much has happened since the last update. 1troublesome turnout machine replaced. Still waiting on the Atlas Right-hand Manual machines. I have acquired some new stock. A 40’ New Haven boxcar, a short (30’ is my guess) Burlington Route hopper with nice weathering (not my job, it looks good though), 2 Milwaukee flat cars, a 40-50’ (my guess, again) and a 80’(?) that has piggyback capabilities. Also new are 2 SF Cabooses, and a (custom I think) BN caboose, as well as an Atlas Bulkhead flatcar.

I also recently assembled and painted a TYCO signal bridge/ overhead walkway. It looks great with the silver paint.

I’ll try to get some pictures with the next update. My next update deadline will be week 6, the week of November 1st. I’ll try to remember. Hopefully I can get some photo’s before that.

Acela

8

Here are the photo’s of the stock I recently acquired.This might give you a visual of what my railroad looks like when operating. If I have time I will try to put up a short user video. It might be a while, so don’t wait up all night. Back atcha in a week, Acela

9

I like your layout. That’s a neat idea you had for the spur. I have to agree, a Grain Elevator would look good on that spur. I also like the way the Burlington Hopper looks. It looks well used. Keep up the good work.

10

Thanks, but I can’t take credit for that one. It was on the “used” table at Hobby Haven in Des Moines.

But it probably will be used as much as it looks like it has been. If you look closely, you can tell that the side of the piggyback car (not the trailer) there appears to be some weathering on that too.

Acela

11

Acela, have you started replacing you Life Like Wheel set yet? The plastic axles will warp and start derailing problems. Ask me how I know![:D]

Ken

12

No I have not, but when I looked ( I assume you mean my Rio Grande Passenger cars) the wheels and their axles were metal. Do you mean the trucks?

13

Week 6

Still waiting of those darn turnout machines[|(]

In the meantime, I tried weathering one of my cheaper pieces of stock.

Let me know what you think. I used powdered chalks, so any tips are welcome.

!(http://lh3.ggpht.com/_9TNLzt22Ri8/TNbRyWHbjDI/AAAAAAAAAFg/sKDQ-aWhif8/s640/Rio Grande Weathered 1.jpg)!(http://lh5.ggpht.com/_9TNLzt22Ri8/TNbR05zjIMI/AAAAAAAAAFk/Xn4YuYWE5E4/s640/Rio Grande Weathered 2.jpg)

Acela

14

November

Not much happened. The switch machines still haven’t come in [|(] but I am still having fun running it. Planning to make a stop at the hobby shop for more kadees with my birthday money.

Since I have no scenery upp yet, I will also be putting up some cheesy christmas decor, some ‘snow’, some small christmas trees and a nativity set. (Smallest one we have, and the people are still about 30’ tall in HO scale…at least it will look nice to all the people who drive around looking at christmas lights.

Acela

15

I think it’s probably time to cancel the order for the switch machines since it’s been 2 months. What type are they? Maybe someone here knows where you can get them right away.

16

Hamltnblue,

Normally I would agree with you, but here is the situation

  1. My grandpa goes to Bixby, OK to pick up some extra track, switches etc. from Jim --, a friend who has a large HO layout, he can get it cheaper from Jim than in a Hobby shop
  2. My grandpa asks Jim about switch machines, Jim has none but says he can order them and send him to me. The deal is made.
  3. Mid-September I get a package from him. Oh good, They’ve finally arrived. They were the correct kind with the exception of one small thing. Thede are left hand and I need right-handers. oops.
  4. Early October I go down to my grandpas house for a train show in Bixby, about 1HR away. We see Jim at the show and he tells us that the right-handers were out of stock, so he sent me those in case I could use them. He says he will send me the right ones when they restock.
  5. Present. Still waiting and hoping he might send them. Unfortunatly: I) I cannot star layout scenery without them; II) he is older, so he may have forgotten; III)We have been unable to contact him recently; and IV) it does not take 2-3 months to restock something in (I assume) such a high demand as manual switch machines

So there is my story. It is a foolish hope, but it could happen. I will keep trying to contact him. I hope in the meantime I get to go back to the hobby shop and “blow thew rest of my birthday money”

Acela

17

What radius are you running at the small end ?

No problems with the passenger cars ?

18

The smalles radius I have is a hair under 18". The largest radius is a bit under 22"

No, they run just fine. I do have a borrowed Athern (1980’s?) Santa Fe PA1 A-B-B-A. Two of them (1 A and 1 B unit) give me some trouble but the other AB runs “like a dream”.