As you have been following my mistake-laden forte into MMR is has been involving my family–especially my 7-year-old son, in a hobby we can all do.
Last night I had a wild hair and put in a grade and elevated track using some tressels I picked up. The tressels only work with my Atlas track and not my EZ so the elevation is Atlas track. After working with it for 5 or 6 hours of nailing down and pulling up the tressels, I got it so I could get the Hogwarts Engine and Lil Guy around with no problem, but the Bachman 4-8-4 had problems with the track’s flexability and couldn’t climb the grade. The only rolling stock I could try were the Hogwart’s passenger cars and they derailed if there were any irregularities in the track. I decided to scrap the idea.
Anyway, this morning I cornered my son and tried to get out of him what he liked and disliked about the trains. If you have had any experieince with autistic kids you know how hard this can be. He says that he likes driving them. Then he added with more prodding, “The bridges are cool.” So I have to make the elevation work. I will. I have some 3/8 plywood out in the garage and I will make the up and down grades with plywood supports. I can then leave about a 2’ section supported by tressels and that should be enough. It is just more work that I wanted to do on the 4x8 layout. It will be good practice, right?
Anyway, my kid is starting to get the hang of it. So far he’s learned:
That it is more fun to keep the train on the track.
That turnouts are worked in pairs.
That you have to use more power going up and a lot less going down grades.
That you can use the reailing sections to fix derailed trucks.
=) just keep the number of freight cars low. I will bet you that one day he is gonna want to know how many can he pull up that hill. Any kind of bridge gives a feeling that you gotta be careful on the throttle and not hammer it thru.
That’s really wonderful that this is getting responses from your son.
The problem with the grades may be that they start and/or end too abruptly. The typical Atlas piers are known for this. For small engines and cars, they can usually cope. But longer wheelbase locos like your 4-8-4 and longer cars tip up and down too much, it might be so abrupt a transition that when starting up the grade, the middle 4 drivers of the 4-8-4 are lifted clean off the rails. Plus the grade may be too steep. One nifty trick is to use TWO sets of the piers and some paper or cardboard under the second one of each height to shim it to a level midway between the two heights. Also shim the track leading up to the first pier so it more gradually rises to that height, instead of going from flat to step 1 all at once.
I could certainly see that with the piers. I also figured that the best grade I can hope for is about 4% on a 4x8 layout. I think though that I’m going to stop messing piers with it and just use a plywood ramp. It will create a hill and be more fun for the kids to decorate. I may use a pier or two on the bridge section.
As the locomotives increase in size so do the problems with everything from trackwork to grades. A little switcher either steam or diesel will navigate almost anything you would want to throw at it.
This is pretty true of the actual railroad locomotives themselves. The Union Pacific 4-8-4 engine you have is still being used by the Union Pacific For excursion service. UP is very careful where it goes and where it gets turned around as some of the trackwork that will handle any diesel easily will gladly derail the steam engine.
The last time that UP 844, the 4-8-4, was in Las Vegas for a convention appearance it derailed the rear drivers and trailing trucks on the wye as it was being turned around. The same thing can happen just as easily on a model railroad.
If you get a chance, try the Woodland Scenics inclines. It takes the guess work out of grades.
Here’s a pic from one of my “in process” layouts. Good luck, Dave
If you do build your grades…, an idea for the “bridge(s)”:
Bachmann makes a constant-height trestle kit that works with roadbed track - EZ-track of course, but they claim will work with others.
Eight piers, item 44472. list $12.00. The roadbed slides into a clip that snaps on top of the pier and swivels to accommodate any grade.
but perhaps you can use commeercial piers, just more of them to create the same vertical elevation:
we have the graduated pier set, 44471. It’s 14 pieces; placing them at each joint as recommended results in rather a steep grade; leaving unsupported joints leads to sags as trains cross - but I expect much less than with non-roadbed track. Our passenger train of three light Lifelike cars has no problem with the grade, but the much heavier freight has a hard time climbing the hill. I’m thinking of getting a second set to make the grade longer, by using two same height in sequence, the second shimmed to half the increase in height to the next standard pier. You might be able to do the same, avoiding the need for using your spare lumber for the grade.
Transitions between flat and grade should be as long as two of your biggest engines. The Woodland senics incline set is likely the easiest way to take the guess work out of grades.
Keep in mind if you cross over another track that the train will still fit under the bridge. You are moving along very fast on the railroad. It was what 3 days ago you talked about your Switcher? Now we are into grades. WOW[bow]
I understand that you are in a position to reach your son via the railroad. This is something that is a real blessing hang in there and best of luck!
We just got back from the store. We got a model of a log cabin that will be Hagrid’s house and a water tower. My 12-year-old daughter is in the basement working on the train station right now–filing burrs. She hope to get the first layer of paint on tonight.
We got a bridge for my son. He’s been running the train across it for a while.
Hey Spacemouse, we got the pier set fijipuss talked about. We have one flat track and a small circle raised. You need three or more sets if you want to go longer than 18" circle. We have one set, and my bachmann gp40 goes around, but you see the track go down when it goes inbetween piers. But once its up, it took Santa only 3 minutes to do it, it works and looks great.
I’ve spent the last 6 hours or so on and off thinking about this statement.
I’ve come to the conclusion that you mean that from flat to the point where the grade is a constant, the transition should be 2 engine lengths. I can’t see being able to do that, but I’ll do what I can.
Update: I had to give a lecture tonight and got home late. My daughter met me at the door and took me downstairs to show me the progress she has made on the model train station. I showed her the section on weathering buildings in the Walther’s catalog and she has taken it off to read in bed.
