N scale train Derails in Tunnel

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I just installed the tunnel on my small n scale layout, its in the shape of a u on one side of a 3 by 4 board. As I was testing it the train derailed under the tunnel and being n scale I couldnt fit my hands in the tunnel portoles. I next thought to try cutting into the back of the mountain for an acsess hatch but soon realized since I made the track also ride the side of the mountain there is extruted foam supporting the elevated tracks under the scenery that prevents me from reaching the tunnel track. I had no choice but to cut into the top front of the mountain to reach the train and made quite an ungly hole. Does anyone know of a technique for acsess on tunnels like this. Im sure this is gonna happen plenty and it breaks my heart to destroy my hard work like this. I was thinking of maybe making like a removable cover that would look like the side of the mountain when it was on but could be removed if I have to reach the track. A link would really help or any previous experience would something like this. Thank you.

Stevin

2

What you need is called a “liftoff” section. It’s a chunk of scenery which can be removed from the layout vertically, to access track beneath.

Here, the peaceful town of Moose Bay appears in its normal configuration. Beneath the surface of this coal-mining, pork-packing, beer-brewing community is a subway system, so I need to occasionally “get down” to put my hands on the subway trains.

I’m proud of my subterranean trackwork, and I have not had a track- or train-caused derailment in years. On the other hand, there’s this guy who drinks beer and runs trains, sometimes a lot of trains, and he occasionally forgets to throw a turnout, so it’s sometimes necessary to pop the tops:

Finally, here are the liftoffs lying on the floor:

You can get an expanded view of each image by clicking on it, by the way.

I use a few different techniques to disguise the borders of each liftoff area. First, note that there is no track on any of the liftoffs. Just too much. I’d rather make 2 small liftoffs with a non-removeable section of track between them than 1 large liftoff with track running across it, where power and alignment would become an issue.

My liftoffs are generally odd shapes. Partly, that’s because of the surface trackwork, and it’s partly by design. The eye will see straight lines much more easily than irregular ones.

When I put down the basic scenery, I use a strip of plastic wrap (Saran Wrap) around the fixed edges of the liftoff opening. Then I put down a thin strip of plaster cloth, so that the cloth is permanently fixed to the liftoff, but it rests on the plastic wrap, overlapping the gap by about a half-inch. Once the plaster cloth

3

Thank you this is exactly what I am looking for. What is the base of the lift off sections made of? Any suggestions as I already have my scenery laid, could I just cut into it and somehow turn that into a lift section? I apreciate all the help.

Stevin

4

I’ve desinged my layout that all of my scenery lifts off so Ic an change it or have it not in the way if I’m working on something or some part of the layout. Also I find it makes things easier to work on if you can lift it off and set it down some place thats not a stretch to reach it. I just used insulation foam and some dowling to hold it in place that way it goes back to the same exact spot everytime

5

Most of these are based on pink foam, like the rest of the scenery base. If you’re using foam, all you would need to do is cut out the liftoff section and do some touch-up work around the edges. Cut at an angle, not vertically, so that the liftoff will sit in the hole without falling through, kind of like the top of a Halloween pumpkin.

Hardshell will be a different issue, because you’ll need to add something inside the tunnel to hold up the liftoff pieces.

Remember to run your trains at night with the lights off to find the spots where light leaks through, and add extra scenery to cover the holes.

6

I raised this same point in a post few weeks back - there were a few exceptions but most answers had to deal with lift-out scenery. I don’t want lift-out scenery. So far all the discussions here on the forum regarding foam scenery has further anchored me in my commitment to open-grid benchwork/Hydrocal®-hardshell scenery.

IF IT AIN’T BROKE . . . . . . . . . .!

7

Lots of good suggestions for coping with the problem, but you should also look to eliminate, as much as possible, having the problem in the first place. That means testing the track thoroughly before hiding it a tunnel, and ensuring that your cars and locos are properly maintained, with correct coupler height, wheel gauge, and with car weights within specs. Even with removeable mountaintops, derailments can kill the enjoyment of model railroading pretty quickly. [swg]

Wayne

8

Consider this as a learning experience for you, which is common in model railroading. Others have covered how to fix the problem you have now. In the future, or on your next tunnel, try and plan ahead for such things. Soon your bag of tricks will be full and you will be helping others.

9

There sure are plenty of non-foam layouts that required liftout sections anyhow. I don’t see this as a particular downside of foam or caused by foam. I see it as caused by inaccessible track, which is caused by design more than construction.

10

This whole mess is under this…

I left the underside open so I could reach up and in, as well as making provision for a lift off, which is built into the mountain in the background.

You can also see an access hatch on the front of the fascia.

To keep equipment from dropping onto the floor, or into the storage boxes I keep under the layout, I stapled some fiberglass screening along the subroadbed to form guardrails. They’re flexible enough that I can push them out of the way when I’m on a search and rescue mission, but stable enough that they keep errant rolling stock from leaving the general vicinity of the track.

Lee

11

Interesting discussion about Tunnel Construction from January 4th…

http://cs.trains.com/forums/1314682/ShowPost.aspx

12

I am new to n scale I am an o scaler but wanted to dabble in something different. I think I have the coupler height problem going on. My small fleet of n scale all have rapido couplers and they were all previously owned. So I cant say for sure what modifications were made to them. I was thinking of switching over to kadee couplers but playing with those tiny springs almost made me rip my hair out. Could you give me some tips on how to adjust coupler height or how do I determine the proper weight for rolling stock. Will adding weights to the cars eliminate some of the problem. By the way for anyone else tunning into this forum im not using foam as my primary base, even though I used foam to elevate track in places most of my mountain scenery is plaster cloth drapped over newspaper wads so it is kinda selfsupporting which makes the whole lift out thing a little harder than described. Next time I will use foam but is there a way to improve what I already have?

13

WELL SAID, FRIEND! WELL SAID!!!

14

Get rid of the rapido couplers as soon as you can. The easiest way to do this is by purchasing MicroTrains trucks with the couplers already installed. That will automatically give you a uniform coupler height, and a much more reliable coupler overall. You can get a bulk pack, enough to convert 10 cars, for about $40 or less. Well worth it. Depending on the age of your locomotive, it should also be pretty easy to convert. Although, with the vast improvements made to N scale motive power in recent years, chances are if you have take the Rapidos out, the engine isn’t worth using. You’ll probably be better off picking up a new Atlas or Kato locomotive, which both come equipped with knuckle couplers now.

The problem with Rapidos is that while the coupler itself was the same, the mounting could be on of a million different varieties. The result was different types of springs, or other centering mechanisms, different shanks, and yes, different heights.

L