I’ll get one tonight (it’s daytime here in NZ, I’m goofing off at work [;)])
Thanks, I’d appreciate it.
Selector:
Thanks, I have some of my track now, the rest will be here soon. It will be sooooooo cool to begin, feeling like a child on christmas [:D]
QUOTE: Originally posted by selector
EL, you are truly well on your way!!![^][tup] I think most of the advice above has been bang-on. Just my pet approach, but I would lay it all out, even with fake ramps for the evnetual grades, to see how it lies. But, the fact is that you can always correct an ‘oops’ with a custome-cut length of flex-track with a kink in it…not a great solution, but it can be a great saviour for your dream layout.
I have already told you that I really like that plan. It is a real honey. I also wondered about the open ‘bottom’, but that can be solved later, as I’m sure youy are capable, by building a fit-in bridge or module that you can add and remove with ease to close that loop and change to a continuous main line.
I am happy that you continue to share your experience with we folks across the Atlantic (some of us a bit further than others [:D]).
Take care.
Nice advice. I have 6 turnouts at the moment. I was a little concerned about the position of the turnouts because I do not want to have a tortoise machine over some part of the benchwork so I must cut into it. But everything worked as planned.
QUOTE: Originally posted by grande man
You’ve already gotten some good advice. I’d also add that the first turnout’s location is the most important, all others will be located according to it. Take your time and it’ll work out well. Of that I’m sure.
Thanks a lot for the advice, really appreciated.
QUOTE: Originally posted by Adelie
Just a suggestion, but I always design and build from the most space and location critical places outward. Those are usually corner loops. Once they are in place, if something doesn’t go exactly as planned or imagined, you can generally improvise and no one will know the difference. But you can create some construction problems if those don’t go exactly as planned, but have to mesh up with something already in place.
One more question, for my curiosity. Is there a loop at the bottom left of the plan that was cut off in the graphic. Looks like the two mainlines that end there join further on down.
Anyway, good luck and happy building. I think you will be very satisfied with the plan you chose.
Thanks for all your help. I really love this forum.
QUOTE: Originally posted by johncolley
Something to think about: How will you operate your turnouts? Here is what I did on 2" foam: 1. lay out all your centerlines and set the turnouts in position. 2. mark both ends of the throw bar with a fine point sharpie marking pen. 3. draw a line perpendicular to the centerline connecting the throwbar marks. 4. decide which side of this line the Tortoise will occupy. 5. overlap this line by 1/8" away from the Tort. and cut a 2 1/4" square plug straight through the foam. 6. Go back to the throwbar line and cut a 3 1/4" square 1/4" deep. 7. Take a piece of 1/4" plywood and just clear the edge with the throwout wire. locate the mounting holes for the tortoise and pre drill for the screws. 8. Mount the Tort on the ply with the wire centered (use a power pack set to about 8 volts and just touch the leads to teminals 1 and 8. 9. If you use roadbed temporarily lay it in place and cut a 1/8"x1/2" slot for the wire. 10. Glue (I use clear Liquid nails-blue label) in the plywood and Tort. with the wire extending up. 11. Now lay the roadbed and when it cures you can set the turnout with the wire coming up through one rivet hole in the throw bar. Some hints: Do all your pieces of plywood before hand. Work outward both ways from your key turnout, cut and fit your track pieces as you go. Lay out all your throwbar lines and do all cutouts when you are satisfied with the track plan. pre-assemble the Torts and ply squares. Consider 9"-12" leads from your Torts to 2-terminal blocks for easier hookup and trouble shooting/ replacement. they can be glued under the foam later to miss any structural members. When satisfied, go back and start gluing down the turnots and track sections. Happy Railroading!
Maybe it looks so to you, but my layout is not 100% as the layout in the picture. Everything is planned for so there will be no problem to move trains.
QUOTE: Originally posted by jxtrrx
Not to overdo the point… but I’m still concerned about the layout problems mentioned by Byron. I’m with him. It looks like there is not enouigh room to effectively move trains in and out of the yard.
Adelie
August 12, 2005, 2:43pm
28
Happy building, Electro. I’ve spent today in the basement laying subroadbed for a return loop. It may be the last location critical point on the layout, so completing it will be a milestone. One or two more building sessions, and it will be done so I can build “what I feel like at the moment” from there on out.
Good for you, Mark. Maybe we can see some pix?
Adelie
August 12, 2005, 8:09pm
30
One of these days I will haul the digital camera down there, Crandell. I had the brilliant idea of creating a “photo history” of the layout from an empty room up. Unfortunately, the benchwork is almost complete, the staging area is complete, there are two helixes to the staging area in place, and I’m working on the dogbone now, and I’m yet to take the first picture! So much for the photo history.
baldwinjl, I’ll post pics of the slide switches in a new thread
QUOTE: Originally posted by robengland
baldwinjl, I’ll post pics of the slide switches in a new thread
Rob, I will be looking for that, I am curious too, if I am not mistaken, you can use the slide switch leads to power a frog too, correct?