My goal with this layout is to get as long of mainline runs as possible with the longest sidings. I also want switching, which has 3 areas set aside, but I havent planned exactly how the track will go in those areas -to be figured out later. I believe behind the garage will be a yard, possibly inside a shed for storage. The alternate storage is a track that isnt on the plan, but would go thru the window marked on the bottom left of design to bring the trains into the basement. Diameter of the main will be approx 20’, but the track that goes in front of the stream may be sharper.
Thank you all for your input, I can take all the help I can get.
Eric
Eric-looks like a great place to start and build your railroad-I would suggest you put a loop at the bush in the lower left of the graph and not run it in front of the patio and down the walkway. I assume you will keep the lawn area and I would not want to drag the mower over the tracks, worry about the kids/dog walking over/on the track etc. It would give you clearly a train area and a lawn/play area, also if you want to raise the track it would be easier with the beds along the fences-Good Luck-we all look forward to following your progress.
Ok here is the photo of my start, I have actually cut this out (still need to finish smoothing so the rail head will lay flush with the concrete), but I havent taken photos of that yet.
my 1st photo post [:)]
It may not have been the easiest or best, but I used the visible saw (standard circlular saw) with a concrete blade, depth set using the track, cut about every 1/3" and broke the in between pieces out, then used my right angle grinder with stone grinding blade to smoth it out. It didnt take that long, I started last thurs worked on it about every other day for about 1-2 hr each of the times I did (maybe about 10 hours total incuding what needs done) . I should be done today. I’ll post progress pics later.
Progress pics posted on my web site. I am currently on vac. from work, planned so I can build my layout. What isnt posted yet on my site is : I poured concrete into the forms tonight (started at about 8pm finished at 2am including run to lumber yard for more concrete (1&1/2 hrs). I had to do it tonight because the late sat. rain wrecked havoc on the tarped forms (humitity & time???) 1/4" Masonite may be a little too flexable. I had to double the # of stakes to even it back out, but they remained usable, I didnt want to push my luck, as it is supose to rain late tuesday. The forms worked just fine for the pour. Some how I did it right (I think, Tues am will let me know for sure). FYI, I plan to use up the cut masonite on curves, and start using 3/8"? plywood on straight runs, I think that may make laying forms go faster. The antique cement mixer I borrowed somehow started up (amazing that this happened as it as been stored outside for 3 years and the motor isnt sealed), and it worked great, a bag of concrete was mixed in seconds, much easier than mixing by hand, but lugging the concrete in 5 gal pails… well lets say we’ll see if my back allows me to do much on tues.
Question, assuming my back allows me, how long till the concrete is set (ie till I can remove forms and lay track)? I used standard Menards concrete (60lb bags of standard setting concrete). It has been a long time since I have done anything other than fence post concrete work, I may build forms to complete the inital loop, but if it rains on tues eve and it isnt too strong I may go ahead and lay track, assuming I can and the responses say I can. Forgive me if anything posted here or updated on my site today is goofy, as I did it all between 2-3 AM after spending all day (started at 10AM) outside building, My brain and body are fried, I should be in bed, but I had to post!!!
1st concrete pour photos posted on site. Not much work done today, too tired/sore, mostly worked on culverts, planning, r/c work/ watering the concrete, non train stuff. The culverts are being made out of cut up aristo metal pipes that the track came in, I doubt they will last, but since most of them will be encased in concrete, the concrete should keep the hole open. Ok Im a whiner, but hey its my vac from work… I hope to really be on top of my game wed, now that I know what I am doing, and spent most of today resting.
Most of the forms for stage 1 (initial loop) in place, should be able to finish (pour concrete for) all of stage 1 on thursday, and I came up with a less track/yard intensive method for putting in my basement window storage idea, it requires a sharper grade (2-4 percent) and curve ( aprox 15’ diameter -the sharpest except for industrial areas? -I am not set on diameter in industrial switching areas) than the original idea, I still havent studied it enough to make sure it works, picture explaination to follow later once I have studied it a bit more.
I just noticed on this site I havent posted my “standards” which are approx 1.5% grade and 20’ diameter curve, and #6 switches on the main and sidings. I havent determinded the standards for the industrial areas, but I know they wont go below wide radius switches and 10’ diameter curves. I am thinking that the switches will be probably LGB 1800 switches and matching curve. The yard will probably have lgb 1800 switches as the #6 would just be too long to work.
Concrete pour #2 for stage 1 completed tonight. I now will have a complete loop for running trains, once it sets. The second part of Stage 1 was a bit more interesting as that had several more switches involved and was gioing thru the existing gardends ( key was not going over any existing plants (which I avoided of the ones that had sprouted)), but several will need to be moved before long. The plywood forms worked much better, and sped that part of the process up a lot. I will no longer use the masonite forms. Assuming I didnt screw anything up, it went amazing well (but slowly). For example, I guestamated the grade for completeing from the 2 seperate constuction points, and it came together without a hitch. I must state that the 1st part of construction would not have gone so quickly if it were not for the help of 2 friends (Doug & John)! I will post pics later on my site for the second part of construction. Next to be done is track on the original pour and forums out from each switch, maybe done Sun eve.
Forms out and dirt in on original pour area. Site updated to include all but previous sentence. I was gonna include those photos, but the camara came up with some sort of error message. Hopefully I can fix the error, or progress pics may become more grainy as it would require use of an antique digital camera (uses floppy discs). The original pour is ready for track, just need to buy ballast and my spit jaw track expantion joints which I believe are due in this week (I hope). I am not sure I need them, but like everything else I build, I overbuild/plan for every conceivable problem I can forsee (of course usually just after completion I go, “I forgot this option”).
Ok since I havent posted lately, here is the progress. Last week, I have removed forms on all the concrete, and backfilled the slightly raised roadbed with dirt. I have bought ballast (gray granite medium chicken grit). Since it was raining friday, and rained all day sat, forcast for non stop till wed. I now have a fully working RCS/sieirra sound equiped engine-it took more work than I expected to get all the bugs out (all bugs caused by me), but I got it all done, the next engine should be a cake walk! I bought a outdoor mat and cut it to fit the exsisting patio conctrete track, cut to fit, when placed upsidown-it should look like modern railroad crossings (and keep leaves etc out of the ties which would cause problems without causing derailments-basically tested (set in test track in basement, didnt derail loco)- long term testing to be determined). Photos to be posted when it isnt raining - got a new (cell phone) camera so pic posting will continue, once weather permits (none since last post- I’ll let you know when that happens). The big track laying project is being held up because I am waiting for the spit jaw rail expansion sets to show up at my retailer -I dont know if I need them, but I am sure one is needed in the confined space of the patio between the two switches (no room for the track to flex and allow for heat expansion, and the rest of them is part of my over building personality).
Neiler, I haven’t put down ballast yet, I’ll post over time if I have a problem, with my ballasting idea. Rain, in my situation, is the least of my wories, since I have a (relatively) big, very active dog (1&1/2 yr old 40lb standard poodle -loves to run, he can kick 1" rocks several feet when he runs), and the layout cuts accross a well traveled part of my yard I am “glueing” the ballast down using the technique from the following post. http://www.mylargescale.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=38355
It sounds like just the ticket I need to keep it in place while the dog travels over it. I am sure I will still need to maintain it and add fresh (ballast & “glue”) now and then. I hope to be placing track and ballast very soon. Spring rains and the dog will let me know if it works (only time (cold winters/hot summers) will tell in the long run -possible frost/heat expantion issues???).
Since last update: forms out and dirt in around 2nd pour (a week ago thursday). It rained all last weekend so no real outside work accomplished then. I bought a indoor/outdoor mat and cut it to fit the street running (patio) area and placed upsidown to look like asphalt.
Thursday the splitjaw expantion joints came in, so I laid track on all finished concrete. I RAN MY 1st TRAIN at 10:30pm last night. No derailments caused by roadbed or track work! BUT: After several slowly increasing speed test laps, I ran the train several laps both forwards and backwards at full throttle (as a test) without a problem until the second lap of backing a piece of my street running filler material moved and derailed the caboose -I already had plan to glue the mat down, but I wanted to see if it would work with the flanges first. About an hour later a second derailment happend when an out of scale dog nudged the slowly moving train with his nose and toppled the engine breaking the sunshade & a foot board (already fixed). Ashton had been so good uptil then -I guess it will take more time to teach him to leave the trains alone . FYI my site isn’t updated yet, but the camera started working again, I just need time in the daylight to take pics. It should be updated Sunday??
Thanks for the tip on the Quickcrete bonding material. I’ve started pouring the concrete roadbed but with all the rain we have the finish is for %&$#*!! I hope the chicken grit will give me a level surface and the vinyl glue keep it there. I know it’s hard to take pics at 10:30 at night but … love to see your progress.
