Awesome! thank you. I downloaded that pic about 3 years or so ago and I cant remember where, nor can I find it again online. There were like 3 or 4 pics that showed the city removed and the controls and stuff. I thought I had enough information on it based on just the pic I saved as there was nothing under the city really to worry about. I will have to looky-see the video when I get off work... .gov computers have YouTube blocked right now... another COVID death...
The passenger cars make it around the layout, but they don't look so good doing it... The short freight cars looked much better. But it is a great looking layout!
The layout in my earlier posts is 42”x60”. Which is one direction too big for my space, and roughly the same as I made in Unitrak... but Mesa Junction looks much better in flex track than unitrak.
Never wanting to let a challenge go unanswered, I drew up Mesa Junction (or a reasonable facsimile thereof) in a 3' x 5' Unitrack layout in XtrkCAD, shown below. Minimum radius: 11" (uneased), 9.75" on spur I added a double track, single crossover to allow a reverse loop, but the crossover needs to be mounted in a 9.75" double track viaduct, or similarly supported, to span the roadway. Note the second single track curved viaduct nearby is necessary for road passage underneath (slight departure from photo). All switches are #6 Unitrack or dbl trk sngl crossover (#4's). Getting in the #6's is where I had to take the most liberties from the original layout. There is not enough room for the double-sided street scene at the right end, but I believe Massey said he had more length to give in his space, or it could be a single-sided street scene (on top of the hidden track at right). Let me know what you think, tweaks you can think of, etc.
That’s awesome @BigJake . I just tried with the pieces I had on my box. Could you send me the .xtc file?
Sure! But is there a way for you to PM me your email address? I can't upload xtc files. If you can tolerate 9.75" curves (eased by adjacent 11" curves), I might be able to get some more room on the right end.
Massey, Nevermind... (brain fart) It will let me attach zip file! See attached. It includes my first version, shown above, and a revised version, Mesa Junction2, which uses 9.75" curves (all eased by at least 11" curves) in strategic places to provide room for a double-sided street scene like the photo. It also includes a double crossover, so you can reverse in both directions without a switch-back move. The double crossover will need support since it is elevated. Could be custom built, or a couple of double-track viaduct bases. The double crossover can also be worked into the first version, with same support issues, replacing the single crossover and part/all of the bridge.
Ok this is awesome! So I have a laptop screen I have been saving for a project, and I just found that project! As some or maybe all of you know, I found a really neat box to use for the layout controller for my Ttrak modules, and now I found out that the laptop screen fits perfectly inside the box. I will need to glue in a couple standoffs for the screen to sit on but that’s cake. Here is a pic of the box, and the screen. I do have the controller card and driver board, they are just not in the pics.
So I got the controller card out and was playing around with it a bit. And here is our favorite website running on a raspberry pie in the case with the screen I plan on using. All is working perfectly. I will work on some mounts for the screen tomorrow.
Ignore my other post in the recent purchase thread. you are way farther along and that is a really nice monitor. Will be super nice once you make your facia board.
I have had this monitor for a while now, it is from a laptop, and I paid like $30 for it... maybe less, It was pretty cheap. The controller card is a generic universal NP68676.2 Video controller. It runs off 12V not sure of the amperage needs but my PS is a 1 amp and it's running just fine. It will also handle audio, I am guessing from the HDMI and/or DVI. I am not sure if I am going to put any speakers in this project or not... time will tell... I cleaned up my work stuff just in time last night. We got hit with a pretty big wind storm and it knocked power out a few times. My Pi was in the middle of an update when this happened, so I hope it was not tanked in the process. I guess I will find out tonight when I get home. Well, maybe I will find out. I have a ton of tree branches down in my yard now, thankfully no trees decided to fall in my yard though. A neighbor lost a tree top, and there is a swamp right next to my house that I got to witness a tree fall there. The sky lit up from time to time as branches crossed power lines, and a couple times as transformers gave up whatever they have for a ghost. It made for a really pretty light show! I did have power when I woke up this morning, but on my drive to work there was blocks without power, and also a few trees that decided it was time to uproot themselves. OK enough chatter on about the storm, I am off to see what there is to see...
Well I found out tonight that one of my neighbors had a tree hit their house. Prolly totaled the house, which is sad as they don’t have much money, hopefully they have insurance. But I didn’t come here to talk about the storm... I found some #2 screws, and 1/4 wood square dowel that I cut to make the stands for the screen. They were glued in place and are currently drying. I will post a pic tomorrow, when I final mount the screen.
So I didn’t get much done, but I got an important piece done. The screen is mounted inside the lid now, and it runs perfectly on the Pi. I need to get my DR5000 before I decide where the final resting place for the various equipment will be. So far so good.
Finally got the light kit for my Tomix type 500 EVA, so while I have it out installing that, I might as well install the 3 decoders, right?
I so want that train, I really want the Kato version, but I just can’t justify the $600 for it even with the stimulus bucks.
The Tomix 500eva is more correct than the Kato, which is why I got it. the Kato Dr Yellow is more correct so that will be the one I get for that one. I can’t justify the $600 either, but I did it anyway. Glad I did, they are closer to 1k now. edit: hahahaha! Jokes on me, it already has a factory light kit fitted!
So I am waiting on parts for the computer project, so I decided to work a but more on my modules. I bought an Osborne models “Paul’s Depot” kit. It’s my first laser cut wood kit, but it’s pretty standard fare. I faded the green on the roof, used a grey wash to age the shake siding, and a red on the baseboards. Looks pretty good to me, just need to wait till it dries out a bit before gluing it together.
