Thats the least of my problems. 12 years ago I wanted to build this and I unfortunately didn't remember what I ran into. The list of materials on the one page lists the cuts for the frame work. The picture on how to do the frame work has some different measurements! Thats not that big of a deal...the text, and common sense, tells you to build it upside down so that you can use the floor to keep the frame work square and level. The drawing with the scale and the measurements is NOT upside down. So if you build the frame work using the drawing, you will be building the Jerome and Southwestern in a mirror image of the layout. Now that I've done that twice, I've annotated the discrepancies in my book and now I have to get opposite switches and get my pea brain to build this in a mirrored image. Going from the planned HO scale from the book to N Scale I will definitely watch out for my grades thanks for pointing that out. Dan
So now that I built the Jerome and Southwestern in a mirror image of the book, I need to get different turnouts...I need three more #6 left turnouts. There must be a lot of NASCAR fans doing N Scale modelers in Kato Unitrack because everyone is out of #6 Left turnouts. That was humor, not meaning to offend any NASCAR fans out there...get it, left hand turns...hehehe
"Everyone" - really? Did you check with any of the advertising dealers who support Trainboard? For example: http://fiferhobbysu770.corecommerce.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=12790 https://www.trainworld.com/manufact...-left-turnout-with-718mm-28-1-4-radius-curve/ http://www.tophobbytrains.com/20-202electricturnout6leftunitracknscale.aspx
OK I exaggerated. I am new to all this and I don't know who is reliable or not. Sorry if I ruffled feathers. Mostly in jest. I did find that woo woo woo has 141 in stock. hehe
So I was trying to figure out my % Slope on the Jerome. The book shows a rise from 3.5" to 5.5" in about 5' If I remember my math, that is roughly a 3% rise. Now remembering that the Jerome was designed for an HO train and I am using an N Scale train, I should only need to go up 1/2" as high. so the 5.5 would become 2.75" total. So coming out of the south tunnel at HO 3.5' as N would be 1.75" so I'm looking at 1" rise over looks like 54" approx so it would be a hair under 2% Rise. Am I figuring that correctly or am I all confused? So it looks like i'm at 1/2" going into the North Tunnel under Cleopatra Hill rising to 1.5" at Apache Gorge which is a 72" for a 1" rise HO which is around 1.4% half of that for N and I'm at .7%. From there to the 3.5" exit of the South Tunnel is 2" rise over aprox 48" for an HO rise of 4% and 2% in N. Did i figure that alright? So if I do a 1.5" rise from the exit of South Tunnel to the Furlow's Folly Mine and I am at 1.75" at the South Tunnel Exit and .75" before the gorge and a .25" elevation at the north tunnel under Cleopatra hill I think I'm ok?! What do you think! Thanks for your help. Dan
The last was to Point353. Haven't got the hang of how to reply to people yet. Sorry new to forums too! Maybe I'm just too new to all of this. I should stick to scuba diving. Been doing that and teaching it for 36 years! It's easy, inhale, exhale, never hold your breath. Hehe Dan
@Dan if you want it directed at a certain member(s) it will look like this. @Dan or @Ke6nyt Just trying to help
Are you intending to build the layout with the dimensions for HO scale, but use N scale track? If so, then the grades likely won't be an issue. However, if you have the space available, I'd be inclined - no pun intended - to cut off the bottom two feet (looking at the trackplan), which includes Jerome Jct., and add some extra length between it and the rest of the layout.
Keep in mind that the grade transitions are just as likely to problems as the grade itself. A grade transition is where the track changes from being horizontal (level) to having a grade or slant. You need for this transition to be gradual in order to avoid derailments.
I got the joke, and loved it too, my pea brain had to think about the left turn thing for a second. And I for some reason, figured you did not mean the entire world was out of left hand or turn switches. Us pea brains have to stick together, I am joking too and of course I want to see the N16 finished cause I abandoned it Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
So the last one is the Jerome and Southwestern from John Olson’s book with one of kitty helpers. The other two photos are N16 Atlantic Longhaul on the vertical because it was easier to install the Tortoise switch motors instead of laying on the floor doing it upside down. Hehe. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Joke coming. So the N16, Atlanta Longhaul, wasn’t enough of a challenge for you. You needed to add to it by the kitty is that the ramp or grade to connect to said N16? I must have never cut that part that drops down a bit in my N16. Maybe I did, it was in the mid 1990’s. I want so bad to build this again in the future but at time no room. Good luck. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
So the Jerome and southwestern in the picture is a mirror image of the book. Why you ask? Because, as I did in 2007 when I made my first attempt, I followed the directions in the book. John said to build it upside down so that it will be level. Makes sense. So I did using the drawing on the next page as guidance. After I built it and turned it over it was a mirror image. Ugh. I forgot I forgot over the last 12 years so I did the same thing. Also the materials list that is on the one page with the board cut lengths DON’T match the drawing! Ugh x 2! So where Lady Sif is sitting is actually the elevation that goes up to the copper mine. I haven’t cut the plywood yet to reveal the gorge. And to the grade issue, my total climb is about 3 1/4” vice the 5 1/2” for the HO scale.
Hello just wanted to offer some advice from the real Jerome/Clarkdale area as inspiration. The town of Jerome is up an exceptionally steep grade, the switchbacks to get there are very tight and numerous. You would need a cog railway to get to the top of the town, from what I can tell the ore trains went into depressed areas (micro valleys) that cut into the hill where the town sits perhaps hundreds of feet above. I am guessing they had gravity chutes from the main mine headframes down to these areas. It is all gone now, though. Behind Jerome, Mingus mountain rises. The terrain transitions from greener scrubland with some golden grass around Clarkdale to red and tan exposed rock near the altitude of Jerome where it is cut out (but still green arid plants on the slopes), to fairly dense ponderosa pines with ground cover fairly quickly above Jerome. Mingus Mountain is snow capped most of the winter. One interesting thing about the track in Clarkdale going north is that it goes "through" a long cut away slag dump from the smelter before meeting up with the river. The smelter is basically Clarkdale, it was the "IT" industry there. Bitter Creek is rarely flowing, it is mostly a wash. The Verde River is in some places swampy itself. The river is much greener than the surrounding elevation though, with lots of trees and tall grass growing in the canyon, lots of wildlife in there.
