N scale layout- HELP!!

cvalentine Jan 16, 2019

  1. cvalentine

    cvalentine TrainBoard Member

    31
    11
    6
    I teach 5-8 technology but my room is housed right off the the big industry tech/ wood shop. The building used to be a high school, but now is a middle school. The Industrial Tech teacher otherwise known as shop started kinda working together a couple years ago and are just trying to do some different things to help kids learn.We are trying to do some things with Robotics, coding, 3D printing to name just a couple things. I would like to have kids 3D print train car shells. We also recently printed a wind turbine in N scale and would like to print a few more and see if we can actually get the blades to turn via solar power. I do think I have some more pictures somewhere as well as some video of when I did have it running just very little. I will see if I can share those on here.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  2. cvalentine

    cvalentine TrainBoard Member

    31
    11
    6
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
    ppuinn and SLSF Freak like this.
  3. cvalentine

    cvalentine TrainBoard Member

    31
    11
    6
    Trainboard School Model Train Layout Project. I love the name and would appreciate any help, ideas, suggestions I can get. I hope that we can get hooked up. Thanks


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
    mtntrainman likes this.
  4. cvalentine

    cvalentine TrainBoard Member

    31
    11
    6
    I have some video of when I had the train running on one track for a short time but I cant see how I can upload video on here, mayber pictures are just allowed.
     
  5. MK

    MK TrainBoard Member

    3,496
    4,798
    82
    Upload to YouTube and post link here.
     
    mtntrainman likes this.
  6. JMaurer1

    JMaurer1 TrainBoard Member

    2,310
    1,729
    53
    They look like old school Atlas turnouts to me. They might just need some lubrication and actuation to free them back up...
     
  7. ppuinn

    ppuinn Staff Member

    2,377
    1,444
    55
    Curt, I found this info from a thread from 2015 in our Support forum:

    To post a video on TrainBoard, it must first be uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo.
    In YouTube, click on Share.
    A box will come up with a tiny URL link.
    Copy the link into a TrainBoard post.
    The TB forum software will recognize it and the video box will be displayed in your Post.

    I was unsuccessful at tracking down which region and/or division of the National Model Railroad Association Ft Dodge Iowa might be in: either Thousand Lakes Region or Mid-Continental Region . The Mid-Continental website lists contact info for division board members (Try Kate Shelley Division, Eastern Iowa Division, ILLOWA Division, or Great Midwestern Division for contacting someone in a city near you). Also, you might get relevant info, if you contact hobby shops locally or in other major cities (Des Moines? Ames? Souix City? Waterloo? Mason City?) selling model train items, and ask if they know of contact info for the NMRA Division nearest Ft Dodge or if they know of hobby shops specializing in model trains closer to Ft Dodge. Do you or the HS Shop teacher know of Maker Labs in other Iowa cities that might have members who are also model RRers?

    Kudos for involving middle schoolers in model railroading!
     
  8. ppuinn

    ppuinn Staff Member

    2,377
    1,444
    55
    Oops...Just noticed that MK already posted about the video.
     
  9. ppuinn

    ppuinn Staff Member

    2,377
    1,444
    55
    I don't see wires going into the switch machines in some of the layout pics. Are there both manual and electric switch machines on the layout? or did the original modeler do a very nice job of hiding where the wires go into the switch machines?
     
  10. Point353

    Point353 TrainBoard Member

    2,879
    7,585
    71
    The wires are visible going into holes in the roadbed adjacent to each switch machine.
     
    ppuinn likes this.
  11. ppuinn

    ppuinn Staff Member

    2,377
    1,444
    55
    Good call, Point353. I saw the wires on the switch machine in the second of the four pics in his earlier post, and those are probably wires going into the roadbed in the later pic that shows the Sound Station controller. But, in the later pic of the turntable, the wires to what I think were numbered the 4th and 5th (3rd and 4th???) switch machines near the turn table weren't visible at all (due to good modelling, the distance and angle of the camera shot, and my old eyes)...which, in turn, fed into my quixotic quest to find clues to identify the black (plastic?) shapes on the white back wall of the control panel box.
     
  12. Rasputen

    Rasputen TrainBoard Member

    565
    186
    27
    In one photo I see what looks like a wood screw has been driven through the track between the rails, near one of the joints of the sectional layout. I would try to carefully remove it, and find another method to anchor the track down in this area if it needs help. It doesn't look like there is much clearance for any metal wheels to pass over the head of the screw!
     
  13. Rasputen

    Rasputen TrainBoard Member

    565
    186
    27
    I also see areas where there are several short pieces of track, held in alignment with rail joiners. If you are having trouble getting locomotives to run over these short pieces of track, the connections between the metal track joiners and the rails are probably dirty, which happens all of the time on old layouts. If it hasn't been done already, I would solder a small wire across every one of these joints, and hide the wire in the ballast. For reliable operation, you want the rail joiners to only hold the rails in alignment, and NOT be the only electrical connection between two pieces of track.
     
  14. in2tech

    in2tech TrainBoard Member

    2,703
    7,639
    78
    Somebody put some Woodland Scenic Just Plug lights on this layout or buildings, they are not that old. The big rectangular hole in the middle, are those the transformers in there? Are you suppose to operate from the middle? Very interesting project. Can't wait till you take some more pictures.
     
  15. cvalentine

    cvalentine TrainBoard Member

    31
    11
    6
    Yes the kids I had last year in the “ club” and I put lights in the buildings


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  16. cvalentine

    cvalentine TrainBoard Member

    31
    11
    6
    Here is a short clip of when I did have the train running just a little bit.
     
    in2tech and John Moore like this.
  17. Point353

    Point353 TrainBoard Member

    2,879
    7,585
    71
    The "black shapes" in the control panel do appear to be switch machines.
    Perhaps they're used simply to activate the indicator lights on the control panel to show which route has been selected?
     
  18. in2tech

    in2tech TrainBoard Member

    2,703
    7,639
    78
    That is amazing that it is running. I am sure it’s DC and blocks. I know I have not been paying attention


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  19. cvalentine

    cvalentine TrainBoard Member

    31
    11
    6
    It is DC but I don’t think it’s blocks


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  20. Doug Gosha

    Doug Gosha TrainBoard Member

    3,595
    7,664
    80
    Those power packs appear to be either three MRC Tech II 2400's or three MRC Tech II 2500's with all three on momentum or a combination.

    Doug
     

Share This Page