...so I must assume that SHE is now sleeping in the garage and the modules are in the house? She didn't even slow down when the car climbed the 3+ inch module? This sounds like it wasn't an accident at all!
Hate to hear that but maybe you can just consider it a practice build and make a new and improved version.
I have to say it really took the wind out of my sails for a few days... but Here are some pics, she was really good about helping me cut off and remove the damaged end foam, scrape off the old adhesive, etc. I’ve got a new underbrace, and I worked a titebond3 soaked paper towel against the crack until it started shredding and going into it to serve as a structural filler. The clamps are holding the under brace until glue sets while the long piece is only there temporarily to make sure the plywood stays aligned across the top. So you say your benchmark is so great you could park a caddy on it? Well mine can hold up an SUV. Literally. Lol The toyos left a tire impression on module two, but no structural damage. The area was to be carved out anyway so other than the damaged track, no big deal on this side. I’ve been informed that I am doing the module box assembly, tracklaying and wiring, and she’s doing the buildings and scenicking so I guess tomorrow night I’ll glue up the quad and twin CMR modules for her. She’s doing a garage sale in a couple of weeks so we can get some space back, and I went ahead and bought us two 8 foot and two 6 foot folding banquet tables. Which we can then re-use as worktables or to put the modules on once the garage sale is over.
After drying overnight, Module 1 is fully repaired and ready for replacement foam to be glued in. So we did the initial assembly and gluing on hers. The quad was super easy, it went together perfectly and easily. The twin did not. The manufacturer was off on their tab spacing on the front and rear caps on the twins. I had to trim the tabs as they were about 1/8 -1/4 inch out of alignment. Easy enough to narrow the tabs that amount with a steady hand and a jigsaw to make them fit, but it made it much more difficult and time consuming than it should have been. Both are glued and drying now. We will be able to add the mainline track tomorrow.
Corks glued and track laid, wired, joints soldered, filed, and burnished. Ready for final straightening and gluing down and servo installation. I’ll wait to do the ballasting after my wife does the scenery and painting, and after we install the trolley loop around the park. I’ll lay track on her other smaller module tomorrow.
Ran out of parts, was short one package of Kato tomix adapters to do the other module. I decided to do the wiring on the quad instead. Everything is soldered and heatshrinked, and spot hot glued in place, with some slack allowed for easy maintenance or modifications down the road if needed. I have a Kato connector for front track and siding (BW), and a second Kato connector for rear track (WB) with a power take off for accessories from it. The red connectors indicate DCC voltage. I have one to the light hub, one to ESU Switchpilot Servo 2.0, and one spare for any structure lighting decoders, or other accessories that might wind up being needed. I have a few white 1.25 Jst connectors already plugged into the light hub. White 1.25 connectors are only for direct LED lighting. And of course I have the first servo extension laid in and glued in place also. I still need to set up the linkage for the servo. Edit: Found an excellent (and much better) idea on another forum while googling for mounts. Now I know how to resolve the throw differential issue with out needing to compound levers.
I would be really careful running a track THAT close to the front edge. A derail will most likely end up with a fall (almost always killing the engineer and fireman).
No worries, good looking out though! I had the idea to do this parking siding on the fly as I was laying track to make it more visually interesting, and I figured it would be useful to practice skills. Plus on the table there’s a good foot of table protruding. It’s only about 36-38” long so it wasn’t going to be nearly long enough to be a passing siding. Though now that I am thinking of it, I could extend it out into her second module and then bring it back in to make a 5 foot passing siding and that would be good for short trains. I plan on putting magnetically attached plexiglas finger shields if she ever wants to show it, because this is the one that will have the “Drive a trolley!” interactivity for kids on it. .
Jessica was super excited to see her module was the second layout photo on Dispatch this week. After further thought, i was inspired earlier and it sounds much more fun as interesting to have a passing siding spanning two sidings, so tomorrow night (tonight technically) I will de solder the end of the stub, lay straight cork and track and convert it into one. I also found my other stash of Kato Tomix adapters so now I have enough to lay track on her city module. Would have done it today but my hands were hurting after typing near nonstop all day at work. I’ve also been thinking of working switchstands... or at least rotating targets. Hmm.
Nothing worth a picture... threw some Tupac on the home theatre while I converted the siding to passing siding on the quad and used a set of paint markers I got from Fifer to paint the rails and ties, and the plastic guards on the turnout. Then I used a piece of the old cork I scraped up to clean the tops of the rails back off. And I mounted the first two of the Kato-Tomix adapters on the second module and laid cork to prep for laying mainline track and the other part of the passing siding track tomorrow night.
I’m still playing with heights, but it’s coming along. I’ve got the angles figured out to get it to rotate pretty close to 90 when the switch is thrown. I can still adjust the brass height, the rod height, and I know the target is wrong shape but it’s easier to see this one for now. Need to put some cork around it. Feedback welcomed.
I like the way that looks Richard. Is it just hooked up to the same under the layout throw bar as the turnout is or is it connected straight to the switch machine?
thanks, I’ll share more pics and maybe a video in a few minutes once I get the servo position finalized and glued in. It is two linkages, using the distance between the pivots on them to create the difference in throw angle. (Turnout needs about 5-10 degrees and signal mast needs near 90.
Thanks. That music wire isn’t hard to work with, but you hav3 to make sure to put some z’s in it to take up any loads and allow for any misalignments during travel. I must have tried 20 or more bends and adjustments to get it to work.
Well I tried my hand at ballasting, just a few inches to get an idea and experiment. What went well: using a cheap plastic paintbrush to paint a thin layer of glue on the cork and Kato shoulders first so ballast would stick ( as well as in between ties on the Kato). Tapping a metal spoon on the rails to settle ballast. So-so, using a brush to clean the ties off. The plastic handle worked better than the brush did, lol. Works really well once they float up and atop the ties. Wet the hard end, use it to clean ties off. What didn’t: the darker colored “soil” color. And the hard shoulders on the cork. I’m going to go back and repaint around the tracks with a light buff/khaki instead, and paint the cork shoulders a lighter color as well. Also spraying or misting the wet water didn’t work so well. Worked better directly dripped, might be better sprayed if doing more than a few inches. So now from what I’ve learned, I’m going to cut the cork back as much as I can, apply glue to the shoulder and do that shoulder ballasting first... then apply the centers with a spoon
What concoction did you use for your "wet water"? I spray full strength 70% rubbing alcohol and it works all the time. The spray does have to be very fine though.
