I'd love to see the plan. If things go well and lots of things occure I'll be moving hard and fast on the GandG http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?t=69249&highlight=bullet+train which will be running a full spectrum of passenger from 4-4-0s to Bullets. My semi infamous "Eat Athern" pic: http://www.railimages.com/albums/Bullett_and_Steam/aaa.sized.jpg
This is a reply from Pete Nolan in a older topic: It makes perfect sense to me! Less material to vibrate = less sound. Most of my track is build on small strips of triplex so this should be fine. Nice layout Grey One! And I love that pic - Old VS New Here's an updated picture of my layout. I'm starting with the benchwork next week. Btw, I still want to know what kind of ballast is used in the picture on the bottom of the previous page...
Sorry for the delay smolderZ! It is "Highball Products" ballast dark grey Z and N scale both were hard to differentiate. Ordered from Walthers. Peco code 55 on cork.
SmolderZ, how is the high speed layout coming along? I've been working on a 2'x8' Tohoku shinkansen module using Tomix slab track with aluminum angles for the retaining walls. I could have used several sections of Kato's viaduct slab track for far less work. My fear is the paint won't stay on the aluminum walls (shown in primer). http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/500/edit_200.jpg
The following pictures on this page caught my eye: This car appears to be a Japanese schnabel car. The caption under one of the pictures has "ACE" in it, so I think it might be Micro-Ace. Does anybody know if this is true? Does anybody know where I might be able to get one? I have never seen that car before.
It is Micro-Ace, Cat No. A-8574, comes with two four wheel Japanese cabooses as in the photo. A couple of hobby shops here in Brisbane have had them.
Here is my new layout plan I discarded the small turns after recieving a lot of critics from fellow model railroaders. I really had to make the visible turns larger. I redid the whole plan and this is the result. The smallest visible turn is now Kato's largest one, 718 mm. The rest will be done with Peco flextrack. I hope Peco flextrack (code 80) and Kato Unitrack will couple together nicely All the switches are Kato Unitrack. Red is the highspeed line (300km/h), black is regular/slow speed line (160km/h max). The dimensions of the trackplan are ~2 x 3 meters. All the benchwork is lying in pieces here in my room, ready to be assembled! This is going to happen tomorrow for the major part. Hopefuly I can finish the whole benchwork this weekend.
I like those changes Rob. Good move on the larger radius. I look forward to the progress. Here's a 400 Shinkansen on Kato's largest curve any smaller probably wouldn't look right.
SmolderZ I'm pretty sure the Peco flex track should join together with the Kato Unitrack. I've been using Atlas flex with Peco switches and Kato bridges and I've had no problems joining them. Good luck with your bench work. I look forward to seeing photos of your progress. As for the radius, you won't regret making it larger, I did test before starting my layout and with the flex track, and the min. radius that my 700 Kato Bullet train (largest train I have) could travel was 17.5" anything less was a problem for it. Don, I was looking at your rail images and what great photos you have!