Great looking road! Your layout is really progressing and each addition really compliments the overall look of California.
we have cell phone towers out here in new england that are, well, see for yourself... http://www.treehugger.com/cell-phone-tower-camouflage-tree-forest.jpg http://gregcookland.com/journal/uploaded_images/picCharltonCellTower071709_0005-736420.jpg Also, a freind of mine who worked on some cell towers said that some churches have them in the top of the steeples.
Thats a great angle Jim! Feel like I'm sitting on the hill listening to the engines vibrate the landscape.
Garth, good closeup of those towers. Guess the cell providers have gotten sensitive to the NIMBYs. Jerry, thanks. Working on getting those reverberations...
A set of carefully placed 12- or 14-inch subs should do the trick... Nice work as always, Jim. On the cell towers, I'm not sure the "cure" isn't worse than the "disease" .... but that's drifting a bit off-topic...
Every time I take a vacation drive (about three times a year now I'm retired) I get depressed at the number of cell towers visible. They're a blight on the landscape, IMO. My vision of the future includes the final solution - telecommunications all via the internet which is satellite delivered - no terrestial cell towers needed. Full time internet wherever you are, even at home. No landlines either. Technology is pretty much there now, all that's needed is for the providers to figure out how to make money off it...
Had family in this week, nothing photogenic but I thought I'd show my lift bridge: It's two tracks wide and 61 inches long. The layout is quite high, so mostly it's left in place and is an easy nod-under. Alignment is accomplished by inverted Vs - each side is unique so a reverse fit is impossible. It is fairly light weight, comes out and goes back in with a minimum of fuss - the inverted V aligns it perfectly. There is no protection - I'm the only one around, so if I run a train off the end I have no one else to blame...no issues thus far, I'm happy to say!
Hey! That is slick! Well, ain't you the clever one! Someone give that man a cookie! Seriously, Jim, your work on this project is truly amazing and inspirational. No doubt that your postings have saved many folks hours of frustration in thought, preparation and execution - myself included. Thank you. :thumbs_up:
Okay, now I'm afraid to visit. I'm sure to back into a train while its on the bridge. Does it lift out completely or is it hinged on one side? Daryl
I can only hope to be in TN (again) to see this wonderful layout in the flesh, instead of being stuck here on "Another Planet"... Keep 'em coming, Jim!
Lifts out completely, Daryl. There wasn't enough vertical space to hinge it. I was initially a bit concerned about long term alignment because those inverted V blocks are it, but it's been pretty much flawless. If you happen to hit it (and yes, I have) all that needs doing is to tap each end lightly to assure yourself it's seated on the blocks. I get very nervous when a train is on the bridge and I simply HAVE to duck under....(the toilet is on the other side...)
That is a great Idea Jim. I don't remember seeing in an earlier post so I'll ask-- How is the track powered? Craig
You mean you did not trench out an underpass?:tb-biggrin: On a more serious note, I really like your lift bridge approach. It is elegant in its simplicity, and simplicity usually equates to reliability. Just more really great work Jim!
Jim, Is the bridge wide enough that if a car did tip over due to a bump from an clumsy guest, that it would stay on the bridge? Or would it hit the ground? Daryl
If you'll note on the left side of the bridge there are a couple wires - alligator clip leads actually. I will probably eventually put in some sort of wiper on the inverted V that will make the connection... There are strips of plexiglass along both sides, Daryl. They were added (fairly quickly) after I had an auto rack derail. I've thought of adding girder-like styrene sheets to make it look like a bridge, but that seems a bit hokey. And thank you, David! (Around here trenching would have probably meant blasting; I know part of the foundation is on ledge...)
