Layout pictures

I have posted a couple new pictures to my webshots account. I hope to add more this weekend. Here a two of them.

This is of the helix reverese loop I added. Eventually, a 20" tall double track helix that goes to a second level will reside here. Right now I use this loop to turn trains, and to add a new operation to running trains. Just prior to entering the loop, I can add a couple of helpers to the front. upon exiting, I remove them. After making this addition, I can safely say IU will never run a common rail setup again when laying track.... Live and learn.


Here, a long train is entering the helix reverse loop. The short train is a track cleaning special that is leaving the loop. In between the in-out tracks, is the helper tracks.


I hope to get more pictures taken / posted soon.

[ 15 January 2002: Message edited by: PF2488 ]

 

Lookin' good Garth. This seems to be the winter of layout construction.There are at least 20 being built (or rebuilt) around my neck of the woods.Including my own of course.

 

I wish there were more model railroaders around here building N layouts. I'm planning one, and one friend of mine is nowhere near building a layout.

Looks good dude!

 

Looking good. You will have a great layout to look at and to run. What is the radius and seperation in your helix?

 

I am not getting your pictures. Just the netscape symbol that there is supposed to be a picture. I really wanted to see that helix.

 

I apologize for the pictures not working. They did earlier, really. In any event, they
can be viewed by following the link below.

Train Room 2002

The radius is actually a spiral. I believe the overall width is 38". The starting radius is
about 19-1/2", and decreases from there. The vertical space between the loops is about
2-1/2". So far, it works well, but the rise/fall is a little rough on a 70 car train. I just need
to run trains that are smaller in length or put the lighter cars (centerbeams, autoracks, etc)
on the rear, and everything will be fine.

In a few years, after we add on to the house, I will have more room available outside
the train room, so I can make the helix more of an oval, with 20" curves a minimum. I
am going to plan on a 1-1/2% grade with a 2-1/2" verticle clearance. We will have to
see what happens.

[ 14 January 2002: Message edited by: PF2488 ]

 

Garth, that is one ambitious layout as shown by your control panel Hope you keep us posted as construction progresses

[ 14 January 2002: Message edited by: Hank Coolidge ]

 

Well, I hope this works. If it does, you will see an overview of the town, helix loop entrance and the mainlines wrapping around the front to the back. If not, please follow the link below. I have photos taken all around the layout, and if you look at them from a to b to c etc, you will see the complete layout to date.



And the entrance to the room



Here is the link.
Train Room 2002 Updated 14 January 2002

[ 15 January 2002: Message edited by: PF2488 ]

 

Paul,

I don't know why it was so difficult to get it to work correctly. I really don't have anybody around that is familiar with 12VDC, so I had to "learn" by myself. My layout has two power packs (a third powers the switches), two mainlines, and a reversing loop that not only reverses, but switches tracks. I ended up having to cut the common rail between the two tracks at all crossovers, insulating both rails at the entrance and exit of the reversing loop and adding a polarity switch to both mainlines from both power packs (a total of four switches). And, to top it all off, there is a second reverse loop where the outbound helpers pull off to cross over to the other inbound side.

Right now it works really well, so I am happy with it. I could figure out how to wire a reversing section on one track, but with two tracks and two power packs, it made things a little more difficult. When I first designed and built the layout, the reversing section didn't exist. I added it so I could finish wiring the lower layout, and to add some functionality to some otherwise dead track. One good thing that came from having to re-wire the control panel switches, is that I made it a bit bigger, and a lot neater.

Eventually, when I get my double main helix built to the second level, all this extra wiring will be a moot point, as east bounds on the lower level will be east bounds on the upper level, so the "reversing" loop won't exist, except for the single helper track on the bottom level and a new one on the upper level.

Who says you don't learn anything new playing with trains.....

 

I am planning on running trains that are from 10 cars long up to about 50 cars long. I hav run trains up to 90 cars long (I just have to put the heaviest in front, and lighter in the rear). I have even run mid train helpers without DCC, though the grades really don't like having that done.

I don't have any yard per say now, with the exception of some storage tracks at the industrial area, two mines, US Army base and an intermodal area. The second level, when built, will have a 10-14 through track yard, car shop, engine shop, turntable/mueseum, fuel racks and a few other things, along with a 5-7 track stub yard (shortest track will hold about seven 50 foot cars). Depending on how I create the helix (if I stretch it out) I may have the ability to store complete trains on four 12 foot sidings. It is in the design phase now. I can't start construction of the second level until we add on to the house (which will get the washer/dryer out of my helix area).