Lonely Hearts Club Band

Burg,
When you're not ready to kill Digitrax, you'll love it....LOL. You will love to be free of those blocks, until you hear the dreaded five beebs.

 

Hello, I'm Richard, 46 years old and in and out of the armchair last couple of years, mostly out actually! I am a lifelong and incorrigble N scaler. My current project has two main goals: 1) to actually "complete" a working layout 2) to contribute in a small way to the "World's Greatest Hobby" idea by building something portable that could be shown outside my home. What this is turning out to be is a double-track-mainline loop built on two 21" x 90" back to back modules, constructed of 1x4 framing, 3/8 ply on top, covered with 1" blue foam, both modules sitting on a completely dismantleable frame held together with wing-nuts and on casters for rolling. The long sides feature an in between passing track accessible from both loops (an idea from John Armstrong's book), crossovers, and inner switching interest. This whole layout will be attached to a staging module,for which I have provided entry and exit tracks, and which will allow several different made-up trains to enter from off scene, travel around, etc. then exit in a sort of continual choreography of trains. Superimposed on this is an actual operational layout, as one module depicts, in a stylistic way, the Clinchfield RR coal country, with a large tipple, a small loader, scale track, kaolin mill and small town embedded in the steep tree-clad valleys of the CRR route. The other module is purely free-lance, and will have a coal-fired power plant in an urban setting as the end-point for the coal loading operations on the other side.
I've been working on this for about 6 mos., and most of the track-work is operational. What is a bit unusual here is that ALL of the 18 main-line and ALL of the 10 branch/sidings turnouts are hand-laid by me using ME Code 55 for the mains, and ME Code 40 for the sidings. Not only that, but there is NO tangent (straight) track anywhere on the layout, except for the 40 foot (40 N scale feet, that is)weigh scale track. All of the turnouts are curved to some extent to allow long passing tracks on such a small layout. It's a long story, but the first 18 out of my 24 active months in the hobby basically taught me about trackwork and custom tracklaying (sort of a hobby within a hobby) and I really enjoyed that aspect (I did not however enjoy destroying and covering up all traces of the substantial, incomplete and doomed from the start layout I also built, based on the late 70's Clinchfield project, which is kind of a personal Mecca to me, for nostalgic reasons. All the rest of the track, by the way, is ME flex, glued onto 3mm cork roadbed, in turn glued onto 1/16 styrene sheet subroadbed, to elevate the mainlines from the sidings. The sidings are cork glued right onto the blue foam. I have just finished wiring for DCC, using 22 gauge solid feeders on every separate piece of rail, dropped down to 14 gauge main bus wires. The turnout frogs are insulated with gaps, and will be live and switched. The rails and ties are painted with Floquil Rail Brown and a variety of earth tones for varying degrees of age and rust.
Over the next few weeks, I have to decide on switch machines, and install them. I have a few Hankscraft slow-motion gearmotors with Rix Rax brackets a la Alan Gartner and I have ordered a few Tortoises to test out too. I plan to control the turnouts with DCC, possibly get into detection, transponding, signalling and computer control, etc. at some point.
Operation is very good on DC so far, with the two loops having 17.5" and 16" radii, with easements and superelevation; I can only have one train on at once now as there are no blocks, etc. I like big-time modern era railroading, but will unashamedly mix-in 1st gen. diesels and 33' open coal hoppers and steam excursions, whatever appeals.
Well, I just ordered a Digitrax Radio Chief with the DT400R cab a couple of days ago from Loy's Toys, and I suspect I am soon going to be in for an experience of some sort for a while. I also sent one of my CSX Kato C44-9Ws to "Onlyndcc" to be made into a DSX sound-equipped dummy.
Aside from the trackwork, turnout control and DCC, I would like to get on to some scenery-building. I want each module to have a backdrop and it's own independent lighting instead of relying on overhead lights, so it will need some kind of framework. Actually, over last summer, I built a 2' long scenic module based on a photo I took the previous year along the former Clinchfield. This was to test my artistic skills in creating effective scenery and I was quite pleased with the result.
I really would like to get a digital camera, to get some views of my project online...but... the issue of $$$ is raising its ugly head, what with the premium DCC, a new computer, a 36" Sony WEGA TV (my fault, my wife only wanted 32" any old TV), so...I'll do what I can, probably get it, what the h---, it's only money.
My wife says the real reason I talk about early retirement is to work full-time on model-railroading--unfortunately, this is true, but it's not something you can exactly talk to the nonMR world about, is it? Maybe we should call them (the rest of the world, that is) Muggles or something, like in Harry Potter?
My mother does not, and never will, understand why her doctor son would rather play with trains than work 80 hour weeks on his chosen profession. My wife sort of understands, tolerates but does not particularly encourage my hobby--she would rather I go back to my water-colours which I am OK at, but I find model railroading much more creatively satisfying and equally artistic, again something the general public (Muggles) does not understand or appreciate. My kids, ages 8 and 11, are not interested in Daddy's trains, which kind of disappoints and also alarms me. They, like so many of the first truly "computerized" generation, show little serious interest in anything. They are accustomed to instant gratification from video games, computer games and the internet. The idea of creating something with their brains and hands, patiently watching it grow and evolve, seems to be outside of their mindset. Perhaps they will fall in eventually, in some sort of "virtual" way that I can't and probably don't really want to understand. For me, early childhood indoctrination ( Apparently I used to bawl when Popeye and Mighty Mouse beat up on the poor steam engines) and nostalgia explain my passion for railroading.
OK, I'm off topic now, so I'll shut up and hopefully return in a few days with updates. Good Night, all.

 

Whoa, some great photo's while I read this thread, but anyways...
Barry, in Portland, OR. I am building a 'G' shaped N scale layout around a 13' by 7'6" room. Last summer I posted a pencil drawing of the plan. Now a year later, I understand some of the suggestions (thought they were nonsense the first time) So... now doing a folded loop to loop. with a branch line that will climb off of middle turn.
Spent the last year buying some engines and about 100 M-T cars. Also decided to model the railroads the day before the BN merger. Maybe the after too. So, the last year wasn't completely wasted. (also built a 4'x8' HO twice around to get the feet wet) Next two weeks, reorganize room yet again, and I think I may actually start building the bench work.

 

OK, I throw myself on the mercy of the court, or Band. Soldering is driving me nuts!
Oh I can get solder to stick to the blasted rail joiners all night long, but not to the rails! I washed my track, fluxed the track, but still the solder flows right to the joiners and the track pulls apart just like I never wasted my time with the iron in the first place.

HELP!!!!!

 

One tip I know works, and another I wish I could go back to and re-read what was used.

Tip #1
Use a file on the rail where you are going solder the wire too and file some area off, just a light filing will do, may 6 to 10 brushes of the file.

Tip #2
This is one I read somewhere and really liked. But some guy glues, using an electrical conductive glue the wire to the rail, then solders. However, having said this, soldering after you get it down isn't that big a deal and you should be able to do one in about two minutes, filing the track included.

 

Here’s my update.

I was able to purchase foam for my elevated areas, and cut some of it for a dry fit. But I won’t be able to glue it in place until I am able to purchase a Woodland riser (2 % grade) system and fit it in with everything else. I have a section of my layout that is three inches high.

I was also able to get cork roadbed and put as much as I could down. Again, I am waiting for the risers to be put in so I can finish.

Over the weekend, I was able to attend the Greenburg Train show in Wilmington Mass. I have not been active in this hobby in 15 years, and when I was active I didn’t get out to train shows. So this is really the first train show I have been to. While I found some great buys on some of the materials I needed for my layout (cork & turnouts), the general selection and prices for N-scale rolling stock and locos were not that impressive. I may have been out of the hobby for a while, but I am up to speed on pricing. Some of these guys were being unrealistic about their prices, and not much was moving off their tables.

I was impressed with the Northeast NTrak layout. In fact, I found it unusual that while N-scale vendors were few, they had the largest and most elaborate layout in the show. There was something about seeing a 100 car coal train headed by a quartet of SD units that really awed me. But hey, it’s my first show so maybe I’m just easy to please.

I also found it almost shocking that there was no HO layout at the show.

Back to the subject. I hope to soon secure the riser system and finish the roadbed and backdrops over the next couple of weeks. This week, I plan to cut and dry fit the rest of the foam. I have to create a 2% grade to ¾ inch. I also have to finalize my wiring diagrams.

Then track laying will commence. I can hardly wait to wield a soldering iron...

 

My soldering suggestions:

1. Get it clean. This is THE most important thing you can do. Fresh nickel-silver track is clean. Brass track will tarnish and must be cleaned. Use a small wire brush to do it. You must remove the tarnish and oxides off of the metal.

2. Buy a good paste flux. It'll probably be an acid flux, but don't sweat it. All this means is that you'll need to clean it afterwards, which you'll want to do anyway. Now at least you'll have an excuse to clean off the joint after you do it. Go to a plumbing supply store if you must, but get some flux. Don't count on the rosin core flux to do the job for you. That flux is only applied AFTER the solder melts, and you need the flux before the solder melts for it to do its job.

3. Get some good solder. Find a smaller diameter solder, as this will melt easier and quicker. Quick is important to avoid melting the ties.

4. Use a strong soldering gun. Not a lower powered iron, but a strong gun. Heat it up and tin the tip before you apply it to the track. to tin it you heat it up and wipe it on a wet rag. Then apply a small amount of solder to the tip to "wet" the tip. You may need to bang the tip against something to remove the excess solder. You want it wet, but not "globby".

4. Apply the VERY hot tip to the inside of the rail at the rail/joiner interface. Keep it off of the top of the rail. You'll only mess up the rail for the trains later on. The flux will immediately melt, sputter and ooze. Apply the solder to the opposite side of the rail at the rail-joiner interface on the OUTSIDE of the rail. Don't worry about heating up the joiner, it'll get hot all by itself.

5. As soon as the solder melts and starts to flow, remove the iron and the solder. Don't apply too muh solder. More is NOT better. You'd be amazed at how little solder it takes to join two 3/4" copper pipes. Putting on too much solder will only gum up the works and cause a mess. Pless it takes more heat to melt more solder, and you'll probably melt all your plastic ties doing so.

6. Wipe the joint down with a damp rag while it's still hot. It's stop the melting of the ties and the hot flux is a lot easier to clean off.

To be honest, I don't use any extra heat sinks, pliers, or tweezers to carry the heat away and I've only melted a couple of ties in the last 2 years. These are only needed if you heat things up slowly. Using a hot iron with plenty of umph can get the soldering over and done before the rest of the track has a chance to heat up.

I used to solder small wires together in my fingers, and if you take too long doing that you burn your fingers. Soldering rails together uses the same principles.

Mark

 

My monday morning update:

You may recall that my immediate goals were to relay the engine terminal, which also included changing the wiring to some now unused blocks. I got as far as relaying the tracks with Peco electro frogs, but then had what I have come to call "a wiring moment" where I make some stupid mistake I can't figure out!

Frustrated, I stopped the wiring (I can run trains w/o using the engine leads) and started on the scenery I ripped out while redoing the entry to my staging yards behind the roundhouse.

Of interest, is I had covered the area with a moutain, made with a WS foam base, that was removable. I used Atlas switches, which in that close proximity couldn't handle my SD 90 Macs, so I switched to Peco.

In case these don't work as well as planned, I decided to avoid the mountain that previously covered the staging yard throat, and use a highway to cover it instead. I am doing a city scene anyway, and built some flats and glued up a photorealistic downtown behind that. I am not sure I need the flats, but they sit there (I left just a little more room than the width of the road for that purpose) and will look at it again tonight.

I used plexiglass for the road, and at the far end, I put small hinges, so it can lift up like a drawbridge! I left it six inches from the edge so it stays up when in the up position. If - make that when - I need to rerail or perform maintenance, I can lift the highway right out of the way, and without finding a place to put the road, which is always a problem on a layout full of rolling stock, when working from a limited access hatch.

I don't know if I have ever seen this application, but I am so happy with it, I will use a similar technique to cover my access hole with city structures.

I also added a few caboose ground throws and uncoupling ramps, but didn't make it to my other stated goals. I don't care, as I made progress!

 

I just wanted to second Mark's approach to soldering. I solder this way also and when I've told others they think I'm crazy. The only thing I do differently is use liquid flux rather than paste. Still needs to be cleaned tho.

Gary

 

Oh happy day, happy day!!

With the help of you fine folks, a new soldering iron, some liquid flux, the wire brush attachment on my (insert favorite moto-tool here) and practice practice practice...I'm a soldering whiz!

Well maybe not a whiz, but the rails are stuck together and I'm not melting near as many ties anymore

Thanks again to you fine folks, I may run trains on my birthday after all!

 

I remember reading somewhere recently of a chap who used soda cans to hold down the track while waiting for the glue to set.

 

I use straight pins (as used in sewing) to temporarily hold the track while the glue sets. I just apply the liquid nails (use a thin bead down the center and then spread it out with a piece of plastic - it doesn't take much). Press down the track and stick a few pins through a few of the nail holes. I found that I really only needed to pin it around curves. Straight sections grabbed pretty well with just the strength of the liquid nails. After the LN set, pull out the pins. This method works especially well with foamboard construction.

 

Ok, I'll jump in here with my update.

To bring you up to speed, I sold all my N scale styff 6 months ago and wasn't going to "do trains" for awhile. Well...... I'm back. 2 weeks ago I decided to build an HO scale layout in my 8foot by 8 foot shed out back (no room in the house, thats why N scale went).

In the first week, I have designed a track plan, mode of how the layout will run, and my key modelling interests (it goes quicker when you have designed several other layouts). In the last week I built and painted the benchwork, installed lighting, and last night layed about 1/2 of the mailine (total mainline is only 56 feet). Goals for the next week are : attend train show this weekend, lay rest of mainline, purchase some rolling stock (10-15 cars). Wire three remote turnouts.

Please understand, due to the small size of my layout, progress should be fairly quick.

 

my UP,
Sounds like you are having fun, and that is the name of the game. Is your layout an around the walls in the shed? You might have said and I missed it. You're going faster than I am....lol.