Progress - 06/11/2011

So its been a while since I've posted, however I have some updates!

1. The first Helix is complete.

As you can see below, the helix has been installed onto the layout. It took about 8 hours all up to install the table, lay the helix, and on each layer, lay the track as a continuous curve, and solder droppers for power. Many thanks to Rodney from Ashlin Designs for the custom built helix, easy to set up and very sturdy.

The Helix will join the two levels together. 2.5% Grade, 12.75" and 14" radius curves.

Side view with two trains stabled on the tracks (no locos)

A better view of the current end-of-line.

Another view into the helix.

2. The Upper level roadbed is complete.

As you can see below, the roadbed not extends through the whole layout on the upper level. Since it skips the peninsula (which will contain the yard) it is a simple 'U' Shape around. I managed to finish the spline in 2-3 days, with still plenty to spare.

Left Hand Side, future site of 'Meridian' with the loop and main line present for the helix.

The future site of 'Steino Triangle' - The entrance to Steino Yard.



A view showing both the upper and lower levels, with my current project of soldering sub-buses evidenced on the lower level.




Looking back onto the helix.

  3. The plans for the next couple of months.

By Christmas time, I would like to have a complete track around. That is going to be a hard ask, since I have to:

-Order another helix, install and lay track on said helix.
-Lay track along the upper level
-Have one point hooked into the DCC Bus.

Still, nothing like a challenge!

To keep myself motivated I'm also shortly going to purchase two locos to test the track with. A Kato SD70ACe, (UP Colours) and an Atlas GP38-2 (BNSF)

Why these two?
-One is a 6 axle and one is a 4 axle loco. This will help me test the pointwork and trackage that I have currently laid.
-Different brands have different characteristics, so this will let me see how they behave on the helix and along the other parts of the line.


Eventually they will be utilised for the unit coal train and local industry jobs.

4. This yard bugs me.

Is this yard too complex? Am I trying to compress too much track into the limited space I have? I'm starting to think so. Looking back at my previous design iterations for this yard, I can see how it has had a habit of filling out the empty space I have.

The yard in an operations context has a simple purpose:

-Trains come in with empties from staging.
-empties are arranged into industry turns for local trains to pickup.
-local trains come in from linside industries, drop off 'raw' goods which are then switched to industries within the yard.
-'refined' goods (cars picked up from industries within the yard) are switched into outgoing trains. they are then picked up and taken to staging - the car cycle is complete.
-A unit reefer train swings around the outside of the yard - to make things interesting.

I'm thinking of keeping the left hand side the way it its, but replace the haphazard tracks in the lower right with a ladder for a large grain/hopper goods complex.

The right hand side will become a lot simpler, the two passenger arrival roads will become a passenger arrival and loop road only, to allow freight trains to use the loop. the freighlt loop and industries will disappear to be replaced with a slightly modified layout of the 'timesaver' shunting puzzle. a lot simpler trackage, and a bit more room to put in some scenic items. since I will be battling a low depth-of-field on the rest of the layout, its probably a good idea.

Whilst writing this I did a quick mockup - I'm liking it this way a lot more already.

A modified design, with changed track each side, and expanded shunting necks.

I'm going to write another article shortly outlining my current idea for operations on the layout, after visiting a couple of layouts I have gotten some ideas on how to forward cars and I think i am now at a point where I can begin to start a theoritical car flow, and work on it from there once we start operating (Q1/Q2 next year hopefully)

Thats it for now, enjoy!

Hi Folks,

In the past couple of weeks that I have been absent I have managed to lay some cork roadbed, and lay the lower level loop of track:



The Three tracks around the peninsula

  I have used Midwest products cork roadbed, and my first attempt at laying it was with spray on contact adhesive, which worked well to start as it tacked the roadbed down instantly.

However returning the next morning the cork had fallen off, yet if I glued it again it would stay for a bit and then fall off again. My guess is because both materials are fairly porous, the spray was not terribly effective. So I opted for the ever reliable PVA glue instead.

After ordering some track from the UK on Tuesday, I had it in my hands by Saturday morning thanks to DHL, so that afternoon i began laying track:



First track goes down



into the first curve



The crossover at Theta

As I began to snake my way around the layout I used laminated strips of Masking tape to superelevate the curve on the main line:



On the left: the lower loop line. On the right: Superelevated main line.



The next major step will be the integration of the Right-Hand Side helix, which should be arriving in the next day or two. That will be this weekends project, I plan to have the helix table build and possibly some track laid on the helix.


Photos below where taken after I did a bit of a cleanup.



Staging





The approach into Theta (missing a crossover at the moment)

 


The curve out of staging




Snaking through theta loop towards the next town




The beginning of Theta Loop




Looking towards the branch line as the main snakes through below.






A Dead-Frogged crossover with feeders below. Each piece of track has its own set of track feeders, and there are isolated sections for block detection.

 

Weekend Update 17/09/11

Hey everyone,

No trackwork this week, have been busy arranging the next couple of weeks work. shortly I'll be ordering some track and points for the initial run of the track, the helix kit, and the cork roadbed. Until then, here is a picture of the finished CTC panel in CTI that I'll be using:

Weekend Update 10/09/11

After a slight delay over the weekend, I have managed to finish early this week what I wanted to finish on the weekend - the lower level roadbed:




Left Hand Side ("Spencer")



Future Site of Staging



The Peninsula, with Theta Loop and the Branch line with the 2% grade towards Theta down the rear of the peninsula - since this picture was taken the spline has been laid properly for the branch


I have decided to change my construction timeline by not laying the upper level roadbed until both helixes are installed - this is mainly for two reasons:

1. The roadbed will need to attach to the helix in some way on the upper level, and it has to swing off the helix to do this. Rather than lay the spline and then need to re-lay it later, I've decided to hold off second level roadbed progress. Compared to the first level it is a lot simpler, as the spline will be single track.

2. The two helixes are prefab kits to ensure reliability, as I don't trust myself to make a reliable helix with a steady grade and curvature. To save any headaches later on, I'm going with a kit with a ~19" rise between the two levels, which is ample.

With this change I've decided to move up the track laying and roadbed stage for the lower level, so I can lay track for the lower level and helix before starting the upper level. I may not lay the track, incase I need to make minor adjustments - but I'd like to make a start on the roadbed at least.

You may notice in a couple of photos that as I began to put the spline onto risers, I lowered the loop line around the peninsula. Rather than using double layers of cork, I've opted for this solution instead - luckily as well the wood involved in the other parts of the roadbed is a couple of millimetres lower than the spline, which should give a good indication of main and secondary lines.

Thats it for now, pics are below...



Left hand side, not sitting on risers




What I started with, before installing the risers and other parts of the roadbed




A view looking down the Theta branch towards the peninsula




Here the Theta Branch Leads into East Theta




A view showing the grade difference of the branch and mainline. Also note the slight change in height between main and loop lines.



Weekend Update - 05/09/11

So in the past weekend, and the week leading up to it, I have managed to complete the primary roadbed for the lower level. I am in the process of ordering a Helix and some extra wood to fill in the gaps where the rest of the track is - I am only using spline for the mainline run, as it will give me some flexibility with the placement of the sidings and smaller sections of track.

In other news

-Managed to install a TCS M1 decoder into a Bachmann SD45, and am beginning to fit micro-trains trucks to some walthers stack cars. Am still waiting on a shipment of FVM metal wheelsets to be used for Block Detection.

-Am currently researching the Helix Designs, I am still going for a prefab kit, and will be ordering it in the coming weeks.

-All going well, roadbed and track will be going down sometime in October, with some sort of trains running by xmas - even if it is train order working!

-Aaron.

Laying of the 1:1 track plan, and beginning to lay the key spline

Initial Clamping

More Clamping 

The completed Lower LHS Spline

Continuing forward around the peninsula

Beginning to clamp the second curve

The completed LHS Spline

\

Another view of the RHS Spline, and the loop line on the peninsula

Weekend Progress 28/08/11

Well its all finished, the baseboards, lighting and background have been completed.




Completed Left Hand Side






Completed Right Hand Side



 All in all it was a pretty straightforward process, Friday night the LED lights arrived at 6pm, by 10:30 I had this:




LED Lights installed

 By Saturday night, I had installed all of the remaining backscenes, and begun filling/sanding/painting the backscenes. Once I bought the paint home I realised that it was far too blue:

Looks more like the ocean, not the sky...

Fortunately I found a large tin of white paint in the shed, same brand and low sheen.. So after mixing a bit of both, it bought it to a much more natural colour:

Sanded and ready for a proper shade of blue

So on Sunday afternoon, 2 coats of blue paint now looks something like this:

When I first hooked up the LED's, I calculated I would probably need 4 transformers, at 5A each. While at Bunnings on Saturday I walked past a cheap multimeter and checked the four transformers - they where only pulling around 1.7A each, so I merged the two sides into a transformer each:

Thats it for now, next week I start the spline roadbed, which will be a bit of a challenge.. during the week I'll cut and tape the layout 1:1 plan together so I can mark the risers before I start the splines..

-Aaron.