Tinkering with 2 small layouts

[RobertInOntario]

I have two small layouts on the go right now and was able to get ahead with some scenery the past two days. I did some additional ballasting on my larger layout, a 4x6 HO one. I also have a 3x4 layout that is actually HO! and I had my two young sons helping me. We did some ground scatter and painted on a road (onto a section where we had put some wall filler). I've posted pics and descriptions of these on another forum and may do so here. One day I might join these two layouts together.

My sons are ages 5 & 8 so it can be a little busy and hectic when they help! but it's great fun!

Rob

[sdkid]

Sounds somewhat like myself. I'm putting up a 4x8 HO with my sons, ages 6&8. Get somne pics of both up. Love to see what everyone else is doing.

[RobertInOntario]

Sounds somewhat like myself. I'm putting up a 4x8 HO with my sons, ages 6&8. Get somne pics of both up. Love to see what everyone else is doing.

Sure, I'll try to post some in due course. My smaller one is set aside for now as I'm trying to fix/improve the larger one. If I can't successfully solve the derailment problems with the larger 4x6' one, I might scrap it and enlarge the smaller one (which works very well). I might do this in the summer when I might have a little more time. Good luck with your 4x8 project -- I'd be interested in seeing pics too! Rob

[LynnB]

pics pics pics

[tetters]

:needpics:

[RobertInOntario]

:needpics:

OK, OK, I'll try to post some tonight then!

The bigger (4x6) layout is looking pretty good but I've been up late recently solving derailment problems. I haven't been using the smaller one recently, but when I do, it works perfectly -- I hardly ever get a derailment. If I keep having problems with the bigger one, I might scrap it by the summer and consider expanding or adding onto the smaller one.

In any case, they're nothing amazing but I am trying to make them resemble the SW of England (I'm trying to base both of them on the Somerset & Dorset Line).

Thanks,
Rob

[RobertInOntario]

Here are a few pics of the larger layout. I'm open to feedback (including frank and honest criticism!).

Thanks, Rob
           

[RobertInOntario]

Here's another one -- this one is of the town scene. Rob

   

[Russ Bellinis]

Rob, in the second pic (IMG_0093 GIF) it appears to have a kink in the track leading off the straight section of that turnout on the left. A member of our modular club did a clinic titled "Trackwork For Dummys" at our club meeting last Wed. He pointed out that if track looks bad it will be bad. Basically, if you can see a kink, you will have derailment problems. One trick he showed us that I had never thought of before is to get a section of the metal shelving brackets that mount metal shelving brackets to walls. It is readily available from home improvement stores and is cheap. It just fits between the rails of ho scale track. You could take a four foot long section, and cut a few pieces different lengths from 2 or 3 inches to 2 or 3 feet. You use the shorter pieces on short straight sections of track and longer pieces on longer straight sections to get your track to be straight without kinks. I know some guys have mentioned that they like to have track less than perfect to model branch lines that have not received proper track maintenance, but remember that in ho scale 1/8 inch = a little less than 1 foot. The worst branch line track in prototype probably bends a couple of inches over a 2 or 3 feet length or more. I other words, the worst track you could put down to replicate bad prototypical track would probably vary from straight by 1/32"-1/64" over a distance of 3/8" - 1/2". The critical point of track is the inside of the flange and the tops of the rail where 2 pieces of track meet. The flange of an rp25 wheel in ho scale will only reach @ 1/2 way down into the inside of the top of the rail. If you run your fingers over the inside and tops of all rail joints, you should not feel any bumps. If you feel a bump, either from a variation of rail height, or misalignment of the rails, or any sort of angle or tangent from one rail to the other, your trains will probably derail regularly at that point. He suggested that the best test was to push your longest car through the track work with a second car coupled to it for a "handle" to see if it operates smoothly. If you have track problems, he suggested, tear it out and start over in that area. If it is bad to start with, it won't get better, only worse.

[RobertInOntario]

Rob, in the second pic (IMG_0093 GIF) it appears to have a kink in the track leading off the straight section of that turnout on the left. A member of our modular club did a clinic titled "Trackwork For Dummys" at our club meeting last Wed. He pointed out that if track looks bad it will be bad. Basically, if you can see a kink, you will have derailment problems. One trick he showed us that I had never thought of before is to get a section of the metal shelving brackets that mount metal shelving brackets to walls. ... If you feel a bump, either from a variation of rail height, or misalignment of the rails, or any sort of angle or tangent from one rail to the other, your trains will probably derail regularly at that point. He suggested that the best test was to push your longest car through the track work with a second car coupled to it for a "handle" to see if it operates smoothly. If you have track problems, he suggested, tear it out and start over in that area. If it is bad to start with, it won't get better, only worse.

Thanks, Russ. Yes, I also noticed that kink in the pic but did not see it on the actual layout -- it took the photo to show it up.

Ironically, I get very few problems in that area although one of my pacifics hesitates/pauses, right there where the kink is. I will definitely try to fix that, following your suggestions.

I also think that it's a good point to totally start over (i.e. re-lay the track) in any problematic sections. If you don't, the problem won't go away, it will just keep recurring.

Thanks again,
Rob

[LynnB]

Looks good, errr ahh did you know you have a kinky track . Camera brings out the best doesn't it?

[RobertInOntario]

Well, after spending the last few nights trying to fix a derailment problem on the inner loop of my 4x6 layout, I finally fixed this problem on Friday. At least I think I have! I followed Russ's suggestion above and totally re-laid that section of track.

The main problem is that this inner loop has curves that range from 16 to 18"R. I've accomplished this via a mixture of Atlas set-track and flex-track. Part of the problem was that derailments would occur where the flex-track joined the set-track. BTW, I've actually found Atlas flex-track to be much easier to work with than Peco (you'd think it would be the other way around because the Peco flex-track appears to be of much better quality and more precise when shaping it into a curve).

At any rate, I've tested this revised loop now with a few different locos and so far it's working fine!

Now I need to tackle some of the (above-mentioned) minor kinks and refresh the scenery and ballast.

Rob

[LynnB]

I know the feeling of bad track and how eventually we just have to dive in and tackle the problem.

[RobertInOntario]

Thanks for your feedback. Still wrestling with 1-2 other derailment areas tonight but making progress (I think!). This is a form of madness -- I can't relax until all the problems are solved! Rob

[Russ Bellinis]

Thanks for your feedback. Still wrestling with 1-2 other derailment areas tonight but making progress (I think!). This is a form of madness -- I can't relax until all the problems are solved! Rob

That is understandable. It is no fun to constantly rerail trains, and you have a significant amount of time and perhaps money invested in the layout that is wasted if it doesn't operate correctly.