Freelance 2018-1
#1
I had a first meeting with the carpenter about the frame work of the new layout. The carpenter will take the lead over the electrician and painter and coordinate the schedules (they did a fantastic job coordinating all crafts for the apartment last year).

The new frame work will be mainly unchanged in the 4,20m * 2,75m (13,7' * 9) room.
The south side will be 4,20m * 0,60m (2') with scenery. The north side will be 4,20m * 0,27m (.9') with a four track staging yard without scenery. The west and east sides will be 0,15m (.5') connections without scenery with hatches for the balcony and room door. The top will be unchanged 0,81m (31.8") to permit train operation under the open window.

The north, west and east sides will reside on brackets mounted at the wall. The wider south side will be bolted to the wall and have 2 to 3 legs for safety reasons as today.

The south side will be a solid frame covered by four easy to exchange 12mm (.45") plywood boards (0,60m * 1,00m/1,20m).

I will use Atlas Code 83 tracks and switches. The staging yard will use six #4 switches and simple top mounted Atlas switch machines. The frogs will not be powered. Simple operation with four push buttons and a diode matrix to power the switch machines. The south side with scenery will be #6 switches and tortoise switch machines.

Next appointment is Monday with the electrician. I need a remote control for the window shutter and outlets for the layout lights mounted under the cabinets.

The forgotten box Thumbsup

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Reinhard
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#2
The new layout and the new prepared room are the best opportunity for a general cleanup. I have been at the local dump yard with 9 large bags of locomotives and 12 boxes of rail cars. It is unbelievable how much stuff has been collected over the years. Lots of BN, BNSF, ATSF and SP. Also two boxes of old wooden 34' and 40' boxcars.I dumped also some wellcars, center beam etc. far to long for my small layout. Even some old German stuff.

I am going to concentrate on the east cost with CSX, NS (CSAO), and some CF7 and FEC after the year 2000. The alternatives are Chicago with MILF MP15AC and some SOO engines and Conrail in the timeframe 1980 - 1990.
That is sufficient stuff for a monthly rework of the new layout if desired 357

I kept some Canadian GMD-1 and a collection of of UP GP15-1 and GP38-2 for a possible LA based theme.

And there is still a collection of German HOm steam and diesel engines narrow gauge from Weinert and Bemo stored in the basement.

Just got a call from a guy I met at the junk yard. He came over and saved bag 10 and 11 of the last locomotives I intended to dump. I am clean now Thumbsup

All kept locomotives sorted and stored in flat boxes. About 8 - 12 engines per box.
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Reinhard
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#3
Reinhard, I use 72' center beams and 62' bulkheads on my 12' ISL. These go to the transload track. A 64' reefer shows up once or twice a month. This too goes to the transload track.

If all three shows up at once (and they have) the crew is force to make several moves in order to spot these cars on the transload. They pull any empties on the transload and take them to the interchange before picking up the long cars as the crew calls 'em..
Larry
Engineman

Summerset Ry

Make Safety your first thought, Not your last!  Safety First!
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#4
Brakie Wrote:Reinhard, I use 72' center beams and 62' bulkheads on my 12' ISL. These go to the transload track. A 64' reefer shows up once or twice a month. This too goes to the transload track.

If all three shows up at once (and they have) the crew is force to make several moves in order to spot these cars on the transload. They pull any empties on the transload and take them to the interchange before picking up the long cars as the crew calls 'em..

It is not the space that concern me. It is the optical impression on the tight curves of the main line on both sides of the scenic part. It looks so awful to me that I decided to avoid it. The 64' reefers are quite long but acceptable to me and I kept some on storage.
Reinhard
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#5
Reinhard,I see what you mean. The transload was designed with long cars in mind so I used a gentle curve off the switch but,I didn't plan for the needed head room though.. Wallbang

I forgot to mention I also use 65' mill gons..These gons shows up once a month with wooden electric poles.
Larry
Engineman

Summerset Ry

Make Safety your first thought, Not your last!  Safety First!
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#6
I had meetings with all three subcontractors. Next topic is to find a project schedule that fits all four parties. Have been at the scrap yard for another load of old stuff.

I kept engines and rail cars for the following layout themes:

1. East coast 2000+, CSX, NS, CSAO
2. East coast 1980+ CR
3. Chicago 1980+ MILW MP15AC (SOO GP7)
4. KC MO 1996+ BNSF SW1500 (BN with BNSF patches)
5. Florida 2000+ FCEN CF7 and FEC GP40.
6. LA Basin 2000+ UP GP15-1, GP38-2

and bunch of CSX, UP and BNSF Gensets..... :-)

Everything else has been scrapped. I did not like it but it was required to get a clean new start.

I had many buildings in the basement too. It was an upcoming requirement to scrap them too. The buildings made from a handful of Cornerstone and Atlas (Middlesex factory) appeared more or less kit bashed again and again on my various sceneries. It is time to concentrate on scratch built buildings to get really a new layout.

I kept for sentimental reasons the old NY Boxcab units with some horse drawn wagons, two UP SD60 bought at Caboose in Denver and a SD70/ES44 BNSF pair I received as a gift from my wife. The later ones will be used as a "track measurement train" on the new layout. While not a perfect fit that large units should they operate flawless on all curves and transitions on and off the hatches.

A first drawing of the room and the layout. The overall concept is from todays layout unchanged.

North : Four track staging yard. Currently ROCO line tracks to be replaced with Atlas Code 83 tracks. #4 switches planned. Looks awful but should work reliable.
East: Connection with a hatch (hinge at the south end) at the door
West Connection with a hatch (hinge at the south end) bridging the balcony door. Currently is the balcony blocked by a not easy to handle lift out section.
South: Scenery part. Passing thru mainline with runaround (yes, want that :o ) and stub tracks to various industries in the background.


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The center beam discussion made me aware of the upcoming chance of advanced planning. I intend to use 24" radius for the mainline and have at least one stub track with a wide curve via a #6 switch connected to the main line. That track might be used for center beam cars by design.
Reinhard
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#7
I received some Atlas 24"/61cm radius sectional track for testing. Looks like I can use 24" as the minimum radius on the mainline and in the staging yard. That will eliminate a lot of todays problems.

The Digitrax DS64 Stationary Decoder works fine too. I tried it last night with two Atlas switch machines and my German IntelliBox II. I needed that test because the old ROCO switches have an integrated switch machine and stationary decoder and will be replaced by Atlas switch, Atlas switch machine and DS64 decoder.

The simple switch machines have no electric switch for the frogs. I will start with dead frogs but attach a wire to be prepared in case some engines will unexpected stall. I am unsure if I start with #4 or #6 switches. I have no engine stalling on #4. It looks awful but that does not matter in the staging yard. But the #6 has a much longer dead frog and that imposes some risk too. I have to decide to risk derail on #4 or stall on #6. I will do some intensive testing when the plywood desert is installed.
Reinhard
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#8
Playing with the switches on top of the existing layout to make my mind of a track plan. This time only #6 switches.

A run through mainline with seven diverging tracks to the south and one parallel track at the north. The very foreground will be running through road. At both end is a 90° curve leading over hatched to the staging yard on the other side of the room.

Three industry tracks on the east side
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Four industry tracks on the west side
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Reinhard
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#9
Reinhard - Glad to see the boxcabs decided to stay - they have sentimental reasons for me too!
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#10
A more detailed track plan. The overall dimensions are 420 * 60 cm. The transition points from the curves are left 70 cm and right 65 cm from the ends and 47cm from the rear located. A parallel running industry lead (40 cm from the rear) connected via #6 switches permits five #6 switch slots. Seven industry tracks (5 slots plus one at each end of the lead) can be connected as a maximum. The main track provided up to 250 cm net if used for switching. That fits the length of the staging yards tracks.
I changed the connection of the industry tracks to a lead track and keep the main line free of direct industries. I think that is more prototypical for modern layout.

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Reinhard
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#11
Reinhard:
how solid are the new switchmachines? I feed my frogs through a microswitch that's pushed by the throwbar on the turnout. The mechanism needs to be strong enough to hold the switch over.
(this was shown in my get off your duff or other contest, possibly 6 or more years ago.)
David
Moderato ma non troppo
Perth & Exeter Railway Company
Esquesing & Chinguacousy Radial Railway
In model railroading, there are between six and two hundred ways of performing a given task.
Most modellers can get two of them to work.
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#12
David, the little Atlas switch machine is a very simple device. A tiny tail operates the switch. I will give it a try but in case of trouble will Tortoise switch machines installed. It os just hard to reach the underside in one specific area. But your solution sounds good to me. I may give it a try when required.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://cdn3.volusion.com/ztna9.tft5b/v/vspfiles/photos/ATL-585-2.jpg?1456472651">https://cdn3.volusion.com/ztna9.tft5b/v ... 1456472651</a><!-- m -->

Some minutes later:
Gave it a try and it fails. The tiny switch machine can not operate a micro switch. It is a very weak machine... I hope it will not fail with thin wires soldered at the blades to have a constant contact.
Reinhard
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#13
Reinhard
I was afraid that it might be one like that.
Atlas used to make (might still) a Snaprelay that could be wired in parallel to the switch machine and would make all the electrical changes.
David
Moderato ma non troppo
Perth & Exeter Railway Company
Esquesing & Chinguacousy Radial Railway
In model railroading, there are between six and two hundred ways of performing a given task.
Most modellers can get two of them to work.
Reply
#14
I see this one too <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.hartmannrr.ch/new_hartmannrr/images/AT00052.JPG">http://www.hartmannrr.ch/new_hartmannrr ... T00052.JPG</a><!-- m --> but it is listed for coden 100 tracks and it is not in stock in Germany.
Reinhard
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#15
A complete staging yard free of tracks and benchwork. Let's concentrate on the essentials 357
The tiny switch machines can deal with the soldered in blade jumpers. The quality of the switches is scary. None of the frogs is level with the rails and the blades are not really "pressed" into the end position. I am skeptical how reliable they staging yard will be.

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Reinhard
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