David Russell said:No. But if I say yes would that discourage you from building it? I [b][u]REALLY[/u][/b] was kidding :D
Do the doors need to work?
Back to the original subject…
I made the mistake of offering to repair the front stone/cement walk Saturday morning before resuming work on the expansion. What I expected to take half a day or so ended up being most of the weekend. I did manage to get one of the new switches masked and painted. The new RH arrived today and it was painted up this evening and Split-Jaw clamps have been installed. Everything is ready to get the original track connected back up with the new switches in place.
Hopefully tomorrow. I NEED to run a train !!!
Finally some good weather. Part of Sunday was spent sleeping after working midnight to 6, but I did get a good start on laying out the track toward the crossing and cutting in the diamond. Here is the completed pad with all switches in place. The shingle pieces are making up for a problem with the pour. I’ll need to top the are under the last switch to flatten it out. [url=lsc.cvsry.com/NewSw-19-1200.jpg]
(http://lsc.cvsry.com/NewSw-19-720.jpg)
[/url][color=blue]Looking across Indian Hill Junction toward the new diamond - FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] Even though I’m crossing a curve, I’ve decided to use a stock 90 degree crossing rather than build a custom crossing. The curve is very flat and I’m quite sure I can adjust it enough to accommodate the short straight section. Here’s where I’ll cross the Wye leg… [url=lsc.cvsry.com/NewSw-20-1200.jpg]
(http://lsc.cvsry.com/NewSw-20-720.jpg)
[/url][color=blue]Locating the crossing on the East Leg of the Wye - FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] I finally found a use for Hillman clamps 
I needed a good way to accurately mark the location of the crossing so I could prepare to cut the track. Hillman clamps upside down are used to hold the crossing in pace over the existing track. [url=lsc.cvsry.com/NewSw-21-1200.jpg]
(http://lsc.cvsry.com/NewSw-21-720.jpg)
[/url][color=blue]Usung Hillman clamps to mark the location - FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] With the crossing and roadbed removed and the clamps marking the cut location, I’m now able to mark the track for cutting. [url=lsc.cvsry.com/NewSw-22-1200.jpg]
(http://lsc.cvsry.com/NewSw-22-720.jpg)
[/url][color=blue]Marked and ready to cut. FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] Before track is ripped up to allow the insertion of the crossing, a ballast train makes it’s way around the Wye to deliver ballast to the current end-of-track on the main-line. Once the switch pad corrections are finished, the main line will be tied in at Indian Hill Junction. [url=lsc.cvsry.com/NewSw-23-1200.jpg]
(http://lsc.cvsry.com/NewSw-23-720.jpg)
[/url][color=blue]Ballasting at end-of-track on the main-line - FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] [url=lsc.cvsry.com/NewSw-24-1200.jpg]
(http://lsc.cvsry.com/NewSw-24-720.jpg)
[/url][color=blue]Looking back across from Dave’s Big Indian -FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] Main line ballast complete, the work train retreats to the home side of the new crossing and assists in removing track and excavating for the crossing foundation. [url=lsc.cvsry.com/NewSw-25-1200.jpg]
(http://lsc.cvsry.com/NewSw-25-720.jpg)
[/url][color=blue]Crossing excavated and ready for forms - FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] We’re in for another wet week, so I’m not sure when I’ll get to setting the forms.
Gotta make hay while the sun shines. Looks like it coming along nicely, Jon.
Looking good.
Maybe the weather will give you a break during the week ahead.
Around here they are using a lot of words like “scattered” and “isolated” for this week.
Ralph
I always enjoy the pictures of your track work and expansion, through existing landscaping. Looks like a great place to run trains.
Looking good. Once your done maybe I will have to take a trip up that way since you are not really that far from me.
Shawn said:I'll never be done, so don't let that stop you :) I think you are about 2-3 hours from me last I looked. If you Google Squantz Pond State Park in Zip 06812 that will get you as close as I want to divulge in public.
Looking good. Once your done maybe I will have to take a trip up that way since you are not really that far from me.
Just be warned that I take special care only to photograph the good looking parts of the lot. There are places in my back yard that make the shacks in Deliverance look good
Not a lot of time invested, but significant progress this evening. The diamond was cut in and a test train was run over the new trackwork. I was pretty pleased how well the straight crossing cut into the shallow curve. In these pictures you hardly notice the straight section interrupting the curve… [url=lsc.cvsry.com/NewSw-26-1200.jpg]
(http://lsc.cvsry.com/NewSw-26-720.jpg)
[/url][color=blue]Crossing cut in - FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] [url=lsc.cvsry.com/NewSw-27-1200.jpg]
(http://lsc.cvsry.com/NewSw-27-720.jpg)
[/url][color=blue]Diamond Crossing on temporary support - FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] I laid the ladder roadbed section across one more time just to be certain of the alignment to the future spur. [url=lsc.cvsry.com/NewSw-28-1200.jpg]
(http://lsc.cvsry.com/NewSw-28-720.jpg)
[/url][color=blue]New spur crossing the diamond - FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] [url=lsc.cvsry.com/NewSw-29-1200.jpg]
(http://lsc.cvsry.com/NewSw-29-720.jpg)
[/url][color=blue]Checking the spur alignment - FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] And last but not least, a test train was run across the diamond several times at various speeds to check the trackwork. No derailments or bumps. I think this is going to work! I just love the sound of the wheels banging through the diamond. I might just keep the reflex hole and the sounding board [url=lsc.cvsry.com/NewSw-30-1200.jpg]
(http://lsc.cvsry.com/NewSw-30-720.jpg)
[/url][color=blue]First train across the new diamond - FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color]
That’s looking sharp! Nice roadblock. 
The crossing looks good, Jon.
A custom crossing would have been a lot more work, with very little return.
Ralph
Jon Radder said:That's one thing I miss with the flex track. Not a lot of clickety-clack with that stuff. The older part of the layout has much more of the sectional track and the sound is more obvious there.
I just love the sound of the wheels banging through the diamond. I might just keep the reflex hole and the sounding board :D :D :D
Ken Brunt said:You'd like my RR. With somewhere around 400 feet of 1 foot sectional track..........plenty of clickity -clack. The R1 curves have a sound of their own too. I usually leave the "crappy" sound off on my Big Haulers. The sound of the wheels and rails is more pleasing. RalphJon Radder said:That's one thing I miss with the flex track. Not a lot of clickety-clack with that stuff. The older part of the layout has much more of the sectional track and the sound is more obvious there.
I just love the sound of the wheels banging through the diamond. I might just keep the reflex hole and the sounding board :D :D :D
Ken Brunt said:At times, when I am feeling exceptionally ambitious and deranged at the same time, I've considered gluing something small to the track at regular intervals to create the noise. I suppose a small cut made in the rail top with a Dremel tool would do the same thing. Just need to do them at regular intervals and NOT across from each other to get the true 1:1 sound :DJon Radder said:That's one thing I miss with the flex track. Not a lot of clickety-clack with that stuff. The older part of the layout has much more of the sectional track and the sound is more obvious there.
I just love the sound of the wheels banging through the diamond. I might just keep the reflex hole and the sounding board :D :D :D
Just what I need, another month on my knees cutting in fake track joints :o
Ralph Berg said:I agree. It also helps a lot that I painted it up to match my track. I only wish Aristo made the center with rail rather than plastic. The interruption in the shiny rail top disturbs me. I thought of painting it silver but decided in a few months the wheels would wear it off. I'm thinking of trying that adhesive backed foil.
The crossing looks good, Jon. A custom crossing would have been a lot more work, with very little return. Ralph
Ken Brunt said:Dave Watts once told me of guys slicing notches in flex track to promote the sound of clickety clack.
That's one thing I miss with the flex track. Not a lot of clickety-clack with that stuff. The older part of the layout has much more of the sectional track and the sound is more obvious there.
Jon,
Really looking good. I like the flow of the track in that area.
Dave
Ric Golding said:Yea, I've thought of doing that, but it's just one of those things that gets put on the back burner and usually stays there..............;)Ken Brunt said:Dave Watts once told me of guys slicing notches in flex track to promote the sound of clickety clack.
That's one thing I miss with the flex track. Not a lot of clickety-clack with that stuff. The older part of the layout has much more of the sectional track and the sound is more obvious there.
Ken Brunt said:For good reason too!Ric Golding said:Yea, I've thought of doing that, but it's just one of those things that gets put on the back burner and usually stays there..............;)Ken Brunt said:Dave Watts once told me of guys slicing notches in flex track to promote the sound of clickety clack.
That's one thing I miss with the flex track. Not a lot of clickety-clack with that stuff. The older part of the layout has much more of the sectional track and the sound is more obvious there.
Theres only two or three ways that will ever happen on my RR. Once would be of one of you guys offered to do it some weekend for all the beer you could drink and all the hamburgers/hot dogs you could eat -OR- if someone came up with a self-propelled MOW rail grinder that I could just drive around the RR and cut the joints wherever I wanted them. THAT would be cool.
Now, I’m sure someone can come up with a way, to mount one of those 20 dollar mini electric chop saws that are sold at Harbour Freight, on a drop belly flat car, so that it could be used to grind slots into the track… It only takes just a little imagination… 