Large Scale Central

Borracho Springs & Angry Beaver Garden Railway

Finally an update, I have been working on this…alot actually. I just have very limited access to upload pics to here, so here are the updated pics.

Track is down, wired and fully operational, although I do have to regrade the far corner to bring the grade down a little, not a biggie.

Control is optional, a single LGB pack directly wired to the track and a second unit with an Aristo Basic Train Engineer for walkaround control. block control is via simple knife switches, on or off, under the little shed looking thingies.

First pic is before finish wiring was in place. Second is after all the wiring was complete and buttoned up, last is the portable control unit, bot simply nest on top of a 4x4 post.

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I’ve also since finished paving inside the pit area, It’s coming together.

knife switches… that’s what i call keeping it simple.

Egads he even has a video for proof! Been a while since I’ve uploaded anything to video. This was taken before I finished the wiring and the paving.

Not the best picture but the walkway is also finished, looks way better than the plain dirt in the video.

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Korm Kormsen said:

knife switches… that’s what i call keeping it simple.

Yes. I was even lazier for an indoor yard when I was running powered rails. A long wire with an alligator clip. Clip it on to the stub end of non-common rail to power the siding.

Looks great Vic !

like the double headed Macs

Now that I am up and running again, I am beginning to test items on the layout, and the results are not promising for the big stuff. In particular with one of my Big Haulers, the ten wheeler apparently dislikes every LGB turnout I have, it constantly detail on the divergent curve. The lead wheel climbs the frog. I think the wheels might be out of gauge. Also Bachmann bobber caboose the fixed knuckle coupler tends to push over the car coupler in front of it enough to derail it.I will be testing more stuff mostly to make sure the couplers I’ve chosen will work properly. I have a feeling that the more I test, the more changes I will have to make.

Even my ‘Barry’s Big Trains’ rebuilt 4-6-0 has issues with switches - R2 switches at that. Had to go through and adjust several as a direct result.

The 4-6-0 also tended to bind on the R1 curves, which was one reason I went to R2. Thought seriously about R3, but the space was small and the cost high.

also noticed an issue with a couple of bobber cabooses not liking certain switches, which I attribute to coupler issues. It’s not consistent enough to cause concern, though the bobber cabooses seem to multiply when I’m not looking…

Vic,

My B’mann 4-6-0 had the same issue. Our track floats, which can be some of it. What is interesting to note, we had fewer issues after the lead axle broke and I replace it with a bit of hard plastic tubing. I think it was actually a joiner for rubber drip irrigation lining! Whatever it was, it seems to lend some credence to your idea of being “out of gauge.”

Eric

I glued a couple of washers to the top of the front truck to make it heavier. It helped.

Yeah I have also noticed a tendency to bind even in the corners which are R1. I was hoping it was just this one engine but reading around it looks like the Annie is really an R2 or wider loco. Its not the usual culprit, the lead truck, this is a later Plus drive Annie which has a lot of the improvements. I may just cut thru the whole problem and sell off the couple Annies I have. It’s not like I have a motive power shortage. I’m also considering selling off or cutting down the few full sized cars I have as I really don’t like the way they look on the layout. I have lots of short cars that look and work better, so I may shed the excess fat.

One the plus side my 2-4-2 Columbia which I got for dirt cheap because the previous owner had broken off the rear trailing wheel works fine over the R1 switches, I was worried about it stalling on the frogs with only three wheel pickup, I might try to add pickups to the tender on this. It’s the last version of this engine so hopefully no gear worries, in fact after the successful testing I broke out the Banta recab kit and installed it, it really does make a difference for the better. Somewhere in the garage I also have an Indy that will also get recabbed.

On the down side , I think I’ve reached my limit on the Album size as I had to delete a couple old pics to load a new one. Now I’m weighing my options so I will be able to continue adding pics.

You can buy more pic space with a Donation to the site …

John, yeah I think that will be my best option. I thought about an offsite storage but they can be alot more trouble than they’re worth.

Click on settings (top header) then subscriptions for details.

Just a quick snapshot showing how the blocks and siding power is organized. The little shed thingies hold a knife switch, but where does it go? Each block and siding that has a power switch also gets a number marker made to look like a milestone indicator, that number is then stenciled on top of the power stands, so when you want to isolate a section, its alot easier to associate which stand controls which section. It’s pretty simple but what the hey, if it works, right?

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Anyone got any suggestions. I got this kit off Ebay and after finishing the major assembly I’m conflicted what to do about the roof. Currently its just sitting on it, no adhesive , I’m pretty sure its meant to be removable for access inside but as such its extremely flimsy. I am very certain with the high winds we can get would send the roof flying. The simplest solution would be to glue it down, but I am considering attempting to add hinges and a latch mechanism, but thats not going to be a simple operation. any suggestions?

I’ve braced a lot of my roofs with PVC. Just use the end walls to get the correct angle and glue 3 or 4 of them on the inside.

Vic Smith said:

Anyone got any suggestions. I got this kit off Ebay and after finishing the major assembly I’m conflicted what to do about the roof. Currently its just sitting on it, no adhesive , I’m pretty sure its meant to be removable for access inside but as such its extremely flimsy. I am very certain with the high winds we can get would send the roof flying. The simplest solution would be to glue it down, but I am considering attempting to add hinges and a latch mechanism, but thats not going to be a simple operation. any suggestions?

To keep it removable AND make it less flimsy, just glue some 1/4" acrylic sheets underneath. I would not bother with a hinge and latch as I think the weight of the acrylic will be enough to keep it in place. I had removable roofs on a couple of my buildings and nothing ever blew away…

Vic congratulations! I’ve been watching and admiring your pizza builds for many years, and am so glad for you and your new bigger-than-pizza (lasagna?) layout!!

Really looking forward to seeing your usual cleverness infuse this layout too.