Large Scale Central

Build log for Red Baron Railroad

General Discussion
#221

" Rooster " said:

John Passaro said:

you’d go crazy trying to wire all of this

Why?

My first phase already had issues with shorts due to the turn outs connecting the dog bone as it does. Adding another level would likely increase this complication. Thankfully I am not wiring any of it as I took advice and went battery powered a while ago. At some point soon, before the second phase I am going to try running my holiday train on it. I’ll have to put insulators between those turn outs at the top though to prevent it from shorting. I have no idea if its going to work, due to the size of the track. If its going to work though now is the time to try before the track is too dirty.

#222

Nicolas Teeuwen said:

" Rooster " said:

John Passaro said:

you’d go crazy trying to wire all of this

Why?

My first phase already had issues with shorts due to the turn outs connecting the dog bone as it does. Adding another level would likely increase this complication. Thankfully I am not wiring any of it as I took advice and went battery powered a while ago. At some point soon, before the second phase I am going to try running my holiday train on it. I’ll have to put insulators between those turn outs at the top though to prevent it from shorting. I have no idea if its going to work, due to the size of the track. If its going to work though now is the time to try before the track is too dirty.

Shorts…Shorted out locomotives…

PERFECT CONNECTIONS…OR ELSE YOU PAY!!..What? Frog snot???

Insulated frogs…reverse loop wiring…insulated reverse loop wiring…

One-way electrically wired switches…two-way switches…

Dirty track…inconsistent voltage/amps/whatever passing through the track…trains speeding up and slowing down…

DCC zones…DCC…oh yeah, DCC systems…different manufacturers…

Screwdrivers across the tracks and everything else that can go wrong accidentally…

Complicated wiring schemes and plans and all that wiring all over the place…

Almost impossible to run more than one train on a track…

Soldering…OH MY GOD…soldering…

That’s what I call going crazy! But that’s just me. I know a lot of guys swear by track power and that’s okay too.

#223

Yeah. Track power has its perks. Longer run times, no mod’s to loco’s.

But all that stuff you listed, and then some is why I went battery route. It just seemed so much simpler. I only have 2 locomotives and I might some day get one or 2 more.

#224

Nicolas Teeuwen said:

I only have 2 locomotives and I might some day get one or 2 more.

Yeah, that’s exactly what I said when I started too. Now I have 15 or 16 locos (I lost count) and that’s almost half as many locos as I have rolling stock! It creeps up on you! (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#225

Creeps? Yea, I guess. For me it was more of an explosion. If it wasn’t for Family Toy and Hobby, I wouldn’t have gotten several of the locomotives that I did. But Dave and Bill just kept having them darn sales.

#226

One of the goals of my outdoor layout is instant running trains. The shed that is being built is 16 feet long and 30 inches wide inside. It will house 4 parallel tracks with a yard out the back end and the main line access out the front. If someone comes over, I should be able to drive something straight out the shed to run for them. Once the shed is full, I will likely stop adding. I am also only interested in Canadian engines. I think all that will help curb the size of my collection. Time will tell.

#227

Has anyone given you this link?

http://www.artknapptrains.com/

Canadian Trains no problem…

John (with 3.5 engines…)

#228

April 26th, 2017 - Resume raising up the rail bed. The night before I used a laser level and painter’s tape to mark off level on each post. Works much more accurately then using a bubble level. Over distance, inaccuracies with bubble levels will cause the height to drift.

#229

John Caughey said:

Has anyone given you this link?

http://www.artknapptrains.com/

Canadian Trains no problem…

John (with 3.5 engines…)

Ah…no. I have mostly been ordering USA Trains and will want to keep within that scale. I will have to browse their site and see what they have that I can some day add to my collection.

#230

Hey Nicolas,

Want Cannuck stuff? - try here: http://www.wgrr.ca/

Mike

#231

Same scales, custom paint jobs…

I dunno, sometimes I worry about your priorities(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-money-mouth.gif)

To borrow from Fat Freddie;

Trains will get you through times of no money, better than money will get you through times of no trains!!! (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

John

#232

Nicolas Teeuwen said:

… Once the shed is full, I will likely stop adding.

Wanna bet?

I am also only interested in Canadian engines. I think all that will help curb the size of my collection. Time will tell.

I started out loosely modeling the P&CSRR. It was a narrow gauge steam railroad that only had 9 locomotives during its entire existence. My stated intent was to just model that railroad in 1:24th scale.

Including streetcars, and a railtruck, I have somewhere around 40 powered units, and I have well over 70 1:29th scale railroad cars.

I know others have been afflicted with this…situation. That’s why I am a bit cynical.

#233

Mike Lafferty said:

Hey Nicolas,

Want Cannuck stuff? - try here: http://www.wgrr.ca/

Mike

Bought a USA Trains Bacardi Rum woodside reefer (only 100 made) from them recently. Owner John’s a nice guy and ships promptly.

#234

Am I wrong or isn’t this JUNE 13th? Nicolas is showing us April 26th?

#235

Joe Zullo said:

Am I wrong or isn’t this JUNE 13th? Nicolas is showing us April 26th?

You are correct. I am still quite behind on the time lapses. Currently working on April 27th. The railroad is finished on May 3rd, with the first real run on the tracks on May 5th.

Since then I have built a pedestrian overpass and the foundation for the shed. I have also had many non-train related tasks that I was catching up on.

#236

Why don’t you skip us ahead to the present day? (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-undecided.gif)

#237

Hey Nicolas, the layout looks great so far. I like watching the video’s and seeing how fast you move. Sure wish I had that kind of energy. BTW how is your roadbed held up on the PVC posts?

#238

Chuck Inlow said:

Hey Nicolas, the layout looks great so far. I like watching the video’s and seeing how fast you move. Sure wish I had that kind of energy. BTW how is your roadbed held up on the PVC posts?

PVC posts go 2 feet into the ground. The frost line here is 18 inches. The boards are from Splitjaw. They have the holes already cut for the posts. You raise the boards up to desired height and put a deck screw in one side. Then once one side is done, you put a screw in the other side to level it.

For the most part it holds up pretty well, though in a few places I added cross supports between the tracks. A few other places I may eventually add some 4 degree supports to add some rigidity.

#239

Joe Zullo said:

Why don’t you skip us ahead to the present day? (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-undecided.gif)

Would Stephen King drop a chapter just because you can read faster than he can write?(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)

#240

John Caughey said:

Joe Zullo said:

Why don’t you skip us ahead to the present day? (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-undecided.gif)

Would Stephen King drop a chapter just because you can read faster than he can write?(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)

Is this a science fiction thriller or a model railroad?(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-undecided.gif) Remind me because I forgot.