With this line, if you wanted to raise some of the back yard … getting fill back there would be easier with some gondolas instead of wheel barrows that the rest of us would use… (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)
Sean McGillicuddy said:
With this line, if you wanted to raise some of the back yard … getting fill back there would be easier with some gondolas instead of wheel barrows that the rest of us would use… (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)
Sean,
Raising the yard is not the issue. The minimum radius for these BIG ride-on trains is the problem. I’m trying to hold a minimum radius on the mainline to 25-32 feet. Anything smaller just doesn’t do these trains any “justice”. I just did a quick and dirty drawing showing the addition of about 275 linear feet which DOES make a complete loop around the property. The whole layout would have about 425-450 feet of track including a couple of sidings. But if you look at the 25 ft. radius making the curve around the pool deck it is just too cramped. And amount 90% of this addition would have to be elevated. Elevated track in 1 inch scale is very common. But doing it in 1/8th or larger, then the structures for support become over-whelming in cost and design. Would be nice though :).
Here’s the drawing with the additional track.
EDIT: Additional photos of yard to go with the drawing above. This photo is at the gate to the yard, looking west to the San Fenando Valley floor 600 feet below us and the Malibu Hills shrouded in clouds in the distance. Thois shows the palm and walkway stepping down to the pool deck. About a 3 foot drop in elevation. The trestle would have to be all along the planter to the right and make the turn over the lower patio and then all along the fence in the foreground. The trestle in the lower patio would be about 48 inches above the brick. Major trestle work!
Second photo looking east back toward the gate and the driveway. Again showing the 3 foot drop to the pool deck and then the next drop into the lower patio of another 2 feet. Nothing is one level in this yard! Not made for railroading :). At least not in THIS scale.
Looking north across the pool and deck. That wall behind the pool is over 9 feet high. My neighbors pool is in that location. we live on a steep slope in our area. And again, this would involve a trestle about 18-20 inches taller than the small wall at the end of the pool. Make a 25 ft. radius curve over the pool deck and have the track elevated here by about 36-38 inches above the deck and the back fence planter.
Would be nice though :).
Have the family help … then they would have there own amusement park ride… (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
Sean McGillicuddy said:
Would be nice though :).
Have the family help … then they would have there own amusement park ride… (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
When our two girls were very young (they are 41 and 38 now-son wasn’t even born yet), we had the Little Tikes train and we bought lots of extra track. It went in a complete loop around the pool deck (shown in the drawings). About a hundred to hundred twenty feet. They called it the Disneyland ride. Great memories then AND hopefully great new memories now with this short line.
So they should help (complete the loop) so there kids have a same/ better memory… (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-innocent.gif)
Have a Build a grandpa trestle party …(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
Another big day today on the “little” short line…because the grandkids are coming up to run trains on Easter Sunday, I put some track together along with the new #5 turnout. Then unloaded both electrics onto the short track.
They both worked flawlessly. So we are ready for some “train time” this weekend :).
The final location of these two tracks will be farther up the driveway and the track on the right will eventually go down the walkway.
I guess you don’t park your cars in the driveway anymore…(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
Ken
A guy has got to have PRIORITIES! (https://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
You’re right, Joe. Sorry, lost my head…(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
That’s why this is “portable” :). But also the CFO of our household is very “understanding” :).
Gary Armitstead said:
That’s why this is “portable” :). But also the CFO of our household is very “understanding” :).
Bless them all! (https://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
Well Easter Sunday is also Train Day at the Armitstead home. Had to get busy today and start assembling the layout so it can be finished by Saturday night. The grandkids will be here bright and early on Sunday morning.
First thing to do was to move the 225 pound steel gondola onto the track so it can be used to carry rail and "track tools"to “End Of Track”. I moved the turnout from it’s previous position (photos posted here last Monday, April 15th). Apparently my drawing was accurate enough and I missed the location of the placement of the turnout. Early this afternoon I discovered I had to move all the just layed track and turnout about 5 feet so the 60 radius curve “fits” the front yard walkway (my ROW 
). The problem with that was that the 225 pound gondola was left “stranded”. I had to “engineer” some short track and a 4 foot long rerailer to get the gondola back on the mainline’s new position. That was an hour of wasted time. This 75 yr. old was starting to feel it too :). My CFO helped by using the mechanical rerailer to lift one end of the gondola and slip the aluminum pan rerailer under the car and one set of trucks. Then the car was easily rolled onto the turnout and now ready to finish laying track tomorrow. In this scale, there is no such thing as a five digit crane to lift these cars and just set them down where you want. It’s as close to 1:1 as you can get. And they call this “fun” )
The steel gondola was uncoupled from the reefer on the top level of the double storage rack and rolled onto the eight foot single track rolling rack. This is just a bridge that gets the car midway between the storage rack and the 10 foot lifting rack.
The lifting rack with the gondola was rolled to the end of track and lowered down to track level and easily rolled onto the track panel.
Gondola loaded with two 10 foot track panels and track tools. I just pushed the car to the end of the track. Tomorrow I will use one of the engines and make it easy on myself :).
These are all the photos from today. Too busy to take pictures. Got a “deadline” to meet.
I will stop by on Sunday on my drive from Fresno to Phoenix!
Pete Lassen said:
I will stop by on Sunday on my drive from Fresno to Phoenix!
Bring your work gloves…(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
Pete Lassen said:
I will stop by on Sunday on my drive from Fresno to Phoenix!
Pete,
IF your serious, it will be too late for the “work gloves”. But you are welcome to drop by. Email me for my address in Burbank. grmstd at gmail dot com
I’m thinking your going to build a flat car next… Looks great!
Sean McGillicuddy said:
I’m thinking your going to build a flat car next… Looks great!
:)…you mean like this???
These three photos are of the same car. Top is with the seats in place and the gondola sides installed. Second is the gondola only as a non-riding car (just for looks in the consist. And the third is shown without the removable wood sides with just the stake pockets. I have some more photos of this car taken about a year ago with the oak stakes in place in the pockets. When the car is run as a “flat only”, then I install the brake wheel and stem as part of the model. Usually the brake wheel and stem stays with the wood sides.
For size comparison, the “little” flat car riding on the 1-1/2 inch scale flat is a Bachmann 1/24th scale flat.
I used to post blanks to allow the poster I was following along but that upsets the Gods. So I write this to let you know I’m following along.
(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
" Rooster " said:
I used to post blanks to allow the poster I was following along but that upsets the Gods. So I write this to let you know I’m following along.
(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
I used to smite roosters that posted blanks - GOD#42…apparently that is no longer needed (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-foot-in-mouth.gif)
Gary,
Judging from one of those photos, I think you need a garage sale! Just kidding.