With just the track and plastic ties it can’t support a heavy Loco without resting on the plywood. My steam locomotives are way out of balance so at least one end will drag.
More progress…
The bottom sides of the ties are hollow so why not cut some furniture slides to fit inside them or if not worried about detail and just function then slap some thin furniture slides on the bottom of the ends?
Only a thought on the cheap?
That’s a good idea.I had considered some nylon, but the glides are easier and I have several different types in the tool/hardware box. I don’t want to increase the height a lot, but I could handle about an eighth of an inch.
All the track is up for grass mat install. I probably don’t have enough to cover it all.
Not quite sure I understand about the glides, or the arrangement. The track is riding on a strip of vinyl, which slides on the painted plywood, correct?
I thought the (white) material solves the problem of the ties being hollow, and reducing drag on the plywood. I guess I’m missing something.
I hope all goes well with the glides. If not, here’s another suggestion or two.
- To permit more turntable options, slightly elevate the incoming track via gradual shimming, or cutting its underlying plywood and ramping it up a bit.
- To eliminate the seam, make a full circle of smooth plastic for the “pit” and let it tip up with the hinged shelf.
- To reduce friction on the bridge, use a thicker plastic strip, bevelled on the underside edges, and adhered to the track ties.
- Or, if you really want to get crazy and low friction, ramp up the inbound track more, and mount a lazy-susan bearing & table, and the bridge to that, letting both tip up with the shelf.
- Variant of the above: Same, but inset the lazy susan into the plywood.
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“Lazy Susans” are the basis for our three turntables, and they work well.
Fweddy
Yes it does. I did some testing yesterday and operation is acceptable.
As you suspect, the seam is the issue. The edge of the styrene will catch on the raised side of the seam. When testing last night I found that if I put a support block under the right end of the seam, it all but eliminates the bump.
I won’t bother with the glides unless I find it is an issue.
In reality, I will rarely turn the engines. The table is the working track for the two sidings off the turntable lead. Those sidings hold 4 cars. One needs to be switched one car at a time.
On my extension I considered a turntable using a 14" Lazy-Susan but like Fred, I would rarely need to turn most engines and the ones that needed to be turned would be too large anyways so I dropped it. Maybe some day.
Today is grass mat day. I adhere it with double sided “banner” tape I purchased from the sign shop when I was building my expansion in CT. The red stuff is from Orcal which works OK. The white stuff is 3M 9741 which is superior. I only have a small sample roll, so I’m using using it on the front edge only…
It’s a little tricky getting a 30" x 50" piece down flat and square. Especially when the wall isn’t perfectly straight. With some patience and only attaching at the wall to start, I did OK…
I only have enough for one more piece that size, so another roll will be needed to finish.
And this is what it’s all about:
After the grounds crew ran out of materials for the preliminary landscaping, the track crew set out, aligned and attached (tamped?) all the track in the finished area. Some track in the unfinished area was laid out, but not attached.
After beans, the crew of #4 was called to move Rock Creek gondola # 1222 from Industry 2 to Industry 1. DR&GW gondola 1467 needs to be pulled from Industry 1 and taken to the interchange yard. This sounds pretty simple until you look at the puzzle. Gondola 1222 is buried behind two box cars on a track that can only be serviced one car at a time…
It will take six moves just to get 1222 out to track 3 where industry 1 is located and the blocking cars back where they came from. First 3630 is pulled and spotted in the clear,…
Boxcar 182 follows, then the pair is spotted on Track 2 clear of the crossover switch…
Finally, we can pull 1222…
After 1222 is in the clear on track 3, the box cars are returned one at a time…
Now we approach Industry 1 shoving 1222 in to the siding to retrieve 1467 and spotting it on track three while 1222 is spotted at Industry 1…
The last move before moving #4 to track two is spotting 1467 in the interchange.
This process took 17 minutes to complete. I still have capability for two more temporary industries with a capacity of 3-5 cars to add to the fun. There will be a coal trestle behind the turntable built on rainy days.
This little exercise was a proof of assembly for the track. It passed except that my switches must have switch stands. I have enough NIB Bachmann throws to do them all. Another rainy day project, but with a much higher priority.
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I’m thinking strippers and straight grain alcohol at Jon’s place next weekend. Then we can run some trains! I’ll bring my Viewliners as the Superliners can’t do the tunnels.
Jon, I have found that 4 roundish head steel thumb tacks under each corner of the TT bridge work very well for glides on flat surfaces.
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Fantastic write up. Glad to see its all working out.
I wondered what happened to that Golding fella. Statute of Limitations must have run out.
I dragged him back here. He has been standing in for Andy helping me with the design via email. There were too many pictures from this operational test to send via email, so I sent him a link!
Ric has been busy with larger scale live steam and battery power. We visited with him last September and had hoped to get down to FL to check out Ridge Live Steamers, but last winter wasn’t good for us to travel. We might meet up in July at an Ohio meet, or perhaps he will continue East another hundred miles and stop by here.
Good now that he’s here perhaps he could post some pics of the “Evil Twins” …ain’t seen them in years.
When I tore out the indoor track in CT most of the switch throws had been moved to the non-standard side, so they wouldn’t fit it the original box. I removed them and packed loose with the switch.
At one of the lase ECLST Shows I attended (2018 or 19), I purchased two master cartons of Bachmann ground throws from RLD Hobbies. When building here I decided to not re-use the Aristo throws, but upgrade to the Bachmann throws as originally planned 8 years ago!
Apparently there is a large variation between Aristo switches of the same part number. All are using the standard length rod changed to the short throw position. On some, they were a perfect fit in stock holes with nice positive throw in both directions. Others, like the one pictured below, need to be mounted at an angle and one new mount hole drilled to get even throw…
Most of the rest required some tweak off 90 degrees for even throw. The track three crossover switch throw required major modification to fit in the 2.3235" between the tie ends and the wall. Tie extensions were cut off the back, the rod shortened and re-bent and new mount holes drilled…
As of now, all 9 switches have been upgraded to the Bachmann throw and extensively tested. I also installed Ken Resistant end-of-track bumpers where needed…
Nothing to do now except switch out cars until more grass mat arrives in a week.
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Or maybe test out some photo ideas…
Motivation to finish the MIK build of McCown Freight Forwarding.
Or this…
The scene needs lots of work but gears are a turnin’.
Looks a lot better than a brick
I did forget! Next time we go to Walmart I’ll look around.
That spot will probably get Box Tunnel and if I penetrate the wall, it will be via that track through the tunnel portal! Until then, a mirror on the wall with the tunnel in front might look good.
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