Large Scale Central

Quick Devoning Question

Track and Trestles
#1

Before anyone gets any ideas this is just a daydreaming question. But the conversation on my turnout rehab got me thinking about the 32 mm Fn2/O guage outdoor addition I want to make. I want this to be a very simple design. Its primary purpose would be for a 2 ft mining railroad. Just an out and back to serve a far off mine that brings ore to a concentrator that will be on my current layout.

However I also want it to serve a dual purpose as an O gauge Roundy Round. I purchased and was given some of Steve Featherkile’s O gauge 2 rail stuff. I would really like to convert it to RC/Battery and have a layout to just have it run around.

Now I have thought of a few simple track plans to serve this purpose, and I keep coming back to a dog bone design. Can be an out and back spur or it can be a continuous run. As an out and back the turnouts could be thrown to defer to sidings at either end to get to the mine and the concetrator respectively. Throw them the other way and defer to the loop and it could be a continuous run dog bone.

All of this will be built on bench work. My thinking is the least amount of track, smallest foot print for bench work, give me what I want for both scenarios, and take up the least amount of my wife’s garden space.

Does anyone see any glaring problems with my idea?

#2

I love roundy roundy.

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#3

just some thoughts to chew on:
for my daughters i made 25 years ago a simple oval in 2-rail 32gauge (faller E-Train track)
the plywood base was one or two inches broader than three foot.

if you make a dogbone with two loops, you’ll need the same type of electric setup, like on 45mm gauge - just with smaller components. plan for the cost of a magnifying glass…

if you don’t want to convert O-scale roling stock, might be a good idea to look on ebay and similar sites for “Faller E-Train” stuff.
(these things are somewhere between 1:24 and 1:22.5)

e-train01

#4

Korm,

Steve had both 3 rail and 2 rail O. Everything i got locomotive wise is all 2 rail. No need to convert anything except to make it RC instead of track power and with My Loco Remote I can do it in a very small space. This is the control system my friend Mike Williams uses and I already have one board ready to be installed. It is 12V so doesn’t necessarily need a huge battery set up. My thought is a trailing car with both battery and controller and a wire to the loco to work the motor and lights. So I am not at all worried about powering the track. As for a magnifying glass, well yeah there is that. I have done a small project in On30 for a friend of a highly detailed Mallet. Man the fiddly little parts were a bear. Between my fat fingers and poor eyesight I am glad I am into G scale. The worse it gets I am think of abandoning it and going to “Ride On” so I can see it. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

#5

As I thought about this more I see an issue with the turn outs. I know people have messed with spring switches and flop switches. But can you have a spring switch that in roundy round mode allows for continuous running but then have positive control to force it in one position. Let me clarify. Can I force it to stay on the sidings with one throw of a switch for my out and back, but then throw the turn out the other way and make it a spring switch that let’s it select the loop but then spring into place as it enters the main line and then rinse and repeat? Not sure i have ever heard anyone discuss have a single turnout be both spring and manually controlled.

If and when i do this the primary goal would be a continuous run for the O. The secondary function would be that of the Fn2. If I cant have both reasonably, I will back off and do an O guage ceiling layout. If I cant make both work then I will go back to the original plan for my G scale and just do a short Fn2 out and back spur. It was just a thought that since I am laying 32mm it would be fun to be able to run both. But it isn’t worth killing myself over.

#6

John, me too. While I like point to point operation and built my layout mainly with that in my mind my “Givens and Druthers” required at least some portion be roundy round. I dont recall off the top of my head what number I am, but I am a member of the RRR (Roundy Round Runners).

#7

I really should see if I have completed photos but while fun it makes me question how I ever super detailed in HO

#8

my fault.
i supposed, that you would adapt it to the rest of the layout scalewise.

#9

Yes the plan would be to make it Fn2 (ish). The O gauge would be just to run Steve’s trains.

#10

Devon, you are aware of SM32, the UK standard for 16mm:ft (1:19) models on 32mm track. [SM - Sixteen Millimeter.] It’s close in size to Fn2. Britain has many 2’ gauge railways [and very few 3’ gauge] so the scale/gauge is quite popular.

I have a bunch of PECO SM32 ‘narrow gauge’ track, with random-looking ties. I also have a box of Faller eTrain track and locos, as the Faller track is 30" diameter (!) and will fit with my plans for SM32 on my deck.
I also have several live steam locos from Roundhouse and Regner that are gauge adjustable - to make both the UK and US guys happy.

Many turnouts are sprung and will allow you to run through them without derailing when they are set for the ‘other’ path. Won’t that meet your needs? Your description was a bit convoluted - see if a regular turnout with sprung blades meets your needs!

#11

Yes absolutely. I did this in HO.

As for the SM32 its funny you mention it because no I wasn’t aware of it until yesterday. If I had already not bought a whole slew of second hand Llagas code 250 aluminum rail for this project I would consider it.

#12

Well, shipping on a bunch of PECO track is murder, and it is often bullhead rail which looks odd to us US folk. I haven’t checked if either the Faller or the PECO turnouts are sprung! I made some 2’ gauge [Fn2] track once for part of my multi-gauge railroad, so it’s easy to do if you like spiking. .

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