We are constantly amazed that after many years the flat panels without track on them for the inside rail yard of the club’s modules need to be “popped” apart after being stored in the trailer for sometimes as much as six months without moving. All of the surfaces are flat finished.
Ric,
The modules look great!
As for sticking perhaps instead of clamping the flat surfaces directly together you could apply a couple of small 1/4" strips to the ends so that when clamped together only a small surface actually touches. One strip at the top of the faceplate directly beneath the track to provide continuity for the top and another at the bottom of the faceplate. These could be screwed on and left unpainted. Perhaps plexi strips.
Richard Smith said:
Ric,The modules look great!
As for sticking perhaps instead of clamping the flat surfaces directly together you could apply a couple of small 1/4" strips to the ends so that when clamped together only a small surface actually touches. One strip at the top of the faceplate directly beneath the track to provide continuity for the top and another at the bottom of the faceplate. These could be screwed on and left unpainted. Perhaps plexi strips.
Or, maybe don’t paint them.
Just got around to reading this thread. Good to see someone else who’s interested in puzzles!
I understand your problems with switches. The LGB 1200s are excellent, but a small loco like the USA 20-tonner can be problematic if it hits the switch too slowly.
If there’s an easy way around the portability issue, I don’t know what it is. It’s a problem we face at work, where thousands of dollars worth of equipment is supposed to work first time, every time, on and off site. Needless to say, it doesn’t. I’ll follow your progress in that area with keen interest.
Dave,
All the turnouts are 1600’s and have always been that on the “Timesaver”. The old LGB 1200’s were on the former GGRC Switchyard and had just got too small for the esize of equipment running on the layout now, compared to 1995, when it was built. I never learned to never trust LGB’s, or anyone else’s, electrical contacts and put flexible wire pigtails between all parts of the turnouts.
Ric Golding said:Ric,
Steve, Please reread my question. I haven't used the Krylon, I was thinking of using Krylon to try to resolve the problem.
My comment was about whether the Krylon would be appropriate to put over latex without a primer, first.
I agree with others that the problem is the constant humididity. 
I lived in South Carolina for four years, and there just is no way around that.
“I agree with others that the problem is the constant humididity. I lived in South Carolina for four years, and there just is no way around that.”
If you could come up with a solution for this humidity thing, you could make a fortune in this part of the World. 
Have you thought about putting sand in the paint? That seemed to work fairly well at breaking the surface tension.
Things are all packed up and ready for the Midweat Large Scale Train Show at Springfield, Illinois, next weekend. We’ll see how it goes. I’m sure there will be changes.
By this time tomorrow, we should have trains running. Van is loaded, man what a difference from the old “Timesaver”. Managable to load and takes up a lot less space. Now I know why I went to all the trouble. See you all there.
The Midwest Large Scale Train Show in Springfield, Illinois has come and gone. My goal for the switchyard was successful, I guess. I’ve got some things to update, but that is the fun of this hobby. Here are some pictures of the new and improved “Timesaver” switchyard at J. Allen, as it is connected to the Gateway Garden Railroad Club Modular Layout. One of the 3 ways this trackage can be used and the major reason for all the work. This is how the switchyard looks from it’s connection to the left side of the end of the club’s layout.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/rgolding/081005%20001.jpg)
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/rgolding/081005%20002.jpg)
This is the switchyard from the right side of the end of the club’s modular layout.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/rgolding/081005%20004.jpg)
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/rgolding/081005%20005.jpg)
The overall size of the GGRC modular layout is 26’ x 53’. Here is another overall view of the “Timesaver” switchyard.
Of course, this is not the end. There are many small items to “blend” the modules together. A road off of Andy C’s quarry module is now becoming a “Team Track Loading Dock”. The mainlines will have to be blocked, while this team track is used. Operationally, a challenge. The green of the wall was painted a concrete color after the picture was taken, but I guess I didn’t get another picture.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/rgolding/081005%20007.jpg)
There was a road coming on to the switchyard layout, but it went nowhere.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/rgolding/081005%20014.jpg)
And you can see the dirt road created afterwards.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/rgolding/081005%20016.jpg)
Here is another picture from the layout mainline as trains approach from the right.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/rgolding/081005%20018.jpg)
A couple of holes were drilled to allow “blue flags” to be inserted to hold the caboose on the incline entering the switchyard.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/rgolding/081005%20020.jpg)
And then there were the incidents that caused another “blue flag” hole to be established. This had to be established because I backed the track powered Heisler to close to the mainline and the mainline powered pack took over and off it went down the outside main. And then there was the incident of my grandson Luke trying his 4 year old hand at the throttle, but getting fascinated by the crack “Panama Limited” going by. Luke forgot he was controlling the throttle and ran the Heisler into the side of another club member’s train. I’m sure there will be an investigation and probably negative press in the club newspaper.
Great job Ric. The new Timesaver integrates very nicely into the modules, Thanks for the pictures.
Good work, Ric.
Thank you for the nice comments. It is still a work in progress, but the “todo” list is much smaller.
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Velcro added to edges to hold curtains.
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Repair a broken solder joint on track #2.
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Move “stop blocks” further away from dock on track #2.
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Put “pigtail” on track #6 to allow power to track when not hooked up to the GGRC club modules.
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Sand loading dock down and resurface to allow clearance for modules being fastened face to face together.
All minor stuff, but items to work on.
Will the York display be reduced to just the Timesaver again, or do you have plans to make Inglenook comply with the new standard?
Jon Radder said:That question is open for thought and maybe you can help. Harry doesn't know, but I have a guy going to the TCA Show and he is going to measure the "ALCOVE". The new "Timesaver" is 3 feet longer than the old one. Eventually, the plans are to hook up the "Inglenook". It will have to be decided at York whether there is enough space in the "Alcove". If we swap sides of the "Alcove", we might have enough space for it to stick out into the isle between the "Big Green Monster" and Keith's layout. Other solution is to seek other space. Not really wanting to do that.
Will the York display be reduced to just the Timesaver again, or do you have plans to make Inglenook comply with the new standard?
So, it will be brought along and decided if we can add it at the time of set up.
I guess one thing that wasn’t mentioned is that the “Timesaver” is now worked with swapping 4 cars, instead of 3. This made part of it harder or at least different.
We’ve got two or three events, plus the stuff happening on the KVRwy to experiment with these factors, before York.
The pictures and comments about the “Timesaver” switchyard being attached to the Gateway Garden Railroad Club’s layout have now been added to my “Article” about “Rebuilding the Timesaver on the KVRwy”.
The “Articles” section of Bob’s “LargeScaleCentral” website are a great place to store pictures, how to’s, and other stuff. It really is a great offsite (not on your own computer) spot to store info you want to keep.
Here are a couple of pictures of the “Timesaver” switchyard being setup at J. Allen in our basement on the KVRwy, after coming back from the MWLSTS. This is how the modules look when being unpacked.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/rgolding/081015%20005.jpg)
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/rgolding/081015%20004.jpg)
This is how they look being placed on the benchwork.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/rgolding/081015%20003.jpg)
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/rgolding/081015%20002.jpg)
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/rgolding/081015%20001.jpg)
All this will also be added to the article.
The “Trifecta” of the rebuilding of the trackage at John Allen is about to be realized. This is the independent operations of the modules that make up part of the trackage of the Kasakaskia Valley Railway in our basement. It is the combination of the John Allen trackage that is modeled after or inspired by the “Timesaver Switching Puzzle” and the “Inglenook Switching Puzzle”, which is the “Helper Siding Yard”. The rebuilding of “John Allen” has been documented in the “Article” section of this site http://www.largescalecentral.com/articles/view.php?id=101 and talked about in the 4 plus pages of this part of the LSC Forums. All the work is done and the different parts have been assembled, but the complete assembly will not be achieved until it is set up in the Layout Hall at York, PA during the East Coast Large Scale Train Show. Here are a couple of pictures of the sub assemblies as they went together in our garage. This is the connection between the “Transition Module”, that is normally used for the connection to the Gateway Garden Railroad Club Modular Layout and the “Curve” or “Yard Lead” that is used to connect the two switching puzzles together. The PVC pipe legs are set at the lower setting that allows the whole puzzle to be set up lower and allows young eyes and people confined to wheel chairs to see the trackage and work the puzzles.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/rgolding/090322%20038.jpg)
This next picture shows the connection to the “Inglenook Switching Puzzle” or “Helper Siding Yard”. On this trackage, the saw horse legs are still used because of a vertical space situation when the yard is in place in our basement.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/rgolding/090322%20039.jpg)
Here is the “Helper Siding Yard” being prepared for travel.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/rgolding/090322%20041.jpg)
You guys may think I’m showing too much detail about prepping this stuff for the setup. However, by having it posted here on LSC, I can look up the pictures from any place there is an internet connection, if there is a question about how all this goes together.