Large Scale Central

Santa fe & Butthead Cove R.R. Upgrades

Track and Trestles
#1
We have a small train Group that have been having some problems on long trains trying to get up the 38 foot Helix going across our swing bridge and Koi pond.  So we decided to change our train running directions.   By start up the grade from Bakers Acers we would only have a approx 1% grade verses the grade coming out of Wilsonville and Butthead Cove that is over a 2% grade and hard on gears on long trains.  Now coming down the grade.
By doing this we went back to some of our branch lines and siding and reverse them to come out the other end if possible for easer spotting rolling stock. 

This show the grade that is becoming a problem.


 
Doing this we had to change the lead track to Janes sidding for better spotting of cars and lead track to a new Bakers Acers three Switch yard.


This was the space we was going to use before we dropped in the yard pad.

 

Leveled and ready for the tie in to the mains lines. 


sorry have to wait for a bit to up load and resize photo for frt. shed  very slow in any changes from ca.      

Showing the tie in to the lead to Swtich yard off of Baker Acer Turntabe area that lead back out to the main line.
 
  

and other end to the Switch yard pad.

  

This showing the finished yard pad and ready for board to hook up the pad and lay the tracks in.  

#2

This is time consuming to get any photo to work off of frt.shed no mater what browser you use.
But will keep trying.
Anyway most of the yard is going to be in code 250 brass track with leads of 332 brass to mains.
More to come later on.

#3

cant wait for more photos

#4

Noel,

I hope you are getting help with this project.

#5

Looks great Noel, Keep the pictures coming…

#6

Tk’s. guys. for the come back…
Joe Z. yup. some guys come by to kick a board around a bit… lol.

Got all of the Auto LGB Switch Machines in now on the R/C unit, but still like walking with the trains to work them using the TM’s. More fun that way.

Kind of like the code 250 AMl Brass Tracks… Looks nice for a swtiching yard. Dumped that idea. Now selling them off. Back to 332 stuff.
Kind of wish had shorter turnouts tho. Should of have them around the 10’ Dim. Aristos size turnouts, probably would of looked and worked better I think.
Oh well are we having fun yet??? yup… have one on us. " Dr. Pepper that is…"

#7

Did a little more work on the SW.yard, but kind of playing around with what just laying around… Dosen’t look like the darn Code 250 stuff is going to work with out out buying some more smaller SW.track. The 5 SW’s I have are just to darn long.
I been digging around and found a few LGB small guess Nbr 4’s. but sure are tight on turns, but ok I guess for a sw yard. Don’t really plan to run large Eng’s in there.
So here are some photo of just playing around to see what can be done.

Entering from the north end to yard.
.

Showing the yard and West end to main.

Showing the Dbl cross over from Sw yard to the Eng. Turntable area. Just an idea.


Another closer view of the cross over…

Still just trying to Fig. out some other ideas yet. Got a couple of our Train Group Guys coming over in the next few days with some 10 dia Track Switches of code 332 brass to test out. May have to be the way to go, not sure yet.
I know the Pacific and Mike won’t make it thru the cross over, but Big Huller and most Diesel by them self I think can make thru the sw’s. to get to the turntable. We can always go back thru the sw yard and back to main to use as a run a around if needed.

#8

Noel,

concerning your idea on the last pic - did you think about putting doubleslips instead of crossings?

#9

Korm. I was thinking of that to, but not sure the Large USA & Aristo Diesel Eng.'s could go thu it and other reason is I don’t have one… lol. I stll not sure I want to us tho Short LGB SW’s, but had to see what would fit the LGB 30 % cross overs.
Not to sure I like this idea due to Crossing the second outside track that is a main line and not seeing the Train coming around the corner in time.
You did have a good idea tho.
How things on your end down on the south side of Earth. hehehe…It been colder than frozen cow paddy. oh… don’t for get I still need a milk maid some way I can get it… lol… Me

#10

i just looked doubleslips up for myself. they are about Eu150.- (200$) on german ebay.
and they are not R1 - 30° (4’ diameter). they are R3 - 22.5° (about 6’ diameter)

down here? i’ working franticly…
a friend of Tac’s will be visiting in april - and i try to dig up the layout from under all the junk.

yep, i’m aware of the milkmaid. everytime i sit down at the computer.
but even seeing the poor skinny thing various times every day, i just forget about her, when i would have time…

#11

Hi Noel.
I like what you are doing, I’m a fan of tight track work.
You shouldn’t have any issues with those LGB R1 switches in your yard just take it slow. Anything LGB will go over them and most other engines with 2 axles on their trucks like a Bachmann Shay or a USAT GP38. I find engines with 6 axles per truck have trouble and derail. Also long trains have trouble backing over them.

Your changes goes to show that when you think you are done you find there is always room for improvement.
keep up the good work.

#12

Tks’ Guys… The SW yard may be ok once I put in a wide Track Sw to it and then use the smaller manual Switch’s for the rolling stock. Guess it really a holding pen… lol.
The crossing over on two tracks is I like it but some of the Eng’s may be Dash 9 and SD40-2’s that I may have to use the run around that is 30 foot way or go back on the main line to inter that block section for a few min and have other trains blocked to that section. It just a easy way crossing over to make up a long train from the sw yard by getting the head Eng’s set up for the train from the Turntable area.

That what happens when you start doing add-on’s and not look ahead… lol. I guess.

Korm Tks for the inform. and no problem on the Milkmaid…

I just like her looks for our Farm area on shows and I got somewhere, the Cow drill out for her tail mechanics to move while eating and being milked by a maid that looks like she will take no guff… hehehehe from a cow.

Oh. for a min. looking at your desk, That about what my Ho Desk looks like out back. Now guess I need to go and clean mine up or someday…lol. Guess it’s call to many projects going at once we have…hehehhe. and "No laf. Frog this time. guy… "

#13

Pap…I kinda like the crossovers if you can make them work into your evil plan. Keep us posted!

#14

Noel Wilson said:

… and "No laf. Frog this time. guy… "

you sure have dissapointed somebody…

#15

Here is the latest update. Installing and testing the cut in Crossovers to the Turntable area.

[youtube][/youtube]

Track 1 and track 2 coming off the main line are showing the two outside tracks in the video.
Track 1, We had to be able to get to the turntable to change out Eng. by using two cross overs to get there.
Track 1 also, runs thru the Switch yard.
Track two, is a run around track to bypass the Switch yard, and able to change out power and make up a new train if needed or back to main line…

We are Batt. and Track power so…
Howard L. is testing out the blocks and Switch’s with some rolling stock just to see if a GP38-2 can pull any rolling stock thru the 4’ Dim. switches and sharp curve, but it mainly is be used to get Eng’s to and from the Turntable.

Soon as we get a right hand 10’ Dim. track switch, we will cont. on with the yard to finish up that area.

#16

We tried to use our Bridgeworks 15R power to use as a power supply for our Aristo TM’s for our nbr “C” R/C unit. and found out that the Bridgeworks has not Reg. to control a non-load voltage. When trying to start up an Eng. on track power, it took off in about half speed with now low end controls of the Eng. If we put on a small load across the 24 volt DC fixed voltage output terminals, then we were able to work the Aristo TM’s ok. We found out with no load, the DC fixed voltage went up to 35 volts with nothing on as a load and started to blow out our LED Signals. I see now there is one panel LED blow-en to.
We decided to take the darn Bridgeworks power supply out and use an older 21 volt/10 amp power supply with no load only putout 22 volts DC max. and now everything works fine.

(Note: Watch what you hook up to these using these older power supply’s as I have heard of them blowing out pass. car LED’s lights with not enough load to regulate the output voltage on them.)

#17

Here is another short video of us having fun testing our Eng. power cross overs from the Switch yard area.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhYzfBxUH48[/youtube]

#18

Korm Kormsen said:

i just looked doubleslips up for myself. they are about Eu150.- (200$) on german ebay.
and they are not R1 - 30° (4’ diameter). they are R3 - 22.5° (about 6’ diameter)

down here? i’ working franticly…
a friend of Tac’s will be visiting in april - and i try to dig up the layout from under all the junk.

yep, i’m aware of the milkmaid. everytime i sit down at the computer.
but even seeing the poor skinny thing various times every day, i just forget about her, when i would have time…

Hmmm now thats a mess isn’t it. ? :slight_smile:

#19

Finished up the new SW yard today. Just a short video of it and did replace some Short section of track with some 5 foot Flex.
Boy… Bob’s McC. Joints help finishing it up just in time. Just needed a few more LGB’s.

[youtube]http://youtu.be/9r-1wrPWlNI[/youtube]

#20

Noel,

Looking good! :wink: