Trackwork
Laying out the yard
I had some time alone in the train room last Easter Sunday. After stewing over the branch line height I decided to get down to some track work. O scale is BIG even if narrow gauge. After some more fooling around in SketchUp a plan was formed to have sections big enough to put some track and scenery on but not so big that it wouldn't be comfortable to bring in the house to work on the kitchen table.
O Scale Track
Everyone was such a big help with my question on bench work I thought I would pick your brains with yet another question. I just purchased a Lionel steam engine and a couple of their cars. I like the Scale Trax brand track but will the Lionel equipment run on it ok? The reason I am asking is the flanges on my rolling stock are Very large! I really do not like the Real Trax with the plastic ballast! Thanks!
Measuring cant
This tool was in another photo I posted and a few asked what it was so I've started another topic.
The original photo, the underside of the car.
Looking at the top it all becomes clear! It carries my iPod running gradient measuring software.
Set across the tracks it measures the cant or super elevation.
How I handled my craziest electrical short...
Because of some recent posts devoted to odd electrical problems, I'd like to see a blog started on how anyone has handle(d) these. (I'd prefer a MRH article but I'll take examples and helpful information on techniques wherever I can get them.)
For this blog I'd like to see folks describe, in as much detail as they're willing to provide, answers to the following questions:
Lets talk about On30
I know that this is a bunch of questions, but I hope to open up a discussion here. I have hopes that Verne and several of the other On30 modelers here on the forum will join in on this discussion. I am at that point where N scale is just too small for the ol' eyes anymore. It is really getting hard to see the rail joiners lining up on N scale track. At this point I doubt I have to worry if more than one car has the same road number. I can't see it going by.
My first experience handlaying switches
Yep, I sprang for a Fast Tracks HO jig and many of the other tools they sell. I have some ideas to share, and also want to get some feedback, as I think a number of the denizens of the MRH forums have experience in the hand-laid-track realm.
ME Turnouts with Atlas Flex Track
Are there any issues I should be concerned about when using ME turnouts and Atlas Flex Track? Will I be able to use my Atlas joiners without issue? I usually use Atlas turnouts, but I can't wait forever for Atlas to get on the ball.
Thanks for any help.
A face palm moment in turnout building
I was finally getting around to installing all my FastTracks turnouts on my North Streetsville module and hit a small technical snag.
Help with sector plate
Premise #1 – the layout room is never quite big enough.
I have a yard at Mitchell, MN that in reality featured a wye to turn the steamers. Inside the wye was the engine house and coal tower and tracks. The model version is in a corner of the room, and so includes the yard tracks and engine house but only one leg of the wye. The wye track continues on to Hibbing, as it did in real life.
So, how about a sector plate from the coaling track to the GN line through Hibbing?
Kato Unitrack turnouts - Newbie Question...
In looking at what track I want to get for my first layout, I was through Kato Unitrack... They have two different turnouts, a #4 and #6, both appear to be remote/electrical.
Can these switches be operated manually as well, or do they need power to make them switch? Are the switches momentary, or do they run power constantly to keep the switch locked one direction or another? I expect I'll setup the tracks a few different ways as I experiment with what works, and would prefer to start without hooking them up to power...
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