Modeling topic
Pembroke II: Fits Like a Glove!
Julian and Andrew (The Proto:87 Posse) were by again this week. Almost the first thing on the agenda was to test-fit the sections in place in the basement. Sadly, all hands were busy holding sections of layout, and so I have no photos to share; below is the space sans layout. I'm delighted to report that the two main sections fit into the space with about an eighth of an inch to spare. How's that for precision engineering?
Finding a short
I am in the process of wiring my new layout and have developed a short. The command station is a Digitrax Zephyr. Being a small (7' X 13') layout, I wired it as one block. All the switch frogs are electrically isolated. There are no trains or tools on the track.
On30 Scartch Build Projects
Since we have a few (how many ?) On30 modelers on here I thought I'd post a few pics of two projects I started several years ago but never finished because I decided I needed to stick with one gauge.
The first three are of a 2 truck diesel critter using an old Bachman two motor drive.
Indian Creek RS11 Ex SP 5858 question
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoPicture.aspx?id=95460 Heres a link to the loco it's ex SP 5858 ,where are the sand fillers on these SP 5xxx series alcos? This appears to be an SP mod rather than home grown.Also does anyone know where the cable,which runs from the socket housing above the rear truck, goes to .Finally the box above the intercooler is another SP quirk anyone point me in the direction of a good roof detail shot or is it just a simple box?
Any suggestions on handlaying complicated track?
I have been using my new tools from Fast Tracks to build some #7 turnouts. My sixth is definitely a lot better than my first! Now I am looking at an area of the layout that has a couple of turnouts facing each other with a diamond where they cross. I have seen the beautiful track that Tim has done on his website, and also looked at the series of photos posted on the MR site by Mr. Fujiwara on building a diamond, but have not found much info on direction to create such complicated track.
Here's the area I want to make.
Sketchup trick for small items
If you've ever tried to draw something in Sketchup and wanted to use actual instead of scale dimensions, you'll know that it doesn't like really working with our small subjects. Specifically, I've found that it doesn't allow you to draw a 1mm radius arc, or circles much smaller than that, and it will not properly extrude small objects (like HO 33" wheel treads) around a circle. I've even had trouble making 3/8" diameter spheres.
BNML Trackplan Trouble - Help!
My wife, kids and I just spent 8 months building our own house. From design to construction, we have done almost all of the work ourselves.
The second floor is the layout room, and also; my office and my wife's library. It's one open F shaped space with no separate rooms. The roof trusses were tediously designed to make it so.
Help make my MDC Shay run
Returning to model railroading after 35 years, I was seduced by the cornucopia available on eBay. So it was that I purchased an MDC Shay, knowing that this was not a quality mechanism. It was advertised as being a "contrarian" runner. That means bad. But I figured since someone had gone to the trouble of installing DCC and sound, and detailed, painted and weathered it, how bad could it be?
Well, it's getting power, because it makes the right idling sounds. It will move about 6 inches on command (NCE cab) then goes dead. Whistle and bell work during that short run.
Daydreaming - a British style 2-4-2 in 55n3
As I mentioned in my thread asking about [British] Colonial steam locos, I'm daydreaming about future projects. I have the remains of an HO scale Life-Like 0-4-0T that I picked up at a train show, and they need a home. The frame is damaged, the body is missing pieces, and the main rods are gone, but the motor runs and there is enough frame there to do something useful.
Waytacks
Back in the early 1960s, Ed Ravenscroft (MMR #4) was a pioneer in prototypical operations. Card systems existed then too, but Ed considered them too complicated. He chose instead to develop his own system which he used for decades, even after he retired, moved from Chicago to Arizona, and built a new layout. His Glenco Skokie Valley was large pike, and was operated with groups of friends. Ed's car forwarding system used common thumbtacks with colored heads and some code letters, which rode on top of each freight car.
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