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Discussion Boards => HO => Topic started by: mf5117 on February 19, 2009, 06:37:33 AM

Title: dcc layout
Post by: mf5117 on February 19, 2009, 06:37:33 AM
i was wondering i am going to do an ho layout from thortrains . on the 4x8 layout page they have . second layout down right layout .the double passing loop with the inside turn outs .it shows 2 terminal railers for feed.will i have to do any special wiring for the feed and will i have any shorts  . now i run 2 trains on the expantion pack for the 4x8 layout my first train ez track pack . i have the digatal commander . i guess what im saying is they give you the track info .but nothing else .layouts say for easy track.....thanks
Title: Re: dcc layout
Post by: Joe Satnik on February 19, 2009, 10:04:45 AM
Please cut and paste the link to the page you are referring to.

Thanks.
Title: Re: dcc layout
Post by: mf5117 on February 19, 2009, 12:57:48 PM
www.thortrains.net-marx-funlayez1.html     see 2 layouts the next  ones down the one to the right .double circle with switches to the inner circle .i was wondering if i buy all this track .with what i have will it work with the ez commander .and not have any shorts .
Title: Re: dcc layout
Post by: Joe Satnik on February 19, 2009, 02:51:36 PM
http://www.thortrains.net/marx/funlayez1.html

(http://www.thortrains.net/marx/ezho2.gif)

The track layout itself will not cause any shorts, as there are no turn around loops or wyes.

Be careful to maintain the polarity while hooking up the feeds to the 2 loops.  (If not, your wiring will cause a short.)

I noticed that the fifth recipe line doesn't have a track piece length.  (Typo?)  You might want to contact Thortrains for that info and to have them correct that page. 

Hope this helps. 

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik     
Title: Re: dcc layout
Post by: mf5117 on February 19, 2009, 10:41:59 PM
hey thanks this is it .i really like this layout .going to have a passenger train on the outside rail freighters on the inside loop .my gf is doing a really good job on the senery . im so addicted .i have got my dcc running well . the one way track layout i have now .is limiting but it does have some turn outs .and the loop at the left end . i built a nice 4x8 base 4 2x4 sections so i can move them when needed i have a small home and space wise .you know dont have the house to go with the train. hey thanks alot . i have many years of this hobby left .and can't wait to grow .and help later down the line .i will post some pictures soon . again thanks .

regards:mark f
Title: Re: dcc layout
Post by: Yampa Bob on February 20, 2009, 02:16:52 AM
Mark,
Looks like a fun layout. If you needed extra car storage, you could have a large ladder yard on the left.

Keep us posted on your progress.
Title: Re: dcc layout
Post by: mf5117 on February 23, 2009, 04:13:03 AM
thanks for all your help .i finally got my deck up off the floor .and my layout put back together .and waiting on the track that i ordered .i tell ya dcc is alot of fun and creates a good challenge .i was wondering im going to have 12 remote switches .i was looking at the acme push button switches .i saw singles set of 6 and set of 12 together do you recommend using these .the bachmann switches for the remotes  are kinda cheap . and dont care for the 10' extention wires .they do the job but i have a plan .if i can get away from using them . i see here i can post some pics im at work now .at 2:50am and will post some of the gf's senery and my table . ohhhh any ideas on where i can buy 2ftx4ft styro-foam .i have looked at some of the hobby stores around here .1ft x 3ft is about the largest i can find .have a great day .
Title: Re: dcc layout
Post by: mf5117 on February 23, 2009, 04:15:41 AM
also i was wondering a good dcc loco for going up grades pulling a load diesel or elec i dont care .we are doing the transition period layout and senery.
Title: Re: dcc layout
Post by: hunter2115 on February 24, 2009, 12:53:16 AM
I have been getting styrofoam from Lowe's/Home Depot. Any building supply place should have it- although you might be limited if you live in a warm climate area. Here in PA the stores have 1/2", 1", and 2" thick 4 x 8 foot sheets. I would use the blue or pink stuff if you are planning to "sculpt" it- the white stuff is too coarse.
Title: Re: dcc layout
Post by: jward on February 24, 2009, 07:47:18 AM
i can see a couple of things on this layout that will give you grief. most of the layouts on this site also suffer from this problem. the man who posted these layouts must be into lionel or some other tinplate because the arrangement of the switches reflect this.....

what i am talking about specificly are the wicked s curves going through some of the switches. recommended practice in any scale which uses cars with body mounted (as opposed to truck mounted) couplers is to use a straight section of track at least as long as your longest car between curves of opposite directions. the layout shown has this in two locations, at the top centre where the spur lines come off the runaround track, and bottom right where the spur line comes off the inner loop.

fortunately, a couple of minor modifications to the plan will drasticly improve these situations. at the top centre, use a right hand switch in place of the curve at the right end of the runaround track, replace the left hand switch with a straight. run the two spurs off the new switch as shown in the plan...
for the spur at the bottom, use a right hand switch instead of the left hand one shown in the plan, and run the spur line off to the left instead of the right.

your trains will operate much better using these modifications as they won't be trying to derail when you back them into these spurs.....

Title: Re: dcc layout
Post by: SteamGene on February 24, 2009, 10:05:14 AM
Notice the URL says "Marx."
Gene
Title: Re: dcc layout
Post by: mf5117 on February 24, 2009, 10:25:18 AM
what does that mean "marx"
Title: Re: dcc layout
Post by: jward on February 24, 2009, 10:33:46 AM
Marx made toys and for a while had a line of O27 trains, kind of a poor man's lionel.
Title: Re: dcc layout
Post by: Rangerover on February 24, 2009, 01:12:53 PM
Marx made toys and for a while had a line of O27 trains, kind of a poor man's lionel.

I think that comment is odd, after all some still think of Bachmann as that still to this day! TOY line of trains.

I personally have some Bachmann track, on my subway and I also own and run Bachmann diesel and steam loco's, and consider myself a Model Railroader, I think Bachmann is great!

All the plans the link show are in Bachmann EZ track and switch's!
Title: Re: dcc layout
Post by: Rangerover on February 24, 2009, 01:40:11 PM




Quote from: mf5117 on February 23, 2009, 04:15:41 AM
also i was wondering a good dcc loco for going up grades pulling a load diesel or elec i dont care .we are doing the transition period layout and senery.


Bachmann EMD F40PH -NJ Transit, I have 2 of these units in consist pulling  10 IHC NJ Transit passenger cars, weighted, up a 3%+ grade for approx 24 ft from my subway to the top of my main layout with no problem in DCC.
Title: Re: dcc layout
Post by: jward on February 24, 2009, 02:28:56 PM
i have 1 f40ph, 3 h16-44, 1 gp50. 2 gp40. 2 gp35. 1 gp30, 1 sd45 all bachmann. i love the dcc on board. in this day of $200 locomotives, it's nice to get one with dcc for $50 or so......the only problems i have ever had with them is getting my digitrax to program the bachmann/lenz decoders.

those who think these are toys do not remember the crap AHM and tyco were putting out in the 70s.
Title: Re: dcc layout
Post by: SteamGene on February 24, 2009, 02:46:00 PM
The point is that the layout, while designed to use EZ-Track, uses curves suitable for Marx or Lionel trains.  Going to the website, any visitor will see that most of the layout is dedicated to tinplate.  This is not a slam on Marx, Lionel, or tinplate in general - it's a simple fact - S curves for body mounted couplers are dangerous.  The solution is, as stated, to put in a straight section as long as the longest car (can be loner) between the curves. 
Gene
Title: Re: dcc layout
Post by: jward on February 24, 2009, 03:20:53 PM
does anybody know if there is track planning software for ez track layouts, similar to what atlas has on their website? if so i could redraw the plan to eliminate those s curves. i have noticed that many of the layouts on that site have the same flaw though with some minor rearrangement of track most could easily be cured.
Title: Re: dcc layout
Post by: Rangerover on February 24, 2009, 03:49:39 PM
Quote from: jward on February 24, 2009, 02:28:56 PM
i have 1 f40ph, 3 h16-44, 1 gp50. 2 gp40. 2 gp35. 1 gp30, 1 sd45 all bachmann. i love the dcc on board. in this day of $200 locomotives, it's nice to get one with dcc for $50 or so......the only problems i have ever had with them is getting my digitrax to program the bachmann/lenz decoders.

those who think these are toys do not remember the crap AHM and tyco were putting out in the 70s.

Oh how well I remember, LOL, I still got them old crappy stuff from even the 50's. I stil have them. I can't comment on the lenz decoder problem programing for digitrax. I use Bachmann EZ command!

Gene.. sorry, now I know what you see that I didn't before. I had an S curve in the worst possible place, just before it switched on to my removable bridge between isle's. I had to move the switch back 12" and put in a straight piece. Can't have S curves!
Title: Re: dcc layout
Post by: Nathan on February 24, 2009, 05:19:17 PM
Jeffery,

Cadrail has the Bachmann HO Scale library built in.

http://sandiasoftware.com/

Title: Re: dcc layout
Post by: mf5117 on February 25, 2009, 01:27:29 AM
i will make the adjustments as needed .i had a layout with some s curves .and a couple of switches involved .i rearanged my rolling stock .and also i dont run 100% throttle . and then i took out and re-did my layout again .hmmmmmm how come i always want more with this hobby .bigger and more more more .i am getting my load of track thursday .will put down my foam get the track down then will make the adjustments . i dont care for my 1st real attempt at this other than when i was a kid . for now i love my bachmann dcc . i bought another yard loco today and 2 more rolling stock . i did find some 60' passenger cars i was looking for .but am being patient . i will ask again thursday when i get my track and laid down . thanks to all . regards :mark f
Title: Re: dcc layout
Post by: Joe Satnik on March 04, 2009, 01:02:19 PM
Mark,

You said on another thread:

"i did notice that the ez track does have some rail alignment issues ."

One thing I did see in jward's reply:

"use a right hand switch in place of the curve at the right end of the runaround track".

Note that the curve portion of a "remote switch" is moved up the 9" straight portion by 1-1/2".  (Lay an 18" full curve on top of a "remote switch" to see this.)

This means that a remote switch is not a drop in replacement for a curve, and will cause track alignment problems if you try. 

A 1-1/2" fitter piece would help with symmetry elsewhere on the layout, (a common piece with Atlas Snap Track), but the design of EZ-Track does not allow less than a 2" fitter.

Another thing, the thortrains layout looks longer than 8', it wouldn't fit on your sheet. 

You may need to replace a 3" straight on the very top center with a 2" straight (only available with the newer 90 degree crossing). 

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik
Title: Re: dcc layout
Post by: mf5117 on March 04, 2009, 05:48:43 PM
right track free ware . i was looking at a layout or 2 .i got it when i googled .ho ez track layouts .and on the site it has a green background and the layouts look like 3 1/2 floopys for the files. and actually for being free . they do have tracks sizes inserts for scenery . its preety coool . i will look again for the site that had the layouts .but you can download the program and see the format . its  a cad program . i got to go to bed just got the gf home from the hospital neck sergery and i got to go to work tonight . right track free ware .... have a good day i gotta go to bed . thanks to all who helped me with my derails . still waiting for my 4-8-4 . hopes its  here tommorrow .    happy rails to youuuuuu   regards   mark f