Bachmann Online Forum

The benchwork is almost complete.  I have three areas to tie together everything.  I'm down to one folding table and I need to fold up the saw horses and figure out where I can place the table saw - it may have to go on the patio and get covered with a tarp. 
Suddenly, I have a couple of guys volunteering to help.   :D

Gene
(still trying to figure out how to add a signature block)

(still trying to figure out how to add a signature block)

Gene,
While logged in, click the Profile button at the top of the page (home, help, search, PROFILE, logout).

On that page, there's a menu at the left with 3 main headings.  Under 'Modify Profile', choose 'Forum Profile Information'.  Near the bottom of that page, you'll find the Signature box to create your signature.  When done, make sure to click the 'change profile' button so it updates and saves your signature.

Mike,
I thought I'd done that.  Let's see if this works.

Testing out my 'signature' to see if I got it added correctly.

lanny nicolet

I obviously had it and didn't look low enough.  I also need to remember to add my name.  :o

Gene

Gene, I just have to say this...

Jopurney?

Sorry, but your always critisizing everyone elses spelling, which is a good thing, because it is good to learn from mistakes. Even spelling or grammer mistakes.

     
         There is a large space before the signature. That tiny print doesn't
help matters either.

A club member who is active Air National Guard came over and we put riser supports in seven tables.  He's off again tomorrow and will come over after I get off subbing for another couple of hours of work.  I installed a new blade (Lowe's had it half off) in the table saw and sawing is suddenly a lot easier.  Now I have to get the old blade to my daughter-in-law's dad, who has a tool sharpening business.
It sounds like I may have several guys on Saturday.  At this rate, I'll have track being laid before the end of the month. 
Gene

Gene,

You may have mentioned this already, but I'm interested, so will ask again. Are you hand laying track, using 3 ft flex track or what? Also, which code, 70, 83 or 100?

Sounds like things are moving real well for your layout. Keep it up!

lanny nicolet

Code 100 flex track.  Since the layout is a fictional semi-C&O it uses the heavy rail favored by C&O.  I may well use code 83 for sidings, or some sidings. 
Gene

I could actually lay some track tomorrow.  OTOH, it is the industrial area and I probably really should use code 83 for that and I don't have any.  Come to think of it, I don't have any rail nails, either.  But maybe I can lay out the track and turnouts and get the code 83 and track nails Monday. 
I had some help from a church friend who cares nothing about model trains, but loves woodwork.   He brought along his C&O H-8 version of a cordless drill and didn't chuckle about my two, one a Consolidation, the other maybe a USRA light Mikado.  ;D
Gene

I'm glad your layout is going good.

Right, Hunt.  I'm hoping I will have two guys to help with the wiring.  One is a DCC expert and the other is a fair electrician (model railroad variety.) 
Gene

First track laid.  Unprototypically, the first rails are for two industrial sidings with a #6 right hand switch.  Since these are sidings, they are laid directly on the foam, liquid nailed to the sub roadbed.  I'm thinking that gluing the track down before ballasting might be a good idea.  This is code 83 and the spikes don't seem to give as firm a grip as I would like.  Comments?
Gene

Gene,

If you are spiking into foam, the spikes simply will not hold.
If laying track (ties) directly on foam, you must glue for stabilty's sake.

Dick

Gene,

I glue my track down with PolySeamSeal brand adheasive caulk. Saw the technique in an MR article years ago. This brand of adheasive caulk is silicone free and works very well.

Sheldon

I thank thee .. oops - Thanks, Sheldon. I'll look for it.  In the meantime, to paraphrase Honest Abe, "the VT&P flows unchecked to the sea."  The major benchwork under the yard/staging is in place, and the first track is laid.  I've even selected buildings for the industrial area.  To switch literary models:  "Quick, Watson!  The game's afoot!"
Gene

Sheldon,
What is the advantage of the PolySeamSeal over Elmer's White Glue?
Gene

steam gene, guestion?   :o When covering your plywood, is it better to use
the homasote or foam?  In using either one of these products does it eliminate the need to use cork as your road bed? 

Larry B

Gene,

White glue does not really stick to plastic, it only holds by shaping itself around the plastic. white glue is really only intended for porious materials like paper and wood

PloySeamSeal actually sticks to plastic.

Sheldon

Larry,
Both homosote and foam have advantages and disavantages.  Either can be used, depending on which pluses overcome which disadvantages according to you.  My club uses homsote.  I use foam.  For sound deadening, I suppose both would get rid of the use of cork roadbed.  However, I like the roadbed shape of the cork.  The club runs on flat homosote and I've always thought was an error. 
In my industrial areas I will run track directly on the foam, but the mainline will have cork roadbed.  The yard will probably have thicker foam.
Gene

Larry & Gene,

As to the roadbed question, I prefer homabed brand roadbed. I nail it down with a prad nailer, then glue the track to it with the PolySeamSeal.

I have not experimented with foam yet. Not sure if i like the idea, it seems so soft to me. I know many others love it. several in our group use it, some for roadbed, others only use it for scenery, using homabed or homasote for roadbed.

Sheldon

The first risers have risen.  And gee, Lent doesn't begin until Wednesday.   ;D
Gene

I used Dap adhesive caulk. Spread thin along a center line almost as wide as the ties. You can't see it when ballasted if you do it right. Hold in place with push pins and weights for about 15 minutes and then move on. Very quick, strong bond.

White glue will desolve and soften when ballasting your track. It is definately the wrong choice.

Thanks, Craig.  Two good ideas.  Okay, good bye Elmers for track adhesion.
Gene

Subroadbed for the staging yard is in.  Tomorrow we put down wallboard - which I'm told is a great substitute for homosote and work on some risers and maybe laying some track. 
Gene

Hi Gene,

When you write 'wall board', you don't mean 'sheet rock' do you? That doesn't seem like it would be a very good or sturdy or water-proof foundation to build a layout on ... specially for strength. Maybe I just don't know what 'wall board' is ... but I don't think I would recommend your using 'sheet rock'.

lanny nicolet

you think we could see some progress pictures?

Lanny, No, the stuff called OSB.  I am going to try what a friend has used on his layout, which is sheetrock.  He says it works as well as homosote and is much cheaper. 

Jake,
I looked at one of the picture websites to upload some pictures and found it more complicated than I liked.  I asked some friends for suggestions, but I wasn't happpy.  Since so many people have no trouble, I'll have to try again.
Gene

Gene,

By any chance are you going to paint your rails and/or ties?  I would start it about now before you get into ballasting and scenery.

This is a great thread.  Keep it going.

Bill

Having been scenery chair a couple of times, I know to paint rails before ballasting.  ;D 
Gene

The yard ladders for the staging yard (Gordonsville, Va to the east and Sugar Grove, WV to the west) are down, but not secure.  Number 1 yard track is almost connected. 
BTW, Sheldon, I had a suggestion to include locomotive storage by adding another ladder at Sugar Grove.  Makes sense and seems to work.  Might look again at Gordonsville and see if that would work, too.  Keep locomotives on the layout, not in boxes.  Of course I will probably have to have some on-off switches to protect my DC locos prior to their conversion.
Gene

Gene,

Great idea! If you use the ground throw made from a slide switch, the switch can be used to isolate the siding.

Sheldon

Gordonsville will work, too.  My wife wanted to know why they just wouldn't fit in the round house.  I pointed out that it will have only six useable stalls at best - and that might include a C&O SW-9!  BTW, my wife paid for the garage the layout is in.  Hard to find fault with her after that.  ::)
Gene

Six tracks down and tested in Gordonsville/Sugar Grove staging with our handy VT&P WWII scheme caboose tester.  Each end has a switch for a locomotive ladder - to be done later.  but I'm thinking that it might add interest, especially if the yard is visible to have the engineer move the assigned loco to couple to the assigned train before leaving staging.   But I should have enough space now to have all my lcocs on the tracks.  Of course, that means the loco tracks will have to be isolated to protect the DC ones as they slowly -- very slowly - convert to DCC.  Fortunately, I have no desire to add sound to any of my (drumroll please) six, yes, six, diesels.
Gene

But surely Gene, your desiels are 'coal fired', right?

:-)

lanny nicolet

No, but their facilities are primitive. At best.
Gene

The Chief Detective, VT&P RR Police had to report to the CEO that progress west of Bradyton has been stalled by trespassers storing supplies for the dining redecorating project along the right-of-way.   OTOH, storage facilities under Bradyton and Noah Junction are being freed up by dining room flooring boxes being removed. :D
Gene

This evening, 6:55 PM, EDT (1855 hours), VT&P #847, a class M-2 USRA light Mikado ran back and forth in the Gordonsville, VA/Sugar Grove WVA staging yard.  Power was by temporary hookup and DC, but it ran. 
Now for more testing.
Gene

Gene,

That's great news!

Here at the Atlantic Central crews have begun removing unusable sections of track and roadbed to make room for the redesigned freight yard, passenger terminal and locomotive shops. Dispite the holiday, crews worked most of the weekend but did take off early on Sunday for Easter dinner with their grandchildren.

Construction of the new redesigned modular facilities is expected to begin within the week.

Sheldon

Gene,

Just out of curiosity ... about what percentage of your trackwork is now down?

Everytime I think of the layout you are building, my mouth waters ... and I get just a 'teensy' bit jealous  :D

lanny

Per centage of track work done?  Actually, maybe 20% as planned, 15% as built.  The staging yard is long!  But except for a little bit of siding in Nicksburg, that's all that is laid so far.  The visible South River Yard doesn't even have the benchwork done yet, and it's much smaller than staging.  The mainline is all single track with sidings. 
In the next day or two I should get the yard leads done so I can start running trains back and forth through staging.  I might well get DCC installed, too.
Gene

Lanny,
I seem to have misplaced your addy.  Send it to me if you want more pictures.   We've got subroadbed on top of some risers and, of course, pictures of world famous #847!  :D
Gene

Thanks Gene.

It's one the way!

lanny

Remember Bugs Bunny "I think I should have turned left at Albequerke?"  Do to a measuring error I was adding risers to the reverse loop route and raising the track instead of lowering it onto the benchwork.  The amazing thing is how fast the Dremel planer corrected the error!  Of course they were the most difficult risers to get to.  The reverse loop track needs to be put in before the mainline track, for sure.
Gene

Quote from: lanny on March 09, 2007, 06:54:14 PM
But surely Gene, your desiels are 'coal fired', right?

:-)

lanny nicolet

Gene, I know, your diesels are using fuel from the "Coal Liquification" plant, huh?       lol                 Stephen

Nah,
We'll have a tank up on stilts in South River Yard to allow the diesels to refuel via gravity.  Reminds me of the guy in the 1(8")/17 Arty in Korea who was topping off a ten ton ammo truck at night and wanted to see how much more gas he needed to add.  No flashlight, but he did have his Zippo.....
Gene

Gene- If you're the steam C&O guy with the Grafton, VA, club, please contact me. I've found some drawings which might interest you.- Mike S.

Mike.
That's me.
Dass ist mir.
Yo, bro.
steamgene@cox.net

Gene

Gene- I sent you an email. Not sure if it went through. Let me know.- Mike

Quote from: SteamGene on April 11, 2007, 09:06:06 PM
Nah,
We'll have a tank up on stilts in South River Yard to allow the diesels to refuel via gravity.  Reminds me of the guy in the 1(8")/17 Arty in Korea who was topping off a ten ton ammo truck at night and wanted to see how much more gas he needed to add.  No flashlight, but he did have his Zippo.....
Gene

Bet that lit up the night sky!  lol  I would venture a guess he didn't do that anymore either!      Stephen

Strangely enough he wasn't even hurt.  He was in a different battalion so I don't know if he had to pay for the truck and the 8" ammo on it.  It did light up the sky.  We saw it at a range of about five miles, I guess and thought the Air Force was dropping flares while looking for North Korean special operations troops trying to escape.
Gene

Quote from: SteamGene on April 12, 2007, 08:10:08 AM
Strangely enough he wasn't even hurt.  He was in a different battalion so I don't know if he had to pay for the truck and the 8" ammo on it.  It did light up the sky.  We saw it at a range of about five miles, I guess and thought the Air Force was dropping flares while looking for North Korean special operations troops trying to escape.
Gene

Wow!  He didn't get hurt?  I would have thought the same thing....looking for infiltrators and the glow was flares!    Stephen

Question for the DCC guys.  I'm going to do four power districts:
1.  Staging yard
2.  east bound track to South River Yard/Leesboro
3.  South River Yard/Leesboro
4.  west bound track to staging yard

Each end of staging has a turnout to diverge exiting/entering track.
On the west is the track to Leesboro and the track to the reverse loop.
On the east is the track to Leesboro and the interchange track (which also goes to Leesboro) 

As a rule the maximum train length is 13 feet - locomotive, 20 40' cars and a caboose. 

Question:  Where should I end the staging yard and South River Yard power districts?  At the turnouts at the ends of the yard, or further on to allow the train to leave the yard before  leaving the yard power district?
Gene

Gene- I'm not a DCC guy, but if you are switching the yard, you will need enough room in the district for the yard to hold a train on the switch lead for sorting the cars. At least that's the way we do it with the 1:1 "train sets". -Mike

Gene,

    I am not sure that this will help with your question about power districts,  but here is what I have on my HO railroad.  My main yard is one district.  At the west end,  the district ends where the yard ladder meets the main.    On the east end,  I have the same set up,  but there is about 5 feet of flex track between the last ladder switch and the switch connecting the yard to the mainline.
     Why did I do it this way.......just seemed like the thing to do,  most logical for me.   There is no better answer I can give ya.

Bob

Bob and others,
Here's what I've decided.  Each end of the staging yard has a switch.  On the east end one track is the mainline, the other represents another railroad (C&O) and an interchange track.  On the west end one is the mainline and the other the reverse loop.  On each end I've extended the power district on the mainline by one piece of flex track while on the interchange and reverse loop, it ends at the switch.  So the mainline becomes the yard drill track, if necessary. 

Has anybody removed lettering from an Atlas plate girder bridge?  I just bought one lettered for Santa Fe and want to re-letter it for VT&P.
Gene

Gene,

The real question with those new Atlas bridges is, are they painted and lettered, or just lettered on the black plastic?

If they are just lettered on the plastic, any common paint remover we use for stripping models should work. If they are painted, a light sanding on the lettering with 600 grit and a repaint may be easier.

Sheldon

Track work westbound now goes as far as the west switch at Bradyton, as the VT&P begins to climb the Blue Ridge.  Eastbound is on hold until the hidden reverse loop is done.  Work goes on with the reverse loop.
Gene

The reverse loop is in and tested by pushing. I hope to have power to it next week.  Now I can get back to work on visible trackage.
Gene

Sounds to me like the 'real fun' is about to begin, Gene  :)!

When you get time, post a photo or two of your layout.

lanny nicolet

Hope you post pictures (and layout drawings), as a newbie I have no idea what this is all about lol.. JK, the more I hear, the less I know, but it's coming.  I'm still trying to figure out how to model the local freight yard here.  Not much trackage, but many industries (cement plants, gravel pits, coal mines, grain elevators, power plants, could sure use some expert advice on the layout.  There is a very strange reverse loop, but it isn't a loop, its more like the top half of figure 8 triangle wye, with a "backaround and go the other way" thing, but since it changes directions, has to be a reverse loop, right? But back on topic, sounds like you're having fun. Keep us informed....
Bo

Hi Gene,

First things first.."jopurney" is obviously a typo (not a spelling mistake), since the O & P are together they were both hit at the same time...

As for ballasting...I definitely feel you HAVE to lay track first  and then ballast.  Actually, ballasting is the last thing I do.  Once I ballast an area I call it good.  I do all the messy work (plaster, painting, grass, bushes, etc.) first, since I don't want anything to mess up the ballast.  Also, I wouldn't use track nails since they tend to "dig" into the ties.  I glue all my track down with latex adhesive.

Good luck with your layout..!!

Gus (LC&P).

Bo,

      What you described at the local yard sounds like wye to me.   Imagine the letter Y.   Draw a line across the top two legs of the letter and that is basically a wye on the railroad.   Both the reverse loop and the wye accomplish the same thing,  reversing the direction of the engine or train.   In the model world,  the reverse loop and wye must be wired the same way regardless of whether you are using DC or DCC to power your railroad.

Bob

Yes, I figured any situation that lets a train reverse its nose has to be a reverse loop, regardless of what it looks like.   It is actually more of an " X "

When do we get to see pictures Gene. Suspense.....
Bo

Bo,
Send me an e-mail.  I have yet to figure out how to post pictures on the web.  Maybe I don't want to learn  ;D 
Gene

The good news is I have permission to use their 1957 logo on a building in Basic City.  the bad news is they don't know what it looked like.  Anybody have a clue?  I do have a phone number which I will try - but maybe some of the older guys might have an idea of where to find the sign that would appear on a building in 1957.

While I can't post pictures - yet, I should be able to do a fairly good description of the layout.  A train would start from the eight track staging yard.  Let's assume it's a westbound, so it would depart from Gordonsville, Virginia.  if it's a VT&P train, it would depart on the mainline; if a C&O along the interchange track.  The VT&P train would emerge from a tunnel just east of Noah Junction where it might switch the industries in Nicksburg before continuing through Bradyton.  If a passenger train, it will make a station stop at Bradyton.  There is a passing siding at Bradton plus the interchange track, allowing C&O to take a short cut to some coal fields in the north of West Virginia.  The train then climbs the helix in the first penninsula, finally crossing the South River on a tall deck girder bridge with steel piers.  It then comes into Basic City where it may switch several industries there before continuing into South River Yard in Leesboro.  There may be a engine swap or the train may stop there to be heavily switched.  It will continue westbound, passing below Newberry Military School and the Michael farm to pass over a combined highway and stream deck girder and Warren truss bridge before coming to Hannahville and the John Paul #6 mine.  Proceeding west, it comes to the second penninsula and a truncated helix as it continues to descend.   There may be a second coal mine on the penninsula.  Still descending it crosses a short plate girder bridge before coming to the last industry in Virginia, the Valley(?) Meat and Poultry Processing Plant, before entering the last tunnel taking it to Sugar Grove,  West Virginia and the staging yard.
The layout is 26X 17, with a short extension that is Nicksburg and the two penninsulas, which make the layout look like a Gothic capital "C" when viewed from above.
Gene

That seems to solve the typo on some of the comments. 
Gene

I've had to move a couple of helix posts, but progress is going apace with the eastern helix, which should be the northern helix if it could see the sun.  But then the Valley is sort of strange in that if you go up the valley, you head north and if you go down the valley you head south.  This is always hard to explain when discussing Jackson's Valley campaign.
Gene

On the third attempt, it seems that the helix is on the correct grade.  I've learned a lot, but I've used some words I haven't used since I was a firing battery executive officer and a hip shoot started going south.
Gene

Anybody have a good source for 18-20 gauge wire, other than the expesive reels in your LHS or Radio Shack?
Gene

I'm getting ready to put down sub roadbed over the lower helix loop and the reverse loop.  The subroad bed rests of horizonal supports held up by either one or two risers.  Because of some tight horizonal clearances - the helix especially, I'm using fairly small horizonal supports and think that a drywall screw may split the wood, even with a pilot hole. 
Thoughts on Liquid Nails vs Elmer's Carpender's Glue t6o attach subroadbed to its supports. 


BTW, to make it easier to identify buss wires, I bought some key tags and both color coded and letter coded them to make it easy to look through the wiring jungle for the correct buss wire.  Cheap and easy.
Gene

Gene,

Liquid nails, and few small real nails.

Sheldon

Gene,

Sheldon's 'liquid nails' is a great idea ... clamp very well while drying (you already know this, I'm sure). Also, thin 'finishing nails' such as would be used in delicate trim work, in pre drilled holes, if possible, would also help with structural rigidity.

lanny nicolet

Drilling pilot holes through the subroadbed would be essential, I'm sure.  I shall try the Liquid nails and get some small fnishing nails and try it. 
Too bad we got rid of our 20 year old paper Encylopaedia Britannica two years ago.  They would be great weights.  I guess I'll have to use Great Books instead.
Thanks. 
Gene

The best weights I have found are old socks filled with sand or panty hose filled with buckshot.  The bag conforms to the shape  you need.  I use them building wings to keep things straight or when adding washout. (a twist).  For small "nails" I use dress maker pins of various gauges, with a tiny pilot hole, you can push or drive the pins.  For a driver I use a jeweler's hammer, or  an "automatic"  punch.  Micro Mark has them in sets, the driver can be adjusted down to a slight tap. If you support the pin with your fingers and tap it very lightly and quickly, you can drive the pin through solid pine without a pilot hole. 
Bo
PS, tiny pins make great simulated rivets.

I just happened to find my jar of bird shot today.  We are getting new kitchen cabinets and the  garage will hold the contents until the new ones are up.  Lots of weight there.  I may put some into ziplock bags and use them as weight as I do the upper level.
BTW, I thought I had about ten feet extra of buss wire.  Tomorrow I need to go buy about 50 feet of black and red to make up the difference. 
Military guys - an ID card gets 10% off at Lowes until the 8th.  I'll bet Home Depot is the same.
Gene

VT&P #847, with caboose #72 took a 19 car train from Bradyton up the helix to the end of the line at the South River viaduct construction site. 
C&O J2 546 running light,  tested the reverse loop and found it satisfactory. 
Gene

Gene,

      I am curious and admitt that I have not read every post on this thread.  Did you start this railroad prior to DCC,  or,  in fact,  are you using DCC at all?
      The reason for asking is this....last week,  my round robin group came to my place and we ripped out all the old original wiring on my HO/HOn3 railroad,  save for the wire drops.   Over the past week I have purchased new buss wire and the group as well as myself,  have been putting in the new busses.   The standard gauge portion of the railroad is segmented into four power zones and each zone will have it own color coded buss wire set - green/white,  red/white,  black/white,  and blue/white.   The HOn3 has just one zone and the buss for that is green and red.  What is really amazing is the tremendous lack of wire under the railroad now and with the buss color coding,  there is no need for tags etc.

Bob,
This is pure DCC.  At first I was going to make it DC/DCC, but after doing some reading and thinking about problems with the club layout, I went pure DCC.  You are right - it does cut down on the wiring. 
I am using tags around the buss wires, but everything is red and black.  I have four power districts and the reverse loop - staging, right penninsula, left penninsula, and Leesboro. Leesboro is still nothing but the buss wires.   I have a drop to every third strip of flex track, in general, and getting no voltage drop according to a DCC  meter a friend used to check voltage.
Converting some locos to DCC is going to take some time.  I may have to sell my PFM C&O K-4!  :D
Gene

Just reading through the post as you travel down the path is very informative and enjoyable.  Thanks for sharing and good luck.  Any chance of getting to see a couple pics of the layout.  I would be most interested.  Thanks!

Jay,
I have to hang my head.  I've been dealing with computers since something like 1985 and have been a photographer since 1967 or so, but I have had no luck uploading photos to any of the many photo sites on the net.  I'm going to get my daughter to unload her pics off my digital and try again.  I'd really like folks to see what the Blue Ridge Sub looks like. 
Gene

http://naphotos.nerail.org/

Sounds great .. I look forward to seeing them.

The first track easbound out of Sugar Grove, WV towards Hannaville, Va is beginning.   With luck, we may have track all the way to Mickie's Run tomorrow. 
Gene

Quote from: SteamGene on August 13, 2007, 06:45:35 PM
Jay,
I have to hang my head.  I've been dealing with computers since something like 1985 and have been a photographer since 1967 or so, but I have had no luck uploading photos to any of the many photo sites on the net.  I'm going to get my daughter to unload her pics off my digital and try again.  I'd really like folks to see what the Blue Ridge Sub looks like. 
Gene

Gene, I would HIGHLY reccomend using a www.photobucket.com free account. I use one myself and have yet to run into trouble. It is very easy to use. If you want I could post a tutorial with pics to make life that much easier.

Faithful old #847 ran light east from Sugar Grove to the bridge over Mickie's Run.  In addition the lead to Valley Meat Packing siding is in.  I need another sheet of homosote!  :D
Gene

VT&P Pacific # 647 took three heavyweight Pullmans from the west end of Hannaville to Sugar Grove, WV this afternoon.  This is 2/3rds of the west penninsula and along the back wall - about 30' of track, with two sweeping curves and an S curve.  The cars did well.
Gene

Gene,

Just curious, what brand is Pacfic #647? And what brand are the Pullmans?

Glad things are going well and moving forward.

Sheldon

#647 is an Athearn with no additional weight or anything.  Two Pullmans are Walthers and one is an IHC. 
The return trip had VT&P Class H1 Hudson 509 on the point.  This is an old Rivarossi, which may get retired and have the tender salvaged to up grade other locomotives, it being a good copy of the C&O R17 tender. 
BTW, since I didn't put a helix on the east penninsula, I'm going to add another coal tipple to the west of Hannaville, so the town will have one tipple to the east and one to the west.   That could lead to an establishment called The Middle Tipple in Hannaville, which her father might not appreciate.  ;D
Gene

Gene,

That's great, the move revenue the better! The Middle Tipple, of course, those miners need food and entertainment!

I asked about the Pacific seeing as how they are so "rare" these days.

I am debating if I should order Cary boilers and Alliance motors for two Mantua drives have laying around. It's looking more and more like that is the only hope for a decent heavy Pacific any time soon.

Sheldon

How do you like the IHC pullman, is it fairly well detailed?

It's not bad.  You can get an interior kit which does a good job - and is also good for hiding weight if you have small birdshot!  The trucks have more travel than the Walther's trucks.  There are some places, even with 30" curves, where it seems I need to cut out some of the Walther's underbody detail.
Gene

The gandy dancers are called to put in track through Hannahville tomorrow.  GP#13 is ready for it's turnout, and JP#6 will probably get its tomorrow.  The thrust is to get at least one track through.  Hannahville should be finished for track by Tuesday and then we have to attack the harder stuff - finishing the Micro-engineering viaduct to Basic City and track from Hannaville to Leesboro. 
I'd like to have the basic loop complete by 19 September.   That may happen, with a bit of luck and a lot of help.
Gene

Well, sometimes you have to retrace your steps.  >:( The Hannahville west curve just wasn't right so I pulled it up and will put it back correctly tomorrow.  Since Hannah and her parents are coming for barbeque on Monday, I need to get the track back in place by then. 
Gene

I've just finished installing the high bridge over Mickie's run.  To the horror of one of my helpers it's a combination of three Atlas bridges, but I think it's high enough and far enough away that Atlas works.  I've even painted the guard rails rust.  On the track leading up to the bridge I measure 14 volts with a voltmeter, and each bridge section measures the same amount.  But the one piece of section track past the bridge measures zero volts.  I have not fastned the track down to the subroadbed yet.  This is the section I planned on running leads to, but I'm amazed that it gets no voltage at all. 
Any ideas?
Gene

Quote from: SteamGene on August 13, 2007, 06:45:35 PM
Jay,
I have to hang my head.  I've been dealing with computers since something like 1985 and have been a photographer since 1967 or so, but I have had no luck uploading photos to any of the many photo sites on the net.  I'm going to get my daughter to unload her pics off my digital and try again.  I'd really like folks to see what the Blue Ridge Sub looks like. 
Gene

Gene, If you are really having this much trouble, you could e-mail me the photos and I'd gladly get them up on the boards. PM me if you are interested.

Jake,
You have a hidden e-mail addy. 
Gene

Gene, try again, I have un-hidden it for the time being. (Though I wish they would get the PM service working...)

Okay, lets see if this works.
(http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u23/Vekoma_fan_boy/Genes%20Virginia%20Tidewater%20and%20Piedmont%20Railroad/PICT0399.jpg)
This is the portion along the back (west) wall, with the aisle, the 
western penninsula, and staging in the background.

EEKKK!  That was a test photo!  It's about a month old, I think.  But the system does seem to work.  Send me an e-mail back, please.
Gene

Yes, I did forget to mention that that photo is about a month old...  :D

Jake,
SEND me an e-mail! 
Thanks.
Gene

I could have sworn I did... Maybe I clicked "save as draft." I'll go try again.

Edit: Just sent it.

Sign to go by the door.   ;D

                  Warning
Virginia Tidewater and Piedmont Railroad
             No Trespassing
            Railroad Property
                   Contact
                      Chief
               Railroad Police
        HQ, Hampton, Va TExas 8-2501
                   for entry     

A friend of my grandson Brady came to the layout again today.  "How many boxes did this trainset come in?" he asked.   :D
Gene

The final risers are in place.  I need to compete the South River  bridge and do the engine facility off the bench work and install it and the final stage of track work can be done.  The engine facility, at least around the roundhouse, coaling tower, and water tank will need to be sceniced before installation.
Gene

We did family "Thanksgiving" Sunday and I listened to our kids become middle aged.  :D  Our daughter pointed out that displayed names on the VT&P honored her grandparents and her and her brother's children but not her and her brother.   
I've now worked on that.  I can put in a siding at Sarah's Mountain to service locos making the long, hard pull from Bradyton and have a village there.  I'm still trying to figure out what to do for my son.  ???
Gene

Gene, I'm not sure what you hae sofar but how about a mine, lumber mill or maybe a feed mill.  That area is replete with that type of business!  Stephen

Good suggestions, Stephen.  I will have two mines named for my father and father-in-law, though that could change to father and son with father in law going to the chemical plant.  A clothing store in Leesboro would suit my daughter in law.  This might confuse my grandson who has all the place names memorized and inspects for improvements often. 
Gene

The steel viaduct over the South River is finally ready for final installation.  I may even have the bridge track connected on the eastern side this evening.  It took awhile for me to figure out what my problem was, but, as I told my priest, I was going to follow Isiah and lower the mountains to make the way "flat."
This overcomes one of the two remaining barriers. 
Merry Seventh Day of Christmas
Happy New Year
Gene 

VT&P #354, a USRA heavy 2-10-2 has gone from Bradyton, up the helix and accross the South River steel viaduct and to the end of the track without problem. 
Merry Ninth Day of Christmas.
Gene

The last industrial/service siding, to serve the industries in Basic City, across the South River from Sarah's Mountain is coming along.  On one side the siding will be higher than the mainline track, but at track level on the west side of the turnout.  I've added a turnout for a maintenace of way track - thus moving the yard limit to actually beyond DuPont switch.  This will make it easier for the east end switcher to spot cars at the DuPont plant, Moser's Sauerkraut, and the yet unnamed industry(ies).  If I had not elevated DuPont, everything to the east of DuPont Switch would be spiked down.
Oh, Sarah's Mountain will gain Paultown, a small mountain village over the helix.  That should satisfy the kids.  Next the dogs will complain?? 
Gene

The first efforts towards scenery have begun.  The first is at the South River viaduct where I have installed the bridge abutments and their supports and added foam parts for the riverbed base and shore.  The second is the corner area where the a/c is.   The buildings for the Michael farm are being worked on.  In that vein, has anybody used the Blair Line barn sign decals?  Two for two began to crack and break up before the floated free in distilled water.  The third is much too old for my time period unless it were weathered to almost nothing - a two digit phone number! 
I'm using combinations of foam, wood, and cardboard as forms, to be covered by, in the main, plaster impregnated cloth

Quote from: SteamGene on January 13, 2008, 05:49:23 PM
The last industrial/service siding, to serve the industries in Basic City, across the South River from Sarah's Mountain is coming along.  On one side the siding will be higher than the mainline track, but at track level on the west side of the turnout.  I've added a turnout for a maintenace of way track - thus moving the yard limit to actually beyond DuPont switch.  This will make it easier for the east end switcher to spot cars at the DuPont plant, Moser's Sauerkraut, and the yet unnamed industry(ies).  If I had not elevated DuPont, everything to the east of DuPont Switch would be spiked down.
Oh, Sarah's Mountain will gain Paultown, a small mountain village over the helix.   That should satisfy the kids.  Next the dogs will complain?? 
Gene

Yipee! Paultown!

Any more pics of the layout?

I have some more I have not uploaded, mostly of the South River viaduct.  I 'll take some pictures of the Michael farm area tomorrow and see about uploading and sending JUST them.  I'll check into the DuPont retaining wall area.
I'll start to work on the Virginia highway 296 bridges - one over Mickie's Run and the other over the VT&P mainline from Sugar Grove, WV to Hannahville, Va some time soon.  They are the Rix highway bridges.
With all this, I sub tomorrow!  But I have been working, though maybe not as much as I should like.  It's been a busy week. 
Gene

The next time I try to upload pictures some of you will notice that the three span bridge over the highway and Mickie's Run has changed configuration.  It started out with a Warren truss on the west end and two deck trusses to the west.  Then it changed to the Warren in the center.  Now the Warren is on the east with the decks to the west.  This allows the grade of the highway to be reduced. 
However a track problem created the need for a solution which may improve electrical power.  I removed the nine inch sections of rail and used a portions of flex track rail to run through all three spans.  Easy enough to do.
Gene

Quote from: SteamGene on September 16, 2007, 09:00:34 PM
Sign to go by the door.   ;D

                  Warning
Virginia Tidewater and Piedmont Railroad
             No Trespassing
            Railroad Property
                   Contact
                      Chief
               Railroad Police
        HQ, Hampton, Va TExas 8-2501
                   for entry    

Cool.

The sign by our layout is either going to be:




and, on a serious note:


Last one's a little long...

Here's a pic of Gene's layout that he sent me:

(http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/553/Gene_Pic_29.jpg)

Uploaded onto my Trainboard account

He said this about the photo:
In the forground the mainline track is eastbound to Hannaville. The siding is for the tipple of GP#13 Mine. On the other side of the isle is the westbound track towards Leesboro, with Bradyton on the corner.

Here's a Panaramic of his layout, taken from the entryway....

(http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/553/Gene_Panaramic.jpg)

Where do you people find that much room in  a house to build that size of layout. A lot of work in a layout that size. My layout is roughly 9' x 9'and it is still quite far from being finiished.
Don 8)

Grumpy,

Didn't you know? We are millionaires with nothing else to do. You have my sympathy, I would be grumpy too if I only had a 9x9 space for model trains.

Seriously though, its just a mater of priorities.

Gene has a two car garage sized building in his back yard just for his railroad.

I have a heated and cooled 22' x 40' room above my detached garage/woodshop just for my railroad.

One local modeler got permission from the county to add onto his basement without adding on to the house above so he could expand his layout which has been featured in RMC.

Most of my friends with large layouts have average suburban homes and their layouts fill all or most of their basements - average size 800-1200 sq feet. Some are even bigger.

Just in our local group of about 15 active members there are about 8 such layouts in various stages of completion. That is all wthin a 10 mile radius of me. And our group does not represent all the modelers in our town with layouts this size.

Every Chirstmas season a local group in our region cordinates a series of layout open houses stretching from Baltimore to Phily. Literaly 100 plus private home layouts in this size range are opened to the public through October and November.

I don't know where you live, but here in the Mid Atlantic the average detached home is 3000+ sq ft, they all have basements and most have two car garages.

You might be very surprised at the number of people with 1000 or more sq ft devoted to Model trains, but around here it is quite common.

In our local group we often help members building new layouts with the benchwork especially to get things going quickly. And we do share talents across the board. Those who are electrical types wire layouts, those who are good at structures build stuff for others, etc. We share all sorts of knowledge, skills and resources. We have used my wood shop to preassemble upper deck braces for one layout, and I have drawn layout plans for a number of modelers.

Sheldon 

I'm quite happy with a simple, operations based 4x8. I have a much better chance of finishing, well scenicking it before college on a limited budget...

Yes,
It's a lot of work.  But it's a lot of fun, too.  When you get down to it, I don't have much more than one or two scale miles of mainline track - or will have that much once the track is in.  The thing is - this is THE LAYOUT.  At my age there is no chance that I will ever tear it down and build something else.  But it has what I want - mountains for the articulateds, wide curves for the x-10-xs, a fair amount of switching possibilities, and a full engine facility.
Gene

Sheldon
I live in St. Albert AB which is a city right next to Edmonton. WE have 9 months of winter and 3 months of poor skiing. Around here garages are used for parking your car or storing your leisure toys, Skidoos and Seadoos.With the cost of a 1200 sq ft detached being somewhere around $300,000 you cannot devote much of your living space to  model trains.Most of the modelers in this area are limited to very small layouts or don't have layouts and run on a club track.Alot buy trains with the hope of someday building a layout. Enough  said.
Don 8)

Grumpy,

For whatever it is worth, $300,000 buys a modest single home here, but one with a full basement and maybe an attached garage.

My detached garage only cost about $35,000 to build 14 years ago. 1200 sq feet first floor, 880 sq ft second floor, heat and A/C upstairs. It would cost closer to $60,000 to build today.

The "average" single home here in our area is 2800-3800 sq ft and costs about $450,000.

My cars are parked in my garage, but my only "motorized" toy is a Gravely garden tractor to cut the acre of grass and plow a few inches of snow off the 500' of driveway.

I suspected that you lived somewhere "unusual" compared to us here in rural/suburban USA.

Enjoy your trains

Sheldon

Victoria, BC.

3 beds, 11/2 baths, single car garage, no basement, 90x100 foot lot, $500,000.00

Roger & Grumpy,

Canada sure is expensive, here in Maryland USA we are neither the lowest or highest in cost of living here in the USA, actually we are slightly above the average for the whole USA.

Real Estate is cheap right now, you could come on down it a great big basement, with a nice house above it, and more land than 90 x100 for under $500,000.

I plan to retire to a more rural area where the cost of living is even lower, and, it is in a State with lower taxes than we have here in Maryland (one of the highest in the US).

Sheldon

IMIO, Vancouver beats every big city on the planet hands down...but...if I had an extra half mill lying around, I think a tropical chocolate plantation with it's own 12 inch to the foot industrial narrow guage would be money better spent.... and the next time you needed a spur to the back 40, you could pull that page about the 'frog angles'....and light the torch.....sounds good to me.... the auger on the snow blower just swallowed itself this morning....

Forgot to ask! Hey Gene! How long is the mainline going to be? It is one big loop isn't it? not point to point? Keep up the good work-Tony

Tony, the mainline begins and ends at opposite end of the lower stagin yard.  The back wall is 26 feet long exterior, so probably about 25 feet inside each side wall is a bit over 16 feet while the penninsulas have about a 12 foot base, by about nine feet and wide enough for a 30" curve.  I've used almost 325 feet of flex track, but that includes the staging yard.  All the turnouts are number 6.  (Of course Atlas has just come out with their #8, which I would have used for the passing sidings at least had they been available. 
Gene

TonyD,

As originally designed Gene's mainline run is approximatly 210 actual feet or about 3-1/2 scale miles.

I'm sure Vancouver is a very nice place, but personaly, I don't want to be too close to ANY large city. Where we live here in Maryland, what was once very rural has become too suburban. That is why we will retire elsewhere - in just a few years.

Sheldon

Just a tad shorter as one penninsula has a one loop helix while the other, since I started the grade earlier does not.  The penninsula with the helix has the coaling station siding while the other has a three track mine tipple as mentioned earlier. 
Gene

I see the arms of Sir Question, a question white, on field blue, all fortified by line white.
Gene

Trainboard's acting up..... I'll put the pics up again......

Guess I'll try it again.....

(http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/552/Gene_Pic_851.jpg)
(http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/552/Gene_Pic_22-1.jpg)
(http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/552/Gene_Pic_211.jpg)
(http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/552/Gene_Pic781.jpg)
(http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/552/Gene_Layout_Pic_151.jpg)

I hope this works....

That worked.   All of these are old photos. 

First is a shot of Basic City.  The building, essentially where it will be placed is Moser's Kraut und Gerkin (back to its original name after being Moser's Pickled Cabbage and Cucumber Pickles during WWII).
Second is the west end of the Leesboro/South River Yard platform.  The upper track leads to that location.  The track hugging the wall is the reverse loop track and the track along the layout edge is the mainline east from Sugar Grove, WV.  The siding is Valley Meat Packing. 
Third is South River Viaduct.
Fourth is the beginning of the tracks for the tipple for GP#13 tipple, west of Hannaville.

The C&O/VT&P interchange turnout (Atlas#6) has given me problems.  It's fine for traffic westbound, either on the main or on the interchange track, but going eastbound causes switch picking, especially trying to gain the interchange.  I ran the track inspection car over it today and watched the front trucks go the correct route and the rear trucks go straight.  I took an Evergreen styrene strip and slid it under the bar, raising it just a bit.  No problem.  I've cut it off, but have neither glued nor painted it yet.  I'll try some powered traffic over it and make sure that is the cure. 
The C&O H-5 1529 (USRA light Mallet) pushed a cut of four C&O hoppers ( 3 50T, 1 70T) under JP #6 Mine's tipple for loading.  The GP #13 mine's tipple is now mostly complete. 
I think I need to station an 0-8-0 to help work the two mines. 
Gene

Gene,
email me if you have pics of the Rock City barn you mentioned in another thread.

-Paul

Will do. 
Gene

When I get to the point where I start building my new layout, I'll post pics. And it should be soon. I just finished what was supposed to be a weekend project of moving a closet wall. Of course, it wasn't very simple. Almost everything went wrong. From poor insulation, to NO STUDS. Long story that I'll tell later, but it's done. More room in the basement, and more room to add to the 22-20' space I already have!

As you can tell in my signature, the plans are almost done, too. I'll be sure to post those when they're done.

The first plaster cloth got put down today, as well as a support for the Hannaville station to bring it up to track height and a block for Hannahville's Main Street grade crossing. 
Gene

If you look back to the photos of the risers and subroadbed along the wall and the curve you will not notice the problem I've found.   ;D  There is a decided hump in the roadbed.  My tenative solution is to cut the riser where the grade suddenly gets greater and raise it just a bit to increase the length of the grade and hence decrease the degree of rise. 
Thoughts?
gene

I've been putting down plaster cloth and whatnot, but today the VT&P took a major step forward.  The engine facility main section came off the risers, painted homosote got attached, the roundhouses measured and the hole for the turntable cut and then the table fitted. 
It struck me that if I turn the plywood foundation around, I'll be at the roundhouse/turntable and can work on that while it is  "on the layout" and then turn it around when the distant section is finished and readly to go. 
Sometimes I'm slow.  It wasn't until we were taking the plywood off the supports that I noticed a support was under where the turntable would go. So I've also done some backing and filling today.
Gene

I've always heard that one should test a locomotive on DC before installing DCC.  While I know I can run a DC locomotive on address 01, and have done it before, I wonder if that is a proper "test."  So I looked around the layout and discovered an ideal spot for a test track. 
I've now constructed a 9' long test track that is just inside the reverse loop approach track, under Hannahville and the tipple to John Paul #6 tipple.  The sub roadbed is salvaged privacy fence planking with Woodland Scenic roadbed. 
I've tested two Bachmann locos which I've had for months and never run, both USRA Mountains, one Light, one Heavy.  IF I have time tomorrow (busy day, tomorrow) I will test the USRA light Mallet.  If all goes well, the new MRC sound decoders go in two at once, while I await a tender swap. 
One thing I need to do is to add a light or two over the test track.  It's dark now and when scenery gets more complete it's going to be even darker. 
Gene

Quote from: lanny on February 05, 2007, 08:39:08 AM
Testing out my 'signature' to see if I got it added correctly.

lanny nicolet

speaking of your signure, I happen to live in the Kankakee area! That Green Diamond ran right down these lines!
Oh, and good luck Gene.

The 2-6-6-2 tested fine, too.  Sound decoders go in next week and then I'll break in two of them. 
Gene

Quote from: SteamGene on June 27, 2008, 07:27:27 PM
It struck me that if I turn the plywood foundation around, I'll be at the roundhouse/turntable and can work on that while it is  "on the layout" and then turn it around when the distant section is finished and readly to go. 
Sometimes I'm slow. 
Gene

Gene.

Some people are fast.

Some people are slow.

And then there's people like me, neither slow nor fast, we're just half fast.

I've been working on the yard leads for South River Yard - the visible yard in Leesboro.  It suddenly dawned on me that if I didn't finish the turnout controls for the Gordonsville (east) end of the staging yard, I'd have a major problem when the tablework above it got fastened down and track got connected.  So off came the east end of South River Yard's tablework and I've been finishing the loco storage area (east) and figuring the machines for the turnouts.  For at least two the only logical answer is the Atlas above table remote machine - which is fine, since that area will never be scenicted anyway.  
So tomorrow I'll buy some more Atlas switch machines and some steel wire on my way to my doctor's appointment.  
Glad I figured it would when I did.  
BTW, I bought two old, small Bachmann power packs on eBay to handle switch machines and other such chores.  Nice prices on both of them.  One cost less, but S/H was more, so they came out about the same.  
Gene

so if ppl are talking about track then i have a question. how would flex track work on a mod-u-rail module? or on a table layout with 1" thick foam board? just realy long nails or what?


Chris

Not sure what a mod u rail is, but fxlex track works on foam.  Best deal is to put down glue and the weight or tack it down until the glue sets.
Gene

The turntable is in.  Who has ideas on how to send power to the roundhouse tracks?
Gene

Dear Gene,

In earlier postings of this thread your plans were to convert to DCC. 

Here is a superb MR article by Mike Polsgrove on wiring a locomotive DCC decoder into a motorized turntable:

DCC corner: Wiring a DCC turntable
Model Railroader, November 2003 page 115
( COMMAND, CONTROL, DCC, DIGITAL, ELECTRONICS, "POLSGROVE, MIKE", TURNTABLE, MR )

It is completely DCC controller driven, no control panel needed.  A relay that powers all the roundhouse tracks is driven by the headlight output of the locomotive decoder. 

His schematic calls for a reversing module, yet I'm pretty sure that the Atlas turntable switches polarity on the bridge rails as the table rotates every 180 degrees, so it shouldn't be needed.

I'm not sure of the instructions that come with the turntable.  Atlas Book #12, "The Complete Atlas Wiring Book", shows that one side the TT roundhouse and approach tracks are "A" polarity, the other side "B" (or the opposite) polarity.  Be careful to observe each track's polarity when hooking them up to the roundhouse track power relay. 

Be careful to wire up the bridge track's power to match the polarity of the (always powered) approach track(s).  If you have a run-around track, (dual-adjacent approach tracks?) I would make sure that both are "A" polarity, or both "B" polarity, but not a mix.       

Hope this helps. 

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Joe, Thanks, but there are two problems. 
The first is I'm not converting to DCC.  It has been DCC from the beginning. 
The second is that I'm using a Walthers built up 130 foot table, not the Atlas.  It comes with an excellent controller/ power source. 
I broke down and bought Atlas joiners/power leads and slid them completely onto the rails.  I'll wire them with an on/off switch to keep any locos in the roundhouse from being automatically powered when I turn the layout on.
The problem right now is convincing the track to lie low enough so that it's at the same height as the turntable itself. 
Any suggestions from anybody on fastening the round house to the layout tablework ( the roundhouses sit on homosote over plywood.
Gene

You can purchase different thicknesses of cork in sheets from a lumber supply store . glue the round house to the cork then glue the whole structure to the homasote or if you luke you can use double sided tape.
Don

Since I already have a problem with the roundhouse being apparently higher than the turntable, the first option is out.  I hadn't thought of the second, which might work as long as the tape isn't too thick.  The problem, obviously, is making sure the roundhouse tracks mesh correctly with the turntable.
Gene

Gene,

Congrats on all of your progress. 

Polsgrove's article covers DCC power to the roundhouse tracks, but without a control panel.  You want a control panel.

Re-reading your 3-9-07 post I now see that your "slowly -- very slowly - convert to DCC" comment refers to your many locos, not your layout.           

I mis-read "Atlas above table remote machine" in your 8-30-08 reply as "Atlas above table turntable with motor". 

So much for speed reading.     

A mention of your "brand and type" of turntable and other critical info in your 9-17-08 question would have helped us give you the answer you were looking for. 

Your replied "I broke down and bought Atlas joiners/power leads and slid them completely onto the rails".  With all your skills and experience you weren't asking us (9-17-08) how to connect power leads (wires) to a track section's rails, were you? 

All I can add is to use a momentary (called "push-button" by some?) switch between the track power bus and the track.

Is it hard to run a DCC controller with one hand?  If you wanted to get really fancy, you could engineer a "20 seconds on" timer circuit so as not to have to hold down the momentary switch while running the DCC loco in or out of the stall.  Another thought: momentary foot or knee switches to free up 2 hands for the DCC controller.  Still another thought:  Set (push) the DCC handheld controller down on top of the momentary switch for that stall.   

Which questions were not answered in your previous thread "powering track in roundhouse" of 6-25-08?

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,5928.0.html

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

edit: change "track" to "track section's rails"
edit: add "Still another thought: Set....stall."

Thanks for the compliment, Joe.   ;)   I was having problems soldering leads to the track, which is why I went with the joiner-leads.  IMHO, Walthers should have given better instructions for both laying the track and wiring them.  The track probably should have been one of the first steps.  You are correct in that I should have mentioned Walther's turntable and round house. 
In any event the problem now is getting the roundhouse service tracks down to the same level as the turntable tracks. 
Gene

Dear Gene,

Found this at the Walthers website: (HO 130' TT instruction manual)

"Your new turntable automatically reverses track polarity when turned."

(COMMENT: No DCC auto reversing unit needed.)

"As a result, the unit has two electrically insulated areas where the track on the bridge is not powered.

These are identified on the underside of the lip by the "NO TRACK" lettering (also shown on the mounting template).

Working approach and fan tracks must be installed away from these areas – we suggest placing them at 90° to the approach tracks.

You can, however, add an unpowered display track at these points if desired."

(end instruction quotes)

Polarizing the bridge and stall tracks would be simple with an Ohm-meter:

Turn the DCC system off. 

Use the main approach track (correctly polarized with the rest of the layout) as your "standard polarity". 

Hook track power (DCC Bus Feeder) wires up to B1 and B2. 

Rotate either end of the bridge to line up with the approach track.  Check that the right rail of the bridge has continuity (low Ohms connection) with the right rail of the approach track.  Left bridge rail, left approch rail also.  If not, swap the wires on B1 and B2 and re-check. 

Rotate either end of the bridge to any one of your stall tracks.  While holding down (activating) the momentary switch for that stall track, check that the right rail of the bridge has continuity with the right rail of the stall track.  Left bridge rail, left stall rail also.  If not, swap Atlas joiner/power leads on that stall track and re-check. 

Repeat for each stall track.

The "No Track" area must not fall between an approach track and an adjacent "run-around" track (if one exists on your layout).

If you have 2 approach tracks from the same mainline, one from the east, the other from the west, the "No Track" area must fall between the two approach tracks.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Joe - You have one on me!  I went to the Walther's site, found the turntable, but the only instructions I found on that site were the instructions that came with the turntable.  How'd you find them?  They are much more detailed than the hard copy I have.
Gene

Dear Gene,

http://www.walthers.com/instructions/0933/09330000002829.pdf

It's a downloadable Adobe file link found at:

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-2829

Note the snip of the Walthers instructions ends about 1/3 of the way down my last post. 

I wrote the last 2/3.

Hope this helps. 

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

That's what came with the bridge and what I found on the site.  Thanks. 
Gene

Some track for South River Yard is in.  Then I remembered I'm going to power each track to keep having eight locomotives come alive when the power goes on.  So I pulled track and inserted insulating joiners.  The good side was the insulating joiners went on easily.  So maybe there IS a patron saint of model railroaders, after all.  OTOH, I have too many right hand turnouts and need a left hand one.
I'd have it up tomorrow except it's been raining and I need to cut homosote and that is done outside.
I had to give up on the west service track, but I may wind up buying a curved turnout so it will work.
Gene

Gene,
I know you've probably mentioned this in previous posts, but is your layout DC or DCC?

DCC. It's broken up into four power districts and then each track of loco storage and South River Yard has/will have on-off capability.  I don't want 20 sound equipted steam locos powering up at the same time.
Gene

The benchwork for South River Yard is up, the homosote - or most of it painted, and I'll start laying the final track Wednesday.  (I have a CT scan tomorrow, so I may not do much that requires a great deal of care.  Ground foam may be in the order for Tuesday afternoon/evening.)
Gene

Mainline track actually met on 9 Oct.  South River Yard has four tracks installed, two of them powered, and I've found a way to have both an east and a west caboose track.  The east is in, the west will need a #6 left hand, which I will trade tomorrow or Monday for a #6 right hand which is not needed. 
(For various reasons, I'm thinking of realigning the mainline going through Leesboro - this may give me the other approach track to the turntable I want.  If I do this, I'll do the inner track first, and then align the other.
Gene

Hi Gene
To cut homasote, I use one of those razor blade utility knives, the break off type.  Very smooth cuts and no mess.  After cutting, smooth up the edge with a sanding block.

I use light strokes, takes maybe 8 to 10 strokes to cut all the way through.

Bob,
With me, it depends on the size of the homosote I'm cutting. Big pieces, I use a table saw outdoors.  Small cuts I use a razor saw, or a Dremel, or.... The east end caboose track required some small pieces and I used both table saw, razor and Dremel to piece them together.  The caboose track is so close to the edge that I think I'm going to get some chain link fencing to keep a caboose from going off the edge. 
Gene

Have fun with the chain link fence.
Don :)

I've got the South River Yard track in and wired.  BUT - when I put the power to Track Four, the power district shorts out.  The track is (or should be) insulated on both ends and wired the same way as the other tracks.  All other yard tracks work as planned.
Suggestions?
Gene

A wayward track nail causing a short, perhaps?

Sid

I vaccumed.  But that's along the lines of what I was thinking.  I'll look again.
Gene

Drop wire is strand.  Sloppy connection to the power switch caused the short.  Neat connection caused proper running.  All six yard tracks work fine. 
Sunday I'm getting a VT&P USRA 0-8-0 on the yard.  My thanks to C&O GP7 5707. 
Gene

Bob, my personal favorite for cutting homasote is a chainsaw. Arr arr

Are you still in the hospital . I heard your injuries were quite severe. They can do great transplants now.
Don

They were going to do a brain transplant, but couldn't find the old one  ::)

Where did the homostote come from?  I think Yampa Bob got into the Colorado Mountain High a bit too early in the day. 
OTOH, I have one totally electricly dead turnout.  To make it worse, it's the head turnout for the east end of South River Yard.  I get either no or very faint voltage readings on it and all locomotives stall on it.  Should I drop leads from it?  I have no idea why no power comes to it. 
Gene

To answer my own question, the leads work fine. 
Today I put VT&P 125, a USRA 0-8-0 (Proto 200) on the layout and ran it into the west end of South River Yard.  It cleared the first turnout and then slammed to a stop passing the second.  A bit of investigating showed that the slide switch controlling the turnout was too close to the track and blocked the loco.  That was an easy fix - not like some other problems I'm finding.  Ah, well.
BTW, I have three different ways to control the turnouts.  The most common are Caboose Hobby ground throws, followed by slide switches in a similar manner as Sheldon uses them.  I use these only in yards where track clearance is such that a ground throw won't work or to control turnouts in either staging or the reverse loop.  The other controller is the old Atlas remote, which is used only on a few turnouts in staging.  I was going to use Atlas underlayout controls, but found them impossible to adjust correctly.  The Atlas tech said he didn't use them.  I may install Tortoise at some point - some of the Caboose are hard to reach! 
Gene

C&O T-1 leased to VT&P pushed VT&P X -2TC  as Track Maintenace extra to complete the first circumnavigation of the Valley sub.  Not without some problems, of course.  But they seem to be getting fewer, rather than more. 
Gene

The first section of track has been ballasted.  It's the C&O mainline at Nick Junction just to the west of Gordonsville, Va.  (this is non-powered track)
Gene

Sweet like sugar...

Joshua

Well, for the first time since before November, I actually put down some plaster cloth this afternoon, working on the Blue Ridge Mountains between Nicksburg and Bradyton.  I need somebody who is at least six feet tall to help me!  <g>
Gene

Gene, glad to see you are back at it.

I will send you those pictures as soon as I get a small break in a busy spring work schedule.

Sheldon

Thanks, Sheldon.  No great rush. 
Gene