# diving right in



## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

so after a great purchase of allot of track I grabbed some wood today and got down to it .....yes it is ambitious but what the hell eh? 

first table top done










second table framed almost done










first two tables in place










left a "damn my train derailed" space around the side and back 










big ole pile of track










slot a into slot b and repeat over and over and over










like I said ....an ambitious mock up


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## JPIII (Jun 24, 2012)

I like your attitude.
I'm a "what the hell" kinda guy too.....I try not get bogged down by too much thinking, eh?


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Welcome to the forum, an S man I see.

Do your self a favor and clean each piece of track before you assemble them on the layout. (Easier)
Clean track makes for a happy RR.

It looks like yours needs a little TLC.


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

big ed said:


> Welcome to the forum, an S man I see.
> 
> Do your self a favor and clean each piece of track before you assemble them on the layout. (Easier)
> Clean track makes for a happy RR.
> ...



thanks Ed....yes I know that a clean track surface makes for a better run and I plan on doing so but this is a quick layout to see if i have enough to pull this off and to get my measurements.....once that is accomplished then I clean and hook up wires and see what happens and how many changes I need to make (the unit is just there to make sure that each turn clears the train. I know this is a big undertaking and am willing to put in the time.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

"Get 'er done!"

I like that!

Steep lookin' grade on the spiral uprise, though. Curious to see what kind of pullin' ability you have with that steamer.

Looking forward to the progress!

TJ


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

tjcruiser said:


> "Get 'er done!"
> 
> I like that!
> 
> ...



thanks tj;
It does look a little steep and I am going to get rid of the top 2x4 risers and put a thinner board there to drop the track down...as I said it is a mock up to see where it has to be to make it work ......I am not one to sit down and crunch numbers I like hands on and learning from my mistakes. :thumbsup:

more work on it tonight with an update to follow


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## N scale catastrophe (Nov 18, 2012)

midlifekrisiz said:


> t ......I am not one to sit down and crunch numbers I like hands on and learning from my mistakes. :thumbsup:


Like the attitude and can't wait to see more photos.


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

well after getting our delivery of wood, spending 3 1/2 hrs cutting and stacking some










then a dump run, then shopping finally got to spend some time on the layout again today.

added a switching yard today (gona need a few electric switches for this brilliant idea) and going to have to create an area for a Y as well 










and this is as far as she made it today with two cars...a gondola foll of gyp-rock and the heavy flatcar with logs....not bad I think. 











was having troubles with the unit loosing power and reversing on it's own but i am guessing that when the track is secured to a base and extra pos leads ran that most of that will stop.


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## 05Slowbalt (Dec 19, 2011)

Love it. What do you do with all that wood?


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

05Slowbalt said:


> Love it. What do you do with all that wood?


thanks 

the wood is for the fire places that heat the house.


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

well the weather was rather unpleasant today so disappeared into the basement for a spell 

got tired of messing around with wood and a saw and picked up some foam board and got to sawing lol


















































































final run of the night to the top of the blue (any further would be suicide) 


http://s58.photobucket.com/albums/g...ion=view&current=1940train049_zpsfaad420d.mp4


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Things are rising up ... literally!

And fun to watch, too. Keep us posted.

TJ


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

What is the "toy" you have sitting under the porch? 

By your wood pile.


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

big ed said:


> What is the "toy" you have sitting under the porch?
> 
> By your wood pile.



lol was wondering how long it would take someone to notice that. 

we purchased a couple of used chinese atv's 3 summers ago ($1,000 for the pair)

put a couple of $$ and some time into them and have had nothing but a blast on them. wifes is a 150cc 2wd auto utility atv and mine is a 250cc (honda clone engine) 4spd sport atv.










we take the grandsons out once in a wile as well and have a 110 for the oldest to ride


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

and yes i am a picture w*ore :thumbsup:


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

was only able to add one more block of board to the spiral because now the circle has closed in and is in line with the track below so time to try some supports for the rest 











i think this will work fine for support (with some fine tuning) and as ribs for the mountain










these ones are too high at the moment but nothing the jig saw can't take care of.


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

need to get some more plywood for the support pieces so decided to see if i can figure out the rough area where the bridge is going to go over the beginning of the helix and start it's downhill grade as well take a stab at some of the base of mountain. comments more than welcome





































temp bridge


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

i got anoyed at the unit derailing or the front drive wheels being off the track and only the rears driving it so I took out the front truck spring and cut 1/2 a turn off of it and re-installed SUCCESS now all drive wheels stay on the track in the curves and no more derailments (so far) and pulling 3 cars and a caboose up hill 










then got to work on a bit more of the side of the mountain wile waiting to pick up more plywood.



















went for diner and came back to find a landslide on the track lol










got to work on another piece of mountain


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

well I found the cork i want to use for my roadbed today 



















then decided to try another members trick of using drywall mud to build up the sides....works pretty good I think but will see when it is dry.



















bit of a derailment before I started working


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

I find that the couplers on these older trains are not that great and tend to uncouple once in a wile (more than I like) is there a way to make them grab a little better? also the one on the back of the tender came right off (pin that is pressed into it poped out) is there a quick fix for this or should I look at a new set of trucks for the rear of the tender?


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

where are all the critics? maybe i am doing better than i thought :laugh:


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

worked on making sure that both units will work for when the grandsons (3 & 11)come by tomorrow...last time they were here there was just one train going in a 14 track oval (little guy loved it) wait till they see what I have done since they were here last 

here is the 47 taking a run at it (think I played with it too much as it was acting up)
http://s58.photobucket.com/albums/g...ion=view&current=1940train074_zpsd5ee3af7.mp4

and here is the 53 taking a shot at it ...does rather well I think

http://s58.photobucket.com/albums/g...ion=view&current=1940train075_zps5d5e9c6a.mp4

can't wait now till the boys see it


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

five post since last comment 

maybe I will just stick to asking for help instead of showing on this site.


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## The New Guy (Mar 11, 2012)

midlifekrisiz said:


> five post since last comment
> 
> maybe I will just stick to asking for help instead of showing on this site.


If you are going to be up posting at all hours of the day, expect some lag. 

Timboy has posted some great helps for the old linkers - mostly making sure they are straight, move freely, and his last trick is to file a deeper hook into the link. Making them straight and loose has been enough for me though.

I took the couplers off the back of my caboose's, or cabeese.

I like your progress. Good improvisation and use of materials.


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## BK R (Dec 8, 2012)

Don't stop, I havn't made a comment because all this is new to me, but it looks good.


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## Fighterpilot (Mar 16, 2011)

Here is a comment for you. I wouldn't start working on scenery until I got the track all layed. You can then be running the trains while your working on scenery and the like. When I started mine, about a couple of years ago, I layed all the track with all the necessary lifts. Made sure everything was straight and in line, basically making everything mechanically sound. That was step one. Then I started filling under the lifts that I wanted to fill beneath and everything just sort of built up from there. I had a track plan drawn on paper and did my best to follow it, although I did deviate at times in order to make things fit. It helped out a lot being able to stop working on scenery and run the train a bit while sipping on an adult beverage. Sort of like sitting back and enjoying your work.
Good luck with your layout. One thing I would do is clean off that track. It could be a cause for the problem you say you are having and it could lead to shorts and bad electrical contact in the future. It will be most difficult to narrow down a problem with the track once it's all assembled.


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

fighter :
I did clean the track and today I tried another persons trick of using 3&1 oil on the track (very minimal) and it seem'd to take care of most of it ...sparking is minimal, very few stops by the unit as well.


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

made it to the top last night .....building will stop at this point and now I will make sure that everything is secure from bottom to top as far as the track goes.


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## joed2323 (Oct 17, 2010)

That looks like one hell of a grade to pull

Do you know how steep your grade is?

Also, how many cars can you pull up this grade at once?

Good job so far


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

joed2323 said:


> That looks like one hell of a grade to pull
> 
> Do you know how steep your grade is?
> 
> ...


no idea how steep it is lol but the heavy 47 can pull itself, coal tender and 2 cars and the light 53 can pull 4 cars and itself up this grade no problem. still needs some tweaking here and there and road bed still needs to be laid down but that is in the works. got kinda carried away with construction... once I saw that they were pulling cars up the grade I just kept going :laugh:


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## The New Guy (Mar 11, 2012)

Sweet helix.

Makes me want to change my room some.


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

The New Guy said:


> Sweet helix.
> 
> Makes me want to change my room some.


thanks TNG ...did some tweaking tonight on the track in the helix and now the heavy 47 pulls 3 cars (and itself ) bottom to top with no interruptions in service.


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

Fighter:
if you hadn't noticed some of my scenery is part of the support for the track so doing scenery wile laying track is something i need to do as I go.


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## Fighterpilot (Mar 16, 2011)

Got it, coming along just fine. Anxious to watch your progress. . I like your design. Looks like it's going to be a lot of fun. One thing you might have to be careful of is that if you run the locomotive up hill with enough power to get her up, it might come down way too fast and derail if you are not on the controls. You might design your downgrade at a little less steep angle so you won't have a run away train on the way down. Keep up the good work, it's looking good.


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

Fighterpilot said:


> Got it, coming along just fine. Anxious to watch your progress. . I like your design. Looks like it's going to be a lot of fun. One thing you might have to be careful of is that if you run the locomotive up hill with enough power to get her up, it might come down way too fast and derail if you are not on the controls. You might design your downgrade at a little less steep angle so you won't have a run away train on the way down. Keep up the good work, it's looking good.


lol good point but....I have run it in both directions and full tilt (with wife standing at the back of the helix  ) and so far no derailments :thumbsup: I am going to incorperate upright braces in the back every 6" to catch it just incase it does come off the track (no one will see that part )


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

Fighterpilot said:


> Got it, coming along just fine. Anxious to watch your progress. . I like your design. Looks like it's going to be a lot of fun. One thing you might have to be careful of is that if you run the locomotive up hill with enough power to get her up, it might come down way too fast and derail if you are not on the controls. You might design your downgrade at a little less steep angle so you won't have a run away train on the way down. Keep up the good work, it's looking good.



lol I just re-read your post and now i understand what you were refering to....the downhill grade after the helix when i come back down to starting point ...I plan on having a long enough run as it comes down off the mountain to allow for less of a grade.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

midlifekrisiz said:


> lol was wondering how long it would take someone to notice that.


Ed's eyes don't miss much, this is the first time back looking at your build.
I don't have any S so I can't really comment on how to fix them.

Looking good, but the grade does look steep. 
If you had figured the grade in a different spot, it looks like you could have brought it up to the shelf on the wall and ran it around the corner coming back down on the layout.

You oiled the track???

Keep posting and look at your view numbers, a lot of times your getting the views but you get no comments.
Sometimes this could be a good thing.

Sometimes when I post to some of my threads, it seems as I am talking to myself. 

I will try to help when I can.


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

big ed said:


> You oiled the track???


ya...I was reading another fellas blog and he had the same problems with power and sparking and used 3&1 oil (very lightly with paper towel) on the track and it worked wonders so I figured what have I got to loose and tried it and now it has less sparking and far less problems. I am thinking of trying that frog snott for traction ...ever use it?


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

midlifekrisiz said:


> ya...I was reading another fellas blog and he had the same problems with power and sparking and used 3&1 oil (very lightly with paper towel) on the track and it worked wonders so I figured what have I got to loose and tried it and now it has less sparking and far less problems. I am thinking of trying that frog snott for traction ...ever use it?


We have an old thread about that too.....somewhere.

I have never used it.
I would think that you would loose some traction by oiling the track.
Did you clean the wheels real good?

Does it just spark at the joints? Or all over?

I think the cleaner the tracks and wheels are the better the train will run, and the less sparks you would have.
But I never had any S trains, I am saying that about running my 3 rail O trains.

Especially oiling the grade, I would think it would be more of a hindrance instead of a benefit running up the grade.


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

big ed said:


> We have an old thread about that too.....somewhere.
> 
> I have never used it.
> I would think that you would loose some traction by oiling the track.


you loose a bit for a few runs till it drys up yes




big ed said:


> Did you clean the wheels real good?


yup I keep an eye on them



big ed said:


> Does it just spark at the joints? Or all over?


I believe just the joints


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## The New Guy (Mar 11, 2012)

The flyer manuals point to kerosene as a track cleaner - it has the same effect as the oil (Timboy's tips) reducing the sparking. I have no idea why it works, but it does.

An unrelated note, Tim took down that huge S set-up.


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

started on some of the mountain last night 










first layer


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## Fighterpilot (Mar 16, 2011)

Nice work on your tressel. I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the layout as you complete the scenery. Keep those pictures coming.


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

weather was crap today and then the power went out so we decided to try our hand at making our own trees the way that Alphaman had outlined the way him and his wife did it....WORKS GREAT! Have to do some touch ups but other than that we are quite pleased. :thumbsup:










used a caboose to give us a feel for the scale





































a few touch ups and should be good to place when we are ready

when the power came back on I went down to play with hydrocal some more



















I have learned that when it starts to harden to add a bit more water then place the mixture right on what you have layed out already with your hands and it really adds to the texture.

more tomorrow i am sure


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

ran out of hydrocal last night so decided to try my hand at paper machete (hobby store not open on sundays here 

decided to make a set off area for the section men to get out of the way of a train and take a break










then went to town














































will see how it sets and then will add a second layer and I figure a skim coat of the hydrocal to finish it.


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

checked it out after letting it sit all night under a light and was not happy that some of it is still wet 

going to let it dry and go back to the hydracal .....might as well work with what works and although I like the way the paper machet lays onto the base I have I like how the hydracal sets upand looks after only one day.....lesson learned.


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## The New Guy (Mar 11, 2012)

You wrote hobby store - have you tried setting drywall compound with paper towels? I use the 15 minute set in small batches, works quite well.


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

The New Guy said:


> You wrote hobby store - have you tried setting drywall compound with paper towels? I use the 15 minute set in small batches, works quite well.



compound as in drywall mud? like i used to bring up the edge of some of my track bed? if so what do you do? use it straight out of bucket or with a bit of water to make it more usable?


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## Mavryk (Jan 28, 2013)

I gotta say, seeing your layout has made me decide to redo mine. I'm in HO so I'll go with just a 4x8 layout with a staging area added on. I'm definately incorporating your helix idea though. I love it. 

One thing I did with building the mountains is use a diluted drywall compound with white rags picked up from Home Depot. Only problem is you get a very noticable seam from rag to rag. I went over it with paper towels dipped in the diluted drywall and really liked the result. 
Another method is to use paper towel with diluted white glue mixed about 50/50. this gives it a very hard serface with no cracking. Give it a couple days to fully dry though.

Lorne


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## The New Guy (Mar 11, 2012)

midlifekrisiz said:


> compound as in drywall mud? like i used to bring up the edge of some of my track bed? if so what do you do? use it straight out of bucket or with a bit of water to make it more usable?


I don't use the stuff in the bucket - that's a drying compound, it stays mushy while wet - setting compound comes dry, in bags. I'll mix it thin, like cream or syrup, soak some paper towels in it, and lay them on.


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

The New Guy said:


> I don't use the stuff in the bucket - that's a drying compound, it stays mushy while wet - setting compound comes dry, in bags. I'll mix it thin, like cream or syrup, soak some paper towels in it, and lay them on.


noted :thumbsup:


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## daveh219 (Sep 16, 2012)

Midlife...good pics...I too have S scale and picked up an idea or two from your pics. Question...how big is the working area for your layout??


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

daveh219 said:


> Midlife...good pics...I too have S scale and picked up an idea or two from your pics. Question...how big is the working area for your layout??


thanks Dave....It currently is 8'W x 6'L and will end up being 8'W x 12' to 15'L..the reason for this is the fixed radius of the original track is almost 4' 
so when I got the brilliant idea of doing a helix  I had no choice but to make it this big :laugh:


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

got down to some more scenery tonight (need more supplies now) 

used last two batches of hydrocal tonight without paper towel ....just a brush and I am very happy with how it hid the seams from the first layer and covers over every part you want to change or add too.










redid the top peak of the main area and started to shape it and get it to the point where I just need to add the first layer. (3 yr old grandson said he it should be a big mountain )










brought the far edge down to where I want it 



















going to have a bit of a slide area from the top in the V area


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## Mavryk (Jan 28, 2013)

This is looking really good.


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## Fighterpilot (Mar 16, 2011)

That disorder is closely related to the "But First Disease" . You know, it's when you go into the shop to do a particular job or project and you see something else that needs to be done and you say to yourself, "I'm going to do what I set out to do, now here it comes, "But first I'm going to take care of this and then that". Then one thing leads to another and you never get around to what you intended to do in the first place. 
If you find a cure, let me know.


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## JPIII (Jun 24, 2012)

Fighterpilot said:


> That disorder is closely related to the "But First Disease" . You know, it's when you go into the shop to do a particular job or project and you see something else that needs to be done and you say to yourself, "I'm going to do what I set out to do, now here it comes, "But first I'm going to take care of this and then that". Then one thing leads to another and you never get around to what you intended to do in the first place.
> If you find a cure, let me know.


I'm fresh out.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

I think I have the "disorder disease", too!

Krisiz -- nice progress on the layout / mountains ... they're rising fast!

TJ


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

tj thanks

the last two days were devoted to a new floor in the bathroom so I got today to play railroad engineer 



















more building going on











one foot to cut off the end so that I can get my belly around to the back 










swiped another members idea for a river .....but I though it was a gooder.










started bringing the grade down 1/4" per 20 inches of track and that seems to be working and should be back down to grade on other side of 4th (yet to be built) table.


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)




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## Mavryk (Jan 28, 2013)

Hey Mid, layout's looking really good, but I couldn't help notice your weapon collection there. Me likey!


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## joed2323 (Oct 17, 2010)

Looking good. You are making headway pretty quick.
I don't think any one member on this forum would care if we shared ideas, thats what its for when you post up pictures. As long as you give that member credit for the idea then thats all that matters in my book:thumbsup:

Keep the pictures flying


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## brik-el (Feb 24, 2012)

Hey, great work on this so far.
Been watchin up until now.

I'm thinking you'd be able to haul a longer train, if you reverse the direction.
Have you train climb the long slope, and go down the helix.

Just a suggestion.

Keep up the good work.
:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

brik-el said:


> Hey, great work on this so far.
> Been watchin up until now.
> 
> I'm thinking you'd be able to haul a longer train, if you reverse the direction.
> ...


THANKS 

I have tried it in both directions (still needs some tweeking here and there) and yes it does haul better going down the helix but I want to haul in both directions and I think that with some tweeking and some frog snot I will be able to pull more cars.


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## Mavryk (Jan 28, 2013)

I know this was asked in an earlier post, but did you ever figure out the grade on that helix?

For when I build a helix on my layout, I know a 2% grade works, but does anyone know if I can get away with a 3% for HO steam?


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

Mavryk said:


> I know this was asked in an earlier post, but did you ever figure out the grade on that helix?
> 
> For when I build a helix on my layout, I know a 2% grade works, but does anyone know if I can get away with a 3% for HO steam?


yes I remember but all I can tell you is that it rises 1/4" every 20" in the helix and drops 1/4" every 20" and the route down....sorry can't be more technical for you.


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

got some more base work done in the south east corner 

somewhere in this mess there will be a gorge 










river edge taking shape


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

made a couple of purchases today

new grade risers










and hopefully a good purchase.... bullfrog snot (sorry bad pic)










started on the climb back up to the mill (not there yet except in my mind)

going to need a bridge here ...sudgestions? how long would you make the deck on this span?



















switch to be installed for the switch back to the mill when i build the other table.


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

well after servicing the AF 301 and applying the bullfrog snot to the wheels (need more practice on that ) I was able to pull 4 cars and a caboose "up" the helix without a problem.

unfortunately I did not get a vid of that run  and after a few runs it started to wear off so I think that I did not do it right the first time and will take another crack at it with it watered down a bit (one recommendation from bullfrog snot site) with a small brush instead of the toothpick.

but now onto the pics and a vid 

power and ground buss bar that I got from work to run my power leads










here is a rescued drafting tool box that I saved from being discarded by CP cleanup in our old office that I have turned into my storage for the units.



















temporary cradle I quickly made to service the engines (better one later)



















bad pic but you can see the mounts that I was talking about that have been split apart (to be filled with jb weld and re-drilled and taped)










here is one run for your enjoyment.....still need to tweek and fiddle with it but i am happy so far

http://s58.beta.photobucket.com/user/teamaerostar/media/1940 train/1940train176_zpsb0a85d16.mp4.html


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## JPIII (Jun 24, 2012)

I use 4% on straight track with no problems. I have no curved 4% but I'm confident the Climaxs & Mlallet would have no problems. My little 0-6-0 wlill not pull 5 cars up straight 4%.

So the answer to the grade question: It depends on the loco. Light weight locos suffer from slipage.


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

hmmm suppose I could glue some led weights inside the shell ....might help a bit. 

got some more done on the main mountain today.....closer and closer to completion 




















and did a rough completion of the loop (need more foam board)




so far so good.


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

well sunday I had some down time so I decided to figure out why i lost power at the main switch.
everything under the inspection plate was corroded .....cleaned the contacts up and it worked like a charm.











did a bit more of the main mountain tonight (not allot) as well decided to use proper risers (need to purchase some) for the final leg of the main and as well to bring the industrial track back down to grade and at the same time creating a Y to turn around if wanted.





































and here is where the Y will be made 










i'm gona need around 7-8 power switches to complete this layout hwell:


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## The New Guy (Mar 11, 2012)

midlifekrisiz said:


> i'm gona need around 7-8 power switches to complete this layout hwell:


I've looked through my boxes and all I have right now are two manuals and a broken left hand in a ziplock.

I'm sure you've been watching e-bay though - they turn up regularly.


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

The New Guy said:


> I've looked through my boxes and all I have right now are two manuals and a broken left hand in a ziplock.
> 
> I'm sure you've been watching e-bay though - they turn up regularly.


whats wrong with the broken l/h one? Is it fixable? I would be interested if it is.


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## The New Guy (Mar 11, 2012)

midlifekrisiz said:


> whats wrong with the broken l/h one? Is it fixable? I would be interested if it is.


The base didn't survive bouncing down the stairs - it's just the "more durable" parts that now fit in a sandwich bag.


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

The New Guy said:


> The base didn't survive bouncing down the stairs - it's just the "more durable" parts that now fit in a sandwich bag.


so you have everything except the base? as far as i can see the bases are the same for manual and electric....care to sell the parts to me?


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

bullfrog snot tonight as well as a trial track cleaner (got the 3yr old grandson coming over Friday so need to make sure it can pull a few cars (or more) 

watered down the snot as per instructions










used a brush and gave them 2 coats now it sits until test runs tomorrow night










then made a makeshift track cleaner (see how that goes) used 2 velcro strips for hanging pictures and the scrubber stuck right to them :thumbsup:




























can a mod move this to the right spot as i realized it has nothing to do with my layout


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Sure it does, they run on your layout and you clean the track on your layout.
Leave it here in "your" thread.

Did you snot 2 of the wheels or all of them?


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

big ed said:


> Sure it does, they run on your layout and you clean the track on your layout.
> Leave it here in "your" thread.
> 
> Did you snot 2 of the wheels or all of them?


lol ok sounds good to me 

i snotted all 4...see how that goes.

duno if you noticed but the green pad has a curve to it (on purpose) with some weight added to the car all the wheels will sit on the track and give a bit of pressure to the pad...hope it works.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

midlifekrisiz said:


> lol ok sounds good to me
> 
> i snotted all 4...see how that goes.
> 
> duno if you noticed but the green pad has a curve to it (on purpose) with some weight added to the car all the wheels will sit on the track and give a bit of pressure to the pad...hope it works.



I never ran flyers but I thought they picked up power through the wheels? With the snot on all of them, wouldn't that screw up the running of the engine?
Good ideal on the cleaner.


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

the power is picked up through the tender's wheels ....the cleaner did not work....was too low so onto the next idea.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

midlifekrisiz said:


> the power is picked up through the tender's wheels ....the cleaner did not work....was too low so onto the next idea.



Ah yes, Flyers pickup through the tender. 
How did the snot work?
For the first cleaning of the track you should do it by hand before you lay them down, like I mentioned in the beginning of your thread. It is a lot easier doing each separate section individually. Make sure the pins and inside the pin holes are nice and clean also. Make sure the sections are tight too. All that helps with the running performance of the Locomotive.

Maybe more weight in the cleaner car would help?
The cleaner car is nice to run every once and a while to keep them clean after they are first cleaned up individually before you tack them down.

Maybe figure out a way to attach the scrubber on springs? That way the scrubber part will always have some pressure on it.

The layout is looking good.:thumbsup:


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

big ed said:


> Ah yes, Flyers pickup through the tender.
> How did the snot work?
> For the first cleaning of the track you should do it by hand before you lay them down, like I mentioned in the beginning of your thread. It is a lot easier doing each separate section individually. Make sure the pins and inside the pin holes are nice and clean also. Make sure the sections are tight too. All that helps with the running performance of the Locomotive.
> 
> ...


the snot worked ok untill I started to spin the wheels due to me realizing that the grade was just too much and I think i spread it on too thin....try try again i guess....I have started to bring the grade up from the lowest section to compensate for the grade to get up to the helix....1" so far but i think i need to bring it up another 1/4" more to make it just right.
and I have been cleaning the track before I add it to the layout :thumbsup:



big ed said:


> Maybe figure out a way to attach the scrubber on springs? That way the scrubber part will always have some pressure on it.


not a bad Idea....i did try adding more weight but that didn't seem to help due to the fact that the scrubber was too stiff



big ed said:


> The layout is looking good.:thumbsup:


thank you sir :thumbsup:


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

so after the grandkids left I went back downstairs to play some more

need an opinion.....should I put a yard here or build an addition off the the side for a yard and put a turntable and engine house here



















I found an old air conditioner that was hooped but.....the fan (great base to start off ) and main bearing (soooo smooth) are fine and would be a great to build a turntable out of ( already have the workings for it planned out in my head) played with that a bit.

http://s58.beta.photobucket.com/user/teamaerostar/media/1940train211_zpsc4ba5043.mp4.html

then emptied another can of foam onto the layout










and here is a little vid for your enjoyment.

http://s58.beta.photobucket.com/user/teamaerostar/media/1940train206_zps01293442.mp4.html


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## brik-el (Feb 24, 2012)

I vote for a roundhouse and turntable.
Cause you know that you're gonna want to put one in eventually!

Also if you add an addition, you can make the yard BIGGER!!!!!

Good stuff!:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

turntable = 1
yard = 0


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## The New Guy (Mar 11, 2012)

I vote C. additional spurs for industries. I like purpose - a reason to climb the mountain, figuratively and in your case literally speaking. 

A yard is nice if you want to do some switching. My FIL doesn't do any switching, but uses his yard as a staged train waiting on the main to clear area. IMO, a turn table is a distant third or fourth best option. Takes up a lot of area without (again, JMO) much payoff.

YMMV.


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

now that I think about it C seems to more make sense .....will mull it over.

took a break from track laying today and moved on to another bridge...






































the makings of the center I beams



















bit of a test fit....so far so good


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## KTFlory (Feb 28, 2013)

With that locomotive sitting on a fan motor I can't help think of a scene from Thomas the Tank Engine where one of the locomotives is sitting on the turn table while it spins out of control lol...

Very nice bridge work. I'm always jealous of others scratch building skills.


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## eljefe (Jun 11, 2011)

It's nice to see an S-scale layout for a change of pace. Looking good!


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

used up the rest of the wood i had (scraps and such) and made some straps of wood for when I build a lumber yard with loading dock for flats


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

well after many tries and re-tries I came to the result that I needed to raise the bed of the table to decrease the slope from level to mountain climb.

strip down










building it up properly



















leaving room for embankment











foam it up


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Nice progress there, Mid ... looking good!

TJ


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

went off to the hobby store this morn and picked up a bunch of risers and got to work making things better 


I ended up raising the bed 1 1/2" to 4" as it went up so that the incline was not as harsh as it was and the units should be able to haul quite a bit up to the helix.





































and ended up revamping the exit out of the helix as well.



















lots of gluing to do and need more risers to raise the track that will go to the factory by the lake hwell:


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

due to bad weather again I had to stay inside and work on the layout again 

got the track layed into place (with a few adjustments and custom cut rails) and did a few test runs.

dayum that looks fine there 










short train run

http://s58.photobucket.com/user/teamaerostar/media/1940 train/1940train312_zps2682b66c.mp4.html

longer train run

http://s58.photobucket.com/user/teamaerostar/media/1940 train/1940train316_zpsff9726b4.mp4.html

derailment

http://s58.photobucket.com/user/teamaerostar/media/1940 train/1940train315_zps6c060fde.mp4.html

have to re-run the power leads again but things are running better already.


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## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

trying to figure out how ti bring up the sides so that it doesn't look like the train is running on a long ****....ideas?


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## The New Guy (Mar 11, 2012)

Widen the **** (this is why I need strike-through)  I mean ridge a bit to add some scenic...there isn't space to make a real scene but the impression of a scene I guess - it's a toy, and we are playing, sometimes you need to imagine stuff...I'd add a bit of scenery to the outside of the track, then a steep grade on the inside to simulate space. Use the same type of scenery, like trees or something. Steep enough so you can transition to whatever scene is below...

HTH


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## The New Guy (Mar 11, 2012)

Looks like rain tomorrow, maybe you get something done on that ****...


I am really enjoying this project - it's really coming along nice.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Only looked at the last few pages so far, but it looks real nice! Like the coffee and cigs, but clean out the foam applicator tube!! I'm not good with train terminology what is a ****, conventional meanings aside?


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