# Freddy's American Flyer Test Track on Folding Ping Pong Table



## BrokeCurmudgeon

After playing with SCARM a bit, I have decided (until I change my mind again:hah upon the first layout version 1.3. Also, I have attached two other layouts for comparison including the Figure Eight diagram which I could not fit on version 3.1. Suggestions? :dunno:


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## cramden

A figure 8 will fit on a 4x8 space. You have to use 1 full straight and 1 half straight off of each leg of the 90 degree crossing before you start the curve, then it will line up. If you want an over and under figure 8 then you can use just 3 straights on each section because the crossing over each other is not 90 degrees, but you need a trestle set or your own way of getting the track to rise. You limit the available space on a 5x9 with a figure 8 but a loop around the outside is possible. Try playing around again with scarm and see if you can find a way to include it if you want one.


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## BrokeCurmudgeon

cramden said:


> A figure 8 will fit on a 4x8 space. You have to use 1 full straight and 1 half straight off of each leg of the 90 degree crossing before you start the curve, then it will line up. If you want an over and under figure 8 then you can use just 3 straights on each section because the crossing over each other is not 90 degrees, but you need a trestle set or your own way of getting the track to rise. You limit the available space on a 5x9 with a figure 8 but a loop around the outside is possible. Try playing around again with scarm and see if you can find a way to include it if you want one.


Thanks Cramden! The problem is I have to get the figure eight in 1/2 of the 5x9 folding ping pong table. That means that it has to fit in a 60"x54" half section. I don't have room, all the time, in my garage for the full 5x9 table to be in the down position. I had acquired a box of old track and the figure eight was included. I suppose that I will just not use it.


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## cramden

The only downside to the 90 degree crossing is that a lot of engines neutral out going over it because of its design, lots of gaps in it. I have 2 and don't use them but I guess they could be worked over to achieve better electrical contact but I've never tried.


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## AmFlyer

If the top layout is V.1.3 I have a couple of things to check. First there appears to be a 10" straight between the red turnout and the green turnout. This will not be quite long enough to allow switching operations on the sidings without fouling the red turnout.
Second, if you plan to run 4 car passenger trains pulled by a Hudson or Northern a train that length will likely foul one of the turnouts if parked on a red track. It will be real close. Pulled with a PA/PA or PA/PB it will not fit. 
I always lay out the track and test out what I want to run before fastening down any track. Be sure to allow for new acquisitions, people on this forum are good at helping other people spend money!
The 725 crossing works fine with Hudsons, Northerns and link coupler engines that have the longer tender trucks with 3 stamped springs. Never run an engine with a 2 position reverse unit through a 725.


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## AmFlyer

For info, here is one of my Christmas layouts mocked up on the floor. As you can see I was able to check all the clearances and determine the uncoupler and action car actuator locations. On this layout one of the actuators is on the outside of an approaching curve. Since I run a 370 Diesel the actuator has to be almost a full straight away from the curve or the link coupler bar will hit it. I also verified the locations of the 690 track clips to assure the 2 train feature of the turnouts worked properly without any fiber pins. If you plan to use fiber pins this is the time to check they work as planned in the locations selected.


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## cramden

Looks like plan #9 in the instruction book. It appears you had to add a fitter piece to account for the rubber roadbed. My problem is after laying out a plan and running trains I find it unsatisfactory and start over. Still trying to do too much in too small of a space. Hopefully I'll get it right and get something done eventually. Guess I bought way too much stuff over the years.


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## AmFlyer

It is. I added 2” pieces on the sides of the outside track plus added the 2 sidings.


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## cramden

Its a nice plan for a relatively small space. Maybe I can adapt it to my 8x6.5 space.


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## AmFlyer

It is 52”x 96” as shown. Stretching it to 70” wide is easy. Based on using this plan for many years I would use the remaining 7” of width to add some long sidings or an outer loop passing track. Did that one year, I will see if I have a picture.


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## AmFlyer

Found them! Christmas of 1982. The tie points for the outer loop passing track are in the foreground at at the similar point in the right rear near the terminally ugly wallpaper. 









Another view.


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## Mikeh49

Well, Tom, you've come a long way from that layout!


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## AmFlyer

So true! The extra track and pair of turnouts I purchased for that layout were my first. It has been a long and expensive journey since that layout. It was the first AF layout I ever did, I built some HO and N layouts prior to it. My dad built all the AF layouts when I was a child. My original AF trains had been packed away in my parents attic for 20 years. 
In November of 1982 my wife and I looked at each other and said lets go get the trains. We made the round trip from Chicago to Pittsburgh over the weekend. I had very little time to build that layout but my son loved it. I have had an American Flyer layout every year since. No two have been identical.


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## cramden

Thank you for posting the pics. I'm guessing the other switch for the passing track is hidden beyond the mountain? Anyway, I'll play around with that idea and see what develops. As far as the wallpaper, I'm sure it was quite the style 35 years ago. Appreciate the pics. I agree with Mikeh49, what a difference in layouts after 35 years.


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## AmFlyer

The other turnout is off the first picture to the right. If you blow up the second picture you can see it back in the corner.


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## cramden

Got it, thanks.


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## BrokeCurmudgeon

AmFlyer said:


> If the top layout is V.1.3 I have a couple of things to check. First there appears to be a 10" straight between the red turnout and the green turnout. This will not be quite long enough to allow switching operations on the sidings without fouling the red turnout.
> Second, if you plan to run 4 car passenger trains pulled by a Hudson or Northern a train that length will likely foul one of the turnouts if parked on a red track. It will be real close. Pulled with a PA/PA or PA/PB it will not fit.
> I always lay out the track and test out what I want to run before fastening down any track. Be sure to allow for new acquisitions, people on this forum are good at helping other people spend money!
> The 725 crossing works fine with Hudsons, Northerns and link coupler engines that have the longer tender trucks with 3 stamped springs. Never run an engine with a 2 position reverse unit through a 725.


How critical are "S" turns coming out of a turnout with American Flyer? My experience with N Scale has been to don't do it and never do it again.:hah:


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## AmFlyer

I work the track plan until I have none, sometimes it takes some effort. I feel they layout looks better without S curves. If you operate all original Gilbert trains they are not an operational issue if the track is properly assembled and fastened to the layout.


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## BrokeCurmudgeon

*Final As Built of Freddy's 5x9 Ping pong Table Test Track*

I have finally completed my test track as shown here. All works fine except when it is cold like below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Other wise, I am happy!:smokin:


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## mopac

Looks good Broke!!! Glad you are happy with it. I still have no table layout. Its coming.
Are you using track clips for your 2 removable track sections. LOL, even though it was my idea, wondering how they work keeping track aligned.

Looks like you could have at least 3 locomotives on your layout easily. And run any of the 3.


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## flyernut

mopac said:


> Looks good Broke!!! Glad you are happy with it. I still have no table layout. Its coming.
> Are you using track clips for your 2 removable track sections. LOL, even though it was my idea, wondering how they work keeping track aligned.
> 
> Looks like you could have at least 3 locomotives on your layout easily. And run any of the 3.


I was just going to say the same thing. 3 locos, all waiting to run..Cool, I like it...


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## BrokeCurmudgeon

mopac said:


> Looks good Broke!!! Glad you are happy with it. I still have no table layout. Its coming.
> Are you using track clips for your 2 removable track sections. LOL, even though it was my idea, wondering how they work keeping track aligned.
> 
> Looks like you could have at least 3 locomotives on your layout easily. And run any of the 3.


I came up with cutting off one of the track pins so that the track connections at the table joint have nothing. Then I use 2 clips, one on each side, to hold that joint together. Seems to work OK. I am waiting for a warmer day to try more engines on it. I hope that I don't have to wait until May!:laugh::laugh: I will post a video when I do.


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## cramden

Nice job, looks like plenty of room to store excess engines and cars. I don't know about you BC, but I don't work well in temps below 32 degrees! Any thoughts of a space heater in the garage to make it easier to deal with the frigid temps?


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## BrokeCurmudgeon

cramden said:


> Nice job, looks like plenty of room to store excess engines and cars. I don't know about you BC, but I don't work well in temps below 32 degrees! Any thoughts of a space heater in the garage to make it easier to deal with the frigid temps?


I live in a senor community and they frown on space heaters. But, I do have a parabolic radiant heater that keeps the frost off of my hands.


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## flyernut

If you will be needing turn-outs, I have some coming in for a restore/re-build, complete with controller. Let me know....


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## BrokeCurmudgeon

flyernut said:


> If you will be needing turn-outs, I have some coming in for a restore/re-build, complete with controller. Let me know....


The turnouts that I have are all manual because this really is just a test track. However, I may want to change them out. Let me know when you are done. Who knows what a American Flyer deranged nut might do?:smilie_auslachen: :laugh::laugh:


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## BrokeCurmudgeon

*Hudson's first run on test track*

Test Track now done and ready for modifications.:laugh: This is a small video of my Hudson's first run. Sorry for the poor quality of video.


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## flyernut

no video...


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## BrokeCurmudgeon

flyernut said:


> no video...


Sorry! My video is mp4 and forum only accepts mp3 video. I am looking for a work around. :thumbsdown:


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## mopac

Put it on youtube and then post on forum. I did that once and it worked.

Man, it is stupid cold here. 7 degrees. And I changed that brake hose just last week and it was 60 degrees.
Glad I did it then. I don't work on cars below 40 degrees.

Hope your Hudson ran. How do you like it. Mine is dead in the water. I have not got to it yet. I think/hope
mine just needs a wire harness and normal service. Wires are out of plug, LOL and they are fuzzy. I should
order some fingers for reverse unit.


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## BrokeCurmudgeon

BrokeCurmudgeon said:


> Test Track now done and ready for modifications.:laugh: This is a small video of my Hudson's first run. Sorry for the poor quality of video.


Sorry for the problems. Here is the corrected one with a mp3 video file.


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## BrokeCurmudgeon

Maybe this will work?


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## AmFlyer

Success!!! That engine was really flying around the layout.


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## mopac

So that's what a Hudson looks like running. LOL. She's running and smoking good Broke.
Real good. Congrats. Nice engine.


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## flyernut

Perfect!!


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## cramden

BC, that looks and sounds great. Smoke unit is putting it out strong. You might want to slow it down a bit less the FRA comes a calling.


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## BrokeCurmudgeon

cramden said:


> BC, that looks and sounds great. Smoke unit is putting it out strong. You might want to slow it down a bit less the FRA comes a calling.


One of the few things that I don't like about AF is no slow speed. I had just wanted to see how much smoke the Hudson put out. I had thought about going DC and using a can motor but that diverts the reason I got interested in American Flyer again. :laugh::laugh:


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## flyernut

BrokeCurmudgeon said:


> One of the few things that I don't like about AF is no slow speed. I had just wanted to see how much smoke the Hudson put out. I had thought about going DC and using a can motor but that diverts the reason I got interested in American Flyer again. :laugh::laugh:


How slow do you want to go?? I can get my stuff to run slow, maybe there's something going on with your set-up.


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## BrokeCurmudgeon

flyernut said:


> How slow do you want to go?? I can get my stuff to run slow, maybe there's something going on with your set-up.


Slower than 8vac will drive the motor. I suppose that I am just use to DCC where I can crawl my engines at N Scale to go about two inches in one minute. I don't expect that but I do agree that there is something else going on. One thing, the cold in my garage and another thing may be the track cleanliness. I have to spend more time on that.:hah::hah::hah:


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## flyernut

BrokeCurmudgeon said:


> Slower than 8vac will drive the motor. I suppose that I am just use to DCC where I can crawl my engines at N Scale to go about two inches in one minute. I don't expect that but I do agree that there is something else going on. One thing, the cold in my garage and another thing may be the track cleanliness. I have to spend more time on that.:hah::hah::hah:


Use a bright-boy to clean up the tracks, and then use CRC Electirc-Motive spray cleaner on a rag to keep all the oils and stuff off the top of the rails. Be sure to buy the non-flammable version...


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## BrokeCurmudgeon

flyernut said:


> Use a bright-boy to clean up the tracks, and then use CRC Electirc-Motive spray cleaner on a rag to keep all the oils and stuff off the top of the rails. Be sure to buy the non-flammable version...



That is exactly what I have done and do. I think that I need to break down the turnouts and clean again the fingers and power routing connections. The cold doesn't help either. Thanks for the advice!:thumbsup:


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## flyernut

BrokeCurmudgeon said:


> That is exactly what I have done and do. I think that I need to break down the turnouts and clean again the fingers and power routing connections. The cold doesn't help either. Thanks for the advice!:thumbsup:


If you're adventurous, take off the 3 back plates, and check all your solder joints. While you in there, you'll see a linkage coming out of the solenoid. At the end of the linkage, you'll see 2 diamond shape contacts which slide over some plates. Make sure the points are clean, and shine the plates with your bright-boy.


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## Old Guy

A very good idea ! Unfortunately I haven't any folding ping pong table...and probably never will.


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