# 5x8 HO oval



## cpbc (Jan 8, 2018)

Approximately 5x8 oval, Kato unitrack ... with #6 turnouts.

Two SD40-2’s do the heavy hauling. A GP9 helps switch cars to various locations:
1. Freight house area for boxcars.
2. Tank cars ... direct to truck (funnel flow and chemical types)
3. Scrap steel for gondolas
4. Dry goods in hopper cars ... direct transfer to truck (grain, fertilizer, cement).

Also a service track.

Table length fits with only a couple of inches to spare in small spare room, so all switch work is done from the controls area.
The offset coupler method gets cars dropped at out of reach areas, along with aid of electrically controlled switches.

Locomotives and rolling stock attempts to simulate 1973-75 southern BC Canada


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

Great looking start! Are those 24" radius curves on each end?


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## deedub35 (Jan 29, 2014)

My CP friend! Where in BC are you? I’m in Kelowna. All my locos are CP too.


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## cpbc (Jan 8, 2018)

MichaelE said:


> Great looking start! Are those 24" radius curves on each end?


Hi, thanks.

26 3/8” radius


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

Very smooth looking.


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## cpbc (Jan 8, 2018)

deedub35 said:


> My CP friend! Where in BC are you? I’m in Kelowna. All my locos are CP too.


Hi,
lots of interesting train stuff in your area. Have a friend who is a train enthusiast... lives at Enderby
I’m at Nanaimo.
What CP locomotives do you have and what simulated time frame?


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## Gramps (Feb 28, 2016)

Great start. It's a little pricey but the Unitrack is great stuff.


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## cpbc (Jan 8, 2018)

Gramps said:


> Great start. It's a little pricey but the Unitrack is great stuff.


Hi, thanks
Just got interested in model trains last December... and was happy a hobby shop owner recommended Kato track. I doubt I would have continued with the hobby if I had to start with a more difficult to install type of track system.
Also, right now I only have an 8 foot length for table available... so the snap track method is ok.

After seeing more advanced layouts though ... I appreciate the reasons why people use long lengths of track that can be custom bent, but that require more effort to install.

A big interest for me initially was DCC and electrically controlled switches (turnouts).


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## 89Suburban (Jan 4, 2017)

I like your control station!


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## cpbc (Jan 8, 2018)

Was cleaning wheels for first time on two new Bowser SD40-2’s, and to my surprise ... discovered that the front truck on both units wasn’t picking up power. I took a close look between the truck and frame and saw a disconnected red wire on both locomotives.
Very frustrating, especially since these are very expensive.

Talked to retailer today to get a full refund. I want to keep them, but am thinking that I must have got bad units and what else is probably wrong?
Only have a few hours run time on them.
And if I ship them away to get disassembled and repaired ... then they really aren’t like new, and may get other damage in the process.
As well, there are no units in stock to replace these.

On a similar note the front light on my relatively new Athearn Genesis GP9 burnt out a week or so ago, and a few days later the rear burnt out. So now no working lights. Did some online investigation and found out this unit has an inherent problem with lights burning out. Lots of people install LED replacements.
But I’m thinking ... I just paid a lot for this loco, and why should I have to buy and install replacement parts. And doing so will void my warranty. Also, putting in stock bulbs will most likely result in more dead bulbs.
I’m going to ask the retailer for full refund too.

Now I’ll be left with only rolling stock... no locomotives.

I’ve come to the conclusion that although these models look and sound great ... they are substandard quality. Perhaps this is the trend for this hobby since most products are built in China.

I’ve decided give up and sell off my new table, track, rolling stock, and command station.


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## deedub35 (Jan 29, 2014)

cpbc said:


> What CP locomotives do you have and what simulated time frame?


I have 12 in my fleet - a GP15, some GP35’s, some GP38’s, a GP40, a S2, and a couple Genset II’s.


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## deedub35 (Jan 29, 2014)

cpbc said:


> Was cleaning wheels for first time on two new Bowser SD40-2’s, and to my surprise ... discovered that the front truck on both units wasn’t picking up power. I took a close look between the truck and frame and saw a disconnected red wire on both locomotives.
> Very frustrating, especially since these are very expensive.
> 
> Talked to retailer today to get a full refund. I want to keep them, but am thinking that I must have got bad units and what else is probably wrong?
> ...


I think you should stay in it.

A little soldering to the trucks and those 2 locos will be as good as new. The burnt lighting is odd - was it a conversion from DC to DCC?


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## cpbc (Jan 8, 2018)

Nice looking fleet of CP locomotives deedub35 ... thanks for the photo.

As for the two SD40-2s ... waiting to hear back on Monday from retailer about if i will get refund.


Same for GP9, which is factory installed DCC and sound


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## deedub35 (Jan 29, 2014)

cpbc said:


> Nice looking fleet of CP locomotives deedub35 ... thanks for the photo.
> 
> As for the two SD40-2s ... waiting to hear back on Monday from retailer about if i will get refund.
> 
> ...


Thanks. I hope it all works out. I don't want to see a fellow CP enthusiast go. Let us know what happens.


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## Gramps (Feb 28, 2016)

I would suspect that the retailer will tell you to deal with the manufacturer for warranty reasons. Many, if not most, manufacturers will repair or replace product.

On another note, your first post showed a bare table and Unitrack but your impressive loco photo seems to be in a landscaped non-Unitrack area. Is this a separate area of your layout?


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## Nikola (Jun 11, 2012)

Gramps said:


> I would suspect that the retailer will tell you to deal with the manufacturer for warranty reasons. Many, if not most, manufacturers will repair or replace product.
> 
> On another note, your first post showed a bare table and Unitrack but your impressive loco photo seems to be in a landscaped non-Unitrack area. Is this a separate area of your layout?


Two different dudes. Bare was OP.


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## cpbc (Jan 8, 2018)

sorry for the rant ... haha


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## Gramps (Feb 28, 2016)

Nikola said:


> Two different dudes. Bare was OP.


Oops, senior moment.hwell:


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## Nikola (Jun 11, 2012)

OP, not for nothing, but stop being a quitter. So a couple of lamps burnt out. Oh, the humanity! Deal with it. As we used to say in the Army, 'take a salt pill and drive on'.


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## cpbc (Jan 8, 2018)

Gonna wait to hear from retailer on Monday and see how things play out before giving up


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## 89Suburban (Jan 4, 2017)

My first 2 DCC locomotives lasted a week out of the box. Just kept trading them in and I finally have a nicely operating set of 3 GP-35 units at the moment. It is frustrating and aggravating to deal with though when something brand new and expensive turns out to be a dud.


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## cpbc (Jan 8, 2018)

Thanks for your reply

you traded them in?
The retailer gave you new ones or made you send them in for repair?


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## cpbc (Jan 8, 2018)

Decided to stay in the game ... bought two new (2nd run) Bowser SD40-2s. Should arrive later this week.

Sent my other three defective locomotives back to the place of purchase. The result of which is still in progress


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## 89Suburban (Jan 4, 2017)

cpbc said:


> Thanks for your reply
> 
> you traded them in?
> The retailer gave you new ones or made you send them in for repair?


I took them back and explained to them what happened and asked if I was doing something wrong and they said no they get duds all the time and just exchanged it. 2 times in a row. The 2nd time I thought they were going to give me a hassle but they were very good and just exchanged it again. They did inspect them and try them on their test track before exchanging. Then the next 3 I bought were all good units. Been running them a few months so far. They do a lot of volume at that place. The units were MTH DCC Protosound3 locomotives. 

Here is a link, pretty good deal these are nice and loud and look and run nice, when they are not a dud lol.

http://www.nicholassmithtrains.com/...ELS/CONRAIL-GP-35-#2257-DCC-READY/MTH8022400/


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## cpbc (Jan 8, 2018)

Thanks for replying 89Suburban.
Glad to hear you have a great place to shop where they gave you replacements without hassle.

Must have been a relief to you when they just offered you replacements, instead of blaming you or making you ship them to the manufacturer for repair.


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## scaleddown (Mar 13, 2014)

How is the arm reach being a 5 foot wide table vs. 4 foot wide?


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## cpbc (Jan 8, 2018)

scaleddown said:


> How is the arm reach being a 5 foot wide table vs. 4 foot wide?


Definitely can’t reach the other side. I’m 6’ tall and can reach about 3 feet across the layout table, which is 42” high.
When I need to drop cars at locations at the other side ... I move the car/cars onto a track in front of me, and the locomotive also. Then I move the locomotive ahead and offset its coupler with the car. Then push it to the appropriate track at the other side. Takes a bit of monkeying around, but it’s still fun.

I wanted to have larger radius turns for the layout ... so with a 5 foot wide table, a 26 3/8 inch fits, with a bit of room left. And a 24 inch radius inside at one end.
I also sacrificed having a more unique overall track shape in order to get the larger radius turns. I’m happy with it though, especially since I have a couple of SD40-2s. 

I recently moved some things around a bit ... I’ll post a few photos.

Freighthouse is at far side with a spare track for other boxcars and a third track for a single gondola (loading scrap steel).

Near side has an inside spur for three gondolas (for gravel, pipe, and pole loads).

A straight track outside the oval is connected with a crossover. Tanker cars off load to truck at one end and hopper cars unload to truck at the other end of this straight track ... that runs the eight foot length.


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## Nikola (Jun 11, 2012)

It's nice. 

A Robo-Claw from the dollar store is handy in far each situations.


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## cpbc (Jan 8, 2018)

Nikola said:


> It's nice.
> 
> A Robo-Claw from the dollar store is handy in far each situations.


Thanks

that claw sounds like a good idea, haha.


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