# My new portable mini layout, The Wildcat Traction Company.



## artfull dodger (Nov 19, 2016)

A few months ago, a friend built me a mini table top layout board that is hollow in the middle with a removable bottom to access wiring and such. Originally for Lionel prewar OO gauge, that plan never happend and the layout just sat. But the traction bug has bitten and I have aquired several brass cars and dug out my poles I bought a few years ago when I considered doing traction before. 
The idea is a layout that fits in the back of my Jeep Liberty and can be handled by just myself without to much risk to the trolley overhead. Its very lightweight and I will keep it that way, buildings will mostly be removable to keep the weight down, since I am modeling northern Indiana scenery, its mostly flat, also helping keep the weight down. 
I removed the toy train style grass carpet from the table top, laid out the Atlas "snap" track with 15" radius curves(no issues for traction, it can go much much tighter than 15"). The poles are mostly set in place on the main loop. Still working out how I want do the carbarn still. Wont be any overhead trolley wire just yet, need to do basic track ballest and building placement before adding the overhead wire to the poles. So the cars run off the 2 rails for power right now. So far I have 4 ex Sacremento Northern cars that will be painted for my proto freelance traction company. Then I have 3 Chicago Aurora & Elgin cars and 2 Chicago North Shore cars. They will be in their respective paint schemes as I like both of those lines as well. Most are Suydam brass imports with 2 from S. Soho and one from MTM imports. I hope to have the layout done enough to run at the fall train shows this year. Here is how the layout looks as of tonight.


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## Dennis461 (Jan 5, 2018)

Why does it have to fit in car. Are you homeless?


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## BillTrzaskus (Dec 10, 2019)

Nice start, keep us posted on your layout build.


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## artfull dodger (Nov 19, 2016)

It has to fit in the Jeep so I can transport it to train shows.


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## Gramps (Feb 28, 2016)

Looking forward to seeing it grow.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

Looking forward to the scenery.

Did you live in Neuss, NRW at one time?


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## J.Albert1949 (Feb 3, 2018)

Seems to me that on the curves, the poles need to be on the outside of the track, to allow for support wires that pull the contact wire "outward" to maintain proper alignment with the rail/cars underneath...?

Similar to this arrangement:


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## prrfan (Dec 19, 2014)

Dennis461 said:


> Why does it have to fit in car. Are you homeless?


Nice, friendly comment.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

J.Albert1949 said:


> Seems to me that on the curves, the poles need to be on the outside of the track, to allow for support wires that pull the contact wire "outward" to maintain proper alignment with the rail/cars underneath...?
> 
> Similar to this arrangement:
> View attachment 559934


Though it is usually desirable to have the masts on the outside of the curve, it is not necessary to do so.

There are specialized registration arms called 'pull-offs' that do pull the catenary to align it with the path of the pantograph, but there is also a type of registration arm that pushes or holds the catenary if a mast must be mounted inside of a curve such as when there is a hill side or other obstruction, or the ground is not suitable for mast erection on the outside. There is also the case with a dual mainline track where a mast is already on the outside of the curve and another must be placed on the inside.

A dual registration arm will not work well on curves for dual mainlines because of the differing radii of inside and outside of the curve.

Example of a pull-off on the inside of a curve:


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## artfull dodger (Nov 19, 2016)

Correct, you can do pull off wires for curves with the poles on either side. setting the poles on the inside helps protect them a bit when I carry the layout to and from shows. With the track right at the edge of the table surface, there would not have been enough room for a couple of the poles to be set for proper clearance on my longer cars. Today, my CA&E Kuhlman coach from MTM and Niles trailer from S. Soho arrived. I am up to 7.5 brass cars, the 1/2 being the North Shore combine missing its power chassis. Next round of stuff to buy will be track ballest and some other basic scenery material that I want to get in place before I string up the trolley wire. Still debating what buildings I want to do. Would really like to have the 2 track carbarn from Suydam, but not sure I have room to squeeze it in. Need to find the dimensions of it so I can mock it up track plan wise. Then maybe some small town buildings on the side with the grade crossing. Also hunting a pair of the black early style gantry crossing signals from NJ International. Mike


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## Maddog (Jan 14, 2016)

Mantua use to make #2 and #3 switches a long time ago. That would give you more room to squeeze in some additional trackage. You can find them on fleabay from time to time, or maybe at train shows. Your traction equipment should handle them without a problem.


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## artfull dodger (Nov 19, 2016)

MichaelE said:


> Looking forward to the scenery.
> 
> Did you live in Neuss, NRW at one time?


No, but I used to have VW's and I got that plate from a friend over in Germany. Its rare to find a real German license place with the stickers not defaced. Since I am not driving VW"s anymore, it hangs on the wall.


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## artfull dodger (Nov 19, 2016)

Had to take a roster pic of nearly all my brass cars(one is off at the painters). Left to right, first four are Sacramento Northern cars from Suydam/Goto, then the MTM CA&E car, 2 Soho CA&E cars then my Suydam/Orion PE "Tens" car that came today. I only have one building, the Suydam PE electrical sub station, which will go in one of the curves. I am leaning toward a couple of the kits from the same brand for a small "town" area over by the grade crossing, such as Ed's market and your hobby shop buildings. Then maybe a couple houses. The pole barn style car barn is a bit to new looking era wise, but its nicely weathered so not sure on it yet. Open to suggestions to maximize the use of space on my mini layout. I am planning to take down the shelf benchwork the layout is currently on and using a card table to set the layout on when not at shows. I want to concentrate on detailing this mini and collecting Suydam interurban cars.


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## Maddog (Jan 14, 2016)

Very nice stable of traction equipment.

Would have room for the Revell Enginehouse?


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## artfull dodger (Nov 19, 2016)

Perhaps, but would really dominate the space. I do not think, even with tighter #3 or #4 turnouts from the old Mantua line, that I can get a two track feed into the carbarn. I will probably go with a single track car barn I know either Revel or someone did a single track version of the brick car barn. I am also probably going to sell the CA&E and possibily the SN cars and get a couple more wood side PE cars and 1 steel side PE car. A lot of what I kept from my last traction layout, other than cars, is all PE stuff.


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## Gramps (Feb 28, 2016)

Have you thought about adding a steeple cab motor and a couple of freight cars for variety?


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## artfull dodger (Nov 19, 2016)

Yes, I do plan to get a freight motor car here soon for local freight service. One of the future cars will also be a combine, so that will add that service as well.


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## artfull dodger (Nov 19, 2016)

I sold two of the CA&E cars and a PRR M1 mountain brass engine and bought two PE cars, an unpainted wood box motor and a pro painted RPO. So i have all 3 facets of service covered, passengers, freight and mail.


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## artfull dodger (Nov 19, 2016)

Tore down the old modified 4x7 layout that was wall mounted that I had the mini sitting on last night. Moved my work bench and set up a card table for the mini layout to sit on. This puts the layout at a nice height to work on while sitting in my rolling desk chair. I can move from the bench to the layout as they are right next to each other. Today I moved the poles to the outside of the curves. While you can do the pull offs on the inside, outside is stronger I am told. I was able to set poles 6.5 inches apart other than the two that span the length of track that is closest to the layout edge, those are 9.5 inches apart. I also used my Suydam poles for those two as they are a bit heavier built. I want to replace all the other poles with Suydam ones, but I am having trouble finding any.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

Is that distance on the curves correct for the pan to stay on the catenary? 

The reason I ask is because my 24" radius curves have mast spacing at about 6" on the outside of the curve and the radius of your track looks tighter than that. That roughly 6" spacing is about the max I could do and keep the pan on the wire at that radius.


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## artfull dodger (Nov 19, 2016)

No pans, all trolley pole operation. The spacing being closer helps with how many "pull offs" I need to keep the wire centered above the track. The wire is centered between the rails when looking down at each pole, then thru the curves, the pull offs "pull" on the wire to "curve" it and keep it as close to the center line as possbile. Its one of the harder parts of running trolley pole operation over pans. Closer also helps with the tension on the wire, to little and you cannot "back pole" ie run in reverse without changing which pole is raised. Granted, I wire my cars for trolley pole reverse, the pole thats raised controls direction instead of the direction switch on the transformer. Although that can be used as well.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

That's for sure. I didn't realize they use that many pull-offs around a curve for trolleys using a pole.


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## artfull dodger (Nov 19, 2016)

There is a wire that goes pole to pole that is used to "pull" the trolley wire into a curved path, the number of pull offs from the trolley wire to the other wire depends on pole spacing and curve radius.


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## artfull dodger (Nov 19, 2016)

That is from the Traction Modelers Handbook, an excellent book to pick up as it has info on cars, overhead modeling, street trackage ect. Covers all aspects and has some layout ideas in it as well.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

The RhB uses a very similar method on the Bernina Bahn portion of the line where the curves are very tight. That was the first time I had ever seen catenary in a horizontal position instead of vertical.


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## artfull dodger (Nov 19, 2016)

Some SN cars running on the layout tonight. Did some fine tuning, both powered SN cars had overly tight belts, making starting and running voltage much higher than any of my other cars. So I adjusted that and ran them for several hours to wear away the oil varnish on the shafts and in the bearings. Both powered SN cars are running much smoother. They are a bit under motored and will get can motor repowers when funds allow. The BIG open frame KTM motors in my other cars are smooth and quiet. The smaller ones in the SN cars(different builder for those models) are a bit underpowered, even with new magnets. Enjoy!


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