As Promised, here are the pics with Limbs and I had someone nice enough to loan me their Charles Dickens houses which I finally got wired up. So here is a pic with them all turned on and with them turned off and lights on in the room. Now I just need to add Christmas lights and decorate some cars.
acptulsa, what kind of witch doctor wizardry is this!?! So I listened to what you said but just like a child, I had to try it. I over extended the cars. It ran great with 12 cars, I went ahead and put 15 on it and that is when it got weird. Halfway up the helix, the first engine, just flipped over on its side!?! I said to myself "Thats what acptulsa meant about getting the engine over the caboose!" Lesson learned. Today I ran it with 13 cars and it looked very impressive but that dang 6 axle engine decided to bite me. The front axle jumps the track every time it enters the helix, but it does fine. I have a re-railer at the top that puts it back on 6 axles for its trip down. For some reason, it didn't. From axle stayed off until midway down it got hung in a joint of the rails and then proceeded to ejected all the cars beind it, including my 4 axle engine. Took quite a while to find all the parts of the cars! I solved my problem with the change of speeds!!!! I cut the track at the top and bottom, then I added another power supply. So now I can add more power for the helix and less power for the rollercoaster ride down. I also elevated the bottom of the track where the train was building up too much speed and it has yet to derail there now. WE ARE GETTING THIS!!!!!! So what are all of your thoughts of running two trains on the same track?
This has turned out just sweet!! Sure am glad you had this idea and worked it out! Now you do know that there will be others here coming up with something similar! Aaaargggh! Another project on the list!
This reminds me of the Avatar movie. Especially with all the lights on the buildings !! How impressive !
badlandnp, DON'T DO IT!!!! This project has driven me on the brink of a mental breakdown.... the ONLY thing that has kept it moving along was how much time and MONEY I have invested in it, lol. I have been literally building this for more than a year (thats after a couple of years of thinking and planning it.) I have no intention of ever doing another one... but Thanksgiving will be the test. Thats when I show it to the family and see all the kids faces.... as I yell "DON'T TOUCH THAT!" LOL.
So I had few open cars I wasn't sure what to do with. Because they are so light, I seldom connected them out of fear of the Helix. Last night I created Christmas candy cars. Did you know you can't buy fake candy? Makes sense, but that means I have to use real candy. Hopefully the train can outrun the ants.
6 Axle loco's will probably be more harm than good with the radius you have here. Stick with shorter 4 axle units. Add more loco's as previously suggested and the combined weight can pull the load up and restrict the speed on decent.
Catfan, I think you are right on the money! Last night I boxed up my 6 axle and should have a 4 axle coming in today that matches my current. I have no idea where my second switcher is... its been lost in the mail for over a week so I may just send it back as soon as it comes in. Right now I can make the tree work with one engine, but I sure liked the control of two or MU as I have learned. My candy cars weigh just a little more so the second engine will definitely help!
Wow! That is something! You need to take a video of it running and post it on YouTube. And when you do that, play some holiday tunes in the background so you'll capture the music in the video.
Make sure you tell the kids that candy is bad for them. They might want to reach in and grab it !!! hahah looking good !
MK, I am definitely going to do that. But can I put Christmas music to it or is that a copyright issue. I did a video one time with some Van Halen music and YouTube quickly pulled it.
You know I was thinking about that right after I posted my reply. But Christmas music is so "common". I would search "Christmas music" on YT and see if there are any videos. If there are you should be good to go.