Finaly Finished a Unique Sharp Radius Tomix Track Layout for Athearn 2-6-0, 2-8-0s

Sandman007 Aug 17, 2010

  1. Sandman007

    Sandman007 New Member

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  2. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Welcome to TrainBoard!

    Looks like you did some serious wood working to get that base cabinetry just right.

    Boxcab E50
     
  3. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    Welcome to TrainBoard.

    I do like the way you put these little layouts together.

    I do see two different layouts. That or someone has figured out a way to switch and hide bridges. Checking out the last picture.

    Very nice!
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 18, 2010
  4. Fotheringill

    Fotheringill TrainBoard Member

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    Welcome and well done.
     
  5. k-59

    k-59 TrainBoard Member

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    Great work. I always thought it was a pity most model railroads were condemned to the basement and not designed as part of the decor of the house.
     
  6. up1950s

    up1950s TrainBoard Supporter

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    That's a different slice of model railroad life . Nice .
     
  7. RBrodzinsky

    RBrodzinsky November 18, 2022 Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter In Memoriam

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    Great looking layout, and very unique. Particularly like the trestle bridge and how you cut into the cabinet.
     
  8. Hytec

    Hytec TrainBoard Member

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    Sandman, Welcome to the TrainBoard, we're happy to have you on board.

    As others have said, your creation is marvelous. However, I have one question...the bottom (last) photo appears to be of a different layout and location based on the two shadow boxes embedded in the wall, no cutout in the cabinet top for the trestle, and different cabinet front configuration. Do you have two independent layouts, or is there only one layout that penetrates the wall and is duplicated on the other side? Though the latter is not obvious in the top photo.....?
     
  9. Thieu

    Thieu TrainBoard Member

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    This confuses me too.
     
  10. Sandman007

    Sandman007 New Member

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    Thanks for the compliments, the one with the Trestle in living room is are first one we built for me, the other one is a different one we built for sale, more details at Website below. Ya it was quite challenging to do! Once you do the first one and have the calculations, the next one is allot easier to do.

    http://home.pacbell.net/lonny007/BandLTrainLayouts.html
     
  11. Hostler65

    Hostler65 TrainBoard Member

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    Very nice indeed! I model the Mississippi Central circa 1920 and I use the Athearn Mogul and Consolidation. They are great engines. I am in awe of your woodworking skills. Simply beautiful!
     
  12. TetsuUma

    TetsuUma TrainBoard Member

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    I've been playing with the 100mm radius and the 140mm radius Tomix Fine Track. How do you like the 140s and what problems (if any) have you found?

    Andy
    "Tetsu Uma"
     
  13. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    Your dual layouts would almost qualify as Diorama's.

    They look good and I'm glad the tighter radius curves worked out for you.

    Just don't expect me to say that toooooo often. Grin!
     
  14. Sandman007

    Sandman007 New Member

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    Haha thanks for the kind words, I had to look up "diorama" The layout with the trestle just got updated with the richer green grass like 2nd layout, I am out of town now but will update the website with pictures later, I also will put up links to where I purchased some Athearn Old Time N scale stuff on the internet, sure is hard to find out there. Hopefully soon I will put some old buildings on it, then a few more items and it will be finished.

    I would say that the 140mm radius is getting right there on the edge for being doable with the Athearn 2-6-0 and 2-8-0, it needs to be laid "just right" as flat as possible with out much of a grade incorporated into it, also when you go over the under over bridge, the flatter or leveler you can make the track at this point going into 140mm the better the performance, avoid going on a downhill grade into 140mm radius too. The Bachman 4-4-0, MP 4-4-0, and MP 2-6-0 will not do the 140mm radius period. The Grade on this layout for pulling 6 cars is also getting right there on the edge for being doable with the Athearn 2-6-0 and 2-8-0, the grade is determined by the minimum distance clearance for the under and over bridge to work for this 6foot long Oval8 Layout, this also has to be done just right for everything to flow smoothly. The Athearns do not like the smallest MINI Tomix turnout switches 140mm, the other larger ones work great though. If everything is done right the engines run the layout like clock work. I was very lucky for this layout to work out, dealing with allot of extremes.

    Next thing for me is do try and add sound to the Athearn Old Time Steam Engines, I am using the MRC Symphony 77 and its decent, I would like to replace the speakers with maybe several smaller speakers that I could hide in mountain and direct the sound out the tunnels, I guess a I could use a sound decoder just hooked up to track (with speakers inside the mountain instead of MRC77) that way the steam engine sound can go real slow or faster depending on throttle, I guess a sound decoder hooked up to track not engine would work this way? I need to make a post about Newbie help on Sound Options, and a few other things that have puzzled me. Thanks again for the compliments!
     
  15. Train Kid

    Train Kid TrainBoard Member

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    Beautiful work!

    Thanks for sharing the pictures.
     
  16. ge-maN

    ge-maN TrainBoard Member

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    Great layout pictures. You show what can be done with N scale very effectively. No one can they "don't have room for a layout". Fantastic work. :thumbs_up:
     

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