Hi. Every time I look at MRR Mag articles about Bill's Maumie Route, the tracks look wider than standard gauge. Of course this is impossible as we KNOW it's HO..I really like this aspect of his hand laid track. Is it merely an optical illusion in that what I'm seeing is, say, code 40 or 70 rail, not 83 ; that the lower rail on the main gives it the wider illusion ? Many times pictures of early US RRs in, say, civil war time have that same look as main rails were like 35ish pound or such. This makes it 'look like' 5 foot gauge when it's really standard 4' 8" gauge. YET, I'm also aware early RRs were 5' or even 6' gauge back then, until they did standardize the playing field...
I think it is just an illusion. I have seen some handlaid track that does look like it has a wider gauge from a distance. But I believe that the ties were shorter than commercially made track, so with the rails closer to the end of the ties it makes the track look like it has a wider gauge.
Yes, but are we concluding that Bill's ties are shorter ? He's such a realism guy I doubt he'd build a whole MRR with 'wrong' ties.. Anyone have a link to Bill Darnaby to ask him?
I have not seen his track so I don't know if his ties are shorter but I was just commenting on some handlaid track I had seen. On the other hand, are the ties on commercially made track the right length?
Gents, your replies are both logical. Camera/photography yields no 'stretches or odd bends, distortions. Normal color photos..... 'retsignal' (above) not sure if your shootin' from the hip or not. I did understand that you meant: you have " seen some hand laid track....." Other than that question, the one thing I don't care for in hand laid track is the too low amount of spikes in ties. But, I'll bet there are those who have eventually added more and more. Perhaps Bill Darnaby is one. As far as commercial track I stand by Atlas's proportions as representing most North American track. This goes for their switches too. The others, like Peco, to me, have a British standards look. Mostly the switches. To me they look crimped, plus the head block ties are way too wide (unless that's the way they do look in England)... Finally, I think the sprung action is not needed unless you plan to not add ground throws and plan to keep using one of the 0-5-0's drivers, the index finger.. One overall plaint about commercial is that the ties are too perfectly lined up. Wish they'd retool and stagger the ends ...One interesting fact : The spike heads on Atlas sectional , code 83 pieces are way more realistic, to scale. Look close at one some time. This I believe is do to flex spikes turning out to need more strength when bending flex. Smaller, better looking heads on the sectionals don't get bent; curves already are.... Thanks, Mark
He does not hand lay. In one of his earlier MR articles, he stated that he uses ME flex track. Along with using different codes, he also would remove some ties and spread the others out along the piece of flex for siding and industry tracks. Not only does it show fewer ties on less used tracks, it also allows for slight shifting of the remaining ties so they look prototypical (and hand laid). I believe he had a system of removing every 4th or 5th tie on sidings and every 3rd or 4th on industry tracks. Duane Goodman
Tony Koester spoke in the present tense when he referred to Bill Darnaby during a clinic he presented at the MCR Keystone jamboree a couple of weeks ago. I would assume Bill and his Maumee Route both are with us in the present.
That's good ! Thanks. Do you know where I can see photos of his entire Maumee Route and of he ? Be Nice to know what the man looks like.
Hi Mark - I live less than a mile from the Maumee River, for which the Maumee Route is named. It's a shame, but I don't think there are many photos of the Maumee Route online. As for the man himself, a minute's worth of searching with Google turned up a nice photo: http://foxvalleydivision.org/newfoxwebpagefiles/clinicnotes.htm Scroll about 3/4 of the way down the page to see a photo of Mr. Darnaby. - Jeff
Jeff, much thanks for posting foxvalleydivision.org. Bill looks allot like I'd pictured him.. I just really love his type of MRRing. The Maumee Route has such realism in it and is also still part steam.. His great use of live and static interchanges grabbed me in an older issue of MR, and his attention to detail. Is there a publication which shows entire Maumee Route ? Thanks, Mark
Didn't mean Bill had passed on. I meant he had a system of installing his track in the past. Duane Goodman
