To Hemi and BNSF. LOL Glad you feel free to participate here. Always welcomed. You got it, Right on. D@m-it somebody got it right. And you said it in fewer words then I. Well put BNSF Fan. Well played!! Oh make no mistake I have train equipment that even looks toyish. You won't see it out very often. Mainly when kids are around.
I used to have a small loop on my desk with a Kato Unitram on it. It was my desk, and my decoration. I enjoyed watching the tram make endless circles around my loop. I did share the desk with some one else during the day but he didn't care nor mess with the train. My boss had her toddler in the office one day and in just the couple seconds she wasn't looking my tram got smashed by the toddler wanting to play with my "toy train"... Well the tram is mostly toast, but my boss said she would pay for a new one for me. She only brought her son in there to look as he loves trains. Well she did buy one to replace the broken one... She was shocked at the $200 price tag, and that was the cheapest one I could find. I was told that I could not have that in my office any more @#@%%#*@!!
I put a like on this not because I like the idea of the toddler destroying the toy train. I resent the...well...out of such destruction when it happens to me. Can't have one in the office anymore. That's not unusual. Back here at home: My feline friends will on occasion oop's. I got the carpet extractor out and ran it around the carpet. Don't just have a good day, have a great one.
It is those feline friends of yours that will do me in, extremely allergic to cats. But maybe with a mask....... After all it is not too far for a clandestine visit! If you need a hand with wiring or DCC
You'd be welcome anytime. Just so you know I'm allergic to most cats. These don't seem to bother me probably because I'm getting used to them. However, I do have air filters through out the house and an expensive filter on the HCAV. When it comes to electrical I'll take all the help I can. This will be easy. Just a matter of following what I did in the first place. Strip the wire, wire nut it and hopefully we will be good to go. Regarding DCC. I have a DPDT toggle switch, designed to cut off Cab B., Analog DC., and switch over to DCC. I then flip the mainline over to Cab B select DCC and I can operate with DCC. I had a DCC power supply but it quit working as did the decoders. The two DCC decoder equipped engines I had purchased. The decoders took to making like smoke units. They are now back to operating on Analog DC. Not sure but what I opp'sd and some how bled over analog DC to DCC. The units decoders don't take kindly to that. Despite all the fun I'm having, you'd be welcome to stop in anytime.
Despite problems with my gut, yesterday. I managed to get all the legs attached to the layout. This is a layout that grew. The original box framing can be seen and then the extensions are obvious. You can see in the pictures there are three L girders and they are in place. Adds a considerable amount of strength. The layout isn't as likely to sag. Here's some Before and After shots. With an explanation and there again maybe not. Before: After: The last thing left to do is put some Felt Pads on the feet and then flip it. A close up of one leg that had me worried. Here's one last example. One last view of the worrisome end of the layout. The legs on this end are as secure as I can make them. They should hold their own. Pretty self explainable or is that explanatory? I'll let someone else explain it. One cut at a time one screw at a time.
Looks good Rick... Question ? Wont felt on the bottom of the legs make the layout slide on that tile if you happen to bump into it ? Or is the layout going to be secured to the wall(s) ??
Nag, nag, nag, LMAO Yes, it moves nicely. I was able to move the helix section (for lack of a better name) and turn it without any problems. I don't want to mar the flooring and thus the felt pads. Gliders would do the same thing but move even easier. It's a stand alone layout. The land lord isn't to thrilled with the idea of a layout in his house, in the first place. Let alone one attached to the walls. When all the sections are attached to each other there won't be much movement. The rules will be: No Touchy, No Leaning and No Elbows on the train table. And keep your feet off the bracing. Just try enforcing that. Hands, hands, keep those hands off the train equipment. Pick, pick, pick. Heeheehee Good question and I'm glad you asked. Really I am !!
I couldn't depend on the 1x3 supports that are built into the box framing at this location. The location of the one leg I singled out, is one of the weakest on the layout. The extension for the wide curve although it will bear the weight of the sub-roadbed and track, is weak at best. Before the layout was taken down I did add a leg. Mainly to support a 3M power pack. To strengthen both ends it required me to build an L Girder to extend the full distance. From one to the other leg, out to the one pictured. With some reinforcing 2X2's that can be seen in the picture. Both legs are now attached to the L Girder. L Girder to the bottom of the layout. That should get'r done. On the other end the legs have something solid, weight baring to attach to. When it comes to the legs. There is some minor play, sway or movement when I attempted to pick them up. I can bracket the legs later should the need arise. This is what it looked like before. I should add here, I'm not done yet. There will be another 1x4 that will run the full length of the legs attaching to both ends. This should help stablize the legs. I did the same thing with the Helix section. Worked great. Just waiting for the Eagle to land. You thought I was going to say something else. I did. Just can't write $#!+ here. Think I'm going to head for Burger King for a two-fer.
I'm anxious to get the second section flipped up and on it's own feet. Here are some pictures of what it used to look like when occupied by trains. I know, I know this looks like Plywood Central. Actually Particle Board Central. It's a matter of choice. The lower Hidden Staging Yard. To be referred to as HS. This is for Jean, George's better half. You can tell I don't like passenger trains. Next: This is for George, he loves his freight trains. In case you are wondering the mainline goes by on the outside where you can see a freight train passing by on the run around. The HS is a run through yard. Works sweet. Again the HS looking toward the East Curve. Pardon the graininess of the pictures. Another look at the middle of the Hidden Staging Yard. Looking West. I hope it won't take me to long before I can fill the HS with trains. All waiting crew call and staged to head out. That's it for now. Oh and the Eagle doesn't land until Tuesday. Wait, wait and wait some more. Hurry up and wait. Stand by more to come.
Okay, I see what you mean Rick. I'm thinking it will work out good. If we are lucky, it won't be an Eagle on Monday, it will be an asteroid
Monday, would be better. We do have an asteroid headed our way. All life on earth will be...naw...that can't happen to us.
Allow me to back-track a minute or two. Put it in reverse. Go back to the picture of the passenger trains in the HS. Most of the passenger equipment is the older Rivarossi or Con Cor passenger cars. Some Model Power, Arnold, Atlas made for Rivarossi and some Kato shorties. Do you see the Rio Grande, in the Aspen Gold and five stripes? These are Rivarossi's contribution to the Standard or Heavy Weight N Scale passenger cars. They screwed up on the stripes. They are all there but where Aspen gold meets the silver, there should be a black stripe. I bought decals to add the stripe but then there'd be six stripes. Oh well. They got them to high. My dad and I both grumbled about this at the time and then almost at the same time said, "It'll work for now, until something better comes along." It did and i now have a full set of Micro-Trains Standard passenger cars. Done correctly....Yes...Yes!! Sorry no pictures but if we get this section of the layout back on it's feet. There will be plenty of pic's. I might add the only motors we had to pull this passenger train were LL SD9's or an SD 40 I picked up at a train show. Looked out of place until we picked up a Trains wig wag and saw something similar. As to the second section and the felt pads. I can't find the felt pads I bought. They have to be here...some where. Got them at the Dollar Store so it shouldn't be difficult to replace them. Got's to get more. Time to check and see if College Football is being broadcast. How about that it is!!
