News Little Fitzwater Line

jshglass May 1, 2018

  1. jshglass

    jshglass TrainBoard Member

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    Hi All,

    Figured I'd finally start a layout update thread. Ive been extremely busy teaching, but now that the semester is over I'll have more time to work on the layout. Little Fitzwater is the name of the street I live on in Philadelphia. The contents will not be PA-centric, but autobiographical in nature.

    Things have been extremely slow as of late, thanks to extremely finicky MTL turnouts. I'm finding that I'm able to have long stretches of successful runs in both directions, but randomly, and without obvious cause or indication, it'll stall out. A little push will get it going again, and it'll run just fine for an other thirty minutes or so. I've sanded out the guard rails and tightened the screw on the points. Not sure what else there is.

    Other than that, things are coming along nicely. Next step is to finish laying the outer oval with two bridges. After that, soldering and wiring up the various blocks. Hope to get that finished before I go leave the city for a couple weeks.

    You can see a video here.


    Initial planning and carving session:

    23844843_10210705085404395_707815256619209601_n.jpg
    Custom box built to transport the layout around from place to place:

    23844950_10210705085244391_8974268457417520638_n.jpg
    My dog wanted to help, so I let her while I took a break:

    24129452_10210705085844406_2008638494896499380_n.jpg
    Panel-mounted hardware. Medvend throttles and DPDT switches for block control:

    25994642_10210949103904705_9075567303914374365_n.jpg
    Box girder bridge from Micron Art:

    28467668_10211440279223781_507805496803832306_n.jpg
    Enjoy!
     
  2. jshglass

    jshglass TrainBoard Member

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    Got a ton of work done today. Laid half of Block 1 (the outer loop) and the first bridge and started the first steps of my wiring plan.

    I also bid the Atlas Code 55 terminal joiners adieu, as the wires kept snapping off. They are also smaller and solid, as opposed to my hookup wire which is stranded.

    So I soldered my own joiners. Happy to say they work! Shocking, given my extremely poor soldering skills.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]


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  3. Kurt Moose

    Kurt Moose TrainBoard Member

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    Lookin' good!(y)
     
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  4. JoeS

    JoeS TrainBoard Member

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    I am impressed! and motivated...I like how you built the controllers into the layout and I like the impressions that I see. It looks very well thought out and I can't wait to see the progress.

    What structures are you planning to incorporate into the layout?
     
  5. jshglass

    jshglass TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks, Joe!

    Not sure exactly what kinda of buildings I’m going to have, but I know I’d like some sort of eclectic mix representing my life. There’s a sawmill from the N Scale Architect that’s really appealing, but it’ll take up so much space leaving little for other structures.

    I’m also looking into getting a couple custom made pieces from Postcard Models. They give a discount if you let them mass produced your order.

    First thing’s first, though. I need to finish the track work and get to a point where I am OK with my MTL turnouts acting up on occasion. Right now the inner loop is working fine(ish). Curious to see what the outer loop is going to do as well as an upcoming siding and yard.



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  6. jshglass

    jshglass TrainBoard Member

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    Hi Everyone,

    So, it’s been a while. Life has been pretty hectic in the past two months, but I’ve managed to cobble bits and pieces of time together to get a very minimal amount of work done.

    All I’ve really accomplished is finishing the installation of the last bridge (a box girder from Micron Art), the completion of the outer loop, and the wiring of Block 1.

    Here is a photo and a video of the progress. The one thing I cannot figure out for the life of me is why the engine stalls out when transitioning from block to block in either direction. The MTL turnouts are all sanded down to allow enough space for the wheel flanges and they show no problem when running straight through. (Yes, both blocks were set to the same cab.) any help in this regard would be much appreciated.



    You may notice some new rolling stock. The latest acquisition (the BnO boxcar) comes from woo woo woo woo woo woo, in Cockeysville. I had a job in Baltimore the other night and figured I’d swing by and see the place in person.

    The two covered hoppers and the heavyweight (which has no business being on a freight train, but it was a Grand Trunk mail car, so I picked it up because I thought it was cool) were found when I was in Vancouver for work at Central Hobbies. Their Z scale selection is vast, as the owner’s wife is an avid Z-scaler. She’s building a layout in a 3” three-ring binder so she can store it on a shelf.

    Hope to find more time to make the block to block transitions bug-free!

    Stay tuned!


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  7. jshglass

    jshglass TrainBoard Member

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    Forgot to add the photo.

    Also, I plan on getting an other GP38-2 so I can double head up my 4% grades without sputtering at slower speeds.

    [​IMG]


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  8. Thieu

    Thieu TrainBoard Member

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    Yes, those MTL turnouts can be really frustrating...... After a lot of testing, I figured out which turnouts were terrible and which were not. But there does not seem to be logic to it. The one moment there are no problems, the other moment the engine stalls.
     
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  9. Thieu

    Thieu TrainBoard Member

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    By the way, I like your layout :) I have been building a small layout myself, but last year I lost interest in modelrailroading so nothing happens anymore. But I have some new plans to build an improved layout. Yours can be an inspiration for me to start again.
     
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  10. jshglass

    jshglass TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks! Glad to know my beginner's layout is inspiring. Hoping to have enough done to show it at a train show in the fall.

    It's also nice to know someone else agrees that there is no rhyme or reason to the MTL turnout issues. I'm this close to throwing in the towel, ripping them all out, and replacing with Rokuhan. It just seems that once I finally figure something out, something else goes horribly wrong.
     
  11. ddechamp71

    ddechamp71 TrainBoard Member

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    Me too I had had stall problems with my own MTL turnouts... Thus I disposed of them and waiting for a possible brand that fits me (when it was no question of Atlas') I began building my own Fast-Tracks samples (Rokuhan is no option for me in visible areas are they look toy-like, even if according to their users they work flawlessly). But as now Atlas' are on their way I guess they will be my definitive brand, provided I have good returns from their first users. ;)

    Dom
     

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