The mainline track is all laid, today it will be the sidings. Last night, I did run a couple of test trains up the hill, and had no problems. (That was with no feeders on the entire section) Today, I may install some feeders to give me more power! Here are a few shots of the new track. The siding in the front will be 17 feet long. It will take a long train to cross over itself here. A 50 car grain train should do it! This siding is 18 feet long. The curves look sharp in the pictures, but they are 36" radius, the spiral tunnel is a 24" radius, but it will be hidden. I'll post some pictures of a train going up the hill later today.
This extension makes the layout a continuous loop of 250 feet with an 11 track staging yard, 3 sidings, a 17 track main yard and another 2 sidings before you arrive back to staging. There are also 100 cars throught the layout at various industries to switch out. The first operating session will be comming up soon!
Just read through this, great work! Looking forward to the scenery... Chalk up one more for the "jealous of a large basement group"! Phil
I just ran a 50 car test grain train up the spiral tunnel and it made it with no issues! There is 1 SD90 on the h/e, 25 cars, and an SD90 in the middle, with another 25 cars. Here are some pictures... This is where the lower tunnel entrance will be. The mid train engine is just going into what will be the lower tunnel entrance. The h/e is just comming out of where the upper tunnel entrance will be.
Here is the h/e going by the t/e of the train. It looks like 42 grain cars and 2 engines will do it. A couple of pictures from the other view. I can't believe how these Kato SD90's pull! I figure this spiral tunnel is about a 2.5% grade on a 24" radius curve and 2 of them can pull 50 cars up the hill.
This 50 car grain train is about 6 cars too long for the sidings here, if I run this length of trains durring an operating session, everyone else will be waiting in the sidings!
I was wondering what you are you using to affix the track to the roadbed that allowed you to salvage everything from an old layout.
I use a latex contact cement, LePages Press Tight Green. It works very good, and there is no smell. If you have to change something, a razor knife carefully slide under the track between the roadbed takes it up.
Excellant work, look forward to the scenery on this gem. I have to ask, how concerned were you about all that beautiful equipment derailing and hitting the floor? With my luck that is exactly what would happen.
The thought did cross my mind! I am thinking of making some kind of saftey net just in case that ever does happen. Maybe some cardboard stapled to the bottom of the plywood subroadbed? If something did go on the ground, it wouldn't just be 1 or 2 cars, and it's a long way down!
I love this I seen this shot on Extreme Trains I'm currently reading up on your layout but I feel that your modeling the massive trains routes in Canada?
This layout is modeled after the Canadain Rockies and Foothills, and maybe some of the Prairies as well! We do run some big trains! CP did a test grain train a couple of months ago with 230 loaded grain cars pulled by 5 AC4400's I think. 2 in the front and 2 mid train remotes as well as a t/e remote. The mid trains were single units placed in positions 75 and 150 or something like that.