My layout progress

Uncle peanut butter Jun 11, 2020

  1. Uncle peanut butter

    Uncle peanut butter TrainBoard Member

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    I have a few threads spread out across the board and want to start a new one based solely on the progress of the layout build.
    Layout is in the basement, 21’ x 32” with wider sections at each end to handle the return loops. Finished height will be roughly 46” - 48”. I haven’t yet decided on a track plan. I’ve purchased some flex track and a few turnouts and have been fooling around with ideas. Only thing I’m sure of is it will be a branch line style. 22” radius curves will be used so I’d like to keep the rolling stock to 40’ cars. Control will be DCC++ which has already been assembled and tested. Working fine!
    The bench work is about 70% complete.
    Over the past year or so I’ve closed my eyes and tossed out anything that hasn’t been used in the recent past and completely cleared the space for the bench work. Painted the walls and installed new vct flooring throughout. Better lighting is on the job list.
    Some photos:
    0F10EA28-D7D2-4EF7-8FC2-10E6241BBDDC.jpeg 4A8B74F0-26E3-4421-A10C-074FF65BFC2E.jpeg 57B435B6-BF54-4128-A21D-10D9843EA682.jpeg 314E5816-F6DA-4BEF-9C1F-33195D3CF535.jpeg DD004D26-C347-40A6-A02F-29601BED3184.jpeg 4A305950-86D5-48F6-9066-59A54DB994CB.jpeg
     
    RailMix, Kurt Moose, gmorider and 4 others like this.
  2. PapaG

    PapaG TrainBoard Member

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    I see you have the same issue I have with the orientation of pics loaded on the boards. I was trying to figure out why you had a window in the floor of your room... and then realized that your shop vac and bottle of wood glue weren't really defying gravity, lol!

    I'm jealous! I wish I had a room in my house that I could devote to modeling railroading.

    Can't wait to see how things take shape!
     
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  3. ppuinn

    ppuinn Staff Member

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    Regarding orientation of pictures:
    If you have uploaded a picture to RailImages and it is not properly oriented, you can edit it in RailImages:
    Note!! Editing in RailImages is easiest, if done from a computer rather than a tablet or phone.
    1. Go to RailImages and click on Your Media or click on Your Albums.
    2. Find the picture to be rotated, and click on it. This should give you a bigger view of your pic, some boxes on the right ( Information, More Media, and Share this Media), 9 square icon buttons in black and gray, and (in orange) a Media Tools dropdown menu.
    3. Click on Media Tools.
    4. Click to rotate right or left until pic is properly oriented.

    If you posted your pic directly to the TrainBoard thread from a phone, you may need to edit its orientation wherever it is stored, and then edit the original post (delete the original pic and insert the correctly oriented pic).
    You may have to do this a few times to produce the proper orientation when the pic is uploaded to TrainBoard, because sometimes the orientation of a pic as you see it shown on your phone/camera may be automatically adjusted from how it is stored on your phone.
     
    SceneIt likes this.
  4. gmorider

    gmorider TrainBoard Member

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    The project looks great. I admit that I do like the "floor window" and horizontal glue and vac. Adds interest. (y)
     
  5. PapaG

    PapaG TrainBoard Member

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    Good info!! Thank you Dave!
    I posted some pics that I had on my desktop computer, and even though the orientation there was correct it changed when uploaded to TrainBoard. Any advice on how/why that might be and what I can do about it?
     
  6. ppuinn

    ppuinn Staff Member

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    George:
    See if you can save a copy of the pic on your computer (so you will always have the original), test uploading the copy to TrainBoard to see if this copy still yields an incorrectly oriented pic when uploaded to your post on TB.
    If the copy is still improperly oriented, rotate and re-save the copy, and re-upload to your TB thread. Repeat the rotate, re-save, and re-upload until you have the correct orientation in your post.

    You also might try storing a copy of the pic in RailImages on TrainBoard. That way, you could edit it (as described in Post #3 above) and insert it in your post by copying and pasting the code (in the Share this Media box) , or by using the Embed-a-pic-from-your-TB-gallery icon (a camera) above the compose window that appears when you reply to a thread.

    Let me know if my explanations are “clear as mud”, and I’ll keep refining my explanations until you have properly oriented pics.
     
    Last edited: Jun 18, 2020
  7. PapaG

    PapaG TrainBoard Member

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    Thank you Dave! I'll play around with that and see if I can get one certain pic I have that I've not been able to get properly oriented to post correctly. And then we'll see if the mud needs clarifying as we go ;)

    There seems to be some correlation between the orientation of the phone/camera when the pic was taken, whether portrait or landscape, and whether or not it loads properly oriented on TB. But I could be wrong... I haven't posted that many pics and I have only encountered the problem a couple of times.

    Thanks again though!
    G.
     
  8. Uncle peanut butter

    Uncle peanut butter TrainBoard Member

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    I have the main loop up and running. I’ve use dress makers pins to hold it in place as this is not a permanent design. Mostly using it as a refresher on wiring, track laying etc. I’ve soldered all joints and everything is working they way I expect it to. The bench work will be six feet longer through the middle.
    Any thoughts or suggestions are more than welcome.
     

    Attached Files:

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  9. Uncle peanut butter

    Uncle peanut butter TrainBoard Member

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    Made a more secure setting for my DCC++ gear.
     

    Attached Files:

    bklynman01 and BNSF FAN like this.
  10. in2tech

    in2tech TrainBoard Member

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    You have one of the best screen names I have ever see " Uncle Peanut Butter" :) Love it! I am guessing you got it from a family member?
     
    Uncle peanut butter likes this.
  11. french_guy

    french_guy TrainBoard Member

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    What is the small board above the mega+motorshield?
     
  12. Uncle peanut butter

    Uncle peanut butter TrainBoard Member

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    Working on turnout control via servos.
    Give this a look.

    I’ve got a lot to learn!
     
    bklynman01 and Joe Lovett like this.
  13. Chops

    Chops TrainBoard Member

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    The dog bone with narrow waist is a very useful design. Your carpentry is enviable.

    A thought, as the final plan is not set in glue and ballast yet, would it make sense to add a little swoosh,
    a gentle S curve, in the mainline that is now straight as an arrow? Trains following a gentle bend look
    more interesting than those trundling in a straight shot.
     
    Uncle peanut butter likes this.
  14. Uncle peanut butter

    Uncle peanut butter TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks for the carpentry comment. Wood working relaxes me.
    The long straight is tight to the wall as my plan is to have it behind the backdrop scenery. Trying to disguise the fact that the track plan is a glorified circle.
    Any thoughts or suggestions are always welcome.
     
  15. bklynman01

    bklynman01 TrainBoard Member

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    Cool space!
    I'd have to agree with Chops, giving some type of curvature to the straight runs makes the scene more appealing. Even just offsetting an industry from the main is helpful.

    Also, Thanks for sharing the video about the servo control! I'm in the process of learning DCC++ and the controls that can be integrated. Turnout control is next on my list of things to figure out. If you go through a learning curve, please do share it so we can follow along.

    Best of luck continuing! I'll be following along.
     
    Uncle peanut butter likes this.
  16. Uncle peanut butter

    Uncle peanut butter TrainBoard Member

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    I’ve been watching this series on programming Arduinos and it is helping me gain a clear understanding of what we want and how to get it. Like you my end game is servo controlled turnouts but that has changed a little. From watching this series I can start to imagine many different uses.
    That straight run along the wall will be out of sight behind scenery. At least that’s the limited plan. I have an option of making the bench work ~6’ longer. If I do that a few of my ideas will change. Nothing you see in the photos is permanent.
    I took the advice of @Sumner and bought an Arduino starter kit. Great learning tool that goes perfectly with the video series I’m watching.
    Some new thoughts on industry spurs. Thoughts and suggestions are welcome.
    edit: tried manipulating the sideways photo. Didn’t work.
     

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  17. Sumner

    Sumner TrainBoard Member

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    [​IMG]
    See if this is better,

    Sumner
     
  18. Uncle peanut butter

    Uncle peanut butter TrainBoard Member

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    Fooled around a bit this morning with following suggestions from the members here. I’ll curve the tracks so the track plan doesn’t look so linear.
    I have a feeling the farmer and the rr surveying crew are going to have some words with one another.
     

    Attached Files:

  19. Uncle peanut butter

    Uncle peanut butter TrainBoard Member

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    Been giving this portion of a track plan a good look to see if I can adopt/adapt some of the features.
     

    Attached Files:

    bklynman01 and Sumner like this.
  20. SOO MILW CNW

    SOO MILW CNW TrainBoard Supporter

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    Howdy,
    UPB, that track plan is a reverse loop, but I like it!!! Just takes some special electrical considerations.
    Keep it up!!

    Life's a garden, dig it
    Wyatt
     
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