With vacation time now here, I'm hoping to finally get the G Scale out front finally finished!! Plan is to work on redoing my track, in the mornings before it gets to unbearably hot!! Mid 90's expected for the week. Maybe, with luck, I'll have something running. Maybe an updated You Tube video or two. Put things on hold for unknown length of time, because of all the forest fires fairly close by.
Shouldn't be a problem. Had trouble with gaps before I tore things down. Gaps on outer rail, and on curves. My rails were NOT the same length! Now, I'm trimming rail ends eve, as needed, to prevent too large a gap at joints. Leave a small gap, about 1/16" between rails when I clamp, for heat expansion Also thing, that since railroad is fairly small, I avoid many of the heat related problems. I also think the shade from the tree doesn't hurt anything either.
The shade should help some. What will help as well, are my track clamps. Just found the missing box I've been needing for some time now!! Now, I can complete my loop, and get rid of the remaining joiners. About half the loop in front was joiners, with over joiner clamps. Seemed like I had minor power problems with that area of track. Now I am fired up about getting my track finished. Again.
Loop in front is almost finished. Now, it's a matter of cleaning up rail ends, greasing, and adding clamps. Should be able to test run track next day or two.. Then, it'll be a matter of getting granite down and ballasting/leveling the track. Snow plow ops should be possible this winter again!! Provided we get enough snow for plowing! Once I can get main line running decent, I can start working on connection to back. Finally getting there!! Will see if I can grab photos as is now and as I continue.
Have a small section of track to clean and clamp. Work on things for a couple hours, before I lose my shade. By then, it's starting to get to hot to work. I'm headed out to CORE tomorrow, for a day off road fun! CORE - Colorado Off Road Extreme An 800 acre park, for all sorts of LEGAL off road fun!! With sanctioned races on certain weekends. This is one of those racing weekends, so, I may be watching some off road races as well as doing some off road driving. Should finish last of my track work Sunday morning, and maybe have something test running later that day. Or something on Monday. Might aim for photos later, I'm in some semi nasty pain right now.
Problems with left ankle, again. But, with boot, it's not too bad. Temps are about 75° currently! Perfect for railroad construction to continue, and probably finish! Have a short section of track to take apart, clean and clamp. Once that's done, track work is complete. Just gotta fond electrical connections, and drag up a locomotive or two for test runs. Might be able to get photos and/or video of test runs today. Or tomorrow if I need to. Finally, all that remains is to ballast and level track. And hope turnouts work without problems! Then, I can start working on track design to backyard. As time and temperatures permit.
A couple hours work, and my track is complete. Trains were test run, and as I was expecting, I had a few problems. The GP40's do not the placement of a switch. May pull it out and replace with solid curve instead. The K27 does not like the same switch. Splits the points when taking the left leg of switch. Also jumps the track at one point, because of a railhead that's not lined up right. However, just like the real DRGW/RGS 455, it jumped on almost any/every thing!! Next up, is to start pulling some old granite out and releveling/ballasting my track. Figure once it's set, trains should run a bit better.
When approaching point end of switch, locomotives split the switch. Doesn't matter if steam or diesel. Right side, on a left hand switch push past the points, causing a major derailment. Looks like points do NOT fit into outer stock rail far enough. A little careful filing might help also. Not sure about that. If I can't get a simple repair done, I'm gonna pull switch out and replace with standard curve. The K also jumps at same point on a different section of curve. This one caused by a very slightly misaligned railhead. This should be a fairly quick, simple repair. Keeping in mid too, that track is only placed on top of the original roadbed. Nothing has been ballasted, tamped, levels etc...yet. Once this is done, things should run a little bit better. To have only a couple of problems, isn't bad. I wasn't sure what to expect as I started test running. Now, I can take my time, getting track ballasted and leveled. Fixing the problems spots as I get to them. Or at least trying to repair them, testing them and replacing things if/as necessary. Once locomotives run, then I can use the NG stuff to really do some fine tuning of the track! The AMS equipment derails on a speck of dust!! At least I'm finally back in action!!
I do understand the mechanics of splitting a switch. It was your reference to (the real/prototype) #455 which has me curious.
Both the 455 and the 461 spent their share of time on the ground. Derailments due to extremely poor track conditions. Tie laid directly on the ground, with less than minimal, if any ballast! Condition of the track, in part, is also what gave the Galloping Geese their name. Slow speeds and derailments were almost daily occurances. My 455 running just kind of reminds me of what I've read to date, in 7 volumes of the RGS Story. But, my derailments are a little bit easier to clean up! A tweak here, a tweak there and a couple swipes with a file, and I MIGHT be OK.
Bent the offending rail heads back into alignment. Hopefully, that'll work. Now, I need to work on the offending turnout! Filed stock rail slightly, hoping point will sit better, so locomotive wheels don't pick. May need to adjust the throw bar next. But firs, I gotta get an engine out and check things out now to see if any adjustments are needed and where. Might not get to today. Weather might cause me some trouble. Have to wait and see what happens. Might pull something out after dinner though. Getting there, if slower than what I had hoped for. But, better than nothing.
Something passing through. No rain to speak of, just a lot of high wind right now. Supposed to be cooling down this week, finally! Into the low 80's, with a mid 70's one day. Last I heard anyway, but wait 5 minutes and it'll change!