The last dead Bachmann 4-4-0 that was severely weathered and the cab and windows boarded up and been laying in a box awaiting this moment. I also stuck another mailbox on the layout, this time on the side of the general store. 000_1253-3 by John Moore posted Nov 7, 2019 at 6:19 PM
John....because its a 'display' locomotive in town ...and actually junk...ya might wanna cut off those couplers. It would give it a better overall look for what it is. JMHO
I could create an iron curtain around the layout using dead Bachmann steamers from over the years including some a batch of F-7 diesels and a solitary S-4. The S-4 was similarly weathered and boarded up and intended to be shoved back in the weeds somewhere but I got over that idea and finally trashed it.
Been busy with adding roads and vehicles to the layout. Here I have created a road to the mine and still have to sand and stain the wood. Thought this was a good place to stage my construction equipment 000_1257-1 by John Moore posted Nov 11, 2019 at 10:51 AM Added two trailers and a mail truck to the village train station. 000_1258-2 by John Moore posted Nov 11, 2019 at 10:51 AM Added some vehicles to the area behind the brewery complex. 000_1259-3 by John Moore posted Nov 11, 2019 at 10:51 AM Added some stacks of rail ties to the M of W area along with a forklift. 000_1260-4 by John Moore posted Nov 11, 2019 at 10:51 AM Since the fleet is in harbor due to the storm Effie's is doing a brisk business and one of the ambulances is out on a call. 000_1261-5 by John Moore posted Nov 11, 2019 at 10:51 AM Two tour bus loads are over from the mainland doing a brewery tour. 000_1262-6 by John Moore posted Nov 11, 2019 at 10:51 AM Ebeneezer Pratt's general store is doing a brisk business. 000_1263-7 by John Moore posted Nov 11, 2019 at 10:51 AM The old farmhouse is getting a fuel oil delivery while trucks are pulling out of the port area with containers for delivery. 000_1264-8 by John Moore posted Nov 11, 2019 at 10:51 AM I got rid of the container hoist instead going for two forklifts to handle containers from Kato. A truckload of cargo for the intercoastal ship has just pulled on the dock. The fire scene at the dock watchman's house has turned into a possible crime scene and two police vehicles have been added, along with the fire truck, squad, and hearse. 000_1265-9 by John Moore posted Nov 11, 2019 at 10:51 AM A small fleet of vehicles have been added to the NUMA ocean research facility. 000_1266-10 by John Moore posted Nov 11, 2019 at 10:51 AM In addition street lamps, fire hydrants, mail collection boxes, and power poles have been added. And the reason all vessels are in harbor is the gale force and storm flags flying at the USCG station and the flag pole at NUMA now displays a gale warning flag. 000_1254-1 by John Moore posted Nov 8, 2019 at 11:56 AM Some more passenger vehicles are on order and will be here tomorrow and then I can finally start adding some more people to the layout ranging from fishing boat crews to folks in the village. The starts a massive touch up of paint a scenic stuff and then track cleaning. Have ordered the Woodland Scenic's track cleaner to try out especially on the back tracks.
Well after having all sorts of issues last night just trying to get a train down the mine spur and short of taking a big hammer to the whole layout I am considering again tearing up track and replacing it with Kato Unitrack and with 7 inch and 8.5 inch radius available it become doable although a lot of work. One thing I have not researched yet is how to transition the unitrack to regular track on the piers and docks.
There is a Unitrack transition section available. I don't have the p/n at hand, comes in at least a two pack.
That was it thank you. I decided to convert at least part of the port to unitrack and have made the leap with my first order. Order some of the transition sets so I can use either Peco or Atlas manual turnouts and transition from dockside onto the piers. Then some end of track bumper, grade crossings and straight sections. Doing the port first will get my feet wet and is the simplest.
John... If you use the Unitrack and find situations where you need pieces not commercially made or you have areas where track isnt lining up right there are soultions. Mike Fifer has lots of 'How To' videos. You can even make Unitrack flex! https://www.fiferhobby.com/how-to/ Scroll down to 'Track' and check it out.
Yea I was visiting Fifer's site last night when trying to make up my mind. Deciding to do the port area first will let me get my feet wet in starting out and I may use his idea on converting a section to a flex track. My biggest hang up for awhile was no manual turnouts which has been solved by the transition sections allowing the use of other turnouts and I will probably use them with with Atlas rerailers to also create grade crossings
John... The Unitrack turnouts can be maually switched with the small slide lever on the side of the turnout. ALL my turnouts on THERR are done manually....my preference. http://www.ovrtrains.com/images/P/381-2841.gif
Ah my old eyes saw that finally. Not found in any descriptions of the turnouts, at least I have not found one yet. But that solves yet again one more problem and opens up more possibilities. How sharp is the number four turnout.
#4 Turnout with 481mm (19″) Radius Curve But like I say...with making flex straights or curves...the curve track coming off that turnout can be just about as tight as you need it to be...
You will also want to "tune" the Kato #4's .....https://www.pbase.com/atsf_arizona/kato_4_turnout_tuning&page=all
Well my first order of Kato Unitrack is due to arrive today in the post from two different sources, and doing some research I found the Kato 20-240 and 20-241s which can replace my troublesome and finicky Peco ST -5 and 6s.. I believe they are even a little sharper turnout than the Pecos. 20-240 by John Moore posted Nov 14, 2019 at 9:23 AM . I am also going to use Katos power feed system which makes wiring simple and will get rid of my Tec 7 power pack in favor of Katos power pack. Kato also has a wiring section that takes three power leads and reduces it to one meaning my power connection will end up almost foolproof. If I do not use my existing Atlas number 6s I will convert to Kato number 6s.
Well I am well into replacing the port track with Kato unitrack and have laid in track from around the port train station to the fish cannery pier and the container side of the general service pier.I created a road out of cork roadbed for a road. That roadbed will be covered with fine cinders to give me a blacktop road. And I have been making flex track section out of curved sections to help access some of the tight areas. Mike Fifer has an excellent video of making straight pieces into flex I just applied it to some curved sections. The resulting gaps in the roadbed can be filled with a little putty and the touched up with some gray paint. 000_1285-3 by John Moore posted Dec 1, 2019 at 7:07 PM I am using Kato's track power feeders because it is almost impossible to mess up polarity and I am going to order one of Kato' s power packs for the simplicity of plug and play. For the port area I am using Kato's short radius turnouts which are even sharper than the Peco ST5 and 6s. Kato on top and Peco below so you can see the sharpness. It is 6 inch radius, compared to Peco's 7 and 5/8 inches. 000_1280-1 by John Moore posted Nov 30, 2019 at 8:02 AM The problem that it is causing me to have to redesign the trackwork is they are a full 6 inches in length compared to Pecos on about 3.5 inches long. And Kato makes it simple to choose power routing or non power routing with the settings on the back of the turnouts. 000_1281-2 by John Moore posted Nov 30, 2019 at 8:02 AM I have another order coming where I will start replacing the main line with 8 and 9/16 radius curves later. And Kato has several short track assortments which have made fitting it all in nice. If I had realized how simple it was to use this track I would have switched years ago. Especially for the wiring made easy.
What I like especially are the wiring set ups where you can just plug it into a feeder track and then plug the other end into the power pack. There is only one place to mess up and thats where you plug the wire connector into the bottom of the track. Keep the Kato label staring at you and you're okay because at the power pack end there is only one way to plug it in. And I have the three way plugs also so I can hook five or six or more wires to one plug.
Well another order of Unitrack trickled in. Besides the short straight pieces there were some short 8 and 9/16 inch rad pieces.But the things that will make life easier were several of their 3 way extensions allowing me to combine three feeder wires into one in a simple plug and play. 000_1286-1 by John Moore posted Dec 2, 2019 at 7:36 PM These things are danged near idiot proof in messing up polarity. You can also use these to plug three turnouts together to have all three throw at once.