Switching to HO

green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
CSX said:
Hey CAB, is there a reason why I need 2 power packs for the layout?


yeah he is right. you will basicly need that second one to run a second engine ( unless they are running in the same train) the layout i made can run 2 trains, but I suppose only one at a time. still, you can just turn the block off, by setting the corresponding controller switch to the middle. just park your RDC or small commuter train on that long siding to bottom right when its not running. keep your locomotive on the yard track to keep it out of the way while the commuters are going home.

you probably only need one power pack, but get 2 anyway. if you ever feel liek expanding your layout ( extending the track currently held by the commuter train to another place) you'll probably want to run more than one train at a time.
 

pgandw

Active Member
I have to second CAB's advice that if you can afford it to buy the second power pack anyway. You can always use the second power pack for powering a separate Christmas display or a test track. It's not a must have until you want to run 2 trains at once, but it's a pretty useful tool. There's usually some pretty nice MRC power packs on EBay for reasonable prices. Just get a Tech 2 or later.

yours in powering up
 

green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
pgandw said:
You can always use the second power pack for powering a separate Christmas display or a test track.

off topic but,

oh yes, christmas is comeing up. i don't think i have pictures of last years trains, but the year before i had 2 christmas tree train, an o-27 and HO goign around. last year i had the O-27, and 2 loops of HO on some EZ-track. that was nice.
 

CSX

Member
Thanks for the advice. I'll get one for now, because I only intend running one train at a time.
 

CSX

Member
How does this redesign with the water and buildings look? Better or worse?

4x8bitmap2xz.jpg
 

CSX

Member
By the way, here is what the red and purple buildings say...

Upper Left Building: House (2-story)
Upper Right Building: Krispy Kreme
Lower Left Building: Bob Evans Resturant
Lower Right Building: Cracker Barrel
 
GEC - that turnout bottom left of the big plan on page 5 may cause you problems because of the straight section in the curve - see if you can replace it with a double curved turnout - Peco and Hornby do them - not sure about Atlas. Otherwise nice plan
Shortliner(Jack)away up here in the Highlands
 

MilesWestern

Active Member
CSX: you have ship-based industry with a loading dock for them, but it also appears that you corraled them with the track around in the water! how are the ships going to get in to load?
 

green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
CSX:
Personaly i think thats alot of water to make ( water is a hard thing to do and get right) and also its alot of bridges. it would probably be cheaper to have a little more land. the area directrly to the lfet of the Grain Elevator atleast should be land.

also, those red buildings are all scale foot prints of Atlas's houses they make in both RTR and kit form. infact, i think everything over in that corner is an atlas building. only the unkown green building is actualy something rought drawn out.

the one building is a watertower. if you want to put a railroad tower in, that would prototypicaly go up near the top of the yard.

Shortliner:
yeah, i didn't like that switch either. for lack of anything other than atlas track, i just made do with what i had. are there curved turnouts that are both 22"r? that would be good.

MilesWestern:
I have that same problem on my 4x8 except its not boats, its traffic. i'm trying to work in a sorta steep overpass that can get over the tracks and catenary.

In the case of the bay here, I was hopeing he could get a bascule or lift bridge or something on that straigh section of track on the bottom. I know the walthers one is out of production, but i heard that IHC makes one. In the book "6 model railroads you can build" it has a picture of the Carbondale central, which has a bridge like what i imagined.
 

Russ Bellinis

Active Member
I couldn't see the legend to identify what buildings were what, but regarding the harbor and dock, I presume that was in the lower left corner of the layout where the blue is. I can think of two solutions for the landlocked situation. One is to model a draw bridge of somesort. It doesn't need to work unless you actually want a ship to pass under the railroad. If youmodel a freighter or barge at a dock permanently, the draw bridge can be nonworking. The other possibility that I see is to move the harbor to the lower right corner and continue the track right to the end of the layout, maybe with a couple more stub tracks there. Then model a barge dock and make a barge on a rolling utility cart that will roll up and secure to the dock. Now you have some off scene staging and a way to bring more cars on scene and take other rolling stock off scene.
 

MilesWestern

Active Member
CSX: Also What point would there be to any water that is corraled by tracks? There isn't a feasable way to get a ship into those areas to serve them! The bascule bridge thing would only provide a SMALL in-n-out hole for ships that would be near- impossible to have. I know that MR's own Ian Rice made a fantastic pair of water-based layouts on a 4'X8' in a back issue of Model Railroad Planning, I'll go dig that up and give you a track plan. That's nonsensical to have a port without easy nautical access, remember, the ships came first!
 

MilesWestern

Active Member
Ok, the article is entitled: "4X8 feet on the water: east and west coast railroads in waterfront settings" It's in the MRP 2002 issue here, infront of me. However, my scanner isn't hooked up, COULD SOMEBODY SCAN THE TRACK PLANS?
thanks.
 

Russ Bellinis

Active Member
The other thing you can do is simulate making a tall bridge to allow ships to get under the railroad, by lowering that corner of the benchwork and making the harbor at a lower elevation. You have a grain elevator dock and I can't tell what the other dock is, but you could run chutes from a higher elevation grain elevator down to the ship from the track. Also you could run some steeper grades down to dock level, since trains running down there will be short anyway. Also put a small grade up in the mainlineover the harbor and then down the other side. You may not get quite enough separation to get a ship under the railroad, but if you get close, it will probably not be noticeable, especially considering the restraints of such a small layout. You also don't need to make it a deep water port. It could be a barge port on a large river like the Mississippi. Barges and tugs don't stick out of the water nearly as much as an ocean going freighter.
 

sumpter250

multiscale modelbuilder
The need for a bridge, is clear. A bascule, or a rolling lift, would be the type of bridge most likely to be used. They give unlimited vertical clearance. If you use a short bridge, you'll simply have to "hire a better pilot" to navigate the narrow passage. I'd consider the length of the bridge at a minimum of twice the width of the vessel that would be going through.
A swing bridge might work, but you need a fairly wide area fo a swing bridge. Bridges which leave structure over the passage when "up" would not be a great choice, even for some private sail craft.
Pete
 

green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
The second pier is a walther's pier. ( i don't remember the exact name) with a traveling crane.

they are right though, you will have to lower the corner down a whole lot.
when i first designed the layout though it was supposed to be a tugboat and barge operation. i wish i could make a 3D model of it.
 

CSX

Member
I think I am going to change the operations of the layout, but keep the trackplan. The harbor seems like it will take a lot more time than I hoped, so I am dropping that out. My new plan consists of a residential area, small commercial area, the yard, and an area of woods with a small pond. How does that sound?
 

green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
don't give up! the harbor idea is really good. its certainly worth it. and it won't take to much time. its not as much work as you think it is. everyone should have someth special about thier layouts. for me its catenary for heavy electric operations ( no trollies here!). you really should go along with your harbor. its somethign really cool, that i garuntee will set your layout apart from the others. don't fall into that scenic hole that loads of modelers get stuck in. so many other modelers ( no offense to you guys) have that same thing. do something different, and stick to the plan. it will be worth it.
 

green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
thats why you have to do a little reading! I have no clue how to make Catenary when i started out. but i read about it, and studied it. besides you really don't need to look that hard.

for one thing, i suggest picking up the walthers 2006 catalog. its worth it. i have a 2004 one. just flip through it, and i garuntee you'll find what you are looking for.

i suppose you can start off buying Woodland Scenic's E-Z water, some bulkheads for your docks and piers. there are so many commercialy available bulkheads you should be fine. you'll need to pick out bridges, and buy bride piers, as well as a tugboat and a barge or 2.

after that, most of it is just cutting the wood of your layout. as understand it, you need to take your 4x8 if you have it, and mark down precisely where the water's edge is. cut this portion out, and have it lowered a little farther down than the water line would be in comparison to the rest of the layout when you build your table.

there is no way i could describe to you the whole process, partialy because i've nver tried before, and also because it is kinds of lengthy, and there are many different ways to reach your goal.

at this point i'm really really really really urgeing you to pick up a copy of "6 Model Railroads You Can Build" from Kalmbach. I'm telling you it has everything you want to know in it. they have quite a few articles on water in there.

then there is also here, the interweb. there has to be some place online, or some person, who can help you with harbor details. don't give up!
 
Top