A couple Questions

[Irbricksceo]

Hey all, although unforeseen financial circumstances (A power surge blew my PC Monitor) Have forced me to delay my plans until summer, I am going to, essentially, redo my layout. I'll be selling off the EZ track and using flex track on cork instead (I just feel like the lower track looks nicer). It will be set on foam board. I'll also be using a slightly wider radius (22 and 20 inch on the double tracked mainline) And # 6 turnouts which, while they take up a lot of space, will allow better operation and looks than the standard 18 inch drop in. Here's my questions:

1. the two main features aside from a few sidings will be the yard and the mine. the yard will retain the #6 turnouts however space is tight and I was considering using #4's on the mine. My question is how hard are they to navigate? It would get the standard Hoppers (so 40') and smaller steam (2-8-0, Russian 2-10-0, 4-4-0, Chinese 2-8-2) The 2-8-4 won't enter it. Will that work or are #4's too sharp.

2. While most places would use the corkbed for realism, A part of my brain is nagging me and saying that  the mine and maybe the yard shouldn't have corkbed, that they would be ballasted flat on the ground instead In real life. If this is true (I'm doing a lot of research) then how do I get track off the corkbed and to ground level?

Just for your information, the layout is set in Northern New Jersey/New York/ Eastern PA area in late 40's to early 50's

[jbrock27]

Before I tore up our layout to do something similar to what you are-have foam board now down on plywood, and plan on using cork road bed with sectional track-we could run the shorter 6 axle diesels like the SD45 and SD9 on Atlas Snap Switches w/no problems.  I do not know the answer re: steamies as we don't have any.
That said, in the process of preparing for the 'redo' I have not bought any more Snap Switches and instead have bought #4s to use in their place.
I agree, off the mainline does not need the cork roadbed.  At least, that is in our plan as well.

Did you not have the monitor/computer plugged into a surge protector?

[ebtnut]

All of the small steamers you list will go through a No. 4.  The Berk might also if its a Bachmann.  And yes mine spurs did not usually get built to "main line" standards and saw on minimal maintenance such that the ties were often buried.  You can use something like cedar shake shingles from your local home store to transistion from cork to base.

[jward]

I don't think you will run into any problem using smaller steam on #4s, especially if they are atlas 4s. those are actually 4.5s and thus slightly less shar than a regular 4. I am using handlaid 5s on my layout, including a couple bent into curved switches, and I have no problems running smaller steam (0-6-0, 2-6-0, 2-8-0) on them, I can also run any 4 axle diesels as well as alco rsd5s. whatever I can run will also run through atlas 4s.

[Irbricksceo]

Thanks for that! I'll have to carefully manage the transition as space is tight so it wont be a long drop. I would use #5's in the yard if they were available since #6's are so big and the table isn't however they aren't and that berk's tracking ability was sub par on 18  inch.

The monitor was however the The strip was several years old and there were 3 surges. the PC survived, thank god. I've got a brand new UPS to protect it so, as long as things stay good with the scholarship, I'll be able to work on this next summer.

[Doneldon]

Irbrick-

Your locos shouldn't have trouble with the Atlas snap switches. You know, using mini equipment like short ore cars and very small locomotives can do a lot to set the theme of a branch line with the trackwork challenges of a mine or lumber railroad. It also gives you an excuse to change motive power when the loads are moved on the larger railroad.

ebtnut's suggestion about using cedar shakes or shims to ease your roadbed down to ground level is a good one. These grades can get pretty steep but it's not really much of a problem because they are so short. You can also use your cork roadbed and a power sander to make the transition. Try using cinders for ground-level ballast in your yards (everywhere, not just along the tracks) and rock that looks like what occurs naturally in your mine area.

                                                                                                                                                                            -- D

[jbrock27]

Brick, agree, good thing the PC survived.  If you have to pick one to get zapped, the monitor would be the one.  Glad things were not as bad as they could have been.

[Irbricksceo]

I'm taking the intermittent time to get a whole plan on the layout set (Track, Scenery, terrain, ect.) Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any software that can be used to properly replicate the flex track so I need to do it all by hand. Is there a place with a good list of turnout dimensions? I'm aware of frog number meanings (number:1 out:over) However I do not know the lengths of the main and divergent in the Pieces.
The track will probably be atlas as I've ha decent luck with that before (I used some for a small project) I suspect the biggest challenge will be in setting the flex track just right. I understand that it helps to solder it.

The table is technically 4*8 however the walls make it actually around 46"*94". The outer Mains will be 22 ad 20 inch radius curves done in flex track with the front having a small yard/engine area, the back having the mine, and maybe an industrial spur or two somewhere in there as well. I've got all Bachmann Engines (and almost all bachmann rolling stock, with a few exceptions) and an NCE Powercab unit so that's all set.

I'm rather looking forward to this. I suspect I'll have to disappoint my cat though, when scenery comes into the picture. He tends to get up there and watch the trains go around. If you only knew how much Hair I clean out of the valve gear on some of my locos...

[jbrock27]

I looked in the Atlas HO Layouts For Every Space book for your answer thinking they might list it for but did not find where they give the lengths of main and divergent piceces; just the units for 4s & 6s.  Sorry.

Does the cat ever paw at the locos or cars when he is up there?

[jward]

the dimensions you seek can be extrapolated from the dimensions given for the crossovers.

atlas#4 9" straight, crossover 16, thus divergent is 8"
atlas#6 12" straight, crossover 20" thus divergent is 10"

[Irbricksceo]

Thanks a bunch! Man, I knew that #6 was large but 12 and 10, well, the better for realism.

Occasionally the cat might but not usually, he'll just sit there and watch them go in circles, it's the oddest thing.