Christmas layout begins

[Terry Toenges]

I was using the snow blankets and the stuff in a roll that just pulls apart bbut I'm not doing that now. Too much of it finds it's way into the train and I spend a lot of time pulling it out from around axles and valve gear gear in steamers. I've used the spray snow in some places.
This year I'm covering the roadbed in this shelf liner that is kind of rubbery. It should help tone down the sound from the E-Z Track, also. The other areas I'm going to paint white. I will get some cans of spray snow to touch up around different places.

[Terry Toenges]

The wheels of my mind are turning here. I have the upper p to p and the lower p to p. I'm wondering if I could connect the two on the far end. I could make a tunnel so it ran behind the "mountains".
I would have to start a down grade along the back wall and begin the up grade right after the 8 down grade in front. I would have to figure out what kind of grade I would have because it's pretty high in back.
The 8 on that end begins with a 2% starter piece then goes to 3% to the back turn, then 4% to the bridge.
I wouldn't be able to start a down grade on the back track until it's about over the middle of the back straight in the 8. I would have to keep it no less than parallel to the point where the 8 curves forward I can maintain clearance for the Mogul.

[Terry Toenges]

I have it all painted now. No more picking snow out of my axles.


Last year, my bridge was kind of wobbly so I glued some braces to the legs and bottom of the bridge. I had to make a platform to set it on while I was working on it.


I also soldered the track pieces on each end of the bridge. Last year, the track would try to separate sometimes where it connected to the bridge. That was another reason to build the platform - I had to create the slopes on each side to duplicate how it would be when I set it in place. That way when I glued the track to the bridge and soldered the rail joiners the grade would be right. I took a file to the rail heads on the ends of the bridge so the wheels didn't have a drop off coming off the bridge.


Another view of my temporary platform that I set the bridge on.

[Terry Toenges]

Since I'm having my high line reversing track go over a bridge, I had to use jumper wires. I just soldered the jumper wires to the connector that normally connect to the next pieces of track.

Because of the way I was laying it out, I also had to add a 4 1/2" straight piece. I glued the track pieces to the ends of the bridge and soldered the rail joiners so it would all stay together. I also made sure that the wires were oriented on each end so the left wire hooks to the left side on both ends and vice versa.

Here it's done. I super glued the wire to the bridge and the track so it wouldn't be hanging down. I had to make it extra long to begin with so I could assemble the track pieces together.

[Terry Toenges]

The main line is on line. The bridge for the figure 8 worked out great. It's nice and solid now. Thanks to a little filing, there is no hump coming on or off the bridge. I ran the Heisler with the track cleaning caboose for a little while tonight and it was smooth. I'm very pleased.  

[Terry Toenges]

I have the trains all running. It's always a good feeling to get everything running right.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ul5zm5cXhsA&t=3s

[bbmiroku]

Looks good Terry.  Only problem I see now is when you go to take it apart at the end of the season.  You'll have a permanently-wired and -connected bridge and approach at a set gradient.

[Terry Toenges]

Yep. I might find another use for it down the road. I can always build another bridge and buy more E-Z Track if  I need to do that. This sure makes it easier for me now.  I customized these bridges to work with On30 by widening them.
Last year, I just took down the Christmas stuff, ovall and trolley track and left the figure 8 up. When I go to working on locos and cars, I have the 8 to test them on. I keep aiming to start on a permanent one but I keep changing my mind how I want to do it. I'll get bored with the 8 before too long and go with something else.

[Terry Toenges]

   I finished my layout earlier today. Here's a short video.
  I discovered that the two Mr. Moguls, (both the Elder and the Younger) don't like my "coming off the bridge" curve and grade. They want to put their front wheels on the road bed instead of the rails when they come off the bridge. Before I recently soldered the connections, they did just fine. I had to return Mr. Heisler to figure 8 service.
  I was going to give Mr. Porter a Christmas vacation and let Mr. Heisler take over his duties. Then I could have had one or both of the Mr. Moguls on the 8. Alas! It was not to be. I never thought to check with Mr. Mogul after I soldered the joints. Mr. Heisler was satisfied on the test runs and I thought all was ok.
  After Christmas, I'll have to try to appease the Mogul boys and make some adjustments. Right now, I might let them alternate by giving Mr. Porter some short breaks. Mr. Porter's oval is short so it's not much of a work out for them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgIY3VAOVAM&t=9s

[charon]

Excellent layout, Terry.  Thanks for posting.
Chuck

[bbmiroku]

Maybe some solder got on the gauge side of the rails?

[Terry Toenges]

I only soldered on the outside of the rail joiners. I wanted to make sure I didn't get anything on the inside that would interfere with the wheels. The Mogul is high centering, too. Once the center drivers are over  the joint, it rocks down. Before soldering, I had a couple thin cardboard shims under the track right at the joint and a couple single shims spaced out a few inches farther away. I guess it was like spreading the immediate drop down over a couple of track pieces if that makes any sense. Whatever it did, it worked.

[bbmiroku]

Yeah, that's what'll do it.  You went from a cresting hill to a sharp drop.  Might want to take the soldering wand to the solder to soften it up enough to bend the joint a smidgen.

[Terry Toenges]

That's what I'm thinking. I probably should have set it on the layout with the shims and then soldered it. When I built the support off the layout, I just used the WS incline piece next to it to eyeball about where to stack the foam pieces. I didn't want glue a new piece of incline down just to do the soldering. I should have duplicated exactly how it was on the layout with the shims.

[bbmiroku]

Let us know how it turns out!

I won't be setting up a train this year.  But that's because I helped set up (read as: relaid trackage, switched trains out for better-running ones, put up more buildings) the new HO section of the local historical society's train garden.