dcc layout

[mf5117]

i was wondering i am going to do an ho layout from thortrains . on the 4x8 layout page they have . second layout down right layout .the double passing loop with the inside turn outs .it shows 2 terminal railers for feed.will i have to do any special wiring for the feed and will i have any shorts  . now i run 2 trains on the expantion pack for the 4x8 layout my first train ez track pack . i have the digatal commander . i guess what im saying is they give you the track info .but nothing else .layouts say for easy track.....thanks

[Joe Satnik]

Please cut and paste the link to the page you are referring to.

Thanks.

[mf5117]

www.thortrains.net-marx-funlayez1.html     see 2 layouts the next  ones down the one to the right .double circle with switches to the inner circle .i was wondering if i buy all this track .with what i have will it work with the ez commander .and not have any shorts .

[Joe Satnik]

http://www.thortrains.net/marx/funlayez1.html



The track layout itself will not cause any shorts, as there are no turn around loops or wyes.

Be careful to maintain the polarity while hooking up the feeds to the 2 loops.  (If not, your wiring will cause a short.)

I noticed that the fifth recipe line doesn't have a track piece length.  (Typo?)  You might want to contact Thortrains for that info and to have them correct that page. 

Hope this helps. 

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik     

[mf5117]

hey thanks this is it .i really like this layout .going to have a passenger train on the outside rail freighters on the inside loop .my gf is doing a really good job on the senery . im so addicted .i have got my dcc running well . the one way track layout i have now .is limiting but it does have some turn outs .and the loop at the left end . i built a nice 4x8 base 4 2x4 sections so i can move them when needed i have a small home and space wise .you know dont have the house to go with the train. hey thanks alot . i have many years of this hobby left .and can't wait to grow .and help later down the line .i will post some pictures soon . again thanks .

regards:mark f

[Yampa Bob]

Mark,
Looks like a fun layout. If you needed extra car storage, you could have a large ladder yard on the left.

Keep us posted on your progress.

[mf5117]

thanks for all your help .i finally got my deck up off the floor .and my layout put back together .and waiting on the track that i ordered .i tell ya dcc is alot of fun and creates a good challenge .i was wondering im going to have 12 remote switches .i was looking at the acme push button switches .i saw singles set of 6 and set of 12 together do you recommend using these .the bachmann switches for the remotes  are kinda cheap . and dont care for the 10' extention wires .they do the job but i have a plan .if i can get away from using them . i see here i can post some pics im at work now .at 2:50am and will post some of the gf's senery and my table . ohhhh any ideas on where i can buy 2ftx4ft styro-foam .i have looked at some of the hobby stores around here .1ft x 3ft is about the largest i can find .have a great day .

[mf5117]

also i was wondering a good dcc loco for going up grades pulling a load diesel or elec i dont care .we are doing the transition period layout and senery.

[hunter2115]

I have been getting styrofoam from Lowe's/Home Depot. Any building supply place should have it- although you might be limited if you live in a warm climate area. Here in PA the stores have 1/2", 1", and 2" thick 4 x 8 foot sheets. I would use the blue or pink stuff if you are planning to "sculpt" it- the white stuff is too coarse.

[jward]

i can see a couple of things on this layout that will give you grief. most of the layouts on this site also suffer from this problem. the man who posted these layouts must be into lionel or some other tinplate because the arrangement of the switches reflect this.....

what i am talking about specificly are the wicked s curves going through some of the switches. recommended practice in any scale which uses cars with body mounted (as opposed to truck mounted) couplers is to use a straight section of track at least as long as your longest car between curves of opposite directions. the layout shown has this in two locations, at the top centre where the spur lines come off the runaround track, and bottom right where the spur line comes off the inner loop.

fortunately, a couple of minor modifications to the plan will drasticly improve these situations. at the top centre, use a right hand switch in place of the curve at the right end of the runaround track, replace the left hand switch with a straight. run the two spurs off the new switch as shown in the plan...
for the spur at the bottom, use a right hand switch instead of the left hand one shown in the plan, and run the spur line off to the left instead of the right.

your trains will operate much better using these modifications as they won't be trying to derail when you back them into these spurs.....

[SteamGene]

Notice the URL says "Marx."
Gene

[mf5117]

what does that mean "marx"

[jward]

Marx made toys and for a while had a line of O27 trains, kind of a poor man's lionel.

[Rangerover]

Marx made toys and for a while had a line of O27 trains, kind of a poor man's lionel.

I think that comment is odd, after all some still think of Bachmann as that still to this day! TOY line of trains.

I personally have some Bachmann track, on my subway and I also own and run Bachmann diesel and steam loco's, and consider myself a Model Railroader, I think Bachmann is great!

All the plans the link show are in Bachmann EZ track and switch's!

[Rangerover]

also i was wondering a good dcc loco for going up grades pulling a load diesel or elec i dont care .we are doing the transition period layout and senery.

Bachmann EMD F40PH -NJ Transit, I have 2 of these units in consist pulling  10 IHC NJ Transit passenger cars, weighted, up a 3%+ grade for approx 24 ft from my subway to the top of my main layout with no problem in DCC.