Dear Glenn,

Rick is aware of the car# vs. length vs. scale length issue.

Current record:

An HO (1:87.1) scale model train measuring 110.3 m ( 361 ft 10 in) made up of 3 locomotives of type "lore" and 887 carriages was constructed by Miniature Wunderland in Hamburg, Germany, on November 27, 2005. If the model had been a full-scale train it would have measured 9.607 km (5.969 miles) long.

The one old record that I have a detailed article on (long since broken a few times) is:

751 cars (smashing a 501 car previous record)

670 feet (which is greater than 2 football fields)

Conservative (1:48) multiplier gives 6.091 scale miles.

July 26, 1980

Stewart Roberts' group of ~50 from Columbus, Ohio.

Lionel O gauge Modern cars, mix of Postwar and Modern 2 motor Electrics and Diesels with Magnetraction.

Straight line, leveled track, greater than 4 football fields long.  Multiple AC powerpacks along the line.   

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Advanced:  Multiple Tracks

What is the max possible radius track on the same shelf corner above?

DOEB = distance from outer shelf edge to track bed.

TRmax = CSL - DOEB - TBW/2

Example: Given DOEB of 1-1/4" (gives a little more room between wall and track)

TRmax = 21.25" - 1.25" - 1" = 19" max track radius.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik 

Dear All,

A poster had asked how to get the corner of his shelf layout to work. 

Others had suggested using CAD layout drawings, which would work but would need a learning curve.

Here are non-CAD instructions:

Note: "Inside" is away from the wall, "Outside" is close to the wall.
Note: Track radius is to center line of track.     

Create a corner piece by cutting a square CSL x CSL (CSL = Corner Square Length)

Cut a quarter circle (off the corner of the square) of radius IR (IR = Inner Radius) 
The center of the circle is one corner of the of the square.

Think of a square saltine cracker with a bite taken out of the corner.

SW = shelf width

TRmin = mimimum track radius

TBW = track bed width

DIEB = distance from inner shelf edge to track bed

IR = TRmin - TBW/2 - DIEB

CSL = IR + SW

Example:  Given 15" minimum track radius, 2" track bed width, and 3/4" inner edge to track bed distance,

IR = 15" - 1" - 3/4" = 13-1/4"

Given 8" shelf width,

CSL = 13-1/4" + 8" = 21-1/4"

Hope this helps. 

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Please see message in "General Discussion" area. 

Thanks.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Rick Cartwright (a.k.a. Rick the Railroad Guy) is attempting to set the world's record for model train length

this weekend in the Phoenix, AZ area. (10-9 thru 10-13-08)

For more details please visit his website: 

http://ricktherailroadguy.com/longestmodeltrain.html

Rick says thanks to everyone that has helped in any way. 

His website has live video streaming available. 

Rick is the first person to attempt this on gauge 1 (large scale) track in 1:29 scale.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik   

Dear Jacko,

Can you post a picture or a link to one?

Thanks,

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Dear Dan,

Exactly what model of Atlas turnout is this?  What scale?

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Dear Yuri,

You start with a certain radius curve track and fashion (custom cut) the corner shelf pieces to that radius & the width of your shelf.  So...

How wide are your shelves? (Actual measurement, nearest sixteenth of an inch.)  What type of material? 

Will there be a gap between the shelf and the wall?  (eg. shelf brace thickness)  If so, how much?

How far from the wall do you want the center line of your track?

What radius curves do you want to use?

Have you thought of adding a siding or sidings, or a double main line?

What make and style of track are you using?

Also, please confirm that it is HO track we're talking about here.   (Posting in the wrong sub-forum has happened before.)

Thanks.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Gene,

Do you have another #6 left hand turnout to rest on top of (and compare to) the curve that forms the top rung of your ladder?

Armstrong's "Track Planning..." book shows a substitution radius of 56", and frog angle of 9.5 degrees.  So, if your top curve was 56"R - 9.5 degrees it should imitate the divergent portion of the #6 turnout.

Are you using the Atlas layout software?  Try your ladder on it and see if it does the same.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik 

Dear All,

This may not be exactly the problem with this case, sorry if it is a distraction. (I have not thoroughly read this entire thread.)

I seem to recall a case (thread) where a DCC socket in a tender was shorted where its pins were soldered to the PC board.

It just so happened that those shorted pins imitated the DC jumper (shorting) plug, so it ran fine in DC, but failed when you plugged in a DCC decoder. 

Moral of the story: inspect for solder bridges on the PC board.  Another possibility: wires soldered to the wrong place on the PC board. 

Hope this helps. 

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik   

Bob,

Confirm to Tim as soon as possible that you got his e-mail address. 

Then:

Tim,

As quick as you can, click "modify" on your previous reply and erase your email addy.

Forums are a good place for the spammers to (automatically) pick up new target adresses. 

It may not help, but I type "at" for the @ character, and "dot" for the "." character if I post my address on the board.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik 

   

Dear Terry,

Thanks for your help. 

If it helps:

You could substitute 2 full 22"R curves for the 4 half 22"R curves. 

They are in the recipe only to allow a (mirror image) split in the 180 degree turns at 90 degrees.

Again, thanks.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik 

Dear All,

The last HO EZ-Track pseudo-easement recipe is for the 22" radius curve.

The recipe is not perfect, read on.   

FYI The normal 22"R curve is 16 per circle, or 22-1/2 degrees per section.

Replace the first normal 22"R curve (coming off a straight) with a 12 degree 33-1/4"R section, followed by a half-22"R (= 11-1/4 degree) curve.

Problem:  Assuming four transitions on an oval (into and out-of each of the two 180 degree turns), the oval will have 363 degrees of turning, when only 360 are needed.  That is 3 degrees off from perfect. 

This will create a slightly "peanut shaped" oval.  I don't know whether or not this is visible, or if it will derail a train.

Dear Terry T. or Bachmann...

Do either of you have the sections needed to try this recipe out?

12 ea. 22"R curve                (44503-4/pkg or 44583 bulk)
4 ea. 12 degree 33-1/4"R curve   (44509-4/pkg)
4 ea. Half 22"R curve            (44532-4/pkg)
9 ea. 9" straights               (44511-4/pkg or 44581 bulk)
1 ea. 9" straight terminal re-railer with wire (44510)

Thanks.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

edit: spelling

Dear MPS,

Welcome.  You've got a lot to digest here already.

I'll add that if you can start with a 5 foot wide table, do so.  (Old ping-pong tables are 5' wide.)  This will allow you up to 28" Radius curves. 

If you are limited in your room, build it with casters so it can be pulled out from a wall to gain access to the other side.

Normally I don't point out people's typos, as I make enough of my own, but yours was interesting:

You wrote:  "I'm new to this and was wondering if anyone can recommend a god starter set for me."

That would be the "Big Bang Express".
The set comes with 2 locos and a circle of track 20 miles in diameter.  Locos are wired opposite polarity of each other (right rail positive, left rail positive) so one goes clockwise, the other counter-clockwise.  Both have excellent acceleration.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik 

What scale and/or gauge?