i joined the new site
i will still check to the old one, lots of information is shared there.
i hope this one becomes as successful as the old one

so who are the Canadian Modellers here any HO CN fans?

stuart warren
renfrew ontario

A few months ago when my switching layout was almost finished, I thought to have a second layout would be a good idea. After seeing Lance Mindheim’s Miami East Rail layout ( <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.lancemindheim.com">http://www.lancemindheim.com</a><!-- m --> ), I knew what I wanted to do. The bird’s eye view of Live Search Maps and the street view of Google Maps gave me all the information I needed to plan the new layout.

My new switching layout is a combination of scenes I found along the NW 58th and 59th Street in the Miami East Rail District. The trackplan is mostly based upon the tracks along the NW 59th Street. I scaled down an aerial picture to copy the position and length of the tracks for my trackplan. Somehow I like the idea to have an almost prototypical trackplan.

Space is at a premium in my layout-"room", so I decided to have a modular design with a permanent section and two removable extensions. The layout is L-shaped and the overall size is 168" x 70", i.e. the permanent part is 11' x 14" (consisting of two modules), the removable extension on the left is 5' x 9" and the short leg of the L is 2' x 6 1/2'. Both extensions can be attached and removed within a few seconds.



The track is Micro Enineering code 70 and as I like switching with sound equipped engines, I will run the layout with DCC. The era is modern, though I plan to switch back to the 1950s occasionly to make operation and taking pics more interesting.

As you can see in the trackplan, there is no runaround. To have a runaround that was long enough to be useful would have spoiled my prototypical plan. In the real Miami East Rail district there is no runaround either, the cars are sorted out on the main and then pushed into the spurs. The track at the front of the extension at the end of the long leg of theL will be used as a fiddle yard and represent that sorting on the main.

These two pictures give a glimpse of what I accomplished during summer. I completed laying track and wiring and I started to build some of the structures, though most of the structures are still simple cardboard mock-ups







I only made slow progress during the last few months, but now as summer is gone and days are getting shorter and colder, it is nice to spend some time in Florida.

I copied a request to this area:

by wgrider on Mon Dec 15, 2008 11:36 am
Just wandering if those that are in control of the settings if its possible to have the New Post button put up top as a sticky so that when a thread has been finnished being posted to or viewed we simply go to the top of the current page\thread and then click the New Post button. I may be doing something wrong but I'm finding I have to go all the way back to the parent directory to find the New Post button.
Lynn

Thought I'd go ahead and get a thread going again for my layout.

For all previous updates, you can view them at my website <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.upmodelrailroad.com">http://www.upmodelrailroad.com</a><!-- m -->

I'll post future updates here.

In actual layout news, I recently got my order of IDC connectors in so I'm planning on Friday to work on the mainline on the upper level. My goal was to complete the mainline by the new year, so this weekend is pretty my last chance to meet that goal before I leave for vacation for a week on
Christmas day. *crosses fingers*

I've also been busy blasting away and completing some building kits (as previous post shown). Using the Floquil/Testor spray paint has made this a breeze cause I usually dread the whole airbrushing routine. But the spray cans make it a snap and there's no worry about having clean up or anything. So I'm happy as a clam now.

I'm also about to try a new method for powering my staging cassettes. As simple as the copper contact strips are, I can't seem to get them to be reliable 100% of the time on every cassette. So I'm going to try using a 2.5mm plug for getting power to the cassette. More details on that once I get the parts in!

Transformers - not the kids kind, either. This actually started with BNSF,`so maybe this is the worng berth, but we'll see.

Three days`ago BNSF dropped off two humongous electrical transformers at ther work siding in Palmer Lake. Shortly thereafter, a fleet of semi's arrived carrying huge metal beams, loads of metal bracing members and 4-wheel road wheel sets, two forklifts, two mobile cranes...and a partidge in a pear tree. My wife and I decided to stop and see what it was all about, and got front row seats to what should have been an episode of Mega Movoers.

Moving like a highly trained drill team, the workers raised up the transformers, emplaced metal support stands, attached the big girders to the sides of the first transformer, then used the lughter bracing members to construct and and swing into place internal frameworks at each end between the main girders. Then wheel sets were attached, two sets at each end. Finally, the transformer was lifted, the braces removed and the transformer lowered onto it's 16 roadwheels. Then two semi tractors hooked on, on at the front pulling, on at the rear pushing, and the entire Rubegolderg assemblage motored slowly off down the country two-laner to the power substation a few miles away where the entire process was repeated in reverse to emplace the teranformer.

Then, of course, back to the siding to do it all over again with the second one. Altogether, it took an entire day to prepare one transformer to move, a second day to emplace it, a third day to ready the second one and the last day to emplace it. Then a half-day to reload and repack the fleet of trucks and finally the dust settled.

What an incredible performance.

Just wandering if those that are in control of the settings if its possible to have the New Post button put up top as a sticky so that when a thread has been finnished being posted to or viewed we simply go to the top of the current page\thread and then click the New Post button. I may be doing something wrong but I'm finding I have to go all the way back to the parent directory to find the New Post button.

There is a Youtube video talking about what went into the old HBO intro in the 80s. I think there are some features there that you guys might be able to appreciate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Et_LsxlX8Y

Wow. A 19th century 2-8-0. It is brass and steel...and beautiful! I wonder how long it has been since their was a mass produced brass locomotive in On3...or for that matter, a new brass On3 locomotive for way under $1000.

I hope they follow up with a DSP&P version, as they did with their large scale version...with a Nesmith stack and Baldwin green paint.

She'll take 18" curves in On30 and 24" in On3. They are offering her in both modern and old versions. I'll start saving...I sure hope that this means a Mason Bogie could be on the way (they've offered one in large scale)...but I doubt it. A Florence and Cripple Creek locomotive would be the next most logical prototype...they operated on the D&RGW, RGS, Southern Pacific, Uintah, and a variety of others.

Hi guys, this is the other module that i would like to bring to the new gauge :mrgreen:

Its my HO scale Photo Diorama, you guys may recognize it, but if you dont, or your new to the gauge, here you go, hope you enjoy :mrgreen:

Somebody screwed up and let me know where to come. I am definitely NOT totally stupid 'cause I got a smart mouth. Sure is nice to see the old gang straggling in.

Lynn