what are people doing on their layout right now

[EtchedPixels]

Thanks EP , just e.mailed Bachmann after all the shop is only the middle man - he wont give a toss if i started buying only Kato , but Backy will - so its up to them to sort quality control out in China.

Your statuatory rights are solely with the shop. Bachmann can tell you to take a hike, the shop can't. Thats the way the law works. It's between the shop and Bachmann how the trade side is handled.

Alan

[CarriageShed]

Not exactly doing anything on my layout, but I finally have a permanent test oval now - and that's an achievement in itself after the past eight months. For the last two nights I've been unpacking locos and rolling stock, noting upgrade work or improvements needed (lots of coal loads to be added to wagons), and cleaning rolling stock wheels.

Managed a run-around with a Union Mills S&D 4-4-0 and 32 wagons. The loco seemed a bit 'stuttery' on the slowest speed setting, but chugged along nicely at higher speeds. Probably just needs a good run-in. By the time I'd finished counting the wagons as they passed, the loco was almost back at the starting point.

More unpacking, logging and cleaning tomorrow night.

[MikeDunn]

Rebuilding after I decided it was too tight !

Hoping to get the track test-laid tonight 

[Newportnobby]

Thinking about demolishing it and starting again
Access is the main problem as old age (read arthritis) is meaning I am increasingly unable to duck under the layout even though it stands 44" tall.
As the layout stands, there is nowhere to fit a lifting/lift out flap :'(
Rather than have a complete roundy roundy with fiddle yards this may mean having a 'U' shape and maybe having the fiddle yard(s) under the main boards

[rover999]

Just about to start planing my first layout
Al

[ParkeNd]

Competed the wiring of 9 off Peco P11 side mounted points. Wiring worked perfectly but some points moved in both directions as they should, whilst others would only move one way despite the motors kicking. Found that the P11 is very sensitive to position - needs toeing in at the actuator end. Should have wired them then jiggled them around until working faultlessly THEN pinned them down.

[CarriageShed]

Thinking about demolishing it and starting again
Access is the main problem as old age (read arthritis) is meaning I am increasingly unable to duck under the layout even though it stands 44" tall.
As the layout stands, there is nowhere to fit a lifting/lift out flap :'(
Rather than have a complete roundy roundy with fiddle yards this may mean having a 'U' shape and maybe having the fiddle yard(s) under the main boards

I'm sorry to hear that, Mick. Is there really no way to turn the fourth side into a lifting hatch, or will you just cut it out entirely and use the rest of the boards for the U-shape?

Perhaps a terminus-to-fiddle yard and a branch line rising over the top of it all...?

[texhorse]

I exchanged the Rapido couplers on my Algoma Central SD40-2 to Microcouplers, and dismantled the bodyshell.  Next I have dismantled the bodyshell and undercoated it, ready for repaint into the Montrose and Highland Railroad livery of Blood, Custard and Tomato Juice.

Andy

[GeeBee]

Thinking about demolishing it and starting again
Access is the main problem as old age (read arthritis) is meaning I am increasingly unable to duck under the layout even though it stands 44" tall.
As the layout stands, there is nowhere to fit a lifting/lift out flap :'(
Rather than have a complete roundy roundy with fiddle yards this may mean having a 'U' shape and maybe having the fiddle yard(s) under the main boards

I'm sorry to hear that, Mick. Is there really no way to turn the fourth side into a lifting hatch, or will you just cut it out entirely and use the rest of the boards for the U-shape?

Perhaps a terminus-to-fiddle yard and a branch line rising over the to of it all...?

Mick, so sorry that your original plans not working, I have just abandoned the lift out idea trying to work out something new myself, let me know how you get on
Graham

[daveg]

Sad to read you may have to make drastic changes to your layout, Mick.

I have several plans/ideas on paper and in my head but none go right round a room, because of the duck under/lift/hinge challenge.

Hope you are able to adjust rather than strip out.

Please let us know how things go.

Dave G

[stevieboy]

I'm doing a Newport Nobby and starting again, I've just got 2-3 more loco's to run in/DCC, then it's coming up.

My reason is due to over ambition and a mis-understanding of what I actually enjoy about the hobby.  Whilst having 15 odd points seemed a good idea on AnyRail, in reality all I want to do it watch trains go by.

The new layout will be two-track mainline plus a freight/working heritage line with fiddle yard to the rear.  The Era will be 8/9 but with 3/4/5 thrown in.  The layout itself will be scenic only, therefore not really era specific.  I simply do not have the time or money to go wild on TMD's or engine shed scene's, it'll never get done if I go down that route. 

The only exception to the rule is that I would like to incorporate a turntable, but maybe at this stage it may just be employed in the fiddle yard.  Another layout in the future perhaps.

[Newportnobby]

Thanks for the kind and sympathetic comments, guys.
My mancave is my 9ft x 8ft 6" conservatory and the current layout is 8ft x 7ft with a central operating well. I have 2 main lines running all the way round on an upper level and a branch line doing the same on the lower level.
Currently I have 4 x 4x2ft boards with 3ft boards suspended between them at the sides.
The problem is the entrance to the mancave is either via double French doors (large, opening into the conservatory) or small doors at the side (opening out to the garden), hence the access issues.
I am now thinking of making the side boards out of 2 x 4ft boards affixed to the back 2 x 4ft boards to make a U shape. I still want 2 main lines going round and round so will have to have 180 degree bends at each end of the U, and will extend the current 2ft width to the necessary width for decent radii at those points.
I haven't ruled out the possibility of a helix at each end of the U to send trains to a lower level fiddle yard
Having mocked up scaled down boards on paper the U shape seems to be the only option.
I don't intend doing anything drastic yet as I am waiting for an appointment with an orthopaedic consultant - a replacement hip may make all the difference

[macwales]

Hi

With regards to access problems, this last time, when coming back to the hobby, I returned to an original idea I built with trains running right round with a central operating well to allow easy reach to all parts of the layout.

The current layout is in a shed in a garage. Shed is relatively warm in winter, requiring little heating. In the garage keeps it cool in summer. This prevents contraction / expansion derailments on the long track lengths.

I have upper double tracks that are not interconnected (with each other or below) but have a long siding each. I have a lower double track with two stations, tunnels and bridges with a branch line to a dock and another to a factory plus a motive power depot and engine store sidings plus a town.

The entrance to the shed is equipped with two scratch built fake viaducts/ causeways (whatever you might imagine them to be) carrying the the upper and lower double tracks. Both these 'bridges' are hinged and can be set upright when access to the operating well is required. Or I can crawl under. Raising only takes a second and lowering about a minute as I have to ensure the track is perfectly aligned on the sides opposite the hinges. It all works quite well and is better, I think, than all the sharp curves required if I had opted to keep the access completely open. The hinge mechanisms have to be above track level but these I have disguised a bit.

As visitors tend to lean over these bridges when they stand just outside the shed and look in (the layout's designed vantage point) long hair, trailing arms, clothing and even cheeks and chins can knock the locos off the rails. To catch them there is a net like a trapeze artist's net slung just below the bridges but I usually remember to warm onlookers of the danger.

If anyone is interested I could put up some pictures of how it all works.

The great benefit is that I can have 4 trains running (on DC) continuously. I can work two with long wired hand held controllers so can give visitors a go at stopping and starting even though they are outside the layout.

Cheers

Mac

[rover999]

I would love to see some pictures as I about to start my first layout
Al

[Newportnobby]

Sounds interesting, Mac, so I'd like to see some pics too please.
Are you by any chance using a Morley Vortrack controller?