Hi,

Built myself a little test track this afternoon. It's 20" x 36" and has radius 1 curves. I found that I was working on engines in the house then having to go out to the shed to see if they would run then go back indoors and so on.

At the moment its powered by a 9v battery but I've got a 12v power supply to wire up. I want to add a 3 way switch so the engine can be switched from forward to reverse and a power dial so I can increase/decrease the power.

Track is not pinned yet as I want to paint the baseboard.



Alex

Hi  Alex, 

Excellent idea to save up  &  down to the  main layout,   spray paint the board  it's quicker can get the track down  faster have trains running quicker      

Seriously though it can provide an  area to try different techniques &   not only  test run locos  if you  decide to  go   DCC   on  new locos provide a  good  line to run them in  more interesting than  a rolling road 

Look forward  to more progress 

Nice little test track 

I have one as well as my layout is too big to leave assembled all the time. I had some R2 setrack curves anyway that I used for planning, so just bought a few more and a short crossing and knocked up a figure-8.



My reasoning was that this way locos would go round both left and right curves whilst running in without having to turn them around. Probably a bit OCD of me but never mind.    Also handy for testing/programming newly-chipped stock as Upnick said 


Paul

Hi Paul,

What  a great idea. I have a couple of crossovers that I haven't used. I may try that.

Alex

Was funny running a full-length 2+8 HST round it - the leading power car just missed the trailing one by about 2 inches on the crossing 


Paul

.  I know you already have the small diorama for taking pictures but you could add scenery along one side then you would have a set for doing short videos or for taking pictures 

cheers John.

Hi John,

It'll probably end up with scenery and maybe a short siding. I know what I'm like.

Alex

Quote from: Sprintex on February 05, 2012, 06:26:34 PM
Nice little test track 

I have one as well as my layout is too big to leave assembled all the time. I had some R2 setrack curves anyway that I used for planning, so just bought a few more and a short crossing and knocked up a figure-8.



My reasoning was that this way locos would go round both left and right curves whilst running in without having to turn them around. Probably a bit OCD of me but never mind.    Also handy for testing/programming newly-chipped stock as Upnick said 


Paul

well i've got OCD about this too! the short crossing st-7 is 25' , the gap in your circles is 22.5 degrees, and in addition, the short crosssing if it were to fit into any radius at all, would fit into first radius (although it doesnt)

soooo how did you do this??

No idea  There are no gaps or kinks in the track, so I suppose the difference in radius is negligible when talking about a full circle 


Paul

It's a great idea for everything but US locos, 'cos if they'e anything like Nascar they only turn left and go in circles

Quote from: newportnobby on February 05, 2012, 11:18:21 PM
It's a great idea for everything but US locos, 'cos if they'e anything like Nascar they only turn left and go in circles

Oooh! Blasphemy 

p.s. How is your keyboard? Dried out yet?