Tm'osdell HO scale garden railway

ozdell

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Nice progress. Are you familiar w/formula for weighting rolling stock (HO is initial weight plus 1/2 ounce per inch of length)? Almost all garages now use stick on wheel weights to balance wheel/tire assemblies. They'll have a bucketful of takeoffs they can't reuse. You can cut these up to fit wherever you have space on the car or in the load on/in it to achieve the proper weight. Once done to your fleet you'll be amazed at the difference. Just remember the center of gravity counts, so keep the weight as low to the rails as possible. BTW there is a model of that loading ramp available in HO. Check your local importer. HTH. PaulE


Hi Paul, I wasn't a wear of that putting weights down onto the axles , where can you get the weights from , can't find much info on the next, can now understand why wagons wobble , see that on video clips. I bought those cheap from China passenger cars to do with that Hornby layout you buy a part each week, I be keen to put the weights on those wheels .

But will try the weights on the bogies first, have Con-Cor passenger cars that derail , cost me a lot of money $500 for 9 Union Pacific cars ., I love this forum .

Many thanks Paul for you advice, looks like I have some work ahead.

Take care Tony
 

ozdell

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As Paul suggested adding weight in a low C/G area will held keep your cars from derailing but will also reduce the unsightly wobble effect noticed during operation of cars that are under weight. If you still experience derailment after adding weight check your trucks for proper guage or if nothing else sometimes swapping them out for an aftermarket set helps solve the problem as well. Rick H.


HI Rick, yeah going to test it out on a couple of passenger cars putting the weights o top of the bogies , I have 8 passenger cars that have those plastic wheels , stuck with the m for a while be costly indeed, rather spend my money on timber for the layout so I can start running trains.

That Lima auto wagon is all plastic < need to build heaver wagons , to buy the wagons $180 for two ouch and out of stock.

Many thanks Rick, take care Tony
 

ozdell

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Tony,
nice up date, all coming together, agree with Chris re Paul's advice.


Thanks John, have taken the advice, why I love this forum , nailing down track takes tine as the same with wiring, want to get it right the first time.

Take care Tony
 

ozdell

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WELL Tony with PaulE advice your railway is off to a flying start great stuff lets see more pics
chris

HI Chris,yeah sure have, ready to start on the next module , pics to come on how I cut the track on the module joins.

Take care Tony
 

minitnkr

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Flat cars w/o loads are toughest, but cutting the weights to fit on/in the underframe works well. Passenger cars are easiest as you can just pop off the body and glue the weights to the floor over the trucks. Plastic wheels are not all bad, sometimes they need tuning by dressing the ends of the axles to fit less tightly in the truck. The trucks may require tuning as well. I've found by keeping one truck 'snugbutfree' and the other somewhat loose can reduce wobble and derailing as well. PaulE
 

Mini Me

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I was just going to suggest the snug truck fix.......great minds do think alike! :thumb2:
 

ozdell

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Flat cars w/o loads are toughest, but cutting the weights to fit on/in the underframe works well. Passenger cars are easiest as you can just pop off the body and glue the weights to the floor over the trucks. Plastic wheels are not all bad, sometimes they need tuning by dressing the ends of the axles to fit less tightly in the truck. The trucks may require tuning as well. I've found by keeping one truck 'snugbutfree' and the other somewhat loose can reduce wobble and derailing as well. PaulE

Thanks Paul , here is two pics of the wagon in question, one is the model RTR model I will use brass strips in the middle that should solve the problem weight wise , will scratch build three wagons .

Only have issues with the Lima car carrier because it is too light and can't have it at the front of my Indian Pacific, it isn't right for the IP I have 18 passenger cars nice long train want to add on 10 more . peak times the GSR run 28 passenger cars, have to split train to fit in at Sydney central .

The Ghan has 34 passenger cars two locos and depends has a couple of the the motor rail wagons peak times wow be awesome see indeed..

_1-AMRZ 251 (Large).jpgAMRZ motor rail.jpg

Take care Tony
 

ozdell

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Last Saturday the construction of the layout has began , I modified the first station module for the new way they be joined up, especially the track on the module joins, for the rails to line up every time.


The first pic of the side of my house, I have decided to move the whole layout, the end of the concrete pathway , working out perfectly, also is closer to the power point in the garage, there is no power points in the, plus better protection from the sun, only problem is yet a new layout track plan which is coming along nicely.

No work on the layout this weekend, it is our turn for it to be raining, is a pain , not heavy rain enough to stop doing anything outside, where the paves are ill be gravel right the the end of the pathway .

20200718_074237  a.jpg20200718_135817.jpg


The next pic of the ply strips that will lock the module in place, be much easier when moving the block strips closer together and moving them closer to end of the module, wont have than DC wire madness, have to be wired for DCC as well Christmas time switching to DCC.


20200718_135840.jpg20200718_140035.jpg

Next two pic of the module pulled apart and joined together .

20200718_140538.jpg

Lucky last pic of the top of the two modules and me taking the pic, has worked out well, I will be using the pathway for working on the track doing the soldering, can'tt wait to start.

Tony from wet and cold down under
 

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HI TONY yea be great to see this get goin an hows the bridge comin on ?
chris
 

ozdell

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Hi Chris yeah can't wait, no work today too windy and cold, warming up midweek , the concrete walkway the station modules be going on is 20 feet in length , the first module I modified will have to be the first from the other end not going to change it, be great once the gravel goes down too, will find out today what is happening itching to make a start now while it is cooler.

Haven't done any work on the bridge, I might get stuck into it now I have an area to work on that is flat.

More work on the ship tonight, only four more bulkheads to cut out , then I will glue the hull side panels in place.

Tony from windy down under
 

ozdell

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Construction is now well under way new legs are cut and bolted in place underneath two modules, one leg has a hinge screwed in place, need to screw in a second hinge so it can fold in, other legs ill have half it cut so the leg can fold in down towards the middle of the module .

The first station module be modified to add on a foot by 3 foot ply piece for the for the curve track to line up with the straight section , be a lift bridge. for access to the refuelling and sand service dock with work shop and turntable.

20200730_155131.jpg

In may at a later date add two extra platforms and 6 terminus platform track for the Indian Pacific in front of the main station module.


20200730_155216.jpg

20200801_155432.jpg20200801_155504.jpg

Pics three and four I need to mark where the first module is going, fingers crossed I don't have to do any levelling at all, is looking good, there be a foot track decking to go between the module and house for two more tracks one being a passing loop, new layout has 6 passing loops, longest loop is on the bridge 30 feet in length, I love long trains .

20200801_155521.jpg


I wish I thought of this area in the first place, having a flat area to work on and afternoon shade , hopefully I get the go ahead to cut out all the grass down to the end of the pathway where the plants to put gravel in grass isn't growing near the gate, will look heaps better .

Sadly too I have to lift up all the the track on the second module, the triple track will be at the front of the module , the layout length is 62 feet in length by 24 feet wide, I be modelling three dioramas one with road crossing and working boom gates and a back scene to cover the side track. Later will be building a vertical Colorado .

Tony from nice down under on a high
 

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HI TONY nice to see summit happening on the railway an it seems you like me as i love long trains looks more realalistic there is a big model ailway in a shop only a couple of miles away from me an they have some big layouts in there but the let down is that they only have trains running with one or two coaches on them an i was dissapointed as i had to pay nr 10 quid to go in to see the layouts
hope you are well
chris
 

ozdell

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HI TONY nice to see summit happening on the railway an it seems you like me as i love long trains looks more realalistic there is a big model ailway in a shop only a couple of miles away from me an they have some big layouts in there but the let down is that they only have trains running with one or two coaches on them an i was dissapointed as i had to pay nr 10 quid to go in to see the layouts
hope you are well
chris

Hi Chris, good to hear from you,, thanks yeah happy with the way the new layout of falling into place, agree, what you say, just love long trains, I coned my wife into letting me by a DVD set of 7 discs of the Ghan railway journey 17 hours of pure magic, just finished watching the first volume two disc, this train is the longest passenger train in the world 44 cars with two locos up front, which I have will get them out tomorrow..

See what happens tomorrow if I can get any work done on modifying the first module since I have moved the layout, once the thee station modules are in place, hopefully don't have to level them, the 7 foot radius decking be easy, need to join up the two curves .

All goes well I will get the go ahead to mow the grass down very low whipper snip in between the concrete paves and poison the grass ready to cover with fine gravel this week.

No work on the ship, might tomorrow if I don't feel like doing any work on the layout, all the decking is cut just a matter of joining them all up and levelling will have two ramps on the layout , quarter inch a foot on 24 feet climbing 6 inches , I have a special jig I made up .

Tony from cool down under.
 

ozdell

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Progress is going well on the large curved decking loop, be access to the terminus stations and temporary mine line till I build the single track main line along the fence.

20200902_171626.jpg

First pic, I have started relaying the track down, this module will be the first module so has worked out well, the ply leaning up on the back of of the shed is to replace a module top form one of the very fist modules from an earlier layout

Pic two the approach module near the concrete pathway, I will be painting it today ready to lay down points and cross overs , the pink colour curved decking I am not going to paint gray except the modified extended deck to access the track on the fence near the first post, I hope that the curved deck legs is all I need., they will fold in wards.


20200905_125139.jpg20200905_125151.jpg

Third pic at a different angle, heading down to paint the new approach module, all goes well will have the track nailed in place this week.

On a high, Tony from cloudy down under
 

JR

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Looking good Tony.
 

boatman

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HI Tony well you have been a busy boy an you should have been taken it easy after your last hospital stint but anyway its as John has said above its looking good but a question Tony that rail loop to me looks to tight as wont the rollin stock just pull off the track rather than just pullin round or it might be the angle you have took of the pic but its nice to see you are happy building this railway but take it easy boyo
all best chris
 
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JR

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Glad you saw that as well Chris, does look a bit tight but suspect Tony has it planned.
 

boatman

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Glad you saw that as well Chris, does look a bit tight but suspect Tony has it planned.
HI John well we will see what Tony says but you like me think its too tight a curve i wonder what PaulE thinks as he is a railroad master also like Tony as they know what they are doin but i just thought it was. As im not the master like Tony an he knows more than me but on my layout i had this trouble of a tight turn an the trains always derailed on it until i made the turn not as tight but still had to slow the train down to get around it but we will see what he says but very instresting anyway
Chris
 
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minitnkr

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No claims to Master status here, but I've found if you keep the cars 40' or less you can go as tight as a 15" radius, but I always used 18" as my minimum for short curves. Longer cars, like 90' heavy weight passenger cars, are happier with 22" minimums. Always use a larger radius if possible for continuous curves/loops as they are more problematic. There are exceptions for cars that have the couplers mounted to the trucks rather than the car frames as they are more tolerant of tight curves, but they will require more side clearance. "Testing beats damage control".:smiling: PaulE
 

ozdell

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HI Tony well you have been a busy boy an you should have been taken it easy after your last hospital stint but anyway its as John has said above its looking good but a question Tony that rail loop to me looks to tight as wont the rollin stock just pull off the track rather than just pullin round or it might be the angle you have took of the pic but its nice to see you are happy building this railway but take it easy boyo
all best chris
Hi Chris, you be surprised that that rail loop has a 7 foot centre radius curve quite large, I measured the width is 7 foot 4 inches from down pipe to fence, yes it is the angle of the camera the way I tool the pic the trouble with digital cameras .
I will only be using that curve to access the terminus stations when running train from Sydney Central and the triple track is meant for the East Perth terminal station where the Indian Pacific ends her journey and the second platform being an island platform for suburban trains, can't wait be a lot of fun.

The middle platform will be used for the Adelaide Park lands terminal , that track will branch off to the left and come around half of that loop then branch off to track on the fence line to single track, what I love with passing loops.
How are you going Chris with the lock down is the UK slowly coming out of where you can do more
Take care Tony
 
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