Pictures from Cherry Valley.

[Hiroe]

As of 11/4/09.

Up to 10 now.




I've also come to realize two things: One, that cleaning the original steel wire for re-use is *way* too much work when i can just buy new (read: clean, straight, and uncut) phosphor-bronze wire in the same diameter at a cost of about $65 per 1000' coil. Two, that i'm not going to have time before the holiday shows to get any of the linear runs strung up. So as things stand now, i'll spend the next few weeks building more towers, and put off the installation of the running wire until after the new year.

--Drew

[wm3798]

It's hard to tell from the photos... are the power lines on round tubes or H-columns the way God intended?

Lee

[Hiroe]

Lee,
A few of them are on reused round poles, but the majority of the tall poles have been H columns. All the short poles have been round so far, tho.

--Drew

[Wlal13again]

Where is this layout located?

[Hiroe]

Cherry Valley O scale
Through the Hobbit Door off the Driveway
Grace Church
7 E. Maple Ave
Merchantville, NJ

Holiday show dates and hours:
Dec 4-6 and 11-13, Fri 6-9p Sat-Sun 12-6
Jan 2-3 Sat-Sun 12-6

Thanks!
--Drew

[keystonefarm]

Drew, what gauge wire will you be using for the cat ? I intend to do something similar in HO and have been looking around for a source of Phos/Bronze wire in the .020- .025 area. Also since it comes in a spool how do you straighten it out ? The Grant's used piano wire as almost everyone else in the area as started by Bill Katchel. It's strong but a pain to work with and solder . Thanks,  Ken McCorry

[GaryHinshaw]

Tichy Train Group sell PB wire in 3 ft straight lengths, in sizes ranging from .008 to .040:

http://www.tichytraingroup.com/index.php?page=view_category.php&category=Wire&offset=0

It comes in a small plastic tube for storage.  I believe there are ~10 pieces in a tube.

[Hiroe]

Ken,
The PB wire i've spec'ed out will be approx 0.032" diameter, fairly close to the original 1/32" steel wire the Grants used. I do have on hand a coil of ~400' of 24-ga PB wire, (heh, fairly close to 0.020) that i picked up at the East Penn Traction Club meet this past May out at Villanova. I do not recall the vendor offhand, but i'll grab the tag from it when i'm over club on friday. I had considered doing the running wire with this stuff, but i'm concerned that the thinner wire will not hold up to the rigors of a regularly-run club layout.

My source is likely to sell it to me in a coil about 10" in diameter, with no actual spool. I'm not too worried about the curve to it, as stretching it out tight should effectively 'straighten' it. In many cases the slight curve will actually be helpful, such as giving the top messenger the proper elliptical slope.

I don't mind the piano wire too much, aside the need to clean it thoroughly; and the fact that it puts huge divots in my Xuron cutters, thereby rendering them fit only for stripping bell wire. The PB has a similar bend memory to it, but doesn't have the previous drawbacks. I've already wrecked two good pairs of Xurons by mistakenly grabbing the wrong tool without noticing, so i can't wait to get the PB wire ordered.

--Drew

[Hiroe]

Tichy Train Group sell PB wire in 3 ft straight lengths, in sizes ranging from .008 to .040:

http://www.tichytraingroup.com/index.php?page=view_category.php&category=Wire&offset=0

It comes in a small plastic tube for storage.  I believe there are ~10 pieces in a tube.

Gary,
After some basic math, i think my source (http://www.parawire.com/) is way more reasonable on cost. I'm looking at a coil of about 900' for $75, which works out to 8c a foot, or 12 feet per dollar. The Tichy wire is nice for small volume needs, but not so great for larger projects; as it works out to 42c a foot, or 2.4 feet to the dollar.

--Drew

[GaryHinshaw]

Drew - yea, the Tichy will be more expensive per unit length.  It's only competitive if 3' straight lengths fit your need.

Your work looks great BTW!

-Gary

[keystonefarm]

Thanks guys. I'll have about 400' of double track mainline plus a relay yard to do. I built some a few years back using piano wire. Cleaning up after using the acid core flux was the biggest pain. Mine won't power loco's just needs to look like it does. I've got the motor fleet ready just need the wire. ----------- Ken

[Hiroe]

Drew - yea, the Tichy will be more expensive per unit length.  It's only competitive if 3' straight lengths fit your need.

Your work looks great BTW!
-Gary

Gary,
Thanks for the heads-up tho, as it's always good to have additional sources. And thank you for the vote of confidence! I've been quite enjoying the construction itself, that showing it off is just a bonus.

Thanks guys. I'll have about 400' of double track mainline plus a relay yard to do. I built some a few years back using piano wire. Cleaning up after using the acid core flux was the biggest pain. Mine won't power loco's just needs to look like it does. I've got the motor fleet ready just need the wire. ----------- Ken

Ken,
I've had no problems thus far with soldering the piano wire using standard rosin-core flux. There's a bit of hardened rosin residue when the joints cool, but that flakes off quite easily with a hobby knife before painting. Granted, i've been drawing the wire through sandpaper for a primary cleaning, and using a diamond-grit file for specific point prep; but it still takes the solder as easily as nonferrous metals do.

Frankly, i'd be happy to help you get set up to actually run the locos off the wire, if you so desire. I'm firmly of the opinion that if one is going to go to all the effort, it might as well *work*. Up to and including putting my money where the mouth is, and contributing the labor to make it happen, if need be.

....Besides, i'd love to have someplace to run a few HO electrics/MU's, without the need to invest in the real estate myself. I enjoy stringing wire; and while EPTC is an excellent bunch of guys, they're a lot more focused on streetcars and light rail than they are on heavy electrics. Would you be interested in becoming part of a round-robin Electrified Division group, if i put one together?

--Drew

[keystonefarm]

Drew while it would be nice to have the motors run off the wire the east end of my electrified territory would be Harrisburg staging and it's already built and in service . It requires a 4 turn helix to get to and is on a lower level which would make installing wire just about impossible. My electrification is a modelers freelance from Harrisburg to Northumberland on the Buffalo line. This will allow me to get rid of the catenary bug that has been inside of me all these years without tearing down the Buffalo line and building the Phila. Terminal division !!! I've been accumulating electrics for years. I've got 9 Alco models E44's all retrucked and remotored with Stewart components. I've also redone two with the new bachman E-33 drives which run pretty well. I'll be modeling the 1962-1976 era so I can run everything from P5's ,E2c to E-33's -------  Ken McCorry

[Hiroe]

Ken,
For situations like that, i actually suggest the installation of "cheater wire" made up out of code 100 rail, mounted upside-down over the track, for the pans to ride on. I use regular rail joiners to connect it to the next piece, and solder it all up so it's smooth at the joints. Even if you don't wire it for running off the overhead, it's still a good idea to install to protect the pans from being ripped off, should someone forget to lock one down before running it into the helix.

My personal favorites are the MP54 cars, although i've always liked the looks of the E2/E3 experimentals as well.

--Drew

[Hiroe]

  

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 


This gon started life as a Lionel car:
  

  


Remember folks, we've got two Open House weekends coming up the first two weekends of December: 4-5-6 and 11-12-13; Fridays 6pm-9pm, Sat and Sundays 12-6pm. Grace Church, through the Hobbit Doors off the driveway, 7 E Maple Ave, Merchantville NJ.

Thanks!
--Drew