HCD layout adventure

[MichaelT]

Huh....well he didn't tell me it was a published plan, just said it was something he threw together, unless I misunderstood him, which is VERY possible.

Well I've been tinkering with some track, before and after church tonight, just a couple slight changes from what was on there originally.

So, can anyone point me to the original track plan so I can take a peek at how it should have looked? LOL

[MichaelT]

I dunno...  Michael, if short trains and lots of scenery options are your bag, then it's a pretty neat little plan.  You won't be running any passenger cars or 4 coupled steam, will you?

Lee

Lee,

I was thinking of treating it like a small shortline railroad; couple of engines doing out and backs. And to have a train running when I just wanna run trains. I hadn't spent much time on it, and I've put no dollars into it, reusing track that I've taken off and pieces I had one hand in c80, and no plans to purchase any new loco's or rolling stock in the near future...I think I have plenty of both for now.
And no, no passenger excursions just yet.

[Dave V]

Here's the original:

http://www.atlasrr.com/Code80/pages/11017.htm

[MichaelT]

That same track plan was my first venture into N scale:


It was the tight curves and 3% grades that killed it for me.  In 2006 this layout was scrapped and donated most of its parts to the present-day Juniata Division.

Wow Dave, that is terribly impressive, thanks! The inner curves are/were quite tight and I've widened one on the left side hoping that will help a little. I don't really have huge plans for this little gem so maybe it can be a platform for me to learn more things, try out new ideas, experiment with things, etc, while I plan and work on my train show layout and plan the train room layout.

One layout that has intrigued me since I read about it is David Popp's Naugatauk Valley layout that was in MRR not too long ago. It had three doors as it's base if I remember right, or at least the measurements were door size. Also the N Arkansas and Missouri series that was in MRR a number of years back (I have copies around here somewhere) was pretty cool. Not sure I have the space for the A&M but could consider a smaller version of it.

This was just something that kinda fell into my lap, so I've wanted to at least get it running and play with it...

[DKS]

Funny how this plan crops up in various guises...

http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?t=83428

[MichaelT]

Here's the original:

http://www.atlasrr.com/Code80/pages/11017.htm

Thanks Dave.

[chuck geiger]

The Jesus say Code 80 is OK

[MichaelT]

Spent some time on this little layout last night; got all the trackage done except the small yard extension on the lower right, that might get done over the weekend.

Also wired in a couple sets of feeders, but with all the insulating joiners on the layout, I'm going to have to install quite a few more. The bad thing about this is that the former owner used the rail joiner feeders, which isn't bad in itself, but they're all black, so once they go from the bottom through I can't tell which feeder is hooked on which rail, he only drilled one hole for each pair. I'm going to remove the Atlas panels and hook this up to Digitrax.

I guess I could hook up one set of feeders at a time, check them and make sure they're correct, or switch them; will think about that before I setup a whole new feeder system on this.

[wm3798]

David Popp's Naugatuck and the Arkansas and Missouri have always been two of my favorites.

The more complex my layout gets, the more I like their relative simplicity!

[MichaelT]

David Popp's Naugatuck and the Arkansas and Missouri have always been two of my favorites.

The more complex my layout gets, the more I like their relative simplicity!

Yeah, the Naugatuck layout was built on doors, or started out as a door layout, something like that.

the A&M is a great scenic layout from the series I read through. One of the shortfalls of Arkansas railroading, there isn't much in the way of super busy industrial areas, which in thinking about it works well with my overall plans; if I want to stay in Arkansas with model railroading, the phrase "less is more" takes on a relieving feeling!

[MichaelT]

Ok, tonight I'm giving time to work on the wiring on this HCD layout. I was hoping to use the wiring already on there, but there are too many questions, and I'd feel better about reinstalling wiring myself. I know that's going to consume a little time, but I happen to have some time tonight.

My question for the night. With it being a small'ish layout, can I use 18g for the buss and 20g for the feeders? Would that be ok you guys think?

[MichaelT]

Alright, I've gotten feeders soldered in the mainline and was able to use two pairs of existing feeders, just tested voltage before soldering, and I've got my little GP15-1 pulling three cars around the main. It's sputtering like crazy in places, but I'm thinking that's dirty track...will run a track cleaner over it shortly.

[N_DaveS]

I'm using 18 bus/22 feeder for my 6 x 11 layout. Progress is slow so I haven't put the wiring through its paces, but so far it's been fine. With the short distances on your layout it seems like you won't have any trouble with the smaller gauge, but I will defer to the more electrically experienced of us.

[MichaelT]

Ok, (most of the weekend's work is detailed in the weekend update);

installed a small three track yard on the HCD this weekend.
got all the feeders hooked up
cleaned the track
ran five different DC loco's to test things, including my Mopac 2-8-0
also connected my Digitrax setup to the buss and ran my Mopac MP15DC switcher around for a bit

now I can start reworking the landscape that I tore up and then start working on some structures for the layout. First thoughts are;

Lumber company
Freight house (for LCL and small loads)
Small bauxite or gravel pit

a few other ideas are creeping in, but will have to see just how much room I have for structures on this little gem.

mdt

[MichaelT]

Had a chance to snap a few quick pics. Still lots of work to do, but it's moving forward.



Here is the small yard that I installed over the weekend. Left track will interchange with the rest of the "world", giving me a place for freight to move on and off the layout. Future plan is to connect this to another door.



Moving away from the yard, the ends of the two passing sidings and two customer sidings.



Another pair of sidings. Hoping I have enough room to put two customers in here.



The siding "up the hill". Not sure why but the original owner really like curving his sidings. I'm going to straighten this one out and add one, possibly two extra's for a larger facility.



And my F-150 moving up the hill. Thinking about widening this and paving it, and then extending it to the edge of the layout for vehicle traffic.

So that's what we got accomplished over the weekend, trackwise. Still lots of work to do, plaster cloth, scultpamold, paint, and then figuring out what structures need to go where.

mt