Refurbishing my Railroad
Moderator: Harold_V
Re: Refurbishing my Railroad
I'm enjoying your restoration reports. Thanks for posting them.
We'll make it out to Seaside to see your railroad. It'll be a great motorcycle trip!
~RN
We'll make it out to Seaside to see your railroad. It'll be a great motorcycle trip!
~RN
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- Posts: 53
- Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2016 10:57 pm
- Location: Seaside, Oregon
Re: Refurbishing my Railroad
I'm planning on setting up this railroad on a 90' x 90' lot. I want to put a building in the center of the lot and run the train around it. What is the recommended minimum radius for the corners and switches? The switches will allow me to store the train in the building. I have approx. 430' of aluminum rail on plastic ties. I planned on keeping the train 4' from the outside fence and 4' from the building. Any other considerations I should be thinking about?
Re: Refurbishing my Railroad
Just a thought. I had a small backyard RR and ran the track Close to the back fence. Each curve end started up for a raised back section about 10/12 inches. I made a small, short walkway as if going through the fence, But put a bridge there. Dressed it all up with an Arbor / trellis, a large upside down "U" that you walk through. with vines or flowers. You could also make half of a covered bridge--tunnel--train shed attached to the fence.
Just before the curves of the back fence I put switches for a by-pass station stop. Do some kind of landscape between the two tracks.
chooch
Added edit. Some shrubs/hedge type bushes and Maybe a short raised section with a short, 4 foot metal windmill you see often in garden stores.
Just before the curves of the back fence I put switches for a by-pass station stop. Do some kind of landscape between the two tracks.
chooch
Added edit. Some shrubs/hedge type bushes and Maybe a short raised section with a short, 4 foot metal windmill you see often in garden stores.
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- Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2014 1:39 pm
- Location: Woodinville, Washington
Re: Refurbishing my Railroad
You should ask RMI what their recommended minimums are for the engine. Probably the minimum is 20' to 30' radius curves...SanDogDewey wrote:I'm planning on setting up this railroad on a 90' x 90' lot. What is the recommended minimum radius for the corners and switches?
Moderator - Grand Scale Forum
Motive power : 1902 A.S.Campbell 4-4-0 American - 12 5/8" gauge, 1955 Ottaway 4-4-0 American 12" gauge
Ahaha, Retirement: the good life - drifting endlessly on a Sea of projects....
Motive power : 1902 A.S.Campbell 4-4-0 American - 12 5/8" gauge, 1955 Ottaway 4-4-0 American 12" gauge
Ahaha, Retirement: the good life - drifting endlessly on a Sea of projects....
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- Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2006 9:22 pm
- Location: British Columbia, Canada
Re: Refurbishing my Railroad
The curves that it did run on look pretty darn tight...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/sandogdew ... 351950614/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/sandogdew ... 351950614/
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- Posts: 53
- Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2016 10:57 pm
- Location: Seaside, Oregon
Re: Refurbishing my Railroad
I’ve got the engine up and running and 3 of the 4 wooden gondola cars complete. Just finished replacing all the original aluminum rail with steel. Removing 7500 screws exposed to the salt air for 20 years was not fun. The main line is pretty much complete with a little ballasting left. I converted the 4th gondola car to a ballast car. Working on the crossings and siding that goes into the building.
https://flic.kr/p/2mhwcGv
https://flic.kr/p/2mhuX7Z
https://flic.kr/p/2mhuX92
https://flic.kr/p/2mhyL5o
https://flic.kr/p/2mhwcGv
https://flic.kr/p/2mhuX7Z
https://flic.kr/p/2mhuX92
https://flic.kr/p/2mhyL5o
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- Posts: 53
- Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2016 10:57 pm
- Location: Seaside, Oregon
Re: Refurbishing my Railroad
Very nice!
H
H
Wise people talk because they have something to say. Fools talk because they have to say something.
Re: Refurbishing my Railroad
Looking good.
Takes a long time to build a railroad.
((-;
RussN
Takes a long time to build a railroad.
((-;
RussN
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- Posts: 53
- Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2016 10:57 pm
- Location: Seaside, Oregon
Re: Refurbishing my Railroad
Much longer than it should have…I initially put down the original aluminum rail and ordered steel rail to fill in the gaps. That order took 8 months to receive. We tried a couple cars on the aluminum and they kept derailing, so I ordered steel rail for the whole layout. Another 8 months to receive the rail. Working on the crossings now. Hope to be up and running before the end of summer.
Patrick
Seaside Shortline
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Re: Refurbishing my Railroad
Partrick,
Many things can cause cars to derail- out of gauge, small dips in the track, couplers binding to tight - lifting the wheels off the track in a dip, improper suspension and vertical wheel movement, etc. my favorite is couplers that are to tight and done allow each car to move up and down as you travel over rail joints. (Take a grinder or milling machine and smoothnoutmthe high pints in the pocket.)
There are a couple of recents threads here in Chaski on derailing that might provide some good background for things to look for, and how to correct.
Glenn
Many things can cause cars to derail- out of gauge, small dips in the track, couplers binding to tight - lifting the wheels off the track in a dip, improper suspension and vertical wheel movement, etc. my favorite is couplers that are to tight and done allow each car to move up and down as you travel over rail joints. (Take a grinder or milling machine and smoothnoutmthe high pints in the pocket.)
There are a couple of recents threads here in Chaski on derailing that might provide some good background for things to look for, and how to correct.
Glenn
Moderator - Grand Scale Forum
Motive power : 1902 A.S.Campbell 4-4-0 American - 12 5/8" gauge, 1955 Ottaway 4-4-0 American 12" gauge
Ahaha, Retirement: the good life - drifting endlessly on a Sea of projects....
Motive power : 1902 A.S.Campbell 4-4-0 American - 12 5/8" gauge, 1955 Ottaway 4-4-0 American 12" gauge
Ahaha, Retirement: the good life - drifting endlessly on a Sea of projects....
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- Posts: 53
- Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2016 10:57 pm
- Location: Seaside, Oregon
Re: Refurbishing my Railroad
Got the train out on the track today! Still need to work out a few issues. The main one being the engine shut down after 3 laps. I’ve got a blinking status light (9 blinks), but I don’t have anything that identifies the fault code. (RMI Transfer Switcher circa 1998). The sprocket that keeps tension on the chain hangs too low and strikes the track when crossing the switch. Might have to remove a link or replace it if it is stretched.