24" curve radius capabilities

[Bob Collins]

Sorry, me again

Another subject. When you have a freelance layout like mine, do you also feel free to run the equipment from just any railroad on it that moves you. My question comes really from the message posted by one of you about how many railroads I would be crossing if I ran the Ozark and Winnipeg route. Is that how you all view as one of the benefits of freelance>

Bob

 

[Woodie]

Bob,

I suppose I could have the TGV on it. Last year they imported the Swedish "tilt train" for demo purposes and to test the feasability of using it on the current track system. They took it all round the state to show it off. They never purchased one in the end. Too expensive.
Image a TGV running round Shamus' logging layout!
If you can keep your slopes to a minimum rise you should be fine. I had to compromise becuase of the size of my layout, and I did want a "flyover" on it somewhere. I still call my layout experimental, and that is why I chose something small. Put at least one of everything on it somewhere to get the right techniques etc before attempting the Grand Plan. I've also allowed for extension track running off the end. Just in case I do it all right, and don't have to toss it out because of too many mistakes!

Yep. In Sydney Australia. Bout 5km's from the CBD. If I remember rightly, they had a huge Rotary Convention in Melbourne a few years ago. Thousands turned up for it. June 2003 is a long way off! Do you plan to take extra time, and have a look around Australia?

TOOT!

 

[Woodie]

Woody, why don't you hook up a switcher to the TGV? Then you can say it's being hauled off to a SCRAPYARD in the outback!!!!! Just thinking of my last trip to France, guys...

George,

Yep... Could do that..... switch to the extension track... the "Oblivion Line" Full pelt..... Off into Oblivion!!

TOOT!

 

[Bob Collins]

Hi Woodie and Shamus and all of you who have helped me so much.

Well, finally, after two days of off again, on again looking I found a couple of bridges that fit my needs quite nicely. I have ordered two Atlas (they had them hidden, I think!) 130' Curved Cord Bridges. That works out to just about 17" scale and that works for me.

I also ordered two turntable kits. This will surely keep me busy or distracted or something. One is a 134' and the other 90'. I need to get the 134' in place so I can line up a critical 30 degree crossover. Once I get that done it is just a matter of working until everything is done! Now that's about the biggest understatement I've uttered in some time!!

The bridges come silver, so I'm going to take a close look at the possibility of painting them black. That would seem to fit much better into my steam era plans.

Say, for a name, how about the Winnipeg, Omaha, Ozark and Fargo (WOOF)? No? I didn't think so!

Cheers.

Bob

 

[shamus]

Hi Bob,
How about "Bulawonga and Tumbleweed Springs"
(BATS)

Perhaps not.

 

[Bob Collins]

I may have gone completely daffy, but I need to ask anyway.

I'm running a double line. The centers are about 3 1/16 apart. I would like to run a turnout off to the left of the left track. That puts the switching mechinism between the tracks. It looks weird to me. Can I buy a left hand turnout with the mechism on the other side or is what I have perfectly acceptable? This would seem to be the ideal place to put one of those under the table stall motor turnouts?

Help,please.

Bob

 

[Woodie]

Bob,

What brand of track are you using? What mechanism are you refering to? I'm using Peco turnouts that just have a cross bar and no mechanisms to the sides. I use under board turnout motors that have a pin that comes up through the centre of the turnout crossbar. There is no mechanisms to either side of the turnout.
TOOT!

[This message has been edited by Woodie (edited 05-13-2001).]

 

[Bob Collins]

Woodie;

The one I was using is an OLD Atlas. I have ordered several of the turnouts where the stall motor is located under the bench. I will plan to use one of those in this particular area. I'm planning to use a number of manual switches in the yards ( there will now be three!!). If I build the plan exactly to specifications I would use 43 turnouts. I have made some modifications, but will still be very close to that number, so feel I can't really afford to use $25.00 stall motors on all of them. I may well change my mind once I get started installing them.

By the way, I have no intention of traveling all the way to Australia without visiting in Sydney/New South Wales. My dad served in Australia during WWII (was a doctor in hospitals in both Sydney and Brisbane). I'd also like to visit a place in NSW called Coonamble where he met and stayed with a local couple for some leave. On top of that I spend a year in Vietnam and was literally stationed outside the front gate of Nui Dat, the Aussie base camp. I was an advisor to the Vietnamese and had several Aussie Warrants working with me, mostly RAME.

Bob

 

[Woodie]

Bob,

$25.... EEEEKKK....

each!!! Is that $US? and 43 of them!! You'll have to break into Fort Knox to pay for that lot! Is that turnout and motor? The Peco ones I use are $20 for the turnout and $11 for the motor ($AUS) about $15 US. Do you have a layout diagram?

A Vietnam Vet? If the conference is around April 25th, I'm sure an appropriate Aussie batallion would welcome you to march in the Anzac Day parade here as well. Nui Dat was a very important part of Australian involvement in Vietnam.

Coonamble is a lovely small NSW town, very typical of the bush. Bit of triv.... The Sydney Morning Herald got into a lot of "politically correctness" trouble in their cryptic crossword last year. Clue was "black man goes walkabout in NSW town" The answer was Coonamble. In the same crossword they had "basic support for the handicapped" the answer was fundamental! And of course there is Coon Cheese (a brand of cheese here).
If you can, (and have the dollars) then I would also reccommend the Ghan Train journey Sydney/Alice Springs with a visit to Uluru (Ayer's Rock) 3 day train trip. The bum has fallen out of the Australian Dollar lately, so the value for $US is exceptional. A few years ago, it was $1.10 AUS for $1 US now it's around the $2 AUS for $1 US. How much time do you plan on spending here? Any particular sights you wish to see?

TOOT!