The Beginnings of the G-Shaped Pacific NW Layout

[Vince P]

Awesome! Thank you Green Machine, this will be a great wee detail to place on the layout somewhere ... ... ... And another excuse to drive northwards this summer, if it ever stops raining that is...

okay moose if ya get out this way as your heading east you'll enter sultan cross the hwy bridge pass the main bn road crossig at the 2nd light you'l see a pizza joint the the sandwich shop on your left just ahead on your right is the log section and just past like 50ft there is a little road side park dontmiss the drive or you can park at the sandwich shop haven't been there in a long time food was good at that time.going further up the pass you have the original gn main now a state trail .aka iron goat trail with a genuine gn caboose don't forget to stop in sky lots of old turn of the century buildings hotel ect ect. glad to help

[NDJim]

Moose,

Nice work on the layout so far. Looking forward to seeing more progress photos. Don't worry about how long it is taking as long as you make progrress. Remember, taking your time now will save you headaches later.

Keep up the good work.

[Moose2013]

Finally managed to almost but not quite lay track on the the lower hidden turnaround loop on the first segment of the bench work...

I drilled systems penetration holes for routing bus wires, drilled mounting & related holes for a slow-mo switch machine, and installed the road bed for the loop and the related spur that will connect to a removable staging track.

In case anyone is wondering, I will be using a Circuitron Tortoise machine that will drive an Atlas #10 turnout. The frog will be wired for DCC power through the switch machine (once I understand how that works!). I used Liquid Nails for Projects as the adhesive.

I only banged my head once on the bench work but was continuously & deathly afraid I would drill out one of my eyes - I was using a 90 degree attachment on the drill, and it got a little trickular under the bench work. I really should have drilled holes before I fastened & glued the plywood down...

IMG_6606_SM.jpg

[Janbouli]

Your benchwork looks professionally made Moose, superb.

[Nskale]

Your benchwork looks professionally made Moose, superb.

I second that!

[Moose2013]

Thank you both!

[Vince P]

okay Moosester any update on this puppy thought i'd check

[Moose2013]

okay Moosester any update on this puppy thought i'd check

Nope ... We've been out of town the past several weeks and now that we're back, time needs to be spent on re-landscaping the backyard and finishing some remodeling work inside ... Why I ever agreed to multiple home improvement projects is beyond me - apparently women have special mind-control powers...

[Moose2013]

I've stayed away from the layout for months while working on other projects, but ... a Bachmann diesel arrived today and last week a few Intermountain boxcars arrived, and I could resist the calls of the layout no-longer ... I hooked-up DC power to what little track I've laid thus far and let that diesel run!

There is evidence of some rough spots along the track. The turnout frog is not yet powered, so I kept the power pack at 80% to ensure the diesel wouldn't stall ... ... ... Ahhh, it was sooo nice to see the layout come alive!
Diesel S-4 Bachmann SP pulling 3 NP Boxcars 081513.jpg
MT&P Railroad News: Just delivered to the Mt Tahoma & Pacific RR today is this fine S-2 on loan from the Southern Pacific. This little guy's pulling three 1937 AAR Northern Pacific box cars just delivered last week.

[Vince P]

that alco looks real good pulling those boxes moose

[hraka]

Guess you'll have to get back to work on it!!

[Moose2013]

Well, my last note got me going! Yep, pulled out the Bachmann 44-tonner and the Life Like 2-8-8-2 Chesapeake along with some old Con-Cor passenger cars to how they all would fair...

And I was amazed at the performance of the 44-tonner! Holy snot! Low speed performance is quite good and its ability to cross the un-powered turnout frog at low speed without issue was a big surprise - the "S-2" (often mistaken for an S-4, ) did not perform as well there. Hopefully just a matter of breaking-'er in...

The Life-Like took some running back and forth before it would negotiate the turnout without stuttering. And does it ever look nice...


DCC Diesel 44 Tonner Bachmann Denver n Rio Grande 081513.jpg
MT&P Railroad News: A D&RG switcher managed to get lost this week. Locals were laughing heartily down at the pub as the befuddled engineer stopped to ask for directions to Colorado Springs ... After downing more than a few pints, the engineer was on his way home. Strangely enough, hauling some local NP freight cars to Denver - the price he had to pay for getting directions...

DC Steam 2-8-8-2 Chesepeake Life Like UP 081513.jpg
MT&P Railroad News: A Union Pacific Chesapeake came roaring through town with three NYC passenger cars in tow ... Everyone in town rolled their eyes as the UP engineers 'round these parts are well known for pulling pranks...

[Moose2013]

Finally managed to get something done on the layout today ... Reworked an area of the mainline turnaround loop so that the second and third segments of the layout table can actually separate when needed ... And then added risers to the mainline along the second and third segments. The grade is ~ 1.00 - 1.25% except the flat rectangular area which will hold a crossover between the two mainlines and 1-3 industry spurs.
IMGP4208.jpgIMGP4219.jpg

[hraka]

He's back!!!!! Nothing like a new loco to get the juices flowing!!!

[Moose2013]

Decided not to toil outside since Labor Day has granted me an extra day away from the office ... And so track was laid from the lower turn around loop past the west port ... The ole' "S-2" can be seen traversing one of the mainlines, checking for rough spots.
S-2 Leaving West Port.jpgMainline heading upwards.jpgTurnaround Loop.jpg

The east & west mainlines (the east line is not finished, see lower left thumb tack), the west port siding (far right) and the beginnings of a branch line to the east port (see upper right thumb tack).
West Port Spur and East Port Branchline.jpg

Note: I had intended to solder all of the track joints as I went along, but soldering skills allude me still. Does anyone one to teach me how to solder with some hands on tutoring? I've watched videos, read articles, read forum posts, upgraded to a Weller PES51, and all for not it seems...

Note: My new Bachmann 44-tonner is not working. Starts up at first, then stops as if it blew a fuse. After a minute or two, I can get it to go again, but then it stops. Over and over. It was working perfectly a few weeks ago ... Arrrggg...

[hraka]

Skipgear has a post somehwhere on this forum about problems like what you describe on his 44 tonner and what he did to fix it.

[The Ol' Curmudgeon]

Does anyone one to teach me how to solder with some hands on tutoring?

A hot iron of 25-40W or so, a clean shiny tip, 60/40 rosin core solder and a bit of flux will do the trick. Practice on a piece of scrap rail -- the solder should flow, not ball up -- and should become shiny as it cools.

[hraka]

A hot iron of 25-40W or so, a clean shiny tip, 60/40 rosin core solder and a bit of flux will do the trick. Practice on a piece of scrap rail -- the solder should flow, not ball up -- and should become shiny as it cools.

If it balls up, what does that mean?

[Moose2013]

So I thought that today I start on the section that goes past the east port (or logging mill?) and up around the mountain...

Mainline Heading East.jpgMainline Heading Past East Port.jpgMainline Climbing the Lonely Mountain.jpg

Note: Okay, I'll give track soldering one my try. I'm thinking that perhaps I'm just not setting the new variable temp. soldering iron correctly because the solder should be flowing ... If I don't get anywhere, one of the many fine NScale members here has offered his assistance...

Note: One of Skipgear's posts mentioned a loose capacitor, so when I have time, I'll tear down the GE 44 and check... Thanks!

[The Ol' Curmudgeon]

If it balls up, what does that mean?

Usually a dirty surface on the work or an iron not quite hot enough. Flux helps with the former. And flux helps the solder flow as well!