Sunday Boredom

With nothing much worth watching on the small tube, I drifted to the PC and dug out some Industrial Park pictures.  So, here's a brief review of how I got to this point.  All this happened before we moved to Grayson county, TX, in 2016.  Its been in storage since, but not for much longer.

First was Phase I.  At the beginning, this was all I had planned, a single, 2X (two-unit long) module. Ha.

I wanted a couple sidings, one off each main line, so this happened. Just as soon as both sidings were clear of the main lines, I converted to Tomix track.  It has a smaller roadbed, and looks like a lighter rail siding/spur line. I like it.

The siding from the Inner line dives between two buildings of one company, so a catwalk between them was deemed necessary.  When people have noticed it, they always call to someone else to "come look at this."

The Outer line siding crosses the Inner on its way to a manufacturing building where the blue box car is parked.  More about this in a bit.

The Inner siding seemed incomplete, and "needed" some place to go.  So, another 2X, Phase II was added. First, an overview of Phase I & II:

Then, Phase II:

And a couple detail shots:

This siding splits, with one track for the warehouse, and the other to a loading dock.  Also, the isolated siding was incorporated, just to add visual interest.  The front crosses the mains, and the rear of it ends, hidden behind the red building. Well, a friend made some comments about the isolated track, and one thing lead to another. 

About this time, I decided to join these two modules into one long unit, mainly because the siding turnout laid across the module gap.  This resulted in a single four-unit long module.  Now, I have a pickup truck, so transporting it is no problem.

Back to the friend's comments.  I did some more drawings, and developed Phase III.  It's also a 4X module.

Phase III consisted of a passing siding, with a branch to the rear to join the isolated track, making it available. 

The three track yard was then incorporated as Phase IV.  With a mixture of Kato, Tomix and Atlas pieces, the crossing shown has been a challenge to complete. 

In the background is a loading dock beside the third yard track.  It was easy. I took an extra Kato passenger terminal platform, and ripped it with a bandsaw. Instant dock!

Finally, back to the Outer siding in the first picture. A turnout was added to allow servicing the red plant and still allow free access to the yard.  The tracks were securely glued in place, then cut apart at the module boundary.

This thing sure took on a life of its' own.  But, while not shown, it's a little track work and a couple of structures from being finished. Knock on wood.

The Industrial Park arises

A number of years ago, I build a 14" deep double module as a small industrial park. The right module is the original idea.  Well, anyone who knows me knows that often I can't leave well enough alone.  The left module was added, to allow the Inner track siding (made with Tomix track) to go somewhere and do something. 

On a whim, I guess, I added the rear track (Tomix also) as a place for a static show line.  It was run in this configuration at several shows. Its curve is 140mm.

That was fine, UNTIL a fellow Lubbock modeler who shall remain unnamed (right, BJ?) said something about it ought to be made operational. Gee, thanks, fella.  He knew that if he planted the germ, I'd be infected until I at least tried it out.

The start of more expansion caused these two modules to be permanently bolted together as a quad module.  Then, Phase 3 & Phase 4 was initiated as a single quad module. 

Since the space was available, I incorporated the small passing siding/run around, and dropped the connection off that.  It has been a challenge, and still needs a bit of track work, especially at the crossing. 

The crossing resulted from extending the Outer track siding and reaching a small three track yard.  This area has a mixture of Tomix, Kato and Atlas track pieces.  Then, a turnout was added to the lead, to the left of the corssing, to service a warehouse and provide yard access.

Much of this eight feet of modules has been sceniced, with a modest amount to go.  The main item is a water tower just "north" of that crossing. I seem to have lost my pictures of the modules.

Here's the "final" plan:

Getting back to the recurring theme of this blog, the siding that loops and crosses the main lines was the inspiration for the 6-module set with its' wye.
The connection to the Taki-Tiki is an afterthought, but I do like it.

Here I show the I.P. without other modules, but it would be part of a larger TTrak layout.

Yeah, I get these headaches every once in a while . . .

More buildings for the 6-module set - and miscellaneous dreamings

I broke down and ordered a pair of building kits.  Both are Walthers.  The first is the "Merchant's Row I" which will go okay with the "Merchant's Row II" already on hand.

Then, I added the "Hole-In-One Donut Shop."  A recently deceased friend (from 400 miles away) used one in a scene, surrounded by police cars.  I'm wanting to remember Ken by copying his lead.

Speaking of a module set, I did one a long while back that was to be built as a series of tropical islands, connected by single track bridges or trestles.  I did some mock-ups of it with Tomix track, and ran a few trains on it.  The set is named the Trans-Tropics Railway, but the locals call it the Taki-Tiki.  It's basically a 3-way junction (on a volcano island) with a couple other islands, then ending in three return loops. DCC, or DC with a lot of attention being paid to running it.

I have test run Atlas 4-6-2's on C140mm (5.5") radius curves: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfKF7usw9gw

So this is YAP (Yet Another Project) that keeps rearing its' head, refusing to go away.  At any rate, I took the Taki-Tiki and removed one end loop.  Then, a long bridge later, it was connected to the wye port on Module #4.  Since I have TrainPlayer, it was exported from AnyRail to TrainPlayer and test run on the computer.  Oh, I do think I'll have to build at least the long trestle and an end loop, just for the fun of running it.

Here's a drawing of the whole mess.  If anyone has TrainPlayer and wants the files, let me know.

And, no, I'm not smoking or drinking anything . . .

Some module musings ...

A recent post on the TTrak-N Facebook thread by Joshua Murrah brought up the idea of a small, separate loop along the back of a 14" deep module, specifically for the Bandai Shorty series of trains.

Well, I couldn't leave well enough alone.  First, I drew (in Anyrail) my version of his idea, and posted it there.

Like his ideas, it fits on a triple length module.  That wouldn't be my first of that length, so no problem there.  Then, I massaged it a little more, to tie the loop to the inner TTrak line.  It was fairly easy.

The interface is almost all Tomix track, with Kato to "Fleishmann" adapter (20045) sections at each end.  If you look back at my 6-module loop, all of the wye trackage is Tomix.  It works great, just needing a thin plastic shim to meet Kato roadbed height.

So, now I have a triple, a double and a single length module to add to the collection.  The double is an AT-SF terminal as a museum, with several cabeese for a B-and-B. 

A stuffed and mounted steam loco (a dead Bachmann) and a heavyweight car are a part of the scene.

The single is a scene of "bomber Gas."  Go search for it - an interesting true story.  I have a Minicraft B-17G in 1/144 scale. Close enough.

All this, as if I didn't have enough going on.  Oh, well, ...

Buildings and modules

Buildings for the layout - there aren't enough of them.  Don't think there ever could be.  I have a good number, a good assortment built up over time, but still not enough.  All the buildings indicated are on the shelf, just awaiting my getting another stack of "round tuits."

Part of my plan is to focus on which are assigned to modules that are (preliminarily) queued first.  The end caps, modules #1 & #6, will be started first.  Then I think #3 and #5. After that, #2, and #4 will be last.  Oh, and let's not get me started about the single and double modules started on the bench.  And others that need repair.  Oh, well, ... too many ideas.

I have several approaches to smaller configurations, by leaving out some modules, for small space set-ups. The overall layout:

If I leave out Module 4, I get:

And, if Module 2 is removed:

In both cases, a workable layout remains.  The goal is to incorporate the scenery so that it blends in any of the arrangements.

So, there is a bit of flexibility here.  It wasn't planned that way (I'm not that smart) but it did work out.

When connecting with others in a large club show layout, I would remove Module 1 to provide the connection points to "the outside world."

Looking at expansion, I see a problem.  My club (NTTT) generally runs DCC on the outer line and DC on the inner line.  I want to do the same at home.  But, module #2 would be tying them together - not a workable idea.  The solution is to rotate module #2 180º :

Now, the two loops are separated.  In addition, the rest of the module set (#3 - #6) provide a passing siding for the "community" DCC line.

I haven't discussed the wye module, #4.  That is for another time.  It is, however, live, and available for parking cars or turning locomotives.  As the saying goes, "Stay tuned for coming attractions."

A little feedback, please.  On module #5, which way should the crossovers face? Or should I resort to the double crossover I originally had?  If the DXO, then which side?  Yes, like #2, #5 is reversible, but would it be better for the DXO to be adjacent to the wye or away from it?

Questions, questions.  I've got a ton of them.

Layout Update

I've cleaned out garage space and set up a couple tables to hold the modules.
After ispection, the track damage from the last 2 1/2 years of storage and moving is less than feared, but a Kato double crossover did bite the dust.
Oh, well, ...

Its' location was in a 1x (or single length) module as seen by the skewed straight sections.  I'm very seriously considering replacing the DXO, and the other side of the module, with a pair of single crossovers.  Still to be determined the exact configuration, but I think it'd be better than a single DXO.  I do have another DXO, BTW.
 

Here, at the opposite end, is the stack of Tomix tram track to form the loop-to-loop tram system down the middle.

The concept for the whole set is, currently, as shown here.  After some time, it's pretty well set.  The only real decision is, if going to single crossovers, which way to face them.  It will make a difference, operationally.  Gotta think on it.
Comments and suggestions appreciated.


The concept for

Wow, it's been a while since back whenever.  A lot has happened in the interim.  We've moved twice, I've had several surgeries (rotator cuff, then shoulder joint replacement, then ...)

So, here at the end of winter 2019, I'm able to get back to the trains.  I now reside in Collinsville, TX, north of Dallas about 18 miles south of Oklahoma.
Contact has been made with North Texas TTrak group, and I have been in two shows since 1/1/2019.  Oh, man, it felt GOOD to participate, especially with the friendly people of NTTT.

In the second show I was able to trial a new small camera, and make some N cab ride videos.

Here's the NTTT layout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJsmlrEM9E8

And, on the Tex-N layout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqARHBhgHrE

I'm hoping to finally get a semi-permanent layout set up by summer.  I've been making drawings using modules I have, I must say it's looking promising. A part of it should be the CJ&K Rwy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TSlIm96Nzg

Big dreams - and if I can not fall and injure myself again, just maybe . . .

Here's an annotated drawing of where I'm wanting to go.  Much may change, but, hopefully, much will remain . .

 At any rate, I've pulled the modules and placed them together on tables for the first time in almost three years.  Hopefully, some real progress can be made, now.  There is surprisingly little track damage (but not none, alas) while they were in storage.  I'm hoping to have trains running by the weekend.  Novel idea - run trains at home!