With August Winding Down . . .

As September approaches, it's been HOT in north Texas - about 102F today (about 8-10F above "normal,) with the Temperature Humidity Index over 110F.  The morning started too hot to endure it even in the garage. So, I've retreated to the "office" (her name for a spare bedroom that'll never have a bed while we're here!) and worked on drawings and sketches to settle how to wire the loop modules.  I think that's done, but will have to wait for cooler time to implement it.  That may be tomorrow, IF the promised cool front arrives and does its job.

When not thinking about wiring, and doing chores around the house, I've started on a couple structure kits.  I have a good stock that I've accumulated over the years, and now seems to be a good time to start on them.  I'm thinking that as I finish one, I'll make a "blind" reach into the bin and whatever comes out will be the next build.  It should make for a fun fall season.

Here is what I've done so far (none are finished).

The bright one on the left is to be a beach business, "Big Jim's Surf and Scuba Shop."  I'm wanting to find an HO beach bum to mount up top on a surf board.
An HO 6' figure looks about 12' in an N scale setting. :)

The other two don't have a specific use in mind yet.  Eventually, when finding their way onto a specific module, something will occur.  It usually does.

It's a long, hot summer . . .

I'm not getting as much done as I'd like, with the heat and I not going together very well.  Any work on the modules has to be done mornings, along with mowing the grass, etc. Even so, the junction has the track down and ready to be wired with track power drops on all three lines.  The gap in the straight section, a non-Kato length, has been closed by the simple expedience of taking a slightly longer piece of track (I used a 124mm section) and cutting it to fit, 101mm nominally.

The single module, with a short siding, will be tied down next. Then, the wiring on it will be done, too.  I'm learning that most (all?) modules should have power drops on them.  One never knows when they could be needed in a future setup, eh?

Work on structures is starting, albeit slowly. Very slowly. As they progress, pictures will follow.

As a running layout, I've settled on using a pair of the double-deep modules to complete the loop of the Trans-Tropics Rwy.  Here's the configuration:

The two modules on the left are the "borrowed" pieces, an end cap and a "C" configuration module.  Overall, about eight feet in length. Don't put too much stock in the scenery there, I just grabbed the little available in AnyRail to keep it from looking so bare, so "plywood plains." 

This has been exported into TrainPlayer (I'm running 7.0) and I tried it out for an evening.  A passenger train was set racing (indicated 40 mph!) around the outside loop. The inside was set up with a mixed freight, plodding along at 20 mph with its' eight cars and caboose. My freights have cabooses. Period.

After running a few laps, I started playing with the various routing options with the two ovals and the TTrak inner main.  eventually, I switched the eight freight cars onto the two sidings and the four yard tracks. That left the loco (an SW-1200 class switcher) and the caboose to finish the evening, running easy.

The TTrak outer main had a steam loco and three cars, a baggage and two Pullman coaches.  They looped steadily, with an occasional variation to use the passing siding at the left end, just for variety.  Hmmm, the next time, I may park another train over there and alternate which one is making laps.

I could also do the same with the inside line and ovals, but I'll try to not get too carried away with it.  After all, tonight was the first time I've successfully run two trains at once in TrainPlayer.  It does it just fine, me, not so much, yet.

A bit more progress. I guess.

I've made a little more progress on several fronts, I guess.  I just can't seem to pick one and "just do it."

I have the track laid out for the two modules that followed me home from the Build-A-Thon, a junction (which I had ordered) and a single (an orphan I adopted.)

With the junction, nothing fancy at all on the track-work,  Right now, I'm leaning towards simple, rural scenes.  It'll have to play out to see just what will actually be there. Yep, I've got a piece of track to cut to fit, but that's an easy-peasy thing to do.

 

I am going to have a simple siding on the single module, using a Kato #4 and 186mm straight track.  Nothing fancy here. I'm thinking of building a dirt mound on the end of the siding, since there's not enough room for a bumper.  I have done that before, and I like how it can look.  It may even have an inset pocket to clear the coupler.  

Years ago I did a module like this (now long gone, R.I.P.) and liked it.  So, now's a good time to do another.  As to what's on the siding, I don't know just yet.  I'm waiting for the module "to tell me what it wants to be."  I could say the same about the junction as well, but it is "whispering" a bit louder to me. Kinda.

About that orphan thing.  As the guys were cutting out the pieces of MDF for the various ordered modules (about two dozen, I think) there were scrap sections remaining that generated several unordered single modules - orphans, as it were.  This one just seemed to jump into my hand, so I brought it home like a lovable, lost puppy.

Last for today, there's the fourth module of the Trans-Tropics Rwy.  This is the connector for running the two loop modules end-to-end, rather than the 180º configuration in the previous post.

Like the other two modules, the track isn't fastened down just yet.  For one thing, the temperature and humidity are very high today, and the garage is just too miserable to do any work.  Also, there's a bit of indecision on the connector.  I want a grade crossing across the twin main lines, but I do NOT like the new style KATO track pieces.  The old style more fits what I like, so I'm going to have to go another way.  One of the Blair Line Wood Grade Crossings may just fit the bill. And look better, too.  I must go box-diving to see it I may have one, somewhere.

Y'know, the Blair Line 077 Wooden Truck Dump Kit may be what the single is wanting. Hmmm . . .