Taking the loco out and giving it a run

[shortliner]

Setup from Raleigh, North Carolina earlier this year 14:34 running time

 

 

http://www.youtube.c...f/0/e_xwhzsHcWc

[Neil]

I like that lots Jack. Even though there are a few jerky patches, the sense of journey from place to place is outstanding. Would I be right to assume that it's a modular set up and if so how big, the building looks sizeable.

[shortliner]

I honestly don't know the size - although it is definitely a modular set-up - we have had links to others in a similar sort of room space previously - I believe they were in exhibition halls in state fairgrounds and they look to be a couple of hundred yards on a side, and possibly even larger. I suspect there are several scale miles of track, and looking at it a good few turnouts and crossings, let alone the buildings I understand that the Amhurst(Springfield) show which takes place towards the end of Januaryeach year, is in 4 halls, each about that size - and really needs at least 2 full-day visits to see it all. Possibly one of our US members can give us some more info - maybe Craig who is from that part of the world can help?

It is the NC Sipping & Switching modules at NRV show in Raleigh, NC 11/07/2010 What does impress me is the nightmare of jig-sawing the modules together to form the trackplan initially, and then the logistical nightmare of having them arrive in the correct order for assembly, particularly if some have had to travel some distance. I'm not sure if it forms a complete loop, or if it is an out and back - there is certainly a point where it crosses a semi-circle of track , which has a tangential track through a pair of turnouts, on a bridge - and then comes back on the lower line through those turnouts

[Kenton]

That looked like fun.

But don't they do signaling?

[robbostrains]

WOW,that's some set up!!The FallenFlags layout on the same page looks interesting as well.For an 8x4ft there's a lot going on,can't figure the track plan though,thanks again Jack and all the best .

[davknigh]

That looked like fun.

But don't they do signaling?

 

What you see is not unusual on single track lines in North America. It would be all train orders from stations much like single line tokens in the UK. It would, however, vary according to traffic. Heavily travelled lines would be signaled.

 

Cheers,

 

David

[Oldddudders]

That looked like fun.

But don't they do signaling?

Probably no need. Remember that in the US, there has traditionally been plenty of running where the timetable dictates everything. If you have a pathway, that's it. You know from the WTT where you meet opposing trains, and on arrival at such a location, you will only depart after the opposing train has passed - or you get a written train-order from the operator at that (or a preceding) station, authorising you to proceed. There will be such details as "All eastbound trains are superior to westbound trains" in the WTT and the whole concept is completely unfamiliar to a UK enthusiast. Naturally, busy main lines have much more sophisticated systems, with a CTC despatcher hundreds of miles away in radio communication with all the traincrews, and there may then indeed be plenty of signals, but the enthusiast community seem to find the old-fashioned system most fun. That Boston & Maine Geep that suddenly appeared coming towards us, and equally suddenly retired into a siding, was not quite in the script!

[CraigZ]

I honestly don't know the size - although it is definitely a modular set-up - we have had links to others in a similar sort of room space previously - I believe they were in exhibition halls in state fairgrounds and they look to be a couple of hundred yards on a side, and possibly even larger. I suspect there are several scale miles of track, and looking at it a good few turnouts and crossings, let alone the buildings I understand that the Amhurst(Springfield) show which takes place towards the end of Januaryeach year, is in 4 halls, each about that size - and really needs at least 2 full-day visits to see it all. Possibly one of our US members can give us some more info - maybe Craig who is from that part of the world can help?

It is the NC Sipping & Switching modules at NRV show in Raleigh, NC 11/07/2010 What does impress me is the nightmare of jig-sawing the modules together to form the trackplan initially, and then the logistical nightmare of having them arrive in the correct order for assembly, particularly if some have had to travel some distance. I'm not sure if it forms a complete loop, or if it is an out and back - there is certainly a point where it crosses a semi-circle of track , which has a tangential track through a pair of turnouts, on a bridge - and then comes back on the lower line through those turnouts

 

I actually can give info - I was there as I'm part of that group. That train is running on the secondary trackage...the trackage we use to run local trains, shunt cars around etc. The mainlines are more of a 'moving scenery' thing for the spectators, though with the advent of DCC we actually duck out on the main line to move from district to district. Mainline runs were continuous and around 480 feet long made up of about 94 modules of varying lengths and radii with a footprint of around 60 x 80 feet. At different shows the modules go together in different order...it's not a fixed arrangement layout though of course there are 'sets' of modules that go together...mostly yards. This was the first show for the flyover modules that you saw which worked pretty well; the approaches are 12 feet long so the grade's not too bad. Assembly is very quick and straightfoward with our flush ends and alignment pins; the majority of modules are now on wheels so moving them about to assemble the layout is easy. And as you say, the big problem at set up is getting everybody there, but if somebody's late the wheels make it a doddle to move things, or the entire layout as we've had to do at some shows.

 

A good bit of the layout travels in a 22' two axle trailer; most of the rest in an old school bus that's about 40 feet long. What's not in those gets into hired trailers or pickup trucks. The modules fit in wheeled carriers, two modules face to face on edge. The carriers clamp on the ends. A pair of eight foot long modules is thus a bit over 8 feet long, about 34 inches tall (due to wheels on the carriers) and about 20-24 inches "thick". Makes them fairly compact, easy to move, and with the lightweight construction we use, easy to lift...which is important because the carries nest into each other and stack in the trailers and the bus.

 

Keep in mind that there's less than 12 of us setting these layouts up...there's more info in Kalmbach's Great Model Railroads 2008 which features timely photos from back in 2001 if I recall. Also info on the web page about the lightweight construction, flush ends and banquet table leg system we use. Clubs using slide-in legs and 9" pieces of bridge track freak out when they see us roll the modules in on wheeled carriers, unclamp the carriers and have exactly two guys stand the module up on its swing down legs, then use the wheels on the legs to roll the module where it needs to be. The modules slide together with alignment pins, use C-clamps underneath to connect mechanically and trailer plugs for electrical. All of the dual gauge turnouts you see were handlaid.

Next big show is Timonium, MD in April...we're supposedly getting together with a group from Ohio that started using our standards. Word is that the layout will be over 200 feet long...

[Burkitt]

Thanks Craig, it's a spectacular layout. What gauge are the narrow gauge bits?

 

Paul

[CraigZ]

Thanks Craig, it's a spectacular layout. What gauge are the narrow gauge bits?

 

Paul

 

Thanks for the kind words....the narrow gauge is HOn3 /10.5mm gauge...

[F-UnitMad]

That looked like fun.

But don't they do signaling?

 

 

Probably no need. ... the whole concept is completely unfamiliar to a UK enthusiast.

Just yet another attraction of modelling the Dark Side....

[shortliner]

Craig - many thanks for helping me out with the extra info - that looks to be a real fun run!

I hope you can get someone to run the camera car around the big one at Timonium for us

[Neil]

Thanks for completeing the picture Craig. I'm gobstruck by the figures, 480', 94 modules and less than 12 bods setting it all up, you certainly don't hang about when it comes to putting the work in.

[CraigZ]

Thanks for completeing the picture Craig. I'm gobstruck by the figures, 480', 94 modules and less than 12 bods setting it all up, you certainly don't hang about when it comes to putting the work in.

 

No, no we don't loiter about. The show ended at 5 pm; we had everything knocked down and loaded by 7 pm...the attached swing down legs with wheels, the lack of bridge plate/tracks at the frontiers and the undertable plugs make it go quick.

[highpeak]

What you see is not unusual on single track lines in North America. It would be all train orders from stations much like single line tokens in the UK. It would, however, vary according to traffic. Heavily travelled lines would be signaled.

 

Cheers,

 

David

Rather than hijack this thread, I posted a thread on the overseas prototype forum http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php/topic/27928-us-train-order-operation/ showing some old train orders from the 70s.

[Prof Klyzlr]

No, no we don't loiter about. The show ended at 5 pm; we had everything knocked down and loaded by 7 pm...the attached swing down legs with wheels, the lack of bridge plate/tracks at the frontiers and the undertable plugs make it go quick.

 

Dear Craig,

 

Yep, can't beat flush rail-joint systems for speed of setup/teardown at shows...

(It helps having a truly dedicated and committed show crew too!)

 

Love to know what alignment system you're using to make it work,

without the significant time-wasting involved in using the Mk1 Eyeball to guarantee alignment...

 

Happy Modelling,

Aim to Improve,

Prof Klyzlr

[CraigZ]

Dear Craig,

 

Yep, can't beat flush rail-joint systems for speed of setup/teardown at shows...

(It helps having a truly dedicated and committed show crew too!)

 

Love to know what alignment system you're using to make it work,

without the significant time-wasting involved in using the Mk1 Eyeball to guarantee alignment...

 

Happy Modelling,

Aim to Improve,

Prof Klyzlr

 

 

About 15 years ago we developed an end standard that uses a 30" long 4 inch wide steel template. On one long edge the template has the gauge lines for the two main lines (required trackage) and the gauge line for the 21" secondary trackage. It also has the location for the alignment pins. It clamps to the end of the module 'blank', the builder lays his track up against the template to the gauge line. If the end of the module is plumb and square, the track end will be flush. Now without removing the template, a Forstner bit is used to drill four 1" holes for the alignment pins - we use a 1" OD metal tube for the pins; the module end itself is 3/4" plywood with the rest being 1/4" or 5mm luan plywood built in a gridwork/waffle pattern for strength and light weight. Even with steel banquet table legs attached a 8" x 30" module weighs under 25 lbs. At leyout set up two guys remove the modules from their wheeled carriers (which also use the pins mounting two modules face to face vertically), rotated right side up, legs are swung down. With the wheels on the legs we roll the modules wherever they need to be, line up the pins and push them together. C clamps pull them tight from underneath; trailer plugs provide the power. Rail height is 48" from the floor by the way. And it all goes up stunningly fast. We've had three guys decide to do a show with a 60' x 30" footprint who say they had trains running less than 2 hours after unloading.

 

Typically the track is secured by soldering to brass screws driven into the module surface or on a 1-2" wide strip of PC board that's screwed to the surface. With that, the rigidity of the luan boxwork, and the precision of the pins there's rarely any need to tweak a frontier...and that's usually from handling damage or delamination of the luan top deck. People will regularly inform us our system can't work as an eighty five car train rolls under their nose.

 

[Glorious NSE]

Rather than hijack this thread, I posted a thread on the overseas prototype forum http://www.rmweb.co....rder-operation/ showing some old train orders from the 70s.

 

TT&TO is (sorta) out of era for me, but (one of) the modern radio-based equivalents is DTC - here's a website about the conversion of a prototype route from TT&TO to DTC ops - this site is superb:

http://www.wx4.org/to/foam/sp/southwest/carrizozo_sub/a_directory.html

 

And this is DTC in all it's simplicity - we're planning to use DTC on our branch at Exeter in the summer.

http://www.wx4.org/to/foam/sp/train_orders/primers/dtc_primer.html

 

I have a suspicion that modern shortlines are even further down the route of simplicity, if you have a route with only a couple of trains out running then they may well just radio each other to work out where they are going to meet...

[CraigZ]

With a radio scanner one can listen to dispatchers give authority to use blocks...on the NS around here the dispatcher reads it, spelling out names and numbers; train crew reads it back; dispatcher reads it again; train crew acknowledges with the name or initials of the crewman who took the order. Block limits are denoted by signs along the right of way...

[Jim the Tram]

That is fantastic, was over in Rayleigh NC in September & went to a few model flying clubs. They certainly enjoy their modelling.

[highpeak]

Trains has a piece on the demise of history and demise of train orders at http://trn.trains.com/en/sitecore/content/Home/Railroad%20Reference/ABCs%20of%20Railroading/2006/05/Train%20orders.aspx

[Kris]

Fascinating film. For a moduler layout the scenery works together very well.

[CraigZ]

Fascinating film. For a moduler layout the scenery works together very well.

 

Thanks Kris...but to be 100% honest that's just blind luck