Colin Stewart Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 I found out about the decal sets as Bill Yancy had a photo in the O Scale resource and in the bottom corner there were two switchers one in each scheme. Question was asked and hey presto - Bill has decals and didn’t mind shipping them over here The decals are printed by MicroScale and very nice too Two sets of the red and white ones cost $30 including shipping Colin. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted September 11, 2019 Author Share Posted September 11, 2019 Thanks for the info Colin. I have a set of Microscale decals for the Soo Candy Apple Red scheme - it's a "just in case" measure; I'm not actually planning to do a Candy Apple loco, but you never know.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted October 16, 2019 Author Share Posted October 16, 2019 (edited) Looking back through this Thread I see it was in Febuary that I decided that I needed to do something about the sharpest curve on the layout (a.k.a. the Flange Squealer). The legacy of this sharp corner was that the layout was originally built in HO, with a double-track oval, which at this point used 2nd & 3rd radius setrack curves. The central heating boiler is underneath this part of the layout so I kept the boards quite narrow to help access to it. I tried to stick with the original boards when I changed to O Scale; tests with old Lima O setrack curves (& previous experience with another layout) indicated that the locos (except SD40) & stock I have should be okay down to a 2ft radius curve - & they are, when being pulled. But when being propelled, some of the stock was contacting it's neighbour and derailing. As this curve forms part of the switching lead to the yard siding and the freight branch, it sees more propelling movements than most of the other curves on the layout, which are a minimum of 36" radius. So, as I say, back in Febuary I posted here my intention to do something, which essentially was to rip up the curve, widen the board, & re-lay a 36" radius curve. I used my FastTracks templates to see how the new curve would fit - fortunately it'll go in without having to rejig much existing track at either end - just losing a bit of straight track as the curve starts earlier. But what about widening the board? I'd used Knauf Spaceboard extruded foam slabs which B&Q used to sell. Since building the layout, they have very inconveniently stopped selling this product , going back instead to the more usual silver-backed, crumbly stuff that is probably cheaper for insulation purposes, but rubbish for model railway baseboards. I didn't have any Knauf Spaceboard offcuts left, & only needed a bit anyway, so didn't want to run the expense of a big sheet of whatever else I might find. Asking around, I eventually managed to scrounge an offcut of blue extruded foam from a good friend (who scrounged it from their model railway club!!) a few weeks ago. So work has finally started to ease the curve! The front pelmet was removed, the 'new' foam cut to shape, & stuck to the original foam with construction adhesive, & the pelmet trimmed & glued back as well. The new foam isn't actually going to have much track on it - the curve will 'overlap' the join mostly, so weight bearing isn't a big factor, & I'm glad I chose the extruded foam method in the first place, as apart from sourcing an offcut, the actual modification has been easy. Since taking the photo I also lifted the rails (I hadn't fully spiked them at this point in anticipation of this work) & scraped off the balsa ties, so it all looks a mess at this point now (because it IS a mess!!) & for the time being trains can no longer tail-chase themselves. Next job - cut a new load of ties!! Edited October 16, 2019 by F-UnitMad 9 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Northroader Posted October 16, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 16, 2019 It all makes sense to me, hope you keep your usual kinks out going round the bend, and save them up for the straight bits. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 Nice to see you back and active in your own thread, Jordan. I find that big jobs always put a dent in the old enthusiasm supplies. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAMO Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 I'm pleased to have news from you Jordan! Your idea to ease the curve is good and this job looks good 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted November 3, 2019 Author Share Posted November 3, 2019 (edited) SILVER SPIKE DAY!!! (Again!! ) The Deed is done!! This evening I have finished re-laying the curve to 36" radius. and thus completing all the trackwork again to 'Silver Spike' level - all spiked enough for trains to run. The daft thing is, the new alignment is pretty close to the old trackbed, as can be seen above, with the remaining traces of the old HO lines even further up, but this new curve starts earlier than the old one did, and stays a more constant radius through the curve. The acid test was my Atlas SD40, which couldn't pull stock through the old curve because of the pilot overhang. It could manage the other curves, which of course are already 36" radius. So I tested it this evening, and it successfully pulled a train through this curve - the lead car was a 72ft Centerbeam Flat as well..!! The only place on the layout the SD40 can't go now is the rough siding; it's rigid 3-axle trucks can't cope with the rickety track. Edit: YouTube link added, and observant viewers will also notice that I've done the inset track on the Industry area - except it's not yet painted. Happy Bunny again now! Edited November 19, 2019 by F-UnitMad 12 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted November 4, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 4, 2019 Wel worth the time and trouble. Don 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted November 6, 2019 Share Posted November 6, 2019 Awesome. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAMO Posted November 6, 2019 Share Posted November 6, 2019 Great improvement! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Regularity Posted November 7, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 7, 2019 Re the track on the industrial spur: 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted November 7, 2019 Author Share Posted November 7, 2019 3 hours ago, Regularity said: Re the track on the industrial spur: I wasn't even close with my bad track, was I..??!!?? 1 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Northroader Posted November 7, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 7, 2019 Just don’t try any of them Hattons sixwheelers on it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted November 8, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 8, 2019 I doubt electric pick up from the track would be practical. Don Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prof Klyzlr Posted November 10, 2019 Share Posted November 10, 2019 Dear Don W, Never say never, if it can work in HO.... (Believe these have been posted before, except maybe the top MILW F-unit example?) Happy Modelling, Aim to Improve, Prof Klyzlr 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted November 10, 2019 Author Share Posted November 10, 2019 I've seen the last of those three videos before, but I especially like the first one - (not just for the F-Unit!!! ) - the grassy track is really well done too, and is the sort of effect I want on my siding, eventually. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted November 20, 2019 Share Posted November 20, 2019 Bit too jiggly for my tastes. The real thing tends to sway more than jiggle. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
APOLLO Posted November 20, 2019 Share Posted November 20, 2019 Brit15 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted November 20, 2019 Author Share Posted November 20, 2019 9 hours ago, Dr Gerbil-Fritters said: Bit too jiggly for my tastes. The real thing tends to sway more than jiggle. Again, we're back to the way a model behaves so differently to the real thing, and how replicating real life swaying of rolling stock is so difficult. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Regularity Posted November 21, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 21, 2019 [sigh] The swing of a pendulum is proportional to it’s length. Mass doesn’t come into the equation, except possibly to dampen things through inertia. Ergo, small trains wiggle where real ones sway. 2 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted November 22, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 22, 2019 23 hours ago, Regularity said: [sigh] The swing of a pendulum is proportional to it’s length. Mass doesn’t come into the equation, except possibly to dampen things through inertia. Ergo, small trains wiggle where real ones sway. Probably the best reason for choosing the larget scale you have room for. Don 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Regularity Posted November 22, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 22, 2019 10 hours ago, Donw said: Probably the best reason for choosing the largest scale you have room for. Don That, plus failing eyesight as you get older! But it also depends on how much space you have, and what you want to put into it, and what you are trying to achieve. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Regularity Posted November 24, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 24, 2019 This post from Thomas Klaminski’s ever enjoyable blog might be of particular interest to Jordan and other SOO fans: https://www.thomasklimoski.com/single-post/2019/11/22/SOO-the-Milwaukee-Road 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted December 30, 2019 Author Share Posted December 30, 2019 (edited) Nearly the end of yet another year... well this was always meant to be a long-term project, honest!!! At least I do feel like I have made a bit of progress this year, especially re-laying the sharp curve to a more generous (!!!) 3ft radius. Over the break I've done some more painting of the track that has been spiked, and what has been encouraging (as it was a bit of a surprise!!) is that there isn't much rail left to spike 'cosmetically'; in fact just the curved switch and the curved main and siding tracks away from it remain to be done, about 4ft or so overall, the tracks to the right in this earlier view taken while the siding was being laid. That means that the Golden Spike Day isn't too far away!! Hopefully within the next few months, at least! Of course, then I have to go back round and add in cosmetic rail joiners where I've missed them, and still work on distressing & weathering some of the ties; ballasting won't be done until after much of the scenic work is done- I always do it that way round as in reality the ballast comes after the scenery, not first!! So even with the Golden Spike in place, the track won't really be 'Finished', but at least a major milestone will have been reached. It seemed like quite a daunting task when I ripped up all the HO track to start afresh with O, but I know one thing - I can honestly say I haven't regretted that decision for one moment. Edit. Just looked back through the Thread, and I first reported on this layout in Jan 2016. I'd already been laying track before that, so must have started around summer 2015. So by summer 2020 it will have taken me about 5 years to hand-lay, spike, detail and paint all the track for this layout!! I bet there's some people on RMweb who've built, run & sold or scrapped plenty of layouts in that time!!! At least I laid the track in 'operatable' stages, so I have been able to run trains for most of that time!! Edited December 30, 2019 by F-UnitMad 6 1 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted December 31, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 31, 2019 There are some of us on here who's output since the start of 2016 has been minimal. The only time the portable layout was visible was one April when I took it to the RBweb SWAG meet and trains actually ran. It has only just resurfaced from under piles of stuff. It has been interesting to see what you have been doing, including some of the best 'worst track' I have seen (quite an aert in itself I should think). Don 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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