MikeHohn Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 Well, ok, I guess you're almost back to the original track arrangement but seems to me you've made some important changes along the way. You have fewer but longer sidings which straightaway makes everything look more realistic. Also, you recognized early on that the four track yard was just too much and reduced it to two, which looks better and doesn't waste real estate on turnouts. Even with no scenery there is an open work-in-progress look of a modern industrial park. Mike 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted April 2, 2015 Author Share Posted April 2, 2015 I have to confess I succumbed to an attack of rampant silliness this afternoon. I slewed two of the spurs in the bottom left corner of the plan posted above, joined them up to make a roundy roundy and then spent a few hours watching trains go, well, round and round. I got up to 29 freight cars behind the SD38-2s before running out of road worthy freight cars, Going forwards was fun, but I even managed to propel them round the pike too! Just goes to show how the body mounted KDs work just like the real thing! When sanity returns, I shall just disguise the continuous run with a strategically placed industry. 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Reichert Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 I have to confess I succumbed to an attack of rampant silliness this afternoon. I slewed two of the spurs in the bottom left corner of the plan posted above, joined them up to make a roundy roundy and then spent a few hours watching trains go, well, round and round. I got up to 29 freight cars behind the SD38-2s before running out of road worthy freight cars, Going forwards was fun, but I even managed to propel them round the pike too! Just goes to show how the body mounted KDs work just like the real thing! When sanity returns, I shall just disguise the continuous run with a strategically placed industry. IMHO, it's sanity if you hide the connection for operating. It's a free 50 scale mile test and exercise and running-viewing track that is insane to just throw away, if you have baseboards laid in that suitable configuration anyway. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 IMHO, it's sanity if you hide the connection for operating. It's a free 50 scale mile test and exercise and running-viewing track that is insane to just throw away, if you have baseboards laid in that suitable configuration anyway. I agree totally - however "frowned upon" it may be by "serious" modellers, give me a roundy-roundy any day. You can even run trains whilst doing other modelling - time doesn't have to be 'either/or' modelling or operating. I think I suggested it early on in this thread. If the baseboards join up, then so can the track. Even Sir Mindheim has planned roundy-roundy layouts!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Another vote for the continuous run. Trains need to stretch their legs... It's useful for testing and great fun for non enthusiasts to see a train really run. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zomboid Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I always liked having the opportunity to watch trains go by, from various angles so I could admire my badly built cardboard scenery kits as trains passed... With your boards, having a sly roundy roundy is the best of all worlds in my view. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gary H Posted April 3, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 3, 2015 I agree totally - however "frowned upon" it may be by "serious" modellers, give me a roundy-roundy any day. You can even run trains whilst doing other modelling - time doesn't have to be 'either/or' modelling or operating. I think I suggested it early on in this thread. If the baseboards join up, then so can the track. Even Sir Mindheim has planned roundy-roundy layouts!! That makes me feel better! Nothing wrong with having the best of both worlds. 99% of the layout plans I see from the likes of MRR are also roundy-roundy in their huge basement empires. Even the likes of the master designer John Armstrong are roundy type layouts! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted April 3, 2015 Author Share Posted April 3, 2015 Good Friday? More like darn near Perfect Friday. Got all my wiring completed, and the layout is now fully functional. I had a couple of hours letting things roll round and round, including Chinese steamers, MP15ACs, SD38-2s and GP38s. Much fun to be had. Then I did a serious bit of grown up switching. Then I did some weathering. And played the bass for an hour. Now, film and pizza night with the family. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allegheny1600 Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Good Friday? More like darn near Perfect Friday. Got all my wiring completed, and the layout is now fully functional. I had a couple of hours letting things roll round and round, including Chinese steamers, MP15ACs, SD38-2s and GP38s. Much fun to be had. Then I did a serious bit of grown up switching. Then I did some weathering. And played the bass for an hour. Now, film and pizza night with the family. That's the spirit! The main thing is to ensure that YOU enjoy yourself, do as much or as little as you like, just keep it fun! Cheers, John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted April 3, 2015 Author Share Posted April 3, 2015 some pics from this afternoon 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alastairb Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I agree that a "roundy roundy" gives far more options. My garage sized HO layout was transformed (for the better) when I rebuilt it from a U shaped by putting a lift out shelf across the garage door end. Its much more enjoyable to leave a freight slowly run around the layout while doing modeling jobs, especially with sound equipped locos. Also continuous running is good for debugging locos, rolling stock and trackwork. Anyway glad you're mojo has returned Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 So, who are these "serious" modellers, and where have you seen them "frowning upon" oval layouts? I'd love to know. I mean, you can run trains round and round on Pepoul, and in terms of quality modelling and getting things right, I don't think you can get much more serious than that. They're SO serious, they don't actually do any modelling. For one thing much of their time is taken up frowning at other people's modelling.... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted April 4, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 4, 2015 Glad to see you have added a link for continuous running. Its a good to be able just stand or sit back and watch trains go round. Its also a good way to run in locos and also fault find any issues on rolling stock. I built Santa Barbara with trains running round all day although I do regret ballasting the running lines whilst train moving when I dropped a hammer on the boards and ballast bounced up into the loco mechanism!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted April 4, 2015 Author Share Posted April 4, 2015 Here's a question for you all to ponder. How many freight cars should my pike hold? I ask, because as I've been operating over the past few hours I've been taking stock off in order to free up space that needs to be used to keep things fluid. Currently at 2 50' tank cars, 2 50' double door boxcars, 6 50' single door box cars and 1 MP15AC...this seems a scant amount of stock for a 14 x 8. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted April 4, 2015 Author Share Posted April 4, 2015 Thinking on it over lunch, I guess the question really is, how should this line be operated? I suppose it would start with defining the industries and determining what traffic they receive or generate, and how often. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeHohn Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 Thinking on it over lunch, I guess the question really is, how should this line be operated? I suppose it would start with defining the industries and determining what traffic they receive or generate, and how often. You can't go wrong with that approach. Doing a little calculating, I don't think the 11 rail cars on your layout is so few. If you count the 11 cars off the layout that will replace them during an op session, I get 22 cars. And unless you're going to just switch the same two groups of cars on and off, you could have another 11 cars that you moved off in the previous session, so now you're up to 33. Yes, of course I simplify, and I am making assumptions on how you will operate, and I know you would likely not switch all cars in a session, but if you're operating scheme involves moving cars on and off the layout via an interchange track or yard, then you have to count the cars waiting in the wings to come onstage. That's the point my simple equation is trying to make. Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeHohn Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 You don't need many cars to have an enjoyable session: just take your time to replicate the operations. Hope that's not too serious for anyone. Ah, Trevor Marshall. I always like to see his name in the byline of an article and I check his blog regularly. He is a good example of how paying attention to details in operations enhances modeling. Mike 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted April 4, 2015 Author Share Posted April 4, 2015 This afternoon I have mainly been mocking up the corner industry... and a first pass at weathering some freight cars. Cheapy blue boxes, so no worries if I screw up. Actually, this stuff washes right off until it's fixed with dullcote so no risk at all. I'm definitely not one for focussing on one task at a time 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pH Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 How many freight cars should my pike hold? I ask, because as I've been operating over the past few hours I've been taking stock off in order to free up space that needs to be used to keep things fluid. Put everything you've got on it, plug all the sidings, and model a part of Houston after the UP/SP merger. Semi-seriously - would a little bit of 'crowding' not add to the operational interest, if that's what you're interested in? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted April 4, 2015 Author Share Posted April 4, 2015 Put everything you've got on it, plug all the sidings, and model a part of Houston after the UP/SP merger. Semi-seriously - would a little bit of 'crowding' not add to the operational interest, if that's what you're interested in? I'd have to model rickety track, several cars on the ground and a HazMat crew on bicycle chasing the switch crew with portable breathing apparatus as yet another chem load goes in the dirt! Houston in the 80s was hard ass railroading for sure 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gary H Posted April 4, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 4, 2015 I'm definitely not one for focussing on one task at a time Join the club! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dullsteamer Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 Dr, that ready mix plant, is it a kit or scratchbuilt? Good to see you're making progress again. Cheers, Mark. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gary H Posted April 5, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 5, 2015 Dr, that ready mix plant, is it a kit or scratchbuilt? Good to see you're making progress again. Cheers, Mark. I'm sure Dr GF wont mind me answering, that's a Walthers Cornerstone Blue Star ready mix plant- http://www.ebay.com/itm/Walthers-3086-Blue-Star-Ready-Mix-Kit-HO-Scale-/261826850597?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cf618af25 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dullsteamer Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Thanks Gary, I can see me getting a couple of these kits for a kitbash project. Cheers, Mark. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 I'd have to model rickety track, ...... ... and that is a problem, because..?? ... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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