Gregory

You are making great progress! Looks great I will be following along.

Quote from: S&S RR on March 29, 2014, 10:52:04 AM
Gregory

You are making great progress! Looks great I will be following along.

John...hi again and thanks. I'll be posting a few more shots in a few minutes.

With the switch ties in, I ran the cross ties up to each switch and got the yard and service track completed. For this area to be complete, the track behind the coaling tower is the only one I need to install cross ties.
 
See the area to the left of center in picture T251 below - right above the sand house you can see the pit for the coaling tower sitting on top of the homasote. The pit needs to be dug so I can run the ties for that track.
 
Since we ran into that tough granite while digging the pit for the cinder conveyor, the tie gang will be ready with a good supply of dynamite so the progress won't be delayed if we run into it again.
 
Exhibit #1 - switch ties & yard cross ties (T251)
[attach=1]
 
I placed a couple of completed #6 switches on top of the ties to get a feel for the completed job and thought it really is starting to look like a railroad. Hopefully if the track gang can keep up this pace, I might get to see some trains running in year or two!
 
Exhibit #2 - switches on ties (T252)
[attach=2]
 
Exhibit #3 - opp. view (T254)
[attach=3]
 
As you can see with the photos above, the switch building has begun now that a couple of experimental switches have been completed.
 
In an effort not to use the computer board ties, which Fast Tracks recommends, I tried to hold the switch rails to the wood ties with Pliobond and it sort of worked. However, The great job it did on Fast Track quick ties didn't work on mine. It seems that the Pliobond and the creosote don't get along as well as they should and I was not completely comfortable the way it held, especially at the points where there is so much stress.
 
I got some of the computer board ties from Fast Tracks and they seem to work well, especially after I cut down on the lumps of flux - seems I forgot what I learned years ago about using the flux sparingly. I colored these ties with tie brown and will blend them in with the creosoted ties after I get them installed. I am not 100% happy with this method, but I believe I can make the finished product look okay.
 
The photo below is kind of hard to see, but the switch to the engine house has been spiked down and it is ready for power feeders on the stock rails and a Tortoise switch motor. I can't wait for this - the last one I installed was an old Tenshodo switch machine for the engine yard I posted pictures of in Part 1 - The Introduction (http://www.kitforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=4604).
 
I'll probably have to ply Tom with some Diet Pepsi to get some guidance for doing this - I hope I can find enough on sale at the market. It will probably take an inordinate amount of the stuff to get him in an agreeable mood!.
 
Exhibit #4 - switch to engine house installed (T240)
[attach=4]
 
Enough for today. In the next episode, I will put in some photos of switch building and the first switches that were installed on the layout.
 
Stay well!

Greg you sure have gotten a lot done since the days when you came up with Tom and you where talking about what you wanted to do. It really looks good and a very interesting process.

Quote from: PennsyJ1 on April 07, 2014, 03:46:31 PM
Greg you sure have gotten a lot done since the days when you came up with Tom and you where talking about what you wanted to do. It really looks good and a very interesting process.

Thanks Bill.....I've been busy with work recently, but I have been able to grab a few minutes to work on a kit and order some kits I need for a future expansion.

Can't wait to get up to see your layout, from Tom's photos, y'all have been busy!

Quote from: GPdemayo on April 07, 2014, 08:38:33 PM
I've been busy with work recently, but I have been able to grab a few minutes to work on a kit and order some kits I need for a future expansion. 

That comment is a sure sign to get you on the 'Home Boss Lady's' chit list! 
Ask me how I know!! 

Quote from: gnatshop on April 07, 2014, 11:08:29 PM

Quote from: GPdemayo on April 07, 2014, 08:38:33 PM
I've been busy with work recently, but I have been able to grab a few minutes to work on a kit and order some kits I need for a future expansion. 

That comment is a sure sign to get you on the 'Home Boss Lady's' chit list! 
Ask me how I know!! 

David:


Belated Happy Birthday!!!


Thank goodness that won't happen.


How do you know???

Hi,
very fine trackwork on your layout.Great work with the benchwork....Thanks for sharing.

Regards,Chris

Quote from: Twist67 on April 10, 2014, 10:23:41 AM
Hi,
very fine trackwork on your layout.Great work with the benchwork....Thanks for sharing.

Regards,Chris

Thanks Chris, appreciate the kind words.


Stay tuned, more fun stuff to come!

The First Run !!!
 
Hello all. I have been busy in the 1:1 world and haven't had time to get the posts together for the switch building or the beginning of the track laying.  I have been doing a little with the layout and thought I might get this YouTube video on the thread so y'all can see what I've been up to.
 
The track you will see is the siding that comes off the branch-line wye down grade past the brewery to the Olson Chemical plant. This is the first rail I have hand-laid and I am very happy with the results from using the Xuron spike sticking-in thingie. The feeders are soldered to the rail and connected and attached to a bus that runs underneath.
 
This is a video of the first application of power to the track and the very first run of an engine on the St.L&D track.
 
To Jimmillho - see I got it running before you expired !!!
 
Enjoy the video.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h1i31oBcE4
 
See you next time!

Greg, It's always a good feeling to have something running on the layout especially for the first time. Looks great! Keep up the good work.

Greg,

It is indeed looking good. I need to come check out those new kits you've been talking about! When are they gong up in a build thread? I guess your excuse will be when all the 1:1 business is done!

Tom

Quote from: PennsyJ1 on April 11, 2014, 03:32:52 PM
Greg, It's always a good feeling to have something running on the layout especially for the first time. Looks great! Keep up the good work.

Thanks Bill......drop by anytime, I'll be pleased to give you a tour! 

Quote from: ACL1504 on April 11, 2014, 04:31:08 PM
Greg,

It is indeed looking good. I need to come checdk out those new kits you've been talking about! When are they gong up in a build thread? I guess your excuse will be when all the 1:1 business is done!

Tom

Hey Tom.....thanks for keeping  up. I've got those kits in the schedule, but the 1:1 business makes the $$$ for the purchases, so it will be awhile.


See you in a few minutes!

Hi again. It's been awhile, but I have been busy in the 1:1 world and haven't had time to do a little modeling and post more to the thread. As you have guessed, the thread lost and the modeling won. During the last few weeks, I have been refining my switch building and doing a little modeling as time has allowed.
 
First, to the switches. I am using a Fast Track jig for the #6 switches on the layout and I must say, despite some problems, I am pleased with the results. After working out the kinks and learning the process in the first few attempts, I now find switches easy to build with this system.
 
The process is not that time consuming once you get the process down. It is as simple as:
1. Cut the ties to length and gap the top to prevent any shorts (more on that fun later).
2. Shape the frog with the frog forming tool and solder together in the jig.
3. Cut and bend the guard rails.
4. Cut both stock rails and notch with the stock aid tool.
5. Cut and shape both point rails with the point forming tool and bend the other end of each rail to form the wing rail.
6. Solder all the rails onto the computer board ties.
7. Touch up the point rail where it hits the stock rail.
8. Clean up the ties, solder joints, gap burrs and rail.
 
Their video's can be seen at - http://www.handlaidtrack.com/online-videos-a/164.htm - scoll toward the bottom till you see the heading "Using Fast Tracks Assembly Fixtures".
 
My first attempt at switch building is below. I saw a Fast Track video using pliobond to hold the rail to their cross ties. Since I have gone to the trouble of using creosote for the ties, I wasn't thrilled with the idea of using computer board ties, then having to paint them to blend in. I thought this might be the way to go and used this in the building of this first switch. 
 
Overall the pliobond held well after heating, but the points let go after a few minutes of tugging, so I concluded that the creosote and pliobond didn't like each other and the points would fail, eventually, with all the movement of the switch during operations.
 
Exhibit #1 - fast tracks jig w/ wooden ties (T107)
[attach=1]
 
I then tried to replicate the manner of construction of the switches I purchased in the 80's by soldering a piece of thin metal to the top of the rails. As you can see below, this didn't turn out too well mostly because of my crappy soldering technique. I like this method, because when completed, the switch is in gauge and ready to be spiked into place. I will definitely revisit it in the future when my soldering skill improves.
 
Exhibit #2 - switch soldered from top (T159)
[attach=2]
 
I finally broke down and ordered a couple of packs of the computer board ties from Fast Tracks and used them to build the next couple of switches. These worked well and I feel comfortable with their lasting over time with the soldered points.
 
Exhibit #3 - switch w/ computer board ties (T261)
[attach=3]
 
The only problem was that I got ahead of myself and already had the switch ties in place. Some ties would have to be removed for the switch to sit flat on the wood ties.
 
Exhibit #4 - switch ties (T011)
[attach=4]
 
Continued.....