The Atlantic and Southern Build, Part 1

[ACL1504]

It's about time you got back to it.....you've been resting on your laurels far too long. 

Thanks Greg; however, it wasn't laurels I was resting on!

Tom

[ACL1504]

It's about time you got back to it.....you've been resting on your laurels far too long. 

Tom


What would you do without all your friends?

A man is truly rich when he can say he has friends, right? Thanks John for checking in.

Tom

[ACL1504]

Tom,

Good to see you back working on your layout. Looks like you had a problem, and know you, have solved it with dispatch. Looking forward to seeing your progress now that you are now approved to get back to work.

Frank / Erieman

Frank,

Thanks for stopping by. Yes, it is very good to be back at the layout. I did solve the problem and it actually works which is even more amazing considering my seemingly constant friendship with Mr. Murphy and his dang laws.

Tom

[ACL1504]

It's about time you got back to it.....you've been resting on your laurels far too long. 

Tom


What would you do without all your friends?

.... and what would you do without your laurels.....(you wouldn't have anyplace to rest your **s ....!!)

Donato,

Exactly right my friend, exactly right. I guess it is good to have some sort of laurel to sit on.

Tom

[ACL1504]

Tom...

I didn't know you were gone but...........

A laurel and hardy welcome back...

see ya
Bob

Bob,

Well, not gone in the sense of being out of town but gone in that I've been "surgeried up", my spelling of a nonexistant word, all summer. Hey, that's a great one. My laurel and Hardy thank you.

Tom

[ACL1504]

The Scotsman in me would have done that with a RH #6 or #8 as Bob suggested, but the curved turnout will do the job just as well.  And it's always nice to get rid of something that bothers your favorite trains, so congratulations on a good start.

James,

Thanks for stopping by and posting a comment. The curved turnout is how I went with solving the problem. The use of a right hand #6 or #8 created other problems.

Tom

[ACL1504]

I'll have and update on the curved turnout later this afternoon. I need to upload and crop some additional photos.

Tom

[ACL1504]

In the next photo you can see I've placed a used Walthers #8 curved turnout further back in the 36" radius of the curve. This is and was the solution for the curve on the outside of the ovalix. I couldn't use the used turnout as I cut off the slide bar on the outside. I could use the one left at the bottom but it would leave me little room for the Tortoise turnout and linkage.



I installed a new Walthers #8 as seen in the below photo. I've drilled a hole for the slide bar linkage. I should mention the Walthers #8  curved turnout has an outside radius of 36" and the inside a 32".



Continued in a few.

[ACL1504]

I used a Tracksetta 36" radius track gauge to ensure a smooth easement into the curve.



I did the same for the other end of this section of track.



By getting the track radius at 36" for this section, I found I had about a 19" length of space where a section of straight track could be used. The track in the bottom of the photo is the ovalix circle track.



Continued in a few.

[ACL1504]

After soldering the track for the new curve I installed the Tortoise.





Continued later this afternoon.

[ACL1504]

Here is a view of the new radius for the second level area. The view is from the rear of the ovalix to to front.



Here is the overhead view. The hole by the track is where the old turnout Tortoise throw bar was located. I now had the feeders for the reverse loop on this track.



Continued in a few.

[ACL1504]

There has been a little discussion about a #6, #8 or right hand turnout here to solve the problem. Believe me, I've been over all the possibilities for the area. The photo below show you the relation between the old #6 turnout location and the new curved trunout and new curved radius in that area.



Obviously the new trackage is a 100+ % improvement.

The next photo shows you how a #8 trunout would look/fit in the area. That was a no go. With the #8, the track goes further to the East and making the carius back to the mainline much more difficult in that the radius would be reduced to less than a 30" radius.



Using a right hand turnout in the old area simply throws the outside track to much toward the wall and prevents the track from lining up with the mainline curved turnout on the East end.



By using a #8 right hand curved turnout and by moving it back in the curve by three feet was the correct solution.



Continued in a few.

[ACL1504]

 
New trackage looking East.



New trackage looking West.



Now one more look at the old trackage.



Continued in a few.

[ACL1504]

The freight trains love it.



Nice easy 36" radius on the gentle "S" curve.



More in a few minutes. I need an ice cold Diet Pepsi.

[ACL1504]

The new trackage is a huge success. I have a video of a passenger train passing through the new tracks with no derailments. When I figure out how to post videos here I'll do it. IN the mean time, here are a few stills.