The Empire

[jbvb]

I usually use a sabre saw for cutting roadbed. After drawing the cut lines, I set the sheet on blocking on the barn floor and start at one edge.  Sometimes I can complete a small piece without stopping to move the blocking, but I've never found this method risky to fingers or toes.  I doubt it's much quieter than the jigsaw, but the relatively coarse blades I use make small chips rather than dust.

[postalkarl]

Hi Zypherus:

Nice job so far. Hope you don't haver to get that water heater out of there anytime soon. I does look pretty new though.

Karl

[Zephyrus52246]

Thanks for stopping by James and Karl.  I hold a shop vac in one hand and the jig saw in the other.  I clamp the wood to hold it steady.  I have managed once to cut into the shop vac, but not my fingers.  Knock on wood.  I hope that water heater lasts a long time, it's only three years old, but we had one once that didn't make it to four.    I have completed all the subroadbed.  Unlike my earlier efforts, Since there were two large curves that wouldn't need moving of the joists if there were changes, I cut risers and placed them under the roadbed (picture one), and screwed the roadbed in thru the top.  The theory was if the pieces were square and the table was level, the roadbed would be level.  I was amazed to find it worked!  On other sections I used "L" shaped risers which could be driven from below (picture two).  These make it easier if the track is on to make changes.  The L shaped ones require much more futzing to get them level left to right and front to back.  I didn't notice until I was resizing picture two that a yellow rubber piece from one of my clamps was on it!  It's probably been there for 2 years.    Next up is the Homabed roadbed.  I hope I have enough to finish this. 


Jeff

[Zephyrus52246]

The subroadbed work on the peninsula was a bit more difficult as I had to make sure both ends matched.  I was surprised to find out it fit nearly perfectly the way I'd cut out the pieces.  Where the curve meets the plywood for the staging yard was 3 mm too low, so I cut the risers slightly shorter to make a small grade (0.2%) to correct this. 


Jeff

[ACL1504]

Jeff,

I love the look of the 48 inch curve. A really great looking view of the railroad.


Tom

[Zephyrus52246]

Thanks, Tom.  When I built the "bridge" next to the water heater, I placed a 1 x 2 in the center for strength, forgetting I'd later need to put a Tortoise switch machine on this.    I had to offset the Tortoise, something I've not done before and wasn't sure it would work.  I cut a slot in the homasote roadbed , drilled the hole, marked the wire where it would need to be bent, bent the wire (I use .039 wire for this, not the one Circuitron gives you),  put everything in place, hooked it up to power, and it works fine.   


Jeff

[deemery]

Nice recovery, Jeff!


dave

[jbvb]

Almost all water heaters are made with replaceable magnesium anodes installed through fittings in the top of the tank.  But few plumbers want to keep track of their age and replace them. The money they make replacing a heater may have something to do with it, but the maintenance is small money for the trip to your house.  Ask around to see how long they last in your area and write a note to future you on the heater...

[Zephyrus52246]

Thanks, Dave.  Interesting info, James, I'll have to look into that.  I ran into another dilemma while figuring out the trackwork where the pony truss is supposed to go.  The "two track" truss is very narrow.  In the second pic, The bridge tracks don't clear an NMRA gauge on either side, and the boxcars are very close together.  I trimmed off the ties in the third pic, to move the rails closer to the walkway side, but there's still less than 2 inches distance on center of the rails.  I need this wider as this is a passing track which goes into a curve a couple feet beyond the bridge.  I won't use the truss here, I'll use two 90 foot deck girder bridges instead. 


Jeff

[jbvb]

Required track centers depend a lot on the equipment and curve radius.  On straight track, 13 feet should handle anything except certain steam locos whose designers widened the cylinders to give the lead truck more room to swing.  On a curve, or less than a carlength from the end of a curve, check full-size (80+ foot long) passenger cars, steam loco pilots/boilers and freight cars 60' or longer (none in my era, 86' box cars, intermodal flats starting about 1963).

[Zephyrus52246]

I added the triangle piece in the bottom left of the pic where the curve will go and cut all the homasote pieces for the yard.  Kinda like making a jigsaw puzzle.  I've painted them on the bottoms and will put them in place and paint the tops.  The paint will keep the dust down.


Jeff

[Zephyrus52246]

That's one unpleasant chore completed.     I got some black paint on the backdrop, but it's a staging yard, the trains will block the view.   


Jeff

[S&S RR]

Jeff


You have been busy!  It looks great! 

[ACL1504]

Jeff,

It is looking good and as John said, "you've been busy". I had the same Overland two track Truss Bridge and had the same issues. I sent mine back to Overland in exchange for two cantilever signal bridges.

Tom

[Zephyrus52246]

Thanks, John and Tom.  I started laying the track into the yard area.  This piece of track will be used to turn trains and continuous running.  I needed a couple of gentle curves here and had to test clearances with the North Coast Limited passenger cars and my longest Brass loco, a 4-8-4.  Everything fits, no derailments. 


Jeff