NTS&B Merry Christmas 2009

Another year has passed, and the layout is still in process. I'd like to wish everyone a merry Christmas, and happy new years.

NTS & B Phase 2 Mainline Raised Loop Started

A short (app 6 feet long), but critical portion of the mainline track for the Phase 2 section is now complete. The plywood roadbed is suspended on the wall to save space underneath. I decided to use a 3 inch wide piece of plywood for each line instead of 1 (app 11 inch) wide piece, to maximize the view under the track. When the curves are done, they will probably be made out of individual 4 inch pieces for each line.

Now that this section is complete, the inner loops of the lower level can be completed, when track and time is available. The lower level had to wait, to allow access to support the upper level, without having to work over a bunch of track.

NTS & B Phase 2 First Loop completed

The Hogwarts Express has broken loose, and now has a respectable sized loop of track to run on. The single track around the table looks a little lonely at this time. Due to a shortage of track, the passing siding and inside loop (s) will have to wait until some more can be ordered. The power has also been moved from a shared ZW, to a new ZW, which is approximately in its final location.

NTS & B Phase 2 ready for track

Finished putting on the legs and painting the Phase 2 tables. Still working on how to add mainline track above it. Thinking about using shelving brackets on the wall to eliminate taking up space on the table. Ready to start laying in the track, but will be delayed a couple weeks due to other commitments.

NTS & B Another Phase 2 table built

The second large module for the Phase 2 section is now complete. The addition is around 8 ft wide by 7 ft deep. The right hand module is framed to allow a large access hole to be cut, after the track is all laid in. Legs have been cut and supporting both modules, but not permanently attached yet. The modules need to be attached together first. The isle down the center is about 2 feet. Still trying to figure out how to support the main line track above these modules, without blocking everything underneath. A problem for another day ....

NTS & B Year 3, and Phase 2 benchwork started

Year 2 has just ended, already, and now we are headed in year 3. The weather is supposed to be ideal this weekend, so decided to start Phase 2 bench work, instead of working more on Tinsel Town. Phase 2 is 2 tables, and the raised mainline loop. One table is 4 ft wide, 7 ft long on 1 side and angled to 4.1/2 ft long on the other side. The other is 4 ft wide by 7 ft long, with 2 corners cut at an angle. See following sketch and pictures for new overall size and first module.

First of 2 Phase 2 Modules

Overall size when Phase 2 complete

NTS & B Tinseltown South Village started

It seems that the village of Tinseltown South has sprung up almost overnight. Well, it might have taken a bit longer than that. The original plan was to have 2 rows of houses with a trolley track in between. The problem with that concept is that you would only see the back of the houses from both sides of the layout. I then remembered a little town in Norway that I visited that was built on the side of a hill with roads barely enough for 1 car. By setting the village up in this fassion, the front of both rows of houses can be seen from the front of the layout. It also has the advantage of blocking the view of the trestle located behind the houses. I was going to leave the trolly out, but the plan left just enough room for a bumper trolley track in front. I used the K-Lionel Super Street track create the appearance of a road / trolley track combination. In place of the standard bulbs in the houses, I used 14-18 V wheat lamps. The street lights are from a lead of Christmas lights that my son-in-law bought me. The string of 10 lights was cut into individual posts, which are 12 V each, and run off a standard Lionel transformer along with the wheet lamps. Although the center of the village is wired, much work needs to be done on both ends to add a more lights, houses, and accessories.

Village of Tinseltown South, on top of my first ever attempt at a mountain

Town in Norway. Streets are pretty much for walking only.

Tinseltown South, as seen from end. Trolly track runs to left.

Town in Norway. Notice the sign.

Overall view of layout, showing planned area on left also.

NTS & B Winter (Tinseltown) level power control

After much consideration, I decided to mount the winter level switch track buttons and track power (green) and accessory(yellow) power switches directly to the front of the layout above the transformers. I considered mounting them on a separate piece of wood, and then connecting that to the front of the layout, but could see no advantage to doing that, and it would be more work/materials/time. The track power and switch track button wiring is complete. The layout of the switches mirrors the track layout, with the left button and 2 power switches controlling the passing siding on the left end of the loop, and the right 2 switches and buttons controlling the right end of the loop. The 2 small sidings on the right side are actually powered by the rightmost switch, since only 1 and 2 cars can fit in the sidings. Then next switch in controls power to the long lead in track. The accessory controls will be wired as the accessories are added. The tan devices under the switches and by the transformer are Lionel #91 fast acting adjustable circuit breakers, and connected to track power. Since I have started using them, there has been little to none unexpected smoke.

NTS & B Trackwork finished on winter (Tinseltown) layer

The track is finally finished on the winter layer, which will eventually contain the village of Tinseltown. The large overhanging loop at the helix end is cut out, and made so that it can be removed by pulling out 1 pin (currently 1 screw). The Arch Bridge is also set up to be removed by simply lifting it out vertically. The track is all wired and connected to temporary switches near the winter level ZW. They will be made permanent when I figure out where I am going to put the panel. I also have placed and have power to the first 2 powered operating accessories, the Lionel Maiden Rescue Shack, and the Lionel Reindeer loader. Since I now have track power on the loop and the sidings, I also pulled out my K-Line operating Kandy Kane Dump Car, and the old 1956 Lionel #3250 Operating Search Light Car. See pictures below and YouTube links for videos of the accessories.

Removable raised track. Supports will be added later when lower track is finished.

Small siding and Lionel 260 Illuminated Bumper (1951-1969)

Lionel 6-24154 Maiden Rescue Shack (2003)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JxdXNnxfhs

Lionel 6-36704 Animated Reindeer Corral (2002)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeZ-Uf2LwFI

K-Line 7137401 Operating KandyKane Dump Car (Around 2003)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zto-OjiSLbY

Lionel 3520 Operating Search Light Car (1952-1953)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEmJg-eGiww

Williams F3 Electronics pictures for Bachman

I recently bought an old Williams F3, with the idea of modifing the reverse unit so it would only go forwards. Williams, and now the Bachman, site have the schematic available for that purpose. The only problem is, is that it is a different card. This is a temporary post so the 'Bachman' can look at these pictures to figure out what revision card this is.

NTS & B The case of the misbehaving Santa and Snowman

As you might have guessed, this layout is a toy train layout, not a detailed sceniced one, and therefore will contain many operating accessories. The Santa and Snowman car presented many challenges when adding it to the layout. It was so tall, that Santa wouldn’t clear the bottom of the Helix. If I adjusted the trestle so Santa would clear the Helix, the trestle ramp was so low that my poor break man was almost beheaded (pictures 1 and 2). It was also so wide that it presented problems with the siding next to it. Since this is the first accessory I am adding, it was particuallary discouraging to think that I could not use it on the layout. I played with different ways to build a new trestle, but couldn't come up with a way unil I happened to be in Lowe's deck parts area. They had some heavy metal strapping about 2 foot long, by 1 inch wide. I ended up making a new taller trestle, and rerouting the passing track under the helix to exit later in the loop to get everything to clear. The last 2 pictures show the new trestle, which will be painted later. Check out my youtube movie at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgPzHFPyLNg to see it in action.

NTS & B Helix Loop Complete

The helix loop is complete for now, with lights and scenery installed. Maybe in a few years I will add more detail, but for now it is done. A couple pictures of the towns on the North Pole (ceiling) section of the loop.

Picture of overall Helix loop from bottom loop to North Pole

The stop at the Iceburg community. That boy shouldn't

be making a tunnel so close to the tracks

The bridge leaving the North Pole

The North Pole

The North Pole Yard.

Santa's Reindeer barn and training facility

Santa's taking a practice run

NTS & B Arch Bridge

I needed 1 more bridge, 4 foot long to cross the center of the layout. I decided on either an arch bridge, or a deck bridge with minimum supports so the area behind and underneath would not be blocked. My daughter Jennifer surprised me on my birthday by coming in with her family for a visit. I was showing her and her fiance Bruce what I had in mind for a bridge, so they decided to build it as a birthday present. Bruce cut the letters from a 2x4 using a hand held saber saw. The deck and ends were 1x4 pine, and the arches were made from some plastic 1/2 x 3/4 trim I had bought for another uses. Kathy suggested the Lionel colors. Jennifer did a great job with the paint, and now I have the bridge :) My son Scott and his wife Maria also visited, and Scott contributed the following pictures.

NTS & B North Pole Yard Train location detection

I needed a yard on the North Pole (ceiling) level of the layout so I could have trains other than the Polar Express ready to run. Because I had to work around typical obstacles such as lights and water shut off valves, The length of the yard was limited to just barely fit the Polar Express, so accurate train detection was required.

The most obvious solution, video cameras is expensive and requires space for cameras and a monitor. Since the tracks were curved, about 3 cameras would have been needed to get a clear shot of the turnouts. Since there is only about 9 1/2 inches from track to ceiling, the cameras would have to be very close to the tops of the trains, and still would not have a clear view of the tracks (See top picture).

The second solution was using mirrors (the trains would provide the smoke). This also did not work, since the angle required for the mirror was too great to be able to see the trains at the control center.
I then decided to use LEDs or light bulbs, and use short insulated track sections at the end of each siding, similar and next to the non-derailing tracks. The problem then became how to mount them and where to locate them so they would be vi sable to the control center. I contemplated mounting LEDS in the ceiling, creating a light bridge at each end of the yard, or using light poles. The problem was still having the trains in front obstruct the view of the bulbs, or limited viewing angle and intensity of the LEDs, or having the bulbs too far from the turnouts to be able to accurately judge when the train would get to the insulated section.
The solution finally presented itself over the Christmas holidays in the form of a string of LED Christmas lights. The LEDs were cylindrical in shape so were very bright at a wide viewing angle. Of course, they also come with sockets, which happened to be just the right length to go through the 1 inch board without sticking up above it. Mounting just required making the proper size hole in the board, and then hot gluing the sockets in, since there is no heat generated by the LEDs. They also allowed placing each LED close to the turnout, which accurately marks the end of the track when placing the train. See bottom pictures for results

NTS & B Helix lower turn around loop finished

The lower helix loop is now completed and raised over the (future) mainline passenger yard. The supports were made from 3/4 inch dowels and pieces of 1/3 cut at a 60 degree angle, and drilled with a 3/4 inch hole. The 1/3 pieces were glued to the dowels, and then screwed into the bottom of the raised plywood. 3/4 inch holes were also drilled into the station platforms, which were screwed into the lower plywood, also from the bottom. The dowels were then glued into the holes in the platforms. Some of the overhead was not over the station platforms, so the a hole was drilled directly into the lower plywood, about 1/2 through using a flat bottomed bit called a Fostner Bit, and the dowel was glued in the hole. Some of the raised track was directly over and parallel to the lower tracks, so a 1/2 inch by 3/4 inch piece was placed across 2 dowel supports. and screwed into the dowels, and the raised plywood.

The top picture shows an overall view of the layout, including the subway, mainline, raised track, trestle leading into the helix, the helix, and the cable stayed bridge. The lower 2 pictures show the raised track from the mainline level,

A new generation of train lovers (?)

Santa brought my grandson a NASCAR set for Christmas (after all, he was 6 months old). He (and his dad) absolutely loved it, and he is already working the throttle. Might have even hooked his big sister. My daughter says it must skip a generation, since neither of my kids showed much interest in trains. His dad had also picked up a used set for Christmas, so they had 2 sets running together.

NTS & B Helix lower turn around loop

Jan 2009-The bottom return loop for the helix is finally laid in. In case anyone was wondering where the 2 bottom helix tracks were going, the next 2 pictures should answer any questions. A bunch more work needs to be done, such as final fit, supports, paint, and roadbed, but a train can FINALLY transverse the complete helix loop. The bottom 2 pictures show the Polar Express on her maiden voyage over the the lower section. A movie will follow shortly.