Dave,
Ha, you were working on it, as I was working on another rendition, but there just isn't as long a run for trains as in this concept John came up with. That is slick how you worked out the grades and switches. You are mighty good at SCARM, as I know you have had lots of practice and I know I appreciate it very much!! Yes, you got the general idea. At each town, there would be a track for an inbound train and one for holding a few cars. Other cars would be on shelves underneath. And yes, I could keep turning and using the same engine, but it would be more realistic using different ones. Even I have more engines of appropriate length than I need. Also maybe a place for a dock/station for other cars, While the main traffic here would be coal, there was other freight as well. The track flows very nicely, and it is good the heights work out. John C. said they do, but I like seeing the 3D rendition. The idea would be that the tracks go in and out of tunnels, so there wouldn't be any bridges where the track crosses another. Thank you ever so much!
John and George,
Yes it would be difficult to do something over the turntable. The problem is, I have so many neat buildings. LOL I have enough buildings to fill the space inside a 036 oval on the 4x8 temporary layout, that now has the Christmas buildings on it. I can use some pieces and parts as flats for the first layer of streets, then suggest the rest of a town on the backdrop. I will have to see what I can come up with when I get to that point. I do want mostly rugged scenery, I always have liked that over lots of city areas on a layout. I guess that is because I prefer living in the country. There just is only so much you can fit in less than 144 square feet in O gauge. No regrets, Even though I have had O gauge trains exclusively for 5 years, I think I still think spatially in HO.
John,
As to the GarGraves; I have seen others express the same way of bending GarGraves flex track as you describe. I did not do that when I was using it on the Ceiling Central RR. I tried bending it just with my hands. I was thinking about the run up the Blackwater canyon as I drive up the road to my house from the main road. The road is cut onto the hillside following a small tributary below. It bends in and out to follow the curve of the hillside. Come to think of it, that was the same on the road to our old house and numerous others here. There is almost nothing flat in Pennsylvania compared to say Indiana. I must confess I like symmetry too much. There isn't much in the natural landscape that is symmetrical.
Actually I received the book on Monday and sent you an e-mail about receiving it. I have the book almost finished. Very good. A lot of ideas I have seen in HO material, but not in material designed with the 3-rail O gauger in mind. Look and see if you have an e-mail then, and if not, let me know, and I will send some comments again.
