The redo is finally started

Glad too see you are getting some time to get it done. I know the finished product is going to be great!

I need more track too, for my floor layout.  Running two trains has to be twice as much fun as one.  Good luck.

Added a couple of pictures in the original post. Track for the base of the U is now laid in place. Next step is to remove the 027 Marx section so the carpet can be put down, then reassemble it all with the std gauge track on the back side.

Steve

lookin good Steve.

Great job Steve, can't wait to see it up and running.  You went with the tan carpet like the squares?

Bill

Very NICE!!

JoeG

Seal Beach Bill posted:

Great job Steve, can't wait to see it up and running.  You went with the tan carpet like the squares?

Bill

Bill

Yes, the brown carpet. I think it really shows off the tin buildings well.

Steve

Steve,

   Can't wait to see the finished layout!

PCRR/Dave

Captaincog posted:

Glad too see you are getting some time to get it done. I know the finished product is going to be great!

Jeff, I really should be working on the Daylighter, but Diane's been gone quite a bit so I can make a mess in the garage. Better get it tidied up before the rains.

Steve

Nice work. Can't wait to see it.

Bob

Added a new photo to the top post. The inner loop now connects all the way around. Just temporary, but all the 5 rail track is layed out and cut. The Ives bridge will now get reworked before the track is put down permanently. Feels good to be making progress.

Congrats, it looks great!

Nice work Steve! That gives me idea's about my junk filled garage

No pictures, but I cobbled together the last special cut pieces of 5 rail track and ran trains on both loops. Jumpers from the transformer to track, but ran a few laps on each loop, no shorts. Going well, but slow. Need to get the Lionel Classic Race Car track out of the attic so I can figure out the needed footprint for a raised section.

Added another picture of the short crossover section that will be a lift out section. This area posed a problem because the legs of the U had a height mismatch of a bit less than 2 inches. That was too much for that short span so everything (stuff) had to be removed from under the layout and shims added, taken out etc to get both sides even. Now too build the support.

Steve

Steve,

    Coming along, plan well and have fun building.  I really like the 5 rail on the outside loop, I know how much time & effort you put into it, and IMO the time & effort was well worth it.  Very serious engineering.

PCRR/Dave

The layout is really looking nice Steve!

Steve,

I love the 5 rail track. What was the name of your post showing the step by steps of what you did. I would like to try it on the USA 57" radii.

Thanks,

JoeG

Trainlover160 posted:

Steve,

I love the 5 rail track. What was the name of your post showing the step by steps of what you did. I would like to try it on the USA 57" radii.

 

Thanks,

 

JoeG

Joe

Here is the video I made.

Steve

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84gGR_fO7ww

Thesepaperwings posted:

Looking nice!  What kind of buildings you going to put in it?

Buildings will all be tin. I have way more than I will have room for. Once the track, the race car set and the monorail are in place I will start deciding what to put on the layout, what to keep for the portable layout, the sell off most of the rest.

Steve

Steve,

Thanks again for the great video and this track is perfect for those of us that do not have a lot of room. I was wondering how you planned on powering up the o-gauge portion. Are you soldering feeds onto this part and using the lockon for the standard portion of the the track?

JoeG

Trainlover160 posted:

Steve,

 

Thanks again for the great video and this track is perfect for those of us that do not have a lot of room. I was wondering how you planned on powering up the o-gauge portion. Are you soldering feeds onto this part and using the lockon for the standard portion of the the track?

 

JoeG

Joe

On my first layout with a 5 rail loop, I did solder jumpers from the outside O rail to the outside Std rail. I have since found it not necessary. The O rails are resting on top of the Std ties and that seems to work just fine.

Steve

Steve,

Yes I could see that would work well. Had you ever thought of tried making the 5 rail with 42" radius track?

Joe

Trainlover160 posted:

Steve,

Yes I could see that would work well. Had you ever thought of tried making the 5 rail with 42" radius track?

Joe

 

Yes, my home layout is getting a loop of the 42" and someday the 42" on he portables will be reworked to 5 rail. Have the track, it's just a lower priority.

Would you use the outer and center rails of the 42" to make that as well?

Joe

Trainlover160 posted:

Would you use the outer and center rails of the 42" to make that as well?

Joe

Yes, that is what I used. A little trimming is needed, but it works well. Kirk sells the curves individual rails

Added another picture to the original post. The basic crossover is done, just a little fine tuning. Used Erector pieces to make a curved trestle. Took a while, but it looks decent and will keep things from falling to the floor when crossing. It will still need some switches added in the future so when the crossover is lifted out, a large section of the track loses power.

Steve

good looking trestle. I need to do one of those.

I like the idea of using Erector set with tin trains.  Always had it on layouts when I was a kid.

Peter J

More progress. Being as the size has changed, I needed new skirting. Still need to add the trim molding at the top.

This is one of the supports for the trestle bride. The pocket in the center of the support is for a switch to cut power if the crossover is lifted out.

Great bridges!  The Ives standard gauge bridge is a favorite, and it's actually one of the more realistic tinplate bridges.  And that curved Erector bridge is really impressive, nice work!  You're pretty casual about saying you just put it together, but... wow!

d

Very nice, Steve...lots of good work!

Wow!  That is looking great.  I really like the Erector set bridge.  Keep up the good work.

Added the elevated Jalopy Plateau section of the layout to provide a home for my Lionel Classics Race Car Set. Still lots to do but coming together a bit at a time.

https://youtu.be/0B0Mo6Y4iHE

nice idea, great looking set!

My Money is in orange!

5 rail , I found it easier to remove  0ga or  STD ga  center rail then   , add STDga center rail,, others have insulated the 0 ga ties

Looks real good Steve. Can't wait to see it.

Bob

I had planned on mounting my monorail from the ceiling, but after getting Jalopy Plateau going, I realized the monorail would clear the cars, so now the monorail is going around the race track. The monorail supports are quite thick, so I made a roadbed of old Masonite and gray carpet to put the track up to the same level as the supports. Now two large footprint items fill the same space.

Steve