October / November Update

Much of the first half of October was spent readying the Exeter Branch for Desert Ops 2022. The rest of the time was getting things in place to retire on October 14th.. 

Desert Ops is our Phoenix area operations event held every two years. This year we had 10 layouts participating. I hosted two sessions. A great time was had by all operators and it was good to connect with folks I haven't seen in a while. We are looking forward to Desert Ops 2024! My plan is to have the Los Angeles Division operational and to host at least one session.

Here are a few pictures from my Exeter Branch sessions.

As the Desert Ops guest operators all wanted a tour of the Los Angeles Division, I thought it appropriate to do some clean up. that is pictured below.

The chairs are at our break area during work sessions. The steel on the floor will connect to the peninsula that is in the background. I'm holding off on peninsula construction while we are working on other parts of the layout. Once the peninsula is in place, it will be a much longer walk around the layout. A good way to get your steps in though!

Early October wasn't without progress on the Los Angeles Division. After much thought, a couple of redesigns, and some procrastination, progress began on Taylor Yard (my version).

To the right is the beginning of the yard ladder on the west end of the yard. This includes a cross over on the two mains and integration of an arrival track. 

The 'real' Taylor Yard had a hump and multiple yards within the area. However, I'm not champion of hump yards on a model railroad. The rolling dynamics of HO models are no where near the prototype. I've seen systems that use compressed air for retarders and air outlets in the body tracks to help move the cars along. I'm really not up for the engineering required to make that happen and I'm not comfortable with the reliability and consistency. Not to mention the education process for operators to use it effectively. This led me to design Taylor for flat switching..

I had originally designed the yard tracks to be 35'+ feet long. After much thought, I opted to break the space into two yards. One 'Main Yard' for inbound and outbound traffic and a smaller 'Local Yard' to service the locals. Another design element is that the Main Yard will have trains departing from the body of the yard, rather than a departure track as used in many model railroads. 

The design includes an arrival track. which is parallel to the double track main, where arriving trains will enter the yard. The Taylor Yard crew will own clearing the arrival track as part of their switching duties.

The arrival track was the first track to be laid in Taylor Yard. To the left of the arrival track you can see the roadbed for the two mains. To the right of the arrival track are the lines where the Main Yard body tracks will be installed. Spacing is 2 3/16" on center.

The design change for the yard reduced the length of the yard tracks to 20' to 25' depending on which track is being used. This will provide plenty of capacity for the railroad.

Pictured to the right is the east main installed along with the arrival track.

In the photo to the left, the second main has been added. Resting on the two mains is an adjustable track spacing tool  It helps to align parallel tracks. However, we have found that it gets the track 'close' to aligned. After using the tool a few times, wee found that the 4' and 6' straightedges are the most effective tools for getting track straight. 

The bigger challenge for Taylor Yard was getting the lines straight for laying the track. I tried using a chalk line, but found the effectiveness was limited. We actually found that pencil lines were much more effective. 

Of note in the photo, Jason is testing the track under DCC. I made a quick portable set up for the PowerCab to be used around the layout for testing. Connections to the track are by using  alligator clips. 

The track has always been tested with DC to make sure things are working. I decided it may be advantageous to test with DCC as well. In the future, I may test with DCC only. All testing is done prior to adding the track bus.

As noted in previous posts, I am adding feeders as we progress around the layout. I am not adding the track bus until things are further along. Currently, I am unsure as to were the boosters will be placed and the power districts locations. I prefer to avoid any breaks or joints in the track bus. Until I have the locations of the boosters and power districts finalized, I won't be adding the bus. Below is  the PowerCab set up.

The picture to the right is another view of the double track mains and the arrival track. 

On the left side of the picture above the turntable 'hole' is the pile of turnouts being readied for yard ladder design.

The picture to the left has the outside main connecting Taylor Yard to the Glendale area.. All main tracks are super elevated and have easements. I'm really happy with the results. I still need to add the inside main.

Next to the pencil is the roll of 'super elevation tape'. I use multiple layers to get the correct super elevation and transition over the run of the curve. I have a lifetime supply based on what I ordered online. I've commented that I should sell the extras online with instructions for use for super elevation. 

The next challenge was arranging the yard ladder. I like to call it 'Turnout Jinga'. I went through multiple iterations ladder design trying to get it optimized. I opted for a compound ladder in order to compress the ladder as much as possible. This will allow me to maximize the length of the yard tracks. Yes, I realize the yard tracks are very long to start with, but hey, why not make them a long as possible? 

In the photos below, you'll notice a few different arrangements of the turnouts. Trying to find the right fit is a challenge.

Oops! Now we have a problem. To the right you'll notice that this isn't going to work. The turnout where the utility knife is pointing  needs to be removed. It doesn't make sense in the arrangement. Apparently, I was too enthusiastic to get the track laid and didn't consider the arrangement correctly. 

I'll also point out that a key to the design is access to the yard lead from the arrival track. As laid out, the design would not have been efficient. In reconsidering how the track would be used, the design needed to be changed. 

Time to remove a turnout on the arrival track. 

Needless to say, I'm not a fan of removing track. In this case it was essential to the yard design. Out came the putty knife! The turnout came up without issue as well as the piece of flex track behind it. All of the caulk and debris were easily removed and the turnout and track were ready to be installed again in new locations. 

Prior to relaying the arrival track with the revised design, I opted to lay out the entire yard to validate the design. Not everything is connected, just laid out.  

The change to the arrival track was made. But, given my operational desire to have departing trains leave from the yard body, I needed a route to the main track from the yard. This route will require the turnouts to be motorized due to reach issues. 

I'm glad I built the benchwork strong. I'm able to climb up on it and do work without issue. Believe me, this wasn't the first time I'd been up on the benchwork!

I use Tortoise turnout motors for this task. The installation of the Tortoise requires a hole to be drilled for the throw-bar rod. Drilling from above is the best option. I also remove the springs from the Peco turnouts went using a turnout motors. This is a simple process thanks to the Peco designer.

It is a good thing that I took plenty of reference pictures for the ladder design. When work starts, the reference design goes away quickly. I now mark all the turnouts on the sub-roadbed.

Additionally, I added a new transition piece of Homabed from the main track to incorporate the design change.

Another overhead of the design. In this picture the new arrival track turnout is installed along with the flex track connecting to the main. Just out of the frame on the right is the crossover on the main. 

Per SP practice, trains will be right hand running. This will require eastbound trains to cross over to enter the arrival track.

Connection to the arrival track is in progress as well as the beginning of the yard ladder. Further toward the wall is the departure connection and the connection to the switching lead. 

Of course the layout of the yard ladder was moved around again. It seemed that each time I reset the ladder, I tweaked the design. There were many subtle changes that occurred and some interesting discussions with Jason (my helper) on the design. Talking through the design has proven helpful time after time.

The ladder construction continued on the west end below.. 

Building out the yard body was next. You can now see Track 1. Included in the photo are the two mains and the arrival track as well. Track 1 is the reference point for the other nine tracks in the Main Yard body.

After laying Track 1, it was back to the ladder to complete it. The following two pictures show the progress.

The next group of pictures document the buildout of the yard body.

After completing much of the Main Yard body tracks, it was time to work on the east end ladder. This is further complicated by the benchwork design which curves to the left. And, I'll need to integrate with the Local Yard which is around the bend in the benchwork. 

The next design element was to incorporate the turnout that connects the main track(s) to the arrival track. This will serve as the anchor point for the east end yard ladder. 

The transition from the main requires a drop from the 0.24" main track roadbed to the flat of the yard. The transition strip goes from 0.24" to 0" over and 18" piece, making the effective grade 1.5%. 

Once the turnout and transition were anchored, it was possible to design the east end yard ladder. I was able to layout the ladder for the Local Yard as well.

As we were looking at the Main Yard, Jason asked if we could put some cars one the yard tracks to get and idea of what the average train length will be. 

I'm planning on train lengths of 25 cars for the mainline trains. Here are 25 cars positioned on the yard track. I thought it looked pretty darned cool!

Back to work...

Laying the east end ladder started. Connection to the arrival track is at the top, and then connections to the yard body. 

And finally the main part of Taylor Yard has been completed. The turnouts for the Local Yard are laid out and will be installed in December. 

In my last blog update I was in the process of developing a mechanism for magnetic uncoupling for Violet Alley. After a number of trails, success was not found. 

The next option was to try electromagnets. After some research online, I found some interesting posts and videos. I reached out to Steve Sandifer in Texas for some guidance as he had a nice page about the electromagnets he is using. He had some updated info on his technique that he was gracious enough to share. 

We experimented with a few options. I ordered 24g and 20g magnet wire and Jason had 28g magnet wire. The first power supply used provided up to 18V with a max of 3A. This was not powerful enough to drive the 20g wire. The reading on the output was only 10V. The tests with the 28g wire were not successful either. 24g seemed to be the way to go.

Back to the drawing board. I ordered a variable 5A power supply with a maximum output of 24V. In testing we found the performance wasn't optimal either. Couplers would uncouple, but we couldn't get the delay. Using a standard Kadee between the rails magnet worked fine. The Kadee electromagnet testing wasn't successful either, which is why I pursued making my own.

After various tests we still weren't getting the desired result. If the magnet was placed directly under the track, it would work correctly. But, I was still trying to accomplish this with the magnet mounted under the 1/8" Homabed. 

Ironically, when we were getting ready to call it a day for the testing, I turned the power supply down from 24V to 12V. It worked! We were blown away as we had made the Tim Allen assumption that 'More power' would work best. That wasn't the case. We upped it to 18V which worked well and worked under the roadbed! This was using the 24g wire. 

With a workable solution, it was time for me to order more 24g magnet wire, get more parts, and do more fabrication to make three more magnets for a total of five. 

Here is a roll of the magnet wire I used for testing. Needless to say, making the complete coil for the electromagnet consumes about 2/3 of the role. Now that I know the correct wire gauge to use, I've ordered a larger quantity.

In this picture, we are testing the two sizes of wire along with the 3A power supply. As noted above, the results were not good and I was getting pretty frustrated. We tried a few different combinations with no success.

Below are the winners. The 5A variable power supply and the two coils that provided great results with 18V of power.

Some final thoughts on the electromagnets: I was very concerned about the heat generated when in use. In our testing, we found the magnets to get very hot. The 3/16" steel plates retained heat. But, the magnets were left on for minutes at a time when testing. In use, the magnets will only be on for 5 seconds or so. 

The other challenge was how to avoid the magnets being left on for a period of time. Toggle switches were not an option as I could clearly see them being left on. The first option was to use a momentary push button that would only energize the electromagnet when pushed. That posed a problem for operators having to keep the button depressed. Another option suggested by a Desert Ops guest operator was a foot switch. That would eliminate having to use a hand for the switch and would avoid the switch being left on. That was not my preferred choice, but a viable option.

In one of the videos I saw online, the layout owner used a timer board. The board allows the time to be configured from 1 second to 99 hours. I plan to set the timer at 5 seconds. It is designed to be activated by a push button. That will work well for my purpose. I found them on Ebay and purchased five. Now I'm just waiting for them to arrive from China. Delivery is estimated between December 7 and February 7. Huh?  I'll wait anxiously and will hope for a arrival date closer to December 7th. 

In the mean time, I can build and install the electromagnets, have everything in place and tested prior to the arrival of the timer boards. 

I'm glad the electromagnets will work out. I'll post on the progress in a future blog update.

That about wraps it up for this update. I hope to get back to a monthly cycle of posts moving into 2023. 

I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, or a wonderful  celebration of your choice. 

August - September Update

I ended up combining the August Update with September. Progress was hit and miss in August, and I didn't get much accomplished as I has hoped. This post will be a longer update.

In my last update, I noted that I was experimenting with a mechanism for remote uncoupling in the Violet Alley area. I tried a number of different magnets with limited success. I found the cylindrical magnets were the most powerful for the space. My goal is to have remote uncoupling from underneath the track, not visible from above. 

The mechanism developed will be 3D printed. I'll use RC control cables along with a mechanism on the fascia to swing the magnet into place. Below is the first version of the printed magnet mechanism mounted on a piece of scrap for testing.

The results from the initial testing were not what I had hoped for. 

Issue 1 is that the magnets are only powerful enough to uncouple when touching the bottom of the ties. The cars do uncouple, but I'd prefer something more positive/powerful.

Issue 2 is that the magnets are not powerful enough to consistently cause the couplers to delay. As delay is critical for my remote uncoupling requirements, this is another miss. 

I'm back to searching for magnets strong enough to provide the result I'm looking to have. I'm satisfied with the mechanism and just need to find the 'right' magnets. Ideally, they will be strong enough to uncouple and delay from below the homabed. Results TBD.

Continued construction of the main peninsula was the theme in August and September. The photo below shows risers being added to both sides of the peninsula. Everything is carefully leveled.

You will also notice the use of cardboard below to protect the staging tracks during construction. 

The next trick was to get the curved pieces of drywall in place. It is significantly easier to cut the corners first and then add the straight pieces. It's also a much more efficient use of material. As noted previously, all of the corner/curved pieces of drywall are plywood backed to provide some extra strength and create a mounting surface for the fascia.

The pictures below show the length of the peninsula. It's not done yet! I still have another 12+ feet to be added. The final section will include the helix descending to staging at the end of the peninsula.

Once again, my laptop shows up in a photo. My layout plan was developed and is stored on the laptop. All design was completed using Visio. The laptop has become a critical tool for benchwork and laying track. A lot of measuring goes on in Visio to ensure I'm dimensioning in accordance with the plan. Not everything translates exactly, so adjustments are made.

Below is a track plan image of the area. This includes the photos above and those in the majority of this update. 

The below pictures are of the roadbed and track. On the opposite side of the benchwork is Taylor Yard.

At the end of the straightedge you will notice a tool. It is a compass from MicroMark that enables easy creation of radii from 3.5" to 6'. I've used this for every curve on the layout with great success. I'd recommend it. It's clearly gone up in price since I purchased mine, but I do recommend it. 

https://www.micromark.com/Rotape-Compass-3-1-2-Inch-to-6-Feet-Capacity

With the mainline penciled onto the sub-roadbed, I began installing the homabed. 

As noted previously, I'm using 0.24" homabed for the mainline, 0.125" for the sidings. This will provide levels of distinction for the track. Transitions happen on a 1.5% grade. 

I used the same grade on the Exeter Branch with great success.

In the picture to the right, you will notice that the mainline is now becoming double track. In the upper right is the mainline on the other side of the peninsula headed toward Taylor Yard. 

The picture below is another perspective. 

Putting down more roadbed. Below, I'm using turnouts as reference points for sidings and spurs to aid in the arrangement and installation of the homabed.

The beginning of the intermodal facility to the right. Getting the turnouts arranged optimally was a bit of a challenge. 

The intermodal facility is four tracks. There will be enough room for two Mi-Jacks along with Piggy-Packers.

One of the designs I went back and forth on was a storage track for motive power. In this case, the question was on which side of the road did I want to put the turnout.

I opted to have the storage track turnout come off the ladder. It didn't have a noticeable impact to the intermodal track lengths. In the picture to the right is storage track bending to the left toward the camera, 

You may notice that I started laying the inbound track.

The storage track didn't cross the road. No chickens were involved in the process.

To the left, you can see the inbound and outbound tracks coming from the intermodal yard on the right side of the picture. The left side has new industry spurs in place and the continuation of the mainline. Similar to the prototype, there are a lot of industries served in the area. More turnouts will be added.

 

To the right are the inbound and outbound tracks for the intermodal yard. My Triple 57 draw bar connected flats I use for testing are also visible. Testing is typically just giving them a good shove. They are light and long. If they roll well, then I'm happy with the track. I shared a video of them rolling last year. Free rolling is an understatement for these.

More spurs going in. The track crew has left their equipment strewn all about. 

To the right the mainline roadbed is nearing the end of the benchwork. 

You can also see the intermodal tracks coming together. The roadbed to the right of the intermodal tracks (next to the laptop) is the main going around Taylor Yard. 

To the left is the end of the line waiting for more benchwork to be able to head to Taylor Yard. 

Since we hit the end of the benchwork, where to work next? Taylor isn't ready for track. I had some additional mudding and painting to make the yard ready for track. I also have to drill needed holes for switch machines near the Taylor turntable. This will be for a crossover between mains and the yard ladder.

The solution was to move construction to the railroad west side of Taylor Yard and begin laying track. The roadbed was already in place. The pictures are below. 

Still more work to do moving railroad west.

Still more work to do moving railroad east to connect with Taylor Yard.

Clearly I have more benchwork to do. Construction of this railroad is done in phases. Build the benchwork frame, Install risers and drywall sub-roadbed. Install homabed and paint. Then track can be laid. Next feeder installation is done. Last is test running on DC to ensure the track functions correctly.

The railroad will be 100% DCC when complete, The wiring for all the track bus' will be done once the main level is completed.

In my last update I had posted about converting 280' of steel to upper level stanchions. Now the stanchions have been welded and ready for construction of the upper level to begin in late October. Below are the completed stanchions.

That's it for the August/September update. I'm happy with the progress, but it's never fast enough. The velocity of progress will accelerate sharply by the end of October. 

I hope you've enjoyed the update. I welcome your feedback.