aussietmrail

Wow that point is the longest I have eve seen, 2 ft 4 inches in length, you high speed trains will fly though them no worries, how are you building the point gluing the sleepers in place first before soldering the rails in place,,b interesting how you plan to wire the point up. Love the step you are making so you have better access to the layout, I thought of doing the same, will see how I go with my new layout height wise , be 2 foot high . Not much work happening on my layout v very over cast day rain not far away for the next four days.😴. Tony

Well under way in how I be joining up each module, pretty happy in how it turned out so well, another 3 to go, took all Saturday afternoon, I always wanted to go this way , did so a lot more work, next module when cutting out on the module end will be cut 13 mm instead of 12 mm too much work in filling back to fit so it will slide with ease. First pic I choose the other module with the block strips so the bus wires can go over the ply strip screwed in place , will be shifting the block strips closer and all together in one line, be nothing like the DC wire madness, the bus wire has to be perfect this time changing to DCC Christmas, a Christmas present. Can see how well the two modules join up in line same next pic, third pic the two modules pulled away free , last pic with the modules turned over, next job start all over again laying the track down , will be doing a video clip on how I solder the track down on the module join with brass strips. Once the modules have the track all done I will then set up the bridge where it be going so I can get the levels to the fence on both sides so the II will be able to set up the first the first corner module in place on the fence, not giving any date time when the first train be running. Will make the most of the perfect weather , some rain coming in the weekend , I hope to set the modules up the garage to nail the tracks down on the module join no power points in the shed,. Tony from down under keeping on moving on

Hi Steve, agree with Andrew well done on that 11 car train, what sort of motor t=does that have to pull that many, I have a special Flying Scot 4472 with he dual tenders, I made use of the second tender and motorised it, both motors are the same 5 pole, had to buy chassis to fit the motor wow,she can pull 11 plus coaches, mine are the maroon colour with the fray roof, will have to buy a British loco don't know which one. Some of my track decking will be staying permanent will cover them with the same black spastic sheeting , I started work on how I will be joining up my station modules , be interesting how you be building your station platforms, I need to keep the weight down on each module , my layout is a modular set up. Keep the pic progress coming , Tony from nice down under

Progress pics have come a lot further ahead sine last post, gee 10th of August 2019 now July 2020 and have moved to a new house since then, I am now working on the second last stern hull section, decided to glue in place four end bulkheads so I can join up the four hull sections.. WOW she is going to look stunning sitting just past my bridge birthed at the Ro, Ro dock on my layout , still a couple weeks away to finish this hull section , spent a couple of night over the weekend to glue those bulkheads in place . Once this hull section is finished will glue together the two stern sections so I can mark and cut the starboard side panels will take ship like in the last pic talking about the upper deck to the top deck . It is pretty cold here and windy no work on the layout, hopefully tomorrow it is warmer. Tony from down under

I won't be using those saying, have decided to even cut the length back even more to 26 by 31 feet stage one and designed the layout to be contentious running from station platform and come onto another more running time, will still have two reverse loops and the stations be the two passing loops till the bridge goes in stage two and be a third passing loop. If the main platform tracks are in use I can bypass onto the triple track , be a lot of fun Stage 2/B there be a forth platform and two tracks second track a passing loop. be a lot of fun indeed, this will get trains to running faster, but firstly I will have to set up the bridge so I can get the station modules the same height. Tony from down under keeping on moving ahead.

Hi scoobyra, Great idea, you don't have to go every 12 inches, II solder feeder wire to every length of track even the smaller lengths near the track joiners I solder my feeder wires, what gauge wire do you use, I 15 strand wire smaller wire for the feeders , I have no issues . Tony from down under, my new layout will be rewiring and using the same wire on all blocks, sadly only using DC hopefully Christmas change to DCC.

Hi Andrew , many thanks , the scale of the track plan is quarter inch a foot , layout length is 40 feet by 31 feet wide, yes be two reverse loops, they be long enough to hold my train length, wont need DPDT switches to switch the currant will be a separate block, have done that on other layouts. The sad thing all the wiring I have don at the old place will now have to be come out same with the control panel connection block strips going to another module because the module is one of the first modules I built used the wrong ply, will go to a lighter module as is will find the pic . Take care Tony from down under keeping on moving ahead.

Hi Mick ,yeah my wife wants me to scrap the layout , I don't want to, so have come up with an idea that will make her a bit happier , once I have nailed all the track down on the modules will join them up and set up the curves to link up with the five tracks, will be smaller in length by over half and get to run trains earlier and slowly add to the set up to the main track plan . Many thanks for changing the layout name the best name I have come up with, will use CAM for the bridge and river name after my son . Tony from down under keeping on moving ahead

HI Thomas I haven't heard of that saying bite the grass . Tony from down under keeping on moving ahead

Hi Thomas, dead correct what you say is what I mean having to cut the length back, well, my wife wants me to give up in building the layout. I have decided to get the track down on the modules and some of the straight sections to get the trains running quicker the expand lowly . Take care Tony from down under keeping on moving ahead.

Hi Clay Mills Junction, well I have heard of bite the bullet we use bite the dust got plenty of it , actually means the same thing yes you die but can be use for having to shorten what you are working on what I meant .. Thomas said they use bit the grass . How are you going with your layout, once I get the track down and on some of the curved and smaller sections will set them up so I can run a train earlier , designing the layout to do that , most of my curves are 7 foot quarter radius except two are 12 foot half radius curves . Tony from nice down under keeping on moving ahead.

Had to bite the dust and make the layout smaller, trying to keep the wife happy, her way would rather scrap the layout, I said no need something to keep me busy and too far in to scrap the layout now, I push on to making a new smaller track plan where I get the use out of long trains like the Indian Pacific and Ghan and the bridge is nearly finished to scrap that as well . With the changes have two reverse loops that will make up for the shorter layout and able to turn a whole train around be fun , Friday I will start work on nailing down to track on the four station modules 7 tracks with 6 platforms, I will have an above bridge station building with car park like in the pic, my road be slightly different to in the pic, need better access for the buses mainly, other change is I will have five more levels on the station building and possible tram stop, second level. I have two dioramas Keneflick park where the big boy and centennial loco DD40AX 6900 , I have both locos something different is on display and the Sea plane water bomber base , I was lucky enough to find drawing of the bigger Mars Martin sea plane will have ti scratch build that model., I think earlier in the piece I had a thread on Keneflick Park bringing it back . Next week I will finish the construction of my bridge, oh year , I sent Mick a message asking he could yet again change my layout name have come up with a good one, Oz"RiverTone,, HO/00 scale garden railway since I have a river running down the middle of the layout what I call the new name Tony from down under keeping on moving ahead.

The bridge has come a long way and finely after all my hard work has paid off ,on a very big high, that ply jig in the middle wont be there once the arch hangers are in place, will be modifying the piers so the water line clearance be 2 feet in stead of 19 inches . Be while before I get back to the bridge, be starting work on nailing down the track on the five modules, making a start on the new layout track plan . Tony from wet down under keeping on moving ahead.

Hi Thomas, a very big wow, that spiral is mind blowing indeed can'rt wait to see a train run on it and that video that was very awesome indeed, how I would love to have a permanent layout outside, not to b, agree with Andrew, I love your long express points, mine are only 11 inches long. Keep the good work up, still be a while before I can start work on my layout , bridge has to be finished first . Tony

The latest pics are out on the latest update construction on the new bridge, I finely finished screwing the last of the double side beam in place and had time to to see how the first arch half fitted like, wow, just mind blowing, I took off the lower side clamps and the arch stayed in place, the top clamp holding the arch. The middle jig is to support the arch while I screw the arch hangers in place, they will take the most of the load , arch 1 inch and a half wide and joined in the middle with a second skin like the side beam, the second pic showing side on looking down the bridge , the last pic I be modelling the boat ramp and having a boat in the middle of the river with a film crew watching the big event of the first train over the bridge and be those two locos I have. My big day tomorrow, birthday lunch with my mum wife and sister, I am finely retired on an old age pension, more work on the layout. Enjoy Tony.

Hi Mike, wow what a great idea in constructing the frame work on your curves, yeah as Andrew has said too , I am another big fan of gentle curves , I have thought of doing the same construction as yours , now I will choose the same way for my large curves knowing that will work , most of my main line curves are 7 feet , there are two curved section 12 feet which is an S bend coming off my bridge . You must be working every day I can work a couple days a week cutting being so close to neighbours., mine is modular set up can't be permanent, I like mock- up's too. Keep the great work up , look forward to further progress pic and welcome to our forum. Tony from cold down under.

Hi Andrew, many thanks yeah I made the side beams like that so I didn't need to file if the the sides were square, hope doing them that way will make the bridge stronger once the arch is screwed in place, I am not hurrying it don't want to stuff up now being so close to finishing the bridge be a stunning site indeed and my main feature of the layout. Yes weather is great, can't do much to the due on the grass dry's, cold nights , 21 degrees tomorrow , not much higher for the rest of the week. Are you and family ok out of arms reach of this virus, we are ok Take care Tony.

Last update 15th of February, the new bridge is coming along, is now in one full piece, but still needs a lot of work to get stop from sagging not in the middle at the ends the side beam is not in full piece , 3 foot 6 inches short, once I screw on the end section for the arch will be 5 foot in length when cut , that happen Wednesday, the main span still is 14 feet . Is going to look stunning when built, be the main feature of the layout, will build the road deck later . the first two pics of the arch , third pic of the scene I plan to model and pulling of the same scene when the first train runs on the layout , bridge be different and higher water clearance of 2 feet . Forth pic I had to clamp a piece of pine to level the centre join of the bridge , the last two pics of the bridge standing up on it's own with out clamps , I had to clamp on two 6 foot lengths of ply to strengthen the bridge sides worked out well, will be better when the other sides go on. The bridge is stored in the garage and I will screw the other sides on in the garage, need a level floor . This bridge has being going on for some time with lots of changes, that happens, with the move a new layout and new bridge, once the bridge is finished will start construction on the layout . Yest I do have those two locos , they are NR class , running numbers 109 and 74, don't have the Ghan passenger cars will use the Indian Pacific cars no one will know. Tony from nice down under

Part 2 of mock-up is here with some improvements to happen once I start levelling the decking from the bridge, the bridge is the hold up, went out today home late and looked like a heavy shower of rain but it didn't, wait till tomorrow now, nice days, sun still has that kick being out side though . Pic one I will move the single track decking up and straighten the second more, pic two the curved decking close to the patio post I want to move , the straight stretch is the triple track main line, 18 feet in length, three 6 foot sections worked out well, station be in front of it ,good thing is I can have a forth platform as well . Third pic looking down toward the back garden the track decking going behind the tree , forth pic , closer look and I will move the decking past the second tree , lucky last pic showing in the garden shed where there be five modules, and the first mock-up module being the corner module. I plan to model a sea plane water bomber base where the third bridge will be perfect spot , river is 11 feet across , planning to use 1/72 scale CL 415 Bombardie twin prop model two to start off with and a Mars Martin 4 prop sea plan too and different types down the track . Layout length is now 48 feet by 321 feet wide , still plan to have a spiral close to the shed , the bridge will stand 2 feet water line clearance, big day tomorrow . Tony from down under keeping on moving ahead