ThomasI

The term fiddle yard is also used in German, but it refers to a track system outside the landscaped area of a layout where trains can be rearranged by lifting them off the track and replacing them. This differs from the "Schattenbahnhof" (literally "shadow station") which is only used to park trains and is usually found in the underground of the layout. I actually don't have a suitable term in English for "Schattenbahnhof". Regards Thomas

Hello everybody! I wish you a happy new year! My second parking station has been tackled and the entrance is already taking shape. It will have 16 tracks plus 2 bypass tracks. Regards Thomas

This bridge is really awesome! How tiny the two tracks look, this bridge is big and grand.

Hello Marcus! Yes, I built a shade sail above my train station on the terrace and also planted a few shady plants. Fishing line, that's an interesting idea too! Regards, Thomas

Hello Marcus! Well, with me in the Rhine Valley there is no Australian summer, but thanks to climate change we have up to 8 weeks without rain at a time with daytime temperatures of over 30 ° C to over 40 ° C. I had and still have fewer problems with sunlight and tracks, but I did have some problems with various plastics that I had used as a substructure. It was not even the UV light that damaged it, but rather the heating of the material associated with solar radiation, which, depending on how dark the material was colored, easily exceeded 60 ° C and must have exceeded 120 ° C in at

It works with trains up to 7.5 metres (cargo) or 4.8 metres (passenger). The "Up" tracks have a gradient of 2.2 % and 2.0 % The "Down" track has 2.4 % The heavier trains need two ore more locos, but the couplings doesn't make any problems so far.

The end of the helix has been reached, you can already see the widening of the route for the station entrance.

It's the same with Peco flex track. I'm afraid I will run out of material if Peco doesn't catch up.

If you also design the foreground with lower rocks, you should think about how the rainwater can drain off without the tracks being flooded after each rain.

The rocks look quite acceptable. The weather will also ensure further weathering. As far as the passing loop is concerned, how likely is it that you will eventually double-track the route in the forseeable future? It would of course be smart, the space for the second track would be kept free.

Since the weather cooperated, I still managed to install four switches.

Your way to make rocks is also very interesting because I haven't made a decision yet if I will use real rock or make it your way. Or maybe combine both.

I'm very interested to see what you can achieve because I'm also incertain if should use real rock or concrete, plaster and paint.

I can only agree with Mick, the result is really great. Like him, however, I fear that the device will not fit into the clearance profile of my railway.

Calculating with 50 degrees in direct sunlight is not enough. In direct sunlight, light-colored material reaches temperatures of over 60 degrees, dark material even in individual cases over 90 degrees.