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Camdale layout


aussietmrail
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Hello everyone, I am Tony from QLD Australia and got the bug on modelling HO scale in garden railway, I have built module layouts, they took up far too much room in under the pergola and the legs were an issue, started looking in modelling garden railway in HO, after seeing some you tube I was hooked.

I model Australian, American and some British trains, my layout is based on the Tehachapi loop being the main feature of the layout. My layout wont be permanently set up as a garden railway, be designed as a module garden railway layout, most of the layout will be in under the pergola and car port and some track outside in the garden and yard.

My layout will follow the profile of the floor, this is where the Tehachapi loop comes in, I did have planned to have tunnel 9 12 inches higher, the spiral would of been too steep, the top track is 9 inches high and the length f the spiral is 24feet in lenght on a 7foot double track radius curve.

The main yard and station platforms will be in under the pergola close the back of the house, I like Amtrak so will modelling Amtrak's auto train terminal at Lorton, do have a set of 9 super liners, need another 7 and the auto carriers, will have to scratch build them, not sure if you can get a RTR model of Amtrak's auto carrier.

I also have Aussie locos of the famous NR Ghan and Indian Pacific locos plus 17 mixed Ghan and IP passenger cars, my layout once built will be 54 feet long, haven't worked out the width of the layout as yet.

I haven't figures out on how to add more pics onto this post, will have to learn as I go, can you edit this post to add on more pics., I tired doing that and lost the post and had to start over again.

Cliff will be happy I am finely on this forum, he gave me the link.

Tony M

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Hi Tony

Good to see you managed to access the forum - welcome!

Have to admit that I have no experience whatsoever with using Photobucket but I have edited your initial post because your image wasn't displaying at all. The closing IMG and URL tags had been omitted. It's certainly possible to add more than one photo to your posts - just do the same again but place the code for each image on a new line (I generally make it two lines so that there's a gap between images). You need to copy the IMG link from Photobucket and paste it on a new line.

Looking forward to seeing more photos and hearing more about the Camdle Layout.

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Hi Mike,

Thanks for modifying my pic, have you any other ways of posting pics other than using photobucket which is a real pain to use, you change or delete the pics and they got deleted in another forum could happen in this one too.

My layout is going to be slow going being the only worker with no help, hopping to get into the layout on the weekend.

The train club I belong to is having a train show next weekend , will be busy helping out and hope to buy some wagons.

Tony M.

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Hi mick, have just given this a go and seams to be working

The pic is of Amtrak's auto train terminal at Lorton that I want to model.

Here is a Google Earth pic of Tehachapi loop I am modelling and will be the main feature of my outdoor layout.

Looks like I am in business and don't need Photobucket, many thanks for the advise.

The pic has actually come from my own pic library on my computer.

Can I load on you tube the same way too.

Tony M

Tehachapi loop 2 a.jpg

 

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Are you doing the 70's version?

http://www.trainweb.org/fredatsf/auto-train_files/image003.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://trainweb.org/DOMEmain/picATSF551e.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.themetrains.com/images/auto/jaworski/jaworski-auto-train-4000-locomotive-1973-03-01-01-1024x.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I always did sorta like the U-boats.

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HI Gliff,

NO I am modelling the modern Amtrak auto train with the phase4 super liners and the two AMD 103 class locos, going to repaint two locos in the latest phase 5 colour scheme, Blue and silver.

I think Amtrak still use those U-boat locos as shuters now, thanks for the pics, keep them coming.

Here are a couple of pics and a pic of Amtrak's auto train and the last pic is Amtrak's auto train consists.

I am hopping to do some work on tunnel 9 of Tehachapi loop project tomorrow, the whole spiral will be in sections and number coded.

My train clubs big train show next weekend only helping them out on two days, one day in setting up and at the actual show its self.

I am getting hang of this forum with uploading of pics , is the links like you have done much same way to.

Tony

autotrain_train.jpg

 

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The Tehachapi loop tunnel 9 module is well under way now and good news is ready to start laying the track down and doing that hoard bus wiring on the tunnel module, can't close in the sides till that happens. I may screw the tunnel module down to the pavers to stop it moving when setting the rest of the spiral.

There are 7 sections to the spiral, they come together quite well, will be doing the joins the same way as on a module join with that brass strip circuit board stuff and cut a gove in the brass so it won't short the track.

The bottom piece of ply sticking out of the tunnel on the paver floor can actually move in and out, easier to store in the garden shed that way.

Might be able to do some track work on Tuesday an cut out the frame work for the sides.

Tony.

001.jpg

002.jpg

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DO you plan to re-enforce that plywood at all? It seems like it may sag a bit over time.

And is that the actual location of the loop on a permanent basis? You mentioned screwing it down to the pavers.

You have an interesting combination of interests, west coast mainline, and east coast passenger trains. You won't hear any grumbling from me either, since I do all sorts of railway abominations that go way beyond that. :lol::lol::lol:

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Yes I plan to cut two support pieces of ply either side of the tunnel spreading out 12 inches at the bottom base, will then close in with either 5 or 7mm ply that will bend., will do the same at each end too.

Going to buy at the train show on Saturday a couple of single track tunnel portals, the height is 4inches plenty to clearance for double stack containers and Amtrak's super liners.

Yeah I even plan to run my Aussie trains on the spiral since we have a spiral close to the Tehachapi loop on the QLD NSW border called the Cougal spiral, there is another spiral on the Victorian NSW border too.

Here are a couple of pics of the Aussie NR class loco I have in my collection.

EDIT: Admin removed images for copyright reasons

The station the Indian Pacific is parked at ready go I will be modelling too. ( Perth terminal Western Australia)

Cougal Spiral QLD NSW border a.jpg

 

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Oh, nice trains there. I always seem to be drawn to those shades of red. I suspect my pocket book can't handle the cost of a model of that though. :D

I am always amused by the time delays on here. If I'm awake I may find either aussies or brits online. Usually not both at once. So I expect as I sleep all the aussies and brits are chatting. ( I hope aussie is not considered derogatory.)

I'd love to see some photos of your models. I don't see much australian model work over here. Americans are very persnickety about only doing american trains, I find people from other countries much more open minded as it's all trains. There was one guy doing european trains on trainboard.com, but he is british and used to run a model making company. Alan something or other... I used to see his N scale USA prototype container stack car sets at the local store in fact.

His layout was set in slovenia. He even travelled around there and ended up going to live there for a bit. I grew up right across the border from what is now slovenia. He had a shot of a train station in nova goriza that is literally a stones throw from the border fence, I could see the bar/restaurant I used to go to as a kid. And my relatives lived in apartments just a few blocks away. Almost forgot my point here...

Anyway, Alan's layout being in a less wealthy country setting, had a lot of older locos repainted for slovenia railways. It was like this weird step backward into time with french, italian, german, hungarian, and russian locos. It was pretty cool... Well, you know, for an indoor layout. HAHA!

But back to your layout. I do agree, mixing it up is the best way to go.

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I like the red locos too, have two of those Ghan NR locos and thinking about repainting one of my UP spare AC/4400 shells to the Canadian Pacific red colour scheme.

Managed to finish off the Tehachapi loop tunnel 9 module today ready to lay down the track and do the bus wiring before closing the sides.

No more work on the module till after the weekend now

Not sure what I will be using either chicken wire with soaked rags in plaster or that green matting you can buy.

Here is yet another pic of the real loco I have a model of, wanted to put on a couple of my actual model locos but couldn't to do with pic measurements, tried to changed that bugged the pics up, will have look for a couple more. (NR84 Southern Spirit) they sold out pretty quick, should of bought two of them at $275 a loco, ouch, I have 6 NR class locos in my collection would like some more.

Tony.

IMG_1211 a.jpg

IMG_1212  a.jpg

 

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Here is the latest update on my TL tunnel 9 module project even with some locos on the track, can't wait to see the first rain roll through the tunnel, a little while before that will happen.

Busy weekend coming up with my train clubs 60th federal body anniversary and the clubs 20th (AMRA QLD branch) on this weekend, only going to the Saturday, Mothers day clashers on Sunday.

Now I am ready to close it all in, still not sure what to use as a backing for the grass matting.

Those speaker connections are a great idea, so easy to connect the wires, truly a plug and ply set up, has worked well with my other module layouts.

The two locos on the top track are Aussie NR class locos are very close in horse power to the dash 9's and AC/4400's, I think the NR's are about 4,000 HP.

DSCF0823 a.jpg

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That looks great Tony. Hadn't thought of using speaker cable connections - would imagine they are pretty easy to connect.

The module looks like it could be getting pretty heavy - is it still easily manageable? What do you estimate it will weigh once completed?

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Mick,

Those speaker plugs are quite easy to connect, you don't need to do any soldering, so long as the wires a firm fit.

The module is ok to pick up the bottom piece the two UP locos are on is a separate piece, would of been too hard to store in the garden shed, not as heavy as a 6ftX3ft module would weigh to pick up. Now I will have figure how I am going to wire the bottom section to the rest of that module.

Tony.

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Here is the latest on the Tehachapi loop tunnel 9 module, I have closed in one side and cut out the first tunnel portal, to my surprise turned out quite well, so will cut out the second one and no need to buy them now, since the real ones are the concrete type, painted up should look good.

I will have to take off the ply closest to the floor as Iis it too steep, for the dirt road fix that tomorrow and finish the other side.

Will look pretty good once the grass matting goes on too and fill the gaps.

I still have to add on ply sides to the bottom track for the side cutting and be able to hide the speaker plug at the same time, more pics tomorrow.

Thought I would have some problems sliding the bottom track base in under the tunnel portal , worked quite well.

DSCF0858  a.jpg

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DSCF0861 a.jpg

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Here is the lasts update on tunnel 9 module, finely ready for the grass matting, I need to buy some more 12mm ply to finish off the bottom track deck which will have the side cutting scenery on it, I added on the wider piece of ply for that and but into the tunnel portal, will look good, I can now move onto the rest of the spiral.

Grill the NR's are modelled on the Dash 9's, has the same horse power, will check that.

DSCF0862 a.jpg

DSCF0863  a.jpg

DSCF0864  a.jpg

DSCF0865  a.jpg

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Blimey Tony, that's some construction you've got there. A few bricks in a line topped off with a plywood cap is about my limit.

Looking forward to seeing how this develops and where you go from here.

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Hi Mick,

yeah quite happy with the way the tunnel module has turned out will look heaps better with scenery on it, ringing a hobby shop in Brisbane tomorrow night to check out the prices of that grass mating, if he hasn't got it, am thinking about using al foil to make the shape of the rock cutting and then paint it sprinkle fine and on it first.

Now I can move onto the rest of the spiral, the tunnel module is quite solid and wont move in a hurry now, still may screw it to the pavers, till need more ply to finish the bottom track, wont be buying that ply till next week.

Have made a special jig so I can check the spiral grade every 3 and a have feet as the pergola floor starts to rise up towards the car port, working on a 3 percent grade, the spiral is 24 feet in length and drops down 3/8inches a foot, 9 inches high at the tunnel.

How do you add the smiley pics

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