Great Northern railway

Very good point Adriatic, I guess mine is of short, as so am I LOL

Seattle turntable (TT) track leads set up for DCC.

There was no DCC lines leading to Seattle's track leads so a new terminal strip was put into the mainline control panel and all DCC is routed from that terminal strip.  I needed to run a two wire lead from the main panel to the TT panel and routed the yard power and DCC power through a DPDT toggle.  All's working for both options.

I'll need to route another DCC through another DPDT toggle for the TT bridge (as I had to do for the St Paul TT bridge.

I have to say that I love this thread, and it's not even in the scale I'm modeling. It is the RR I'm modeling and that was what first attracted me to the thread . 

The layout is gorgeous, the work you do on your locomotives is fascinating, and inspiring. 

Thanks, Radcam.

'We try'; not always successful, but 'we try'.

Is this the stuff you model?

Yep, O scale, 1/48, what ever it's called. Which means I'll never have the locomotive collection you have, unless I hit the power ball.  I do have a good start though with a Z-6, S-2 4-8-4, and GE 44 ton, as well as an R-2 that I'm really looking forward to receiving in the near future. Now all I have to do is get a layout. 

Looks like you've got a good start.

Have ebay notify you for engines that you're looking for.  One can get stuff pretty cheap 'out there'. 

Being retired and no mortgage or car payment: that's a lot of money that can be used to buy 'useful' stuff!

I really need to quit buying locomotives, and decide what kind of industries I'm going to incorporate into my layout so I can start fleshing out my rolling stock.  I'm having fun none the less so that's really all that matters. 

Walther's 130' turntable install.

I got the 'bug' to start on this.

I'm installing into the existing table since the platform is about 30" square and would mean tearing up all the lead and stall tracks (not high on my list!).

In case this butchering of the existing table didn't work, I took precautions that I can go back to the existing turntable.

I drilled holes in each corner of an 8" square for turning the jigsaw.

Before cutting though, see next picture.

I put 4 blocks around to support and be able to easily align the old turntable motor.  The blocks are screwed on so they could be moved, one at a time, while using the jigsaw.

Hole done and enough room for the walther's turntable.

The old turntable (TT) was 20" and the walthers TT is 18 1/4" (pit hole size needed to fit TT).  Thus, I need about a 3/4" wide 'donut to fill the gap.

There is a 'dead space' where no tracks can be so I located it in a convenient spot.

90 degrees out is the sensor for aligning the TT bridge and marked that location.

I thought I'd use some 1/4" ply, core filled and keep layering them, on end, until the space was filled: bad idea.  Can't handle that sharp of a curve.

Noticed that the sensor has a thick tubing going to it from the center of the pit so some 'carving' had to be done to 'clear' the sensor.

TT pit all flat, so far, so good!

Went to HD and got some 3/4" (real 3/4") MDF and two pieces of 1/4" (metric so smaller) but this total thickness equaled what I needed to support the TT pit.

A compass was made to trace the inner and outer diameters.  One table is 19 7/8" wide and the other is 20" (I mod the two existing tables at different times back in the 70's).

Walther's said inner hole is 18 1/4" so donut is about 3/4" wide.

Put lots of recessed screws in to hold all 3 pieces.

Cut excess wood from each wood support.

Then, used the band saw to cut the outer diameter.

Drilled a hole inside so the band saw blade could turn 90 degrees to cut the inner diameter.

I just cut right through the outer support as I figure it will give me some slop on adjustments in the pit.

Found that my existing TT pit walls slanted in a small amount so I had to angle band sand the bottom, outside edge of the wood support.

Much better fit.

Also, found the walther's pit was about a 1/16" too high so used the 18" open end sander to remove excess wood.

The TT comes with code 83 rail and I use code 100 so it was easy to un-solder the 2 wires, slide out the old and slide in the new rail and re-solder.

Used one of my engines with coast drive so I could push it on and off the TT for testing (just like the old lionel engines).

No bumps and everything aligns up.  YEAH!

One storage track, I could just un-solder the rail and push it forward.

The lead tracks will be done that way also and then a filler rail will be added to take up the gap.

I put the core ply on top figuring it would takes spikes easier than MDF.

There are several holes that needed to be drilled in the donut for the plastic screw nubs under the TT outer lip.

These are where screws are suppose to be used to secure the pit from underneath the ply. 

Since my table is too thick, I'll just use some small screws to secure the lip from the top.

Ta Da!

Glad I covered the engines as there was sawdust on the covering.

7 PM: I started around 9; Only took 10 hours.  Well, the 2nd one should go much faster.

All exited doing this, I forgot to eat and haven't eaten since yesterday. 

Trains more important: go check on the 2nd TT install.  UPS says the 2nd table should arrive tomorrow.

New Delivery.

One fancy reverser for the 3 track return loop and 2 simple reversers for the turntables.  Not sure, now, if I need the simple ones as the Walther's TT says it DCC. 

This is so cool.

This walther's turntable is fantastic.  Push a couple buttons and the bridge aligns up for you, all automatically.

I programmed track 1 for a lead track and head (operators shanty on the bridge) as one command and tail (opposite of shanty) for track 1.

Push track (select track #), head and the bridge aligns with track 1.

Run engine onto bridge, push track (select track #), tail and the bridge aligns with track 1.

controller and track power and cable to controller.

Engine awaits bridge alignment to track 1.

Engine moves onto bridge.

Tail end of bridge aligns with track 1.

Engine departs bridge.  The controller also reverses polarity so don't need a DCC reverser (at least so far!). 

Controller.

This is about a 1000 times better (at least)  than my old geiger turntable.

Installed the PSX AR reverser in the 3 loop interchange.

I haven't used this section of the railroad in a couple decades. 

Amazing how simple it is to operate with 'hi tech' stuff. 

Just run trains and not worry about any toggles

GN Z-6 4-6-6-4 challenger pulling a 47 car train from Seattle.

The crew are thinking: 'this is a strange looking tunnel!'

I've never enjoyed going into the interchange loop due to so many toggles that had to be aligned for everything to work properly.

DCC eliminates all the hassles.

First time in two decades (at least) entering the return loops.

The electronic device is so fast that no lights ever blink.

Head end.

Trailing end.

Easily could hold another 10 cars of the 47 that's on the one loop.

Assuming not stopping for water or crew change, it'll keep a crew busy for an hour to leave and return to Seattle.

All the magic is done here!

Started work on the new turntable for Seattle.

WOW Sam, its just be 2 days and you are on a roll! First your TT turned out looking just fantastic, just like it belonged there! Second your work with your DCC system is just great, I am so happy that it lets you use parts of the layout you haven't used for years!

I'll be watching for more!

Hi All,

I remember seeing the track plan for the Great Northern but I can't find it now.  Can someone tell me where it is located within this thread or even elsewhere?

Thanks,

Ed

Thanks, Mike.

=====

Ed,

This web site has some maps:

https://books.google.com/books...northern&f=false    

Stuff:

Installed the programming track booster.

Since 4 of the 6 wires need to connect to the command station, I just double taped it on top of the command station.  The wires are very small so I soldered some heavier gauge wire for insertion into the command station.

Nice that 'they' encased the circuit board in plastic so it can 'sit out' without getting foreign particles on it.

Two of the wires goes to the programming track, located next to the ore dock where the laptop is.

St. Paul's turntable:

The lip of the pit was a little high along the back so the wood support was sanded for proper alignment.

While the pit was off, I painted the wood support, black.

Seattle's turntable.

This morning the support got cut, sanded and fitted to the existing TT. 

The other walther's TT is due today so installation is 'on hold' until that comes in.

All I can say is it looks wonderful Sam!

Thanks, again, Mike.

==========

Turntable updates:

St Paul TT.

Inserted some short pieces of rail for the first lead track to the TT.

The wood support takes spikes, though grudgingly.

Seattle's TT.

UPS delivered the 2nd TT.

The pit was a little low so some 1/64" thick ply from my RC airplane stash was used to align with the lead and storage tracks. 

All's working.

One lead track set up and test with engine entering, turning 180 and then exiting.

Bummer:

I'm, definitely, not adding any more tracks to the pit as, if I have to send in the pit, removing tracks located on the pit rim would have to be all removed.  With only one track, presently, I'm hoping I can just slide the pit out from under the track, if the pit needs to be sent in.

Sam, things are looking fine! I am sorry about the brain going out on your second TT. I sure hope they answer you in a timely manner. I know I hate to wait when I get something that doesn't work!

some minor stuff.

Drilled holes in the legs of people and CA'ed some brass rod so easy to secure/move people on the GNRW.  Most of these people got knocked over when setting up the TT and they were glued in place.

ma and pa put back on their property.

Move one more set of roundhouse rails up to the TT pit.

Good looking work Sam! So what does that leave you 18 more tracks to extend to the TT?

Thanks, Mike.

Try 43 of them.

WOW Sam that's just crazy! But it looks great!

Felt like just running trains.

Never planned to have a UP 8500 turbine so the tender gets the 'five finger' rotation while the other two units just fits onto the TT.

Ran the GN Z-6 back to the reverse loop and tested the 2nd track loop with the turbine.

Looks like fun Sam! That UP 8500 is a huge engine setup! Love it!

Life is rough!

Ran trains and read train/plane magazines all day

GN N-3 2-8-8-0.

Not a large engine for an articulated but she pulls like crazy.  Slow but steady with a 47 car train up a 0.5 percent grade.

Final test of the 3rd return loop.

Nice having the return loops as it now frees up a lot of space in the yards.

Seattle:

St. Paul.

Seattle's turntable.

Keith from Walther's emailed:

We have the option of sending the electronics on the base of the pit.  This would eliminate the need to remove the pit.  However you do need to have access to the base of the pit.  We would be sending the entire new base of the pit.  The electric eye would have to be unsoldered and then soldered to the new board in the base.  Then the old electronics would have to be sent back to Walthers.  

The other option is to remove the pit and send it in to Walthers for us to install the new electronics.  

Since my TT is installed, I'm opting for just the circuit board.

There's just 4 screws holding the cover onto the bottom of the pit.

Adjusted the other two lead tracks to the Seattle's TT.

Now all engines can be turned at both cities.

For now, they will be stored on the lead tracks.

SCARED lesson learned!

I was hard wiring the DCC to the TT bridge and started working on analyzing how to route DCC to the storage tracks in the roundhouse when I noticed that the blue controller had no lights. 

Looks like 18 volts DC was going to the controller/circuit board under the pit but no lights on the blue controller.  I hadn't hook any wires up yet for the storage tracks but several toggles were thrown for orientation of DC/DCC routing.

I thought I'd, somehow, routed DCC through the controller/circuit board which is a 'no no'. 

I thought I'd get out an old DC transformer and connect it up and all worked well.

That was a relief: didn't need to spend a 'C' note (or so) on new parts.

The original DC power has a base ground, the same as DCC uses.  To be safe, I've decided to use two dedicated DC power packs that only the TT controllers use, thus isolating them from all DCC power.

I picked the DC transformers up at the local train shows for 10 bucks each, just to have them: glad I did!

Lesson learned!

That looks like 'hand laid' track, to me!

St Paul's turntable (TT).

All storage tracks outside the roundhouse have been set up for DCC.

Labeling lead tracks 1,2 & 3 and then labeling storage tracks clockwise gives me 4, 17-23 for DCC.

I cut 11/16" long rail to extend all storage tracks to the TT bridge.

I have two nippers: buy the good ones.  The Xuron are more expensive but high quality and accurate.  I could take a prototype 11/16" long rail, align it to stock rail and accurately cut duplicates, using the 'flat' side against the prototype rail.

The other side gives a V cut but that is cut with the flat side again to cut a new 11/16" piece.

Used a wire wheel in a dremel to clean up the ends of the storage rails.

Then, I used some tweezers to hold the end of the rail while I soldered the 11/16" piece to the original storage rail.

Spikes were used to secure the front of the 11/16" long pieces of rail.

All the 11/16" rail were angled ground on one end, using a hobby band belt sander, to prevent wheels from picking the ends of the rails.

All 'outside' storage track are now DCC.

The walther's TT makes it easy to code in each track location.

The adjustment of the bridge is very fine as just a touch on the button will move the bridge a very small distance, like 1/64".

It took me about a week to get smart and use a #74 drill bit to pre-drill holes to push the spikes into the plywood :[]

I'll do about 10 storage tracks in the Seattle's TT so, virtually, the entire layout is now converted to DCC.

Looks great Sam!

Those turntables look nice.

Gene Anstine

Thanks, as always, Mike,

=======

Gene,

They are more than nice, they are fantastic.  If you are thinking of getting them, I would get them now.  Like a lot of stuff in this 'cottage' industry, once out of stock, they may never be made again.   I'm buying another one for backup: 10,15, 20 years 'down the road', repairs for such items will be difficult, if not impossible and finding another will be, equally, difficult.

Can program the bridge to stop at any location (save the 'dead zone') and extremely accurate.  By far, the best TT on the market for HO gauge.

Seattle's TT:

Completed the rail extensions on 4 storage tracks and programmed them into the controller.

WOW Sam, you sure don't let the dust settle do you? Your pace at getting these done is just amazing! Keep up the great work!

St Paul's TT.

Found an easier way to cut the short pieces of rail.

Used my electrical cutters.  Accurate, didn't leave an angled cut on the opposite side and better leverage to cut the rail.

Finished up installing all the short pieces from the storage tracks to the pit.

Looks good Sam! So when does the weathering start?

Easy fix.

A local modeler commented about the unrealistic wide rim on the TT pit.

A little black paint, carpenter's glue and ballast fixed that!

Well that did take you long Sam! Sure turned out looking GREAT!

NMRA Div 7 spring train show.

200 tables in 3 different rooms and a good crowd.