So I posted in another area of the forums regarding what the newer OS2 equipped trains could maybe handle and promised post an update on the layout, so here it goes.
Since I can remember I've had a #8142 engine on O-31 circle until a few years ago when i bought an oval O-60 set because she was pulling 5 cars + caboose and coming close to biting her own tail. Well now that my 5yr old has made is expressly clear that he loves trains (all 11 toy sets), it's time to get serious. Since I am basically starting from scratch and I'd really appreciate some input here, but please don't think I didn't at least attempt to read up first.
The picture below is what I've come up with since for now the wife will cough up a 10x10 area to work with without any fuss. I started with a list of criteria from what I wanted in layout and came up with the following:
1. I wanted large turns so that if I ever manage to get my hands on a VisionLine UP Challenger(My dream loco) I don't HAVE to redo to the layout if I don't want to/can't at the time.
2. Tunnel
3. Raised or lowered area because for some reason trains are more fun, to me, watching them chug uphill
4. multiple paths to keep it interesting
5. No yard. This is purely preference as I do not intend to have multiple engines on the same layout in the near future.
6. No more than 7 cars, including caboose, excluding coal tender.
7. Use FasTrack because it's readily available and I tend to like to match parts (Lionel engine goes on a Lionel track)
So what it all boiled down to was 0-72 turns, #4011 UP Big Boy, and a layout that is almost always on an incline or decline. I already explained why I went for O-72 so we'll move on to the engine. I chose the #4011 Big Boy because, of course, articulated engines were a beautiful and fantastic feat of engineering and because it is Odyssey 2 equipped (for all the grading).the dark green area is raised 5 1/2in with the intention of being a mountain pass and the purple area will be enclosed tunnel on the corners with single-open-wall tunnel along the straigth. So the first question is, based on the engine I've chosen and layout I've posted here, will the layout work with the amount of graded track it has and not destroy the engine? I know the grades are probably unreadable in the picture but it is 2.5% grade in the tan (except the switches) and 3.1% in the obnoxious blue. Orange, light green and purple are at ground level. Dark green is at 5 1/2in because if I read correctly that's the max height of graduated trestle set.
The second question is fairly simple. I noticed while building this in AnyRail5 that a lot of the time you had to play with various configurations of track to make sure they fit a 1/8in tolerance. I figured I'd stick with 1/8in tolerances because I'm new to this and figured it was safe. Did I go overboard here or is that about normal?
Next up is the real killer for me which is power and control. I'm used to just hooking up the track leads to my old 90watt transformer, giving the engine some power and letting her chug along. She doesn't have bells or whistles, just chuff. So looking at the Big Boy and the layout, this is the list of stuff I'll have to get to make it all work:
Legacy Command Set for the speed control and command controlled switches (6-14296)
180-watt ZW Transformer with 2 180 watt powerhouses (6-32930)
The track (naturally)
The engine (seriously this is here more for my benefit then y'alls. I'm forgetful)
Aside from also running a main power bus with feeders every 4ft, am I missing anything here necessary to run the switches and engine with all it's features?
For the bus lines, are y'all using 2-lead solid core or2-lead braided wire and does it real matter?
Are you running the bus lines under the table with just the feeders coming through or are you using the channel on the underside of the track to run the lines and just stripping them in-line to run the feeders?
