@gunrunnerjohn posted:Yep, since it's a yard track and it'll be slow speed operation with anything going down that line, I figured I'd shoot the dice. In order to keep the curves at O72 or larger on all the tracks, that's where the track ended up. I could have done even more ripping up to move it a little, but I decided it wasn't worth the trouble.
I like your way of thinking John, once its down, move it as little as possible!
It's called LAZY! 
One of the steps I used when there was a need for more terra firma was to extend a thin piece of Luan plywood out from under the layout and use it to build up extra real estate.
I use foam filer for a variety of purposes:
Extended plywood extension for coal
Progress step trimming the foam
Additional real estate
Guard rail at module edge
One thing I learned about John, ain't no way lazy! He can accomplish more in less time than anyone else I know!
@gunrunnerjohn posted:
John, viewing your project sure gives me space and track envy. Great fun to watch your project progress. Thanks for sharing! Curiosity has a hold on me; please explain the push out the far left side of the yard track. Looks interesting! Thanks!
I want to give you a big shoutout for sharing your expertise, help and the numerous responses you provide to so many forum topics post. A personal "thank you" for your help and parts list you provided me for installing the Mars Simulator on my "Northland" business car project. I have all the parts and it's scheduled for a winter instillation. Where you find the time to work on your own layout is truly a mystery to me!
Cheers, Dave
The track is done! Of course, there's mounting the ground throws, wiring the power, etc., but the cutting and sanding is out of the way! My test car rolls smoothly though all the paths to the ten tracks, so it's on to the next part of the installation. 
I think there's more track in this yard as I had in my previous layout! 
Counting the paths over the switches, there's over 170 feet of track for the yard and the leads. If I don't mind parking on the bridge on the separate tracks, 138 feet of that is usable yard. If I insist that all the cars be on the main yard platform and not obstruct bridge opening, then it's 120 feet of yard space.
@darlander posted:John, viewing your project sure gives me pace and track envy. Great fun to watch your project progress. Thanks for sharing! Curiosity has a hold on me; please explain the push out the far left side of the yard track. Looks interesting! Thanks!
I want to give you a big shoutout for sharing your expertise, help and the numerous responses you provide to so many forum topics post. A personal "thank you" for your help and parts list you provided me for installing the Mars Simulator on my "Northland" business car project. I have all the parts and it's scheduled for a winter instillation. Where you find the time to work on your own layout is truly a mystery to me!
Cheers, Dave
Thanks Dave.
The "nub" on the side is to allow the possibility of sticking a switch in the last yard track and building out. Not in my current plans, but you never know.
John, looking great!
@gunrunnerjohn posted:Thanks Dave.
The "nub" on the side is to allow the possibility of sticking a switch in the last yard track and building out. Not in my current plans, but you never know.
Keep letting that Tom guy in the house and it will be sooner than you think. 
Nice work on the yard John. That is going to be impressive when its full.
Bob
@RSJB18 posted:Keep letting that Tom guy in the house and it will be sooner than you think.
Nice work on the yard John. That is going to be impressive when its full.
Bob
You ain't kidding, he always seems to have an idea of what we can add!
I have to get the yard wired so I can use it now. 
John, Beautiful job. When is your yardmaster reporting for duty? Pat B.
She was just down here trying to take an engine off the shelves! I keep the expensive steam up high!
@gunrunnerjohn posted:Thanks Dave.
The "nub" on the side is to allow the possibility of sticking a switch in the last yard track and building out. Not in my current plans, but you never know.
Good thinking! It's a poor dog that doesn't burry a bone!
Cheers, Dave
Great looking yard, John. Nice work.
Very nice. I'm envious.
Thanks guys, I'm really looking forward to actually using this new space! Got my ground throws mounted, so I just need to wire power to everything and I'm ready to rock-n-roll! Naturally, the power promises to be a PITA to get to the yard, I don't want to run it across the floor, so I have to take the long way around to get it over there. I also have to come up with a little switch panel with ten switches to control the yard tracks individually. I'm hoping there's at least light at the end of the tunnel that isn't an oncoming train. 
WOW, that was fast! Filled it up already!
@gunrunnerjohn posted:WOW, that was fast! Filled it up already!
For a second there, I thought it was the SOS vat car, lol.
Looks great, John!
Nice yard!! wish I had the room, Cant wait for some scenery! God Speed!
Mounted all the ground throws on the switches, now I have to move on to power wiring and then it'll be ready to use!
How are you planning to power the tracks over the liftout? That's a lot of track to wire
now I see why you used ground throws too.
Bob
@RSJB18 posted:How are you planning to power the tracks over the liftout? That's a lot of track to wire
Well, the bridge and the leads on the main platform will be powered from a couple of switches on the fascia. Each of the two yard leads is separately powered. For the actual yard platform, I'll run a single power feed over there to a 10 position switch panel. So, there will only be a couple of wires since I don't have any switch wiring. I'm actually thinking that maybe I can rig some spring contacts so it comes across the bridge, another part of my "thinking".
@RSJB18 posted:now I see why you used ground throws too.
Yep, imagine all that wiring. Besides, yard operations are going to be done with you standing right there, so it's easier and quicker just to flip a couple of levers on the switches than fumble with the remote.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:
You probably have already resolved the 1/4 inch transition, but if you are still looking for suggestions: A deck of plastic playing cards cut into 1/2 strips and stacked, used as shim, etc. They are as wide as the ties and would be easy to produce smooth transition pillars. You would probably only need to support the track every three or four inches. I assume you will be adding ballast and that would fill in the gaps, add support and cover any card pillars under the track. My $0.02 worth!
Cheers, Dave
John,
If no one but you is likely to be going in the back, why not run the wiring on the floor? Just put it in a wire cover like this one. You can find these on line or at Staples. They do a good job of reducing the trip hazard. You can find them in a variety of sizes and styles. Not very expensive.
Chris
LVHR
@darlander posted:You probably have already resolved the 1/4 inch transition, but if you are still looking for suggestions: A deck of plastic playing cards cut into 1/2 strips and stacked, used as shim, etc. They are as wide as the ties and would be easy to produce smooth transition pillars. You would probably only need to support the track every three or four inches. I assume you will be adding ballast and that would fill in the gaps, add support and cover any card pillars under the track. My $0.02 worth!
Well, I may be anal, but I do want a smooth ramp under the track and I'd like it to look OK until I get around to ballasting. I know I can just shim it up , but I'd like something "neater". I'm still mulling over ideas.
@lehighline posted:If no one but you is likely to be going in the back, why not run the wiring on the floor? Just put it in a wire cover like this one. You can find these on line or at Staples. They do a good job of reducing the trip hazard. You can find them in a variety of sizes and styles. Not very expensive.
I know about those, and I actually have several lengths of it around here somewhere. I'm thinking since I only have a couple of power wires over, I may go with spring contacts on the bridge itself to bring the power over. I really don't want anything on the floor there if I can avoid it.
John,
You are going to have juice on the lift up so why not feed off of that source?
Maybe consider a pair of spring wipers against a pair of pads then onto an MTH 12 port terminal strip then feed each track through a toggle.
Guessin' you are going to need to select which track the cross over center rail will be tied into.
You could also use the pair of square brass dowels. That is how I feed my lift out bridges. Friends have poo-pooed it saying it will fail but it has been working steady for six years now.
Tom, my current plan is indeed to just bring the wires over with some sort of spring contacts, that's all I need since the switches are manual. The bridge will have wires coming from the main platform just looped under the hinges.
Rather than looping the wires you can use one hinge as a hot terminal and the second hinge as a common.
it keeps the wiring cleaner and no wire flex
I don't think I'd trust the resistance of the hinges sufficiently to trust that would work 100%.
For wire crossing a hinge point I use a torsional principle like a torque arm:
I run the loom parallel with the hinge axis which only experiences a minimal occasional torquing.
Looks good, I don't plan on this bridge opening a ton of times, so I don't think wire flex will be a factor.
To run power across an opening I use a pair of brass pins to connect both + & - :
For powering just the lift out, I solder leads on the male and the female square dowels connecting to the rail and supply. Although questioned by some I have yet to have an power interruption in many years:
The pin east pin is power by the near rail the west pin is powered by the far rail. The switches deactivate the powered rail when the bridge is up.
Are these the same aligning pins we used to align the bridge?
Yes, the same pins style. I have used them on many jobs over the years.
If you are not comfortable with friction fit style simply use a two pole Anderson power pole connectors.
Available at any Ham Radio store or I have open stock in all colors plus the special Power Pole crimper.
You would only need two of these. Like one black and one red.
We use Anderson Power Pole connectors on the modular club modules, they've worked well for us. I have no problem coming up with connectors, remember what where my expertise lies...
Love the new yard. Quick question that I assume I know the answer to but I'll ask any way. I don't see any uncoupling section of track in your yard. Does that mean all your locos have elecrocouplers? Or is there another reason? Last time I built a layout electrocouplers did not exist so I had an uncoupler at the top of each row in the yard. As I contemplate a new layout I'm wondering if there is a need for them anyomore.
Well, there is actually a use for them, and I am contemplating that addition. I would likely retrofit the yard with this kind of uncoupling, probably right at the entrance of each of the yard tracks. This would allow backing a larger consist than will fit on one track and dropping off a dozen or so cars on that track and then selecting another track for the remainder of the cars.
I figure to get a little mileage on the yard before I make the decision, not to mention I have to find the time to do the mods.
GRJ, why not just use a separate brick mounted under the yard to power it. Since the lift is part of the main line with hinges, power to that is supplied with a wire or wires from the main attached to it.
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Upper level proped up