Tilt Table

NMRA Train Show Fast Tracks Display

I haven’t worked on the Bronx Terminal project for some time now as we have quite a bit going on this summer. Once we get the train show out of the way and complete the building, I will get back to it!

One week to go until the NMRA Train Show in Detroit! We will be attending again this year, if you are also attending, be sure to drop by and say Hi.

I built this display for last years show and are going to be bringing it along this year.

If you watch carefully in the video you can see the “brush brakes” that pop up between the rails and slow the car to a gentle stop. These are mounted under the tilting table and adjusted to just “brush” the bottom of the car as it rolls over them.

We wanted a display that would have a bit of a “cool factor” to it. A small layout was considered but that would have required power and some sort of automation to keep it going on its own. Since there are a lot of layout displays at these shows we decided to go with this instead. It runs off of a 12v battery, so no power is required and therefore no hazardous cords on the floor.

This display serves two purposes, one it acts as a display at shows, and two it allows us a way to torture test our trackwork. With 50,000 cycles and counting, none of the switch points have broke from the throwbars, throughly dispelling the myth that points soldered solid to the throwbar will be a source of failure. Allowing a unmodified boxcar (ok, I changed out the plastic wheels for free rolling metal ones, but only so it would roll on its own) to coast through the trackwork shows how smoothly and flawlessly turnouts built in our fixtures will perform.

Of course not having a layout to work on I got totally carried away finishing off the display. Most of the details were robbed from my Port Kelsey layout.

Last year at the Train Show in Philadelphia this ran for three days straight, without a single derailment. A quick calculation determined 50,000 cycles. Speaks well for the trackwork, and for the four Tortoise switch machines underneath!

-Tim

About the Author:

I'm your host, Tim Warris, a product developer in Port Dover, Ontario. Since March of 2007 I have been documenting the construction of the former CNJ Bronx Terminal in HO scale. For my day job, I design track building tools for Fast Tracks, a small company I own and operate. Fast Tracks makes it fast and easy to hand lay your own trackwork. Stop by our website to learn more!

Posted by: Tim | 07-20-2007 | 11:07 AM
Posted in: Latest Posts | Comments (1)

N scale Part 1

Challenging build at 1:160, code 40

click on images for large version….

This is tiny stuff! Difficult, but not impossible to accomplish, this triple lapped turnout is what leads into the engine house, the carfloat apron and to the “New Yard” section of the terminal. This is all built in N scale code 40. It isn’t much more difficult to work in code 40 vs. code 55, and in some ways it is easier as code 55 rail is out of proportion when the width of the base is compared to the height of the rail, and this excess width can be very challenging to get everything to fit in tight spots on trackwork like this.

The finished trackwork runs nice and smooth, the cars can handle these tight curves and even couple properly on them which is critical as I do intend on operating this layout.

This is probably the hardest section of trackwork for the N scale version, the rest is still challenging, but not nearly as complex, only variations of turnouts.

To complete the trackwork I will be using all PC board ties mounted to laser cut plywood roadbed and mounted to a foam board. This should result in a light and portable module. Control will be simple DC, as DCC is not necessary for a layout like this as there was only ever one loco on it at a time.

The engine could be a challenge, as there are no small Boxcabs available in N scale that I know of, so I may have to scratchbuild something.

On to the next piece!

-Tim

About the Author:

I'm your host, Tim Warris, a product developer in Port Dover, Ontario. Since March of 2007 I have been documenting the construction of the former CNJ Bronx Terminal in HO scale. For my day job, I design track building tools for Fast Tracks, a small company I own and operate. Fast Tracks makes it fast and easy to hand lay your own trackwork. Stop by our website to learn more!

Posted by: Tim | 05-22-2007 | 10:05 AM
Posted in: Latest Posts | N Scale Version | Comments (7)

N scale “Part 1”

N scale continued….

Click on image for larger view (its N scale, you have to….)

Ok, its not the first piece of N scale trackwork here. This is the section of the terminal I have been referring to as “Part 1” so thats what I titled this post. Part 5 in N scale has already been built.

Thought I would carry on with another section in N scale code 40. Next to the quad diamond the most complex piece of trackwork is the triple lapped turnouts leading into the engine house/car float apron/yard tracks. In the centre of this mess is a complex frog where the three turnouts intersect.

This was pretty difficult to do in HO code 70 and I wasn’t sure it could even be done in N so I thought I would do a test build of just this frog before sinking a bunch of time into the entire piece.

It turned out well so I guess it can be done. I’m glad I did a test on this piece as there a small flaw in it that is bugging me that I will take note of when I build the entire piece. Can you spot the flaw?

-Tim

About the Author:

I'm your host, Tim Warris, a product developer in Port Dover, Ontario. Since March of 2007 I have been documenting the construction of the former CNJ Bronx Terminal in HO scale. For my day job, I design track building tools for Fast Tracks, a small company I own and operate. Fast Tracks makes it fast and easy to hand lay your own trackwork. Stop by our website to learn more!

Posted by: Tim | 05-07-2007 | 03:05 PM
Posted in: Latest Posts | N Scale Version | Comments (7)