Norfolk Southern midwest layout

[Ypsi]

[Ypsi]

First train to run a loop around my layout, progress has been made over break.. photos and or videos soon.... if I feel like it tonight

[AC60CW]

Did you find that you had to change the wheels on your Amtrak Walthers Plated cars? I had a couple that when you touched them, you could feel a small amount of voltage in them. It was fixed when I changed the wheel sets out.

[Ypsi]

So far so good, I have had a couple issues with ones that I got with lighting kits installed. They weren't done correctly so Just took them out. All I have to do now is oil them again, some of the cars are getting a little noisy

[Ypsi]

Photos it was, and here is the progress:

First up, shortened our large engine shelf so we could run track on top of it rather then through it, you can see the lift bridge on the right that is also built into the shelf.


Across the bridge, a new "island" support was constructed and a new fixed bridge has also been constructed.


New corners were constructed along with a new back shelf which is a 2x6 cut to 93 inches to fit the back wall, both corners are constructed like this


Back shelf that is the 2x6, also installed a hand throw switch to try out. widened the radius of all turns on the shelf for better running.


Adjusted the alignment of the main line leading into the shelf section so the radius could be increased and an "S" type curve could be avoided (you can see old alignment in the black marker)


Lastly finally got the engine/ caboose type tracks on the end of the yard


Lots of progress just this week! All of that happened from Monday to now, wanted to be able to run trains for a family Christmas party this weekend and made it.

[AC60CW]

Nice photos, looking good so far. I see you have the MRC Wireless DCC, I have the same for mine. Really like it a lot. Although recently I have developed some issues. I think I will need to rest the whole system and reprogram it again.

[Ypsi]

Thanks, it's wired just can't tell from the photo. Box is hidden below table where cord plugs in, also all electrical is done with alligator clips right now

[legostudios34]

Ypsi, you are gonna cost me hundreds of dollars LOL. After seeing your layout I really started thinking about how mine could be changed to be much better. I did some research, and have now settled on a 10x12 around the walls layout with a proper staging yard. I'll take pictures of the cureent layput as it is now and more of the deconstruction for anyone that is interested (in a different thread of course) Due to a teacher workday,that can start today. Anyway, Thanks

[Ypsi]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgiH-xZCT8Y

Ill throw my first update of 2014 up here, from a couple days ago didn't decide to post it until now.

[hoborich]

Nice video update. Where did you get the ditchlights.

[Ypsi]

custom with LEDs and resistors from china, ditch lights housings from details west.. not sure what kit they were from. Originally just had the LEDs in there before it was finished up with good details. Here is an earlier video, before it was detailed up correctly. I have also done ditch lights with incandescent bulbs and details west ditch light kits.

P32-8BWH (LEDs)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Og6vz0h1ug

P42 (incandescent)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sno6OuLVhXw

[ConrailMan5]

custom with LEDs and resistors from china, ditch lights housings from details west.. not sure what kit they were from. Originally just had the LEDs in there before it was finished up with good details. Here is an earlier video, before it was detailed up correctly. I have also done ditch lights with incandescent bulbs and details west ditch light kits.

P32-8BWH (LEDs)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Og6vz0h1ug

P42 (incandescent)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sno6OuLVhXw

They came from kit DL-360. I blew the bulbs out on another project and used the housings on this.

[KVERBERK]

Nice layout. What are the room dimensions? looks like it is pretty much around the walls. Thanks

[Ypsi]

The room measures 10x13 feet with a 2x1.5 foot corner thing in the northeast corner of the room. Tracks go l the way around the room now. Using the shelves allow for a larger radius, and no need for super hugs then around a taking up a ton of space in the room.

[Ypsi]

Layout is a mess so change is in the air. I was able to quadruple the capacity of the yard by changing the second end ladder and adding a fifth track. Now we hav one stub track, and 4 run through tracks that can hold 10-12 cars each, plus anoter 8 or so in the stub. A 50 car yard ain't bad for the size of layout.








Now I'm just waiting on a peco curved turnout for the last yard switch on the unfinished end. Once that comes in at the end of the week, the last of roadbed and track should be in. This sure beats the heck out of that dinky yard I had going for a while.

[Ypsi]

I have a couple videos for today, first one is a layout update since I haven't done one in a while, and second is a locomotive update with the work we have done on a couple engines.

[Ypsi]

So the theme of our layout has been determined, NS in the Midwest, free lanced town or whatever.. but that's not the main purpose of the post tonight, today I got my tiny camera in and had some fun. I took a carbide to test it tonight and got this video out of it. The NS 1073 PC heritage unit derails on my layout:

[Saturnalia]

Murphy's Law!

[legostudios34]

Murphy's Law!

Nope. Just Penn Central.

[hoborich]