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 Posted - June 04 2014 : 11:11:58 PM
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Thanks guys; the look is really coming together! Walt, I can't imagine how long it would take to drill and wire that many poles... 
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Posted - August 12 2014 : 1:14:39 PM
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There hasn't been much progress on the layout lately other than a few more coats of orange paint being put on the lake. I did however finish the three spaceship models I bought several months back.
My most recent is the Spindrift model.
All three models together...
Two Spindrifts and a Flying Sub. 
Edited by - DaCheez on August 12 2014 1:16:19 PM
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Posted - August 13 2014 : 02:59:45 AM
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quote:Thanks guys; the look is really coming together! Walt, I can't imagine how long it would take to drill and wire that many poles...
Originally posted by DaCheez - June 04 2014 : 11:11:58 PM
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Eric, I love the orange Spindrift!!
I drilled and placed 20 more Fluorescent light poles on and around the bridge sections today, but didn't get to wire them. I do have the power wires following the track under the table, ready to hook up...
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Posted - August 13 2014 : 11:04:35 PM
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Thanks Walt!
I don't think I've commented since your last update, but your layout is really progressing quickly! I'm interested in seeing how you're going about wiring the poles on your layout. Mine are wired fairly crudely (twisted wires and electrical tape) but everything is easily accessible so I'm not too concerned. Future layouts are inevitable though and it never hurts to learn new techniques! 
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Posted - August 14 2014 : 01:11:53 AM
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Hey, Eric
Thank You for the comment! Though it seems like progress is at a drag to me.
Today I wired a few more poles and have a total of 32 poles lit, using one Tyco train transformer on the A.C side for accessories. Today I found that the lights are giving a weak yellowish look. But after studying this after dark, I believe this look would be very realistic as real street pole lights are not really white bright. If you park your car under a street lamp, you can see the make of car, but may not be able to make out great details like certain or exact colors, etc.. The photo was taken tonight with the cars in view. I'm doing some thinking here.
To brighten the light poles, I can decided on cutting back on how many poles I light per transformer. Maybe 20 poles per transformer would look nicer than the 32, or 25... I will study, and deceide... I can cut the main power wires with ?? lights, then run another power wires/transformer to the next set of 20 , 25 or 32 poles.
How I'm wiring; I bought 100 feet of 18 guage double strand wire. I started from the transformer with a 48 foot long piece that I run under the table, to power a section of the 4 lane. Before stapling the wire under the table, every 18 inches, I separated the wires and trimmed the plastic off. I staggered each cut so they are not beside the other to eliminate a short(s). This long red & blue wire is placed directly under the slot car track below the board. Tyco recommends to tie two light pole wires together, then run one wire from each to the power wires below (as pictured) This is how I'm doing the lights. I have been using just a little solder (using a quick heat soldering gun)to hold the connections...
UPDATE: After looking at earlier photos, I like the brighter lights better than the pic below.
Just come out of the basement and have decided on 16 light poles per transformer. Tomorrow I hope to wire the other 16 poles to the DC part of the same transformer. If this works without dimming the lights on AC, I will be able to operate 32 lights per transformer...
Edited by - walt on August 15 2014 12:06:59 AM
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Posted - August 15 2014 : 3:43:32 PM
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Maybe, but your progress is still going better than mine. I'm honestly a little stumped on what to do next. I should work on the section behind the banked curve, but I don't want to continue the rocks and I'm out of ideas. Maybe I'll watch some Jetson's and see if anything gets my mind going...
The way you're hooking the lights together is quite clever. I guess I was lucky to only be using 7 poles.  The lights on Atomic Lake are hooked up to the DC side of a pack allowing the brightness to be adjusted. You'd probably need a lot of packs to do that though!
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Posted - August 16 2014 : 12:20:18 AM
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Eric, I like the DC hook up on the lights. Today I tried to hook 16 lights on the AC, and another 16 on the DC of the same transformer. But the lights on the AC dimmed when I turned on the DC... so I'm looking at one transformer for every 16 lights... With 250 lights, (I may use 200 of them) I'll need 12 transformers for the lights alone.
I will also be looking for another type power source for the lights...
You have a lot of nice work on your layout! Always fun to see what you add to it...
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Posted - April 25 2018 : 11:07:13 PM
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I hadn't been in here before, remarkable layout. Was it not
DaCheez who did those kitbashed dome faced Atomic
Lake pieces, not so long ago? Everyone, including myself
was raving over them.
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Posted - April 26 2018 : 11:49:35 AM
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Thanks Chops! While the layout in this thread has been more or less abandoned (it was built in my parents' basement and isn't exactly portable ), it has spawned the inspiration for various other creations.
My personal railroad is the most notable off-shoot.
There were also at least one atomic slotcar built as well...
On the current layout I'm building, I'm hoping to build a little motel scene with an attached mini golf course based on the Atomic Lake layout.
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Posted - April 26 2018 : 11:56:08 AM
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Great to see those Atomic Lake sets again! Those things
are a one off!
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Posted - April 26 2018 : 12:18:59 PM
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One-offs for now, they're almost starting to pile up...
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Posted - April 26 2018 : 6:54:38 PM
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| you needs a Wide Vision Atomic Lake caboose hehe
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Posted - April 27 2018 : 12:05:30 PM
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| Micro, maybe I should graft a dome on to the caboose to match the engine...
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Posted - April 27 2018 : 12:10:19 PM
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quote:Micro, maybe I should graft a dome on to the caboose to match the engine...
Originally posted by DaCheez - April 27 2018 : 12:05:30 PM
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yeah but wouldn't a Streamlined Tyco caboose be about the same?
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Posted - April 27 2018 : 2:49:53 PM
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I think it would da bomb if you added a nuclear power plant. I made this one
from a Walmart Easter Egg and a Walmart flower vase.
https://youtu.be/77wZVzCQgfg
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Posted - April 27 2018 : 7:51:44 PM
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| I remember the nuclear plant you built. I'm still impressed how convincing you made that vase look!
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Posted - April 27 2018 : 8:30:57 PM
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| Thanks Da Cheez, but it doesn't hold a candle to what you are doing.
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