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 Posted - November 01 2015 : 01:29:46 AM
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSxELp7uieE
I'll post more as i get more of it functional.
Basically on the train side;
passenger inner loop and freight outer loop.
the passenger loop is separated from the freight so both trains can run together.
the passenger loop has one crossing shared with the US-1 truck set so the trucks need to stop for the train or have a collision.
the passenger train is a early No. 224-U 1974 Tyco Amtrak with the metal chassis passenger cars (Mantua/tyco), i fixed it back up the motor needed a rebuild and the body was missing parts and new light bulbs. It is a amp power hog needing .8 amps when crawling. i have a couple more parts to replace on it but it is 100% functional now.
the freight loop has 4 switch tracks on it with 4 isolated areas, so i could load up multiple engines to pull load in both clockwise and counter clockwise directions. I setup blocking switches on the 4 areas.
right now i have a late 1980s Yugoslavian, and a City of San Fransisco union pacific that i also restored. power torque needed TLC and i put some temporary traction tires on the trucks until i can find the correct ones.
I'm working on getting my Chattanooga choo choo working right , and i have a Midnight Special Snark nose on the bench getting a tear down as well.
so with the switch track and blockers i can store a couple of engines on the layout and since i don't have a turntable or the room for it i can run the load in either direction and move carriages around.
You can see i packed as many train action stations as possible on the layout, i'm still working and refining thing. I have room for more, but things start getting redundant. I tried to line up similar train action stations to the Us-1 system.
the us-1 system has every action station on it except:
1) Elevated Gravel Unloader
2) Elevated Log Loader
3) Flashing Danger Track
I had the flashing danger track on the layout but it caused issues with smooth running and it ate up a spot for an action station.
i still have room for more action stations. I had to make some custom track pieces to fit everything.
I have custom cars for the us-1 system as well that i made.
and some custom action stations.
i've been working on it for a couple of days and today all 3 loops are working along with the switch tracks and 2 blocking switches ( have to make more changes)
the layout is having its issues that i'm working on and i have more buildings and scenery to add.
the layout is temporary for the holidays.
my 2011 layout
I learned a lot from this layout as far as setup as i hadn't setup anything like it in 30 years.
in 2013 i setup this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08VPIZERj8g
i was much smaller because on the right side of the table i setup a tyco pro race track system.
Well i hope you enjoyed the video and i will take more photos and video of improvements to the system.
i built all the structures on the layout over the years and they are setup for lights but i will not be lighting them up do to the amount of work and the layout being temporary.
i have Us-1 street lights around the system and a few of the trucks have lights.
Edited by - slotcardan on November 01 2015 01:39:20 AM
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Posted - November 01 2015 : 08:06:51 AM
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sweet layout,must give you plenty of enjoyment,ken
catfordken
if you cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel,try turning around
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Posted - November 01 2015 : 11:54:55 AM
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Dan very nice layout. I don't know if you know this but in this Forum we have a section on slot cars. It is labled for HO scale slot cars but you should find more interested readers there.
frank
toptrain
" It's a Heck of a Day " !!!
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Posted - November 01 2015 : 12:53:51 PM
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| Pretty slick Dan. Man, you have to be good with video games to be able to operate all that without a wreck. And it looks like you've got a pretty good handle on it (e.g., the way that Camaro (or Firebird?) backed up and parked and then the fire engine comes screaming out . . . all the while the train speeding by. Wow! Must have taken a couple hours to wire that all up.
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Posted - November 02 2015 : 01:57:15 AM
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@toptrain thanks :) I'm on other dedicated slot forums around the net. US-1 doesn't fall into the slot world neatly Really this isn't about the trucks it's about the overall system and getting 2 worlds to merge, trucks and trains.I'm not a slot guy either :) the stuff i do falls outside of that world as well.
@barry Thanks, Yup i designed video games and built operating systems back in the day so no stranger, trying not to drop the ipad is another story lol.
The yellow car is a replica of my 1972 mach 1 mustang.
the other black car is a firebird that is native to the Tyco US-1 catalog. I liked the idea of 2 muscle cars going to work, so i setup the system to start out with passenger cars and then you migrate to the trucks and go to work just like DAD did.
-------------------------
working on the layout today meant spending more money at the hobby shop.
i needed track bumpers and this caught my eye walking down the isle.
Well i got all excited because it said includes relay. when i got home boy was i disappointed.
the relay turned out to be a Double pole switch that you flicked manually back and forth to make the lights flash.not only that but the lights on either side would stay on together and not flash left and right. some body goofed in china because they were suppose to wire the lights to flash left and right not front to back, they basically mixed up 2 wires.
well the entire thing was a joke so i hit my junk pile and found a Vellman PCB flashing unit from a project i did some time ago and i had some junk US-1 parts.
Hit the bench and came up with this.
So a little plastic and cardboard later.
The Flashing unit and 9 volt battery are inside the track house, making the unit self powered and it can be installed on any crossing piece of slot car track. There is also a power switch built into the house so it can be turned on and off.
installed in the layout
and video :D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FM-kM6GZR_Y
I used to build toy prototypes as well way back when :D
See there are trains :D
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Posted - November 02 2015 : 10:44:35 PM
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| Very nice Dan.
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Posted - November 03 2015 : 11:57:22 AM
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now you needs a sensor to make the signals go on before train gets to crossing & go off when last car leaves 
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Posted - November 03 2015 : 12:26:41 PM
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oh i did think about doing that. the issue was I would of either needed to mount the track to the base, which would lose the ability to stay modular, or i would of needed to build a remote IR sensor or light sensor which meant a long wire, down the train track.
*In retrospect i could still do that. I could wire up a IR circuit attached to the track and run a wire back to the flasher unit, so it would trigger off with the train approaching the gate.*
another option was hack the Tyco crossing Guard weight mechanism, but that also meant modifying the slot car track which i didn't want to do since the tyco us-1 crossing track is rare.
I also thought about including the crossing arms but i figured some times less is more.
I also priced out DCC conversion and putting the signal on the DCC system. due to cost forget that :D
if i did a permanent layout i would of gone all out :).
my goal was if Tyco designed the signals for the US-1 system what would of it looked like based on the minimal production that tyco did.
If i have some time this weekend i'll see about making a remote trigger so it goes off when the train passes. :)
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Posted - November 03 2015 : 1:54:05 PM
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Good stuff, Dan. I have a pair of crossing flashers I want to set up to flash correctly as the train goes by...
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Posted - November 03 2015 : 1:58:20 PM
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i took a photo of the electronics but it didn't upload I'll can layout the wiring for you if i have time i'll draw it up.
to make it fast buy one of these
http://www.amazon.com/Home-Outdoor-Tools-MK102-Velleman/dp/B001VCMEVO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1446577018&sr=8-1&keywords=velleman+flashing+led
now depending on power in your setup either you can tie into your main supply and just use a regulator or diode drop to get down to about 9 volts the circuit should take 12 volts as well, but if you want to be safe then drop the voltage or use a separate power supply.
next you ditch the LED and resistor, if you have led powered crossing signals then you may want to leave the resistor in. I used the standard bulbs that came with the crossing signs.
there is a common Ground on one side the circuit that you tie your black wire to then the red wire you stagger, one from the left one from the right were each LED went on the the original pcb and repeat for the second bulb, that makes it flash off front to back one at a time, both lefts go off then both rights and it looks like its flashing left to right on the sign for both sides of your crossing.
the pcb is adjustable so you can go nuts customizing how fast and long the lights flash for.
you could also tie the system into relays instead of directly to the board. or you could use remote switches on the track to turn the system on and off. the upshot is lets say you had 6 crossings, then you could power it all from just one timing board the timing board would be on all the time, and when a train crossed a sensor it would just power the lights on the closest crossing that the train was near.
or just have 6 timers and keep them all separated but on common 9 volt power. you could also tie the crossing lights to the bell noise.
i didn't add sound to my setup because of lack of space inside the building. i would of needed a small sound circuit that chirped a bell noise and a speaker. i just didn't have the space.
you can go nuts with sound effects too.
here is a sound system and lights i made for a police car
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq23qz9i9Sk
installed in the car
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYwsZmvNo28
i also made a dukes of hazzard car with dixie horn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n578J_fVzso
i found out you can't get a dixie horn sound for a toy due to licensing. so i hacked a radio shack voice digital voice recorder, hooked it up to my laptop and while it recorded i played a dixie horn. i then set the memory to save it and put it in the car :D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B22d3zt7zFI
sound effects with electronics speed booster for tyco TCR and command control
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9KRAKFm6v0
you can do anything if you want it bad enough
Edited by - slotcardan on November 03 2015 2:25:22 PM
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Posted - November 03 2015 : 2:42:49 PM
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| Lights To Go ; makes some nice flashing units with a built in speed adjustment. Bought on for my rail crossing I had set up in my driveway. They work very well but was $45 a few years back..
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Posted - November 03 2015 : 10:05:44 PM
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yup the you pay more for the crossing signs then the electronics.
mine cost about 26$ in parts. if you factor in buying the us1 stuff then its like 100$
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Posted - November 04 2015 : 8:17:30 PM
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Sweet set-up, I like it. Lots of thought and ability went into making that layout work. Wish I had the time and space to do it, I may try using my garage eventually, once I get a car or two moved out. Just can't find room in the house right now.
Jerry in VA
" When life throws you bananas...it's easy to slip up"
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Posted - November 04 2015 : 11:40:38 PM
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some updates; pics
car show
slowly adding details
small train yard, blocking switches on each siding, so i can swap engines.
i found some tyco electric switches that worked so tossed them on.
other side yard still figuring it all out, i might add one blocking switch area and mostly leave it for car storage
i have more buildings i need to finish building as well
1986 was a good year
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Posted - November 05 2015 : 12:52:02 PM
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well you has a few buildings & freight cars I wants
Hope to find those someday
I likes how you modernized the theater 
Loews was once part of MGM
Edited by - microbusss on November 05 2015 12:53:50 PM
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Posted - November 07 2015 : 8:10:47 PM
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train electrical is all hooked up, tested the train loader functions.
all the different loaders and unloaders are working, wish i could of fit more of them on the layout, need a larger table :(. wish i had room for a proper train yard. right now i have 3 train blocking so i can sit 3 different engines on the layout.
still have some more wiring to deal with.
updated photos:
hobby shop
main yard
logging
shell service
general construction and church:
fire house and park
small secondary yard
logging unloader
post office unloader
carshow
redline trucking unloader
school
trailer terminals
truck garages
airport
front of movies
passenger platform
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Posted - November 08 2015 : 11:32:45 AM
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| That mountain backdrop works pretty well Dan. Where'd you come up with that?
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Posted - November 08 2015 : 3:03:04 PM
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the log loader I has for trains
It uses a air pump to push the logs up the ramp
Have seen both pipe loaders for US1 & train sets
I has a Road Champs semi with Loews Cineplex on it
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Posted - November 08 2015 : 4:18:37 PM
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| Fantastic layout Dan! LOVE all of the USA-1 stuff!
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Posted - November 08 2015 : 8:19:20 PM
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Fabulous Tycomania Dan, one of the best I've seen.
Loved the theatre 80's hits tie in. Spot on!
Iff'n you don't mind me asking, not to many, in fact, you may be the only
one in existence, go into Tyco in such a methodical and passionate way
that you have. What got you into Tyco??
Also, your superb layout, which I will study again and again, appears to be
a very pure version of Tyco, which is also quite unique. I will be most
eager to see your future posts.
Edited by - Chops124 on November 08 2015 8:26:04 PM
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bnsfIA
Big Six
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Posted - November 08 2015 : 8:27:53 PM
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| Really nice layout
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Posted - November 09 2015 : 01:40:55 AM
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i'll try and answer everything
@barry "That mountain backdrop works pretty well Dan. Where'd you come up with that?"
Basically i went online and searched for panoramic photos with a high resolution. i then outputted the panoramic photo in tiles of 13"x19" on my artisan Epson printer on presentation 13x19 photo paper, then i hung up up piece by piece as a quick and dirty way to make the track background. I did this before for another layout, but last time i used a roll fed printer and i ran out a 14 foot banner of a mountain, it was a lot of trouble to mount, it looked a lot better with the continuous roll fed paper but i opted for a quick and dirty mounting.
@microbusss the log loader i have was original air powered with the button pushing the bellows. My bellows dry rotted and so i removed the air system and made a push button activator on the side using a spring loaded lever of my own design. it works much better then the original tyco air system as you get full power to move the log load up the ramp an onto the train car.
for the train car i modified a tyco electric log dump car i lowered the side pegs that hold the load on the cart so i could use it together with my log loader. I'll have to take video at some point.
@ Chops124 "What got you into Tyco??"
I mainly had tycos growing up. i guess it is nostalgia. i guess when you have momentum you just roll with it. I think Tyco doesn't get much credit as far as the trains are concerned. I really like their trains i think for all the faults that the pure train hobbyist give tyco, nothing beats them for casual setups like mine. If i went with a fixed layout then i would of used different trains and track where you want more detail and precision. I think tyco kits were also extremely well done as they brought in the models from germany, the colors are bright and fun to look at which is just what you want looking at things with a child's eye.
i have some non- tyco stuff on the layout that i have slowly replaced with tyco , it won't be 100% tyco overall but i fit what i can and build what i can.
I've run into problems with the Ebay sellers that have really set me back and screwed up my time table.
i'm still making mods and changes to the system.
video from a few days ago when i fixed my Chattanooga choo choo smoker and got everything working again
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbRGa5zjNE8
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Posted - November 09 2015 : 02:00:52 AM
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one thing i didn't like was tyco would leave loaders and unloaders kind of incomplete. they would design a loader for something one year, then some time later design a unloader but never make the loader and unloader work together.
to correct that i modify the loaders and unloaders so they they do work together.
example here is my modified log loader.
https://youtu.be/sBfwcQWO8U4
here are the guts of the loader that i modified from air to mechanical
the electric log unloader car had to be slightly modified as well to work with the loader.
some other changed today.
got the controls sorted
love the momentum function for making things harder to control.
fixed the sounds of steam car for the choo choo
she chugs now, so i have lights, sounds, and steam now, WOO WOO
a look at the train accessories.
better pic of the church
gravel company got a head quarters
grand ma got a house
more changes for some of the other dioramas as i placed some stuff as fillers until i made something better later.
there are currently 8 train activities on the layout. i have more but many are redundant so i didn't install them on the layout.
Edited by - slotcardan on November 09 2015 02:09:43 AM
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Posted - November 09 2015 : 2:25:45 PM
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| well a jerk of a ebay seller screwed me out of a bunch of stuff, ebay refunded my money but it wrecked a bunch of future additions and improvements i wanted to put into the layout.
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Posted - November 09 2015 : 9:51:23 PM
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Today I learned that replacing the 2 traction axles on the Chattanooga choo choo from plastic to metal and loosing 2 traction tires means you cannot pull more then 14 cars. So I replaced one metal wheel back to plastic with a traction tire making 3 out of 4 tires that showed a big increase in traction over 2 but still not enough. So looks like I have to swap back to original with 4 traction tires. I guess I could add weight but it worked fine with 4 traction tires.
What stinks is reduced smoothness of ride and the extra rail contact points.
But got to go with what works, was worth a shot
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Posted - November 10 2015 : 03:38:55 AM
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Wow, Dan, I got to run through some of your video posts. Really amazing deal you got going on. How do you clean the slot car track pick up rails, and are the Tyco vehicles any good (unlike the notorious PT motors)?
Try setting your camera down at eye level and shoot some more. I think the result will be most dramatic!
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Posted - November 10 2015 : 1:14:41 PM
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i should post on how i modified the contact shoes for the us-1 so that the trucks actually work correctly. Tyco must of overlooked the issue during production because I'm sure when the prototype for Us-1 was made the contact shoes had a different profile.
as for cleaning and maintenance, without sounding like a info-commercial i use Aero-Car ACT-6006 Track & Rail Cleaner. I've seen the stuff do magic and it works really well. i've gone through the whole WD-40 and Inox deal and i've used other rail cleaners, but for me nothing worked like the Aero-Car. I was a skeptic until a slot car forum member sent me a free bottle to test out. i spent about a month testing it in various applications outside of slotcars and trains and came to my own conclusions and kept buying it.
i treat both the rails and the contact shoes with the Aero-car and wipe down as needed. Now as a warning the Aero-car will change the surface friction of the metal it is used on. it will dry back over time, so during the first hour after application the rails can be too slick for proper traction, after that traction will return. the liquid is also conductive but it would be hard to cause a short, works great on rotational electrical pickups as well and it lubricates them.
on to the motors.
PT motors i assume means Power torque. the power torques are pancake style motors.
I've dealt with pancake motors thanks to my slot car experience, they are problematic mostly because of the brush pickup proximity to the center oiled bushing for the armature.
Tyco slotcars never fell into the pancake motor issue like Aurora did because they used inline armatures. Tyco US-1 uses inline motors with a worm gear gearbox like many trains did. this is another reason why TYCO Us-1 isn't really a slotcar. the trucks used 4 Point contact for power pickup where a normal slot car uses 2 front pickups. the 4 point also picks up power from the rails over the large gaps for the accessory turnouts.
with modification the pick ups will work better for the trucks.
the deal with the pancake motors is everything is key to brush tension.
too loose or too strong causes all kinds of issues. in a slot car depending on which chassis this can be easy to adjust or almost impossible.
the PT motor in the trains is pretty difficult to tune.
the same issues exist in the slot cars for pancakes. you can overheat the brush springs or cups and weaken them or collapse them, you can contaminate the commutator surface which gives you that awesome puff of smoke death that gets you to pull the motor out and clean it up. you can blow a coil etc. pancakes are a pain in either world.
best mod for a train would be external Brush Spring Cups with an external adjuster like a grub screw where you could set the spring tension with the motor assembled and on a bench power supply. or modify the cups with a key so you could actually change motor timing as needed.
i used to build motors back in the day :)
but the inline in the tyco slot cars are very reliable only a few times have i needed to change brushes from them just being worn down to nubs.
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Posted - November 12 2015 : 09:00:24 AM
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| still working on it, have a couple of tyco kit buildings to finish and extra stuff on the way.
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 Posted - November 15 2015 : 06:37:33 AM
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Finished the Freight Terminal. some more photos tried to get a little more street level as requested.
in action:
different angles around the layout, hard to get shots due to stuff in the way and distance.
I also toyed with the idea of a 4X6 add on area to the right side of the layout to try and add a train yard.
I put an extra table on the side and layed some test track. Turns out it made things worse, and i couldn't fit what i wanted plus it blocked off the right side of the table and any positives were out-weighted by the negatives so i aborted it.
------
As requested here is my double tandem rear axle us-1 truck that i custom built
here is an old video showing it running
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0Dg39wCLXU
because of the increased wheelbase it does not work with all the tyco US-1 turnouts, however it works with some and looks cool cruising the track with a box trailer. i designed it with the rear guide pin inboard so it takes 9" radius curves no problem
i made it by welding 2 us-1 chassis together and modifed the drive train with 2 worm gears and an end plate to keep the shaft from lifting under load.
Edited by - slotcardan on November 15 2015 06:57:48 AM
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Posted - November 15 2015 : 11:03:52 AM
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| That looks like a really fun layout to run cars and trains on Dan.
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Posted - November 16 2015 : 09:20:42 AM
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| Neat layout! I love all those operating accessories.
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Posted - November 18 2015 : 8:18:28 PM
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some new stuff
town got a water tower
the kit was kind of crumby :(
i modified it so the light on the top blinks.
runs off a 3volt battery led for the light
fixed up the old revell blimp for some sky display coming soon
got my midnight special going to complete the tyco train trifecta
the midnight needed everything rebuilt, i just love that mint train off ebay deal....
when i got it the PT motor was messed up and it was missing the pinion gear.
the horns on the roof were messed up and the light didn't work
the caboose was messed up also, missing the end finish pieces but the body was in good shape.
i had to get a junk tyco loco with PT motor for a donor for 5$ and another midnight caboose for 2$ where the body was ruined. i mixed and matched to bring it back to life.
for fun here is the amtrak coming into the station
and the midnight special running.
Edited by - slotcardan on November 18 2015 8:37:41 PM
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Posted - November 18 2015 : 8:57:06 PM
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Looking for that Goodyear blimp
Did you make the mechanizum for the log loader?
if so I'd like one for mine 
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Posted - November 18 2015 : 9:32:08 PM
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Beautiful layout! I hope one day to combine my Tyco US1 and trains!
" Heck with counting 'em rivets, TRAINS ARE FOR FUN! Not called the Mad Scientist for nothing either!"
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Posted - November 18 2015 : 11:31:10 PM
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@ microbuss you can still get them NIB for about 20$ with shipping.
there is the pre1975 version, which is the blimp and you get some of the film sheets.
then there is the 1975 deluxe kit that came with more film sheets, custom sheets and a set of 4 magic markers for coloring your own sheets.
Then there is the 1977 version different box but has the same stuff as the 1975 deluxe version.
the internals didn't change on the versions. you have to carefully assemble them as the gears can jam up, lapping them is a good idea. some good plastic safe oil works well too. the E10 bulbs are not that bright.
i upgraded the E10 with a brighter 3.0Volt bulb but it didn't make much of a difference other then increasing amp draw from the D cells. I ordered some new LED E10 bulbs to try out. if that doesn't work i'll fabricate a LED array to try and make the display brighter, or i can try a plasma panel, but then i have to change the power source. some people replaced the original mechanics with a LED sign display
This guy did a cool mod (i didn't make this)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y26fdAUtJIk
-----
for the train log loader i modified the lever taking the air pump and diagram out i bent some piano wire and made a return spring and make a button out of plastic so when you push the button it makes the dozer climb up then the spring makes the dozer return to the bottom.
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Posted - November 19 2015 : 10:39:02 AM
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oh I see neato on both
I think I'd use a more colorful LED display that you can have stuff that moves
like race cars & stuffs
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Posted - November 19 2015 : 11:41:01 AM
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just beware the cost on a mini led sign display that is programmable or a raspberry kit, they can go for 100$ of dollars.
the cheap programmable displays are always one color there are kits for about 40$ that give you a 8X24 led display .79″(20.0mm) x 2.36″(60.0mm), window. it is programmable but one color and looks like a calculator display with one font. then the better ones with some color is like 90-200$ and it goes up from there.
there are led name badge displays that are programmable it scrolls and has brightness and scroll speed settings. works off a button battery and runs for about 20 hours.
they are between 10$ and 40$ have a couple of different colors. some have nice fonts.
you can get a mini LCD display for under 20$ but then you have to figure out what computer to hook up to display everything, and there is wiring and you need a huge power supply. that means hiding an external wire and the only part of the original model you use will be the blimp casing.
either way it is an investment in a 40 year old model kit.
i tried a couple of things with the original equipment, i made a layout in illustrator for the display paper and i ran it out on a transparency with a test image thinking maybe more light would get through;
It did and looks Terrible.
There needs to be a defuser in front of the bulbs, i'll have to try some more experiments with it and see what happens. it would be nice if the LED bulb replacements did the job.
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Posted - November 19 2015 : 9:32:33 PM
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If your leds are too bright, you can use 600 or 1000 grit paper to LIGHTLY
sand the top of the led to diffuse the light. Just be real light handed when
you do the sanding.
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Posted - November 20 2015 : 12:51:20 PM
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well 1st gotta find the blimp
Only 2 Goodyear blimps I have is the Buddy L & the Avon ones
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Posted - November 20 2015 : 2:24:43 PM
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everything is on ebay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1977-Revell-Good-Year-Blimp-Model-Kit-SEALED-BOX-Old-Store-Stock-/331711088319?hash=item4d3b8586bf:g:KN4AAOSw9r1WB2Kr
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Posted - November 20 2015 : 2:42:35 PM
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quote:
no credit car or Ebay account  
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 Posted - November 20 2015 : 8:50:50 PM
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New video :)
http://youtu.be/TO0OMymyBvI
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Posted - November 26 2015 : 10:52:30 PM
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world's first Tyco US-1 terminal track turnout.
i combined the terminal track and a turnout so i could fit another action accessory
I redesigned the bulldozer area to compensate.
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Posted - November 27 2015 : 01:06:30 AM
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oh maaan
You didn't make the airport go
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Posted - December 14 2015 : 1:27:42 PM
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things i learned.
1) you need more room
2) you need a larger train yard
3) those long passenger cars and longer train engines like the E7 run terrible on 18 curves and when you have lots of height changes.
4) tyco action cars require a restriction to switch track placement, this is because parts of the action cars stick out and interfere with the tops of the switches on the switch track which can cause derailments.
this limits you on how you can lay track outside of an oval.
originally i had planed to have at least 3 engines on the track placed in both directions so that i could run either clockwise or counter clockwise.
i scaled that back to 2 locos running in the same direction because my train yard is not large enough to juggle the cars around to have the weight correctly setup to go in both directions.
i really like the old Mantua trains more then the tycos. the Tyco power torque is a whiny engine that needs constant lubrication just like the Aurora T-jet slot cars.
i really like the last gen tyco that was the Yugoslavian made train the traction on that unit is awesome with the inline armature and dual drive trucks.
as for the layout i have not had time to add anything more. i have another station to put together. but its beginning to wear thin again for the year and i will soon take it down, most likely after new years.
i did add some small things and some modified tyco us-1 chassis but nothing worth a photo.
the setup is working really well otherwise and i learned how to better setup the contact shoes on the tyco us-1 trucks there is a delicate balance on how much contact you allow too much and the chassis drags too little and you get bad contacts.
train wise i bought everything i wanted i bought some mantua passenger cars and the color didn't match well at all with what i wanted so that was kind of a bust.
some improvements for next year if i did this again. Flip the layout left to right for the train and move the slot car track over to the left, this would open up a larger train yard on the right side of the layout.
maybe use less train action accessories. some of the accessories are messy and can cause a derailment if something falls on the track and you do not notice.
train layouts are kind of depressing because you never have the space to do what you want or what you meant to do, i can see why people go to a smaller scale, like N.
i like long straight runs for trains but i will never have the space for something like that.
i would also if i did this again split the train system in half with a another track isolator switch so i could keep 2 engines on the main line and control power to each one it would make it easier when sorting the train cars.
i guess that is about it. every-time is a learning experience.
i fixed up 4 trains and restored them to good working order, i fixed a smoker on my Chattanooga, bought a bunch of train stuff i didn't have before and worked on my tyco us-1 stuff all in all fun.
:)
Edited by - slotcardan on December 14 2015 1:28:28 PM
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Posted - December 16 2015 : 7:21:55 PM
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| That just plain looks like a layout to have fun with. Nice innovative work Dan.
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Posted - January 15 2016 : 08:31:57 AM
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Love the layout. That tilt nose 57 Chevy is awesome. I have yet to find one my bank account could afford.
I too am a US 1 fan.
What was the weld you talked about for making the tandem axle frame setup?
Where did you find a pinion shaft long enough?
What is the size of that layout you may have stated and I missed it.
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Posted - January 15 2016 : 6:52:39 PM
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I have both the nomad and the coupe.
weld, was me melting 2 chassis together with my soldering iron, basically i 3d printed it by hand.
the shaft was fabricated by me.
6' x 11' feet as stated in the thread title.
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Posted - January 15 2016 : 8:22:36 PM
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| Love seein' photos of your layout and projects Dan.
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Posted - January 21 2016 : 4:25:40 PM
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Very impressive stuff!
Thanks for posting about the relay thing on Model Power's crossing signals. I guess I won't bother with that, then. (I'll probably go with the Logic Rail Tech grade crossing pro...)
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Posted - January 27 2016 : 10:57:43 AM
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well i never took the set down, but i have not touched it since December either.
other hobbies have taken over again :D
Fun in the snow
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