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Jun. 19th, 2020 04:23 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
psipsyTrain layout stuff: In order to use a different track plan with wider radius track, I had to expand the layout to 4' x 8'. The original track plan would have made use of a lot of 15" radius track, which would have been too tight for a lot of my locomotives and rolling stock. By going to a track plan that uses 18" and wider, I get to use most of my collection. A few remaining pieces require a minimum of 22" to roll properly, so those will have to wait for a future layout with wider curves. Or some subtle modification.
I've got some trains running on a working over-under loop, and I'm working out some bugs and issues with it. I'm finding that sudden transitions to inclines are the biggest source of trouble, and curved track approaches to bridges also bring their own issues, especially with longer engines and if they have a plow on the front. I figured I'd like to get that sorted out before really nailing/gluing things down. It also doesn't help that I used some plain packing styrofoam as it's too soft and squishy to support a model train. Pink XPS foam is better for that, as it's more rigid and not as crumbly.
Found my airbrush set. I got it back in '95 or so, and I kept meaning to use it, but for the longest time I never had the real chance to do anything with it. It looks ok and I only needed to get a hose to run to the compressor. I'm already seeing better results using it as opposed to paint from a spray can. With spray can paint, it's either off or on, and tends to go on too light or too heavy or somehow both.
Since the layout is still very much under construction, I'm going to wire it for DCC while I can. Some of my locomotives are already pre-wired to accept the decoders. DCC brings the ability to have multiple locos doing different things at the same time on the same rails, and some of the decoders also have sound. There's a lot to learn; when I got into this, trains ran on DC and the switch coils ran on AC, and there really wasn't much more to that. Now, the sound decoders themselves have documents running for over 100 pages. (The instructions on how to put the engine kits together were all on one page.)
Doing things feels good.
I've got some trains running on a working over-under loop, and I'm working out some bugs and issues with it. I'm finding that sudden transitions to inclines are the biggest source of trouble, and curved track approaches to bridges also bring their own issues, especially with longer engines and if they have a plow on the front. I figured I'd like to get that sorted out before really nailing/gluing things down. It also doesn't help that I used some plain packing styrofoam as it's too soft and squishy to support a model train. Pink XPS foam is better for that, as it's more rigid and not as crumbly.
Found my airbrush set. I got it back in '95 or so, and I kept meaning to use it, but for the longest time I never had the real chance to do anything with it. It looks ok and I only needed to get a hose to run to the compressor. I'm already seeing better results using it as opposed to paint from a spray can. With spray can paint, it's either off or on, and tends to go on too light or too heavy or somehow both.
Since the layout is still very much under construction, I'm going to wire it for DCC while I can. Some of my locomotives are already pre-wired to accept the decoders. DCC brings the ability to have multiple locos doing different things at the same time on the same rails, and some of the decoders also have sound. There's a lot to learn; when I got into this, trains ran on DC and the switch coils ran on AC, and there really wasn't much more to that. Now, the sound decoders themselves have documents running for over 100 pages. (The instructions on how to put the engine kits together were all on one page.)
Doing things feels good.
