Category Archives: Design and Construction

Looking at The Diversion From a Different Perspective

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While having a day off from work yesterday, it occurred to me that I had been looking at the HOn30 portable layout from a fairly narrow perspective, so to speak. In planning, I was pretty stuck on using 20″x30″ as a unit dimension in the layout sections. Surely, there would be other shapes/sizes that would fit into the back of the car equally well. And so, I measured the back of the car a little more carefully. What I found is that I have a full clearance space that is 40″ wide, 24″ deep and 20″ tall — without folding the back seats or blocking the rear window.

That opens up some other interesting possibilities for “section” shapes. For instance, I could do two 40″x24″ units, 9″ tall. Or, four 40″x12″ shelf sections. Those could either make a long, skinny switching layout or a 40″x64″ or 52″x52″ continuous-run layout. A scenic-only-section could fill the open space in the middle.

Conway, Broomshire & Hill Town Railroad Track Plan

Conway, Broomshire & Hill Town Railroad Track Plan

I got thinking about this perspective thing after stumbling across this plan for the Conway, Broomville & Hill Town Railroad somewhere in my travels ’round the ol’ internet.

Could something with this character fit into the confines of two 40″x24″ panels and still be made with continuous running, while still using basic Atlas snap-track components?

The short answer is, “Not likely.” But, I’m at least going to look at it, as I really like the look of this arrangement.

Of course, I could also adapt it for a part of the Corinna & Searsport On30 layout. Yeah. That’s a better idea!

First Three Switches Under Remote Control

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Not a huge amount of progress today, as we had a few other things to get done. However, I did get three of the servo switch motors installed and (temporarily) connected up to the TAM Valley controller. They can be a little bit of a bear to set up, though once dialed in, they work quite nicely.

If you’re using a turnout with a spring to hold the points over to one side or the other, you’ll most probably need to remove it. If you’re using the Micro Engineering turnouts, this means that you’ll have to remember that the hold-over spring also supplies tension needed to hold the points in place, and you’ll need to install the switch motor so that the new throw linkage provides that pressure. Otherwise, the points will fall out of the switch and/or you’ll “break” the electrical connection between the points and the wing rails.

Trains Running In Corinna!

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After several hours of drilling holes, dropping feeders and soldering, soldering, soldering, the first “train” ran into Corinna under its own power this evening. The plan had been for it to be the No. 1o Forney, but she kept picking the switch entering town. Instead, No. 9 did the honors. A closer inspection of No. 10 showed that her pilot truck had been installed improperly after her last overhaul (it was upside down!). A short time later, No. 10 was plying the rails as well, followed by inside framed 0-4-4 Forney No. 5 and the newest addition to the roster, No. 6, an inside framed 2-4-4.

The next task will be to start installing the seven servo switch motors and controls to power the turnouts.

The Turntable at Corinna

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After a bit of searching, I finally decided that the turntable at Corinna will be based on the WW&F turntable at Albion, ME., while the engine house will be based on the one at Randolph, ME on the KC.

These images are taken from Vol. III of Gary Kohler and Chris McChesney’s excellent Narrow Gauge in the Sheepscot Valley book series, and show the ringless turntable “pit” and the “bunks” that the end of the turntable rested on when it was aligned for a particular track. They also give a clue as to the unique deck construction.

Based on Jeff Bissonnette’s excellent drawings, also included in the book, it becomes apparent that the entire deck is built from 12″ x 12″ lumber, with the only metal parts being used to construct the spider (and, of course, the steel suspension cables). This design all but eliminates most of the finicky bits of building and installing a model turntable!