new to g scale

idlemarvel said:
Welcome (name?). You've done a lot of research and planning which is a good start. As others have mentioned start small and get something running to learn from the experience. Think big by all means but don't forget the wine!
Ref weather I think you get heavy rains from time to time, and snow in winter?
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Yes, Dave, we get some heavy rains sometimes and some snow in winter. The rain may force me to use some concrete in places as DunnyRail suggested. Hopefully, this won't be too many places. This image is from a few weeks ago. It's the northern most portion of my plan with most of the plan and house out of frame to the right. You can see a black hose at the bottom left where one of the tracks might go. You can also see a bit of runoff water from the melting snow there. This might be a place for concrete.


Snow.png


I'm hoping that the first 70 foot section of track will give me a place to learn. And to give me a place to run trains while I move to build the next section(s).

Curt
 
Hello CVCANADA

Live steam garden railroader formerly from Jemez Springs, NM. Moved to Lubbock about 3 years ago.

You might consider pneumatic control of your switches. Sunset Valley Railroad in Washington would be a good source.

Roger
 
RogerK said:
Hello CVCANADA

Live steam garden railroader formerly from Jemez Springs, NM. Moved to Lubbock about 3 years ago.

You might consider pneumatic control of your switches. Sunset Valley Railroad in Washington would be a good source.

Roger
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Roger,

You know my area. Jemez Springs is just up the road a bit.

I've looked at the pneumatic control from Sunset Valley Railroad and gotten some good recommendations for them from others in New Mexico. I've been a bit shy about them because we have a number of critters around the yard that like to bite through similar tubing used for irrigation systems. But that's probably driven by a desire to get at the water inside. Air filled tubes should fair better. I'll circle back to Sunset Valley Railroad before making any final decision on switch control.

Curt
 
cvcanada said:
You can also see a bit of runoff water from the melting snow there.
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A good place to put in that first bridge!

By the way I thought you probably meant sprung points (non-derailing switches) but didn't want to assume. The LGB manual turnout mechanism is also spring loaded to allow a train to pass from either direction against the points. I've not used Piko switches so don't know whether one brand has stiffer springs. I'm pretty sure the mechanisms are interchangeable.
 
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cvcanada said:
You know my area. Jemez Springs is just up the road a bit.
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I know it quite well after 33 years in NM. 10 years in Los Alamos and 23 years just North of Jemez Springs near Soda Dam. Given my steep terrain in San Diego canyon and the need to keep it level for live steam, my layout was fairly small. Here is a pic, obviously from uphill.

ao3vMqO.jpg
 
phils2um said:
A good place to put in that first bridge!

By the way I thought you probably meant sprung points (non-derailing switches) but didn't want to assume. The LGB manual turnout mechanism is also spring loaded to allow a train to pass from either direction against the points. I've not used Piko switches so don't know whether one brand has stiffer springs.
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A bridge might be just the right thing!:)

I didn’t know that about LBG turnouts. One or the other might be a good choice until/if I figure out how to detect a train and switch the turnout appropriately while integrating that into the rest of my DCC stuff.
 
RogerK said:
I know it quite well after 33 years in NM. 10 years in Los Alamos and 23 years just North of Jemez Springs near Soda Dam. Given my steep terrain in San Diego canyon and the need to keep it level for live steam, my layout was fairly small. Here is a pic, obviously from uphill.
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Very nice! Interesting layout pattern. And some nice to scale trees.
 
The egg shaped area is only 18' x 30'. The challenge was to maintain a 6' minimum radius while getting around the large flat rock. Had to fabricate my own cross track, which isn't too hard with dead rail. The trees are the ever popular Dwarf Alberta Spruce. Unfortunately, not recommended here in the West Texas climate. Here is an uphill pic.

ZEzvxcg.jpg


Track and switches are TrainLi. Went with SSV for the new layout because the switches are much smoother IMHO.
 
RogerK said:
The egg shaped area is only 18' x 30'. The challenge was to maintain a 6' minimum radius while getting around the large flat rock. Had to fabricate my own cross track, which isn't too hard with dead rail. The trees are the ever popular Dwarf Alberta Spruce. Unfortunately, not recommended here in the West Texas climate. Here is an uphill pic.

Track and switches are TrainLi. Went with SSV for the new layout because the switches are much smoother IMHO.
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Thanks for the picture. It looks really great.
 
korm kormsen said:
a little?

going on 70 (or having left it behind already) we got a time management problem.
of our daytime we need about
20% for cleaning ourselves and eating (meals and a snack or two in between)
25% for daydreaming
15% for a siesta or nap now and then
30% for "Darling do"s
10% for seeking lost things
5% or more for bitching about politics
and so on....

the good news is, the rest of the day you are completely free for layout building, playing and wine


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105% bang on. !
 
cvcanada said:
Roger,

You know my area. Jemez Springs is just up the road a bit.

I've looked at the pneumatic control from Sunset Valley Railroad and gotten some good recommendations for them from others in New Mexico. I've been a bit shy about them because we have a number of critters around the yard that like to bite through similar tubing used for irrigation systems. But that's probably driven by a desire to get at the water inside. Air filled tubes should fair better. I'll circle back to Sunset Valley Railroad before making any final decision on switch control.

Curt
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I forgot to mention pneumatics for points, really low maintenance all of my line points (switches) have been powered by Air since I started using it back in around 2000. I have used Del Air, Easy Air (both now unavailable) and even have some Sunset Valley on my line though I find the Levers a little in the small size they do make a nice neat panel. All of my Lines go through modest sized Electrical Trunking, I spray it Grey to match in better on the line some I have even scored with a saw to look like Railway Cable Trunking runs. This for you will have the same benefits for me, easy access for revisions and perhaps some protection against critters. I have had ants nests in the trunking with no ill effects. The trunking is also useful for Electric Cable runs as I used to run DCC, but in your case with battery any such runs may just be for Building Lighting.

As for those water courses, embrace them use large rocks where they go to make like a River and run bridges over for the Track. I have made fake water courses on my line using Cement Based on top of Butyl Liner with the rocks bedded into the cement, so long as you preserve the natural route and depth of the water this should work well for you.
 
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Welcome to the forum cvcanada. Having gone through the electrically driven - manual - air powered cycle of operating my points/switches, I can thoroughly recommend using a pneumatic system for these. I too use the readily available SVRR system, as it is now distributed in the UK ( the guy who makes it is a Brit' expat' !). The SVRR system is based on modified standard mainstream Clippard pneumatic components. It's ideal if you live in areas where climate extremes, water (precipitation) and heat, may affect the reliability of electrically driven systems and require excessive maintenance as a result. I have adapted their turnout motors to operate my semaphore signals. I power mine from a small airbrush compressor with a 3 ltr reservoir tank.

Looks like you have a major project on the go there. What do you plan to run ? Max
 
Paul M said:
Please notethis is nothing to do with the iconic feminist magazine, no politics are allowed here
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Paul, as usual I have no idea what you're talking about.....:confused:
 
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