M
MHinLA
Guest
BILL PLEASE READ !!
There are several problems I see at the get go. They are :
1) All 4 engines in the pics look to have the old box type couplers. The cars you show have the latest knuckle couplers. The two will not mate..(2) The engines all have the old, very deep, wheel flanges. I believe all modern N scale track is code 55 (55 thousands of an inch tall, rail [alone] ). The deep flanged equipment will hit the simulated spike heads and will not run very far on them, if at all...I believe though if you have the earlier (was it ?) code 70 track, then you're ok there, anyway.. My most heartfelt suggestion, IF you can afford it would be skip all that, cut your losses and buy all new code 55 track and at least one new loco which will have shallow flanges and knuckle couplers and will run smoothly, too.. Bachmann has some great stuff at great prices..(4) If you do go with your track plan, try and make the approaches to the center bridge long as possible. If not, the grade to/from it may be very steep, causing wheel spin on the loco depending on how many cars it's pulling.. 3" in 100" is a 3% grade (steep but tolerable). 2" in 100" is a lower, 2% grade. 1" in 50" = 2% grade...2" in 50" = 4%...(5) Not sure if you're going DCC or staying analog DC. If DCC you'd have to put decoders in all the older locos...You don't want to do that my friend...
Go slow. Don't go spending wildly..Make everything you do on the RR as logical and sound as can be or you wind up kicking yourself for cutting corners; especially with track work... M
There are several problems I see at the get go. They are :
1) All 4 engines in the pics look to have the old box type couplers. The cars you show have the latest knuckle couplers. The two will not mate..(2) The engines all have the old, very deep, wheel flanges. I believe all modern N scale track is code 55 (55 thousands of an inch tall, rail [alone] ). The deep flanged equipment will hit the simulated spike heads and will not run very far on them, if at all...I believe though if you have the earlier (was it ?) code 70 track, then you're ok there, anyway.. My most heartfelt suggestion, IF you can afford it would be skip all that, cut your losses and buy all new code 55 track and at least one new loco which will have shallow flanges and knuckle couplers and will run smoothly, too.. Bachmann has some great stuff at great prices..(4) If you do go with your track plan, try and make the approaches to the center bridge long as possible. If not, the grade to/from it may be very steep, causing wheel spin on the loco depending on how many cars it's pulling.. 3" in 100" is a 3% grade (steep but tolerable). 2" in 100" is a lower, 2% grade. 1" in 50" = 2% grade...2" in 50" = 4%...(5) Not sure if you're going DCC or staying analog DC. If DCC you'd have to put decoders in all the older locos...You don't want to do that my friend...
Go slow. Don't go spending wildly..Make everything you do on the RR as logical and sound as can be or you wind up kicking yourself for cutting corners; especially with track work... M