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Khonda714

Khonda714

Union Pacific All The Way
Hey all I just wanted to throw a first post. I am new here and I just wanted to say hello to everyone. This is my first time doing any model railroading. I have always loved it and wanted to do it but was slowed down by my racing and work. I have finally had some time to my self so I started but any ways I just wanted to say hello.
 
Hey there wheeler1963 Thanks!

I kind of have an idea I want to model the present day and I started in HO. I got a lot of people telling me at train shows to do HO scale so I just went with it and its been good to me. The only problem that I am facing is making a good turn radius with flex track.
 
Welcome, Khonda714. HO isn't a bad start, all things considered.

What difficulties are you experiencing with the flex track curves? There is a lot of help to offer here....fire away.

-Crandell
 
Welcome aboard. Do you have a first name we can call you? Makes it easier to remember than screen names.:) The first thing you should do is read Chip's (spacemouse) beginner guide at http://www.chipengelmann.com/trains/Beginner/BeginnersGuide01.html. It only takes five minutes but it will give you some good ideas and make you think of exactly what you want from your layout. As far as scale, don't decide on one scale and then make it fit the space you have. If you have tons of space, O scale might be better. A small space lends itself to N scale. Once you decide exactly how much space you have and what you want your railroad to do, that's the time to start considering scale.
 
Hey Crandell and Jim thanks for the advice and link. The trouble that I am having with the flex track is that at times I make the curve a little to sharp and a lot of my trains and cars cannot make the curve and come off the track it happens with my Dash-9 models.


Thanks!!

-Kevin
 
Hey all I started forming a layout and I am working with a big oval layout but I am making it in sections. I have completed 3 sections I took a look at a book from model railroader I think the name of the book was model railroads for beginners and another one I took a look at that I can remember from the name was donner. it was by Pelle Søeborg.

Here are a few pics from what I have done it took me a week to make 2 of them. I know it could use more detail. what do you all think?

-kevin
 

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Pretty nice pictures and modeling for a beginner, Kevin. Are you making small dioramas or are these part of your main layout?

As for flex track, it's really easy to make curves that are too sharp if you don't know what radius curve you need. For example, larger six wheel truck engines need a minimum of 22" radius curves to run reliably. Without a radius tool, it's hard to tell what size curve you are making by eye. The easiest curve radius tool is a yardstick. Just put a nail in the end so it can swing freely on the layout surface. Drill holes at 22", 24", and 26" big enough for a fine tip magic marker to stick through. You can then swing the yard sticl through a radius with the pen marking the curve. Try for the largest radius curve you can get in your available space.
 
Yes, that is true. You need to know the manufacturer's designed (even stated on the box, often) minimum radius for a given engine or item of rolling stock. From there, if you want reliable running, you must meet that minimum, but always...and I do mean always....go larger if you have the room or flexibility to modify your track plan. If nothing else, it lets you run what you have enjoyably, but it may also give you room to grow. Say you wanted to run the end-of-steam era heavyweights made by Walthers....you would need really clean 24" radius as a minimum, and even then slight variations in the assembly of those cars would mean that you would be tinkering with some of them to get them to work on your curves. Others in the same batch would be fine.

A rule to remember is that the more axles bound by a rigid frame, whether the drivers on a steamer or the axles in a single diesel truck, the wider the curves you need. For steamers, generally the limiting factor is the length of the wheelbase for the fixed drivers. Note that in a very few cases the engine seems fine on one's curves, but a "centipede" tender behind it just won't play nice. The only practical fix, short of cutting up your model, is to take out the curves and figure out how to make 'em wider. And it never makes sense to do that later when you could have done it the first time.

:(
 
Nice work on your first layout. I am a first-timer myself, and I like flextrack after difficulties with Snap track.
 
Hey Jim and Crandell,

Thanks for the advice it helped me a great deal!!! I have looked over the webside that you gave me Jim and it made me think more about how I am going to plan it out and Crandell thanks for the tips on the fixed axles and room on the layout! I have started to make the the section for the left turn and I have made the area where the right curve 5 feet wide to give room for the curve I will post pics when I have more of it together. I used the tip that Jim gave me with the yard stick. Thanks for all the advice it has been a great help for me! I am currently looking at the turning radius on the atheran trains and broadway limited trains. Thanks for all your help on the flex track turning radius!
 
hey stlgevo51,

Thanks!! I had some fun with snap track but I always by accident use to pinch my fingers in the track when putting them together.
 
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