the track of this layout will be made entirely of LGB/Playmobil track and turnouts (points for the english or switches for the northamericans)plus a handfull of homemade wye-turnouts.
i got 15 R1 turnouts, 2 R3 turnouts, some (few) longer straights, enough 1 foot straights and lots of 1 foot R1 curves.
the longer pieces will be used mainly on bridges and trestles for additional stability.
including sidings, the track will be about 420 foot long.
given the fact, that anyhow i have to re-bend or straighten a lot of track, i will not follow the LGB track-geometrics.
i started the tracklaying where the track later will be hidden in tunnels.
material for this first section:
R1 curves bent and cut to measure.
as the first pic shows, i went for "radius one and a half" for this section.
the space was too small for R2, but a bit broader than R1.
(the inner semicircle is just for comparison and consists of R1 curves)
i just used the original outer rails as the new inside rails. the new outer rails i bent by hand (not even needed the belly)
where i used straights (or near straight curves) i hammered the rails to the desired form. (a smallish hammer with a somewhat round head is best, not to scar the railfoot to much)
the connections of the rails are made with the re-used original connectors ("fishplates").
generally i use only the outer rails of the R1 curves for building curved track.
the inner, shorter rails are exactly the same length as the one-foot straights. so i use them for straight sections. (that way it is a non brainer, to include them in the calculations)
I really love my R1 curves! as mentioned elsewhere, they did cost me just a bit more than a dollar per foot. The bending-straightening by hand and hammer and cutting of the tie-web takes less than five minutes per foot.
Straight enough for me:
Ich liebe meine Radius 1 Kurven! Wie ich schon an anderer Stelle schrieb, sie kosteten mich etwas ueber einen Dollar pro Stueck. Das Geradebiegen mit Hand und Hammer inklusive Schwellennetz beschneiden dauert dauert weniger als zehn Minuten pro Schienenstueck.
but very slowly. too slow. at my momentary speed my largescale layout will be finished in decades, not in years.
about two foot of track and roadbed per day.
if i will not make any temporary shortcuts, i can not run my trains in months, but in years.
Es geht weiter...
aber sehr langsam. Zu langsam. Bei meiner momentanen Geschwindigkeit wird meine Anlage in Jahren - und nicht in Monaten - fertig sein.
at this forest section the way of right will run beside a small river or arroyo to cross it before entering the next section with Woodpeckerville.
In dieser Waldsektion wird die trasse an einem Fluesschen entlanglaufen und es ueberqueren, um nach Woodpeckerville weiterzufuehren.
planning the station of Wayne City (or was it Hodge City?).
From Hodge City the trains go up on the long ramp.
Von Hodge City fahren die Zuege auf die lange Rampe.
and up...
nach oben...
and up...
weiter nach oben...
and still going up...
und noch hoeher...
to the point, where the trussbridge is built. (about 6 foot above the floor)
this stretch of track is nearly 80 foot long and almost entirely built with straightened R1 curves.
the ramp gains 3ft. 2" of height. the steepest parts have an elevation of 6%.
bis zu der Stelle, wo die Holzbruecke ist. (ungefaehr 180 cm ueber dem Boden). Diese Strecke ist knapp 27m lang und hauptsaechlich mit geradegebogenen R1 Kurven gebaut.
Die Rampe gewinnt 97cm an Hoehe. Der steilste Teil hat ein Gefaelle von 6%.
Passing the bridge, i will build the station of Uptown on a shelf above the workbench.
Hinter der Bruecke platziert wird, baue ich die Station Uptown auf einem Regal ueber dem Arbeitstisch.
one of the next to complete will be the passing siding of Xtern. (after i have fixed/upgraded the R3 turnouts)
Xtern will be a clandestine station in a tunnel, and it seems, that hidden from the world there might be located a stargate for universal travellers.
Dann kommt die Station von Xtern an die Reihe. (nachdem die R3 Weichen nachgearbeitet sind)
Xtern wird ein geheimer Bahnhof in einem Tunnel werden. Und es scheint, dass, unentdeckt von der Welt, dort ein Stargate stehen koennte, wo Reisende aus dem Universum ankommen.
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