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Post by mrmeep on May 16, 2024 16:43:57 GMT
Then, your next club project could be to make a modern duplicate
of this layout with Fas-Track and modern locos and accessories to
show how technology has advanced over the decades. Could be fun!
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Post by firewood on May 17, 2024 4:50:22 GMT
Has anyone thought of looking at original publicity photos or catalog images of the original trains and consists and duplicating those? And how about all of the original Post War accessories? Make it truly a "Trip Back in Time". Let people see things how they really were back then. This would be a great opportunity. It would also let the newer generation see that things really did have technology and animation just like today. We plan to run this layout as an operating time capsule with original equipment as much as possible. However the door is also open to “run-what-you-brung” as there always seems to be someone with an old train and good memories. Dave Dave
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Post by firewood on May 20, 2024 4:41:39 GMT
More success with our first two-train operation.
Next is the return of the original ZW instead of the temporary power.
I don’t have a postwar style layout at home, but really enjoy it for public displays and watching peoples’ reactions to the whole experience. We’ve had almost every element operational individually - we just have to tie it all together as a working whole.
Dave
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Post by Adam on May 20, 2024 10:53:46 GMT
Wonderful! So nice to see this piece of history preserved. Good work!
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Post by mrmeep on May 21, 2024 3:07:24 GMT
Tie all of your accessories together on a common fixed voltage tap
(or one separate section of the ZW and "tune" to best operating voltage).
Usually not such a great idea to "share" the voltage for tracks running
trains with accessories as voltage demands will vary due to locomotive
motor draw/loads.
Then use the rest of the ZW for operating the trains themselves.
You are probably going to have to sectionalize the up and down parts
of the graduated trestles so the train doesn't stall going up or run
away going down.
The flat loops can use another section of the ZW for more constant
voltage running.
PS ... That layout looks OUTSTANDING! Brings back memories!
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Post by firewood on May 21, 2024 5:21:46 GMT
Tie all of your accessories together on a common fixed voltage tap (or one separate section of the ZW and "tune" to best operating voltage). Usually not such a great idea to "share" the voltage for tracks running trains with accessories as voltage demands will vary due to locomotive motor draw/loads. Then use the rest of the ZW for operating the trains themselves. You are probably going to have to sectionalize the up and down parts of the graduated trestles so the train doesn't stall going up or run away going down. The flat loops can use another section of the ZW for more constant voltage running. PS ... That layout looks OUTSTANDING! Brings back memories! Thank you! Yes, you’re right on the money. The layout was wired just as you describe by Lionel and the sectioned power areas are covered in the instructions. The temporary setup used a LW transformer connected to both inner and outer track circuits and no accessories running. As of today we’re on the ZW. ‘A’ throttle powers most of the inner loop plus a connection to control the downgrade section power through a built-in resistor. ‘B’ supplies the inner loop grade-climbing power. ’C’ feeds accessory power. ’D’ feeds the outer level loop. Dave
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Post by firewood on Jun 14, 2024 2:45:03 GMT
So far at the Heritage Park, we’ve been getting great reactions to the layout. In addition to casual visitors over the past few weekends, we had a vintage sports car club, another local museum group and five (yes, five! ) batches of Grade 3/4 kids pass through - they loved the whole thing from push-buttons to trains. This weekend there’s a poker run for a local Ride for Dad motorcycle ride fund-raiser..
We all have our home layouts that suit our own tastes, but nothing seems to catch the public’s eye and imagination like postwar accessories buzzing and clicking away alongside a couple of trains doing 100 mph.
Of course there were glitches, but for the most part everything that was set up ran well and we only had half the accessories running.
Dave
Here’s a little video of some pre-operation tests (and before our newstand dog got his hydrant back)
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Post by atsda on Jun 14, 2024 14:15:54 GMT
Dave, great work. Thanks for restoring the layout. It sounds like the elementary school kids had a good time. I am a huge fan of PW Lionel. Keep up the good work. Alfred
(The video sounded as if it were a recording of a Civil Defense alert signal that I used to hear in elementary school. That's when the shades went down on the windows and we huddled under our desks.)
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Post by dennym57 on Jun 14, 2024 15:09:22 GMT
That is really cool, maybe it will plant a seed in some young persons mind.
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Post by firewood on Jun 16, 2024 3:08:35 GMT
I apologized with a smile to one of the teachers - she was explaining other exhibits in the same area when I accidentally hit the forklift switch. It’s a little loud, eh? Of course it completely distracted the whole class… then they wanted to see the trains - now! Dave
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Post by firewood on Jun 30, 2024 19:11:46 GMT
Multi-tasking time - throttle, camera and pushbuttons.
Our gang got a few more accessories up and running on the layout.
Dave
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Post by atsda on Jul 1, 2024 21:01:21 GMT
Dave, great job. Whirr, click, buzz, thud, clickity-clack - it's supposed to be LOUD. Alfred
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Post by Adam on Jul 1, 2024 21:25:03 GMT
Nice to see it all coming together!
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