The Glacier Line is an "O" Scale (1/48) model railroad that is set in Marias Pass/Glacier National Park. It has been featured in OGR Magazine and on video: OGR Publishing: Great Layout Adventures volume #13.
In addition, John Robert Coy is the author of many writings including: Montana's Marias Pass (includes a history of creating Glacier National Park). His next release will be a book entitled: "Model Railroad Custom Designer." This book will instruct people, step by step, in the formal process of model railroad design--not just track planning/arranging.
If you are interested in the Model Railroad Custom Designer book..."LIKE" the Facebook page for information/updates. facebook.com/Model-Railroad-Custom-Designer-Book-1633115563654796/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
I was building a o scale trolley layout with 2 reverse loops. I wanted to run 3 trolleys on the same track. How can i get trolley A to stop and wait for trolley B approaching they dead rail. And trolley A to resume route, while trolley B stops and wait at the dead track for trolley C and so on. Any suggestions.
How do you use A to power a loop of track it’s variable power when I change it to fixed power it messes everything up explain how I can get a like you show on your video to run with the fixed voltage one and fixed voltage to without causing any other shorts because I get shorts every time I do that
My previous Lionel layout I had the main line going down a hill into a lot of switches in a curve then there was a walkway to cross to get to the yard with a loop around it. Initially I had a bridge with heavy hinges and the section would swing up and be held with bolt latches. But it was very heavy. I removed it and the hinges started over with the thinnest cedar plywood I could find at Menards which I cut to shape then screwed down the Lionel 027 track. Then I attached two aluminum L angle pieces to the bottom then two hardware pull handles. It was strong enough and it was incredibly light. I don’t remember if I posted a video of it before I took it apart. I built a new layout in a different room beginning in 2018 or 2019.
What a great and simple answer to all the issues that arise from needing a bridge to get under or over.. this is soo simple why do others not do this I wonder..... hmmm I will definitly think about working something like this into my new layout design.
Thank you for this. I am currently planning and building a layout that will have to have something like this. I have never seen this approach before but it looks like one to try with my layout.
It's not tmcc or dcs. It's good old electricity. It will work with tmcc, dcs or conventional power. It is simply a matter of the trains wheels transfering power from one rail to the other, causing the turnout to throw. I hope that is a good explanation.
Absolutely brilliant description of such a simple thing,you made it so simple ,thank you.been playing with Lionel since I was 5,and I'm just now learning the true skill of the hobby,at 55.lol,thank you for making it so clear...
I have the atlas slide switches that you spoke about. I have approximately 17 blocks. My outer main has 3 blocks the inner main has many switches. That being said I’m using kato track and turnouts. Now my outer main worked great for a minute then I try to hook up the inner main and then all hell breaks loose. I will be running the outer main which worked fine until I fired up the inner main then I would try to run an engine in different directions and low and behold my engines slowed down and were running on one cab. So I took my wiring off on the hot side of my switches and tried to hook them back up and I thought I had it whipped until the same thing happened. I’m just about to torch the the whole damn thing.I realize it’s not rocket science but I have pulled everything apart twice now and I figure I’m doing something wrong and I think I might be my switches. Any advice on this situation. Anything would be appreciated. Thank you in advance. W. John Gibson
Hi. Sorry it took me so long in responding. I am not familiar with Kato track. I do not know if power can pass from one end of it to the other. That may be your problem. When you divide a track into blocks they have to be electrically isolated each section from one another. From what you are describing, it sounds as if somehow someway this is not the case. You would need to ensure that power somehow isn't passing through the switches that is connecting the various blocks. Again, I apologize but I am not familiar at all with Kato track. Never owned any in my life.
I wonder if you were able to resolve your issues with the Kato switches? Most of them come power routed but you can easily change this by moving the two power route screws on the bottom of the switch. Also, if you have metal frogs, Kato provides an easy means of running power thru or killing power to them simply by moving a single screw on the bottom of the switch. All of these options are labeled on the bottom of the switch too.
Luckily I’m still relatively young. I absolutely have to deal with a duck-under for my layout. Wife gave me the smallest room and I wanted at least 1 reverse loop. The next layout in the next house will be the dream layout anyway…
My trainlayout is in four seperate powered divisions. When a long articulated straddles the division gaps it sends a power surge and trips the circuit breaker. Any suggestion would be of help for I suspect you may have seen this. The layout is wired with dcs style running legacy engines. No short occurs if I run the engine fast or use smaller engines ie. diesels. Stuck in sierras 1953 thanks
Sorry. Never had that happen. I have engines that temporarily "jump" power from one transformer to the next, but all our Z4000s set to 18 volts. Maybe your track power has different waves? Lionel transformers? Different transformers?
Sent you a friend request via Facebook. What manufacturer of turnouts did you purchase? You may want to respond to me off of Facebook Messenger. After you friend me. I rarely am on RU-vid these days. Way way way too much going on with nicer weather being here.
Would you be willing to consult me on my Christmas tree setup? I’ve got some reverse loops and just learned that I need to separate my layout into blocks and I want to make sure I’m doing it correctly. I also want to make sure that I’m wiring it up correctly. I don’t want to blow another power supply.
Yes I will. However, unless you have 3 rail track, it is a very good to NOT put reversing loops under a tree. It would require electrical isolation and two separate polarity switch controls that would have to be thrown manually. A circle or oval is best for under Christmas tree UNLESS you have 3 rail track. :-)
Granted, this is a very informational video, BUT, it really SUX that there is not a single drawing, graph, photo, or anything else that would add some sort of visual aid to describe what is being said. During the entire presentation, the only visual aid is the same picture, before, during, and after, anything is said the only visual aid is the same picture during the entire presentation. To be honest, what could very well have been a very informational aid resulted in nothing more than a waste of time. TL-DR.
You do not need to terminal blocks. But I would not run a bunch of feeder wires as you're saying you're going to do. You need to buy some Atlas selectors. You just run one wire from an atlas selector to each one of your blocks. Don't make any of your blocks any more than 20 total feet long. That way you will not need jumper wires.
@@danlevay5657 a "jumper wire" connects one section of track to another. For example, if you ran a great big circle of track and just ran two wires to it one positive and one negative near your Transformer the train would probably lose power at the point farthest away from where you connected your wires to the track. You could use jumper wires and connect a second connection to your track at the farthest point away on the circle so the engine could easily pick up the full power of the transformer. Hope that is a good explanation.
@@theglacierline2660 I bought a second transformer, an Atlas #215 selector, and two 4805 distribution boards. I also plan on using a combination of tortoises and Atlas solenoids for five track switches. I’m going to have an inner oval interacting with an outer oval main line. Probably a total number of 40 feet. Here’s my question. Do I run the transformers to the distribution boards to the selectors, or do I go to the selectors first?. If I do the former, I think I would wire the tortoises off one of the distribution boards.
Hi the video is great I have two main lines do I need a terminal block for each main line because I'm running so many feeders on each main line the wireing is driving me crazy it's for kato nscale I'm running dc duel controller tech 7 right now but getting ready for dcc soon I like to run both because I have dc and dcc locomotives
