Norinoo Jct. Railway

[Dwayne]

The Norinoo Jct. Railway is my third 7/8ths scale layout. It is about 50% smaller than the previous layout which should make maintenance a simpler task.

Below is a rough sketch of the track plan.

[Dwayne]

After a week of working a few hours each evening I managed to lay most of the main line and one siding at Brendita (named after my wife Brenda).







One of the things I did differently was increase the size of the ties. The previous railroad used 3/8" x 3/8" x 4.25" ties. The new ties are larger and measure 1/2" wide x 5/8" tall x 4.5" long. Spikes are 5/8" x 19 nails.

The roadbed this time will be more soil than ballast as the goal is to have the track look older and less up kept to give it the look of a backwoods narrow gauge railway.

[Dwayne]

Completed the mainline of the railway today.

[Dwayne]

Spent about a hour after work this evening cutting and bending most of the pieces of rail for the next switch to be located at Norinoo Junction.

[Dwayne]

Some progress on the switch.

[ge_rik]

Great looking trackwork. Looks like a good decision over the size and spacing of the ties. What code rail are you using BTW? It looks spot-on.

Rik

[LNR]

Yes what Rik said about the code, also the paint on the rail, does it stay on with constant running. Nothing looks as good as hand laid track. I've made some for a siding, but to hand spike the main line, phew!
Grant

[Dwayne]

Great looking trackwork. Looks like a good decision over the size and spacing of the ties. What code rail are you using BTW? It looks spot-on.

Rik

Yes what Rik said about the code, also the paint on the rail, does it stay on with constant running. Nothing looks as good as hand laid track. I've made some for a siding, but to hand spike the main line, phew!
Grant

Rail is aluminum code 250 sprayed with Rust-oleum primer. Time and more running of trains needs to occur before I can comment on the durability of the primer.

The previous layout was about 110' of mainline, this one has about 55' of main and 15' for the spur going to Mags. It takes me about one hour to bend and then spike a six foot section.

Things might be progressing quicker on the layout if I wasn't simultaneously constructing a chicken coop for the half dozen baby chicks my wife and I are raising this year.

[Keith S]

The rust colour on the rails looks fantastic. I hope it stays on there, but even if the trains rub the top clean it should still look pretty good.

[Big Jim]

That looks rather good that does.

[Dwayne]

This evening after work I completed the switch I've been working on and got it installed at Norinoo Junction.

[LNR]

I notice you don't appear to have the short bent lead in, on the guard rails of the points (switch). Do you find the wheels track through them OK?
Grant

[Dwayne]

I notice you don't appear to have the short bent lead in, on the guard rails of the points (switch). Do you find the wheels track through them OK?
Grant

The wheels track just fine. I do file the inside corner edge of each guard rail a bit. Found this to be a much simpler solution than bending the guard rails. Just realized I forgot to add some touchup primer to those filed corners while looking at the picture.

[Dwayne]

Began laying the downhill spur line to Mags.

[Dwayne]

Decided to alter the plan at Mags. Instead of the switch there serving two parallel sidings, I've opted to have them separate as if to serve two different customers. The siding that curves could be extended to continue the spur elsewhere if future expansion of the railway is desired.



So this evening I began the curved switch that will be located at Mags. This will be my first curved switch to build.

[Dwayne]

Made progress after a couple of evenings in extending the spur from the switch at Norinoo Jct that drops down towards Mags. The weekend should see the curved switch being assembled and installed along with the two sidings it will serve at Mags.

[LNR]

Just a thought. Would a loop be out of the question at Mags, to allow running round the train to steam back the other way.

[Dwayne]

Just a thought. Would a loop be out of the question at Mags, to allow running round the train to steam back the other way.

Perhaps. Maybe a bit to the left of Mags which is located between the pond and the outdoor water hydrant.

I could run a loop around the bird feeder (the thingy with the white pole). I'll have to give it some thought. My sole steam engine is actually a secondary interest to me with operations being first.

[LNR]

Ah! different countries, different interpretations of a loop. I was thinking two parallel pieces of track, points (switches) at each end. My mistake, a run around loop might have been clearer. As below.



Grant.

[Dwayne]

Ah! different countries, different interpretations of a loop. I was thinking two parallel pieces of track, points (switches) at each end. My mistake, a run around loop might have been clearer. As below.



Grant.

Gotcha. No room for a run around at Mags. To incorporate one it would still need to be off to the left. A run around will be located at Hope (the straight section of track to the right of my dog Hope) on the upper level.

I do see the value of your suggestion and it makes sense to add this feature. Runs coming down from Norinoo Jct would likely see the engine on the downhill side for control/safety and then on the uphill side for the climb back up. I could name it "Grant's Run Around" in your honor for the suggestion.