Nonaim Tramway

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Dwayne
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Nonaim Tramway

Post by Dwayne » Sat Mar 11, 2017 11:59 pm

Beginning of the Nonaim Tramway, a Fn3 fictional narrow gauge line.

I used my high tech ROW tool (the garden hose) to draw out the new layout track plan of the Nomaim Tramway. Since it was a bit short for my aerial photo, I filled in the gap between the two ends in Paint.

The track footage comes out to about 100 feet of mainline.

At the trunk of the pecan tree at top dead center of the photo will be two town locations. On the left is the town of Figment. To the right side will be Imagination.


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The two towns are connected by a short section of "hidden" main which will be used for those times when I just want to run trains round and round continuously. Otherwise, the two towns are not connected and the layout will be operated as a point-to-point railway where the hidden main not under a tunnel or vegetation canopy will function as short sidings.

This siding at Figment will be where the Figment Mine will be located. A second siding along the layout edge will enable switching the mine.

The counterpart siding at Imagination will be were Imagination Mill sits.  Two sidings will be located along the edge of the layout for switching and car storage.

Thus, figment ore is extracted at the Figment Mine and shipped around the layout to the mill at Imagination where it is processed into 'fiction', an essential ingredient necessary in the model railroad community.

The layout will be raised about 6 inches on the right (east) side and about 12 inches on the left (west) side. The track will be as kept as level as possible. The opening between the two loops on the left will be the mouth of a valley that will allow me to walk into the middle of the layout. Where the inner loop folds back the track will cross the valley (narrower at this end) on a trestle bridge. At this location there will be a short passing siding.

The topography within the interior of the layout will be comprised of low hills where the track will hug the hill sides similar to the High Line of the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad with the hillsides sloping down past the tracks to the existing original ground level.

At Figment and Imagination the plan is to use repurposed pressure treated timbers (from the small green house that I tore down... the faint square footprint of it's prior location can be seen in the center of the interior loop) cut to length and set on end to be used as retaining walls for the track and allow for me to get up close to throw the switches/points.

Overall, this is an extremely simple track plan. Point-to-point for when I want to actually perform switch ops and a loop when I want to just watch a train go in circles. Level track will make my single live steamer happy.
Last edited by Dwayne on Sun Jun 04, 2017 1:05 am, edited 2 times in total.

bazzer42
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Post by bazzer42 » Sun Mar 12, 2017 9:50 am

Looking forward to seeing this develop, I'm on a 4mm (HO) sabbatical at the moment but did some leaf clearing yesterday so may be back soon.

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Dwayne
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Post by Dwayne » Sun Mar 12, 2017 2:36 pm

Pulled up all the track from the old layout and began moving dirt to the new location about 50' away. A full day at this task gave me the basic foundation.


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Sylvian Tennant
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Post by Sylvian Tennant » Sun Mar 12, 2017 3:40 pm

Can't wait to see your progress mate.

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Dwayne
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Post by Dwayne » Sun Mar 12, 2017 4:54 pm

Temporarily laid out some of the old track to get an idea of how things are going to line up.

Figment side of the layout. Some scrap wood placed on the hillside to denote the Figment Mine approximate location...

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Overhead view...

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Imagination side of the layout looking towards Figment. Installed a row of concrete blocks (originally used as the walls of the tunnel on the old layout) to fashion a wall in the side of the hill for the hidden track between the two towns. I'm going to construct a wire mesh tunnel with the idea that the ground cover plants grow over it resulting in a tunnel of sorts. Just enough to hide the track and break up the two town sites.

Larger concrete blocks (originally used as the roof of the tunnel on the old layout) used to depict the mill at Imagination...

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tom_tom_go
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Post by tom_tom_go » Sun Mar 12, 2017 5:01 pm

Is this the same property or have you moved?

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Post by Peter Butler » Sun Mar 12, 2017 5:04 pm

That's amazing progress in such a short time, great therapy!
The best things in life are free.... so why am I doing this?

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Dwayne
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Post by Dwayne » Sun Mar 12, 2017 5:24 pm

tom_tom_go:123452 wrote:Is this the same property or have you moved?
Same property, just a different location of the yard. I'm looking at doing some remodeling of the house itself which will result in some changes to the exterior landscaping. The old layout location interfered with these plans so moving it wasn't an issue really.

Peter Butler:123453 wrote:That's amazing progress in such a short time, great therapy!
My time is now all mine so yeah, I can get things done quickly when I focus just on a single task. I'm hoping for a good rain so that the soil will settle before I actually start installing the track.

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Dwayne
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Post by Dwayne » Thu Mar 16, 2017 2:08 am

Weather here finally began warming again after being on the chilly side for the past week. So I began putting track down from the old layout this evening, starting at Figment. Worked less than an hour and managed about twelve feet including the switch that will serve the Figment Mine and doubles as the hidden track to Imagination.

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Post by Dwayne » Fri Mar 17, 2017 2:07 am

More track laid this evening after getting home from work.

From the switch at Figment the track loops around Pecan Ridge then back up one side of the valley where it crosses the canyon (a bridge needs to be built to support the track).

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On the other side of the canyon we reach the passing siding at Two Dogs which is as far as I got track laid before calling it a day.


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Post by LNR » Fri Mar 17, 2017 4:10 am

I see you've got the pooch helping to compact the road bed!!!. You'll have trains running pretty soon I think.
Grant.

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Post by markoteal » Fri Mar 17, 2017 7:43 am

Great curves! - love it how the line already looks like its been 'running through them there hills' for many years even though you've only just started!
Where did I put that uncoupler?

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Post by Dwayne » Fri Mar 17, 2017 2:50 pm

LNR:123550 wrote:I see you've got the pooch helping to compact the road bed!!!. You'll have trains running pretty soon I think.
Grant.
My two dogs are always a help. It's my five chickens that aren't as they want to scatch in the dirt. Constantly having to chase them away. Eventually I'll install some fencing around the layout to keep them away from the layout.

Track up Two Dogs was quick to put down reusing the old sections. As these are used my selection that fits narrows down. The next curve will require stripping off the old ties and rebending the rail a bit then respiking to ties.

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Dwayne
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Post by Dwayne » Fri Mar 17, 2017 2:52 pm

markoteal:123552 wrote:Great curves! - love it how the line already looks like its been 'running through them there hills' for many years even though you've only just started!
Thanks you.

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Post by Soar Valley Light » Fri Mar 17, 2017 9:21 pm

The pace of your progress on the old layout was impressive Dwayne. The work on this new line is going even faster! It's incredibly impressive to someone like me who is still scrabbling around in the dirt over three years after cutting the first sod. I look forward to further updates and watching the line grow.

I think this new line is even more impressive than the first, I love the was it winds up one side of a valley and back again.

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Post by Dwayne » Sat Mar 18, 2017 2:05 am

Soar Valley Light:123604 wrote:The pace of your progress on the old layout was impressive Dwayne. The work on this new line is going even faster! It's incredibly impressive to someone like me who is still scrabbling around in the dirt over three years after cutting the first sod. I look forward to further updates and watching the line grow.

I think this new line is even more impressive than the first, I love the was it winds up one side of a valley and back again.

Andrew
Thank you Andrew. In a way I suppose I'm cheating by reusing most of the already assembled sections from the old layout. And keep in mind that in my locale I'm able to just place the trackwork directly on the dirt. No need to firm things up since frost heave is non-existent. The only thing I do is install some 5" long hooks I fabricate from old coat hangers that slip over the top of a tie and are pushed into the dirt below to act as anchors about 12 inches apart. As plant roots start spreading these hooks help keep the track in place.

This evening I did have to assemble one 6 foot section from scratch curved to the appropriate radius starting at the west end of the passing siding at Two Dogs. So with the assembly of that section and simply dropping two more 6 foot sections into place I managed to get 18 feet down before calling it an evening.


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Sylvian Tennant
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Post by Sylvian Tennant » Sat Mar 18, 2017 9:02 am

I'm looking forward to seeing the finished article :) lovely work so far.

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Post by jim@NAL » Sat Mar 18, 2017 7:28 pm

looking good

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Post by Dwayne » Sun Mar 19, 2017 3:08 pm

Continued laying track yesterday afternoon. Got as far as Imagination and the switch for the two sidings along the edge butting up against the pecan tree. I also bumped the layout base a bit on the curve leading into Imagination which allows for an additional siding inside of the curve. I'm thinking this would be a good place for the engine shop.

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Post by Dwayne » Sun Mar 19, 2017 11:59 pm

Finished getting the last of the track laid this afternoon. :)

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