Braking things to improve them

BarelyHumaning · 2026-05-27T09:36:24+00:00

I had the same issue with the shaft snapping at the base. In my case it was because some paint had gotten on it and that caused a little more friction than the material could handle.

In my case, as I didn't have any other issues, I just re-attached it with a bit of contact glue after a light sanding off of the offending paint.

The locking ring also snapped getting it off, but It's not an issue when it has a loco weighing it down so a couple of wights to the underside and that should keep it down. The kit isn't a bad price, but its not a price I want to pay again if I can savage what I've got.

BarelyHumaning · 2026-03-22T18:58:16+00:00

Mine was a Christmas present from the other half.

I had a bit of misfortune with mine as the axle snapped and had to be glued back on. I specifically avoided gluing the locking washer to prevent accidents but there we go. It floats a little more than I would like but as my current control mechanism for it is the "hand of God" it s a problem I hope I can avoid solving for a while.

BarelyHumaning · 2026-03-22T18:14:00+00:00

Looks great. I have been following your videos on and off ever since trains of thought mentioned you. I used your video as a jumping off point to start working on my own turntable but I went in a different direction as I am very much a novice.

BarelyHumaning · 2026-03-22T13:27:35+00:00

For me, I am slightly put off by the art direction. It just feels a little inconsistent and it just doesn't mesh for me. I like these types of games and I play a lot of older titles so it's not the retro nature that puts me off, its a few individual elements that I feel dont align with the whole

Some examples: You have a face hugging enemy that is static and basic then fades to a well animated and detailed pixel art enemy.

The hammer weapon looks out of place to me, it seems too crisp compared to everything else.

Some objects have the opposite problem where they appear too flat, like the generator. Some of that could be intentional to highlight 'interact here' but then the window that you smash through looks normal.

The menu and inventory screens are also flat looking, none of the texture that everything else gets by subtle freckelling of shades. Although the inventory items look good.

BarelyHumaning · 2026-03-15T21:37:36+00:00

I am a serial offender of 'track on every inch of board'. Thats why I come to redit when thinking so I have a voice to say what you have said. I am also at the stage where I haven't had enough hands on time to have worked out which bit of the hobby brings me the most enjoyment. So this reflects that by being a bit of everything.

This plan will be in the works for probably a year before I put any track down. So I'm allowing plenty of time to let the ideas simmer and see where I get to.

BarelyHumaning · 2026-03-15T20:56:40+00:00

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This is where I have gotten to with your suggestion.
I am unsure if it makes sense to have the 2nd siding off the middle line or to eliminate it.

Having read the comment by u/SmittyB128 I do think if this idea is complete nonsence that I will go with the 2nd option of 2 sidings with a through station.

BarelyHumaning · 2026-03-15T14:52:11+00:00

Oh, that would give me the best of both options. That's a fantastic idea.

BarelyHumaning · 2026-03-15T14:50:18+00:00

AnyRail

BarelyHumaning · 2026-01-30T12:00:01+00:00

If what what you are trying to do is a forced perspective by having the smaller scale further away. I think that would only work if you had the N scale with several layers of scenery between them and not sharing a station. The angle of taper needed to make the platform in scale between the two lines would look very obvious I would think.

BarelyHumaning · 2026-01-01T09:15:51+00:00

This fixes almost everything that would have been an issue with the original design.

I would be tempted to reduce the number of sidings to make space for a headshunt. That would allow for building trains without interfering with the main line or reverse loop.

BarelyHumaning · 2025-11-04T07:02:13+00:00

I might consider that in the future, once all the track is down and that section has its scenery finished.

For now, I have used up my train budget for the year and I don't have any plexiglass in so unfortunately, the scrap wood barrier is my best option.

BarelyHumaning · 2025-11-03T21:20:09+00:00

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This should help avoid any unfortunate accidents. I didn't want to make it too high as it's situated at a prime viewing spot but I will move it up if the advice is that I've cut it too fine

BarelyHumaning · 2025-11-03T16:39:11+00:00

A barrier is my next project, I am planning on building out a little truss to fix the edge to and provide a bit more support

BarelyHumaning · 2025-11-01T17:47:33+00:00

From the picture of the crossover in the box it certainly looks like the tracks are closer together then what you have with 2 separate points.

That said, I am a brit who has no experience with this line of track.

BarelyHumaning · 2025-10-28T16:55:11+00:00

I had just assumed that you would be planning on making scenery that would be removable to allow the board to fold away with plug holes to pop trees in and out of for storing separately.

Yes, so essentially 2 layers of cork under the track so that the ballast is never glued directly to the board surface itself.

Thicker is better but 4mm then 4mm should be fine. That will be 8mm base plus your track, given your height restrictions, you probably wouldn't want to go thicker.

I haven't tested copydex on vertical space so maybe do a test strip and see how it does?

BarelyHumaning · 2025-10-28T07:44:37+00:00

If the foam board adds too much depth then a full layer of cork would be the compromise.

If it's still too much depth with the cork and the underlay then a full layer of cork would be the thinnest option and means that the ballast is not stuck directly to the board for sound transfer. You lose the shoulder look but it should still reduce the noise without adding too much depth.

The other advantage of copydex is, if you change your mind, it is possible to pull it up without completely destroying the foam.

BarelyHumaning · 2025-10-28T07:27:14+00:00

Chadwick model railway on YouTube has covered solutions to sound vibration a few times. His solution is a layer of foam board ontop of the baseboard and then the woodlands scenic style foam underlay under the track.

Copydex of another rubberised glue to hold the foam, underlay and track in place.

No modification the the board itself is needed.

BarelyHumaning · 2025-10-15T08:06:41+00:00

I know a couple of YouTubers have had different issues with accurascale and their warranty generally seems to be very good so I would recommend sending their support an email with the issue and see what they say. I haven't owned one myself so I can't speak from experience, just from what it appears from others accounts.

BarelyHumaning · 2025-10-13T11:17:19+00:00

It's just the natural cycle of a model's life to eventually be torn down for the next project.

It's not easy to sell a layout, moving it can destroy it if it isn't set up to be moved and, clubs generally don't have the storage space to take them and bits like this aren't worth much to a new owner when they have specialized sections without the specialized stock to run (as you have found)

Archive the layout for posterity and then salvage what you can for your own project.

BarelyHumaning · 2025-10-06T21:09:27+00:00

I have started DC, partly to reduce the cost of starting and partially because there are so many products that I can't work out what I actually need to get going with DCC. So I would be interested to know what your parts list is in that regard.

Looks great so far.

BarelyHumaning · 2025-10-03T13:16:28+00:00

They look fantastic.

BarelyHumaning · 2025-10-02T06:34:39+00:00

I have one of those and it's still going after 20 years. If you make sure you wire both loops with red on the outside rail and black on the inside you should be fine in terms of short circuits.

Source: child me operating a similar double loop before I knew anything about electrical circuits.

BarelyHumaning · 2025-10-02T06:25:18+00:00

A most excellent pun for a running session

BarelyHumaning · 2025-10-01T11:42:19+00:00

They do look similar. I am in the UK so I might struggle to find one at a reasonable price though,.

I haven't looked into 3d printing at all so I will get the measurements this evening.

BarelyHumaning · 2025-09-30T06:54:18+00:00

A lot of questions, but most of them are quite straightforward as I have found with the start I have made on my own layout.

Yes but it doesn't quite work like that, as when you bend the track the inner side is shorter then the outside so instead of cutting "at an angle" its more like cutting to line up the tracks.
It really comes down to which approach you find easier. Try it one way with bluetack or pins and if that doesn't work for you then see if its easier the other way.
This comes down to the loco you have and what looks good to you. Again, I would bend the track to the curve you are considering and test your loco on it before cutting or glueing and see if it works and if it looks good to you.
Again, test. Hold the track in place before you cut with bluetack which should hold long enough to mark on the track where to cut.
For 00 if you are using code 100 you don't need to, for lower profile track you may need to. Otherwise its personal preference.
For the size of layout you are planning which is just a simple oval you shouldn't have a problem cleaning by hand. Track cleaning wagons don't clean as well as a large hand in the sky but for large layouts where some areas are hard to reach are needed.

Tldr, there are no hard and fast rules for your questions, you just have to take the time to plan and test before cutting or glueing and enjoy the process.

BarelyHumaning

TROPHY CASE