anybody run tomix n scale?

very true, chris. might look at the later on a bit. im happy with thomas for the time being.

thomas visits his first n scale layout for a successful test run. we have had numerous issues with this layout, so i ran one of our old clappers first to make sure the track was clean. also gave the tracks a clean with a rubber. found a couple of decent sized bits of scenery had broken off and would have caused trouble, so glad i checked it first.

the last guy who worked on it was happier laying scenery and paint as opposed to keeping the track in decent shape. the scatter material hasnt been glued down, so when you lean a palm on it, you pick a heap up. just hopeless.

the large multi-level loop, we recently tore the top off, revealing track that was missing sleepers and lifted badly in places, explaining the constant derailments.
at slow speeds, the biggest hitch thomas encounters is at a set of points which have been glued shut just one of the many repairs needed in time. he does have a bit of trouble elsewhere, but nothing major and nothing that will do damage.





absolutely thrilled with this set, well worth owning.

[Super]

Wow...I didn't expect Thomas to be so fast but he does hold the rails well. If the top of the mountain were finished on the right, would the spiral be totally hidden within it? That layout looks very nice.

I am curious as to what an item on the wall might be. It looks to be a wooden hoop.

cheers, super. i am looking forward to getting the one or two "sticky" spots sorted so thomas can run at a slower speed. will be something for the new year i think.

yes, the spiral would be totally enclosed. it was covered up, which we removed as no one could get in to clean the rails etc. the only other access is from underneath, so derailments were hard to retrieve. we are considering a plastic dome to go over the top, but not sure yet.
this is what it looked like a few weeks ago...


the hoop is a tablet holder, i think bamboo? back before we had the automated signal system, tablets were used to ensure track clearance.
i have seen a version of it in action at a preservation group. they have double track at the station, which merges to one for the length of the track. they run 2-3 trains at a time, passing the hoop from driver to crewman. the crewman has to manually change the points to allow their train to proceed.

im not 100% sure how it worked in the good ol days, found this on youtube. similar idea,


another link i found compared it to the american block system, but superior to it. also found this on wiki... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyer%27s_El...ain_Tablet http://www.valleysignals.org.nz/regulati...tregs.html

[Super]

Very cool. Thank you Sunhuntin. I suppose the hoop would make for a neat tool for parents with an unruly child too.