Upside down model railroad

Looks like someone took that April (forget the year) Model Railroader article to heart.

Joe Ellis wrote in news:synthfilker- snipped-for-privacy@newsclstr03.news.prodigy.net:

I thought about the practicality of building a door layout once. One that would still be hung on its hinges when run. Getting the cars to work would be easy, just install a steel plate under the rails and put magnets in them. The locomotive would be much more difficult because of the motor. I guess you could shield the magnetic fields in the motor and use other magnets in place of the weights.

It would be fun to see, especially if done properly and the trains could be taken off the door and put on an N scale layout and still run!

Puckdropper

Upside down room with the camera inverted. Awful lot of work to build all of that stuff that way though.

On Sat, 07 Jun 2008 08:48:13 -0400, I said, "Pick a card, any card" and Wolf Kirchmeir instead replied:

Wolf,

The train is glued to the track and the track is a felt covered turntable. A bit more sophisticated than a typical turntable in that only the track goes round and round while the middle stays stationary. The track being shiny, it appears not to be moving.

Now, before you debunkers out there have a go at that one, I've been contracted to design and build many, many things that appear impossible. My day job? I'm a professional magician and writer.

-- Ray

On 6/7/2008 1:37 PM Ray Haddad spake thus:

Meet Ray Haddad, professional egotist and blowhard.

Notice how his posts are often occasioned by opportunities to toot his own horn?

On Sat, 07 Jun 2008 14:18:53 -0700, I said, "Pick a card, any card" and David Nebenzahl instead replied:

And along comes the wizard of mean, hot on my tail as usual. What's the matter, David? Did I step on your rebuttal of my answer? Go ahead and use it anyway. Clear up any confusion about your motives.

-- Ray

On 6/7/2008 1:37 PM Ray Haddad spake thus:

Don't think so; if you zoom in, you can see apparent gaps between ties or between the track and the felt covering, and they don't move.

If you look at the site where this was originally posted

On Sat, 07 Jun 2008 15:02:56 -0700, I said, "Pick a card, any card" and David Nebenzahl instead replied:

Time will tell then. Let's be patient.

-- Ray

Agreed.

Obviously-- it's an Australian layout.

My first thought was that there are bolts or maybe a T type of thing that are hidden by the trucks and go into a slot in the track to a large plate that is driven by a motor inside the table

How about an upside down version of the Faller road system? The train is unpowered. It is held to the track and moved by moving magnets behind the felt. That would account for the jerky movement.

I don't think its magnets. There's a pretty good space - maybe 1/4" - between the likely magnet positions which significantly reduces their attracting force. Also, a close look shows the trucks have been replaced with something shorter and closer to the ends, which makes me think the cars aren't rolling on the rails. My guess is that's it's like an upside down version of the old Marx "Honeymoon Express" toy with a slot between the rails. Geezer

Not sure. From what I can see, what I *don't* see are ties in the middle of the tracks. Wonder if there are wires, or even wheels, *above* the tracks. Of course, wires as hooks, holding it onto the tracks, would explain jerky.

mark