Mister No's Pics & Vids

I'm not a fan of TrackMaster Revolution either, Super. I have (and love) some of their pre-2014 vehicles (that look like Plarail engines), like Scruff, Flora, Porter... but these TrackMaster 2 engines with spiked wheels that look like tractors, and almost non-existent middle wheels, are not "really useful engines"!
Some of them look somehow flattened, and Thomas himself is, in my opinion, made very poorly (compared to Plarail and earlier TrackMasters).

However, there are some TM2 engines that I really want, and Plarail never made them, and since I couldn't run them on my Plarail layout without customization, I'll have a small (and changeable) TrackMaster layout.

This is the first time I had those feeble TrackMaster tracks in my hands, and I have complaints! They are really poorly and cheaply made.

Their track geometry sucks big. There are curved rails C that need 6 to make a full circle (different sizes / radii), and also small CS curved rails (and also small switches!) that need 8 to make a full circle.



These different geometries are hard to reconcile with each other, confusing, and it is difficult to make anything meaningful using rails of various radii and sizes:



Those different radii, however, don't allow you to make a nice double track railway, and there are no double-track rails, no double-track switches. Bummer.



In this small layout there are three different types of switches - TLS/TLR (in front of the Station), TRL (exiting Cranky) and TR switch (the green one).

Switches are the worst, especially the smallest radius TLS & TLR switches I used on Station sidings! I don't recommend them at all! Some engines regularly derail on them, depending on the direction they are coming from:





These small radii switches are, in my opinion, good only for building this element (engines don't derail entering or exiting that one), that they are using  extensively in their bigger sets:



Generally, it is wise to place the in-bound switch correctly too (and don't leave that for the locomotive to do itself), otherwise the engines could derail.

Then there are PR switches. As far as I know, you can buy only the right switch separately; the left switch comes only in some bigger sets. These PR switches look nice and could be very useful in front of the stations or in railway yards, but alas the trains are derailing almost every time after (!!) passing those switches for no obvious reason:



Very disappointing. Anyway, it’s not good to use a lot of switches at all. Lots of switches, lots of jumping off the rails. 

As for the room - it's the same post & beam attic Plarail room you already seen. The TrackMasters are just one level up!

[Super]

Cool, I love your 'Man Attic'  The reason I thought it may be a different room was seeing what I thought was an outside door leading me to believe this was on the first floor.

for the trackmaster revolution figure 8 track layout, i believe there is a racing set where you can actually form a figure 8 layout.  I cannot remember of that set at the moment.  

Trackmaster revolution engines shouldn't have problem running on tomy or trackmaster 1 track but some do have ground clearance issues on the chassis.  Somebody suggested to use the sandpaper to increase the ground clearance.

That is actually my front door. Dad refurbished the attic, installed a door and an external staircase, and arranged a studio for himself there, which is now my Plarail and computer room.

[Super]

Kewl...a man cave with its own private entrance...priceless.

this is as close of a figure 8 layout you can built using trackmaster revolution tracks.

Maybe TM Revolution engines derail at the switches / points because they have toothed drive wheels? Could the teeth be engaging with the outside rail on the switch curve and pulling the engine up and off the track? Maybe some slow motion closeup video would show it?

But, Chris, those locomotives with toothed drive wheels are meant to run on these rails (in this case switches). I think the derailment on these small TLS / TLR switches is due to their small radius. They don't derail on switches with larger radius (e.g. TR switches).

But then why do they jump off the rails even after crossing the PR switch? Probably the movable part of the switch also contributes to this, as well as the generally poor construction of the switches and the engines themselves.

The good news, however, is that AEG trains, which are of much better quality than TrackMaster2, do not derail! 


@ Leyland

It’s not just a matter of how to assemble the track in the shape of the figure 8. It took me a while to assemble the sidings as can be seen in front of Ffarquhar station and to connect them to the rest of the track. 
If children try to assemble a railroad with curved rails and switches of different radii, they will find it difficult to assemble something meaningful. With several radii, Mattel really made the rail geometry overly complex.

I got some clouds!

[Super]

Now that looks really nice, seems to add some depth. Its a shame Thomas got all muddy on such a beautiful day. Is that cardboard, foam board, paper sheets?