Well thanks to the Chief Engineers astute observations a 2nd problem has been detected in the track curvature. This time up at where the crossing occurs at the entrance to the canyon. 100_5260-5 by John Moore posted Feb 21, 2018 at 8:37 PM A temporary track was laid there and sure enough I need to widen my radius slightly. So tomorrow construction work will commence there. Meanwhile the canyon line is finished with the relocation and tested with the 70 tonner. 100_5261-6 by John Moore posted Feb 21, 2018 at 8:37 PM The trestle and bridge are now in permanently and some work was done on the stream bed. Meanwhile Toby is getting a 6 and one half foot tall multi-level platform coming in a few days. Some assembly required. Being the Chief Engineer has its rewards.
An observation/launching platform! The better to pounce upon engineering issues! Or maybe them meeces!
Some serious excavation work, and then some serious reshaping of the contours with plaster cloth, have resulted in a new roadbed up the canyon wall. You can see were the old roadbed was by the cork showing, and the new widening, resulting in a wider curvature probably a tad over my 8 inch minimum radius. Some preliminary testing, again with the 70 tonner, resulted in all the wheels staying on the track. 100_5262-1 by John Moore posted Feb 22, 2018 at 11:46 AM While I was at it I also redid the bridge abutments since the bridge now shifts slightly. A couple of hours for the plaster to dry and then I will install new cork roadbed leaving the old in place. The track across the bridge is going to be flex track and I soldered two pieces of flex together to have a continuous run all the way from the trestle, up the grade, across the bridge and to the top. Testing on this grade probably confirms that trains hauled up here will have a double or triple header and one or two helpers. It will be interesting to see how my Bandai B unit DD-51s handle this grade. This line is 70 N scale feet above the canyon line below on the bridge.
A few more tweaks in places and last night I tested some locos on the grade and through the tight curve after the bridge. The 70 tonner, an SW-8 and my Bandai B unit DD-51s all handled it with ease which means that everything else in my parred down roster will handle it. DD-51 going up the grade and around the curve. The 70 and 44 tonners are geared low thus have a lower speed than the rest of the roster and the DD-51s are speedsters. But the DD-51s may become the hill power due to the fact they have traction tires that the others don't, and every available space in their shell was stuffed with Tungsten when I built them from kits. Another rainy day here will be spent installing another bridge and extending the track onto the plateau. I ran out of track spikes last night and a run to Lowes secured me three boxes of 1/2 by 19 wire nails which are working out fine.
Finally got the track easement right at the top of the hill although it was a fight. Both curves are at 8 inch radius. 100_5266-6 by John Moore posted Feb 23, 2018 at 9:10 PM The walls at the top are wind walls for the occasional storms that come in off the Pacific and can blow a boxcar over. Actual story behind this was I bumped the layout and sent one of my DD-51s over the side, no damage fortunately. Cobbled those together in a couple of hours with styrene and Masonite. Then I spent the rest of the day testing locomotives out over the track, and getting some minor bugs out of it. The line-up of locos is what I have gotten to the top of the hill and around the curves onto the plateau. In the lead is a small drivered 2-8-0 one of Athearn's products. All of them are due for some serious time on the workbench having laid in storage for almost three years. Next up is to pull some Shays out of storage and see what they will do. 100_5265-5 by John Moore posted Feb 23, 2018 at 9:10 PM
It makes it halfway up the grade and then with little drivers churning madly comes to a halt. So far the kings of the hill are the 44 tonners and the SWs that is until I pulled out the Shays from storage last night. Notice that the Predator track cleaning car is in the bunch. Lot of weight and resistance so it has been my test load besides cleaning the track. A trio of Shays walked that car up to the top at a good clip last night when I succumbed to I have to know and can't wait urge. Today I think I will pull my Class A Climaxs out of storage and pit them against the hill along with laying some more track up on the plateau. Cast metal shells and lots of Tungsten. And I have not pulled my 2-6-6-0 out yet either, a small drivered MicoAce.
Went to my cabinets and pulled out a Minitrix 0-6-0 and the, correction 0-6-6-0, an RS-1, and the two Class A Climaxs and they were all put to test on the hill with the track cleaning car. The two Climax locos pulled what lash-ups of three and four others would not so they are the kings of the hill behind the Shays, and next are the 44 tonners. So looks like I have the power settled for the trains to the plateau with a lash-up of two Class As and a single Shay pusher or two 44 tonners. All the rest are staying on the canyon line and the port line, when it is built. The only thing left to test are the passenger power on the hill. And since there is a cab unit at each end and at least one of the coaches is powered I don't anticipated any issues. Now that I have scratched that itch to find out what works and what doesn't I can get to laying some more track. Temps are getting in the 60s here, trees are budding, grass is growing. My 2 and 1/2 acres will need mowing soon, a 1/4 acre garden is waiting to be plowed, flower beds need attention, and my fishing poles await me. Modeling season is just about over for me so I need to get the track in so on rainy days I can be tweaking and doing scenic work. And adding to this testing the first passenger consist on the incline. All cars powered.
Well I am going to keep the consist on the grade to not more than 10 cars due to MT couplers failing with anything over the 10. Ideal will be 8 or 9. Here three Shays assisted by a Class A Climax take ii cars very slowly up grade. That is the throttle setting I have for the slow climb. More realistic and less issues easy through the tight turns.
Drove the last spike up on the plateau this evening and my stoneworks won't fit so it goes back into storage. Station and the lighthouse go on the end close to the camera. Livestock yards on the spur in the circle at the other end and I will see what else fit up here. Be doing some serious track cleaning and tie replacing tomorrow. 100_5270-6 by John Moore posted Feb 24, 2018 at 8:27 PM
This morning after Church, and a breakfast of chipped cornbeef and chipped beef on bisquits, I set down to clean up the construction debris scattered all over the man cave and inventory what track I have left for phase two which is going to be the port of Friday Harbor. Also giving thought to how I can cut down the stoneworks to fit. 100_5271-1 by John Moore posted Feb 25, 2018 at 11:21 AM 100_5273-2 by John Moore posted Feb 25, 2018 at 11:21 AM Decided that about 2 inches are coming off the right side so that leaves me with a more smaller footprint. The stockyard kit I had divided into two sections one slightly smaller that the other since I had decided at the time it was too big. 100_5272-3 by John Moore posted Feb 25, 2018 at 11:21 AM Fit as snug as a bug in a rug and leaves the other half to maybe installed at the port area.
The cut down version of Sabat Stone is slowly taking shape. Since this is a wood kit the disassembly had to be done with extreme care. But I have cars built and lettered for Sabat, and loads so I just had to do something to get this on the pike. 100_5274-4 by John Moore posted Feb 25, 2018 at 3:47 PM The brewery will end up sharing a siding with the livestock yards. 100_5275-6 by John Moore posted Feb 25, 2018 at 3:58 PM A unique structure from the plans in the Nn3 handbook that I still have to put a finish of the roof.
John, I love the image of a Brewery next to the Stock Yard. Most folks think big corporate market beers taste like bovine urine to begin with.
Finished the half day project modifying the stone works and now have the brewery on the workbench for a roof installation. Meanwhile I dug out my stations of which I have five of varying sizes. Thinking the plateau warrants a larger station than the one sitting behind the stone works while the workers are waiting for the 5 pm train to Friday Harbor. 100_5276-7 by John Moore posted Feb 25, 2018 at 9:55 PM Also trying out a few small houses and if I use this lighthouse then one is the keepers house the other the station agent. This area gets a section house with speeder shed and possibly a small engine shed and a water tank. I have three other options for lighthouses in my collection that are scaled close to N. 100_5278-7 by John Moore posted Feb 25, 2018 at 9:55 PM
Finally after about 6 years the Virginia Brewery has a roof on it. I use my own shingles printed on plain paper on my inkjet printer. Looking at photos of the brewery located in Virginia City, Montana, and still in business, it has gone through a number of changes over the 100 plus years it has been around so I combined several of the architectural features, mainly in the roof line, for my version. 100_5279-1 by John Moore posted Feb 26, 2018 at 1:09 PM Nothing is getting permanent mounting yet while I sort things out to populate the plateau and the community of Lonesome Cove. I am still back and forth on the lighthouses so I think I will defer to the Missuses choice. Always the safe bet when you are dealing with CFO..
Yes but the local taverns and the attached bar on this brewery have the freshest steaks in town, not to mention the leg of lamb. The CFO made her decision on the lighthouse so one house will be the section foreman's house and the other the station agent since this lighthouse has quarters attached. 100_5280-2 by John Moore posted Feb 26, 2018 at 3:00 PM Imagine looking out over the Straits of Juan De Fuca from the cliffs vantage point and enjoying the nice evening breeze off the ocean.
The lighthouse has been set in it's place with a pour of plaster slurry. And working from the west end of the layout I started applying some scenic materials and some small structures. There is a mix of different species of evergreens and some more big trees from my Sedum plant I made last Fall. 100_5281-6 by John Moore posted Feb 26, 2018 at 7:47 PM Got the stone works placed and re-laid the track behind the station the accommodate the front loading platform and crane for the stone works. Then I installed another turnout and and the 3rd bridge across the stream to reach the receiving dock of the stone works. I am still messing with buildings and their placement but so far I have added a pump house, and a speeder shed, and a small engine house. I may yet use the smaller station and just build a covered platform. 100_5282-7 by John Moore posted Feb 26, 2018 at 7:47 PM
