The Little Rock Line

Allen H Dec 31, 2011

  1. Allen H

    Allen H TrainBoard Supporter

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    Good Lord! Thanks Google. :mad:
    Just can't leave well enough alone can you?

    Found something on Google search where a guy was having the same issue.
    It seems that now when you right click on an image, and click on "Copy image URL" then paste it.
    You get a file name that ends with the word "no" as in xxxxxxxxxxno

    This need to have one of the following added to the end of that file so it shows

    "-tmp.jpg" or "?.jpg"

    I chose the ?.jpg and now they work. :rolleyes:
     
  2. mtntrainman

    mtntrainman TrainBoard Supporter

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    Gotta love the internet...every part of it...LOL. (y):ROFLMAO:
     
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  3. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Yeah. It gives us a few headaches here. Argh.
     
  4. Jeepy84

    Jeepy84 TrainBoard Member

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    Yup, I have broken pictures on my end too.
    The hat in the blog had me chuckle pretty good though

    Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
     
  5. Allen H

    Allen H TrainBoard Supporter

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    Well I've been busy lately.
    Last weekend I got my old PM42's replaced with PSX circuit breakers for the main section of the layout and the staging yard.
    http://thelittlerockline.blogspot.com/2016/10/out-with-old-in-with-new.html

    Then the past few nights I got started on some trackwork upgrades.

    I started with the junction at Ruston

    [​IMG]

    Then finished with the sidings in DuBach.

    [​IMG]

    I ripped out both sidings at Ruston and relaid the junction with one track.
    In Dubach I lengthened both of the sidings on the south end and added a new spur for a feedmill.

    The rest of the story is on the blog.
     
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  6. Allen H

    Allen H TrainBoard Supporter

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    Well I made a change......again.

    SOO (Wyatt) told me that I needed to install a large RH turnout at Ruston where the Jct track peels off to the ICG.
    Saying I should use the curved leg of the turnout for the main. He also stated this isn't the most widely used method of a turnout, but it has been done. He also argued that it would help the track flow through the scene. I agreed but wasn't sure if I'd like the "Kink" in the mainline as it went the curved leg? But I seen his point.

    However I opted to use a large LH turnout, as that is what I had on hand and I thought it would work.
    After getting installed, my thought was "Meh, it's OK it'll work".

    Earlier today Quin stopped by and agreed with SOO's suggestion, so we laid it out and thought it would work?
    After lunch we picked up a LH RH turnout and I got it installed this evening.

    It did give me a broader curve between DuBach and Ruston, It did help the track flow through the scene better, but as another buddy of mine pointed out: "But now the main looks like it goes right onto the ICG"

    I have to agree with both. So not sure which I like better?

    The second version

    [​IMG]


    The third and current version

    [​IMG]

    Here's the blog post
     
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  7. mtntrainman

    mtntrainman TrainBoard Supporter

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    Allen....

    I had the same dilemma when I was laying my track. I needed to get my interchange track to 'flow' better where it came into town and joined the main. I remember there was some amount of discussion on whether a deverging track would ever be used as the mainline. Someone posted some links to railroads that actually use the deverging route as the main ! You can see at the top center of the following pic that it all worked out fine. Trains take the turnout really well even at track speed :)

    Also....the track on the top left goes into the station...it also uses the deverging route of the turnout as the main on that curve. The straight track of that turnout is the station track :)

    [​IMG]
     
  8. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    I like this version.
     
  9. Allen H

    Allen H TrainBoard Supporter

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    I see that George, thanks.
    I've seen the same arguments about which leg to use.
    Either way I have it installed it works just fine. I think to me it's more of a visual thing and knowing that most roads did use the straight leg more often.

    I guess I want my cake and eat it too?:sneaky:



     
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  10. Allen H

    Allen H TrainBoard Supporter

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    Of the three version BC, I like it the best as well.
    My only gripe is the turnout has a smaller radius than the rest of the main even with the short section of tangent for uncoupling.

    Oh well, I'll try it this way for a while and I don't like it, I may try using a LH and re-arrange the track again.
     
  11. Allen H

    Allen H TrainBoard Supporter

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    Ever had one of those times where the harder you try, it just gets harder?

    I took another look at Ruston again tonight and just decided to try a LH instead of the RH turnout. Well it snapped into place (I had to snip a bit off the rails) and then I just drug the three tracks closer to the fascia and viola! everything lined up.
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    The tangent behind the turnout is straight enough to uncouple easily.

    Time to move onto the next project...
     
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  12. Allen H

    Allen H TrainBoard Supporter

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    Oh my!
    I haven't been doing a good job at keeping things updated here lately have I?
    Since the last post about Ruston, I've moved into DuBach and redid all the tracks there.

    Before
    [​IMG]

    After
    [​IMG]

    Then moved to the section between El Dorado and Calion.
    Which is where I'm currently stuck at. I have two bridges to build here that cross the Ouachita River. In order to do this I needed to realign the main and give it a slight curve to get away from the long tangent.

    Before
    [​IMG]

    After


    While I was working on the tracks I was also building the bridge.
    [​IMG]

    Then I did some weathering tests on some crappy Atlas bridges I had laying around.
    [​IMG]

    Before installing the Deck bridge, I figured I need to get the second bridge built first so I know where and how much ceiling tile and foam to remove for the Ouachita river.

    If you want to catchup up on the full story upto now, you can start here with this Blog post.
     
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  13. badlandnp

    badlandnp TrainBoard Member

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    For being "crappy" bridges, they look awfully good!
     
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  14. Allen H

    Allen H TrainBoard Supporter

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    Thank you, but they were just junker bridges I had in a box of old stuff.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  15. SOO MILW CNW

    SOO MILW CNW TrainBoard Supporter

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    Your crappy..would be my gold medal project.
    Keep up the great work!!
    Y-it
     
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  16. Allen H

    Allen H TrainBoard Supporter

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    Thanks Brother!
    Appreciate the kind words.
     
  17. Allen H

    Allen H TrainBoard Supporter

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    I did manage to get the deck bridge painted and weathered but just realized I never got any pics of it nor did I post it to the blog...
    Anyway after getting the Deck bridge done, I started on the Central Valley Pratt Truss bridge.
    Once I had it built I started work on the Bridge track and guard rails.

    Instead of gluing the track and guard rails in, I used PCB ties to solder both in place. After getting some instructions and info on PCB ties this is what I came up with. Code 80 and code 55 for the guard rails.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]


    Next I started on the Central Valley Platte Truss bridge.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]


    After getting the bridge built and the bridge track painted it was time to get the bridge itself painted.

    I painted the deck bridge black and weathered it using the salt technique. I was unsure on what I wanted to do with this bridge, so I started snooping around on Google images. I seen more that were rusted overall rather than painted so I decided I would give it a try. I found a guy who weathered his in the same way, looked fairly simple so I thought I give it a shot.

    His method was to paint it with a rusty color first then come back and paint a mixed coat of black over the rust. He gave KIND of formula for his paint mixtures, so I had to wing it.

    Here is the Rust coat.
    I started out using Floquil Boxcar Red and added a bit of Oxide Red.

    [​IMG]

    The Black mix was Engine Black mixed with a light gray and some brown.

    [​IMG]

    Well this came out a little too brown and after chatting with a friend, he agreed. He told me that I should try one of two things, come back with a darker black paint mix and overspray the bridge again, or maybe with the new mix, I should use a cosmetic sponge and try dabbing the paint onto the bridge.

    After assessing his ideas, I decided to attack with Pan Pastels first. If I didn't like the results then I could always paint over it.
    The Pan Pastels worked OK, but one problem with them, once I applied a light coat to seal the Pastels, they faded enough that they weren't obvious. So I went back over it again with a much heavier application and then when I sealed it, they were visible enough to give a nice mottled color. It could probably stand a bit more black.

    [​IMG]

    The one drawback to airbrushing, is it doesn't give a sharp edge to the black like the salt technique or dabbing it on with a sponge. But in a lot of the pics I seen on Google images, the bridges were pretty evenly colored like this.

    There a few more pics on the Blog...


    Next up, the abutments and piers....
     
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  18. Allen H

    Allen H TrainBoard Supporter

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    Happy New Year everyone!

    Last night I finished with the abutments and piers for both bridges.
    I was planning to use some Chooch versions for these bridges but was having a hard time getting them to fit the bridges.
    SOO (Wyatt) told me to make them out of concrete so I could make them fit what I need. So that's what I did.

    I started with 1/4" and 3/4" chunks of MDF (medium density fiberboard) as it would take paint really good.
    On the two abutments for the Truss bridge I added some .040" styrene to give some relief to the face. Then I used an Exacto #11 blade to make the cracks and chipped concrete.

    [​IMG]

    After getting them sealed, I used some cheap craft paint, then attacked them with a black oil wash, some Bragdon powders and Pan Pastels.

    [​IMG]

    The rest of the story is on the Blog...
     
  19. badlandnp

    badlandnp TrainBoard Member

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    It is hard to believe they aren't concrete!
     
  20. Allen H

    Allen H TrainBoard Supporter

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    Thank you badlandnp!
     

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