Late last night while running again a lash-up of diesels around the plateau I had them suddenly stop at the point where the most recent track replacement had been done, just ahead of the first bridge across the stream. A couple minutes spent messing with and examining the area revealed that I had not replace the track spikes in the area and the traffic had caused a break in electrical contact. Powered everything down for the night and went to bed dreaming of a layout that somebody else built, and laid track on, and then trouble shot it before delivery to me, and it worked perfectly. Late this morning I replaced the track spikes in the piece of rail and tested again. Another issue resolved. Then I set out to tackle the problem with one Shay which had a coupler go bad. I have always disliked Atlas's version of the MT coupler, with everything from having trio pins fall out the just plain falling apart. Most of their stuff was replaced by MT 1015-16s a long time ago, except the Shays. When I had the stroke several years ago I had excellent therapy focusing of regaining dexterity in the one hand affected. While I did regain a considerable level of dexterity back it was never 100% nor will it be. That is also coupled with Arthritis so any fine work anymore is a challenge and that brings me to the very delicate little Shay. Atlas's design is built for just their coupler with the top part of the assembly being part of the loco, and having a post sticking up that accepts the Atlas coupler and the screw that secures the bottom plate, which means that an MT coupler is not a simple slide in a screw down. In fact the coupler doesn't fit at all due to width, being to narrow. Well after an hour of fumbling and saying a few choice words like Nottafinga!!! I went to my parts box for a Z scale coupler. It fits but the post had to go. So with baited breath, sardines and anchovies for lunch, I use the rail nipper to cut the post and a small file to level it down. Then I drilled a new hole just in front of the former post for a new screw. After a half hour of fumbling with these danged fingers I finally got it installed. A little ACC on the part of the screw that came through and done. What I will do with the excess screw is open. I might trim it or I might just paint it black. 000_0148-1 by John Moore posted Mar 25, 2018 at 11:37 AM As far as doing anything else today is subject to whatever level of energy I have. Going to Walmart shortly to see if there are any carts that will fit under the layout before I think of getting rid of that built in cabinet.
Well the trip to Walmart yield success in finding two wheeled carts that had some assembly required. The tops just clear nicely the bottom of the layout with about an inch and a half to spare. I held off getting a third one to see what these will end up holding. 000_0150-2 by John Moore posted Mar 25, 2018 at 2:26 PM You can see the cabinet base beside them that is part of the base for the layout with it's bottom cabinet and top drawer. The drawer on the far end will hold the power supply and throttle for this part of the layout, I will mount it on a piece of Masonite that fits in the drawer and the take it out and set it crossways on the drawer when in use. I only have a 28 inch aisle there. That vantage point giver me ready access to the mine turnouts and the canyon turnouts for the staging tracks, I also have a good view and fairly easy reach to the plateau turnouts. The 2nd power supply and throttle will go in the other drawer that is at this end of the photo for the port area. Toby approved of the new mini shelves.
I bought a cart off their web site, which has ten small (height) drawers on one side, fiver larger on the other. Wheeled. It is working very nicely for me!
One cart is now full and under the first half of the layout and the 2nd is close to full. Going to get a third tomorrow. And I started demolition of the cabinet removing almost all the doors as I empty sections. Ceilings in the man cave are tall at 9 foot and those cabinets run almost all the way up. However they are going to become almost unreachable when the 2nd section goes in and the top section completely useless. Going to try and take them apart piece by piece and hope I don't end up on the floor buried under wood. The step ladder I am using lets me barely reach the bottom of the top shelves comfortably. 000_0151-3 by John Moore posted Mar 25, 2018 at 8:49 PM
The Wife made a very early shopping trip this morning and besides household supplies came back with another cart for under the layout. She also checked for a stable higher ladder while out at two places with nothing satisfactory. I did on online search a few minutes ago and found one at Lowes which allows me a stable comfortable reach to these 9 foot ceilings in this place. So a trip is planned for later to procure same. There is a window behind that shelf unit that will be uncovered. When this house was purchased originally to serve as a parsonage the current man cave was a side porch with a brick foundation and a concrete and red tile floor. Skillful brick masons built the outside enclosure with the three windows that I have today. That is why the layout is against a chimney that used to be a outside wall. In my living room I have the window that leads to nowhere. Below it there is a very strongly built enclosure that has the pipes for the hot water radiator and the ductwork for the AC. I have a bamboo blind on the window and an aquarium on the enclosure and the window appears to have a reflective backing similar to a mirror. So hopefully when the window is uncovered it will be complete with framing.
Well a good day was had fighting with those old built in cabinets. Besides from bleeding from areas where I wasn't aware of hurting myself in the heat of battle, I will be digging splinters out for days, and then fighting with one board it came loose and I smacked myself in the mouth. I have three boards and one sheet of thin paneling left and the window to nowhere will be totally exposed. Years ago when they did this they found a mirror that fit the window and I am now looking at the back of it. Why they did not brick it up when they enclosed this former porch some 70 or 80 years ago is beyond me. For my part I will clean off the dead critters and dust, caulk the molding, and then paint the entire thing white for light reflection. 000_0152-1 by John Moore posted Mar 26, 2018 at 6:00 PM
In a duplicate shot from last night the space without the cabinet. 000_0153-2 by John Moore posted Mar 26, 2018 at 7:02 PM And where the 2nd section will join the 1st. One base cabinet supporting both. 000_0154-3 by John Moore posted Mar 26, 2018 at 7:02 PM And the space now free that can take a 6 foot 8 inch HC door with room to spare. The 2nd section will stand out from the radiator and AC vent by 6 inches. That section will set in about 16 inches from the first and will have a angled board in the area joining both. My aisle space will go from 30 inches to over 40 inches in front of the work bench. The best part is I now have unlimited vertical clearance and can continue the backdrops around. 000_0155-3 by John Moore posted Mar 26, 2018 at 7:02 PM
This morning a lot of the old cabinets went to the dump. A lot of wood was saved and is now in the basement next to my workshop. Already recycled a couple of 4 inch wide boards into small shelves for the workbench that gains me more space while putting somethings right at hand. Last night and again today I looked at the pile of finish nails I had removed from the cabinets during the dismantling and said to self, bollards for the port. The finish nails below 000_0156-1 by John Moore posted Mar 27, 2018 at 1:21 PM And actual marine bollards. Pl10747949-marine_outfittings_marine_mooring_bitts_mooring_double_bollard_5_500_tons_swl by John Moore posted Mar 27, 2018 at 1:21 PM Either painted or or chemically blackened certainly close. And for the cost one maybe two packages of them I can buy a box or two of finish nails saving money for more turnouts and track that I will need. And for pilings I have already been using packs of mini dowels found in craft stores or bamboo kabob skewers.
A minor disaster befell the layout this morning. 000_0159-1 by John Moore posted Mar 31, 2018 at 11:48 AM Was removing some diplomas and certificates from the wall over the layout, something I should have done before I started building, when the last one fell out of my grasp and totally destroyed three Sedum trees. On the bright side that was all, and I have a box full of trees to replace those with. With the weather vastly improved I have been outside tilling the garden and filling a greenhouse with seed starter trays so the layout has not been touched hardly at all. Later today though I hope to start the falls and have the dried Water Effects strips all laid out to go. 000_0160-2 by John Moore posted Mar 31, 2018 at 11:48 AM
Late this afternoon I cut some of the dried Water Effects strips and layered them on the falls, starting from the bottom up, with Water Effects as the glue. I am only doing part now to let the Water Effects glue set up some before the next layers. I also laid some strips beneath the trestle and bridge. 000_0161-3 by John Moore posted Mar 31, 2018 at 6:40 PM 000_0163-5 by John Moore posted Mar 31, 2018 at 6:49 PM When the strips were made I created wavy deep ridges in the paste like Water Effects and that is how it dried. I essentially have overlapping sheets of water coming off the falls. Right now I have a small forced air portable heater setting directly across the aisle from the falls to speed up curing of the Water Effects that was used as glue. Still it will take a month or more for this stuff to dry clear from prior experience but it is worth the wait. I will put the remaining strips into place in a day or two depending on the drying of the first strips. I don't have any photos of the falls on the original Turtle Creek But I did come up with a YouTube video that has a passenger train creeping by the original falls that was done with Water Effect.
After a day or two sitting and curing some I installed the left half of the falls and run some of the cast Water Effects up into the stream for fast moving water. I cleaned up the mess from the broken Sedum trees and just stumps and trunk are all the remains. Had to go in the canyon with the vac to clean of the staging tracks of debris. While cleaning up that mess I noticed that the diploma frame had hit the traveling overhead crane at the stone works also but fortunately it is an easy repair. Also finished the road installation up to the station area. Just have a few trees to reinstall up on the plateau and then I can turn my attentions to applying scenic materials to the incline and finish up the canyon line. 000_0165-1 by John Moore posted Apr 2, 2018 at 7:40 PM
Well with rain and sleet going on outside I have spent the day working on a structure to go on the plateau at the station area. The resort area in the background has a deli in one building and a small grocery/deli in the other. I decided that I needed a all around country store where you could buy anything from a shovel or a pound of nails, to a country ham or cut to order steaks. Had a couple of DPM kits laying around. 000_0168-1 by John Moore posted Apr 7, 2018 at 8:00 PM However the smallest of the two still was too large for the site so a cut down was in order. 000_0169-2 by John Moore posted Apr 7, 2018 at 8:00 PM It was cut down both in width and length and the almost finished project is below. 000_0170-3 by John Moore posted Apr 7, 2018 at 8:00 PM I am assembling a cooling unit for the roof for the meat lockers and refrigerated produce. Greenhouses are going to be alongside for fresh veggies. The greenhouses are by Kestrel Designs and come 4 to a pack.
While the rain and sleet changed to snow I pushed on last night working on the last set of buildings to go on the plateau. This morning after breakfast I finished the greenhouses. The plant benches are made from H column and .015 strip styrene. 000_0171-1 by John Moore posted Apr 8, 2018 at 11:42 AM For the plants I again went to Silflor. 000_0172-2 by John Moore posted Apr 8, 2018 at 11:42 AM The finished project. 000_0173-3 by John Moore posted Apr 8, 2018 at 11:42 AM And the last little set of buildings. 000_0175-4 by John Moore posted Apr 8, 2018 at 11:42 AM I wet down the area between the bridges and scraped any excess scenic materials up to prepare the site for the structures, All will be mounted with a water based adhesive. Finally finished with restorations where I replaced the turnouts the plateau is essentailly finished. All that is left for this area is to get my HO scale rats and make N scale Beavers for the pond. The sheep meadow is now filled with trees, Willow, Aspen, and Birch. Attention will now shift to ballasting the incline and installing vegetation among the rocks and finally installing the mills along the canyon line along with scenic materials when this last part is done.
Thanks and it reminded me that I should have mentioned something. As far as the cast structural support members in the greenhouse sections, I chose to use a ultra fine point black Sharpie to hi-light the structural members rather than try the danged near impossibility of painting them.
Another day of chilly temps and cold rain so back at the layout. Installed the newest bldgs. now just have to re-apply the scenic materials. 000_0176-1 by John Moore posted Apr 9, 2018 at 10:53 AM And a shot looking over the engine house and the station showing the additional vegetation added. 000_0177-2 by John Moore posted Apr 9, 2018 at 10:53 AM Hope today after getting the ground cover around the general store and greenhouse that I can get to the cliff face above the incline and start there.
