Well the Turtle Creek Central has shut down for awhile due to some much needed improvements. The Turtle Creek as shown about a year and a half ago. 100_0386-1 by John Moore posted Aug 4, 2020 at 5:52 AM The Turtle Creek as of today. Bare foam with some remnants of landscaping showing. Only remaining is the mine behind a much reduced cliff and bluff. The Cliff has been lowered about 2 inches on part of it but the Buddhist Temple remains where it was. Almost all the port is gone except for the NUMA and USCG docks. 100_0036-1 by John Moore posted Sep 10, 2023 at 5:26 PM A new layout has been designed using a N scale CTT design template and placed on matching graph paper. Each square is 1 inch. 100_0021-1 by John Moore posted Sep 5, 2023 at 10:54 AM The mainline plus three staging tracks will run under the town of Friday Harbor. A lift out section will be designed to access the tracks and a mostly new town will be on top and run into the cliffs featuring smaller buildings. This will blend into the town shown in my backdrop in this area. The elevated town will slope into the lower part where most of the industries will be. I hope to design a tram line from the town to the lower mainline. The Harbor is going to reduce by anywhere from 1/3rd to 1/2 the original size. The mainline is now going to run into the harbor and bridge the harbor. In all I will have a longer main line run of near a scale mile. Will rebuild with Kato unitrack and will use some of there new flex track in places. The bridge over the harbor will also be Kato.
I went from an electric line with electric locos for the mine spur and ran it to the mainline just short of the port. The electric bug briefly bit and I went to electric overhead and some third rail over all. The electric soon became a pain trying to clean track and just do things with the layout so scrapped it. Decided that early on there would be no wyes or turntables so that retired my few remaining steamers. All passenger cars have cab cars at either end again no need to turn. Most of the diesels are center cab or off center so either end is front and the boxcabs are cab at either end. Went to a elevated station that is not working out so it gets replaced by a Kato rural station. And all my layouts have had a water feature, debating whether to have one this time other than the port. Considering whether to have any or few grade crossings may elect to go elevated road crossing. Still going to maintain an Island railroad with only connections being seaplane, ferry, and car float. Early on abandoned the modeling prototype and decided to go freelance. Decided on getting rid of all cars over 50 foot and staying with small locos. My flirtation with narrow gauge type locos and tight curvatures using standard gauge Thus I have a bunch of 30 and 40 foot cars. Finding both the Bandai passenger cars and locos have been a God send. A 3 car passenger takes up just 120 N scale feet. A lash up of two of my small locos will take a 30 plus car train around the track. My current loco project is another little jewel of just 30 N scale feet. In short I have evolved in a whole different direction than most modelers and am very happy. Sometimes smaller is better. Most of my locos are now Japanese. very good performers with little to no trouble. About 2 years ago I started the switch to Kato unitrack, Have not looked back. I love their plug and play system and the electrical has been so good I operated the former layout off of just two power feeds being able to operate 8 locos at a time.
I agree wholeheartedly with you on the Unitrack. I used it exclusively on last two of the four layouts I've built, and went back and tore out the Atlas track and replaced it with Unitrack on the second layout.
Well some progress has been made. I have now started restoration work at the mine area and spur. For whatever reason when I built this layout the mine area ended up about a 1/2 inch lower than the main part of the layout. The new design calls for the mainline curving where the bluff and cliffs were for the mine area so that area had to be built up, and then sloped down to the mine location which is remaining as is. To fill that area I used foam that is for garage door insulation that is a 1/2 inch thick and comes in 2 by 4 feet sections in a package. I laid it using Elmer's glue. Today I spackled the small gaps here and there. Tomorrow I will take paper towels and dip them in a plaster slurry and top everything. Using this old technique rather than spending money on plaster cloth. What I save doing this will buy me a couple of packs of unitrack. 100_0037-1 by John Moore posted Sep 11, 2023 at 8:34 PM It has been a real battle getting structures intact out of the port area. Area looks like a battle ground between Godzilla and Rodan. Big problem is I set structures in place and then cast the water. The product I used called Glaze Coat made by Famowood, that is carried by Home Depot. Dries to a steel like finish. I have been the better part of a day trying to get my boat repair house and the ramps out of the grip of that stuff. Wicked Wanda's and Waterfront Willy's just had the pilings cut off and will be mounted on dry land next go round. Foam will be laid on both sides of the harbor covering some of the disaster zone. The NUMA and USCG pier at the end stays and gets widened some. The closer end of the harbor will get some foam also reducing the harbor length. 100_0038-2 by John Moore posted Sep 11, 2023 at 8:34 PM
Well the port went from this today 100_0039-1 by John Moore posted Sep 12, 2023 at 10:05 PM To this 100_0041-3 by John Moore posted Sep 12, 2023 at 10:05 PM 100_0042-4 by John Moore posted Sep 12, 2023 at 10:05 PM The port area is also another area that is a 1/2 inch lower than the rest of the layout. The port is now about half the size it was. The front area is much wider to accept a mainline and at least 2 more tracks plus a road. Also expanded the NUMA USCG docks at the end. Tomorrow I will spackle the gaps in the port and start laying the plaster cloth at the mine end.
I thoroughly enjoy following how your imagination takes you through your various layout incarnations.
Today I laid some plaster cloth that I made from Mechanics heavy duty wipes that was obtained from Walmart. Stronger than paper towels and they took the plaster slurry just fine that I mixed. Got just past the former creek bed before I stopped. When dry I applied some cheap water based artist paint made by Apple Barrel also found at Walmart. Coats and seals the plaster and should scenic material get loose the green or brown shows through rather than white plaster. Hopefully tonight I will apply scenic material, grass and soil by Woodland Scenics with a dilute water based glue. This is a departure for me laying the scenic material before the track. But I have had issues before of scenic material getting in tracks and turnouts creating a headache. So if this works out in the mine area I will use it on the whole layout. 100_0001-1 by John Moore posted Sep 13, 2023 at 6:53 PM
Scenic material applied last night and today spent the better part of 6 hours extending the plaster cloth into the port area then tackling the track layout for the mine. I had to get more pieces from off the previous layout and clean them including turnouts. The turnouts were scrubbed with a brush and warm water then dried. Next the backs were removed from the turnouts and contact cleaner applied to all the electrical, then a light spray of WD-40. Started out using short rad turnouts but that did not work out in real life. It did on paper so went to number 6s and that worked. So next is to NoOX all connections then spot glue the track down in places. 100_0002-1 by John Moore posted Sep 14, 2023 at 3:54 PM 100_0003-2 by John Moore posted Sep 14, 2023 at 3:54 PM And yes that is a mirror set into the cliff face making the track run on further to another mine loadout.
A first look at where the bridge crosses the harbor. Was playing around with track and I think I have it. I believe my solution is going to be with Kato viaduct track and piers. I have to pass railcars under it on the right side 1 or 2 tracks plus a roadway and then clear the ships masts in the harbor channel. Problem has been bugging me for days now but may be solved. 100_0004-3 by John Moore posted Sep 14, 2023 at 9:26 PM
Well with slow progress with cleaning track and turnouts inside and out. A peek of a number 6 insides. 100_0005-1 by John Moore posted Sep 17, 2023 at 3:18 PM And the compact turnout that has a 6 inch radius. 100_0007-2 by John Moore posted Sep 17, 2023 at 3:18 PM I am taking apart each one to remove bits of scenic material and other junk that somehow got in and cleaning with electrical spray cleaner and then lubing the moving parts with some light spray of WD-40, All of my used track and turnouts are going into a hot tap water bath and being scrubbed to get scenic residue and glue off them, Started building out the ledge and hilltop that village will be on but at a stop until I get the track in place that will be under it. 100_0006-3 by John Moore posted Sep 17, 2023 at 3:18 PM And started laying track for the station. Station will have two tracks in front and two sidings to each end of the station for a capacity of up to four waiting passenger trains. The station spur track to the left will have a line come off it to go the an industry. The outer passing siding has the spur to the mine. 100_0009-4 by John Moore posted Sep 17, 2023 at 3:18 PM An overview of the front track laid so far. Have enough track to get to the port area and some sidings before there but then on a hold while I get my new track orders in hand and ordered. 100_0008 by John Moore posted Sep 17, 2023 at 3:18 PM
I want to warn you about WD40 long term. It works great to displace moisture, but long term it will harden into a varnish like substance. Anyone who has worked on the innards of top quality firearms that have seen WD40 used as a lubricant will warn you of this. It's great for what it was made for, but definitely not as a long term lubricant.
Well slowly into the port area with track. The first item was to establish my railroads connection to the mainland, the car float, Took a bit of trial and error getting the track right to the car float but got it after an hour of fitting and refitting. Then I had to repair the car float apron lift rig damaged when I had to chisel it out. Next was to notch the terrain to nestle the mechanism in. Getting ready to make an order for the Kato flex track so I can work on the staging tracks under the village and also work on the port dock and loading tracks. 100_0010-1 by John Moore posted Sep 19, 2023 at 7:39 PM
Well a few dats of ill health but back at it slowly. Got the car float landing sides lined with timber and the dock end lined with cut stone. The cut a landing out for the car ferry and have it also lined. The lining is made from scribed styrene and miniature wood dowels. I also relocated the boat repair down to the opposite end and am going to scrap the dry dock for lack of room. 100_0012-1 by John Moore posted Sep 25, 2023 at 5:20 PM Received my supplies from WOO WOO up West of Baltimore MD. Included was a box of Kato flex track. Each box contains 10 sections at 31 and 13/16 inches long each. Noticed right away that each rail slides in the ties rather than one rail anchored like other brands. The track once flexed does retrun to shape once released. Flexes to at least 4 inches. Track nail holes are provided. Got to be handled careful or the ties will slip off. I also got some packs of track joiners by Kato since I had noticed the other rail joiners did not play well with Kato track. 100_0015-2 by John Moore posted Sep 25, 2023 at 5:20 PM I am going to like this track for its extreme flex down in the port area.
Well an order arrived from Japan today that included track I needed for the hidden track under the village and most important my new train station that I need to design around. Now I can get to work laying foam for the village foundation and the hill it will sit on. I cannot say enough about the quality of Kato's train stations. Nice crisp details, glazing in the windows, and a whole slew of detail parts that can be added from ticket machines to clocks and benches just to name a few. They offer a selection of stations. Each station can have added platforms and I ordered two sets of single sided and one set of single sided with roof. Each platform section comes with detail parts to be added. My station design has provisions to have four passenger trains at at time with double mains and two sidings at each end of the station. Todays haul of goodies and the station being laid out. 100_0017-001 by John Moore posted Sep 29, 2023 at 7:11 PM The station 100_0020-3 by John Moore posted Sep 29, 2023 at 8:11 PM
Well after a lot a tearing out and redoing I have finally re-engineered the tunnel and the cliff area. The tunnel enclosure has been dropped several inches thus lowering the projecting part of the cliffs much lower. I now have a much tighter spacing between tracks and a more narrow tunnel. Some work with a hot knife should further reduce the angle to the top part of the cliffs making it possible now to install a road up to there or even tram tracks. 100_0001-4 by John Moore posted Oct 4, 2023 at 2:36 PM In this shot you can see the side ledges that the lift out section will rest on. The tunnel portion is about 30 inches long giving me room to play on top of it. 100_0003-3 by John Moore posted Oct 4, 2023 at 2:36 PM The white foam is insulating foam thus tougher than it looks and the lift out section will be Owens Corning pink foam. I am using Titebond muti surface glue for the foam. Originally I had planned on four tracks in the tunnel but had to back off from that to just two tracks. Then I once again did some re-engineering of the tracks al the way back to the mains at the station area and was able to get 3 tracks in there, I am using Kato unitrack wye turnouts and Kato short radius turnout for the tunnel tracks. The Kato short compact wye turnout make things all possible and use less space. Woodland Scenics tunnel portals and retaining walls are going to be used that I found on sale at WOO WOO up near Baltimore and should arrive tomorrow. Coming from Japan by this weekend are the straight and curved viaduct tracks for the bridge across the harbor, some 4 inch radius curves and a bunch of number 6 turnouts. The 4 and 5/8ths radius track will be used at the harbor area, and yes I have motive power that can get around them. Remember I am the guy with the little compact 30 foot locos and smaller. While glue was drying I set out to make some end of track bumpers. I used some scrap rail and two short untrack filler pieces that were 1 inch long. Cut the track adapter section off one end retaining to other end as is. Used Dremel cut of wheel to score the sections of metal rail to then bend them. 100_0024-1 by John Moore posted Oct 3, 2023 at 8:11 PM 100_0026-2 by John Moore posted Oct 3, 2023 at 9:01 PM 100_0027-3 by John Moore posted Oct 3, 2023 at 9:01 PM And now I have end of track bumpers for the two spur tracks at the station.
