Ken, as the upper deck will be your scenery level: Have you considered addding a backdrop? From my experience it is added best before the bnchwork is up (much, much easier to install), but in our desire to get trains running we defer the installation. But if you want to have a backdrop I recommend to add it before you start the scenery.... Cheers Dirk
Dirk: Funny you should mention that, I just spent some time yesterday tacking up a blue background. It's real basic, just a 600mm wide roll of packing cardboard painted light blue saved from my HO layout. It is amazing how much it changes things, starting to look like a train room now. I got to a point where I was looking at placing a bridge in the trackwork and it is right in front of the window. I had the bridge in place and it just looked all wrong with the curtains in the background. So down they came and up went the blue background. I will post some pics when I have that section of the track in place.
Welcome to TrainBoard David: Glad you like what you see, if you need any help with your layout project there are lots of good folk here on TB that can give you good advise, just ask! Have fun!
Ken, yes, pleace share pics (drool).... I need to start painting the details on my lower level backdrop next. Currently it is just pale bluw masonite, so I need to go back and add mountains (Mt. Rainier) and a city-scape (Tacoma). Though I am pleased with my efforts on the upper deck I have just painted generic mountain shapes there, so the lower deck needs to be more precise.... Cheers Dirk
Hello Ken, looking very good. Maybe just a few suggestions: I would re-think the s-curve leading to the uppermost bridge. I guess that a real railroad would have tried to get a more direct alignment to the bridge. The stack train looks OK, but longer cars like Autoracks might look strange on that S-curve. Also currently the track is very close to the background corner, which leaves you alomst no room for some scenic treatment between track and backdrop. I see that there is a third track, so probably a third bridge? If that is the case you might want to consider using the double truss bridge in that second position and a steel viaduct as the last one. The main reason is the middle pillar: I am not quite sure if a modern heavy duty mainline would rely on such a high masonry pillar to support a bridge. In the second position the pillar could be much shorter (and a steel viaduct just looks cool....) Food for thought Dirk
Are these standard Atlas code 55 turnouts? They appear to be very long and smooth for #5s. Thanks. Really great, inspirational work on the helices! :thumbs_up:
Dirk: I am beginning to think you are psychic, as soon as I layed track down on that curve I was starting to have reservations. I plan to have a tunnel covering that section of track but opperationally less curve is better so I may change that section. And YES again... a double truss bridge is planned for the center line, I haven't built it yet and will need to go to the local hobby shop and check out what they have in stock... or scratch build!
Hello Ken, not psychic, it just appears we are thinking along the same lines... ) If you plan a tunnel in the corner I would change it: Make the track as bullet proof as possible.... I would use the two trusses you already have installed in the "last" postion (from the front of the layout) and move them to the middle position. I would buy a viaduct from Micro Engeneering (no affiliation) for the number 3 position, making something like this: (I know, the engine should be weathered....) Cheers Dirk
By the way: I did not use Micro Engineering Bridge Flex Tack on my upper deck (I did not know back than that it exists): But it would look so much better that it actually made it on my to-do list to change the track. If you can still change your flex I would recommend to do it. Atlasd felx already has a better tie spacing than PECO C55 (which I have used), but still the ME Bridge track looks much better, specifically in photos. Here is a comparison shot with ME bridge flex on another bridge: Cheers Dirk
Dirk: Inspirational stuff, love the shot of the steamer on the viaduct. I had a look for bridges at our local hobby shops but came away empty handed. So I ordered a ME viaduct and some deck girder bridges online. They should arrive in a couple of weeks. I will leave things as they are for the momment and concentrate on connecting the two Helii and compleating the return loops. More pics later.
Not to turn this into a thread about pulling power, but IME the SD60M is not the best puller. Your Katos should do better. Still, 12 cars up a grade is pretty decent pulling power in n scale. At the club I usually have no less than 3 locos, for trains between 20-30 cars. We have some grades above 2.5%. My cars have to be a bit overweighted because not all the trackwork is up to snuff.
Ben: I am not running trains on the layout yet, so have not really tested out the Kato's pulling power. I do however test the track as I lay it with one loco and a few cars. I am really looking forward to getting the main lines all connected so that I can run some long trains. If the Kato's turn out better pullers than the Atlas SD60 I will be wrapped. My progress has slowed as I am having problems getting a nice flowing trackwork connecting helix two. What is proving to be a problem as what looks good on paper doesn't always come together in practice. I wanted a long passing siding on the center track. It can be done but with really sharp radius curves... not good... or ease the radius out and shorten the passing siding... better! So I may end up with a siding that can hold two locos and maybe 12 cars.
Received a parcel from Mike & Robin (Fifer hobby Supply) containing the ME bridges, some more Atlas #10 turnouts and a new loco yesterday. Man that is great service! So the next few days I will be busy building bridges. I have worked out where the sub-roadbed goes and it's starting to take shape. I should have the two helii connected with a roundy-round by the weekend and will likely post pics then.
Ken , Thanks for the link to this thread. I looks to me to be a fine job. I realy like the spiral idea , almost makes me want to try it for lower level staging. Love the progress and now I can keep an eye on it . Mike
Dirk - I love this photo - The water is excellent and I can't wait to see how this particular scene will look upon completion. It certainly holds lots of promise.
That reflection is incredible! Now I'll never be satisfied with the water on other layouts that I previously thought looked completely convincing. Or is that real water? I can't tell.
Cleggie, sorry fo highjacking your thread.... The "water" is just plywood with a very thin coat of joint compund spread over it. The idea is to keep some of the plawood grain to show through, as this is a good replication of small ripples. The plywood is painted black with a little dark green added in the middle of the waterway. The edges feather into brown / sand to replicate shallow water. It barely shows in the pics, though. The reflecting surface is just clear gloss paint. I plan to add one more coat when all the bridges, docks and seawalls are installed. Cheers Dirk
