Second Annual International Winter Layout Party

ppuinn Dec 13, 2009

  1. CSXDixieLine

    CSXDixieLine Passed Away January 27, 2013 In Memoriam

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    Whew I am racing to the finish line with only a week to go! After posting I have to go back and look at everyone's recent posts; I have actually been too busy on the layout recently to spend time on TrainBoard. :) Here is my update for this week (week 8 of 9):

    [​IMG]

    I have applied the base terrain color at South Emerson. Compare the beautiful red Georgia clay in the foreground to the stark white plaster scenery in the distance. Jamie
     
  2. pastoolio

    pastoolio TrainBoard Member

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    Jamie, that paint looks really good!

    Well guys, not only did I fall off the horse, but I slid all the way down the embankment and ended up at the bottom of the ditch. I haven't been in the layout room for 2 weeks, and this is the first time checking Trainboard in a week. The money making activity has really been eating into my days, and with the super nice weather last weekend, the project car in the garage received some attention, and it's looking like it will this weekend also.
    I got my fingers crossed that something will spark my enthusiasum to get back to modeling, hopefully sooner than later.

    Mike
     
  3. CSXDixieLine

    CSXDixieLine Passed Away January 27, 2013 In Memoriam

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    I hear ya. I didn't touch the layout for 7 months before the Winter Layout Party. Considering how much time I have spent in the layout room during the WLP, I may take another 7 month break. :)

    I did complete all of my WLP goals, with the final item being checked of the list this week when I finished painting the ground color onto the scenery base.

    [​IMG]

    For comparison, here is the same area at the beginning of the WLP back in mid-December:

    [​IMG]

    Possibly my favorite part of this scene is the bridge over I-75:

    [​IMG]

    I will probably work on scratchbuilding the road and bridge next. Well, eventually!

    Jamie
     
  4. jdetray

    jdetray TrainBoard Member

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    Great work, Jamie. I am always impressed by how much difference that first coat of ground color makes. It immediately makes the layout look 100% more realistic. Can't wait until I get to that stage!

    - Jeff
     
  5. jdetray

    jdetray TrainBoard Member

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    Servo-Control for Turnouts

    My project for the past few days has been to decide how to throw the switches on my N-scale layout. I finally decided to go with R/C servos, using controllers from Tam Valley Depot.

    Making the decision easier was the fact that I already had nearly enough servos "in stock" as a result of my model aircraft hobby.

    So I've begun installing the servos under each turnout as shown below.

    [​IMG]

    The servos are simply hot glued to the plywood beneath the turnouts. A length of 1/16-inch brass tubing passes through the sub-roadbed, emerging near the throwbar of the turnout. A piece of piano wire (music wire) runs through the brass tubing and is bent appropriately at each end.

    At the servo end, the piano wire goes through the servo arm. On the topside, the wire is bent to fit into the throwbar as shown below.

    [​IMG]

    The brass tubing is glued to the surrounding foam to secure it.

    I have seven more servos to install. The procedure is explained in more detail at the Tamalpais Valley Railroad web site.

    - Jeff
     
  6. ppuinn

    ppuinn Staff Member

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    Jeff:
    Thanks for the links to the Tam Valley and Tampais Valley RR websites: VERY impressive modeling, a well-written tutorial on using R/C servos for turnout activation, and high quality layout photos and videos... with a bit of humor, too.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 22, 2010
  7. ppuinn

    ppuinn Staff Member

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    Jamie:
    I like the proportions of your I-75 underpass. I'm modeling I-474 overpasses in a couple of places on my layout and am not happy with the proportions I've tried. Did you just eye-ball it or did you have some scale plans you worked off of?
     
  8. jdetray

    jdetray TrainBoard Member

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    The excellent Tam Valley Depot and Tamalpais Valley Railroad web sites are the work of Duncan McRee. His idea for using R/C servos to throw turnouts makes a lot of sense to me.

    For one thing, servos are very small, much smaller than the other options (like a Tortoise) with which I am familiar. The servos I am using stick down only 0.5-inch below the sub-roadbed, so they'll fit just about anywhere. The servos are inexpensive, too. I bought some today for $2.57 each, delivered to my door.

    Using Duncan's methods, you can add DCC control to a turnout for $10-12. Not too shabby! That includes the servo, its controller, plus a stationary DCC decoder for the turnout.

    The only change I made from Duncan's mounting technique is that I hot glued the servos directly to the plywood sub-roadbed. Duncan recommends using double sided foam tape (a.k.a servo tape) but I am going with hot glue, having used it successfully when installing servos in an R/C airplane.

    I have no vested interest whatsoever in this solution to turnout control. It just seems to me like a sensible and cost-effective alternative.

    - Jeff
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 23, 2010
  9. ppuinn

    ppuinn Staff Member

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    We've come to the end of another Layout Party and a good time was had by all.

    Get your posts in for your final week...perhaps showing before and after pics or summarizing what you accomplished during this Winter Layout Party.

    In the next few weeks, I'll tabulate some statistics comparing this Party to some others.

    Click on my avatar to Private Message me if you are interested in participating in a future Layout Party. We will start the next one as soon as we have at least 8 people who are firmly committed to posting weekly on their layout progress during an 8-week Layout Party.
     
  10. train1

    train1 TrainBoard Supporter

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    This is where I was......

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    And here is where I am now.
    [​IMG]

    I ballasted, installed a backdrop, completed ground cover, treed, installed some scenic items to complete various scenes. Now only super detailing is left. This is the most complete I have ever been on a 'layout' after 3 starts on larger ones. I tried some new techniques which I have seen on this and other boards from some of you all and greatly appreciate being able to put my little project next to you guys.
    [​IMG]

    There is always more to do - but I can relax and continue to plan ahead for a continuous run layout in the hopefully near future.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 26, 2010
  11. saronaterry

    saronaterry TrainBoard Member

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    Great work, all! I had to wait for a track order, here now, hope to have pics Sunday! Before and after. Got most of the to-do list done. I'm pretty pleased!! I will definitly be in a Spring Party!
    Terry
     
  12. jdetray

    jdetray TrainBoard Member

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    I exceeded my goals for the Layout Party. Granted, my goals were extremely modest!

    - Jeff
     
  13. Bruce-in-MA

    Bruce-in-MA TrainBoard Member

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    Final Update

    Sorry I have not been faithful in posting weekly updates, but progress was made!

    Here's the starting shot:
    [​IMG]

    Mid-point progress:
    [​IMG]
    Tunnel portal in place and I added in an abandoned spur.

    Current update:
    [​IMG]
    Ground scenery in.
    Bridge piers placed.
    Abandoned structure placed.

    With bridge deck dry fitted:
    [​IMG]
    All that's left is to finish with some scenery details, glue in the bridge, and install the bridge track. Other finishing touches will be needed (like adding in some rust stains on the piers).
     
  14. ppuinn

    ppuinn Staff Member

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    Last weekend, I got some of the paving striping started:
    [​IMG]

    Another view of the paving striping from above:
    [​IMG]

    I think I got better with the striping as I went along. Several of the early attempts at the curved yellow lines will need to be redone. And I realized when looking at the digital pics, that the diagonal lines in the median area are slanted the wrong way, but the straight stripes I put on the bridge deck a few days ago turned out much better than the curves I attempted last week.
    [​IMG]

    I'm pleased with how Auto Dealer lot turned out. I've still got to hook up the lights and install them permanently, and I want to find ads for both sides of the billboard that are from the 70s or 80s. I'll probably repaint the cardboard mock-ups relatively soon. The size for all the buildings came out well, but the colors are too garish and I didn't realize the hastily drawn windows and doors would be so noticeable through the camera's eye.
    [​IMG]
     
  15. ppuinn

    ppuinn Staff Member

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    Objective 1: Replace the cardboard mock-up that has been representing the Adams Street Viaduct since the Spring of 2004:
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    The new bridge:
    [​IMG]

    Objective 2: Replace the space-holding ceramic houses with the businesses and structures appropriate to the southern end of Adams Street next to the Adams Street Viaduct:
    [​IMG]

    The new businesses and structures include the Auto Dealership, Stanley Steamer Carpet Cleaning, Hubcap House, White Apartments, Title Cash, and the Blues Bar.
    [​IMG]

    Objective 3 was to develop the industries along the northern end of the CNW Adams Street Yard. But, I was only able to do some preliminary planning on how I'm going to extend the siding a little farther along-side the Yard tracks. The rest of the north end project may wait until the Spring Layout Party.
     
  16. madleech

    madleech TrainBoard Member

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    My goals were:

    • Complete the track plan
    • Start building benchwork
    • Lay first bits of track (depending on how I go)
    I have made good progress on all of those. Unfortunately I dropped off the radar quite early on for 3 good reasons.

    1. I booked a 5 week railfanning US holiday,
    2. I started working every available hour 7 days a week to get through the backlog of work and save up enough to enjoy myself while away, and then the real completely unexpected one:
    3. My dad (at 59) ran off with another woman which totally turned things up upside down for our family and was no fun at all. Suddenly I was supporting my mum AND still working 7 days a week and had a 4 week trip to plan in a foreign country. Hence railway work completely stopped, apart from a couple of minutes of train therapy each day. Why my dad couldn't have just got a hobby or sports car like most normal people I'll never know.

    I am looking forward to doing some more work on the railway when I return to New Zealand in a couple of weeks.

    --Michael
     
  17. Mark Watson

    Mark Watson TrainBoard Member

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    Well I got less than half of what I hoped accomplished. But I'm very happy with what I did get done.

    Here is my original list of tasks.

    My biggest success is the rebuilt 4-4-0, which I now call the "Ultimate 4-4-0 American". I've kept a log of the progress in a dedicated thread as well, here.

    The earliest picture I have is after my initial install of the re-built tender trucks and after I replaced a plastic boiler cap with a brass one:
    [​IMG]

    And here is the near finished project (near, because I'm still debating a final touch of color and lettering):
    [​IMG]

    More importantly, its not just the details I added, but the performance upgrade. See how well she now runs here:

    Chasing the Ultimate 4-4-0 American


    In the video, you can also see the final lowered Old Timers passenger cars. I simply removed the trucks, and filed down the bolster housing on the underframe. A few detail parts needed to be filed down as well, but the lower ride height more than makes up for lack of detail that was not even seen in the first place.

    And thats all I was able to accomplish this round.

    This was another successful party. Extraordinary accomplishments from everyone!
     
  18. N_S_L

    N_S_L TrainBoard Member

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    Dave,

    So we are about due for the next installment, right???

    Even though I'm not modelling personally, I love to root for my fellow modellers!!!
     
  19. pachyderm217

    pachyderm217 TrainBoard Member

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    Inquiring minds want to know. When is the starting date?
     
  20. SteamDonkey74

    SteamDonkey74 TrainBoard Supporter

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    I am also interested. I know I had a lot of non-train stuff intervening on my life last winter, but maybe this is the year?
     

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