The Connellsville Extension of the Western Maryland

mr1967 Dec 11, 2011

  1. MVW

    MVW E-Mail Bounces

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    Way to go, '67! Keep rollin'.

    Jim
     
  2. mr1967

    mr1967 TrainBoard Member

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    i have really been inspired by reading through the previous winter work parties, some incredible stuff can happen in a short period of time. this is all the easy part - the difficult stretch will be taking my time on the trackwork to make it flawless and troublefree in 5 years.
     
  3. mr1967

    mr1967 TrainBoard Member

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    not as much progress this weekend as i was hoping to make, but i did make some - the zigzag doors were remove which allowed me to permanently affix the backdrop to the wall. the two sections that were roughed in are now in place and i need to cut a 44" and 76" piece. these sections should be in place this week and the seams taped and mudded ready for painting. i'm trying to decide how i want to do the painting - a fade into blue from white or just paint it all sky blue.

    i was messing around with spray on adhesive for securing the foam to the plywood subroadbed - i think this is how i will do it since it's fast and is ready to use very quickly. i'm going to rough in the turnout locations before i adhere the foam, i'm going to use a piece of tubing to cut out a hole for the turnout armature. this should give me a good opening that will allow the armature to move freely.

    i spent two hours yesterday trying to find T bar clips to hang track lighting from the drop ceiling. no one seems to have them in stock. i have to drive by Grainger this week for work, i'll stop by and see if they have them. once i get the backdrop and lighting sorted the rest of the pieces will fall into place pretty quickly it seems.

    i feel positive that i'll make the 1 January deadline for a running main. i will have temporary bridging in two locations until i can get them built, but the main will be open for traffic.
     
  4. mr1967

    mr1967 TrainBoard Member

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    amazing what you can get done when you have a half day at the office...


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    i taped and mudded the backdrop seam and mudded the screw holes

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    this is an example of how i re-purposed benchwork from an around the walls layout that was no wider than the grid. i created a cantilever setup that works well. sure it uses extra wood, but it enabled me to get going pretty quickly.

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    here is the same location with the subroadbed in place
     
  5. mr1967

    mr1967 TrainBoard Member

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    Benchwork nearly complete

    i have a few more risers to cut and then the benchwork is complete.

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    more after the jump
     
  6. mr1967

    mr1967 TrainBoard Member

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    [​IMG]

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    these show the yard area and the screened staging yard. the 3" height is perfect, on a step stool i can easily reach over and get to the switches, derailed cars, and to clean the tracks, but standing on the floor, at 6'2", i can't see over the wall. there is plenty of room for a steep hillside and rock cuts that capture the feel of the line as it heads west toward the P&LE and P&WV interchanges through Greenwood.

    the layout is rather high, the top of the rail at the lowest point is 50" and 55" at the highest. the yard is at 52.5". i built it rather high to remove that "looking down on everything" feeling that N Trak gave me. this puts the trains much closer to the eye, esp. when sitting on my bar stool.
     
  7. David K. Smith

    David K. Smith TrainBoard Supporter

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    Looking more like a layout every day. Keep it up!
     
  8. mr1967

    mr1967 TrainBoard Member

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    i installed track lighting above the layout lobes and finished installing the backdrop. i should have all the foam in place before i head to work on Tuesday. plan on laying out all the mainline track to see how it all fits and then i'll start gluing the cork and track. i should have a running main by 1 Jan 2012. i need to get paint for the backdrop and get that applied ASAP.

    the Connellsville Extension was completed in 1912, so it is fitting that my layout should be completed the same year.
     
  9. mr1967

    mr1967 TrainBoard Member

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    i gave it a good effort to have the main in place and running by the 1st of January 2012, but it just isn't going to happen. i had a little more on my plate in terms of layout environment than i had realized and wanted to tackle those first. a nasty stomach virus hit the family at Christmas and then some other holiday things got in the way of working on the layout. i should have a good deal of more finished before the end of next weekend. it won't be too much longer.
     
  10. mr1967

    mr1967 TrainBoard Member

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    progress has been very slow on the layout but progress is being made. i need to pick up a few things this weekend so i can get the switch machines in place along the main. the piano wires for the switch machines aren't long enough so i need to cut new ones, 3/4" foam would have prevented this setback. my main efforts have been to get the staging and main in place and then to worry about the branch and yard.

    i'm hoping to have some work done and posted here Tuesday. the server with all the pictures is offline (it's sitting in the middle of the layout room), i need to get that back up as well.
     
  11. mr1967

    mr1967 TrainBoard Member

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    no A/C on a holiday weekend with temps hitting 99F... not a pleasant time. my sister's pool was far more inviting than the layout. it's now 76F in here and i think i can get back to the task at hand, building a layout.
     

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