Looks like a lot of good progress this time around. Wish i could join you, but my layout is packed in a crate for shaipping CONUS (eventually). No appreciable room for it in the current digs.
Even with two weeks off over the holidays, after completing all obligations and even some needed yardwork, I still only managed to start on something at the end of that time. Here is the start to my street surface laying. The process of cutting out pieces of 0.020" styrene using tracing paper to mark out a pattern, then using a pencil to trace the rail lines with a piece of graphite paper underneath has worked well. Keeping to the lines results in a ready-to-glue piece. A bit of styrene cement and then its on to the next piece. I originally intended to use 0.040 between the rails (which you can see on a piece of dummy abandoned track in the street) but the top is a bit too close to the top of the rails and the thicker plastic is harder to keep straight and looking good between the rails. For these "between" pieces you have to draw lines inside of the traced lines to allow for flanges. I'm thinking of just using 0.020 instead - this way there will be no flange interference even if the edges are not perfectly cut and there is no danger of scraping the top surface. I played with a short scrap piece and it looks ok as the outside of the rails are buried and the difference should be less noticeable once the street is painted. In this case function wins over looks. Peter
Peter: Modeling the abandoned track is a great idea! How are you planning to paint the road surface? I've seen pics and layouts where certain streets were painted to look like really old and decrepit road surfaces that were cracked/frequently patched with different colored asphalts, and even had previous road surfaces (bricks) showing through in a few places. On your layout, the road surface between the diagonal abandoned rails could be painted to look like old paver bricks or asphalt, while the road surface immediately next to and between the "newer" SP tracks running left-right in the road could be painted to look like newer asphalt or maybe like concrete. If the single vertical track from the fascia to the back of the shelf (pic #2 in Post #42) represents a different RR (UP, NP, SP&S?), it would be possible to paint the road surface near that track in a third color/style so that it looks like it was installed at a different time than either the diagonal abandoned track or the horizontal SP track running left-right. For modeling the different RRs on your layout, I suspect you are planning to do something like this already, but for others viewing this thread... When including more than one RR on a layout, modelers often gather information about similarities and differences between the RRs they are modeling (e.g., ballast colors, roadbed profiles, Class I vs Industrial size rail, how successful the different RRs are compared to each other--which affects how well-maintained the tracks are). On Peter's 1955 era layout, was the SP obviously more successful (or less successful) than the other RRs he is modeling? If so, where any RR tracks are NOT running through the streets, making the ballast, roadbed profile and quality of track and trackside maintenance for Non-SP tracks (perhaps, the single vertical track?) look dramatically different than the ballast, roadbed profile, track and trackside maintenance for any SP tracks, will heighten the illusion that at least two different RRs are being modeled on his layout.
From pictures, these streets were paver bricks which were later paved over with asphalt. Pictures in the 1920's show pavers, but by the 50's asphalt is in prevalence. One street that I'm modeling to this day is still paver bricks so I'll have a mix. I plan to use a variety of colors mostly tending towards the darker realm as the pavement isn't that old. I do plan to continue the abandoned "track" on the other side of the crossing with a darker/newer pavement patch for a distance. That's a good idea of having different shades near the different railroads but the overlays pretty much muted the differences out. I do plan to have some variations in ballast colors however. This represents the furthest SP track (a.k.a 1st St) on the system which is double track from Brooklyn Yard to the terminus interchange with the UP and Northern Pacific Terminal (jointly owned by SP, UP and NP) trackage on the west side of the river. UP ran a spur line down 2nd St which served numerous cold storage sites, manufacturers and warehouses. SP served the other side of the larger industries as well. The track that cuts across the layout is the SP&S which ran jointly with UP at the north end, diverged over to 3rd St then turned around in a big "U" crossing the UP and SP then went back up north for a bit. I'm modeling the base of the U and a few other pieces of the SP&S. I plan to park a SP&S boxcar on the dummy spur at the bottom of the 2nd pic as a visual clue. Other things like a SP phone booth and manual dwarf signals will add to the junction scene. Because this is a terminal area, the car movements will be similar to each other than where car forwarding rules apply so locomotive presence will be a big indicator. Peter
Don't believe I have ever seen someone model abandoned track in a street. I think a lot of us are so busy trying to pack in as much action as possible, that few of us even consider any sort of disused rails.
I got the idea from looking at the Sanborn fire insurance maps which show the changes over the years as they tend to be "cut and paste" . They clearly showed spur tracks removed and moved to fit the changing industrial patterns. When I photographed it years ago there was track serving some industries and some not but the evidence of past serving was there with loading docks, freight doors, old rails under dumpsters and parked autos. I'll even have abandoned streetcar tracks with patches where the poles were in the middle of the roadway once I build my street bridges. It's important to show a history of things in the past and harbingers of the future (i.e. brand new mechanical frozen food refrigerator cars) I believe for a realistic setting. More and more shows up on the Internet all the time as more sites/archives are sharing old historic photographs so its easier to obtain than ever before. Peter Peter
Love the abandoned track, Peter. I'm actually going to model a siding that basically disappears into the ground so similar concept...nice to see how you're accomplishing it. I'm out of town on business at the moment but hopefully I can get one more good weekend of train work in before the party ends.
Quick update here, just finished getting everything stood up and at least mostly clamped together, still a good amount of work to do before a train can run. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
View attachment 68602 I see that it is a little late for us to start...but...can we jump in a few weeks late. Spring/summer/fall months are filled with kids baseball, family vacations and a crazy workload (as a carpenter). Now that the trucks are ready for winter and the holidays are officially OVER, we might be able to start playing trains again. Today's goal is to just get to the train table. Lots of leftover stuff from summer projects, Excess tools, tools to be sold, things to be fixed, empties from various "get togethers" and a new kegerator which is much larger than my last. I have a ton of straightening and sorting to do just to be able to get to the table. Then clean the rails, clean loco wheels and get back to work. Short term goal for the layout is to fix a derailment issue coming off the main bridge. Next thing is to finish the rail yard track and switches. Next is to hook up a new power supply which can have an extra controller. Next is to make a control panel and start powering up switches. I would be EXTATIC if we can have a fully functional layout (track wise) with a functioning control panel to control the switches. The good news is that our "winter" work will go until mid March. Just because you guys start flicking the lights on and off, doesn't mean that we will stop partying!
Well its a new year, and with a new soldering iron in hand, track work is resuming on the Bufkin's Bayou bridge: View attachment 68624 There is still a lot of track to install and things to hook up, but after putting the bridge track onto the deck with the switches, I think I can cheat it enough with guard rails, walkways, and outside guard timbers to make go of it. And yes, I have one solder joint to clean up - my old iron gave up the ghost hence the new one for a new year.
Welcome to the Party, Stew; it's never too late to join...the Party will continue until Feb 22, so you've still got plenty of time to make some progress. FYI, I wasn't able to access your attachment. Did you try to attach the pic into your post directly from your computer? If so, try re-posting it. I couldn't see any pics under your name in RailImages, which suggests that, if you had tried to upload your pic to RailImages and then attach it into your post from RI instead of from your computer, the upload process may not have been successful. When you have successfully uploaded pics to RailImages, you should be able to click on the pic and then (to the right of the picture), see some boxes that let you post your pic as a link, a thumbnail, or as a full image.
This week I've added more trees near the backdrop, so they are denser and do a better job of hiding the unpainted lower portion of the backdrop. This first pic shows the denser trees behind the materials yard. If I finish the other goals and still have some time left in the Party, I'll drop a turnout and track into the materials yard and add some details like replacement ties, ballast piles, rails, and track maintenance equipment. Compare the density of the trees in these pics to the tree density (or lack of it) in the 1st pic in Post 39. I've added a grass median strip to the highway leading up to my Interstate bridge, and will add guardrails and lane stripes in the next few days. The guardrails are being made from 1/4 inch plastic channel and plastic strips (N-scale 4x6). That's a piece of duct tape holding the posts at 3/4 inch intervals. I put a drop of CA glue on the strips and then dropped the channel on the posts... but I plan to use a wire to put a tinier dot of glue on the next batch of posts, because the drop straight from the tube is obviously too large.
Lane stripes are done; guardrails are painted and temporarily in place; highway/railroad overpass bridge railings are cut and painted but need to be glued into place. Still need to trim the foamboard along the bridge railings, paint and install the I-beams that support the highway and railroad overpass between the green grass median and the orange girders of the larger river bridge; paint the piers that support the highway overpass; touch up the median grass; plant some trees beside the highway; and put some orange crash barrels where the median grass ends and the highway overpass begins. [SIZE=-1][/SIZE] I've started a CAD/CAM class at our local Makers Lab to learn how to use DraftSightx64 software to draw figures that can be produced on a 3D printer. I may be over-reaching myself, but once I learn the software, I hope to replace the current paper mock-up of the river bridge with a printed 3D version of the bridge.
Dave, Your bridge and approach looks awesome! I have a kitchen pass this weekend (including off on Friday!) so except for a 3 hour window on Saturday for an ops session I have a good three days available for some model railroading. I still have the "get trains running" component of my goal left and that is one of the things I will accomplish. That will involve doing the base weathering job on all of the new pieces of track, and then I'll have to clean the rail tops and likely clean/replace a few joiners too. I'm also going to start wiring additional feeders and carving out the channels in the foam for track/wiring/turnout decoders. Then, everything gets painted. I'll see where I'm at then...probably will evaluate laminating the layers together if I'm far enough along. I'm also going to create foam risers for a very slight elevation change on the "hill" side then back down on the end near the graphite plant. That will be tricky....might look into the WS product. It sort of ties into the laminating step so, that all may be for another day. If I could get all that done I would be ecstatic.
Thanks for the welcome ppuinn I did try directly from my computer. It's worked in the past. Don't know what I messed up. trying again: Last week: looks like it worked this time!!! This week: Garage cleaned Delta workshop vacuum sold table vacuumed track cleaned and re-vacuumed yard track laid starting to power up yard as of this morning. ran out of 18ga.
Stew, Your layout room looks strangely like mine most of its life! Glad to see progress! Dave, Nice overpass! The road looks great!
I've been tempted to join. But, I do not have photos of the in progress work of the current stage of construction. I've got something, before I really got started. And I'd have to grab a shot or two of the current progress. But I did get the Woodland Scenic 2% inclines down, and got cork glued down yesterday. Even got the DCC system out and test ran a few locomotives for a bit. Additional information later maybe.
Welcome Keith! It's never too late to join the Party. Nice proto/railfan pics! What RR and location are you modeling?...Rio Grande? ...Moffat? ...Rollins Pass?
Primary interest is the Rio Grande. Although, the Green Bay and Western holds much interest as well. Had relatives in Green Bay, so it was a short, 2 mile walk to the GBW Norwood yard/shops in Green Bay! The various ALCo diesels going about their job! No specific location. In my case, a double track mainline, going in circles. Lets me run a train and be able to do industrial switching off the other main. Only wish I had the room to build something a little larger! Main objective at this point, now that roadbed is down, is get roadbed painted. Attach track. Build ramp(s) from mainlines, to ground level. Just for a little subtle elevation change. Maybe try and get a small corner section of scenery started. And try to decide what buildings to use, for industry locations and what buildings to use for a small town main street. One "before" photo, showing original idea(s). A few current photos, with changes. An overall view, of current layout. In this case, interchange track redesigned. Was NOT going to work, as I had hoped. Right side, in general. Right hand side, showing locomotive/car inspection/repair facility. Simple repairs offered. Such as the Pennsylvania Limited caboose, in for broken coupler knuckle replacement. Or the Rock locomotive, in for rear end handrail replacement and new snowplow! While companion unit waits for minor work also! Inspection pit under track closest to mainline. Underside inspection of cars and locomotives. Center track is general inspection, maybe brake shoe replacement, if required. Far track, is general maintenance. Such as caboose waste tank, possible food/water supplies etc....Or checking the Jordan Spreader, to make sure it's ready, when winter sets in! Opposite end, showing eventual industrial area. As well as redesigned interchange track. Gons and tie crane are on Team track. Boxcars and NW-2 are industry tracks. Something like the the DPM Goodnight Mattress, Gripps Luggage Also have: Central Gas Supply, North Island Refinery, ADM grain elevator and a Mi Jack intermodal crane. Plus most of the DPM small town structure kits, and a couple of Walthers street building kits. Just gotta decide what I want to use, and where!! Anything unused will be sold.
