Thanks. Any trackplan will probably be an after-the-fact. In doing a spline roadbed, I found it cumbersome to lay to an exact plan. So, I just freeform the roadways from one diorama to the next. I have almost the entire center island done with track and can go back and create a map from that. Am just now starting on the around the walls NS part. I have created a blog which probably better follows the project than my postings. It is at ccsb2007.blogspot.com KB
A friend gave me a good idea of how to describe the new layout: a 3-2-1. It's three railroads on two separate layouts in one room. The NS is an around the walls nolix, double decked about half the way around, and the WSS/HPT&D is on a completely separate island in the center. I been rather busy on the new layout, but practically nothing worth taking pictures of. After I scenicked the first 8 or 10 feet, just to make sure all the little pictures in my head came together, I went back to laying track. The island has just under 100 feet of mainline, a 6 track yard, 2 passing sidings, a 5 turn helix and a wye at the end. As of last Friday, all the trackwork was done for the WSS/HPT&D (Winston Salem Southbound/High Point Thomasville & Denton RR). I ran the first train Friday afternoon with only 1 derailment, and that was an unweighted car. This weekend, I hope to be able to start the splines and trackwork on the NS portion. Just a few various pics since the last update: This is turning out to be my favorite spot. A look right between the trees. The small Bill Yard on the WSS The other end of the NS P-t-P, Charlotte staging
I try not to worry about either. The time, I just steal from other places. There are things around the house that could using some work, but I'll just keep putting it off a while. I lucked out on the money. We had a tree fall on our house last summer and the Ins company was very generous. I did some of the work myself and wound up with enough leftover to use on the layout. Oh, yeah, and Mastercard......
Another weekend with seemingly not much to show for it. I did a little on the scenery of the WSS/HPT&D, poured the water for Abbott's Creek, laid just under 30' of splines and 60' of mainline on the NS sub.
Kevin What are you using for your splines. I am debating whether or not to do splines or just cut 1/2 plywood on my layout. I have a 20 foot run on a 1.3 percent grade that includes a trestle and 10 foot passing siding.
I'm using 3/16" masonite cut into 1 1/2" strips. I really like the variation I can get with the splines, but there are a few drawbacks. I heard that cutting masonite would dull a blade quickly but I've cut a couple of hundred strips and I don't know how many 1 x 4's on the same table saw blade. The drawback is it does create a good bit of dust. The splines are easy to lay into gently flowing curves, and you can cover 8 feet at a time. The yellow carpenter's glue forms a rock solid bond and I'd put it up against any plywood for sheer strength. I am having to go back and plane the roadbed surface with a Surfoam plane but have to be careful not to get it angled on the sides and have superelevated track in the wrong places. So far, I am working okay with the splines. Better that I probably would cookie cutting plywood. My best advice is go to Lowes, get a sheet of Masonite, have them cut it into (3) 18" widths for easy handling, find someone with a table saw and try it. A sheet is only $10. KB
Finally, some new pictures.I got really tired of laying track, so I took a break last week and worked on some scenery. For this section, I am trying a fall theme.
Wow- please continue with scenery and photos, those are great and I (being an NS fan) love the theme, excellent work, my best, Jan
Kevin, excellent job! I like layouts with a different flavor, like those set in fall. Let me give you a little advice on trees. Those on the left (above the WP boxcar) are awesome and looks very much like real trees. Those above the covered hopper, round-shaped, doesn't look too real. Scenic Express sells super trees kit, made with natural weeds... they are very nice and you can make a bunch of them in a couple of evening. If you replaced the ball-trees with other more realistic trees, that that scene would be close to perfection Just my 2 cents.
Thanks. Point taken. The trees by the WP are Supertrees, but I can't really afford to cover the entire layout in them. The puff balls will have to make up the majority of the background and I'll try to fill in the front row with the Supertrees. KB
Looking very good, Kevin. Thanks especially for the mini-report on spline roadbed. I have pretty well decided that's what I'm going to use when I begin construction in a month or so. How many pieces wide are your splines? Any double track, and if so, how many pieces there?
Using the 3/16 Masonite, I made the roadbed 5 splines wide for single and 11 wide for double. I arbitrarily used the spacing built into the side of the Kato rerailers. I think they are 33mm (around 1-1/4"). Anyway, the spacing worked very well in the yards, so I just stayed with it. I picked up a couple of sets of spring clamps from Wally World for like $7 for a 20 pc set. They work fine. I wound up buying a gallon of yellow carpenters glue (as cheap as 2 quarts) and am now on my second gallon. I poured it into a couple of those plastic ketchup/mustard bottles from the dollar store. They have a cap to keep the tip clear. I did not use cork. The splines isolated the sound good enough and I was planning on letting the ballast slopes start at the edges of the ties, not wide like the cork does. However, I may rethink that if I was to start over. The cork may help smooth some ups and downs in the splines from where I had to plane them. Get the nails or screws you are using to clamp to, vertically straight. Otherwise you wind up with superelevated roadbed. Same if you aren't careful about planing square. Spend some time getting the splines aligned on the top and the planing will be minimized.
Kevin, You had a posted a good shot on February 25th showing the CFL in the valance. What wattage and spacing did you use?? Also, can you show the CFL's on the upper level and you got them to fit in the 3.75" ?? BTW, truely awsome job.
Thanks for the spline tips, Kevin. This is unknown territory for me, so it's a case of all the help I can get!
boB, The lights are 13W each. Lowes has a 6 pack for $9.98 ($1.66 per bulb). They are a little yellow for the first 4-5 minutes on startup, but become very bright afterwards. For the top level, I mounted them every 24" on a 1 x 4 with standard octagon metal boxes and porcelain lampholders. I think the boxes and lampholders were $2.25 per set and with bulb was $15 per 8 feet. I needed the woodwork for the valence anyhow, so I figured this was much cheaper than 8 foot tubes and holders. The lighting for the lower level was an afterthought... actually the whole 2nd level was not in the original plan. You are right... how to fit all that into the 3 1/2" space. The porcelain fixture was what stuck above and below the 1 x 4. I tried sawing them, but found I couldn't saw them parallel to each other easily. Instead of the octagon box, a regular handy (utility) box was thinner. I used a regular duplex outlet and a screw-in to plug in adapter. This setup costs a little more, about $4 per set still spaced at 24", but I get an outlet every 24". That has come in VERY handy for the soldering iron, hot glue gun, whatever. The lights burn cool enough, I laid some blue foam directly on some bulbs for 10 hours and there was no warping of the foam at all. Jim, you are right. There doesn't seem to be a lot of info on the 'net about splines. Maybe we can start a spline revolution.
I have CFLs in the overhead light fixture in my bedroom, where my HCD layout is located. The one disturbing thing I've noticed is that I look jaundiced under the light. Some of the pics I've taken of the layout look a little yellowish. How do you get around that? Like your pics, BTW.
