This thread is the next step in the evolution of my layout construction. This will feature periodic layout construction updates on the Kanawha, Youngtown & Northern (KY&N) focusing on lighting, scenery and structures. The updates may be brief, or may be wordy. Please ask questions, provide suggestions and or general comments, all are appreciated. The KY&N is an Appalachian coal hauling regional railroad running between Charleston, WV and Cleveland, OH. Passing through cities such as Wheeling and Weirton in West Virginia and Youngstown in Ohio, this railroad also boasts a significant amount of steel industry traffic as well as bridge traffic by the Penn Central between their ex-NYC WV Secondary and their Ex-PRR Panhandle Division and from the N&W between their ex-VGN Deepwater Branch and their ex-W&LE connection near Wheeling, WV. Set in mid winter 1971-72, the KY&N boasts a healthy roster of first generation power with new power beginning to make their mark on railroading. There is also a light Amtrak presence in its colorful early beginning. For modeling purposes the layout is based on the southern-most terminus of the railroad at Charleston, WV with significant interchange traffic with the C&O, Penn Central, N&W and the legendary V&O. Representing a stretch of 92 miles, the layout focuses on a stretch of single-track mainline between Charleston and West Union, WV. A link to the previous thread covering the early construction of the layout: Building the KY&N: Planning, Prep & Benchwork https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/to...enchwork.130767/&share_type=t&link_source=app Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Over the Thanksgiving holiday and accompanying extended weekend, I was able to tackle some of the layout lighting over the upper level. I am using an outdoor commercial grade party light set with sockets 2’ apart for the main lighting infrastructure. I found some old 1” lumber in the garage and ripped it down to 2” wide strips so that I had something solid to fasten the light set to. Hoping to have these lights on by the new year, then get back to backdrops and fascia. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Are your lights adjustable as a group? What I mean is can you change color temperature to simulate sunrise and sunset, high noon and perhaps dim to change to night? They look like LED bulbs, correct?
No, these are not adjustable. These are standard 10 watt GE LED Daylight bulbs in a bulk pack from Lowe’s. These bulbs are not dimmable. I believe there are 52 bulbs on the lower level, there will be about 58 on the upper level. Should be around the equivalent draw of a moderate sized microwave….. separate breaker from the DCC system, of course. Like the lower level and layouts in the past, I am painting backdrop a light neutral gray with lighter and darker gray clouds to represent winter cloudy skies. Daylight bulbs (5000k lumens) give a visually correct very white almost blue light for dense winter cloud cover. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Run through testing This morning, the first through train was run from the lower staging yard to the northern most end of the layout where track laying progress had stopped just above Smithville. The train of Wheeling-bound cars was manually assembled in staging the night before. Power provided by a pair of EMD SD35’s numbered 2803 and 2800 along with a pair of F7’s. A southbound was also run for a return trip down to Charleston. The runs revealed a switch with a power short and another switch with a broken weld (solder joint). Overall, the runs were a success. The run from the lower staging yard to Smithville took about 24 minutes. Eventually, staging-to-staging nonstop should take about 30 minutes. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Throwback to previous layouts, that never made it as far as this one now has. Here is a sampling of how I have modeled winter scenery in the past. The clouds are spray painted with whites and grays over a neutral gray base. Then I paint basic shapes of hills on the backdrop, then use a separate, dry brush on the wet paint straight up to give a distant tree-lined edge. It doesn’t have to be perfect if there will be planted trees in front of it. I have to give Trainboard member Tracy McKibben credit on the trees. He used grapevine broom primitive decor to make bare trees. I found a bunch after Christmas over the years for as little as 50 cents a broom. The pine trees were modified from a seasonal dollar store product offered several years ago. Lessons learned… the foam land forms need to be trimmed closer together and not show any vertical flat surfaces. I learned to use some oak tree bark as rock formations, which can be used to hide gaps and flat planes left on the foam scenery base. While the grapevine brooms are good, there needs to be more variety, perhaps with a mixture of naked Super Trees and golden rod and sedum found outdoors. The ill-fated Gulf & Ohio Midland from around 2011. The start of winter scenery on layouts. This 4x10 shelf layout was built in a walk-in closet. The false start of the KY&N from 2018. My scenery method improved from the previous layout, but we moved the following year. From some time in 2021 on the current layout. Oak bark simulating a substantial rock cut where the main track turns north through Charleston adjacent to the engine service area. I did this corner early before the upper level was installed due to the 42 inch depth of benchwork here. Still needs some work here. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I've long enjoyed your work Pat and am looking forward to seeing your scenery tips. My N Scale is also an eastern road, so we'll both need a national forest worth of trees. Reading internet chatter on the matter has done nothing but confuse me, with the puffball contingent often squared off against the Supertrees group and no mention of what works best for HO and N.
I think you’ll find that “what works best” will vary from person to person. Since we’ll need a national forest worth of trees, I’m going to mostly use natural sources. Even if I had a fortune, I wouldn’t want to blow it all on scenery stuff. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
The national forest worth of trees is no easier on my Colorado layout, so I feel your pain! That oak bark rock wall looks LEGIT!
All lighting is complete, except for a small section in the helix space at a later time. Next steps will be to clean up and get some fascia up. Hoping to find rugs on clearance to use for floor coverings. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Among all of the other things I’ve been working on, I started assembly of the Walthers Medusa Cement kit as part of the Little Kanawha Valley Stone facility at Grantsville. The silos are in four sections not including the base and the top. Of course, a couple sections were warped, making initial assembly a chore. I ended up using squadron putty to fill the seams, then sanded smooth and flush. I also painted the dumping/loading shed a tan color. Painting the silos is next, but I don’t expect to tackle that until at least next weekend. Also installed the fascia covering the upper level lighting. I expect to paint that either tomorrow (new years day) or next weekend. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I painted all of the fascia throughout the space on all levels. I settled on Valspar Montana Moss a while ago and finally got a gallon mixed up. Really helps finish the room as I transition into scenery and completing the main track to Wheeling staging. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Ready for February January has been an up and down month. At one point, four of the five of us had Covid, then we lost power for four days and then we had 20 inches of snow last weekend. Motivation has also been lacking for various reasons. Here’s to a refreshing month in February. Over the last couple of weeks, I started trimming foam scenery base shapes again. I am eyeing making a batch of ground goop in February and start some scenery. I also glued down some carpet tiles inside the peninsula. Finally, of the nine Penn Central 70 ton hoppers I got a steal on, four stayed in the factory PC paint with numbers changed and five of them were relettered for the home road. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
ew month, new progress All layout work this weekend was focused on scenery base construction and switch controls. I installed the ground throw for the switch at Wills Creek Co-op at Walton and installed the throw rod and plastic tube sleeve at four other locations. I am out of the fascia-mount ground throw pedestals, so I’ll need to make a run to Hobby Lobby sooner than later. I also cut, trimmed and glued down base scenery shapes from 1 inch and 2 inch foam board at Smithville and Walton on the upper level and at the south switch of yard limits at Charleston. Finally, using old Atlas truss bridges, I started mocking up the C&O bridge crossing at the west end of Charleston (railroad south). I may put a Central Valley truss kit here. We’ll see where this goes, although the old Atlas bridges look good from a distance. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Adventures in foam I really thought I would accomplish more this weekend than what I did. I worked on more foam scenery base around the north Spencer / Smithville area of the layout. Also placed some scraps along there narrow right of way near Rocksdale and between Grantsville and Smithville. Still aiming to get more track ordered and proceed northbound. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
