Weaver Junction

Rocket Jones Nov 15, 2015

  1. Rocket Jones

    Rocket Jones TrainBoard Member

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    Weaver Junction is a new switching layout that I've started. Thanks to a lot of good advice here on Trainboard, you can find the final version in the Resources section.

    Basically, it's a five foot by 18" shelf with several industries. Staging will be on-board via an interchange track, although my wife has mentioned the possibility of expanding with another module. Being located in the "small" guest bedroom, some portability is a requirement, as is making things not quite permanent.

    Rather than mounting to the wall (which I'd prefer), the framework is designed to sit atop two inexpensive plastic shelving units.


    I printed out a full-sized plan using Scarm to check spacing of the shelf units and the fit of some selected building kits.


    The framework is 1"x4" lumber with a 1/4" plywood top, all glued and screwed, with 3/4" foam topping that. The top is 52" tall.


    Here's a shot of the layout under a few of my high-power rockets, another of my hobbies.


    I don't have a crew of felines to assist like John does, but I do have a 6 lb Yorkshire Terrier who likes to watch the moving trains. Her name is Susie Q - no relation - but I did buy a Susquehanna boxcar in her honor.

     
    Last edited: Nov 15, 2015
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  2. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    As long as she just watches, and doesn't take them out to bury in the back yard!
     
  3. Rocket Jones

    Rocket Jones TrainBoard Member

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    Life has been quite full lately, but a couple of weeks ago I decided to make a determined push to finish laying track. My original roundy-round trackwork is pretty sad, so I've been being extra careful this time around (translation: slow).

    Left (west) end of the junction. The front track will be a scrap yard, and I'm debating about whether to include a team area where the flatcar is. Behind that is the interchange track, then immediately behind that is the RIP track. I'll probably put some sort of servicing facilities there too. Next is the runaround lead and in the back a siding with some sort of food processor and a warehouse.

    East end. In front is the mainline which doubles as runaround lead, and then behind that is where I originally planned a small industry. I'm starting to lean towards making that the team track instead. Behind are two tracks servicing the Appalachian Fuel Company, which combines a Goldenflame kit with an Interstate Fuel and Oil kit.

    And an overall view. There will be some sort of town, or hint of one, along the front right corner.

    Now that the track is in place, I'm starting to play with placement of the buildings and getting a feel for where roads will be.
     
    Last edited: Apr 25, 2016
  4. Rocket Jones

    Rocket Jones TrainBoard Member

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    Progress! The track has been completed and I've spent many hours running trains back and forth to make sure everything runs smoothly (more on that in a bit).

    This is my portable DCC box. It's a simple cheap toolbox from Wally World that holds all the components for my NEC PowerCab setup, plus a JMRI board. By hooking up the two wires as shown, I can power either Weaver Junction, or take the box downstairs for my small roundy round. It's pretty crude, but works well.


    The wiring itself is dead simple. Those two wires are the bus and run the length of the shelf. I have four sets of feeders dropped down to connect. I started to use suitcase connectors, but had one that wouldn't cooperate, so realizing that this thing is uber portable, I just flipped it up on edge and soldered all the feeders to the bus.

    Here's the painted track with some building mockups. I used Valspar "Blindfold" spray paint from Lowe's, which is fairly close to the old grimy black. I masked off the turnout points, but spent a lot (a lot!!!) of time afterwards sanding and scraping paint out of the frogs and guard rails. Next time I'll mask those too and just hand paint them afterwards.


    Here's a long shot showing most of the caboose throws. All but one fit alongside the track, and for that one I need to find some piano wire. For some reason it's very hard to find around here. I also have to finish hand painting the masked turnouts and add missing ties under the flex track joints. T-pins make great temporary track bumpers if you're using foam.


    I spent a lot of time tuning track and turnouts, and literally hours switching trains back and forth. I've got to say that I really like this layout. I put together a variation of "Boyd's Simple Switchlist System" (link leads to a .pdf) and have been using it to bring some structure and purpose to the test running.


    Basically, you list out each industry and number of car spots available, then using a fixed roster of rolling stock you randomly list which cars go where (with a little common sense, I mean, a stock car probably shouldn't be spotted at your electrical supply manufacturer, right?). I made six lists, and when I want to run/test I just pick a list at random and shuffle cars until they match the results on the list. Do it often enough and eventually every car and every locomotive will run across every turnout both forwards and backwards multiple times. This also helped me weed out some cars with issues that need attention, and highlighted which turnouts or joints could use a little extra tuning. Not to mention it will highlight any deficiencies in your track plan right up front, before you have a lot of scenery to deal with too. All in all, it's been a big win.

    Next up, everyone's favorite passtime: ballasting track.

    Thanks for looking in.
     
    Last edited: Jul 23, 2016
  5. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Is this switch list by chance somewhere on line?
     
  6. Rocket Jones

    Rocket Jones TrainBoard Member

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    The link leads to a .pdf - Simple Switch List System.
     
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  7. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Got it. Thanks! :)
     
  8. bremner

    bremner Staff Member

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    Your making me want to brave the hot garage to work on a layout....and build a few mockups for industries
     
  9. glennac

    glennac TrainBoard Member

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    Rocket, and All, quick question...Would a railroad typically have the Main taking the diverging route of a switch, or would it be more natural for the Main to take the through-route of a switch?

    20160424_160213.jpg
     
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  10. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Typically, no. But does it happen, yes.
     
  11. Rocket Jones

    Rocket Jones TrainBoard Member

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    Yeah, that's unusual, but as the plan evolved the mainline changed to where it's just the single divergent turnout. Some earlier versions had more than one. Since this is a slow-speed layout I finally decided I could live with the one.
     
  12. Jim Wiggin

    Jim Wiggin Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Great work so far, I personally get more out of an industrial switching layout than the standard roundy round.
     
  13. glennac

    glennac TrainBoard Member

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    Understood. (y) I see, though, where it would be possible to angle those last two tracks (the Main and the siding next to it) so that the Main remains the through route. Neither track would interfere with the two industry tracks you have at that end either.
     
  14. Rocket Jones

    Rocket Jones TrainBoard Member

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    Brief operations update. After having some issues with the Caboose throws popping loose from the foam base, I drove some track nails through the bases into the foam. Combined with the adhesives (I've got three I'm trying: caulk, white glue, and tacky glue), so far I haven't had any come loose. Being a switching layout, all of these throws get used a lot. So far, so good.

    I had to order some music wire online for one throw because there just isn't room next to the turnout for it. Once that order comes in, I'll hook up that last Caboose and after testing a bit I'll be ready to ballast. Actually, that's a rationalization because I hate ballasting, so testing makes a fun and believable excuse not to start. LOL

    This weekend I experimented with capacity on the layout. I counted the number of 'spots' available on the layout, not just the sidings but also "extra" spots where cars can be parked temporarily as well as runarounds and leads. Based on this, I increased the number of cars from 15 to 20 and ran several switchlists (see post #6 above) worth of moves. Surprisingly, the additional cars didn't add a whole lot more time to complete a switch list, but the movements tended to be more complex, which means there were more moves made with half a set because of the lead's limited capacity. It was fun, but didn't "feel" prototypical because there were a lot of times where I was moving a single car somewhere so I could move another single car somewhere else. I think that maybe there are now too many cars on the layout.

    Something else that might help with the overcapacity is adding staging - maybe in the form of a car float - and a small two track classification yard. There's possibly room for that in the front right corner, but that would pretty much eliminate the last of the open scenery space. I'm leaning towards just limiting the number of cars again.

    Any comments or suggestions are very welcome. I need more excuses to put off ballasting!
     
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  15. Rocket Jones

    Rocket Jones TrainBoard Member

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    Some progress made on Weaver Junction, just not ballasting. :)

    This is the bones of the food processing plant that's going to share the back siding with the warehouse. The capacity is two cars, and can take tankers (oil, molasses, or lard), boxcars, reefers or covered hoppers.

    Bashed a Gripp's Luggage to make this large-ish warehouse. The entire back wall is a blank piece of styrene. Got the base brick paint on, but still need to work on the window and door trim, roof and details, and the loading dock cover. Capacity for three boxcars.
     
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  16. Rocket Jones

    Rocket Jones TrainBoard Member

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    Something that's going to help a lot is a dedicated workspace. I've been using a glorified TV Tray setup which was portable (good), small (meh) and not terribly sturdy (bad). Over the weekend I went into my wife's sewing room and cleaned it up. Since her disability she hasn't been able to use it and it became kind of a storage/junk room. Nothing got organized, but most of it got put away, and I get a workbench out of the deal.

    Much easier to pop in for a short time to get things done, rather than deal with my prior setup.
     
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  17. Rocket Jones

    Rocket Jones TrainBoard Member

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    I like the variety of prototype track bumpers found in the real world, so wanted something different than the usual commercial versions.

    Armed with a sketch from a photograph and some styrene I-beam, I put together one of these as a test. The original had a length of beam driven vertically into the ground, a second length welded perpendicular in a cross shape across the ends of the rails, and two more welded into a 'V' shape to the crosspiece and the tops of the rails. Like so...


    With a little paint and weathering, here's what it looks like now. I like it.

     
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  18. Rocket Jones

    Rocket Jones TrainBoard Member

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    Here's the latest addition to the workbench. Years ago at a place I worked someone tossed this Panavise in the trash because the plastic jaw clamps were cracked. Other than that it was in perfect working condition. I salvaged it and added new oak jaws. Later, because of the ability to lock it down at any angle, I removed the adjustable jaw and converted it into a sturdy rocket launch pad. Recently I've needed a bench vise again, so the challenge was figuring out where I stashed the missing jaw (obviously I put it somewhere where I'd be able to find it... uh huh). Well, three weeks later and after pretty much digging through almost every box in my basement workshop... success! Right where I'd left it too. :D Now to mount it.


    This is a resin kit I got on eBay. I put the walls and roof together to play with building placement, but it's been sitting around without windows or details for quite a while. I decided to get a little closer to complete this weekend.


    Trying to figure out how to add some depth to the background, so I printed off a few building facades and leaned them against the backdrop to see how they might work. Very much a work in progress.


    And finally, I found a scrap of hardboard and made a backdrop. Right now it just sits on the foam and leans against the wall, but I'll fasten it down (and even up the top edge) in a bit. It needs another coat of sky (mixed my own from acrylics) and then I'll add some clouds and background hills.


    I'm waiting on some wire management doo-dads that are supposed to show up this week, and once I get those installed I'll install the backdrop permanently and maybe think about the fascia too.
     
  19. Jim Wiggin

    Jim Wiggin Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Great work! I enjoy seeing your updates on this layout. Nice, neat construction too.
     
  20. badlandnp

    badlandnp TrainBoard Member

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    Those printed buildings on your backdrop look good. And are another GREAT excuse to avoid ballast............:sleep:

    I don't like the ballasting either, but it just has to get done eventually! Maybe next year!

    Am enjoying your updates and progress, keep enjoying the trains!
     

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