ModelRailroadForums.com is a free Model Railroad Discussion Forum and photo gallery. We cover all scales and sizes of model railroads. Online since 2002, it's one of the oldest and largest model railroad forums on the web. Whether you're a master model railroader or just getting started, you'll find something of interest here.
Logan D "Old School" Sawman. Ever thankful that I learned design before the computer came out.
I have built numerous 1:87 and 1:1 buildings with only dimensions in my head as well. My "secret" is using the following numbers : 2,3,4,6,8,12,16,20, 24, 30, etc., and always measuring outside dimensions to the foot and staying away from inches and tenths as much as possible.
The square and pythagoreum theorem being my main tools.
I think the Egyptians had similar construction rules.
I had to come back and check what years you said that you were modeling. I was going through some papers and found a NP time table but it’s from Sept 55. I most likely have some books on the NP if your looking for any
I had to come back and check what years you said that you were modeling. I was going through some papers and found a NP time table but it’s from Sept 55. I most likely have some books on the NP if your looking for any
Somehow a August 18,1912 Great Northern "route of the Oriental Limited, the Oregonian and Great Northern Express", along with the April 16, 1920 "Northern Pacific Duluth Superior Time Tables" ended up in my Dad's office desk.
When he passed 10 years ago, I found them there while cleaning up. As wise men have remarked in the past, God works in mysterious ways.
1920 Northern Pacific timetable showing some of the stops I am modeling:
Wyoming, Groningen, and Rutledge are on my layout
Note: Electronic Automatic Block Signals, in 1920!
Older yet, Great Northern. A family member must have traveled out west at that time. Hinckley, Brook Park, or St. Paul would have been the closest stop for my relatives.
The Great Northern and Northern Pacific intersected in Hinckley.
Cool book, James J Hill is an icon in Minnesota, for both the GN and NP. We toured his mansion a few years back, lots of railroad history in his story. A larger-than-life personality. A bit controversial at times, as well, with the battles he waged against the workers.
I started on the second stream crossing, also stretched some string to get a straight line on the mainline behind the quarry:
I was having a tough time getting a nice straight run on the right, so I stretched a string about 1/4" off the edge of the ties, also fitted the screen in the Kettle River crossing, that is about a 9' run from the curve at the top of the photo to the turnout by the stream
This picture (above) is looking in the other direction, there will be a sawmill complex here, a few dwellings for the workers. I will be laying this track next, down to the lift out section at the door. The turnouts are about where they will be.
The screen for the riverbank is stapled in place and formed, ready for hydrocal. The track is fastened down where it will be. I have chalk lines down where all the straight runs will be.
I hope to pour a lot of hydrocal tomorrow and get more track roughed in.
I put together the Walthers plate girder bridge this morning, got it fitted and made a lot of progress with the hydrocal--
The pieces were nice and flat, it went together nicely
This is how I do all my landscaping, screen, paper towels, and hydrocal
Todays progress, compare with yesterdays photo: got the landscape filled in around the tracks by this bridge, also got started with the landscape on the top of the photograph: