K&T Southern - Shortline in HO Scale

[drew1125]

This is my HO layout that was begun a couple of years ago…

Construction fell off soon after initial track laying began…

I’ve recently retired (Jan. 2009) & I’ve gotten into some other non-RR projects, & the modeling has been neglected…

I’ve been wanting to get beck to it though…I’m hoping the arrival of cold weather & recent knee surgery is going to be the incentive to keep me closer to home & workin’ on the RR!

Here is a rough sketch of the track plan

There have been a few modifications since I scrawled this…I used the drawing to get me started, then I just started makin’ stuff up as I went…
The theme is an Appalachian short line set in the 1940’s - 1950’s…

This area will be a sawmill scene…

This will be a coal mine…

A depot will go here…

There are 3 bridges on the layout…here they are in their various syages of construction…

Hopefully I’ll have some updates in the near future…

 

[Brianhasadd]

You've got alot of work left to do but it looks like it's gonna turn out awesome!!! Keep us posted on the progress!!

 

[Trucklover]

Drew, trackwork is looking good!! Keep up the good tracklaying

 

[UP2CSX]

Looks like a good concept and the track layinjg is first rate. The only thing you need to do is get some inclined support under that track leading fom the main to the station.

 

[Brianhasadd]

How do you like working with the cork roadbed drew? I'm prolly going to be using it on mine and I want to hear how other mr's like it.

 

[drew1125]

Thanks for the comments, guys!

You’re right…lots of work still to be done…and I haven’t lifted a finger in well over a year!
I’ve had some health problems & some career changes that have side-tracked this project…
Like I said, I’m hoping to be able to get back to it soon!

Jim,
Yeah, I’ll probably shim the transition track with some wood or cardboard…I need to finish nuilding the bridges, & laying the track so I can get everything wired up & running, & then I can start tweaking little things like that…
I’ve laid track this way before…using roadbed for the mainline, & laying spurs & sidings directly onto the sub-roadbed (plywood in this case) I like the way the different track profile look when everything’s been ballasted & scenic ked…

Brian.
I have to admit to being a little old-school…I don’t always use roadbed, but when I do, it’s always been cork…the ol’ tried & true, I guess you could say…the cork is easy to attach with carpenters glue, & you can sand it to get the contour you want…

 

[Beachbum]

Yeah, I’ll probably shim the transition track with some wood or cardboard…
[...]
the cork is easy to attach with carpenters glue, & you can sand it to get the contour you want…

I'd sand down the cork roadbed to form a slope. That's how I drop my industrial spurs so they're lower than the mainline(s).

 

[drew1125]

I'd sand down the cork roadbed to form a slope. That's how I drop my industrial spurs so they're lower than the mainline(s).

Yeah, I guess that would work...I've always just put the track where it goes & then build up umder it, if need be...I build my bridges that way too...I know it's not precision engineering or anything, but it works for me!

 

[UP2CSX]

Drew, check your local Home Depot for some scrap wood shingles. The angle of the shingle turns out to be almost exactly what you need in HO to go from cork roadbed to plywood track. You can cut them into the sizes you need and give your track some strong support. Precision isn't always needed but going from one elevation to another in a relatively short distance is one place where precisions really helps.

 

[CBCNSfan]

...I've always just put the track where it goes & then build up umder it, if need be...I build my bridges that way too...

Hi Drew, I like what I'm seeing here. With regard to how you do the bridge work I do mine that way also. What I'm wondering now is what size your room is and the sizes of the bench work modules. I'll be following this thread with a lot of interest, I might learn something

Cheers
Willis

 

[drew1125]

Thanks again guys!

Drew, check your local Home Depot for some scrap wood shingles. The angle of the shingle turns out to be almost exactly what you need in HO to go from cork roadbed to plywood track. You can cut them into the sizes you need and give your track some strong support. Precision isn't always needed but going from one elevation to another in a relatively short distance is one place where precisions really helps.

I guess I should’ve mentioned that while I haven’t tried shingles per-say, I do use door shims which are basically the same thing, only smaller & thinner…If you look at the photo of the arch bridge, you can see where I used pieces of them to shim the bridge up to the height of the track…
Once I get the wiring done, & start running trains, there will be adjustments to be made (I. e. grades, curves, any problem joints, or points, etc…
Only after everything is running smooth, will I paint & ballast the track…I’m a LONG way from there right now…

... What I'm wondering now is what size your room is and the sizes of the bench work modules. I'

Willis,
The room size is 16’ x 16’.
The benchwork consists of two 4x6 sections & two 2x6 sections…

 

[drew1125]

UPDATE:

I actually went down & did a little work on the layout today!
First time in quite a while...

I replaced one of the florescent light fixtures that had gone bad, & I'm re-laying track on a curve that I wasn't happy with...
I think tonight I'm going to get back to work finishing a trestle, & THEN I can finish off the track-laying!

Then comes wiring...

...but I'm getting ahead of myself...easy to do when you move as slowly as I do...

 

[Yard_Duty]

Looking good. Keep it up! Most of all, keep the pics rolling in!

 

[West Virginia Midland Man]

How will you be disguising that pesky support column? Seems like it might be a fly in the ointment. Also, I have had great success with using 1/8" gasket cork (the stuff you get in rolls at Ace Hardware) for large flat areas. It's roughly half the height of HO cork roadbed. To transition, I simply buttress the roadbed to the flat cork, and make sure a tie droops down over the edge of the roadbed. The ties of code 83 track are about right to nestle up to the cork. Tack down the track on the flat surface and beyond the joint on the cork. This a nice neat little ramp. Fill underneath with ballast. When the ballast is done, it forms the ramp for you. A weight atop the slope keeps it in place til ballast dries.

 

[drew1125]

Looking good. Keep it up! Most of all, keep the pics rolling in!

Thanks Randy!

I'll try & post some progress pics asap!

How will you be disguising that pesky support column? Seems like it might be a fly in the ointment. ….

It’s behind the backdrop in one of the staging areas…you can see it here

…. Also, I have had great success with using 1/8" gasket cork (the stuff you get in rolls at Ace Hardware) for large flat areas. It's roughly half the height of HO cork roadbed. To transition, I simply buttress the roadbed to the flat cork, and make sure a tie droops down over the edge of the roadbed. The ties of code 83 track are about right to nestle up to the cork. Tack down the track on the flat surface and beyond the joint on the cork. This a nice neat little ramp. Fill underneath with ballast. When the ballast is done, it forms the ramp for you. A weight atop the slope keeps it in place til ballast dries.

I’ve never had a problem with the transition from the roadbed to the plywood…Like I said, I may put a shim under there, but that’s primarily to save on ballast material, but with the tracks just secured with white glue, that piece of trackwork is quite sturdy, & has passed initial test running with no problems…
Once I finish the track-laying, & wiring, I’ll do A LOT of test-running over the entire layout before I do any painting or ballasting… At this stage of construction, it’s real easy to make adjustments, & even to re-lay track if necessary

 

[West Virginia Midland Man]

Oh I KNOW about relaying and rebuilding. My benchwork has so many screw holes, I'm surprised it hasn't collapsed yet, LOL. My roadbed has nail holes so bad, it looks like a little HO scale machine gun shot it up. Ballast will cover a LOT of boo-boos. I saw a big ol' 'S' curve down front in that photo, what radii are you using?

 

[drew1125]

Oh I KNOW about relaying and rebuilding. My benchwork has so many screw holes, I'm surprised it hasn't collapsed yet, LOL. My roadbed has nail holes so bad, it looks like a little HO scale machine gun shot it up. ...

Yeah, I’ve drilled a few holes in mine as well, adjusting grades etc…plus quite a bit of the lumber was recycled from a previous layout, & already had a bunch of holes in it!
I quit using track nails a long time ago, & just use white glue instead…it’s real easy to pop up the track & move it if you need to…

... I saw a big ol' 'S' curve down front in that photo, what radii are you using?

The tightest part of the S-curve is a 24" curve...

The minimum radius on the layout is 20"

 

[West Virginia Midland Man]

Yeah, I’ve drilled a few holes in mine as well, adjusting grades etc…plus quite a bit of the lumber was recycled from a previous layout, & already had a bunch of holes in it!
I quit using track nails a long time ago, & just use white glue instead…it’s real easy to pop up the track & move it if you need to…



The tightest part of the S-curve is a 24" curve...

The minimum radius on the layout is 20"

That's about what I am running. 24" largest on the M&WV. The P&WS standard gauge is 15" though, just a 44-tonner runs there and short hoppers.

 

[drew1125]

That's about what I am running. 24" largest on the M&WV. The P&WS standard gauge is 15" though, just a 44-tonner runs there and short hoppers.

I got into HOn30 for a while, & I ran that stuff on curves as small as 10 & 12 inches...great thing about narrow gauge!
I have toyed with the idea of incorporating some of the little logging line into this standard gauge layout, but I think it would just be over-kill for the amount of space I have...

 

[drew1125]

I actually did some work on this trestle last night!

I’m making it from a piece of ME flex track, & styrene strips…I’m building it upside-down at the workbench…

(btw…that tallest bent is about 45’ tall - HO scale)