Mainline rework

[Motley]

Well now that bridge fiasco is over with. I need to start on some much needed trackwork in the main room.

I had torn out the entire corner section, when I cut out the middle benchwork. There was a crossover on the right side wall, and I had way too tight curves there. Now with the crossover relocated to the drop down bridge. I will install a LH curved switch there, to make that a much bigger curve.

I started working out the track config tonight. I have a 2% foam incline that starts at the right wall after the curved switch.

Tomorrow I will get the incline set glued down.

 

[logandsawman]

Would you be so kind as to fill me in on your backdrop, and also what substance you use to affix the track to the cork or foam?


Much appreciated, lasm

 

[Motley]

Would you be so kind as to fill me in on your backdrop, and also what substance you use to affix the track to the cork or foam?


Much appreciated, lasm

Thats a photo backdrop I created myself. I shot a series of photos, used photoshop to make a huge panorama file. Then took it to a local print shop, printed on regular photo paper, non glossy.

I use cheap latex caulk to glue everything. Foam to base, cork roadbed to foam riser, and track to cork roadbed.

 

[Trussrod]

Hi Michael,
It may just be the angle the first photo was taken at or the fact the line leading into it is off a bit but it appears as though there is a bit of a kink where the curved switch and the new curved track meet rather than a smooth continuous curve? If so you can try flexing your new track to accommodate the positioning of the curved switch or you may need a more gradual curved switch.

HTH

 

[Motley]

Hi Michael,
It may just be the angle the first photo was taken at or the fact the line leading into it is off a bit but it appears as though there is a bit of a kink where the curved switch and the new curved track meet rather than a smooth continuous curve? If so you can try flexing your new track to accommodate the positioning of the curved switch or you may need a more gradual curved switch.

HTH

David,

The track is not permanently in place yet. I just laid it there temporarily for fit. So I don't even have the joiners on yet.

 

[Motley]

Got the incline glued down, and the roadbed complete.

Next will be installing the switches.

 

[Motley]

Done! I completed this section now. And I finally have a mainline back up and running again. I still need to run the feeders though, will get that done today. And start testing.

 

[otiscnj]

Where will the other track go, from the curved switch?

 

[montanan]

That's exactly what I was going to ask. Quite a project. I sure hate ripping out trackwork and making corrections. A big pain in the a**, but I do have a lot of experience doing that. It will probably be well worth the work. The broader the curve, the better it will work and look. I wanted broader curves, but the best I could come up with was a 32 inch minimum radius.

 

[Motley]

Sorry, I didn't include the track plan.

Its sort of a twice around-ish type of plan. The Ethanol Plant at lower left, and the farm will be lower right.

 

[Motley]

I got the track painted, and threw down some drywall mud for the incline slopes.

 

[joed2323]

Looks good michael, didnt you have a steel mill on your old layout or am i mistaking you for someone else? if i recall that steel mill was impressive

 

[Motley]

Joe, no I never had a steel mill on my layout. Must have been someone else you were thinking.

Got the scenery done here, and ballasted the tracks. Now its time to start laying the inside tracks.

 

[logandsawman]

Looks Great!


Dry wall mud-- sanded or wet sponged (or neither)?

Sprinkled with ____________ commercial material or custom ingredient?


Thanks for the information!



lasm

 

[Motley]

Looks Great!


Dry wall mud-- sanded or wet sponged (or neither)?

Sprinkled with ____________ commercial material or custom ingredient?


Thanks for the information!



lasm

Thanks Iasm. Didn't sand the dry wall mud or anything. I just painted it with brown latex paint. And while the paint was wet, I sprinkled in some real dirt, and WS grass.

 

[GenSet]

Glad to see you got rid of the gopher holes in the middle, good change!

 

[Motley]

Ya the gopher holes were bad. I can't believe I had those for 3 years. LOL

I started laying out the inside trackwork, to see how everything will work.

The middle straight track will be an ME girder combo bridge.

The curved track near the edge, will be a wood deck bridge.

And yesterday I received delivery of the Vollmer bridge. This will replace the Atlas bridge near the wall.
I painted it already. I'm adding some brass walkway detail parts to it.

 

[Motley]

I ripped out the Atlas bridge. The Vollmer bridge I added walkways and weathered it. Test fitting it now.

I also got the river carved out.

 

[joed2323]

Good job, that looks much better then how it used to be, no offense.... Isnt it something how as our layouts progress we learn different ways of doing things, and it ends up with us going back over areas of our layouts that we are not satisfied with... Thats one thing i like about model trains, you can always change something

 

[Rico]

What I really like about that scene is the train to terrain ratio, less is definitely more!