Northeastern HO scale switching layout

[Sirfoldalot]

Since when do Dash 9's, SD70ACE's and ES44's switch industries?

Please look at the photos and postings in the Coffee Shop by GUY up in Whitecourt, AB.

 

[Raboliοt]

Just found this very interesting thread. I'll follow it with a great interest.
Just for the fun: ALL my locos switch everywhere. I'm allowed to do that because I'm French.

 

[kleiner]

View attachment 130079
Just found this very interesting thread. I'll follow it with a great interest.
Just for the fun: ALL my locos switch everywhere. I'm allowed to do that because I'm French.
View attachment 130080

Glad you like my layout! I have visited France for work several times in the 1990s. I used to work at an office near Nice. I enjoyed riding trains in France a lot. My favorite trip was on the TGV from Nice to Paris - so much fun!

 

[kleiner]

Work has been proceeding a bit slowly on my layout as I have been traveling quite a lot this summer. Hopefully, the pace will pick up a bit in the next few weeks.

 

[kleiner]

Mostly finished the plastic pellet transfer facility! I have to complete the trackside pipe set and then weather the structure. I painted the ladder yellow as the kit was looking too bland and characterless.

 

[kleiner]

Tried out the plastic pellet transfer facility in the intended spot on the layout - with a suitable hopper car in front of it. I am really pleased with the way this has turned out. I learned about this kit when I was watching a YouTube video by Stephen Bennett on his channel. He did warn that this was a fiddly kit but it was definitely worth the effort.

 

[kleiner]

This is a small thing but having the right tools really makes modeling more fun. I just got this right angle iron from MicroMark and have already put it to good use. I have never had a steady hand when it comes to fine modeling so I need all the help I can get

 

[kleiner]

File this under "live and learn" I am fixing a couple of mistakes:

1. I bought 0.060" (1.5mm ) thick sheet styrene for the paved areas. It was much too thick and hard to cut. I have now ordered 0.030" sheet styrene for the paved areas. I will use that on the other side of the layout.

2. I painted the parking area around the big warehouse black and it just did not look right. So I walked around my neighborhood to see what color asphalt actually is and realized it needs to be light grey. So I bought a can of grey latex paint and it looks so much better now!

 

[Sirfoldalot]

OK, but the street in front of the house just had a slurry seal put on it today and it is midnight black!

 

[kleiner]

OK, but the street in front of the house just had a slurry seal put on it today and it is midnight black!

I have seen that too but the color seems to fade in a few months to various shades of grey. Especially in industrial areas, the asphalt looks pretty bleached. I wonder if this because the gravel in the asphalt gets polished by the tires of vehicles

 

[Rabοliot]

And now a silly question ( I'm allowed to ask it because I'm French ): I'm a little bit lost. What are the dimensions of your layout ? Thanks.

 

[Sirfoldalot]

And now a silly question ( I'm allowed to ask it because I'm French ):

Christian -- I like your humor!
When I used to visit Paris quite often .. sorry, but I could butcher the French language terrible - it was sad!

 

[kleiner]

And now a silly question ( I'm allowed to ask it because I'm French ): I'm a little bit lost. What are the dimensions of your layout ? Thanks.

You can certainly ask that question It is 2 ft by 12 ft (610mm by 3660mm).

I have much more room available but I deliberately decided to make a small layout in the hope that I will actually complete it!

Edit - I made a mistake. The layout is only 610mm wide!

 

[Rabοliot]

It's a big (and beautiful, of course !) layout for me. My largest switching layout (now dismantled) measured 1"x 6".

 

[kleiner]

To give the layout a little bit of up and down contours, I cut out a piece of extruded foam and shaped it using a Surform. I will coat this with wood filler.

And here is how it will look on the layout

 

[boatwrench]

"To give the layout a little bit of up and down contours, I cut out a piece of extruded foam and shaped it using a Surform. I will coat this with wood filler. " - kleiner

is there an advantage to using wood filler rather than a thin coat of plaster?

 

[Rabοliot]

Another question: Could you post the latest version of your track plan ? Thanks.