MetalbyMorgan
New Member
Great work! Any updates?
Starting the new layout!
- Thread starter Myowngod
- Start date
Thanks Morgan.
There has been some progress. Unfortunately I have no pix or videos of it. My Dad has gotten brave and decided to solder the wire leads onto the remaining mini-toggles for the main yard control panel. I say brave because in the past he has always mentioned how he hates to solder, especially the REALLY small wire toggles and connections. Well, from what he has told me. He has managed to solder a few more dozen SPDT toggles for the yard, and begun to install them. I sure wish I was down there to see the progress...(and also to inspect the work
).Maybe I can have him email me some pix of the main yard panel. It probably won't look to impressive with the small toggles install. They would be hard to see in a picture... but they do make a world of difference in the operation of the layout. When I was down there last we managed to install the toggles on the rural mountain side of the peninsula. Just those few switches made it some much easier to run trains around the layout.
Thanks Morgan, you got me jonesing to get down to the layout again. If I only had time.
Till the next trip down...
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blue92rs
Cheaper than therapy!
I have been watching this thread since I joined the forum, and I just have to say what an inspiration!!! I started 6 months ago with a 4x8 table, got bored, tore it down, and built an around the walls layout with a peninsula. I had alot of fun running up to 3 trains at once with lots of switching and two continuous loops (I am a DC guy, cant afford DCC yet), but have realized I am not maximizing my 10'3" x 9'6" space. I think a double track mainline is much more prototypical and I would like to add more grades with over-and-under action. I am in Central Jersey and would love an opportunity to see you and your Father's layout. I followed your link to the track planning freeware and will try it out. I have had fun laying out different track plans I dream up, but I need to come up with a cohesive plan that satisfies all my goals and, for the most part, stick to it. The problem with an over active imagination is once I think I have come up with something good, I realize there are other cool ideas I want to try LOL. I am enjoying your pictorals and videos very much! Keep em coming!
Steve
Cheaper than therapy!
LOL. I am enjoying your pictorals and videos very much! Keep em coming!Steve
Cheaper than therapy!
FINALLY!!! Some work is done!
I finally had a vacation, and I made sure I put aside a couple of days to get down to my Dad's house to work on the layout. Priorities ya-know...
The first day I got down there my Father-in-Law finally made it down also to see the layout. It was his first time seeing it in person. His first impression was that it's alot BIGGER then he thought. It's not a full basement empire but I would consider it a medium sized layout, 13'x16'. Being that he's a master custom cabinetry maker by trade, he had to get his hands on a part of the layout and help out. I'll get to that in a future post.
The main section that I worked on the first day was the upper most level town area. I am going to name it Manayunk-Roxborough region. This can be found just west of Philadelphia, in the "real" world. I have a team track planned for this town. Here's the first configuration of the structures. If anyone has any other suggestions please chime in.
It's pretty straight forward. There will be a fence around the area with alot more detail once the ground cover is applied.
This is the area in relation to the Greenlane Bridge. I still have some detail to add to the bridge and paint it. Then add the weathering. Eventually I'll build catenary towers going across the spans, like the prototype.
This next photo is taken before I adjusted the track. It now runs straighter, ending about where the pin vise is at. This move allowed more room for the road coming up the hill and also a longer straight track to unload boxcars and such.
The blue foam is a pop that will have a small church and store on it, to represent the beginnings of a town. The black marker lines will be where a road is. It will run toward the edge of the backdrop and disappear behind a few hills.
This is a quick VIDEO of the area.
There's more pix and videos to come...
I finally had a vacation, and I made sure I put aside a couple of days to get down to my Dad's house to work on the layout. Priorities ya-know...
The first day I got down there my Father-in-Law finally made it down also to see the layout. It was his first time seeing it in person. His first impression was that it's alot BIGGER then he thought. It's not a full basement empire but I would consider it a medium sized layout, 13'x16'. Being that he's a master custom cabinetry maker by trade, he had to get his hands on a part of the layout and help out. I'll get to that in a future post.
The main section that I worked on the first day was the upper most level town area. I am going to name it Manayunk-Roxborough region. This can be found just west of Philadelphia, in the "real" world. I have a team track planned for this town. Here's the first configuration of the structures. If anyone has any other suggestions please chime in.
It's pretty straight forward. There will be a fence around the area with alot more detail once the ground cover is applied.
This is the area in relation to the Greenlane Bridge. I still have some detail to add to the bridge and paint it. Then add the weathering. Eventually I'll build catenary towers going across the spans, like the prototype.
This next photo is taken before I adjusted the track. It now runs straighter, ending about where the pin vise is at. This move allowed more room for the road coming up the hill and also a longer straight track to unload boxcars and such.
The blue foam is a pop that will have a small church and store on it, to represent the beginnings of a town. The black marker lines will be where a road is. It will run toward the edge of the backdrop and disappear behind a few hills.
This is a quick VIDEO of the area.
There's more pix and videos to come...
Wow, Ron, you've got a lot of work ahead of you! That concrete arch bridge looks really good. My suggestion for the team track is ditch the fixed crane. Team tracks would have either forklifts or a tracked crane if there were loads that big to be unloaded at a team track, which would be pretty unusual. A fixed gantry crane would require a switcher to position cars and the whole point of a team track was to drop the cars and let the shippers unload them.
OK, I mentioned earlier that my Father-in-Law stopped by to see the layout and help out. The first project I had him get to was mounting the 3ft RR crossing sign in the stairway leading down to the basement where the layout is. This sign has been haunting me... I could just picture it falling over on one of my kids or nieces or nephew.
He did some nice work. He is a custom cabinetry maker. The sign was mounted on 1/2" plywood cleats on the wall to give it a shadow box effect.
The next project he worked on was adding some outriggers to the bench work to allow the fascia to be attached. The area near the lumberyard spur is a very tricky spot. There is a tight S-curve there and he managed to get the blocking perfect. He belt sanded the wood to match the curve of the fascia dead on. Here's a few pictures of the area.
Here's the young fella hard at work measuring up the next piece of wood.
He wishes he could get the fascia up that day to finish the job, but I wanted to layout the track plan schematic on it before it was installed on the layout. It's much easier that way.
He did some nice work. He is a custom cabinetry maker. The sign was mounted on 1/2" plywood cleats on the wall to give it a shadow box effect.
The next project he worked on was adding some outriggers to the bench work to allow the fascia to be attached. The area near the lumberyard spur is a very tricky spot. There is a tight S-curve there and he managed to get the blocking perfect. He belt sanded the wood to match the curve of the fascia dead on. Here's a few pictures of the area.
Here's the young fella hard at work measuring up the next piece of wood.
He wishes he could get the fascia up that day to finish the job, but I wanted to layout the track plan schematic on it before it was installed on the layout. It's much easier that way.
OK, OK!
I'll start some of the scenery during the next trip down.
Now let's see... where should I start.
-laying down some texture in the yard.
-start to cover the Manayunk/Roxborough region with plaster
That's the 2 main areas I could start at this point. Otherwise I just make more mountains from cardboard strips.
Any suggestions?
I'll start some of the scenery during the next trip down.
Now let's see... where should I start.
-laying down some texture in the yard.
-start to cover the Manayunk/Roxborough region with plaster
That's the 2 main areas I could start at this point. Otherwise I just make more mountains from cardboard strips.
Any suggestions?
After I was done fooling around in the Manayunk/Roxborough area, and my Father-in-Law was done the fascia blocking, I started to lay out the next control panel/fascia. It is just opposite the main yard panel, and handles all of the mainline crossovers coming out of the yard. There is also a schematic of the branch line track.
Once again, I marked 1" spacing dots on each end of the green masonite. Then used a laser to line up the 1/4" white pinstripe tape. This works great!
Here's the completed panel. The branch line is the upper right schematic.
And installed on the layout.
This is the panel to control the small lumber yard spur. It is to the left of the panel shown above. This is where my Father-in-Law was working on. He was happy to hear it attached to the blocking he did PERFECTLY.
This is looking toward the entrance of the layout. The main yard panel is on the left and the new panels on the right side of the aisle.
Here's a VIDEO of the second major panel installed.
Once again, I marked 1" spacing dots on each end of the green masonite. Then used a laser to line up the 1/4" white pinstripe tape. This works great!
Here's the completed panel. The branch line is the upper right schematic.
And installed on the layout.
This is the panel to control the small lumber yard spur. It is to the left of the panel shown above. This is where my Father-in-Law was working on. He was happy to hear it attached to the blocking he did PERFECTLY.
This is looking toward the entrance of the layout. The main yard panel is on the left and the new panels on the right side of the aisle.
Here's a VIDEO of the second major panel installed.
Another spot I worked on was laying out some of the engine service facility structures. I built the Walthers Ash/conveyor pit, and sanding tower and house. This is added to the already installed coal tower and water tower and 90' turnable with 6 stall roundhouse.
If anyone has some ideas on how the structures might be laid out in order from the turntable out. Would the steamer dump the old ash before going under the coal tower or get new coal on the way out of the roundhouse, ready for a new assignment?
Here's the structures, in tentative positions.
Here's a quick VIDEO that shows that area a bit. Also shows more of the Manayunk region. Oh-yeah, a brief cameo by my Dad under the layout. He was under there for a few hours hooking up A LOT of toggle for the main yard. Much appreciated hard work.
Any feedback is appreciated.
If anyone has some ideas on how the structures might be laid out in order from the turntable out. Would the steamer dump the old ash before going under the coal tower or get new coal on the way out of the roundhouse, ready for a new assignment?
Here's the structures, in tentative positions.
Here's a quick VIDEO that shows that area a bit. Also shows more of the Manayunk region. Oh-yeah, a brief cameo by my Dad under the layout. He was under there for a few hours hooking up A LOT of toggle for the main yard. Much appreciated hard work.
Any feedback is appreciated.
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I also started sizing up the area for the 30th St Station model, being represented by a Walthers Union station kit. It's not exact, but close enough. This model is going to be 6 inches from the front of the layout, so I plan on detailing the whole interior. 30th St has a neat bronze statue and ornate art-deco chandeliers in the main hall and I plan on trying to create that in HO scale... we'll see.
The station will be up on a raised platform with stairways dropping down to the track level loading platforms. The road coming off the raised city behind the yard will run to the right of the station. I also have a trolley line planned to be sistered along side of that road bridge. The trolley line will run back through the city and disappear behind some buildings. I will use one of the many auto-reverser circuits out there to control the movement of the trolley. I was think of this one, AUTOREVERSER. I know there are other cheaper units but that seem to slam the engines to a dead stop and then reverse it without the gentle slow down before reversing. I like that feature.
Also any ideas on what kind of girder system might be used under a structure like this station?
The station will be up on a raised platform with stairways dropping down to the track level loading platforms. The road coming off the raised city behind the yard will run to the right of the station. I also have a trolley line planned to be sistered along side of that road bridge. The trolley line will run back through the city and disappear behind some buildings. I will use one of the many auto-reverser circuits out there to control the movement of the trolley. I was think of this one, AUTOREVERSER. I know there are other cheaper units but that seem to slam the engines to a dead stop and then reverse it without the gentle slow down before reversing. I like that feature.
Also any ideas on what kind of girder system might be used under a structure like this station?
Ron, you're really rolling now. That Union Station project sounds like fun. I like the idea of the trolley line and the autoreverser you linked to is a good one, much more realistic than the ones that just cut power and reverse power.
As far as the roundhouse set-up, I'm far from a steam expert but I remember the way the NKP did it back in the mid 50's. There were two types of engines, "cold" and hot". The cold engines were ones coming in off a run and were either scheduled for maintenance or had no schedule runs in the next two days. They dumped the ashes on the way into the roundhouse and got the firebox cleaned out with hot water. Another crew used steam to clean the firebox also if the engine was due for maintenance.
Hot engines were ones that came off a train and were due back out in again any time within a few hours to a day. Engines running local service wouldn't drop the ashes until the ashpit was nearly full or full enough that it wouldn't have enough capacity to complete the next run. The big engines like the Berkshires always dumped the ashpit whenever they were at the roundhouse. The hot engines had hostlers and watchmen that kept the engines stoked up to keep enough steam for the next run. The Berkshires would even dump the ashpit on the way out if they had been kept hot for more than the usual overnight stop.
Coaling was done on a case by case basis. Again, the smaller engines in local service would always coal up before going out of service for the day if they were hot. The Berkshires had a huge coal capacity and would only coal up if the road foreman calculated the engine wouldn't have enough coal plus reserves for the next run. The NKP didn't like hauling around their own coal for free if they could avoid it.
The engine track always has the ash drop pit and washout pit first since it was both dirty and dangerous to have all the hot ashes near the coaling tower. A cold engine always had enough steam in the boiler to get to the coaling tower and roundhouse even with no coal left. A hot engine would drop the ashes and then get a washout before coaling up to make sure there were no hot clinkers left in the engine. Most engines would coal up on the way back to the main to lessen this issue but some had to coal up because they were nearly empty before they got to the roundhouse and didn't have enough coal to keep steam up while they were off duty.
It's also important to remember that two types of coaling facilities were needed. One was in major yards on the engine service tracks. In major yards, there was also another coaling tower for through trains so they didn't foul the yard leads or engine tracks. Imtermediate or trackside coaling stations were also needed for any Class 1 roads. These had the famliar water tank and coaling tower and were usually located on a siding at strategic points om the main. The Nickle Plate Historical Society at http://nkphts.org/ has some really good pictures of steam servicing facilities. Since they and the N&W ran steam into the late 50's and even early 60's, their facilities were well maintained right up until the end.
EDIT:One more thing I forgot is that NKP did not have roundhouse water towers in the late years of steam. They had standpipes at each track in the roundhouse and the boiler tanks were filled there. This was another NKP innovation to keep engines from lining up waiting to get to the roundhouse while other engines were taking on water.
As far as the roundhouse set-up, I'm far from a steam expert but I remember the way the NKP did it back in the mid 50's. There were two types of engines, "cold" and hot". The cold engines were ones coming in off a run and were either scheduled for maintenance or had no schedule runs in the next two days. They dumped the ashes on the way into the roundhouse and got the firebox cleaned out with hot water. Another crew used steam to clean the firebox also if the engine was due for maintenance.
Hot engines were ones that came off a train and were due back out in again any time within a few hours to a day. Engines running local service wouldn't drop the ashes until the ashpit was nearly full or full enough that it wouldn't have enough capacity to complete the next run. The big engines like the Berkshires always dumped the ashpit whenever they were at the roundhouse. The hot engines had hostlers and watchmen that kept the engines stoked up to keep enough steam for the next run. The Berkshires would even dump the ashpit on the way out if they had been kept hot for more than the usual overnight stop.
Coaling was done on a case by case basis. Again, the smaller engines in local service would always coal up before going out of service for the day if they were hot. The Berkshires had a huge coal capacity and would only coal up if the road foreman calculated the engine wouldn't have enough coal plus reserves for the next run. The NKP didn't like hauling around their own coal for free if they could avoid it.
The engine track always has the ash drop pit and washout pit first since it was both dirty and dangerous to have all the hot ashes near the coaling tower. A cold engine always had enough steam in the boiler to get to the coaling tower and roundhouse even with no coal left. A hot engine would drop the ashes and then get a washout before coaling up to make sure there were no hot clinkers left in the engine. Most engines would coal up on the way back to the main to lessen this issue but some had to coal up because they were nearly empty before they got to the roundhouse and didn't have enough coal to keep steam up while they were off duty.
It's also important to remember that two types of coaling facilities were needed. One was in major yards on the engine service tracks. In major yards, there was also another coaling tower for through trains so they didn't foul the yard leads or engine tracks. Imtermediate or trackside coaling stations were also needed for any Class 1 roads. These had the famliar water tank and coaling tower and were usually located on a siding at strategic points om the main. The Nickle Plate Historical Society at http://nkphts.org/ has some really good pictures of steam servicing facilities. Since they and the N&W ran steam into the late 50's and even early 60's, their facilities were well maintained right up until the end.
EDIT:One more thing I forgot is that NKP did not have roundhouse water towers in the late years of steam. They had standpipes at each track in the roundhouse and the boiler tanks were filled there. This was another NKP innovation to keep engines from lining up waiting to get to the roundhouse while other engines were taking on water.
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stang_crazy
Member
it may be in this thread somewhere but whats the size of your room.
The first page of the thread has the original plan and size. 13-1/2'x16'
Jim, Thanks so much. I'll definitely take that information to heart. Very well explained.
Thanks again.
PS: The station is the Walthers Union St, but I'm building it to represent 30th St Station in Philadelphia. I'll have to really detail the inside because it's about 6" from the front of the layout at eye level. Wish me luck.
Thanks again.
PS: The station is the Walthers Union St, but I'm building it to represent 30th St Station in Philadelphia. I'll have to really detail the inside because it's about 6" from the front of the layout at eye level. Wish me luck.
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