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I was looking through a link to a large construction job in memphis, Tenn. that is building a giant intermodal yard & they are building giant cranes that span 8 rails at a time. There is about 4 of the cranes that are being built. I was going to try to copy 1 of them w/scale brass or aluminum channel. I also saw some big cranes on Faller, Vollmer & one other. Got a lot of work to do before I get that far.
Well, moving right along. Got 95% of the wiring & toggles put in today. Will probably finish up tomorrow. hope to start on the concrete by Tuesday. Will post pics as I go.
Well, here it is April 7th & I'm just finishing up the table top for the yard. I finished all of the wiring, installing the toggles for all of the blocks & hooking up another transformer to this double insulated section. I sanded for about a week on the plywood w/a jitterbug sander(to cheap to buy a belt sander for a 1 time use). Then I poured the patching plaster to the rough sections & had to remove it because it wouldn't attach to the plywood.(mistake #1).
Then I used caulk to fill in around the outside edges of the track.(mistake #2).Had to remove the caulk because it wouldn't dry so I could paint it.
Then I filled in all the openings w/sheetrock mud. That worked & I started painting all of the wood w/a primer. Then painted everything w/gray latex flat.
The tracks are flush w/the top of the plywood. I'm leaving the center of the tracks open(no plaster) & filling w/ballast.
Maybe finish that up tomorrow if it warms up in my metal building. It's supposed to be in the low 40's all day after being in the high 90's for almost 2 weeks.
Pictures on the way.
Track done, Electric done, paint done, Track cleaned-done, Center of track filled-done, 1st building installed(2)--done, Pictures taken w/new Camera-done, track tested w/engine-done, Magnets & Ground Throws installed-done.
Next is lines to paint, office building to build from scratch, signs to install & many other things. Just a few photo's.
I love those Transload Buildings from Walthers, ive always wanted to get a couple of them, looks like you liked them enough to get 2 of them and use them They look great!!
Thanks Josh for the comments. I've got to add a roof between the 2 buildings & am also adding a shed over the 2 boxcar tracks the full length of both buildings.
4 more photo's & then that's it for awhile until I can build the office structure & add some more small buildings & a fence around the whole yard. Some people & tree's & stuff.
Dang, Larry, you have more truck tractors than I have rolling stock. I like your dragon too. Did you make that into a fountain? Looks like it in the picture.
The Dragon is in my flower bed in front of the house. I made it in 2001. I use to make & sell a lot of steel art & use the money for trains in my spare time from my full time employment. The Dragon is about 6 ft. tall w/a 7ft wing span & 8ft length. I use to haul it around in the back of my pickup for advertisement for my smaller Dragons that I sold on a regular basis. I haven't made anything for about 6 yrs. Just work on my trains. Lost interest in metal-art. Did it for many years. If you look in my Photobucket acct. & go to Albums there is a section w/tons of photo's of art since 1969. I have a large bunch of art in Cassopolis, Mich. at a farm owned by the Ed Lowe foundation.
One of the guys here on the forum made the trip a few years ago & took a lot of pictures.
Hre's a larger picture of the whole Dragon except for the tail. This 1 isn't for sale. This is the only one I've kept in all the years I've been making art except for an oddball one(smaller) that is on my bannister on my porch.
...if you're up for it and fairly patient person, I would highly suggesting using the Woodland Scenics Smooth-It road System. The stuff yields great results with some patience.
...
What about using WS Lightweight Hydrocal instead of the Smooth-It? Has anyone tried that?
I too want to build an intermodal yard, though mine will be much smaller. Just two tracks a couple of feet long (maybe not even that long) and maybe room for a few truck trailers and containers, serviced by a container forklift. Does anyone know of a small intermodal yard prototype that I could examine?
I'm also looking for ways to build up the layout around the tracks so that they are embedded in concrete. The Smooth-It looks great from your photos. I happen to have a couple of packages of the Lightweight Hydrocal already, though.
I also like the idea of using matting, and happen to have some of that hanging around. I do worry a bit about what happens if it gets wet, though. There is a lot of "wet" involved in building scenery, I have found.
I too want to build an intermodal yard, though mine will be much smaller. Just two tracks a couple of feet long (maybe not even that long) and maybe room for a few truck trailers and containers, serviced by a container forklift. Does anyone know of a small intermodal yard prototype that I could examine
I would like any info that would help as well because I too plan on modeling a smallish container yard. I'm thinking that placing it against a backdrop can help with making it seem bigger than it really is.
but the Loch Ness monster is great 
I like your dragon too. Did you make that into a fountain? Looks like it in the picture.
