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 Posted - February 24 2015 : 9:03:52 PM
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This is what I've been messin' with the past several days. Trying to figure out what might work best in the small and rather congested yards of this railway. I want to keep it sparce, so that's why I'm checkin' this out for a spell before I commit . . . and then, what the heck; it can always be torn up. The deal is that this is pretty much just a locomotive service stop, though there is the occasional passenger service
Right now, I'm pondering how to handle the elevated area and ramps that the station sits upon. I'm thinking of scribing the sides to look like horizontal boards and then gluing on some uprights along the side and then scribing planks in the top. I know that is shaky; takes a pretty steady hand and eye to make that scribing look decent.
The yards probably ultimately hold maybe an excursion car on the short curved one (where a gondola and box car sit now); the excursion car storage area may ultimately have a shed to cover the car [dream on baby!]. The middle, longest yard, is for a passenger consist to back in to, or maybe a short freight consist to be parked a short time. The coal yards should be mostly reserved for a gondola or two of coal and a locomotive being fueled.
Why all the ramps? Well, I'm thinking that there might be some occasional limited locomotive or car repair and that stuff could be heavy. Maybe some local rancher might bring some things to market. Maybe I should downscale and just have the station sit on a typical foundation and then just use 2 x ramps to load up the box cars?
I'm thinkin' now "keep it simple stupid".
Anyway, a couple of photos . . .
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Posted - February 25 2015 : 08:03:43 AM
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** I like the use of all the old 1950 cars and locomotives. The track work I'd change a little.
frank
toptrain
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Posted - February 25 2015 : 09:36:18 AM
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quote:** I like the use of all the old 1950 cars and locomotives.
frank
Originally posted by toptrain - February 25 2015 : 08:03:43 AM
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 It just shows what you can do with older stuff like this. And honestly, I think the track is just fine besides needing a bit of dirt on it or something. 
-Steve
"A lot of modellers out there who go to these train shows see broken HO stuff and go, 'This is useless' when, in reality, they can still be used for modeling whether it's as a prop on your layout or a cool project to make something old new again."
Edited by - kovacste000 on February 25 2015 09:37:00 AM
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Posted - February 25 2015 : 10:38:16 AM
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"The track work I'd change a little.
frank " Frank, I'm curious what you might change about the track. I'm certainly open to suggestion.
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Posted - February 26 2015 : 12:14:33 AM
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quote:| Why all the ramps? Well, I'm thinking that there might be some occasional limited locomotive or car repair and that stuff could be heavy. Maybe some local rancher might bring some things to market. Maybe I should downscale and just have the station sit on a typical foundation and then just use 2 x ramps to load up the box cars? |
I think once you get some detailing done on the base it will look good. The solid wood block amongst the wooden structures and freight cars is throwing me off, but the concept is solid. Just my two cents. I'm looking forward to seeing where you take this. 
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Posted - February 26 2015 : 11:19:11 AM
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| Yeah, Eric, that solid wood block thing may not work out. I scribed boards on it yesterday and the lines came out fine, but the grain of the wood still really showed through even when color applied (soft bands between hard bands, if you know what I mean). So I covered it all in wood filler to sand and try again, but now I'm realizing that it would probably be just as economical to build it out of scale wood, by the time you do all the messing around. I guess it's one big experiment. I'm going to play with that block of wood a little longer, though, just to see what can be done with it (crazy). I would like to know what Frank's thoughts on the yard layout really are. Ah well . . . a work in progress . . . forever.
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Posted - February 26 2015 : 12:04:12 PM
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* Barry. everybody is different. Only people who use preconceived layout plains wind up with layouts that are the same. I think even then a personal preferences will effect change in a layout so no two will be the same. Being a old fart that has made more than a few layouts and hated to make large changes in any layout. I have ideas that I try to stick to when building a layout. I am always thinking 2 track main line . more action always. Now when laying track I did it the same as a railroad would. I put in one main line. One main line needs by passing and holding tracks in other locations. I was always thinking that these passing or holding tracks would eventually be a part of the second mainline.
* I don't like to work with anything less than 4 foot wide. When I see a piece of plywood it can be anything, mountains or valleys. I always want to be able to view running trains so tunnels and unexposed track are kept to a minimum. None if possible. My last good layout was one in which I ran the trains from inside the layout. I had 4 mainlines. 2 high and 2 low. All interconnected. I had a open area 3 feet wide in the center. This open area was over 20' long. I planed that on one long side, running along the foundation wall, the lower 2 track main line was fairly straight except when it went through my main large station platforms. On the opposite long side the main lines veered away from center then returned to the very inside edge of the train table. This gave a train a snake like motion when running on this side. Centered on this side of the layout was the entry area. The train table was open here. 2, two track bridges spanned the gap. One high and one low. The bottom of the lower one was 4 feet from the floor. This was the duck under height. This gap had cliff scenery and a imaginary river ran through here. Due to the way the trains snaked along this side of the layout I named it Snake Gulch. The gulch split the mining town also named Snake Gulch. Mainlines on top for the ridge and down in the valley each had stations named Upper and Lower Snake Gulch.
Enough of this lost history. Basics I built by were of course always plain for a 2 track main line. No tunnels or unexposed tracks. Block wiring, If on a table main lines run the outside edge. Viewing of running trains is part of the layout design. Work with no less then tables 4 feet wide unless the layout is of a type where you run from the inside as I spoke of. The rest is like all others.
frank
toptrain
" It's a Heck of a Day " !!!
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Posted - February 26 2015 : 12:21:53 PM
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Barry, as Frank states everyone has their own perspective on layouts. As for me I like tunnels, I find them interesting in both prototypical and model layouts. In model layouts they provide a visual break, or something akin to "changing the scene". The times I had the layout at shows, it would be one of the first things kids would oooooh and ahhhh about. watching the train go in and out of the tunnels.
They can be a real pain though if access to the inside is not planned and easy.
I have to agree with the idea of more than one mainline. 4 mainlines would be incredible. I hope to have two on my future layout, if at all possible.
As for your struggle with the solid block of wood - it occurred to me that a sheet plastic veneer might be a solution. It even comes in a pre-scribed "paneled" surface. I've used this on several projects as wood flooring. Just a thought as opposed to sealing and sanding to smooth out the wood grain.
http://tycodepot.com/
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Posted - February 27 2015 : 8:17:35 PM
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Hey Frank. Thanks for the insight. I do have 54" width and I do have a passing track.
Jerry . . . so true . . . I think I could have played with that block of wood for hours and probably still not achieved an effect as good as styrene; or even drawing on cardboard, for that matter. I decided there was no reason to save the scale lumber I had (just means I need to go buy some more to finish the project) and that I probably had enough to do a stand alone loading ramp.
Here's some photos. If anyone needs to know, you should stain the wood before gluing (glue stains wont except stain very well). The photo of the ramp next to the box car is to check scale and the way the camera shows the detail, looks like there's a bunch of work to make that look believable. I do plan on making dock boards, the "bridge" to go between any ramp and the car being unloaded.
Happy Saturday!
The second photo below shows the under construction ramp on a block that I had tried to scribe (should be embarrassed to even show that).
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Posted - February 27 2015 : 9:06:52 PM
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It's turning out nicely. That is one sweet layout.
~ Dave
~ Dave
They're ALL toys
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Posted - February 28 2015 : 2:35:43 PM
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| That's looking much more realistic, Barry! I love the wood grain effect you were able to achieve.
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Posted - February 28 2015 : 4:12:03 PM
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Eric, there wasn't really any work to that "wood grain effect"; I used Northeastern 3 X 8 scale lumber and stained it with thinned Testers Rubber (it's a dark brown) and sort of haphazardly washed it on with a brush. Then cut it and used it after it was dry. Glued with Elmers. So the wood grain effect is just inherent in using the separate pieces that each accept the stain a bit differently. It looks like it's going to take about 1 package (12 pieces 11 inches long) of the 3 X 8 and less than a piece of 6 X 12 for the "supporting" uprights; probably $4 in materials.
This is where it's at right now . . . have to go the "lumber yard" for more material.
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Posted - March 01 2015 : 12:29:27 AM
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quote:Eric, there wasn't really any work to that "wood grain effect"; I used Northeastern 3 X 8 scale lumber and stained it with thinned Testers Rubber (it's a dark brown) and sort of haphazardly washed it on with a brush. Then cut it and used it after it was dry. Glued with Elmers. So the wood grain effect is just inherent in using the separate pieces that each accept the stain a bit differently.
Originally posted by Barry - February 28 2015 : 4:12:03 PM
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Nothing wrong with simplicity. It still looks great! I'm going to have to file this away in my head for future projects.
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Posted - March 01 2015 : 1:39:55 PM
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Now that is a nice ramp. Look like it was built by little HO people.
frank
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Posted - March 01 2015 : 5:11:25 PM
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Well Frank, they got back to work and finished the ramp and a dock board. Now we have to figure out where they're taking a break and get 'em to come back and unload the freight.
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Posted - March 02 2015 : 6:55:31 PM
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I guess this is all still experimentation. I started on some ramps into the warehouse section of the station and then when I set it up between the yard tracks, it seems to me that the traffic flow is really poor. I'm thinking now of an area of the yard where the station sits that is totally decked between the tracks. My "local hobby shop" guy tells me it is near impossible to get scale lumber as I purchase the last package of 1 X 8 and the last package of 2 X 8 wondering if I'm going to be able to pull off gluing them together to make 3 X 8. Well the gluing together worked OK. Now it will be a search for wood or see how good I am with a razor saw/knife.
It may be that I need to redo the yard layout and I'm giving that some thought for sure. I need to keep in mind that this is also my workbench. What the heck, working on the railroad is fun.
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Posted - March 02 2015 : 8:41:19 PM
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Barry the platform in the top picture that the building is sitting on looks amazing. Looks very realistic.
http://tycodepot.com/
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Posted - March 02 2015 : 9:58:47 PM
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| That is a beautiful layout.
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Posted - March 02 2015 : 10:03:21 PM
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Barry, I like the looks of your ramps and freight station platform.
If scale lumber gets hard to find, you can probably cut planks out of sheet balsa. I've had pretty decent results with that.
If planks are going to be painted rather than stained, scribing file folder cardboard and gluing it to a wood or heavy cardboard backing works reasonably well.
Carpe Manana!
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Posted - March 05 2015 : 7:12:55 PM
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So I'm playin' around with how the station should set between the yard tracks and how the imaginary traffic flow should occur and all that, and the more I look at the yards, the less I'm liking the curve that cuts so close to the other yard track; a great deal because it looks like the track was just laid there so it would fit the small layout (and I imagine that's why prototype yards can be so screwy . . . so they fit?). So I messed around with the track layout some. I'm thinking that short section where the gondola is parked in the "after pictures" could be a spot for a yard engine to park? ? ? Anyway, just for grins, here's a couple photos . . .
Yard before change . . .
Yard after change . . .
. . . and if you can imagine the next 2 photos as being the whole layout, you can see how the "local" line (or passing track), allows the train to back into the yards. An engine with one car at a time, can move a gondola in and out of the coal loading yard, or a freight car into the freight unloading yard. Some freight could also be unloaded on the "passenger" side of the station. If that makes any sense.
I have too many cars on the layout now. Since this is my workbench, it's usually a mess.
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Posted - April 04 2015 : 7:35:32 PM
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I recollect not so long ago this was a simple oval.
"Oh, what tangled webs we weave..." I looked
rather hard, but did not find any 1950's autos,
but the 1890's delivery wagon was astonishing.
A rarely modeled venue. The large rocks
very well replicate granite dells.
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Posted - April 06 2015 : 11:48:09 AM
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| Thanks Jeff. I did end up getting more scale wood, but now I've been doing more car rehabilitation. I'm working on a Mantua Metal 8 wheel caboose to be done in a color scheme more in line with the line and era I seem to be coming to. So . . . maybe in another couple weeks, I'll get back to the train station . . . or not. Spring is sprung and there is work to be done around the house.
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Posted - April 06 2015 : 3:32:57 PM
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Hey Barry, the layout is looking better and better. You mention that you're rehabbing a caboose. Do you stick to brass equipment exclusively or whatever fits your needs?
Randy
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Posted - April 06 2015 : 3:37:06 PM
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Barry - That's coming out very nice. The wood looks good and I like the old time feel to the layout so far.
Master Of Plasticville
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