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Layouts - Construction and Operations

The Silverado Branch

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architrains
Switcher

Status: offline

Posted - November 12 2009 : 7:39:33 PM

Digging through some of my older photos the other day I came across my layout previous to "Tyco Yard." It was when I lived in an apartment last year with my friend who is into model trains too. It was more of a permanent installation on 18"x4' modular metal shop shelves from Target. The individual sections were sized to fit on the shelves, and made of pink insulation foam. We made a fascia board for each section that clamped down on the edge of the shelves to hide the edges of the foam.

This shot shows the whole setup:

I liked to think of it as a fictitious standard gauge Rio Grande branch line running to the mining boomtown of Silverado. The town I depicted was Clearwater, the major engine servicing stop before the climb over the pass. The yard in Clearwater was only three tracks with an integrated 2-car passing loop and switchback siding, but it managed to give the impression of something larger disappearing behind the coaling tower:

Here's the local mixed train pulling into the station at Clearwater under station agent Larry's guidance while foreman Bob gives some lost tourists directions back to the interstate:

The local leaves, almost immediately crossing Indian Creek outside of town:

Here's a high-angle shot of the bridge and creek showing how I painted it to look like it had depth before covering it with a top layer of acrylic gloss and some white for ripples around the sandbar:

The bridge is just a Bachmann blinking light bridge with the defunct light removed and spray painted silver, a common DRGW color for truss bridges.

Here's my friend's terminus of Abingdon, consisting of a passing loop and engine shed, displaying his assortment of equipment:

Those with keen eyes may have discerned blue christmas lights strung along the underside of the top shelves; those are for nighttime lighting (enhanced with a little photoshopping):

The nighttime running was one of the most fun things about the layout, and is definitely something I'll be including in any future large layout I build.

--Rio Grande--Thru the Rockies

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