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 Posted - February 22 2021 : 7:08:06 PM
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Having pretty much finished up the Subway Pike except for a few more details (vending machines
arrived today) I'm turning my attention to Mormon's Gulch, previously Harte's Mill II. Why
"Mormon's Gulch," I really have no good idea other than I was reading a Sherlock Holmes
mystery at the time, and that SH is a British series, I was very surprised to read about Utah
and the Mormon culture from a Victorian British perspective, so perhaps that just turned
the key. I wanted an unusual name, looks like I got it.
Last time, it was difficult to get an even sub-roadbed for the upper tier of track. While
standing in line in the post office, I noticed these mailing tubes, and they were just the
right height, 3 inches, and width, 3 inches, and with a little cutting up they fit the bill just
right. Tested it out, and the trains run perfectly level.
I almost considered scrapping the whole lot after seeing Time Warp's excellent Moose Jaw
Micro layout, but so far this layout is proving reliable in its track plan, it is light, and it
will fit into my hatchback for model train shows. Things are going to go fairly quickly now,
and I'm already thinking about my next micro layout- a 1920's branch line in the Florida
Everglades...After that, maybe an extension on Henley...Yikes, I'm going to run out of room.
Already have invaded the living room as a workshop.
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 Posted - February 22 2021 : 7:26:17 PM
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Getting there. Looks good so far Jeff.
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Posted - February 22 2021 : 11:03:21 PM
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Having laid in most of the track, got some items from Hobby Lobby.
Biggest hassle was going to be the ground cover. Either expensive scenic ballast sand, a golden color
to simulate Utah desert, or natural El Paso sand, tinted to a more golden color, both of which would
add many pounds of weight to the layout; not a favorable outcome. Worse, the added weight could
warp the light frame and the Styrofoam base.
I stumbled over this texture paint, and recalled I had used a gray texture paint to create ballasted
roadbed for Henley. This worked out well. While not photo real, it look a whole lot better and be a
whole lot lighter. Especially when colorizing the vertical faces of the butte and cliff faces, this will
be a hundred times easier to apply. Apply ground cover to a vertical face is exceedingly difficult,
and thin patches will turn up all over the place. So, I think this texture paint is going to work out
real well.
Going to be scratchbuilding trestles for the four bridges. This is actually fairly easy, certainly
within my skill level. First, Balsa beams are glued to the underside of the tracks, then a jig
will be fashioned using smaller Balsa sticks for bents, once jigged up, the trestles will be glued
together. If too tall, they can be easily trimed at the base legs to fit.
The biggest expense is the plaster cloth for the scenery of the geography. A few dollars can be
saved by using loose plaster and soaking a medium of towels, even fabric, but it goes on sloppy
and the bowl of it will dry solid while your trying to arrange the strips. Plaster cloth can be dampened
and then molded to fit a piece at a time, and can be rewetted while drying to form up a better shape.
Snatched a bag of Saguaro cacti. I'm not sure if these grow as far north of Utah, certainly not here in
El Paso, but what the heck, no one will really know at it gives ambience.
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Posted - February 23 2021 : 08:33:11 AM
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| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saguaro
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Posted - February 23 2021 : 09:02:52 AM
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Another interesting Chops project. Looking forward to see it come together. So how many layouts do you have now?
Master Of Plasticville
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Posted - February 23 2021 : 3:17:38 PM
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Six, including the Subway Pike. There is always something super interesting
just around the next bend in the road.
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Posted - February 23 2021 : 5:40:21 PM
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Looking good, Chops!
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." - Matthew 5:16
Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/rpmodelrailroads
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rp_model_railroads/
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Posted - February 28 2021 : 11:09:51 AM
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Replaced a small section of track on the "back 40." It seems endemic that whenever a section of track has problems, it is always in the most difficult to access spot. Don't know why, the track appears perfect, but
the locomotive made a "click" going over the joiners and the pilot derailed all the time. Fixed now. Now it wants
to derail on the one turnout, where before it crossed perfectly.
Thought I was going to need about three trestle bridges for the upper tier, but soon realized that the angle of
the lower tier radius blocked trestle placement, which would leave a grotesque forty foot unsupported span. That would make it look like Dr. Seusss's Fox in a Box train.
So, the spans are being converted to tunnels, and I found this old plaster timber tunnel portal in the junk box,
which was built for dual tracks. It is quick work to convert to single track and I'll be whipping up some later today, out of Balsa (that was purchased for the trestles).
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Posted - February 28 2021 : 4:18:00 PM
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Interesting construction techniques. Keep up the good work!
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." - Matthew 5:16
Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/rpmodelrailroads
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Posted - March 15 2021 : 05:02:40 AM
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| https://youtu.be/UqQyOsxfVkE
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Posted - March 15 2021 : 8:59:08 PM
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Nice analysis video, Chops. The layout seems to be coming along well. Can't wait to see how the scenery turns out, especially the foam = standing rocks.
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." - Matthew 5:16
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Posted - March 15 2021 : 9:14:18 PM
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For that I have a novel idea. The butte needs to hold a certain shape of roundness, so over the vertical spines made of foam I am going to wrap
those in aluminum foil and over that lay down plaster cloth which will mate up
to the base, so it doesn't fly away in a wind.
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Posted - March 15 2021 : 9:36:36 PM
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| wow! that layout is looking good!
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Posted - March 15 2021 : 10:14:31 PM
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quote:For that I have a novel idea. The butte needs to hold a certain shape of roundness, so over the vertical spines made of foam I am going to wrap
those in aluminum foil and over that lay down plaster cloth which will mate up
to the base, so it doesn't fly away in a wind.
Originally posted by Chops124-March 15 2021: 9:14:18 PM
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Good thinking
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." - Matthew 5:16
Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/rpmodelrailroads
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Posted - March 16 2021 : 2:30:45 PM
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Before I go into night shift tonight, took a little time to start working in some canyons and
slopes. The plaster cloth by Woodland Scenics is so much better to work with than those days
of newspaper strips or plaster soaked cloth. The dry cloth can be laid and cut into position,
and then a light mist or brushing on of plain water is all that is needed for it to soften and
soon harden. Additional brushing with a wet brush causes the pores to wash over with plaster.
Going much faster than I had thought, I started with the town of Grimbsy and began to
work outward in test strips, which went to so well I've managed to cover about a fifth of the
layout.
The Bachmann DCC ready Jupiter is working so well that I am going to power this small layout
with DCC (I already have a Bachmann Command Control I bought used from Ebay a few
years back) and run it that way, to take advantage of the nice onboard sound system.
For anyone contemplating the analog old version of the Bachmann Americans, I'd wave you
off. Those older Bachmanns are flimsy and not designed well, at all.
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Posted - March 16 2021 : 2:34:02 PM
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Getting there. Looks great.
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Posted - March 16 2021 : 9:31:17 PM
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Nice, Chops!
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." - Matthew 5:16
Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/rpmodelrailroads
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Posted - March 27 2021 : 6:17:45 PM
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Starting to work on the butte. The vertical Styrofoam stanchions are getting wrapped in a
single layer of aluminum foil fastened by panel nails, would have preferred thumbtacks, but
could not find them,   , dipped in Quick Hold cement that binds anything it touches,
but does not melt foam. This will provide a little firmness when the plaster cloth is laid upon it,
so the stanchions will be hidden, and not protrude like bones. A few dabs of Quick hold will
be laid down to give the plaster cloth something to anchor to, while it dries.
Built up another tunnel in the foreground. I had hoped to lay in trestles in these overpasses, but
soon learned that the angulation of the upper and lower tiers would make for an enormous,
awkward span between the center bents.   But tunnels are good. An access port
is carved into the side, will be eventually covered by a flap if there are issues inside the tunnel.
Buttes tend to have a buttress of ancient lava flow that once fueled the volcanic core, which is
coming together on the left aspect. The base is flared out a little to recreate the fallen debris,
over the millenium, that accumulates at the foot.
I broke in the new American by running it for 1/2 hour in reverse. Quite smooth. Alas, if I want
sound in it I'll have to add it myself.
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Posted - March 27 2021 : 8:28:59 PM
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Cool! Good progress is being made....
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." - Matthew 5:16
Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/rpmodelrailroads
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Posted - March 28 2021 : 6:53:43 PM
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Working on the Devil's Thumb Butte. A layer of dry plaster cloth goes on over the aluminum foil
base cover, and is glued on by this great fast drying glue called Quick Hold. After the rest of the
cloths go up, they will be wetted down and conform to the surface of the foil, held in place
by the glue. If one facet gets too concave, it can be pushed out during the wet phase from
inside the top of the butte. When it drys, it will be stiff. The trick will be adding vertical striations.
I might do this with a comb while it's still wet. Adding another layer of plaster means a lot
more weight to the entire module.
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 Posted - March 28 2021 : 7:00:45 PM
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Interesting concept. Would dominate the landscape of your layout.
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 Posted - March 28 2021 : 7:03:34 PM
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You can run The Thumb Butte Limited train with some distinctive background music in your YouTube videos Jeff.
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Posted - March 28 2021 : 8:38:54 PM
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I'm trying to do a layout tour with that open flat car by putting a
Hot Wheels Video Cam in it, but the old battery winds down in
barely a minute or two.
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Posted - April 01 2021 : 10:17:52 AM
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Did a little more work on Devil's Butte over the weekend.
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Posted - April 01 2021 : 9:13:16 PM
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Wow! That is really shaping up, Chops
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." - Matthew 5:16
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 Posted - April 02 2021 : 12:24:29 AM
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| heh it reminds me of Devil's Tower
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Posted - March 27 2022 : 08:11:36 AM
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Haven't done much with Mormon's Gulch due to time constraints. Having the experience that EZ
track is much less temperamental, on the whole, it is being contemplated to rip out the set track
and replace it all with EZ.
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Posted - March 27 2022 : 8:29:19 PM
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| I suspect alot of your problems with the snap track is due to the flimsy base you've laid it on. But then, I'm an old school, third generation modeler. I tend to overbuild things, and solder my rail joints. If properly laid on a solid subroadbed, even snap track can be made to perform well. Even with EZ track, I think you're going to regret supporting that upper track with cardboard.
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Posted - March 27 2022 : 10:21:02 PM
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Guilty as charged, the sub-base is flimsy. It is an experimental affair to seem hoiw light I could make
it.
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Posted - March 28 2022 : 07:01:50 AM
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| Have you considered using plexiglass sheet to support the track where clearance is an issue? It's sturdy enough to support the track for short distances, only about as thick as the cardboard you used, and pretty lightweight.
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Posted - March 29 2022 : 1:00:14 PM
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Another awesome layout in sight. I'll follow this thread with interest.
I don't take myself seriously, so I apologize if you do.
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Posted - March 29 2022 : 9:23:33 PM
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Thanks OB, right now it's being eclipsed by Henley.
The plan is run one locomotive on DCC, another
addressed to 02 following it, and on the second level,
one on analog. The new Bachmann Americans
seem quite nice, the old one's got used up
pretty fast in show conditions. Lucky to get ten
hours of use before the universal pinions would wear off.
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Posted - April 04 2022 : 6:07:59 PM
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Another cardboard layout: California Plateau stands about 8 inches high.
Edited by - offtrackthoroughbred on April 04 2022 7:01:02 PM
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Posted - April 04 2022 : 11:58:49 PM
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| Pretty nice, and looks like a lot of attention to detail, not to mention it actually traverses lower tier to upper tier.
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Posted - April 06 2022 : 07:00:06 AM
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quote:Pretty nice, and looks like a lot of attention to detail, not to mention it actually traverses lower tier to upper tier.
Originally posted by Chops124Â -Â April 04 2022Â :Â 11:58:49 PM
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Yeah I like the concept of that layout too. It's similar to something I would build, where there are no disconnected tracks and you can run a train everywhere on the layout under its own power. I'm just not sold on using cardboard for risers. But then, I build everything on pine board so it's nice and sturdy.
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