Nubie questions

[Anonymous]

Hello, new to the board and to model railroading. I am working now on a small layout I began earlier this year. Its 5 foot by 6 1/2 foot. I have decided to use a Intermodal them for the layout since its small. But I had a few questions.
1st, do they make bendable wall retainers I can use for my woodland scenics inclines, they are curved in some spots. 2nd, whats a good way to make a conctrete platform for the trucks and the intermodal crane to load the cars. Sould I remove the ties and use something like smooth-it for the rails? Do they make LED yard light towers? And do they make curved viaducts? Or would I have to use the foam risers for my elevated rails? I am using Atlas code 83 track. Most of the main lines are down. Just working on the inclines and risers now. What color balast should I use? Some RRs use gray, others I have noticed used white with no break dusting. Thanks.

[mcouvillion]

ndazzle,

Welcome to the forum. You'll find lots of opinions here, so you'll have to wade through them and make your own decisions.

First, get access to a Walthers catalog. There are so many choices there that you should be able to find whatever you need. For your specific questions, we may need a little more info. I'm not sure what you mean by wall retainers, but you could probably use styrene sheet cut to fit and glued to the side of the inclines. Concrete platforms - raised or track in slab? For raised, you could use foamboard pieces, covered with styrene sheet or whatever you want to cover the foamboard. For track in slab, use styrene sheet between the rails and outside the rails. You'll have to shim it to whatever level you need. Try it on a small test area. Look in Walthers for the lighted towers. You may have to mount your own LEDs. Other questions - look in Walthers. Ballast color - its YOUR railroad, what do you want? You have to please yourself, not the guy who visits once and hasn't ever built a layout. You'll never see him again, but you'll see your choice every time you run. Satisfy yourself.

Good luck,

Mark C.

[ARTHILL]

Welcome. Good questions. You will get good answers. You might get better answers with questions one at a time. Poeple love to read querstions and share opinions. Ask lots.

Have you discovered WS plaster cloth? I use one layer covered with a thin coat of lightwight drywall cement. It makes rocks, ground cover, roads, everythingMixed with sawdust it made a plowed field. It can be worked and reworked for hours.

[dehusman]

Do you really want intermodal for a small layout? They use the longest equipment on the railroad so an entire train on a small layout might be 2-3 cars long (five packs). Even worse are the piggyback cars, 90 ft cars on tight radii. Plus there is virtuall no switching with intermodal equipment.

Dave H.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the tips. Just got to experiment. I do have to get that Walthers book though. I have seen on Walthers home page that Noch Gmbh & Co make styro flex walls. Maybe I could use that and the plaster cloth. Yes its tracks in the slab. So the trucks can drive over the tracks and the crane can manuver easily.

[Anonymous]

Q: whats a good way to make a conctrete platform for the trucks and the intermodal crane to load the cars

A: Try woodland scenics
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Q: Do they make LED yard light towers

Q: And do they make curved viaducts? Or would I have to use the foam risers for my elevated rails

A: If you can think of it chances are some company makes it. Try www.internettrains.com
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[Anonymous]

Thanks. Things take time. But its coming along well. I found some nice Walters well and husky cars. But still a long ways off from those.

[MisterBeasley]

I've made curved cut stone retaining walls out of hydrocal. After pouring the hydrocal in the mold, I let it set for about 10 minutes, and then I bend the mold into the shape I want. The walls I've used came from http://www.mrscenery.com but there are other mold-makers around. After I take them out of the mold, I spray them with cheap gray primer, and give them a couple of thin washes of India Ink.

I used a strip of styrene behind the wall to connect the sections and support it. I fastened the hydrocal sections to the styrene with silicone adhesive. (Liquid Nails and hot glue didn't work - I tried those first.)

Also, check http://www.njinternational.com for yard lights (under "Railroad Structures" on their web site.) I think you'll find that incandescent bulbs are better than LEDs for floodlights. LEDs are very directional, and, while that makes for good headlights, it is not very good for area illumination.