A few more recent photos of operation, plus new additions, including chain link fencing and chemical workers at Allied Chemical, plus electric lines strung along back and front of layout:
Thanks Bluegill.....much appreciated!
Airborne 101, looks outstanding!
It's been quite awhile since I've visited this post, so here goes with new and recent photos from my layout. Still adding small details here and there, but otherwise all is finished for now.
See more here: http://hitopbranchmodelrr.com/
I have run into some problems with my layout. I added turnout at the curve on the East end of the layout to expand my layout. At the bottom right there is a new turn out butting up against the original turnout at the end of the yard. On the main line my command station shorts when the loco crosses the turnout. If the new switch is thrown the other way, there is no problem. Should I put insulaters on the new turnout? Where? Should I run feeders to the new turnout? It is an atlas TO. Autoreverser? I have also put a turnout at the top right on the curve. I wish I could type on the plan above to show this, but that wont work. Anyone have an editable Virginian plan I can use?
Morgan, You can also do what I did and use ME bridge flex track.
John
Thanks for the clarification, I needed to think top-down not vice versa! Looks like I should buy or make a rail laying gauge for when I go to CA the then-bare rails to the bridge deck!
Morgan, I cut the bridge deck into three pieces, then trimmed on an angle so that when I glued it back together it formed a curve. I glued this to the ME bridgework. I did eventually glue it it the railhead with some CA after the whole thing was installed. Since the bridge was never designed to be curved you need to test the angles before cutting to ensure the track fits within the guard rails. I believe I may have used a piece of scrap track and designed the curve by setting the deck pieces upside down on the track overlapping each other to form the curve, then using this to scribe the cut angles. I am sure there is a more mathematical way to determine the cut angle to get the desired cuve. It did not look absolutely perfect , but once I painted it , it looked pretty good. This was the first structure I had built in over 30 years, so I took it fairly slowly with a lot of test fitting.
thanks Steve
Thanks Steve, I'm starting to see. I'll go back to the print rather than search video. When you say "b. cut the deck to an 18 inch radius" I'm using that same Walthers bridge deck which, with the outer timbers can't be curved without major hacking (versus MicroEngineering I now see). Did you actually 'hack and curve' or place straight segments that accommodated the curved rail radius above? You mention gluing down- are you gluing to the railhead? Or just the ME bridgework beneath? My big issue (ok, my railroad issue!) is that the walthers bridge deck will not curve without devastating deformation-too much continuous plastic end to end, unlike flex track or the 'floating' ME bridge deck. Thanks for your help, headed back to the mag and page 3 here!
Morgan, There are basic instructions in the May 2012 issue of Model Railroader. If you look on page 3 of this thread you will see photos of my bridge. The construction method David used is the same I used. Effectively you build the bridge from the top down.
a) Lay the track before building the bridge. I soldered 3 sections of 18" curved Atlas track, removed most of the ties (just left enough to keep the track spacing, laid the track, then removed the rest of the ties. At this point the track is stting in the air.
b) Cut the deck so it forms an 18" radius, then adjust so when you glue it it fits nicely under the track.
c) Build the Microengineering bridge kit, cutting so it fits nicely under the deck with the same radius.
d) Cut the abutments to the correct height and install the completed bridge under the rails.
e) The last step is to build the legs to fit under the completed and installed bridge.
I have not gotten around to installing the guard rails yet. They used code 55 curved rail for the guard rails.
Hope this helps.
Steve
Not to hijack the current stage of this thread, and I did try a search for the answer first...I am perplexed about the trestle as done in MR. Per David Popp I am to strip off all rails and guardrails and all clips from the Walthers trestle deck, which gets cut into three angled but straight sections mirroring the spans beneath. Ok I get that...BUT, how am I attaching curved rail and curved guardrails on top of that? Or am I just laying curved snap track on the deck? Is that realistic? I tried to find the video instructions in the video series and it seems like trestle work is surprisingly absent! If in fact they taped how they did this, does anyone know which episode it was? Any help from someone who saw it or completed this step is greatly appreciated!
Making progress on my scratch built freight house. I am using the plans from the September 2012 MR issue. Foundation still needs to be added along with roofing material and decks. When completed this structure will go in Rogers yard. Here are some pics.
My Layout Pics
I got a little more done on the layout today. First I finally installed the bridge I shimmed up the the supports to keep the bridge level and secured the bride tiers to the layout with clear caulk. I also layed out the track going up to Green Hill but have ot tacle dit down yet. The reson is I noticed today that the curve coming off the bridge on this section of track work somehow got bent a little. So to help hold the track securely I calked the track to the roadbed and nailed it down. I also started building the scene divider that splits the layout in half. These pics are much better quality thanks to a new camera
Steve, Thanks I was really worried that it was too dark. I think I am going to use dirt instead of the Sedona Red that MR used for the roads.
I would also like everyone's opinion do you think the brown for earth coloring is too dark
John, the dark brown for the earth coloring is just fine. I used the same basic color and had the same fears as you. So I switched for a lighter color. Now I have the puffball trees and the landscaping on I couldn't tell you which was the dark brown and which was the medium brown. The only area where I think it is important is the area around Reid Gap if you use the Sedona Red for the road. Because that is a fine covering you want to stick to something close to what MRR specificed.
Cheers,
Mike the pictures look great, I particularly like the last one of the Virginian. Now down to business I made more progress on the layout last week the mountian next to the large mine has been covered with scupltamold and painted. The all of the foam for the tunnels directly near the bridge have been calked together and covered with scultpamold. Finally I got the brisge completely shimmed up and ready to install and the benchwork for the area of Green Hill has be permanently screwed down. During some of my work I noticed too late I made a slight miscalculation with the main and branch line. The track are too close together and I am unable to do two single portals and too far apart for a double portal. So my solution was I went out and purchased a WS double concrete portal cut it down the middle and then I took a WS single portal and cut an inch wide portion out of the center to peice together the protal to fit my needs. I hoping it doesn't look to bad once in place. I would also like everyone's opinion do you think the brown for earth coloring is too dark? Believe it or not it actually was very close to a goggle earth shot I see of southern WV. I kinda think it's a bit dark but my brother in law feels it represents the soil in a forested mountain region.
P.S. Sorry the pictures are such poor quality my camera decided to bite the big one last week so I was force to use my cell phone
Hello All,
John, I have the same issue with the under hang. I tackled it the pretty much the same as everyone else. I used my tallest boxcar and locomotive to ensure I had clearance, I have recently run a NW Y6b up the branch and it went through no problems. I then painted it the same gray as my rock faces then went over it with an airbrush using Grimy Black. It is barely noticable.
Roger, I like your new Geep!
I have been doing more scenery work, including backdrops, and a bit of weathering. I have also started paying a bit more attention to taking photos using my wife's Digital SLR, she is a professional photographer, and playing with the f-stop to get better focus through the depth of view. These photos were taken using f-22.
611 pulling the Powhatan Arrow out of Roanoke passes Woodrows Mills Lumber Yard on its way into Roger's and meets 2198 as it heads out to Lambert's Point with a load of coal.
307 arrives at Roger's Yard with a load of coal from the Illawong Branch.
34 heads up the Barton Branch with the morning sweeper.
Regards, Mike
Steve, I have plenty of clearance for both loco's and rolling stock like I said before I just wanted to make sure I did not make a mistake somewhere. Hopefully I will have these tunnels built this week and maybe the scene divider also if there is enough time.John
John,
Because this is the branchline, if you are following the spec from MR I am not sure you are going to have an issue. On the yard side of the tunnel the portal is going to be approx 2 inches from the benchwork. On the other side it may be close to 3-4 inches from the benchwork. As such I would do the following. Build your foam tunnels that will be placed between the portal and the benchwork. Put these in place and determine at that point if you can even see the benchwork. If not then all is good. If you can see them you have two choices.
1. Check the tunnel height with an NMRA guage and see if you can cut down the height slightly. You will then cut down both the portal and the foam tunnel.
2. leave it all as is and use Scupltamold as others have to mask the benchwork.
Here is a picture showing how I used sculptamold to cover the benchwork inside my tunnel portal.
The picture was taken with flash to highlight that area. In real life it is not as noticable.
Airborne, I broke down at a trainshow and picked up a New York Central GP9. It's the Athearn Genesis GP9 w/dcc & sound. I had read that you had acquired one also. Here are pics.
Well it's good to see I wasn't the only one with this issue. That's a great idea using a piece of left over rock to hide the benchwork.
First off, your mountain work looks good!
Secondly, I had the exact same "overhang" of the framework showing at the top of the branchline tunnel. No big thing, I just took a piece of my foam rock that I had left over, painted it, then cut it to fit, and attached it to cover up the overhang, so now it looks like a piece of blasted rock at the top of the tunnel opening...
Steve as here are the pics of my tunnel portals on my branchline. Like I said my portals will also be a few inches away from the benchwork like MR built them. The first is the portal need Rodgers yard and the second is at Reids Gap If the gaps are not noticable once the portals are installed in the permanent location thats great I just do not want to do the work twice.
sjhenry John, I set Green Hill at about 4 1/2" however when I look at it now I have about 3/4 inch clearance at one end and 1/2 inch clearance at the other. The portal at the yard end is about 2 inches out from the benchwork due to the way I cut it and the curvature. Can you post a pic of the issue. Cheers, Steve
John, I set Green Hill at about 4 1/2" however when I look at it now I have about 3/4 inch clearance at one end and 1/2 inch clearance at the other. The portal at the yard end is about 2 inches out from the benchwork due to the way I cut it and the curvature. Can you post a pic of the issue.
Steve, I tried to but the camera battery died. I will take some pics of each tunnel portal tomorrow morning and post them. I plan on setting these portals like you and MR did several inches away from the benchwork but did not know if the benchwork could stil been seen through the portals. I am asking becuase I do not want to asume that everything will be ok and build the scenery around Green Hill then have to tear it apart again.
On the branchline tunnels at Green Hill the benchwork can be seen at the top of te tunnel protal. The benchwork is about showing about a 1/2" on one portal and about 1/4" on the other. The benchwork is at 4 inches like MR said it should be, did anyone else have this issue and if so did you have to trim the portals?
John, Your progress looks good. I had the same issue with the portal coming out of Green Hill. I covered the piece of benchwork you could see with Sculptamold to make it appear as low hanging rocks in the tunnel ceiling.
I just got back from the Great Train Expo show in Louisville, Ky. I picked up an Athearn Genesis GP9 with DCC/Sound. NYC #6028. Also picked up a 16000 gal. tank car and some scenery items. Gotta go check them out now.
Keep up the good work.
Roger
I made more progress today I cut all my foam for the tunnel next to the bridge. After making all the cuts I mocked up everything to see how it would look before caulking it all together. I have a few touch ups that I want to make but I do have one questions for everyone. On the branchline tunnels at Green Hill the benchwork can be seen at the top of te tunnel protal. The benchwork is about showing about a 1/2" on one portal and about 1/4" on the other. The benchwork is at 4 inches like MR said it should be, did anyone else have this issue and if so did you have to trim the portals? Here are some pics of my progress.
Today I completed the rough form for the big mountain which is now ready for sculptamold. I also made some progress on the tunnel and small mountain on the corner that leads to the staging yard. I am hoping to have this completd within the next day or so. He are pics of my progress.
Layout work is looking good everyone, and that chain link fence looks great Roger!
Thanks also to everyone for the congrats! Anxious to see the article myself.....:)
Rodgerthat, Once again all I can say is WOW!!! I cannot believe you had the patience to scratchbuild your own chainlink fence. I think I would have pulled out the last strands of hair that I have left. Keep up the great work.