Steve, thanks so much for your reply. I went on the Walthers site yesterday, and noticed that they were in stock as well. They seem pretty pricey though. How much use do you get out of (1) rock for the Virginia build? I think the rocks are 15" x 6" or something like that.
Take care,
Chris
Chris,
One rock will either do:
a) The rocks above the tunnels and the rocks in the hills
or
b) The curved rock wall between the mainline and the branch line.
You need about 1 1/2 rocks to do the yard. It took me 4 rocks to do everything. I got 2 501's , a 502 and a 503.
If you do the curved rock wall between the mainline and the branchline you would then have to use other methods for the yard, the rocks and above the tunnels. There is also a slightly curved section of rocks above the branch line where it curves around to the bridge. If you just do the curved rock wall , I would get the 501.
Thanks,
Steve
Thank you Steve. I would use myWoodland Scenics rock molds for the hills and above the tunnels. Do you think that it is necessary to have flexible rocks for Rogers Yard? I would definately use flexible rocks for between the branch and main lines. Have you been working on your layout lately Steve? When will we see more updated photos. You're doing great so far.
On a different note, does anyone know what decoder would be needed to convert the Virginian Bachmann H16-44 Diesels to DCC that are featured in the MRR articles?
-Chris
Chris, The yard has a small convex curve near the bridge, about 41 inches of straight rock wall then a concave curve to bend around to meet the tunnel. I am not a rock expert so don't know how people typically negotiate curves with cast rocks.
To convert the H16-44 to DCC I got the Digitrax DH123AT. I have not converted it yet through. This is not the decoder they used. It had an article on it in one of the magazine issues, but I forget which one they used. I know it was just an N scale decoder they had on hand. After I bought the H16-44 (cheap on closeout) I realized I didn't have the skills or patience to re-letter all the coal hoppers to the Virginian so changed my Railroad the the "Pennsylvanian" and bought Pennsylvania R. R. coal hoppers and an assortment of DCC ready Pennsylvania RS3's
I haven't done anything in a couple of weeks. I mostly go in spurts. Currently however my time is spent blowing leaves, and deer proofing my yard for the Michigan winter. I do hope to have the Rogers yard and everything else on that side completed by mid winter before switching over to the other side.
I'm thinking of doing this but as an N-scale door layout, has anyone else done this. That modufications need to be made for it wo work on a 36X80 door? If I for it it will defiantly be in N.
aaroNW I'm thinking of doing this but as an N-scale door layout, has anyone else done this. That modufications need to be made for it wo work on a 36X80 door? If I for it it will defiantly be in N.
First off throw out the door and build proper model railroad bench work at the size you require.
You will not regret that one single bit.
The space you have is roughly 3/4 of the original layout size 8' X 4'
Not a bad size for an "N" sized version of the Virginian look at the plan and you will have to re-calculate the curves and go with the closest radius of curve that you can get a tracksetta template for.
Then re-plot the plan in the space you have using "N" scale track spacings your yards are going to be 3/4 the length so are passing sidings etc.
Not sure how you would re-plot the grades as not sure how high you would need to lift the track.
The end result if done properly will be a a really nice rendition of the Virginian that can run longer trains.
Do you plan on adding the branch line and staging if so these will have to be 3/4rd as well to keep everything in the same proportions.
You will also need to check if suitable structures and trains are available in "N" if you plan on following the project layout as the Virginian.
regards John
A few more photos.
Cheers Steve
Steve, great photos of your layout. You're following the Model Railroad version very closely and it looks very good. My version of the layout won't be as similar. Here are some recent pictures.
Here are two truck dumps I scratch built based on pictures of the Blair Line kits.
Here are the two tunnels going under Green Hill from the mine side. The rock wall is made from 7 rock castings with Sculptamold filled in around them and down between the two portals. The leaning retaining wall is not complet and has not been fastened down yet.
More pics.
My Layout Pics
Roger,
I followed the Model railroader version pretty faithfully because I didn't have the confidence to change or do things differently when I started. I spent hours frame viewing the videos to see how things were done. I'm looking at this whole thing as a teaching exercise.
Your freelanced structures look great and I like the way you have built the hills. I really don't think you are behind me at all. I have concentrated on the yard side so far and only have the mine side roughed out. I think your decision to put only 4 tracks in the yard is good. If I was doing it again that is what I would do. Not only was putting 6 sidings with the Atlas snap switches a PITB, but leaving space between the sidings and the dividing hills will allow you to do more interesting things with the yard and structures.
Are you going to use puffball trees or something else ?
Keep it up and keep posting photos. I am studying your photos of the mine side to get tips
Cheers
Steve, I will be using puffball trees, but not as dense. The November MR had an article about making hill sides, and I really liked how the author included some open meadows on his hill sides. On the yard side of the layout, I am planning to include some town structures between the yard and the ridge line. I have alrady built the DPM "Other Corner Cafe" kit to go there. Eventually, once this layout is somewhat complete, I plan on adding a switching layout and some staging tracks where Model Railroader had their staging tracks.
Keep up the good work, and I look forward to seeing how your mine side turns out.
Roger
Hi sjhenry
I read your coment on the flour mill about it jarring a bit.
I am not so sure thats a bad thing.
Its a big ugly industrial building its suposed to be a bit jarring, I personaly like it the way it is..
Which building kit is it has it been cut back or was it low relief to start with.
Hi John,
Its a Walthers Cornerstone Centennial Mills Background Building. It was low relief to start with. When I said jarring, I more meant the color. If I did it again , I would probably choose some sort of dirty brown. I actually like the building.
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3160
Cheers,
sjhenry Hi John, Its a Walthers Cornerstone Centennial Mills Background Building. It was low relief to start with. When I said jarring, I more meant the color. If I did it again , I would probably choose some sort of dirty brown. I actually like the building. http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3160 Cheers, Steve
Hi Steve
Thanks for kit information.
Being a flour ?? mill if I end up with one it will probably really jarr color wise, I would paint it an off white and probably try to give it a light dust of some sort of grime
All the wheat bins and flour mills I have seen are white, so to me that just seems the natural color choice.
Which of course does jarr big time against its suroundings.
Finally more photos of my layout progress, since it's been awhile....
Photo #1 shows flex rock in place behind yard, plus pink foam in place for ridge line on branch line, plus plaster cloth applied as a base for flex rocks and Sculptamold around mainline curve
Photo #2 shows mountain formed behind mine, mine area with three tracks, and backside of ridgeline, plus siding off mainline for feed and seed store/warehouse (Blair Line Greene's Feed and Seed)
Photo #3 shows flex rocks painted and glued in place, Sculptamold applied between seams, and tree work on ridge line started, plus mountain by mine covered with plaster cloth and painted. BTW, all of my wood was painted with a latex based primer/paint to help seal the plywood from any water based products applied. Paint was matched using Polly Scale "earth", plus a touch of roof brown
Photo #4 shows flex rock in place around mainline curve with Sculptamold to blend it in, also looking down branchline
Photo #5 shows backside of mountain by mine with flexrock in place, plus plaster cloth, also flex rock in place around inside curve of branch
Photo #6 shows ballasted yard using Arizona Rock and Mineral "Yard Mix". Also shows scale house, freight house (light grey and green building), and furniture company in place, also shows track bumpers installed at end of track. Furniture company is Woodland Scenic's "Sicken Tire Co"
Photo # 7 shows left front corner of layout, with Blair Line "Sam's Roadhouse" in place now as "Sam and Mickey's Bar and Grill", gravel road into yard area almost complete, one Blair Line wood grade crossing in place. Also, siding on left edge will have Walther's "oil loading platform(s)" in place, plus two Plastruct vertical tanks, plus industrial piping to simulate a chemical plant
Photo #8 shows branch line tunnel entrance complete with puffball trees covering up foam frame fro tunnel portal
Photo #9 shows painted flex rock inside branch line tunnel (installed on both ends) to simulate blasted rock inside tunnels, also shows more puffball trees covering foam frame for tunnels
Photo #10 shows mine placed for reference, plus Blair Line's "General Store". Backside of mountain with tree work commencing. Two City Classics "company houses" will sit to the right of the general store, while Walther's "Surge Bin" kit that MR used will sit between mine and general store. Soil by Scenic Express placed down in area, plus one mine track partially ballasted
Does anyone happen to know which of the Virginian's FM H-16-44s had steam generators?? I came across a reference that they had 40 of these engines, numbered 10-49, and that two had steam generators...but it didn't say which two??
Hi,
I happen to have two books on VGN motive power book 1 is steam and book 2 is diesel-electric.
Both by Robert A. Liljestrand & David R. Sweetland.
Book two states that #`s 15 and 16 had the steam generators.
Dennis Blank Jr.
CEO,COO,CFO,CMO,Bossman,Slavedriver,Engineer,Trackforeman,Grunt. Birdsboro & Reading Railroad
Two more photos showing recent work....
I should mention a note about the hills and ridge line. Ridge line was done using pink foam stacked vertically, then shaped on top by a hot knife to simulate curved top of ridge, then covered with plaster cloth. Gaps and seams were then filled in with Sculptamold, then painted with the same latex earth colored paint as the bare plywood. Mountain behind mine was built using crumpled newspaper inside a cardboard web using Micro-Mark cardboard strips, then covered with plaster cloth and painted as above.
Scenic materials being used are: Natural soil and dirt from Scenic Express, as is the ground cover
Ballast is "Yard Mix" and "NYC Limestone Ballast" by Arizona Rock and Mineral
Gravel areas are "Light Grey ballast" by Woodland Scenics
Later some static grass will be applied using the new GrassTech applicator...
Vehicles shown are from Mini Metals and Woodland Scenics
Trash cans, crossbuck, and propane tank are pre-painted accessories from JL Innovative. I like their line as the parts are already painted and highly detailed
rdgk1se3019 Hi, I happen to have two books on VGN motive power book 1 is steam and book 2 is diesel-electric. Both by Robert A. Liljestrand & David R. Sweetland. Book two states that #`s 15 and 16 had the steam generators.
Thanks !!
Nice progress Airborne,
How did you paint the roof on the structure in the last photo near the cross bucks. It looks great.
Thanks much Steve.....:)
Can't take credit for that roof. It is Blair Line's "Sam's Roadhouse" kit, and it comes with peel and stick corrugated, rusted roofing. Here in Dickinson on my layout it is "Sam and Mickey's Bar and Grill".
The other and last Blair Line kit I am almost finished with is their "Greene's Feed and Seed", which also has peel and stick simulated rusted, corrugated roofing. This kit will go on a siding off the mainline on the backside of the layout where MR had the Sam's Roadhouse kit sitting....
One more photo update. One more kit finished, this is Blair Line's "Greene's Feed and Seed", which will go on the backside of the layout off a spur where MR had Blair Line's "Sam's Roadhouse" or their "moonshine bar" placed. Kit will also have details such as a JL Innovative pop machine added to the right front corner of the dock, a few people added, including the Woodland Scenic figure of a man lugging a feed sack over his shoulders from their "Henry's Hauling" set, a JL Innovative propane tank, plus some of their fertilizer barrels. The kit just needs to be weathered a bit, plus have the front steps installed when placed on the layout.....
BTW, this kit was for the most part stained with Hunter Line stains, including their barn red, dark brown, and driftwood (dock). Only the walls were painted with Polly Scale White...
A few more photos of recent progress....
Nicely done. Now if micro scale would just get with the program and start producing the Virginian HO decals we might have something. I have been waiting for them at my local hobby shop for quite a while. Also waiting for a whole bunch of hopper cars from accurail as well.
Thanks all for the compliments!
As the photos show, and don't show, there are still details galore to add. For example, the general store will have some produce on the left side of the porch, some car stops along the side, a dumpster and propane tank outside the building, an ice machine by the 7-UP machine, and of course, a few people including miners. Forget to mention a utility pole line running up to the store and mine, which sits to the left of the store here in photo 1
Plans are to also add some individual trees here and there. One or two will be placed between the end of the "hardware and farm supply" store and the edge of the layout shown in photo 3. Other trees will be placed in other locations on the layout. I already have some of Woodland Scenics "premium" trees to do so
As for some other details not yet completed, the painted rocks still need an india ink/alcohol wash like MR used......
nice work, enjoy following
Airborne,
i think you have caught if not passed me. I have started work on the "back nine" and the river. I have the yard side finished except for detailing. A comment on the trees. Yours look identical to a few batches I made. What I was doing was rolling each piece into nice uniform golfball shape and applying a good amount of flock In a uniform fashion. One day I got lazy and varied the size, shape and flock coverage and the end result was more pleasing. There is however, only so much you can do with puffball trees
i also found once you start the random install of real trees., it improves the illusion, your eyes are drawn to the real trees and the puffballs blend in more realistically.
You may have noticed that a guy named Byron Henderson has created an alternative to the Virginian in a wing layout that looks pretty intesresting.
http://www.layoutvision.com/id56.html
Keep it up.
steve