HO 1950s/60s NYC-ish 7x17 Layout

[mcfunkeymonkey]

Building a layout for a client in his 3rd-floor game room based on Monticello, NY in late 1950's/early 60's:



The dude's mainly interested in turning the layout on and watching the trains go (in between playing pinball, bowling or the racing video game).
Originally wanted the Lionel of his youth, but I talked him "down" to HO.
Especially as I could come out only 7' into the room.

After a month or so of benchwork and a week of cork/track laying & wiring, we finally got some trains rolling!

Some specs:

Peco 83 track & electrofrog turnouts
22.5" / 25.5" radii
NCE Powercab / SB5 SmartBooster

You'll notice in the video that the risers are clamped on.
Once I got the trains running, I watched their action and adjusted the risers to create a smooth grade before screwing in place.

A few little tweaks in the track are needed--the BLI steamer definitely prefers one track to the other--but otherwise it's finishing the sidings and then off to the scenicking!

Miles the Weathering Man and I are splitting up the building of structures to speed things along, but hopefully we'll have lovely and LED-lit scenery installed in the next month or two.
Back to the workbench!

[-E-C-Mills]

I like it.  A fairly straightforward plan.  Runs two trains at once.  Some sidings and a little switching.  Looking forward to further updates.

[NP2626]

Maybe you could remove the symbols used in the title and replace with words, so your title makes sense.   For some reason some *&”#$@* symbols change into nonsense, when used in teh title ofa thread here on the good ole Model Railroader Forum. 

[richhotrain]

I think that it is meant to read, HO 1950's/60s NYC-ish 7' x 17' Layout

Rich

 

[rrinker]

 Yes, some browser seem to convert anything other than letters and numbers to the HTML codes when posting, so there are the codes for a '  in there. ' is the code for '

What's nuts is it only happens on the thread title, not in the body. So it has to be a forum software bug.

                       --Randy

[richhotrain]

I just did something interesting.

I placed my cursor on the title and right clicked it.  I then selected Translate to English, and up popped the intended title.

Rich

[NP2626]

richhotrain

I just did something interesting.

I placed my cursor on the title and right clicked it.  I then selected Translate to English, and up popped the intended title.

Rich

 

So, the offending “culprit” is the apostrophe!! 

[mcfunkeymonkey]

Fixed!

Good to know about '
When my web developer friend goes into labor & starts to have contractions, I'll just tell her to use '

Now that we've survived the apostrophe catastrophe, back to the trains!

[mcfunkeymonkey]

Dude said he ran both trains all weekend, all ran fine, then late Sunday night the FT just stopped on a curve.
It would go when prodded but had issues.
Turning over the A unit, I saw one of the pickup wire connected to the rear truck had popped off:



[in yellow circle]

So I guess I get to learn how to take an HO InterMountain FT apart  

But at least the dude didn't try to fix it himself.

Today continued working on the industrial peninsula:



& finished laying track for the engine service/programming track & staging yard throat (far rear).

While fleshing out the peninsula, realized could have a nifty trestle-over-culvert-outflow scene, which is why I left a gap and put the ply on the bottom:



Might end up filling the gully with bushes, but at least there's some variation there.

Above photo also shows how I started building up the ramp to the coal trestle.
Will have sanded cork, then some cribbing, then actual trestle bents, with wooden structure at the end of the deck.
So the dude can run his FT up to full speed and smash through it, just like the Flying Diesel Corps:

[mcfunkeymonkey]

Started in on some structure kits:



Will be modeling only the main street in Monticello (Broadway).
The grocer will be one corner of the strip.
The warehouse flats will be on a semi-street behind to give illusion of a larger town.

All those windows are real pane in the glass.

Experimented with acrylic / spray combo on the back of the Downtown Deco warehouse kit:



Wash, spray, more wash while spray still wet creates that splotched effect.
Might try it on the front of a smaller warehouse flat later.

Sanded down the start of the ramp for the coal trestle:



Started blocking out the Industrial Nub:



A large garment factory will be on the right, with the back cut away to a detailed interior.

Started filling in the scenery blocks:





Top sheet came home with me: will secure a long piece of 1/16" styrene for the street and base for buildings.
Easy to take over to Miles' workshop and we can layout all the buildings for the main strip.

Built up the big hill on the other blob, but forgot to take photos  
More kits this weekend, and will experiment with LEDs (a first for me).
Woot!

[HO-Velo]

M.C.,

You're a busy man.  Thanks for sharing another interesting build thread.  LEDs are fun, unless given too much juice, then some really stinky smoke comes out of em'.  Is the layout you were building for Dwight's family complete?

Regards,  Peter

[mcfunkeymonkey]

Dwight's layout is on hold for a bit while I build some structure kits and refurbish/bash a 90' turntable.
Almost done, so should be back to finish it up before summer.

[mcfunkeymonkey]

Cut a large piece of 1/16" styrene to act as road / building base (outlined in Sharpie), then secured to the top piece of 1" pink foam:





I used Loctite Foamboard PL300, because it says that it's "foam safe" and caulk takes a week to cure under a surface as spread out as this.
After a day, however, it seemed that the Loctite didn't have enough "oomph" to securely secure the styrene to the pink foam, so I squirted some caulk around the edges (filling in about 1"-2").  After a day it seems pretty secure.

This piece needs to be removable so I can transport to Miles' workshop in Oakland, as he'll be building and detailing most of the structures and street textures along Broadway, and then we'll transport it over to the layout.
The three of us create an equilateral triangle of 30 minute drives (traffic depending).

I'm doing a few structures myself, including the Walthers truss bridge kit:



Which should fit around here:



And will have some slow red flashers on top.
(Dude likes lights)

I initially had all the track at 3" spacing, but will have to rip up and re-lay to have the inner track come out to cross the bridge at 2 1/4":



Which will help ease the tight curves near the turnout above it to the left.

As you can see, I've been test-fitting chunks o' foam into place to get the landforms shaped:







The Monticello Styrene Slab will go home with me tomorrow for city building after I shape some other foam around it.

Also successfully completed my first LED installation of a larger LED for interior lighting and two small LEDs on either side as porch / security lights:





Only took me about 5 hours and destroying 5 small LEDs to figure out how to solder & install the little dudes  

[mcfunkeymonkey]

My favorite go-to spray paint was Floquil's Grimy Black: it was dark, grey, warm, and thin enough for detail to pop through.
I didn't like that it was an expensive little can.

I found a similar dark grey auto primer (Rustoleum) but it was too thick, and it never seem to fully dry.

But I'm happy to announce the Second Coming of Grimy Black:

About $5 a can at Lowes.
Careful when selecting from the rack: it looks like a flat black but it's called "Blindfold":

Might be a touch lighter than Grimy Black, but, readily available for $5, close enough!

I use this to paint track, as a base coat for buildings, trim, windows, you name it.

I've found limiting the palate and having a common base for many aspects on the layout helps tie it all together, even if only subliminally.

So on this Walthers warehouse:

I sprayed the backs of the walls "Blindfold" and then the fronts:

Notice it doesn't have to be a thick all-covering layer.
Then, when dry in 5 minutes, spray over with Krylon Khaki:

A light sanding here & there will immediately add dark grey colored bricks, and there's already a darker color in the cracks.

Later will add mortar & grime washes.

Gave the Monticello base foam/styrene to Miles for him to do the streets and most of the main Broadway drag:

[photo courtesy of Miles The Weathering Man]

Me, I've got about 6 different structure projects littering the workbench:

On the layout itself, I've started installing the 1/8" Masonite fascia:

Hopefully tomorrow will finish the rest off, patch the holes, then can prime on Friday and have it dry over the weekend.

Back to the workbench!

[UPinCT]

Thanks for the grimey black tip MC

Derek 

[HO-Velo]

M.C.,  Nice lighting effects, what size LEDs?  Yeah, the Rustoleum Dark Grey Automobile primer says fast drying on the can, three days later still degassing, thanks for the Valspar tip.

Regards, Peter

 

 

[mcfunkeymonkey]

The little LEDs are these, while the larger ones are these.
Darn those little ones are little!

Today finished up most of the fascia:







Only section left is about 3' but hardboard needed to be spliced together, so will install when woodglue cures:



And caulked some more foam down:



Gaps will be filled with hybrid of pink foam and cardboard/tape/plaster.

Here's the layout in relation to the room, opposite the drop-down home theater and sandwiched between video bowling, race car, and pinball:



Back to the workbench!

[mcfunkeymonkey]

Finished installing the fascia:



Had to replace a support with a longer one and with the end cut at a more acute angle.
Groovy thing about open-grid benchwork: easy to adjust as you go!

More foam, more woodputty:







Will sand down & paint when I get back from watching USWNT vs Mexico down in La La Land on Sunday.

Have also found that it's a good idea to caulk & seal around any area that will have a water scene, as the Magic Water seems to find every seam and spill onto the floor:



Thanks for looking.
Back to the workbench!

[mcfunkeymonkey]

Started in on carving the foam.
Thought I'd try the Mark Watson technique of using a wire wheel in a driver to speed up the carving.

 

I may be dumb, but I'm not stoopid: I wore a mask & safety goggles, got a thin plastic paint drop and covered myself and the section I was going to wire wheel.
It did protect the room from the pink fuzz, but not me & my driver:



Imagine my t-shirt, arms, & head coated with pink fuzz just like that driver.  

Tried to hold just the driver under the plastic, but the wire wheel just got up and whipped the plastic into a pile.  

I'm sure I could construct a simple framework that would hold the plastic up & away from the drill:



But I'll just go back to hacking away with the utility knife & forming tool.

Started filling in a lot of gaps with foam, with the idea of plastering on some Sculptamold later to patch any cracks:







As you can see, I've also painted the fascia an initial coat of flat black primer:







After the layout is done I'll go back and paint an eggshell black to make cleaning easier.

Miles is continuing to rock the Monticello main drag:



While I build other structures.
Thanks for looking.
Back to the workbench!

[mcfunkeymonkey]

Started building interiors for buildings:



And installing lighting:



I've about given up soldering the small LEDs and will just use the larger ones from now on:



You can see (or imagine) the small LED below the larger on and between the wires.
The small LEDs just don't give out enough light for the layout room to justify me going nuts trying to solder the little buggers.
Small ones better for some N scale buildings anyway.

On the layout, started filling in some gaps with cardboard strips hot glued to fascia & ply:



Then covering with some extra-wide & cross-wove fiberglass tape I found at Lowes:







Gonna get plastered tomorrow!
Woot!

[HO-Velo]

M.C.,

Thanks for the project update.  You're going to town alright, lookin' good!  Were you soldering magnet wire to the smaller size LEDs?  Have fun getting plastered.

Regards,  Peter 

[mcfunkeymonkey]

Using 24 AWG magnet wire on the larger LEDs, 30 AWG magnet wire on the small LEDs.

But will mix & match as needed!

Big issue is that the metal tabs on the LEDs pop off easier than solder joints fail.

So lots of quick touches :)

Looking forward to getting plastered tomorrow.
Hopefully some on the layout as well :)

[hon30critter]

M.C.:

I found that the biggest challenge to soldering leads on to the 0603 LEDs was just holding them still. I use these and they work great. They are sprung to stay closed and they grip the LEDs nicely while still leaving the solder pads clear (one at a time):

Here is a picture with an 0603 in the jaws:

I will confess that I just broke down and bought a few pre-wired 0402s in order to eliminate the same frustrations you were experiencing.

Dave

[mcfunkeymonkey]

Thank for the tip, Dave.
I was using double-sided tape to hold the LEDs in place, but those spring-loaded reverse forceps (sprungceps?) look handy.

Cheers!

[HO-Velo]

M.C. & Dave,  Check out Ngineering.com, in their Other Cool Tool section is an LED/wire holder and a really nice tutorial about soldering leads to those tiny SMDs. Lots of other neat lighting products and info too.

Regards,  Peter

[mcfunkeymonkey]

Thanks for the tip, Peter.

Finished carving & sculpting the slopes, so time to fill the gaps between ply & foam.

Tried to "brush" plaster on the fiberglass tape, but it fell through (despite the added cross-weave).
So, to not waste the plaster, I slapped some paper towels on there:



Then tried tinted lightweight spackle:



Didn't fall through, but too easily pushed through, and would use a lot of spackle.

So here's what 4 lbs. of tinted Sculptamold can do:





Meanwhile, client's dog left me a sample of his own landscaping:



Reminds me of "The Critic" in History of the World, Part I:

Just glad the dog is only about 1/2 lbs., & not a Great Dane.

[Geared Steam]

mcfunkeymonkey

Now that we've survived the apostrophe catastrophe, back to the trains!

 

LOL Thanks MC

Always enjoy your threads, here and over at MRH

[Schuylkill and Susquehanna]

The layout is looking great!

To save money, I make my own Sculptamold.  I run newspapers through a shredder, then put the "shreddings" into an old rotatry food chopper with some water.  I mash it into a nice lumpy paste, and then I add 1/2 to 2/3 as much Hydrocal as there is paper paste.  The result is strong and bonds well to almost all surfaces.  The only real cost is the Hydrocal.  It also has a slight greyish tint, although it looks much darker when wet.

S&S

[mcfunkeymonkey]

Thanks for the DIY tip.
Unfortunately I have neither shredder nor old food chopper (& wife would not appreciate me using the one we do have for paper shredding & paste making, no matter how well I cleaned it after!)

Been building the depot & installing LEDs:



That's an LED over each freight door and one to light the interior on the left.
(3 LEDs & a resistor = 12V happiness)

In a classic case of hot dogs & buns, the sheet of shingles is 1/2" too short:



Which made shingling the roof even more funner.

On the layout itself, I've installed rock castings (plaster tinted grey with craft paint) using tinted sculptamold as "glue" then painted/stained the rocks/sculptamold with grey washes and painted the pink foam tan latex found for $3 on the mis-tint shelf at HD:











And I removed the temp bridge, test-fitted the truss bridge, then built up the rocks & water scene:







Will be getting the town of Monticello from Miles on Monday (awesome alliteration!) so will be able to install and build up the other lobe next week.
But now it's back to the workbench!
(Well, right after watching the Champions League final   )
Thanks for looking.

[HO-Velo]

M.C.  

I can see you're not letting any grass grow under your feet as you rock on.  Thanks for the update and photos.

Regards,  Peter