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Georgetown & Allen Mountain Railroad 5.0

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  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Thursday, August 24, 2017 7:49 PM

 Hmm, since your software should allow you to alter the pattern easily enough, you should come up with a reason to make one of the stone bridges a 'skew' bridge. Like this one 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skew_Arch_Bridge_(Reading,_Pennsylvania)

Simply because they look neat and interesting. And because you have a laser cutter that can engrave the pattern pretty easily.

                      --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    December 2010
  • 967 posts
Posted by michaelrose55 on Saturday, August 26, 2017 10:50 AM

rrinker

 Hmm, since your software should allow you to alter the pattern easily enough, you should come up with a reason to make one of the stone bridges a 'skew' bridge. Like this one 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skew_Arch_Bridge_(Reading,_Pennsylvania)

Simply because they look neat and interesting. And because you have a laser cutter that can engrave the pattern pretty easily.

                      --Randy

 

 

That's not a bad idea, certainly looks different!

  • Member since
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Posted by michaelrose55 on Saturday, August 26, 2017 10:51 AM

I spent the morning designing & building bridge abutments:

 

 

 

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Posted by michaelrose55 on Saturday, August 26, 2017 4:39 PM

Adding a bit of texture:

 

 

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Posted by michaelrose55 on Sunday, August 27, 2017 10:08 AM

I've added four layers of paint:

 

 

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Posted by michaelrose55 on Monday, August 28, 2017 8:06 AM

I have given the abutments another wash with the alcohol/india ink mix, then applied zip texture as mortar, and sealed everything with thinned white glue.

 

 

A member of another forum mentioned that he has problems imagining the size of all this because it's N scale so I promised I would add my thumb to my next post to put it all in perspective...

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Monday, August 28, 2017 12:40 PM

 I was going to mention the same sort of thing - in the pictures from Sunday with the track just stretching out, it could have been any scale (naturally I thought it looked like HO). The track doesn't have that old N scale giveaway of really tall rail, and there's nothing in those picture to give a sense of scale. That's quite an accomplishment that the scale is not readily discernable without some external object for reference.

                          --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    December 2010
  • 967 posts
Posted by michaelrose55 on Tuesday, August 29, 2017 4:48 PM

Randy,

N scale these days can look as good as H0. If you are careful and avoid the typical mistakes at least...Big Smile

  • Member since
    December 2010
  • 967 posts
Posted by michaelrose55 on Tuesday, August 29, 2017 4:48 PM

In preparation for the next (and last!) batch of new roadbed I have cleaned the area where Barnesville and the Barnesville yard will come to life, starting tomorrow. 

 

 

 

  • Member since
    December 2016
  • 231 posts
Posted by TrainzLuvr on Wednesday, August 30, 2017 6:59 AM

michaelrose55
N scale these days can look as good as H0. If you are careful and avoid the typical mistakes at least...Big Smile

What are these "typical" mistakes to avoid?

Also, next week when you finish your layout, could you come over and build mine, too? Big Smile

  • Member since
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Posted by michaelrose55 on Wednesday, August 30, 2017 7:48 AM

Typical mistakes in N scale?

- using code 80 rail

- using tight curves

- using short turnouts

- spacing track centers too far apart

- using compressed structures

Many people think because N is so much smaller they should cram so much more railroad into that space. They use tight curves because it's possible. Looks terrible.

My minimum visible radius is 800mm which would be fine for H0! I use 27mm track spacing which looks prototypical. I use code 55 rail (would love to use code 40 but there's too much involved). My structures have close to real world dimensions.

In general I use big scenes with not too much railroad in them to get a feel of the real thing.

And no, I won't be able to help you build yours Big Smile!

  • Member since
    December 2016
  • 231 posts
Posted by TrainzLuvr on Wednesday, August 30, 2017 8:34 AM

Are you using Atlas, ME or PECO c55 track/turnouts?

I also presume you've replaced all your wheels with low profile ones?

Thanks!

  • Member since
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Posted by michaelrose55 on Wednesday, August 30, 2017 8:54 AM

I'm using Atlas C55 and yes, I am using low profile metal wheels on everything.

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Posted by michaelrose55 on Wednesday, August 30, 2017 4:57 PM

Here comes the Barnesville passenger station:

 

 

 

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
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Posted by richhotrain on Thursday, August 31, 2017 3:50 AM

What's the radius of that curve?

Rich

Alton Junction

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    December 2010
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Posted by michaelrose55 on Thursday, August 31, 2017 7:52 AM

richhotrain

What's the radius of that curve?

Rich

 

That curve has my minimum radius for tunnel track which is 15" (381 mm).

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Thursday, August 31, 2017 10:53 AM

michaelrose55

 

 
richhotrain

What's the radius of that curve?

Rich

 

 

 

That curve has my minimum radius for tunnel track which is 15" (381 mm).

 

Are you running N scale?

 

Alton Junction

  • Member since
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Posted by michaelrose55 on Thursday, August 31, 2017 11:12 AM

richhotrain

 Are you running N scale?

 

Are you joking? This is a N scale layout...

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Thursday, August 31, 2017 11:18 AM

michaelrose55

 

 
richhotrain

 Are you running N scale?

 

 

Are you joking? This is a N scale layout...

 

My bad.  I was thinking that this was HO scale......for no good reason other than I assumed that it was HO. I just went back and read the opening posts and I see that it is N scale. That curve looked pretty tight for HO scale.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    December 2010
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Posted by michaelrose55 on Thursday, August 31, 2017 6:14 PM

It's a lot of work to make all the drawings for the big Barnesville yard but now I'm finally done and I had enough time to produce the first few pieces of roadbed as well:

 

 

 

  • Member since
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Posted by michaelrose55 on Friday, September 1, 2017 4:44 PM

I have produced about 90% of the Barnesville yard roadbed:

 

 

 

  • Member since
    June 2011
  • 158 posts
Posted by Old Fat Robert on Friday, September 1, 2017 10:36 PM

Michael: What is the capacity of Barnesville yard? And question two: The last two pictures show a "notch" at the end right hand end of the roadbed. Is a terminal bldg in the works?

Old Fat Robert

  • Member since
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Posted by michaelrose55 on Saturday, September 2, 2017 7:40 AM

Robert,

the capacity will still grow a bit. As soon as I finalize the connection to the main line I can probably make the yard about 20" longer. Right now it's 162" from the first main line turnout to the last. And the 'notch' you're asking about is where the main line will connect.

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Posted by michaelrose55 on Saturday, September 2, 2017 9:34 AM

It's done, the last pieces of roadbed have been cut and pinned down! The Barnesville yard ended up being 173" from the first to the last main line turnout, not bad for N scale Big Smile!

 

 

 

  • Member since
    December 2010
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Posted by michaelrose55 on Saturday, September 2, 2017 3:05 PM

The things we do for our hobby... I spent the afternoon outside in the Florida sun to cut out the subroadbed:

 

 

 

 

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  • 967 posts
Posted by michaelrose55 on Sunday, September 3, 2017 12:49 PM

I cut supports for what should be the last time:

 

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Sunday, September 3, 2017 2:25 PM

michaelrose55

I cut supports for what should be the last time 

Never say that, Michael, you could just be asking for trouble. Smile, Wink & Grin

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    December 2010
  • 967 posts
Posted by michaelrose55 on Sunday, September 3, 2017 2:50 PM

richhotrain

 

 
michaelrose55

I cut supports for what should be the last time 

 

 

Never say that, Michael, you could just be asking for trouble. Smile, Wink & Grin

 

Rich

 

We'll see...

  • Member since
    December 2010
  • 967 posts
Posted by michaelrose55 on Sunday, September 3, 2017 2:52 PM

The first big piece of plywood is up on risers:

 

  • Member since
    December 2016
  • 231 posts
Posted by TrainzLuvr on Sunday, September 3, 2017 3:19 PM

What kind of LED strips are you using (I assume those are LED strips hanging from the ceiling) and do you find the light suficient to adequately illuminate the track level?

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