Grizzly Valley N scale layout

[swisstrain]

Really like the progression of your layout.  Your wiring is well organized and very neat.  Unfortunately, I haven't gotten to work on my layout now for several weeks.

I am curious to see how you will install the rodding for the Bluepoint switch machines.  Like you, I am planning to use Caboose ground throws for easily accessible locations, and a couple of Bluepoint machines for locations that are accessible, but which would require reaching over terrain.

Please keep the updates coming!

[RWSlater]

It’s time for the weekly update to the Grizzly.  Finished laying and wiring the track for the main oval and the logging spur.   I also installed some of my caboose ground throws and a blue point switch machine. I had bought some Caboose Industries 224S switch machines the ones with the contacts. I could not get them to stay together so I just cut off the contacts and will use frog juicers instead to power my frogs. I still need to install the pull rod for the blue point.  I ran my engine and cars around the layout forwards and backwards for about 2 hours everything is working great. Now that I said that Murphy is going to come out and play.

 

 

 

 

Started to work on the back mountains because I will never say that the reach is to far but I will need to make sure the back corner mountains are completed before I can do any of the front scenery.  I keep reminding myself that was the compromise I made for this track plan. Still like the plan just need to do things just a little different.  I also learned that I need to make sure if I want to use rock molds I leave about ½” and 1” of room between my right of way and the foam. I did not do it so I am experimenting with carving the rock face into the foam and putting on a plaster wash over it.  After putting on the plaster I think it might work. We will see when I paint it. Also started on making some pine trees with furnace filter material, keeping my fingers crossed everything works out.

 

 

 

 

 

Till next time, Thanks for stopping by.

 

Robert

[RWSlater]

Thanks Mike.  My work bench is also just as bad. I tend to clean it off before a new project and by the time I finish it i am working on the area of a postage stamp. :-)

Robert

[mbinsewi]

Everything is looking great, Robert!

If your wife thinks your work area is a disaster, she would pass out at the site of mine!,  and I'm talking about about my work bench areas.   When my layout was under construction, it was a cluttered mess!

But that's just the way construction sites are, an organized mess 

Mike.

[RWSlater]

It is a great day on the Grizzly finely got the first section of track laid and wired.  Managed to run the 4-4-0 forwards and backwards for about 40 min testing the switches with the two cars I own.  I did find out that I am going to have to replace the wheels and the box car so they don’t hit the spick heads.

 

 

Since I am wiring up all three legs of the switches I am using distribution blocks to help keep the wiring neat and tidy.  I also wrote what switch they were feeding next to them.

 

Also the soldering is coming along nicely. I am starting to get the hang of it and trying to keep the work clean.

 

After the wife saw some of my other shots of the top of the layout she said I need to take one before I clean it up. So everyone could see the disaster I work in. I tend to make a mess clean up and start the mess all over again.

Thanks for stopping by and tacking a look

 

Robert

[RWSlater]

Thanks for the replay, I am actually using the NEC power cab to power and control my layout. 

Robert

[angelob6660]

Robert, 

No its not overkill to have 4 blocks for a small DC layout. Numerous books has stated that's a good thing to run more than one train.

[RWSlater]

Hi everyone. It’s time for another update on the Grizzly Valley.  Nothing to exciting this week. I have been installing all my main bus wires for the layout. I am using 16AWG stranded wire. I will use sold 22 AWG hookup wire for my feeders. I am running 4 power districts which is a little over kill for this small layout but I figure its great practice for my future large layout and it should help with in trouble shooting I have to do.  Each power district is marked by a different colored tape. Trying rally hard to be neat and organized.

 

Thanks,

Robert

 

 

 

 

 

[mbinsewi]

See if this works:

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/p/265120/3017291.aspx#3017291

Link to Urs thread, in Dec 2017.

Looking good Robert!

Mike.

[RWSlater]

Thanks for looking Lone Wolf. Robert

[RWSlater]

Thanks for tacking a look Urs, I can't wait to see the update on your layout.

Robert

[Lone Wolf and Santa Fe]

Looking good. The backdrop looks great. You picked the right colors and the right level of detail. Your structures look good too.

[swisstrain]

Hi Robert - great build thread of a very neat layout.  I am in the process of starting a similar L shaped layout, approximately 115 x 60", but in HO, so I will definitely follow along. Started a thread during the track planning phase here http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/t/265120.aspx, but will need to add, since I made some progress.  Won't be moving as fast as you are though.

Great job with the backdrop, as well as how you are building the mountains.  Really like location and shape of the cannery, too.

Keep it going

Urs

[RWSlater]

Short update for the Grizzly Valley RR, Finally got the back drop painted. I used 3 colors for the sky  2 shades of blue and white and I blended them with a brush while they were wet. I thought I had got a photo of it before I painted the mountains but I had a Homer Simpson moment. Opps. Then  I painted the mountains the furthest two colors I used an airbrush for and the darkest green I painted by hand after the airbrush and craft paints just did not work. I know people can airbrush craft paints but it just gets the better of me every time.  Of course Murphy came out to play and I did not have enough paint for the dark tree line so now I have to wait a week before I can get back to Lake Havasu City to get the color I need.  Note to self only use colors that are locally available.

 

Finally got my new soldering iron and I will start laying track and wiring this week. Can’t wait to see what I can blow up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have a great week

 

Robert

[RWSlater]

mbinsewi

Looking good, Robert!

Mike.

 

Thanks Mike

 

[mbinsewi]

Looking good, Robert!

Mike.

[RWSlater]

Quick update on the Grizzly Valley, I was put on hold for the track laying due to fact my cheep Wal-Mart special soldering iron died and I had to order a new one. It is a Weller adjustable temp. So I worked on some rough landscape work to see if the mountains would work. It all can be removed once I start on the track lying again.

 

  

 

 

 

I also built up a mock up of the cannery that I plan on building. I was checking on the fit in its location and the buildings proportions. What do you all think?

 

 

 

Thanks again for stopping by and taking a look

 

Robert

[RWSlater]

Quick update on the railroad.  I managed to get the fascia and under side of the table painted black and primed the back drop. The original plan was to paint the back drop sky blue but need to wait to get some paint. I am really happy with the way the black works with the layout it really draws your eye to the pink foam, I mean the future layout.

 

 

 

Since I was waiting on the paint for the back drop I transferred my track plan with a pattern transfer for sawing, worked great even if my hands aren’t that steady.  Then I put my track to gather to make sure it works and follows my center line. It worked out fine. You will see two areas I did not layout for yet one is the car ferry landing and the other is the saw mill. I want to get both structures before I set  the tracks into place for those locations.

 

 

 

I am about half way done with putting the track bed down. I am using Woodland Scenic’s foam road bed. Only down side is they are not pre split down the middle so I have to cut them and my cutting doesn’t seem too straight.

 

 

 

 

One lesson for any newbie’s like me, My life might have been easier if I had used more straight sections in the track plan. Good news about all these curves is I am learning to lay curved road bed.

 

 

Thanks for taking a look.

 

Robert

[mbinsewi]

Sheets of copy paper?  Make cut-outs?  If your building it with something like Unitrack, or EZ Track, or some other "segmental" system, get the track you need, lay it, then slide the plan out from underneath, and then use caulk to secure the track to the foam, caulk will allow you to make adjustments as you go?

Can't think of any other ways, at the moment.

Your buildings look great!

Mike.

[RWSlater]

Just a short update on the Grizzly Island RR. I printed out the track plan and put it together so I could mark out on the foam were I was going to have water. The track plan also helped me better visualize the space and how I was going to use it, I am already making some changes to building locations because I could see the space better. I then cut and glued the foam down to the plywood deck. Installed the fascia boards on the front of the bench work. I really like the finished look it gives to the layout. Next week’s goal is to paint the fascia board black and paint a sky color on the back drop. I will paint mountains and trees once I have figured out how tall and were the mountains along the edge of the track will be.

 

 

 

 

Just finished building the Blair Line’s Greens Feed and Seed for the Layout.  It is a nice little building and with every wood kit I complete the more I like them than plastic.  I am gluten for punishment I painted the figures they are Preiser unpainted.

 

 

 

 

Quick question what is the best way to transfer the track plan from the paper to the foam?

Robert

[RWSlater]

It was a great weekend; I finally managed to get all the materials for the bench work and started work on it. The bench work is made from 2X4 and ½” Birch ply.  It is defiantly not light, was planning on using 1X4’s but they were $2.00 more. I thought about using a piece of plywood and ripping them into strips but without a table saw any more I was just not that brave. The height of the table to the top of the foam is 48”. The back drop is made from 1/16” hard board.

 

Learned a couple lessons with this adventurer. The first is always making sure that you have enough space in your track plan for the back drop.  I didn’t so the original plan of building it on top of the bench work was not going to work so I put it up first and then slid my bench work up to it. IT works but now the bench work sticks out an extra inch both directions.

The second lesson is making sure to check the corner of the room to make sure that it is square. I found out after I slid the table into the corner.  All I could think was at least I have mountains going into that corner.

 

The Pink foam board is not glued down yet I plan to put my track plan down and mark out where I need to cut out for the water locations then I will glue the foam down.

 

Here are some pictures of the bench work.

 

 

 

 

[RWSlater]

Hi everyone just wanted to share a fast update on the layout.  Next week I should be able to finally start the bench work. I painted to wheels of time metal vehicles I painted.  I almost did not post them. This up close photography is brutal.  After I looked at the shots I had to go back and look at them again and I can’t see any of the flaws that are showing.  From 2 feet away they look great. I think I might have to start using the camera to check my stuff.  I am also working on a Blair Lines feed store for the layout. I will share that when it’s finished.

 

 

 

 

Robert

[RWSlater]

Thanks Mike,

It is going to tack me some time to adjust to working in N scale trying to get thing looking right. Use to working in 1/35 scale. I miss the ability to add some of the details. As I work in N scale I keep putting the Item I am working on at arm’s length to see how it looks.

Thanks again for looking.

 

Robert

[mbinsewi]

I think they look great.  The tar patches look a little thick, but nice job! The weathering looks excellent.

Mike.

[RWSlater]

Update on the layout. Currently The bench work is on hold due to adult obligations reducing available funds.  On target to purchase the materials at the beginning of next month and start constructing. Good news is I have everything else that I need to get started all the track and electrical.  

 

I did make forward progress with the construction of  a company house for the layout. It was the Blair line  company house. It is the first wood kit I built. Some challenges but I am happy how it came out. I was looking for a worn down house and I think I achieved the goal.  The outhouse is from Grant Line and I tried to make it match the house.  The camera is just brutal in capturing details. See some flaws that don’t show up us much from a normal viewing angle.

 

Thanks for looking.

 

 

 

 

 

[RWSlater]

Well here is the next installment of GV RR. I cleared out the corner that it will be going into. The space is squeezed between to filing cabinets and measurers 88” down the long wall and 48” along the short. Here is a picture of what the space looks like.

 

The next step was to install my light. We had a left over 4’ LED light from the remodel on the garage. I wanted it centered over the table so I built some wood brackets and installed the light over were the center of the table will be. The light is plugged into the wall outlet that the light switch controls.

 

 

 

 

 

The last step I did at this time was to paint the wall black. I really like the shadow box effect and I did not want to build a top so the plan is to install a backdrop and paint it the sky color and paint the fascia and table legs black. I am hoping that the train table will pop this way.

 

 

 

Thanks for taking a look.

 

Robert

[UNCLEBUTCH]

Colorado Ray

I used to feel that way, but after looking at Michael Rose's custom buildings I'm amazed at what N scalers are doing. My next layout will be N scale since I can't even read HO reporting marks! So it's big blurry or little blurry, lol.

I hear ya about seeing, but shouldn't we go the other way S or O. Just cut back on space? I mean if you can't see it why bother

[RWSlater]

Now that is just what is needed Brian. 

[Colorado Ray]

UNCLEBUTCH

 

You may find N scale disapointing,as to building buildings,you can do so mutch more in HO and still not eat up that mutch space.

  

I used to feel that way, but after looking at Michael Rose's custom buildings I'm amazed at what N scalers are doing.  My next layout will be N scale since I can't even read HO reporting marks!  So it's big blurry or little blurry, lol. 

Ray

[railandsail]

I only mentioned it as I get chastised for my very deep shelf I have in mind for the lower shelf of my HO layout....ha...ha

Even my 6'4", 36" sleeves doesn't reach back there, so I better plan on making use of this step ladder.