3 June 2019
My latest construction video is now up:
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
Rich,
You're right. It's a violation of the basic NEC (National Electric Code), meaning it's illegal everywhere in the US for permanent wiring installations. Since my layout power is plugged into a wall outlet in the basement, it isn't considered a permanent installation any more than an electric lamp is. So it isn't a code violation. It's also switched off most of the time.
Pruitt I also extended my convienience outlets (for my Dremel, soldering iron and so forth) along the Powder River, Shobon and Wind River Canyon parts of the layout. NOTE: If you don't know what you're doing with household AC power, don't do this! 120VAC can kill!!
I also extended my convienience outlets (for my Dremel, soldering iron and so forth) along the Powder River, Shobon and Wind River Canyon parts of the layout. NOTE: If you don't know what you're doing with household AC power, don't do this! 120VAC can kill!!
Rich
Alton Junction
31 May 2019
I started adding supports for the Powder River backdrop:
Then I clamped a section of the backdrop in place to see how it would look:
I also laid the first piece of track on the CNW Lander branch. This is code 70, as all visible track on this branch will be. I'm playing around with the idea of laying some code 55 track in Lander itself.
PruittThanks Dave! Do you remember the part about scenicking the end of Casper yard? Maybe you shouldn't be looking forward to the scenery all that much...
"Practise makes perfect!"
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Thanks Crandell! This layout won't be finished before I am, so I'll never deem it complete!
Thanks Dave! Do you remember the part about scenicking the end of Casper yard? Maybe you shouldn't be looking forward to the scenery all that much...
Hi Mark,
Great video, and I did watch it until the end.
You have done a considerable amount of work in one year! Congratulations!!
I am really looking forward to seeing you develop the scenery.
Cheers!!
Congratulations, Mark, on a full year with amazing progress...vision...and skill!!
I don't say much, but if you ever wonder what I'm doing, I don't miss your updates. My wish, and hope, is that you continue to enjoy yourself, and the same amazing results, until the day you deem your effort done.
-Crandell
24 May 2019
Happy birthday to my CB&Q in Wyoming layout!
It's been one year since I started construction. To celebrate, I made this video chronicling the journey.
Thanks for the vote of confidence, Dave. I've made some pretty decent progress laying track this past month, and am ready to install a backdrop on the Powder River / Shobon peninsula. After that I'll be creating some scenery base in the area.
Pruitt Sometime in the next decade or two there might be some scenery to go with it!
I'd say that given the speed of your progress so far we won't have to wait 10 years to see some scenery. I base that partly on the situation with our club. Six months ago we were talking about it being 18 months or two years before we would be starting scenery. Guess what? It has already started! In fact, we have already torn out some of our initial scenery base because it just wasn't going to do what we wanted. In addition to that, we have pretty much decided how to do the large areas in the center of the peninsula. Six months ago we only had some very fuzzy ideas as to how to proceed.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Thanks Dave. Sometime in the next decade or two there might be some scenery to go with it!
18 May 2019
Subroadbed work has been continuing.
I've progressed past Shobon and into the Wind River Canyon. This view is looking from Powder River out to the Canyon. The subroadbed on the left goes into the canyon. The one branching to the right will disappear behind the foothills of the canyon, and is the CNW line to Lander:
This is looking from the canyon back towards Shobon and Powder River:
PruittI sure like the way that siding drops down from the mainline.
So do I!
12 May 2019
More progress on the Shobon Peninsula, mostly around the Powder River area.
The Powder River siding roadbed has been laid, and in this shot the siding ramp has been placed. It consists of 20 layers of 1/4" masking tape to bring it down from the mainline to the siding level:
And here's the siding on the ramp itself. The siding is code 70 and the mainline is code 83:
Here's a view looking from the switch down the siding. I sure like the way that siding drops down from the mainline. To the left of the siding will be the stock pens. They're sized for loading a maximum of six cars at once.
JaBear,
Thanks for the comments. I'll try the dishwasing liquid next time.
The car is one of a four-car set. They were a special run for the NJ Division of the NMRA a few years ago. Yes, they are Bowser.
I'm not generally a fan of RTR freight cars because of the price, but I have to say the detail on these cars is excellent - on a par with brass freight cars I've seen in the past.
PruittSome day an agent from the Pennsylvania RR is going to come knocking and demand their cars be routed back to their territory!
Thanks Dave!
7 May 2019
I've got subroadbed down all the way to Shobon now (the wide block in the foreground - Shobon is just a turnout on the mainline to route CNW trains to Lander), and roadbed in place for most of it:
I need to build a few turnouts to proceed further with tracklaying, though. That's on the agenda for tomorrow, unless non-hobby requirements intervene. About 2/3 of the way down the roadbed you can see a switch block. This is where the switch for Power River is planned. Powder River is just a simple spur to some stock pens. Here's the real ones as of twenty four years ago:
I've also added a "new" covered hopper to the layout. Here it is next to one its straight-out-of-the-box brothers for comparison:
Can you guess which is which?
This and its companions will be used for hauling Bentonite or Natron. It's brothers will be appropriately weathered and receive sprung trucks before they join it on the layout. (Hopefully my weathering efforts will improve over time).
In theory, the car has been knocking around the mines and refining plants in and around Wyoming for several years. Some day an agent from the Pennsylvania RR is going to come knocking and demand their cars be routed back to their territory!
Hi Mark!
Great progress!
3 May 2019
This month's edition of my layout update video is now on Youtube:
21 April 2019
Roadbed is down for the Casper end of the Orin / Frannie Interchange yard:
Some track will go down over the next few days, but I need to build more turnouts to continue much farther. Also, right now I'm spending more time installing ceiling panels and LED lights, and extending the benchwork beyond Shobon on the peninsula.
carl425These are only $32 per 100 (pretty cheap) and might work well for attaching joists to girders.
That's not a bad idea, Carl, but the shortest drywall screws I've found are 1 1/8". Since the plywood is only 3/4" thick, that would leave the point sticking out the backside of the joist about 1/4". My fingers are very good at finding splinters, too-long screws and such, so I think I'll stick with the 2X2's. Screw tips should be very safely embedded in those...
carl425 Thanks for sharing your thinking - particularly on the four bar linkage. I'm not sure I understand exactly how a linkage (which to me implies movement) applies to something rigid but I had to google it and enjoyed learning about it. I thought it was about creating triangles. Pruitt I could use 2X2's to attach the joist to the L-Girder These are only $32 per 100 (pretty cheap) and might work well for attaching joists to girders. You said you like overkill, how about something with "hurricane" in the name?
Thanks for sharing your thinking - particularly on the four bar linkage. I'm not sure I understand exactly how a linkage (which to me implies movement) applies to something rigid but I had to google it and enjoyed learning about it. I thought it was about creating triangles.
Pruitt I could use 2X2's to attach the joist to the L-Girder
These are only $32 per 100 (pretty cheap) and might work well for attaching joists to girders.
You said you like overkill, how about something with "hurricane" in the name?
Following along with Mark's build, those diagonals (X braces) also act as "sway braces", and make a rigid "box" out of the bench section.
Diagonals in the long direction would complete that "box" effect, but once the bench is in place, and fastened together, the complete bench work "system" will prevent any sway, in the long direction.
If each section was a stand-alone table, then diagonals the long way would be needed.
I like those hurricane clips, looks nice and simple.
I'll go back to watching
Mike.
My You Tube
PruittI could use 2X2's to attach the joist to the L-Girder
I have the right to remain silent. By posting here I have given up that right and accept that anything I say can and will be used as evidence to critique me.
Hi Carl,
Thanks for the nice comments!
1. I've never really had a need for the longitudinal sway braces. The benchwork is very stable without them. The 2X3's I use do contribute to the stiffness of the legs. If I had the layout on casters I would probably use them, but since there isn't any intentional force applied longitudinally, so far they don't seem necessary.
2. The X braces on the legs lock them into a specific orientation with respect to each other. This is a special case of a "four bar linkage" as it's known to Mechanical Engineers (though I only dealt with them once or twice during my entire ME career). Adding the block in the middle of the X fully constrains the legs from moving relative to each other, so the connection at the joist is not necessary.
3. The joists are made from 3/4" red oak plywood cut into 3" wide strips. That means screwing up from the L-Girder into the joist would be going into a just a few plies, in a direction where the screw's holding power is lowest (kinda similar to going into end grain on dimensional lumber). The plywood has two faces and four "ends," compared to four faces and two ends in dimensional lumber. So I basically build a grid to put on top of the L-Girder. I could use 2X2's to attach the joist to the L-Girder, but to be honest that hadn't occured until I read your question. I may try that. 2X2's are already used for corners and joists on the grids, so that would reduce cost a bit.I did think about just going with the plywood grid and forgetting about the L-Girders, but even 3/4" plywood is somewhat more flexible along the wide face than dimensional lumber, so I want that underlying stiffness. Overkill probably, but it does make for solid benchwork.
PruittYou mean the mantra of your club isn't "Let's tear it out and re-do it!"?
Not yet anyhow. I'm sure that once all the ballast and scenery is in place we will decide to do it!
I'm about to build some L-girder benchwork myself and am curious to know why you chose to deviate from Westcott's design in your construction.
I don't mean to critique your design. I just want to understand your choices since I'm getting ready to build my peninsula benchwork (the rest is attached to the walls so I used simple grid construction) and I'm always looking for new and improved ideas.
BTW, I love your monthly video updates. They are very well done. Please keep them coming.
hon30critterI got shot down on the superelevation idea. Too much work now that the track is in place. Oh well.
You mean the mantra of your club isn't "Let's tear it out and re-do it!"?
I got shot down on the superelevation idea. Too much work now that the track is in place. Oh well.