That is a lovely collection of Q power!
Ed
22 December 2018
I finally completed track installation for the Casper roundhouse. All tracks are in and powered. My entire stable of Burlington locos is sitting "in" the roundhouse:
The only track left to install to the turntable is the inbound lead.
I've barely started on the roundhouse itself. You can see two of the stall end walls laying behind the stalls. I have to paint all the walls and window frames before I can continue very much farther.
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
8 December 2018
I've turned away from yard scenery efforts for a bit to move the engine servicing facility along. Here I'm in the process of installing the roundhouse tracks:
I have a lot more confidence in doing the mechanical construction than in building scenery.
December's construction update:
Thanks, BigJim!
Here's my monthly construction update video for November (the plan I had that would scratch this update were postponed until next year):
28 October 2018
I've taken a bit of a detour for a few days to begin construction of a set of bookcases for my library. Still, I have been able to do a few things around the layout...
The caboose and A/D tracks are now laid:
I also started painting the yard. First is a general coat of brown rattle-can paint. It turns out the paint, a Rustoleum flat paint, mildly attacks the pink foam baseboard. It's not too severe, but I think I'll probably brush a coat of latex brown paint on the foam before using the Rustoleum again.
Yesterday my friend Walt and I went to the Timonium Maryland train show. I was able to acquire another of the small Walthers roundhouse kits, so I have enough stalls now to build the entire structure.
Pruitt He's using my hot wire cutter to cut grooves in the foam for the roundhouse inspection pits. I took an old yogurt cup, cut a hole in the bottom and trimmed the height until the cutter stuck out just enough to cut the groove to an ample depth
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
14 October 2018
My friend Walt came over yesterday and helped me prepare the bench top for the roundhouse floor in Casper. He's using my hot wire cutter to cut grooves in the foam for the roundhouse inspection pits. I took an old yogurt cup, cut a hole in the bottom and trimmed the height until the cutter stuck out just enough to cut the groove to an ample depth. I still need one more roundhouse kit to add two missing stalls.
Today I finally finished up the roadbed for the rest of the A/D track and caboose spur in Casper. I cleared the yard by pulling all the cars up onto the grade.
Once I finish laying the A/D and caboose tracks I plan to finish installing ties under all the rail joiners (ugh!), followed with painting all the yard tracks. Weathering them will probably come somewhat later.
Part II of Analyzing the Track Plan is complete and uploaded to Youtube:
7 October 2018
The turntable and two garden tracks have been installed at Casper, and the table is functional.
Here's a short video of the table in operation:
Here's my October layout construction update video:
There will be no video in November. Too much travel and other stuff happening before Thanksgiving.
selectorNice, that's dream territory for me. My current build, started three years ago, has a 10 foot yard module with about 18" of extension inside of a turnaround curve at one end. I might be lucky to have an 8' first ladder, but the last one of maybe five will be around 5+ feet. I envy you your 11 feet, with a longer yard in mind to come! It find it pleasing that, at long last, you are gaining momentum and enjoying this monumental task. I still regret the demise of that magnificent helix.................. Are you looking at running a first train by about Christmas, maybe a couple of weeks earlier, Mark? I mean around a single main loop, or are you building in a more modular way? -Crandell
It find it pleasing that, at long last, you are gaining momentum and enjoying this monumental task. I still regret the demise of that magnificent helix..................
Are you looking at running a first train by about Christmas, maybe a couple of weeks earlier, Mark? I mean around a single main loop, or are you building in a more modular way?
-Crandell
Crandell,
A few years ago I discovered that I really enjoy yard operations. Once I got the runaround track functional a few days ago, I spent a couple of very satisfying hours sorting the cars that had been placed mostly randomly in Casper. But while I like having the large yard to play in, I think the design impacts the enjoyment more than the size does. Yours sounds like it will do just fine!
It's funny you mention the helix. The October issue of an e-zine published a link to one of my short helix videos. I think that beast is probably my biggest claim to fame!
I'm building in a modular approach. I probably have the mainline finished about as far as it will go for some months. I'm going to focus on the engine terminal for a bit, and get the turntable in and roundhouse well underway before pushing the mainline on into the "wilderness." It will be sometime before the first loop is complete.
riogrande5761Yard is coming along nicely. Are those Fast-Tracks turnouts?
Thanks!
Yes, they are. They're all I use now (except for one spot where I'll use a Walthers/Shinohara double crossover). Apparently, I have a knack for building them. From the first one I built some years ago, I've had less trouble with them than with any of the commercial ones I used for years.
I'm about ready to go back and install all the missing ties under rail joiners throughout the yard. I procrastinate in doing that because I find it about the most tedious aspect of layout building.
Yard is coming along nicely. Are those Fast-Tracks turnouts?
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Nice, that's dream territory for me. My current build, started three years ago, has a 10 foot yard module with about 18" of extension inside of a turnaround curve at one end. I might be lucky to have an 8' first ladder, but the last one of maybe five will be around 5+ feet. I envy you your 11 feet, with a longer yard in mind to come!
Hi Crandell,
I had to go look it up on the track plan - I just laid track until I got to the end!
The longest yard track in Casper is 11 feet, and the shortest is about 6.5 feet.
Total capacity of this yard is roughly 101 40' cars.
The one in Laurel will be bigger.
Looks good, Mark. I have forgotten the dimensions...how long are the longest ladder tracks?
29 September 2018
Classification area of the Casper yard is nearly complete, with the runaround track now operational:
The switch the loco is sitting on will lead to the engine servicing facilities, with the one behind it leading to the Standard Oil Refinery tank car loading racks. The far one will lead to the reefer icing facility behind the classification tracks.
I still need to install switchstands on the three switches off the runaround, and Hayes bumpers at the ends of all the tracks.
Once the turntable and roundhouse are installed, I'll be able to get those locos off the classification tracks!
Thanks, Anton!
I only wish I really did know perfectly what I'm doing...
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I finally finished up Part I of the track plan analysis that I started in June:
this is quite an undertaking. i always wondered what does it take to complete a layout like this. unluckily ( or maybe luckily , i can't tell for sure) i will never find out, entire basement is not something i have.
good luck! then again it seems that luck is not really needed as you know perfectly what you doing.
subscribed
Regards
Anton.
17 September 2018
I spent most of the past week sorting out all my parts, tools, etc. and finally setting up my model building space. It looked like this when I started:
Now it's organized. Tools, kits and parts are out of the boxes and on shelves placed between the workbench and the wall. Sorry, I didn't take a photo of the cleaned-up workbench.
Once the workbench was ready to use, I started building new turnouts in order to complete the Casper yard engine facility. It's been four years since I've built any turnouts, so I'm having to re-learn how. Here's a completed-except-for-crossties one. I need to build about five more left-hand and a couple of right-hand to complete all yard trackage.
10 September 2018
Roadbed and track have been placed on most of the incline heading east out of Casper (while not arrow straight, the track isn't as curvy as it looks. The low perspective exaggerates lateral variations):
Here's a train on the grade, in a shot taken from the other end of the incline. The Proto 2000 NP Z-4 Mallet is straight out of the box, unweathered as of yet. It pulled 24 cars plus caboose onto the 2% incline, wheels slipping after about car 20 hit the grade. This is more than sufficient pulling power, as the NP locos will be relegated to the as-yet-unbuilt NP trackage on the layout. There will be no grade on the NP section of the layout.
Here's a short video of the loco backing down the incline:
6 September 2018
I've started the incline behind Casper that goes to Frannie / Orin Junction. I started out with the same pink foam I used for the Casper subroadbed, cut to an angle to produce a 2% grade (basically cut at a 2 degree angle):
The ramp, in three sections, is long enough to raise the roadbed far enough above the Casper subroadbed to allow the grade to continue on its own 1" thick riser-supported roadbed:
The roadbed on the grade is green extruded styrofoam from Lowes, as are the risers and splice plates between sections. Parts are glued together using hot glue (the soda cans are there just to hold the subroadbed down on the risers while the hot glue sets. I just left them while I proceeded to the next riser up the grade). Risers are spaced every 12.5 inches, making each riser 1/4" taller than the preceding one. I'm still a bit out of my comfort zone using foam instead of plywood, but I'm learning fast, and it sure is easier to work with than plywood!
I just posted my latest video update:
1 September 2018
The Casper classification tracks are all installed and the ladder ladder switches all work properly. Feeders and ground throws are all installed. The runaround track isn't complete yet - I have to build a couple of left hand switches before I can complete it.
I scratchbuilt that station 25 years ago. It isn't the one for Casper - I just placed it there temporarily.
Today I spent several hours laying out the Casper turntable area. This photo doesn't show the layout too clearly, but if you look close you can see the tracks, turntable and roundhouse locations. You can also see a few crossed out lines where I mislocated a few tracks and had to move them.
And finally, Thursday while out for a walk downtown, we wandered past the local candy factory (Aunt Charlotte's, a local icon) and saw that they had a huge stack of beadboard styrofoam rectangles out for trash pickup Friday. After checking with them, that stack, in very short order, found itself in my basement! It's pretty crappy foam, used as packaging in some order they received a few days ago. But it should make really great landforms for my layout, and once glued together, shaped and sporting ground cover, it won't matter what it looks like underneath. Best of all, it was completely free!
27 August 2018
Work on the Casper yard continues.
Four body tracks are now complete (except for the installation of bumpers on the stub ends), including wiring and installation and testing of Caboose Industries Ground Throws. Trains have been run in and out of all four tracks to ensure that turnouts are up to snuff - they had been in storage for years.
Coming up is completion of the remaining two body tracks and the runaround. This will require semi-major surgery on a few turnouts, which is why I paused to complete the first four tracks before tackling the rest.
19 August 2018
Work is progressing on the Casper yard. The yard ladder is slowly growing, and roadbed for the first two body tracks has been placed and is drying:
Over the past week I've also connected feeders to the finished tracks and switches. I no longer need the alligator clips on the rails!
11 August 2018
Progress continues in the Casper area, with the beginnings of yard ladder construction:
I had to change the switch lead a bit (that's the cork in the foreground with no track on it yet), because I forgot to include the switch for the runaround track (DOH!). The above is actually a photo after I fixed it.
Here's what the area looked like after I removed the incorrectly located cork:
The cork came up pretty easy using a putty knife. You can see where the foam surface was abraded a bit...
And here's what it looked like after the cork was relaid to include room for the switch:
It looks almost identical to the original alignment, but the lead is shifted about 1/4 inch to the left of the mainline. That was all that was necessary to allow the straight area for the switch, which will go in the foreground at the bottom left of the photo.
I've just posted the second monthly update on layout progress to my Youtube channel.
They interchanged with the UP in Cheyenne via the C&S (a Burlington-owned subsidiary), and with the C&NW in Casper early on, then later at Shobon, about 95 miles west of Casper.
The interchange with the NP was technically at Fromberg, Montana, a few miles north of the state line, but there only a passing siding at Fromberg, so Burlington trains went on into Laurel, MT from what I've been able to gather.