Thanks for the link, Dave.
BTW, how do you do that? When I'm writing a post links appear to be clickable, but they don't work when clicking on them after the post is finished.
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
Mark,
Here is a live link to the plywood/cork gluing thread:
https://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/t/291177.aspx
Glad you are getting past the Covid.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Loving the thread, Mark. Excellent photographs. Thanks for posting.
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
Thanks Joe, Ed!
Joe, the bell disappeared during a move sometime in years past. My rolling stock has gone from New Jersey to South Carolina back to New Jersey and then to Wyoming. I'll have to look carefully in the Axion Technologies rolling stock boxes I use to carry all the finished equipment, but I have the feeling I'll just have to find a new bell.
Ed, the thing that motivates me to get off my butt in front of the TV and down to the layout room sometimes is knowing that I have another layout update video coming up. Even though I produce those videos for me as much anyone else, I still want to have some decent progress shown in each subsequent month.
29 January 2022
Even with a mild bout of Covid delaying me for a few days last week, I've still accomplished a few things since my last update.
I bought a sheet of 1/2" plywood ($60 for one sheet! Geez!!), cut it into two sections lengthwise, trimmed the far end of the section section and installed the subbase for Thermopolis:
And laid out the track arrangement.
While I was in the middle of doing that, I installed a couple more throttle ports, one at Shobon (pictured) and one at Thermopolis.
I also ordered and received a 250' roll of six-conductor flat cable and began making my own throttle bus wires and stringing them through the benchwork. The custom lengthcables are much neater than coiling up all the extra length of standard cables (not to mention much cheaper, too!).
Then it was back to Thermopolis, where I installed cork sheeting over the plywood, with the help of quite a few folks' suggestions in this thread on the forum: https://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/t/291177.aspx (sorry, for some reason I can't make this a live link).
I also laid out track components to get an idea of what I would need in the way of flextrack. I still need to build two more turnouts.
And finally, yesterday afternoon I extended the trackwork around the last curve into Thermopolis from the Wind River Canyon and began laying the mainline through town.
When I visit here to see how you're doing, it always inspires me to "get back to work". I know that's a crude way of putting it.
That said, it is not your job to do that for me/us. I hope you know that, and are doing this wonderful work for your own benefit. Mostly.
Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to share what you're doing.
Ed
Mark it's coming along beautifully. At this pace I hope you don't run out of gas. I'm enjoying watching your progress and can't wait to see what is next. Who stole the bell on 6302?
Joe
Thanks Douglas!
12 January 2022
And... work continues.
I finished the fence to the top of the peninsula:
By the 5th I had the approach to Thermopolis worked out and the subroadbed installed.
I also replaced the alligator-clipped temporary wiring at Powder River with the permanent wiring. I'll add cable clamps as necessary to keep the wire up under the Riverton deck. When I get secondary trackage installed at Riverton, feeders will connect to this barrier strip.
I took a couple of days and cleaned up, inventoried and organized all my flextrack. Some has been used on at least three layouts now, and probably more than that in some cases. On this set of shelves, top to bottom, is: ME Code 55 - just a few sticks; Peco code 70 - about half a scale mile, and a couple sticks of ME code 70 behind the Peco; Atlas code 83 - about 2 1/2 scale miles; and on the bottom shelf is a ton of Atlas code 100 - around nine scale miles (that will be used for most hidden track on the layout, but I'm sure I have much more than I'll need)!
On the 6th I laid the roadbed on the Thermopolis approach, and on the 9th I laid the big turnback curve:
On the 10th I tested the new curve with a train.
I really like how the superelevation looks.
I enjoyed both new videos very much. The scenery looks great.
- Douglas
Thanks David, Ray, Dave and Ed!
Bear, we can always count on you for a good laugh!
Believe me, nobody questions Mark's abilities more than Mark does.
3 January 2022
I just uploaded my latest layout update video:
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
I really like the brief overhead view of Casper, towards the end.
And when the train comes around the final curve, the backdrop is quite successful.
Inspiring.
Hi Mark,
That is an impressive run! It really gives you a feel for how large the layout is and how effectively you have used the available space.
Happy New Year!
richhotrain Well done, Mark. That brief scene beginning around 6:50 is spectacular. Rich
Well done, Mark. That brief scene beginning around 6:50 is spectacular.
Rich
Ray
Impressive, Mark. Well done.
Thanks ATSFGuy and Rich!
The run from Casper to Hudson is about 130 feet, or a bit under two scale miles in length. When the line gets all the way to Lander (the end of the line) it will add about another half scale mile.
Well done, Mark. That brief scene beginning around 6:50 is spectacular. How long is that CNW run?
Alton Junction
Pruitt:
Looks good so far, keep us updated!
Here are a few screenshots / photos of the first train to traverse the entire finished track from Casper to Hudson.
Our train in Casper yard:
The view from the locomotive pilot:
The train making its way up the grade on the peninsula:
And our train after it arrived in Hudson.
Some of the wiring is jury-rigged right now, but permanent wiring will be installed in the next few days.
I posted a video of the first train trip:
Pruitt YES!!! GOAL MET! Mainline in through Riverton, connecting all the way to Hudson. A loco and a few cars were run back and forth to test the new line. Photos and maybe a video to follow tomorrow, after I have a chance to clean up most of the construction debris.
GOAL MET!
Mainline in through Riverton, connecting all the way to Hudson. A loco and a few cars were run back and forth to test the new line.
Photos and maybe a video to follow tomorrow, after I have a chance to clean up most of the construction debris.
Pruitt YES!!! GOAL MET! Mainline in through Riverton, connecting all the way to Hudson. A loco and a few cars were run back and forth to test the new line.
We were never in doubt!
Rich, Scott, Dave, David, thanks for the kind words!
Rich, the goal is in sight! All I have to do is build two turnouts and lay about 15 feet of track and I'll have the connection done. I'll still need to connect feeders and such, but for the short term alligator clips will get me power to run to Hudson on the 31st.
28 December 2021
A few days ago I finished the framework for Riverton with this area:
Then I cut and laid the plywood subroadbed for the town of Riverton.
A couple days ago I glued down the cork sheet, then yesterday I laid out the track arrangement for the town.
Today I laid track into the end of Riverton, to the turnout for the siding. Tomorrow I'll build that turnout.
Track has been tested all the way up. Trains run smoothly the entire way, but the grade is a challenge for the Ten-Wheeler! With six cars and a caboose it loses traction in a few spots. I need to refresh the Bullfrog Snot. Not a big issue though - trains were very short on this line, and they moved rather slowly. Four or five cars plus caboose behind the Ten-Wheeler is about right. A Consolidation handles seven cars and caboose with no slipping. Since that's the absolute maximum train length for this line, everything looks good to go on the climb up to the second deck.
Finally, I installed the first section of fencing at the base of the CNW line, beginning where it will dive out of sight into the mountain. Right now there's nothing to prevent equipment from falling all the way to the floor (nearly six feet at the top) if there's a bad derailment. The fencing will run both sides of the track all the way up, to prevent such a disaster. I'll have to test clearances with a passenger car (a Doodlebug with trailer - a passenger car - is the typical passenger equipment for this line).
hon30critter Hi Mark, I just want to say thanks for all the photos and videos that you take the time to produce. The whole process has been very interesting and it is fun to watch the layout develop. Cheers!! Dave
I just want to say thanks for all the photos and videos that you take the time to produce. The whole process has been very interesting and it is fun to watch the layout develop.
Cheers!!
I agree with Dave. A wonderful layout progressing really well.
I also think this great work Mark. Love seeing the western most end of the CNW come to life.
Scott
Pruitt Next step is finish the subroad across the peninsula, then lay track. There's an outide chance (very outside!) that I'll get the line connected into the existing track above Casper by the end of the year, allowing me to run a train all the way from Casper to Hudson.
Next step is finish the subroad across the peninsula, then lay track. There's an outide chance (very outside!) that I'll get the line connected into the existing track above Casper by the end of the year, allowing me to run a train all the way from Casper to Hudson.
19 December 2021
I was under the weather the last couple of weeks with a cold. Until about Wednesday this past week I did very little on the layout. Once I was feeling better I got started again, though...
I was about to the point where I needed to connect the CNW subroadbed that was climbing behind the scenes of the Wind River Canyon peninsula to the visible second level that runs along the wall above Casper. So it was time to finish planning out the Riverton and connecting benchwork in detail. Here's what I came up with:
The track at the bottom of the image is on the peninsula. Orange is benchwork framing members.
Unfortunately Riverton is a front-to-back mirror image of the real town. I'd initially planned to have it closely match the prototype (except for compression), but that would put the industries on the front edge of the benchwork. With the benchwork at my shoulder level, this was just asking for trouble every time the town was switched, so I flipped the town (vertically in the plan) to place the industries behind the sidings.
Once the benchwork details were fully planned out, I got to work actually building it. Here the wall-side stringer is placed:
And in the shot below the aisleway stringer is mounted. I had a problem with how to support the protruding corner of the benchwork, and the best I could come up with was to suspend the corner from the ceiling using a threaded rod. I certainly didn't want to install a leg up from the lower level.
Here's a bit better view of that area, taken from near the ceiling.
Just two bits of benchwork left to install for Riverton - the stringer in the tapered section you can see missing just beyond the threaded rod, and one more cross joist out of frame to the right.
Here's an overall view of the area, showing the CNW line connected in to the upper level benchwork at the far end. I had to go back and re-grade the line across part of the peninsula in order to get a good fit to the second deck. That wasn't a surprise - I expected to have to do that. Took all of about an hour.
Next step is finish the subroad across the peninsula, then lay track. There's an outside chance (very outside!) that I'll get the line connected into the existing track above Casper by the end of the year, allowing me to run a train all the way from Casper to Hudson.
Thanks Dave, Crandell!
Chris, I use my Samsung Galaxy S21+ phone to do all the video recordings except for the occasional cab-ride views, for which I use an Osmo Pocket (the first one, not the 2). I have a standard camera tripod that I mount the Samsung on (I bought a mount for it for about ten bucks) when I'm doing most of the recording.
All the editing is done using the free version of DaVinci Resolve (currently version 17). It's very powerful, and doesn't stick a watermark in the middle of the video. It's also not limited in terms of number of effects or anything. All the titles and special effects are done there, as well as adding background music and mixing all the audio together.
Question regarding how you make your YouTube videos. What do you use for recording the actual video? An IPhone? Some other camcorder? I'm curious what equipment you use as I want to learn how to do this also.
Thanks!Chris
Mark, your craftsmanship is to be admired. And, you're smoking along at a pretty torrid pace. Maybe not fast enough for your liking, but I think you're being sensible and patient about it, and it shows. Really nice work.
When you show the latest cork roadbed over the re-graded length, if you don't mind a suggestion, I think it would look more natural if you 'wound' a bit, or had even a slight concave curve there...if possible. I don't have a good handle on the terrain around there, but you show yourself using the straightedge, and that isn't going to be likely on a grade. Just my a suggestion.
Edit - Okay, you explain later that it's hidden, so you're right down the...umm..pike.