new layout progress

[wickman]

Oh K guys here it is its a bit out of date so just kinda sort it out with your imagiminations By the way the grey matter is roadway ( yes I know what it looks like ) the perimeter rail starting in the lower left is a 3% grade going up then leveling off at the top left inside then declines from the top right to just below the sawmill then there's a 2% grade rail inside of that doing the same . And lots of bridges :) 

 

 

[wickman]

What will run this layout
- Digitrax super chief 5 amp with 3 controlers tethered
- I have On Guard reverse mods for the staging yard and main level reverse loops
- 42 tortise switch machines
- all peco turnouts with springs removed
- bd20 block detectors for the hidden staging yard and decline to staging yard
- Kadee Delayed Uncouplers
-Atlas Turntable with motor
-DS64 Stationary Docoder turnouts
-AHD-PS4 two controls, will give power for 4 power districts
Lynn

[wickman]

This is the already made mountain tunnel that will hide the stageing yard decline entrance
It's a left over mountain from the previous layout

And the mountain where the mine will be placed it will have to be modified a bit as the mine tracks are going to change

fsm 170 super sawmill

forestlumber

stuffysbrewery

cimarron mine

Here's the actual mine that I have 75% completed

rollin sawyer chemicals

jeffries point

campbells richmond barrel manufacturing

majestic hardware and feed

dpm papa wheelies

dpm harlee and son

icing platform john allen design

emporium seafood

duffys coal foxrun diorama

freight depot

campbells ayer's chairs factory

barnstead lumber and starkeys coal

I completed the installation of tortoise switches and started fine tuning the track , all the bus wire has been run and drop leads soldered to bus wire power district. for the staging yard.

Once I get the rest of the rails nailed down for staging and the layout room cleaned up I will take some pics of the benchwork.

 

 

[wickman]

Here's the update on whats been accomplished.

Next step is to print out the main bench plan and start laying it out.

[wickman]

And as far as I've gotten I cleaned up best i could for time available.
Tortoises are installed on all these turnouts.All the drop leads are soldered on and dangling below,tonite I hope to run the main level buss wire.
Then I get to run some trains for a bit. By first of next week the rest of the flex track and roadbed will be in.
This pick is of lower right area entrance to staging is connected and path to where incline will go is shown


well you know ...helping specs

Shows the passing siding and on the far left will be the spur to mine and tunnel and up the incline

The run over to the left loop and industrial area

arrows depicting turnouts to industries installed

end of reverse loop and beginning of passing siding


Lynn

[jeffrey-wimberly]

And I thought I had a lot of work to do. WOW!

[wickman]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jeffrey-wimberly

And I thought I had a lot of work to do. WOW!

I never refer to model railroading as work it would take the fun out of it [:)]

[ARTHILL]

That is an impressive start. You certainly have some marvelous structures to add when the scenery is ready. It must some days feel like putting a 5000 piece puzzle together. I appreciate the pics updating the progress. More soon I hope.

[jwar]

You inspire me to get more done...Thanks for sharing....John

[wickman]

Thanks John
I think I really don't do alot during the summer months compared to winter time but I do try to spend 1/2 hr a day doing something.

[wickman]

Bin a busy weekend and as ussual it took me twice the time to learn something than a normal person , but got it done no matter.
Spent the weekend figuring out the staionary decoder setup. I also soldered all the feeds to the edge connectors which then slip onto the tortoise switch contacts.
Figured out a bit of a board setup and also made up a couple positive and negative power bars to feed the ds64's and what ever else will need the power off the dc power pack.
So here's a few pics its not quite as organized as I like but its a good start and will be mounted away from the super chief with one loconet coming from the super chief loconet to one of the ds64 loconet plugs then all the ds64 's will be changed together as shown.
The computer will also have a loconet connection , the puter makes setting up much much easier.
Before you say anything all those wires which are connected to the tortoises will have to be stapled up under the bench work in an orderly fashion of course.Its a beginning.

Each turnout will have a number written on the bench corresponding to the ds64 switch to be thrown

Lynn

[SpaceMouse]

I'm wondering where you got all the time to build those structures. I could have sworn you were just getting started on your previous layout less than a year ago.

[wickman]

QUOTE: Originally posted by SpaceMouse

I'm wondering where you got all the time to build those structures. I could have sworn you were just getting started on your previous layout less than a year ago.

Actually the only one I built was the mine it was a laser cut kit.
This is the break down :
Built already by me
cimarron mine


Kits that I own that need to be built

fsm 170 super sawmill
campbells richmond barrel manufacturing
campbells ayer's chairs factory
dpm papa wheelies
dpm harlee and son
DPM's Schultz's Garage Kit
DPM's 'Skip's Chicken and Ribs
DPM's '1st National Bank'
DPM Robert's Dry Goods
DPM's Small Town Garage Modular Kit
Slash & Sawdust Burner kit
BAR Mills miracle chair company
BAR Mills earls oil
BAR Mills mooneys plumbing
BAR Mills majestic hardware and feed
BAR Mills wicked wandas

Diarammas from Madmike plus when I drove 500 miles to pick up the diarammas mike was very generous with other HO stuff he had stuffysbrewery
rollinsawyerchemicals
jeffries point
icing platform john allen design
emporium seafood
duffys coal foxrun diorama
barnstead lumber and starkeys coal

Ebay purchase of finished scratch build
freight depot
forestlumber
[:)]

Still lots of fun ahaead of me.
Lynn

[wickman]

I got the darn ds64's figured out finallyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy . Here's how it had to be hooked up with a seperate power supply although it could also be connected right to the track power.
The ds64's each putting out 4 addresses ( 4 addresses = 4 tortoise switches) also needed an individual board address ( this took some reading) There are 11 ds64's with starting address of 1 and last ds64 has address 44 .

Lynn

[wickman]

Busy weekend ,I finally got the risers installed I decided to use the 2% risers rather than the 3% although I may find a place for the 3% risers down the road ,along with the track I even ruffed in 3 bridges the low profile bridges just need the low sides attached I made these for the previous layout.
I used loctite power grab to attach the risers to the benchwork I then put plaster cloth on the top surface of the risers this will keep the ballast from falling through the cracks , then used powergrab to attach cork roadbed to plaster cloth top , then used the powergrab again to attach rail to roadbed . I had to install the big truss bridge before securing the track so well I was at it I added 2 other bridges.
The main line is pretty well done I just need to add the industrial spur tracks to the turnouts which are already installed , well except for a couple .
Woohoo almost time to cut in the diaramas and start on some scenery. Darn almost forgot the wiring, oh well had a moment.

 

 

 

 

[Tom Bryant_MR]

It's good to see someone is making progress.  Good job.

I'm only getting an hour here and there but have 4 weeks vacation coming up in Sept/Oct.  Can't wait.

Regards

[wickman]

Thanks Tom

I squeeze in what time I can . My wife's been pretty patient so far this summer but I can see its not going to last long.

[wickman]

Here's a bit of an update to what I've been upto I also included a few pics of items madmike threw in when I purchased a bunch of his diaramas and other scratch builds
here's one of a few real nice water towers

Over all 2 diaramas in place
no diarama here just couple steamers with odds and ends in the background of scratch builts

the rail has to be put in place for these guys to get to work ( turnout is already in place)

I cut the benchwork for the river and I will complete a couple more bridges

My son and I had a few minutes so we tried to envision the new mountain \tunnel The mine will be propped in front and I will be using bragdon molds for the rocks

Another of the watertowers and thinking the Tannery may have found a new home

Rail to the chemical factory

From the chemical factory

Barnstead equipment

Another angle

Another water tower

Duffy's got rail
[

Stuffy's brwery waiting for its rail

Another of mikes creations
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[wickman]

Here's the most upto date pics from the layout . The base plastering and shaping isn't completed but you can get the idea.
This is the mountain from the old layout the portals have to be made they'll be done using Darryl Huffman's broken rock method.
I'll be using Bragdon molds on those nice smooth surfaces and woodland scenic ground coverings.

 

 

The top left of the mountain over the portal will be built up

 Toward the corner I built up the right sides to hide the decline to staging

 

Will be an old lost town area on the hill

 

You can see where the bridge will give vehicle access , the vehicle bridges you see in any pics other than under the rails are not the bridges that will be used

 

Waterfall area, where the scissors are is going to be a small lake

 the road travels up along the side of the rail over a bridge and to the seafood restaurant

 

Created another tunnel to the left of the mine area

 

I removed the diarammas to do the messy plaster work and not break anything off the models.

 

This one has to be built into a hill somewhere

 

These portals will also be utilizing the broken rock method

 

 

 

[selector]

Wow, that is coming along very nicely. You will have a substantial and very good looking layout when you are...almost...done.

Thanks for posting your picks.  Be proud!!

 

-Crandell

[wickman]

Thanks Crandell , when can we say its almost ... done

[selector]

What?  And jinx you?  No way....!

[wickman]

ffI decided to dive in with placing castings one I painted on a coat of plaster to stiffen up the base.
These are the new bragdon molds I'm starting with I'll also use a variety of woodland scenic molds.

You can see the few that I've applied , I'll go back leter with a syringe filled with hydrocal and fill in behind the castings

I started filling in for the rock portal , this otta be interesting.

I used the block of styro to shape the lip of this portal you can also see how I built up the mountain to blend it in.

[skiloff]

Looking very good, Lynn. You leave me wanting more.

[wickman]

Here's the mountains all painted up and we got a good start on the ground cover.
I added on the section to the left to hide the decline portal.

I added a road up the side of the hill, wicked wanda bar mills will have the area in the upper right at the top of the hill

The little lake and waterfall area is ready for a bit of color and the woodland scenic  water installed

Here's another road I added that will travel along the side  over a bridge and to the Seafood restaurant

Area for the Seafood restaurant there's also going to be a small lake on the hill

 

This is where this bridge will cross to the restaurant

 

These are the next areas I'm going to spend some time at I need a hill to cross the tracks to come down from the top of the mining area it'll be to the right of the portal.

[CSX_road_slug]

Nice work, those rock faces look fantastic! 

[wickman]

I thought I better post a few pics seeing as I'm taking a break from scenery for a bit and I'm turning back to wiring .For wiring I'm just concentrating on making some kinda mile post with the numbers etched into them and placing them next to the turnouts so I will know which number to punch into the dt400 hand controler to throw the switch.
These pics are basiclly the buildings placed back on the bench work and the three diarammas put back. I also started roughing in the road ways I plan on finishing them with a sand base.
Here I roughed in the tunnel portal for now and painted it up.

couple pics of the laser cut mine I put together I redid the mine rocks , I think they look much better now , I also roughed in the 2 portals in that end and the bridge is sitting there to indicate where it will cross
The top of the mountain still needs a lot of work but I will need to make some kits first.





Here's a couple more scratch builts that seem to have found a place.

 overall shot

Stuffey's brewery's also found a piece of property

My BLI with sound

Sea food is in place along with the leather factory you can see where the bridge will cross the track gorge

 

[wickman]

Here's the first of a few updates : I figured its time I step away from decoder installs and track electrical gidgetry and take a jab at the waterfalls area. I'm using woodland scenic products for the waterfalls and river. I'm going to have to really take my time on this as I haven't got a clue what I'm doing. Sure anyone can layout the water effects on a sheet of styrene for the falls and pour relistic water on plywood but its what surrounds it and makes up the water scene that I'm going to have to figure out. So.. here's the water effects spread out on some styrene I figure it'll take at least the 24 hr period the instructions says to dry I made it extra wide and long for what ever reason I cut the falls gulley back aways more and added some blue coloring to start with for the back ground I have the feeling this will need to be toned down quite a bit , but heck the bottle was just sitting there . I installed a sheet of plywood from underneath and widened the banks to 7 " at the widest point the depth is 4.5" and length is 21" . So what I have to figure out is how to make this river deep looking toward the middle and shallow enuff to see gravel bottom towadr the edges useing the space I have and still have a half descent slope on the banks

[wickman]

And after alot of thought I decided its too difficult to get the look I was after with a deep walled river bed and decided to lift it a bit now there is only 1.5" of depth compared to the way I had it which was about 4" I think I'll be able to get much nicer banks now .

[wickman]

So this is what I came up with in my vision or in my fat head
This is with the cheapo teri cloth stapled down
I decided to make one landing below the falls

And here is with the plaster slathered on I through in some brown to the plaster just because it was there .

I had a bit of plaster left over so I filled in some more of the gappage on the diaramma edges

So what do you think I think I can do alot more now with the banks .