Things have been moving right along with the Cascade Branch, although I'm behind on web updates. Let me rectify that.
As usual, I take advantage of opportunities to force perspective. Here are two shots that show how adding some of the evergreen tree stickers helps provide an angle on what will be the dozer trail into the woods in this scene.
I also added some distant mountain stickers in between my 3-D peaks. The next pic isn't even on the cascade Branch, but it is related. It's the sawmill where logs off the branch are cut. I badly needed some more operational flexibility than the siding with two spurs provided to accommodate the growth in traffic. Fortunately, I had almost enough room to drop another siding in between the main and existing siding. I softened up the matte medium binding the ballast on the main and slid it over about 1/4" so cars will clear each other on adjacent tracks. Now I have a storage track so MT cars and outgoing loads have a place while maintaining use of the passing siding for traffic off the main. I reached the end of track at the Crater Lake quarry, too. I decided to lay the main all the way through, then will come back and lay sidings, etc as I can afford the track components. Laying and wiring track later is easy to do with all the lift-outs I built in. Testing motive power on the branch was interesting. It's 20" min radius, with a little bit of 18" on a couple of wyes. My HOn3-converted Kato diesels do just fine. My big DL-535E? It struggled with those 3-axle trucks, so this may be the only time it travels the branch. The long RPO also had issues, so my short RPO's will handle those duties.The train sure looks good up there. The K-27 works fine, as I used it in testing the track as it went in. But I have a Sunset K-36 that struggles. Some loco and track adjustments helped, but it may just be too honking big.
I also added some distant mountain stickers in between my 3-D peaks.
The next pic isn't even on the cascade Branch, but it is related. It's the sawmill where logs off the branch are cut. I badly needed some more operational flexibility than the siding with two spurs provided to accommodate the growth in traffic. Fortunately, I had almost enough room to drop another siding in between the main and existing siding. I softened up the matte medium binding the ballast on the main and slid it over about 1/4" so cars will clear each other on adjacent tracks. Now I have a storage track so MT cars and outgoing loads have a place while maintaining use of the passing siding for traffic off the main. I reached the end of track at the Crater Lake quarry, too. I decided to lay the main all the way through, then will come back and lay sidings, etc as I can afford the track components. Laying and wiring track later is easy to do with all the lift-outs I built in. Testing motive power on the branch was interesting. It's 20" min radius, with a little bit of 18" on a couple of wyes. My HOn3-converted Kato diesels do just fine. My big DL-535E? It struggled with those 3-axle trucks, so this may be the only time it travels the branch. The long RPO also had issues, so my short RPO's will handle those duties.The train sure looks good up there. The K-27 works fine, as I used it in testing the track as it went in. But I have a Sunset K-36 that struggles. Some loco and track adjustments helped, but it may just be too honking big.
The next pic isn't even on the cascade Branch, but it is related. It's the sawmill where logs off the branch are cut. I badly needed some more operational flexibility than the siding with two spurs provided to accommodate the growth in traffic. Fortunately, I had almost enough room to drop another siding in between the main and existing siding. I softened up the matte medium binding the ballast on the main and slid it over about 1/4" so cars will clear each other on adjacent tracks. Now I have a storage track so MT cars and outgoing loads have a place while maintaining use of the passing siding for traffic off the main.
I reached the end of track at the Crater Lake quarry, too. I decided to lay the main all the way through, then will come back and lay sidings, etc as I can afford the track components. Laying and wiring track later is easy to do with all the lift-outs I built in.
Testing motive power on the branch was interesting. It's 20" min radius, with a little bit of 18" on a couple of wyes.
My HOn3-converted Kato diesels do just fine. My big DL-535E? It struggled with those 3-axle trucks, so this may be the only time it travels the branch. The long RPO also had issues, so my short RPO's will handle those duties.The train sure looks good up there.
The K-27 works fine, as I used it in testing the track as it went in. But I have a Sunset K-36 that struggles. Some loco and track adjustments helped, but it may just be too honking big.
The K-27 works fine, as I used it in testing the track as it went in.
But I have a Sunset K-36 that struggles. Some loco and track adjustments helped, but it may just be too honking big.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Chuck - Modeling in HO scale and anything narrow gauge
I appreciate your comments. Thanks! That stack is my ready line-up, which means it'll probably get built sooner rather than later. As you've noted, I've been busy on the layout. I tend to go back and forth in what's interesting me to build. There's that other DL535 kit, which would make an interesting pair with its built twin. I actually need the tank cars more right now and they're a pretty easy build IIRC.
One of the neat features of the branch is the way it forces me to use Silverton as the base for operations on the branch. In real life, there's the Cascade wye. In my case, the track is forced to do without that amenity and the turnout faces Silverton. There's no way to have a loco lead all the way from Durango onto the branch. It must either swap the locos and caboose at Tefft -- OK for diesels, not so much for steam -- or proceed to Silverton and use the wye there to orient the locos properly before heading up the branch.
I'm thinking that log trains to the mill and pole trains to the creosote plant will likely shuffle at Tefft and avid Silverton. Passengers will run through from Red Mountain to Silverton to Crater Lake, with a stop at Tefft. Freight will be handled by the Rio Grande between Silverton and Crater Lake. Going to be fun.
It's been awhile since I updated. I've been working on some other projects, but also have been doing some work on the Cascade Branch, so we'll catch up now.
The end of the line is just the end of the line for now. Hoping to fund the turnouts and switch machines still needed (about 2 dozen). Meanwhile, the fact that most of the scenery is composed of liftouts makes it easy to start detailing it. In the meantime it is the world's best scenicked staging track.
The bulldozer has been working on the roadbed for the track up to Camp 13 from Crater Lake. I also tried out some bumpy chenille trees that worked very effectively. I can see hundreds more of those in my future.
I did have some unseemly gaps at several points along the roadbed.
A very easy solution is to take ground foam and glue it to one side of the gap. or the other. That's leaves everything free to liftout.
Finally, run some locos through just to verify clearances.
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If you've been following along so far, you'll probably remember the 6'+ long liftout. Here's a pick of it "burping."
This is where all the liftouts really earn their keep. It would have been difficult to lean over Purgatory to reach some place my back would've said was H*** after planting 100s of trees.
Fortunately, I lifted it out -- duh -- and set it where I could reach it easily.
Here's after I added 150 trees.
Fortunately, the trees cost about 2 cents a piece. They're made from bumpy chenille, a pipecleaner-type product. Nothing really original, just Google "bumpy chenille trees," but it's a great trick to have up your sleeve when you need a lot of forced perspective. And your budget is tight.
The mountains grow more convincing:
Mike,
I didn't even know those huge mountains were removable. Thats amazing! Very cool idea what you did here.
Michael
CEO- Mile-HI-RailroadPrototype: D&RGW Moffat Line 1989
Michael,
Yeah, about 85% of the layout surface area is removable. This makes it easy to go ahead and do scenery. I can easily come back later and doing tracklaying, wiring and ballasting then just be disassembling the part of the RR that needs attention.
All it is is styrofoam over L-girder. I try to make the base of each out of 2" styrofoam, but sometimes use thinner. I cut it so it fits well the area it's covering and is well supported and level. Then it's all skewers and adhesive as I build it up. I use Sculptamold over the foam. The result is light and strong. That big, long liftout is maybe 20 pounds or just a little more.
Some 1200+ trees later, I've got some more pics. Here's the mountain behind Purgatory before I added trees.
Here it is after trees.
Again, easier to add trees by being a liftout. What's behind the curtain? Some of the liftouts are keyed together for ease of construction and to hide seams. Here's a long skinny one that must come out before the previous mountain can be lifted out. And a train runs through it.
Again, easier to add trees by being a liftout.
What's behind the curtain? Some of the liftouts are keyed together for ease of construction and to hide seams. Here's a long skinny one that must come out before the previous mountain can be lifted out. And a train runs through it.
What's behind the curtain?
Some of the liftouts are keyed together for ease of construction and to hide seams. Here's a long skinny one that must come out before the previous mountain can be lifted out.
And a train runs through it.
The theme this time is testing and tuning track on grades. In a certain sense, I want to say, "Don't try this at home..." unless you're building a layout like this one that incorporates lots of liftouts. Most people with a layout at this stage with all the scenery also have it firmly locked in place. If that's the case with your methods, then imagine what you are about to see as stripped back down to the wooden L-girder framework...
Plans for the Cascade Branch were minimal, but did include choosing curvature and grades that reflect the mountain prototype (although this is a fictional line, it's part of the Silverton area terrain) as well as the limitations of scaling down models. The locos I designed the branch around were the Blackstone HOn3 C-19 and (in the future) Shays. I could have gone tighter in radius and sharper on grades if it were a Shay-only enterprise, but it's basically a 20" radius/2.5% maximum gradient in terms of my givens and druthers.
I knew trains would be short, so planned on having 3 freight cars and a caboose as one goal.
For passenger trains, I wanted the C-19 to be able to heft 2 cars uphill, a RPO/Baggage/Express and a coach.
While building sub-roadbed and laying and wiring track, I also tested my work with a K-27 and passenger car, because I wanted to be certain of clearances and the ability to also handle bigger locos. I also used an electronic level able to show grade to within 0.1%. Everything checked out in general. I proceeded to building my scenery, which in my case meant building lots of liftouts. So hold it right there... If you build scenery with conventional methods that leave it fixed firmly in place, before you start you should do what I did AFTER building my scenery, you should test with the exact configuration of train (motive power, cars of rolling stock, etc) you will be using to verify your designed and built track is suitable. This can be nerve-wracking and potentially expensive without scenery in place -- be ready to play catch if things go wrong! So that's another advantage of my methods. With the scenery in place, there's little concern over flying hobby dollars smashing into the floor. Testing with the nominal-length trains and the C-19s verified most of the track was A-OK as built. But there was trouble brewing on Lime Creek Hill, where the branch leaves Purgatory and crosses Lime Creek on a tall bridge, on a curve, on a grade -- just the sort of situation where you're hoping good planning and construction doesn't leave you stuck with a dicey situation. While the C-19 had no problem hefting the chief engineer's car around in preliminary testing, 2 passenger cars were a problem. Even worse was the freight train, 3 Blackstone 6000 series flats and a PSC short caboose. That poor little C-19 would take off up the hill, but would soon be bucking and spinning, forced to shamefully back down to try it again. Close inspection revealed the problem. While the grade was within specs, the subroadbed was just uneven enough to cause vertical curve issues in several spots. The C-19 2-8-0 has a very short driver wheelbase, lots shorter than my 9" long electronic level. So something that seemed to measure OK with the level turned out to be bridging over track imperfections that the C-19 didn't like at full design tonnage. You could look closely and see the drivers at both ends on the railhead, but also see the two pairs of inner drivers completely off the rail, leaving a tiny gap underneath each wheel. The Blackstone C-19 has blind center drivers, just like the prototype. On the model, your loss of the side friction on the flanges does cut into performance a little on curves, because those drivers are getting nothing but air when they hit a low spot on a curve. Fortunately, for much of the track it was easy enough to take the liftouts out simply tweak the grade a little by adjusting the riser height. I also left myself some slack in the design. Where the curve previously reached the crest of the grade and leveled out, there was a long level section that I could drop to give a longer run. That solved the issues on the upper 2/3 of the grade, along with a fine tooth comb in getting the track curved smooth since I'd cobbled together about 5 piece of track to come up with the 6 foot I needed to get through here. Just above the bridge were a couple of spots needed styrene shims. Those were easy. The big problem area turned out to be the downhill side approach to the bridge. Here I was a little stuck, because the dip that accommodated the bridge and gulch also made the simple solution difficult without tearing up one of the few pieces of immoveable scenery. I needed shims, lots of shims.... Of course, when I started shimming, I didn't think it would take that much, so might have considered tearing out the bridge and reconfiguring the subroadbed grade on the bridge approach. Basically, it was two vertical curve problem ares connected by short section of track. There were 2 turnouts involved also. So I kept shimming. Eventually your spikes are too short, so you get out those big ME Large, 1/2" long spikes. In any case, it wasn't pretty, but I made it so once I got the track adjusted so the planned trains could make it up the hill. In fact, it's now a rather impressive show of motive power attacking the hill, just like what I designed for. I used Sculptamold to shape a new surface and things were looking much better. Once painted and ballasted, it's really looking good And the stack talk is great! But there's also a lesson here about testing and testing again before permanent scenery becomes a problem.
While building sub-roadbed and laying and wiring track, I also tested my work with a K-27 and passenger car, because I wanted to be certain of clearances and the ability to also handle bigger locos. I also used an electronic level able to show grade to within 0.1%. Everything checked out in general. I proceeded to building my scenery, which in my case meant building lots of liftouts.
So hold it right there...
If you build scenery with conventional methods that leave it fixed firmly in place, before you start you should do what I did AFTER building my scenery, you should test with the exact configuration of train (motive power, cars of rolling stock, etc) you will be using to verify your designed and built track is suitable. This can be nerve-wracking and potentially expensive without scenery in place -- be ready to play catch if things go wrong!
So that's another advantage of my methods. With the scenery in place, there's little concern over flying hobby dollars smashing into the floor.
Testing with the nominal-length trains and the C-19s verified most of the track was A-OK as built. But there was trouble brewing on Lime Creek Hill, where the branch leaves Purgatory and crosses Lime Creek on a tall bridge, on a curve, on a grade -- just the sort of situation where you're hoping good planning and construction doesn't leave you stuck with a dicey situation. While the C-19 had no problem hefting the chief engineer's car around in preliminary testing, 2 passenger cars were a problem. Even worse was the freight train, 3 Blackstone 6000 series flats and a PSC short caboose. That poor little C-19 would take off up the hill, but would soon be bucking and spinning, forced to shamefully back down to try it again.
Close inspection revealed the problem. While the grade was within specs, the subroadbed was just uneven enough to cause vertical curve issues in several spots. The C-19 2-8-0 has a very short driver wheelbase, lots shorter than my 9" long electronic level. So something that seemed to measure OK with the level turned out to be bridging over track imperfections that the C-19 didn't like at full design tonnage. You could look closely and see the drivers at both ends on the railhead, but also see the two pairs of inner drivers completely off the rail, leaving a tiny gap underneath each wheel.
The Blackstone C-19 has blind center drivers, just like the prototype. On the model, your loss of the side friction on the flanges does cut into performance a little on curves, because those drivers are getting nothing but air when they hit a low spot on a curve.
Fortunately, for much of the track it was easy enough to take the liftouts out simply tweak the grade a little by adjusting the riser height.
I also left myself some slack in the design. Where the curve previously reached the crest of the grade and leveled out, there was a long level section that I could drop to give a longer run. That solved the issues on the upper 2/3 of the grade, along with a fine tooth comb in getting the track curved smooth since I'd cobbled together about 5 piece of track to come up with the 6 foot I needed to get through here. Just above the bridge were a couple of spots needed styrene shims. Those were easy. The big problem area turned out to be the downhill side approach to the bridge. Here I was a little stuck, because the dip that accommodated the bridge and gulch also made the simple solution difficult without tearing up one of the few pieces of immoveable scenery. I needed shims, lots of shims.... Of course, when I started shimming, I didn't think it would take that much, so might have considered tearing out the bridge and reconfiguring the subroadbed grade on the bridge approach. Basically, it was two vertical curve problem ares connected by short section of track. There were 2 turnouts involved also. So I kept shimming. Eventually your spikes are too short, so you get out those big ME Large, 1/2" long spikes. In any case, it wasn't pretty, but I made it so once I got the track adjusted so the planned trains could make it up the hill. In fact, it's now a rather impressive show of motive power attacking the hill, just like what I designed for. I used Sculptamold to shape a new surface and things were looking much better. Once painted and ballasted, it's really looking good And the stack talk is great! But there's also a lesson here about testing and testing again before permanent scenery becomes a problem.
I also left myself some slack in the design. Where the curve previously reached the crest of the grade and leveled out, there was a long level section that I could drop to give a longer run.
That solved the issues on the upper 2/3 of the grade, along with a fine tooth comb in getting the track curved smooth since I'd cobbled together about 5 piece of track to come up with the 6 foot I needed to get through here. Just above the bridge were a couple of spots needed styrene shims. Those were easy.
The big problem area turned out to be the downhill side approach to the bridge. Here I was a little stuck, because the dip that accommodated the bridge and gulch also made the simple solution difficult without tearing up one of the few pieces of immoveable scenery. I needed shims, lots of shims.... Of course, when I started shimming, I didn't think it would take that much, so might have considered tearing out the bridge and reconfiguring the subroadbed grade on the bridge approach. Basically, it was two vertical curve problem ares connected by short section of track. There were 2 turnouts involved also. So I kept shimming. Eventually your spikes are too short, so you get out those big ME Large, 1/2" long spikes. In any case, it wasn't pretty, but I made it so once I got the track adjusted so the planned trains could make it up the hill. In fact, it's now a rather impressive show of motive power attacking the hill, just like what I designed for. I used Sculptamold to shape a new surface and things were looking much better. Once painted and ballasted, it's really looking good And the stack talk is great! But there's also a lesson here about testing and testing again before permanent scenery becomes a problem.
The big problem area turned out to be the downhill side approach to the bridge.
Here I was a little stuck, because the dip that accommodated the bridge and gulch also made the simple solution difficult without tearing up one of the few pieces of immoveable scenery. I needed shims, lots of shims.... Of course, when I started shimming, I didn't think it would take that much, so might have considered tearing out the bridge and reconfiguring the subroadbed grade on the bridge approach. Basically, it was two vertical curve problem ares connected by short section of track. There were 2 turnouts involved also. So I kept shimming. Eventually your spikes are too short, so you get out those big ME Large, 1/2" long spikes. In any case, it wasn't pretty, but I made it so once I got the track adjusted so the planned trains could make it up the hill. In fact, it's now a rather impressive show of motive power attacking the hill, just like what I designed for. I used Sculptamold to shape a new surface and things were looking much better. Once painted and ballasted, it's really looking good And the stack talk is great! But there's also a lesson here about testing and testing again before permanent scenery becomes a problem.
Here I was a little stuck, because the dip that accommodated the bridge and gulch also made the simple solution difficult without tearing up one of the few pieces of immoveable scenery. I needed shims, lots of shims....
Of course, when I started shimming, I didn't think it would take that much, so might have considered tearing out the bridge and reconfiguring the subroadbed grade on the bridge approach. Basically, it was two vertical curve problem ares connected by short section of track. There were 2 turnouts involved also. So I kept shimming. Eventually your spikes are too short, so you get out those big ME Large, 1/2" long spikes.
In any case, it wasn't pretty, but I made it so once I got the track adjusted so the planned trains could make it up the hill. In fact, it's now a rather impressive show of motive power attacking the hill, just like what I designed for. I used Sculptamold to shape a new surface and things were looking much better.
Once painted and ballasted, it's really looking good And the stack talk is great! But there's also a lesson here about testing and testing again before permanent scenery becomes a problem.
Once painted and ballasted, it's really looking good
And the stack talk is great!
But there's also a lesson here about testing and testing again before permanent scenery becomes a problem.
For those wondering about the limestone blocks, they are balsa, sawn to size and painted flat white.
What size? Checking the internet gave my 163 pounds per cubic foot for limestone. So a block that is 4x4x16 gives just over 20 tons, the rated capacity of these flatcars. I just thought thought I'd make the first batch as 4x4x8 so they can go one over each truck. These are a good size for cutting dimensional stone from. The next batch will be the 4x4x16, plus some 3x3 ones as they should work well as raw material for turning columns from.
Time for another update as construction continues on the Cascade Branch. With various changes made in anticipated traffic, I decided I needed a way to turn locos at Purgatory. Although Crater Lake has some housing and other services, the quarry workers generally prefer spending as much time as possible at lower altitudes. So many take the mixed that handles empties up to Crater Lake in the morning.
The loco will be able to turn at Crater Lake on the wye, along with the combine. When it comes down hill to Purgatory, it needs to be turned, too. No room for a wye. I considered a few options, but got inspired to try building one design that many have found useful after being inspired by seeing MC Fujiwara's well-executed version seen here:
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/t/221437.aspx
Here is mine roughed in. The bridge and base/pit are both made of 1/8" masonite and1/4" luaun glued together. I had limited clearance underneath or would've used a thicker base. I think it'll be fine, as it's not large so little opportunity to sag.
The approache footings are made with stained wood I had on hand. I laid an overrun track opposite to the approach long enough to hold the combine. That way the loco can push the combine onto the TT, be turned then pushed back to sit on the overrun track, then the loco can be turned. That way both are quickly and easily readied to return up hill.
Next to the approach track is a pocket just big enough for a loco. Opposite it is a long finger track that can hold MOW or wrecking rolling stock, or a snowplow.
Reversing for the TT is handled by a switch recessed in the fascia, that was already wired since it was recycled. The fixture that holds iit is made of nesting a pudding cup with another plastic cup, drilling a hole for the switch, then epoxying the whole deal to the back of the fascia behind a hole done with a hole saw.
The TT bridge is about 65', so it can handle K-27 locos. The TT bridge's plug is a new "fat boy" style they have at Radio Shack. I figured this would be more stable. It's just barely small enough in diameter for HOn3. Here's the pit with the outer ring rail in place. It's made of NS rail I bent myself, that stuff is crazy flexible... Because I ended up bending it even more tightly to make the inner ring rail. Some ballast and weeds and it's looking good. I'm exploring my options on finishing the TT bridge. I may do it as a steel bridge If I can find some suitable donor material. I may still do it all wooden, which will require building the superstructure or "gallows" to support it. For now, it works well and reliably.
The TT bridge is about 65', so it can handle K-27 locos.
The TT bridge's plug is a new "fat boy" style they have at Radio Shack. I figured this would be more stable. It's just barely small enough in diameter for HOn3.
Here's the pit with the outer ring rail in place. It's made of NS rail I bent myself, that stuff is crazy flexible...
Because I ended up bending it even more tightly to make the inner ring rail.
Some ballast and weeds and it's looking good. I'm exploring my options on finishing the TT bridge. I may do it as a steel bridge If I can find some suitable donor material. I may still do it all wooden, which will require building the superstructure or "gallows" to support it. For now, it works well and reliably.
Some ballast and weeds and it's looking good.
I'm exploring my options on finishing the TT bridge. I may do it as a steel bridge If I can find some suitable donor material. I may still do it all wooden, which will require building the superstructure or "gallows" to support it. For now, it works well and reliably.
Wow! Mike building a scratch built turntable, very nice!
That looks really good, nice touch with the weeds in there too.
A brief update on a few things happening up on the Cascade Branch...
I got the fascia painted Hunter Green. Kinda dark in this pic, but you get the idea.
I've since installed turnout controls as illustrated in the Novermber 2013 MR. Here the thread where I wrote that up, along with a way to easily make the control work with either direction of turnout throw as the Normal position: http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/t/224956.aspx Although Camp 10 doesn't have a siding yet, I have roughed it in by building the high line that lifts the long poles out of the canyon beyond. I even split a (HO scale) cord of wood for theboiler of the donkey. And I'm still planting trees, now over 5,000, with maybe another couple of thousand to go.
I've since installed turnout controls as illustrated in the Novermber 2013 MR. Here the thread where I wrote that up, along with a way to easily make the control work with either direction of turnout throw as the Normal position:
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/t/224956.aspx
Although Camp 10 doesn't have a siding yet, I have roughed it in by building the high line that lifts the long poles out of the canyon beyond. I even split a (HO scale) cord of wood for theboiler of the donkey.
And I'm still planting trees, now over 5,000, with maybe another couple of thousand to go.
An experimental bump to see how posting comments is working this morning...
I did a post discussing the bumpy chenille trees I use in more detail at this link:
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/225143.aspx
After much fussing, I threw in the towel and installed a guardrail on the grade on the curve leading down to the Lime Creek Gulch bridge.
I had no problems operating short equipment over this section of the line. It was quite reliable for that. The issues came with the less common longer cars, such as the long RPOs and, most importantly, the 40' flats converted to pole cars, which are a major commodity on this line. I couldn't get consistent operation due to the curve and grade being superimposed. It's wasn't even consistent, more a matter of train dynamics that was hard to deal with even for the engineer with the most experience on the line, me If I had it to do over, I take just a little more slack in designing things, a bit wider curve, less grade, and move the approachs to the bridge a little for a more favorable crossing. Live and learn. But the solution is prototypical -- and I probably should've just gone for it, as I was thinking of doing it several times, just thought I could beat the rap. Now it functions flawlessly.
I had no problems operating short equipment over this section of the line. It was quite reliable for that. The issues came with the less common longer cars, such as the long RPOs and, most importantly, the 40' flats converted to pole cars, which are a major commodity on this line. I couldn't get consistent operation due to the curve and grade being superimposed. It's wasn't even consistent, more a matter of train dynamics that was hard to deal with even for the engineer with the most experience on the line, me
If I had it to do over, I take just a little more slack in designing things, a bit wider curve, less grade, and move the approachs to the bridge a little for a more favorable crossing. Live and learn.
But the solution is prototypical -- and I probably should've just gone for it, as I was thinking of doing it several times, just thought I could beat the rap.
Now it functions flawlessly.
Wow, it's been awhile since an update on the Cascade Branch. Interesting that I did this last year. This wet summer led to some additional issues. This section of the layout is hung between two basement walls, one outside and one inside wall, and things seem to have further shifted. I was having difficulties running a full tonnage train with the C-19s. They can be a little lightfooted, but oif you weighed less than 1/2 pound, you would, too. I started a thread about adding weight to the C-19 that some may find useful: http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/242485.aspx
Figuring that would fix things when I got around to it, plus plenty of other projects and still saving for more track, well, the Cascadde Branch became somewhat weed-grown. Given it's just a single long spur past Purgatory, site of the stone mill that serves the quarry at the end of the line, the minimal service levels didn't evince much complaint from shippers.
When I finally got back to looking over the branch carefully for the next project, it was with the goal of locating a place for another spur to serve a second customer in Purgatory a week ago. I have one more BK wye turnout kit, but where to use it wasn't obvious. I was doing more experimental way freight to get a better handle on what was needed when I discovered my assigned loco there could no longer handle its tonnage rating consistently. Blackstone cars are very consistent because of the trucks, but I have quite a number of lesser pieces of rolling stock whose rolling resistance varies considerably. I wanted to consistently handle at least three cars, tow revenue, plus caboose or combine. That's when I got interested in adding weight to my C-19s and the thread I cited above. But even that has limitations, the extra oz or so helped a lot, but not always overcoming the somewhat questionable hi-drag cars with trucks from an earlier era. After doing that and observing darn good results, tgoo much chance and operator iinput was required. The jumps and bumps leading to a slightly too steep bridge needed to be smoothed out. I described these in more detail in the trhead I cited above.
I decided to do it right with a permanet fix of one long grade. An earlier attempt foundered when I tried to leave the switch to the turntable in place. This created a low spot in the middle of the grade, which didn't help.
And I was still figuring where to put a new industrial spur. What a mess....then it struck me. I realized I had the correct lefthand turnout. I could move move the entrance to the service facilities from the uphill to the downhill end of Purgatory! This actually made a lot more sense in terms of facilitating getting a helper on the downhill end of the train, was more compact based on its relationship to other facilities.
I basically built it backwards and needed a do-over, which I did.
Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. By running the new spur across the TT bridge, I even could gain the extra spur without adding another turnout by simply repurposing the existing TT lead. Brilliant!
Here's the first pic, showing the built up roadbed that gained roughly 3/8" to ease the grade across it at about underneath where the loco and boxcar are coupled at the bridge abutement. I use basswood for the main part of the build-up. For fine adjustments I used styrene sheet in various thicknesses. As little as .010" gap under the drivers on one side can cause a heavily loaded C-19 locomotive to stumble and stall on grades like mine (~2%).
A closer look at the finished "adjustments" -- kids, don't try this at home. I couldn't really draw it as involved finding the sweet spot between three differeent curves.
I tacked the turnout parts directly to a piece of sheet basswood. Once everything was adjusted with shims, I replace them with the right sized wood or plastic "fake ties." Once ballasted, it works visually and is far more stable as a platform tyhatn ties are with all the grade changes.
In this pic with the new siding connected to the main, you can see another reason why moving the TT lead 180 degrees worked well.with the main and siding raised to the optimal grade. It would've been a crazy steepgrade out of the siding if I'd tried reconnecting the grade to the old location.
More shortly...
More pics, less words...
A very dry batch of Sculptamold applied and shaped to blend in the track. It starts looking better.
Paint and ballast applied.
Here's how things looked from overhead with Purgatory's new track arrangement. The new TT lead is towards the bottom. You can see how it contimues across the TT to serve the old TT lead, which will be at least one, maybe two industries.
A more ground level view...
Best of all is the improved performance getting up those daunting grades.
Mike, it appears to me that you can build faster than I can think and plan my layout. When did you start on this branch? Your first post about it was in July of 2013. How much before this did you actually start building and what direction would this branch be headed from Silverton.
NP 2626 "Northern Pacific, really terrific"
Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association: http://www.nprha.org/
Mark,
I started on it early summer 2013, so not long before that. I tend to bear down to get projects done to a certain point once I start. The Sculptamold over pink foam goes quickly, which also helps.
If it wasn't for budget shortfalls, I'd be farther along. But I think Micro Engineering is still not back in production with HOn3 code 70 flex (broken mold) so actually no hurry as long as that's unobtanium. I did find three stick of it under the stairs stashed away, so got a little bit to work with. I may use that last wye turnout to add a spur somewhere now that it's not needed in Purgatory.
The next planned construction is the wye and surrounding track at Crater Lake. I have to take that section of benchwork back out, I think, in order to install the last of the track in it. Then I'll do the middle part betwen Camp 10 and Black Cat Junction.
Love the quarry and stone dressing shop. Its like your branch incorporated Marble Co. The forced perspective on the trees and mountains turned out great. Thanks, for sharing.
Thanks, comments much appreciated.
Yeah, Marble had a little influence, more as in "they quarry in Colorado, too." Monarch Branch, definitely. Being a Hoosier from the stone-cutting part of the state was an even bigger influence, plus limestone has uses beyond sculpture and building materials. All of it photogenic.
I origiinally planned the branch as a lumber operation. but then thought it needed another source of traffic so came up with limestone.
I'm pretty happy with things so far. And after a year's work (nah, more like 5 or 6 hours) the line up to Camp 13 was finally laid with rails tonight up to its access point for more prime lumber land. Pics soon...
I also asked what direction from Silverton would your Purgatory Branch have head? Or is this branch imaginary? The reason I ask, is because while we were in the Durango area, we stayed two nights at a ski area called Purgatory Lodge by Durango Mountain. The ski area is actually closer to Silverton than Durango.
Oops, sorry missed that (sleep deprivation at work again...).
I did kind of like Purgatory as a station name, but...
It's an imaginary branch, which let's me imagine it doing other things than the rest of the layout, where at least the locations on the RR existed. However, it does fit the topography, more or less. It takes off from Tefft on the D&S, just north of the Cascade Wye. Yes, really close to the Purgatory Resort, but the next conyon complex to the north of it, running roughly northwest. I have Lime Creek thrown in, moving it a bit south, simply because it's Lime-related
I didn't have room for a wye at Tefft, so instead I presume trains that need turning proceed to Silverton to turn there. It works well on the layout, because Silverton is just a couple of curves away. Wouldn't have worked so well in 1:1, but the real thing had room for a wye, so...
Thanks Mike!
Been trying to catch up all day after reaching the highest point on the layout finally -- @ Camp 13.
After figuring out I could add a new industry spot or two using one of the reconstructed turntable leads, I had one BK #4 wye switch kit to work with, along with 3 sticks of currently unobtanium ME code 70 flex recycled from a temp connection on the Durango loop that came out some years back. I'd forgotten about the ME track, but finding it meant I had enough to lay the logging brnach up to Camp 13. Some of the heavy equipment from the roadbed gang rests pending arrival of flats to remove it to the next project.
Once a few more cars of rail and ties arrives, the last bit of the spur to the end-of-track was laid. A switch and second spur will come along eventually.
A cut of logs bunks used to test the track was loaded for the first revenue trip out.
The loaded log train arrives at Crater Lake Junction, headed for the sawmill at Rockwood.
Testing with the diesels.
Logs loaded at Camp 13
Picking up orders at BlackCat Junction
I'm just seeing this series for the first time. Beautiful work, from bottom to top. I like the way you worked the heavy equipment into the story. It must feel good to be making such progress. Dan
What have you used for log, Mike? Are those old MDC Roundhouse log cars? I ended up getting a dozen of those MDC Log Cars just at the time MDC & Athearn where merged into Horizon Hobbies. I don't know if they have been offered since the merger? I miss those and the MDC Ore Cars, although I probably have all I need.
Dan,
Thanks for the comments. The off-track machinery looked pretty good up there for the last year, "hard at work." Now I get to move them somewhere else -- via railroad
NP2626What have you used for log, Mike? Are those old MDC Roundhouse log cars?
The logs in the pics are the ones that came with the Micro-Trains HOn3 log cars. Although they had a short production life, unfortunately, they are great cars. Most of the ones in these pics are M-T cars. There's also a pair of Keystone cars among them. I don't recall the MDC logging cars being offered since the Athearn acquisition. IIRC, I believe they have run the ore cars several times as RTR.