Hi Mark,
Another great update video! Thanks.
Just a suggestion: At my old club we used landscape fabric to form a temporary net along the open roadbed. It's cheap, quite strong and easy to install with a staple gun. Of course Murphy's Law dictated that the one engine to fall to the floor did so where there was no landscape fabric. It also had to be a brand new loco that had run all of 20 ft. before it hit the floor.
Get well soon!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
3 December 2021
I just posted my latest layout update video:
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
Thanks David, Rich and Ray! I appreciate the comments.
Ray, I think the superelevation adds a lot to the overall appearance. Using layered masking tape makes it easy and pretty quick to do. The long curve at the entrance to the canyon (the first curve after the Shobon turnout) was the longest, and it probably took all of 20 minutes to add the tape.
30 November 2021
Things are continuing to move along. A few days ago I pulled the Burlington power district buss wires into the peninsula.
I added subroadbed for the Burlington's turnback curve at the free end of the peninsula (that's the lower one):
Then I laid new track almost up to that curve. I had to stop because I need to extend the subroadbed and roadbed into Thermopolis in order to superelevate the turnback curve, which means I have to detail out the track arrangement in Thermopolis, which I haven't done yet. I may take a road trip to Thermopolis in the next few days (it's about two hours from here) to look for ideas.
Meanwhile I completed laying the CNW turnback curve track, and ran a train from Casper to the end of track to test it out.
And today I finished running the buss wires and feeders to all completed track. Red and green wires are for the Burlington power district, while white and black are the CNW district wires.
The superelevation looks great. Well worth the effort you put in doing it. Your videos are always entertaining and informative.
Ray
NorthBrit Excellent, Mark. The real Shobon doesn't look as good. David
Excellent, Mark. The real Shobon doesn't look as good.
David
Rich
Alton Junction
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
hon30critterHi Mark, I'm beginning to repeat myself, but your progress is amazing!! Dave
I'm beginning to repeat myself, but your progress is amazing!!
23 November 2021
I posted a short video on the first trains on the newly laid tracks through the Shobon turnout yesterday...
[EDIT] Well this is weird. All the images are showing up as broken links in the thread, but if you click on them the picture opens up just fine. It wasn't doing this yesterday, but now the entire thread is like that. Is anyone else seeing this? Any ideas as to why?
18 November 2021
The last nine days I've been busy working mostly on the Wind River Canyon side of the new peninsula.
I've installed subroadbed for the CNW line through the turnback curve at the end of the peninsula and part of the way back towards the far wall. Roadbed also is going in. In this shot, taken a coule days ago, the roadbed has almost reached the turnback curve.
The roadbed has now been extended around the curve.
I also started laying track for the CNW line. It starts out at the Shobon turnout with Peco code 70, and after it goes through the first curve and is out of sight it switches to Atlas code 100, of which I have a healthy overabundance (as in nearly eight scale miles of overabundance!). Here's the Shobon turnout and the CNW line going off on the diverging route.
Here's the transition point from the Peco code 70 (on the right) to the Atlas code 100. This was pretty easy to do. I was wondering if I'd have to go through a double transition, from 70 to 83 to 100, but it wasn't necessary. The test train runs over this just fine.
After adding feeders to the new track, of course I had to run a train over it! Here's a short train at the Shobon switch:
And here it is partway up the hill. The loco had no problem at all with the grade. BTW, the track looks squigglier than it really is because of the camera's position. I'm only worried about functionality of the track here, since all this will be hidden (someday).
And today I started plotting out the alignment for the visible Burlington track through the Canyon. The curves the rulers are clamped to are 70" radius.
You sir have all the right ideas, I love your creativity.
Lynn
Present Layout progress
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/p/290127/3372174.aspx#3372174
9 November 2021
The last few days I've been busy building the rest of the Wind River Canyon / Thermopolis benchwork.
In all the shots above, the canyon, with benchwork-to-ceiling scenery, will be on the left side. Thermopolis will be on the right.
Here's a view looking the other way from the Shobon end. It shows how the peninsula fits in with Casper. Closest point is the curve around the roundhouse. There will be about 28 inches of aisleway there.
There something innately wrong with clean benchwork, isn't there? I'm going to have to hurry up and start adding track!
Hi Dave,
And thanks!
I do cut the strips myself. I get my wife to help me put the plywood onto a couple of 2X4's on saw horses, then use a Kreg circular saw jig to cut all the strips to the exact same size. After that they're easy to handle!
I know what you mean about times changing. I'm finding that my ability to move heavy things isn't too impacted as I age, but everything protests a lot louder for a couple days afterwards.
Another great video and lots more progress! I appreciated the part on laying cork for the turnout. That will be part of my next step on my layout (that is - whenever I get the gumption to go back to work on it). I have never done it before. You made it look quite easy.
Do you cut your own plywood strips? I couldn't handle a 4 x 8 sheet of 3/4" plywood these days if my life depended on it. I used to pick up 4 cyl. engines! My how times have changed.
Cheers!!
3 November 2021
I just uploaded my latest layout update video on YouTube:
28 October 2021
Work is progressing. I extended the subroadbed past Powder River and towards Shobon, transitioning from foam to 1/2" plywood subroadbed.
My friend Nate also finished weathering an additional three steamers. Here's my newly aged Santa Fe type. I added a layer of Bragdon's weathering chalks - dark browns - to dust up the loco a bit more.
I also built the first section of benchwork for the Wind River Canyon and Thermopolis. There's something exciting about pristine new benchwork just waiting for more railroad, isn't there?
Here's a plan view of the benchwork for the entire peninsula. The section in the photo above is on the right - the roughly 89 inch long section.
Finally, today I finished laying the Powder River siding. It's long enough to hold eight stock cars. That should provide for a decent sized set of stock pens, and also make small but not ridiculously short trains.
Looking good, Mark. The 'train of cans' is rather unique.
20 October 2021
I was out of town for most of the last two weeks, but I did manage to get a few things done before I left, and after our return Monday night.
More foam subroadbed went down, and late October 9th I placed roadbed leading from Casper and into Powder River siding.
Yesterday I laid the track...
...and today I wired it up and ran one of the Casper switchers out and back with a boxcar in tow to test the new alignment.
Seems fine to this point!
SpaceMouseWell, it only took 8 hours, but I got caught up on your last year of posts and videos. My only consolation is that it took more hours for you to make your videos than it did for me to watch them--not that was a great chore or anything. I actually enjoyed the journey. It almost made up for the lack of progress on my own layout--almost. Good work. I look forward to see more--albeit in smaller chunks.
It almost made up for the lack of progress on my own layout--almost.
Good work. I look forward to see more--albeit in smaller chunks.
Thanks for the kind words, Chip! I hope you managed to get some decent rest watching all those videos. They're a good cure for insomnia!
Well, it only took 8 hours, but I got caught up on your last year of posts and videos. My only consolation is that it took more hours for you to make your videos than it did for me to watch them--not that was a great chore or anything. I actually enjoyed the journey.
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.
Thanks Dave, Ed and Bear!
Ed, you should post pictures of that block structure when you get it done. I'd like to see how using screws works to put it "in" the scenery.
9 October 2021
I've started building the area into Powder River. The skyboard went in a couple days ago. Splicing in the new section was bit tricky, but I got it done:
Here it is after smoothing the splices and refreshing the paint. The paint's still wet in this shot.
And in the last couple of days I've extended the pink foam subroadbed a bit and installed some new cork roadbed.
In this "aerial" view you can see the new roadbed curving off to the right, and you can also see how it used to curve to the left behind the roundhouse when Casper was part of version 4 of the layout in New Jersey.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Yup, it wasn't too long--moved right along, as they say. Good work!
With rare exception, when I place a building on scenery, I build a foundation in position into the scenery, and make the rest of the building a lift-off. Most buildings have the siding go down a bit past the foundtion top, and that covers the joint between the two. That solves the problem of any small gap between the foundation and the structure.
I've got an upcoming building made with concrete blocks on a slab that I have to solve, though. Probably use screws from below to draw it down onto the slab.
I don't look forward to my first "multi-legged" loading dock.
Ed
Good video. I don't think it was too long. There was lots to cover and I think it was edited quite well.
You make me feel guilty. You make so much progress in a month and I make so little!
Cheers,
Tin Can II, I'm glad you're enjoying my videos. Hopefully they're helpful in some way.
Bear, always the comedian! I guess I destroyed the ambiance when I cleaned the fascia!
Dave, it's interesting that my videos are popping up in unexpected places. Considering that the Astin Martin video was probbly professionally created, it isn't surprising that my amateur production doesn't "grab" in that same way.
3 October 2021
Hey Mark!
I just wanted to let you know that your excellent videos are 'out there'. I was watching a video of a James Bond Aston Martin being driven by the movies stunt driver and three Grand Prix leading drivers. When it was over up popped your video from August 31, 2021.
I shouldn't try to compare the two videos. All I can say is that your videos aren't quite as heart pounding as when the F1 drivers lost control trying to drift the car and nearly rammed into the track barriers!
Mark:
Wow. Just Wow. Thank you for posting your videos and how to's.
Thanks Dave!
23 September 2021
Work has continued on what I've started calling "cornfield corner."
Yesterday I added the rest of the dead vegetation - oregano leaves. The layout smells pretty nice for about a day after I do that! I also added some small bushes around the periphery of the fields.
Today I added static grass and some weeds. Here's the result:
I still need to spray on an overall fixative (very diluted Mod Podge, I'm thinking) to keep the bushes from deteriorating and spreading all over the place. I also want to add a couple of 3-D versions of the scraggly trees you see in the foreground of the backdrop. Making those will involve using an old wallpaper paste brush and a variety of ground foam.
I probably won't make and install those trees immediately, though. Tomorrow I'm going to prep Casper to be moved permanently back into the corner. Then over the weekend I'm going to hopefully start extending the benchwork towards Powder River. Woo-Hoo!!
Boy, that fascia sure needs cleaned, doesn't it?
PruittI know it doesn't resemble corn all that much, but the colors are close to those on the backdrop, and you won't be able to get as close to this in person as the camera is in this shot. So what the heck - it's good enough for what it is (I hope).
I think that the colour blending is done really well! I don't think it matters one bit the there are no actual corn stalks in the forefront. In fact, personally I find that most modelled corn fields look too sparse to be realistic. The viewer's eye will be focused even better on the trains because they will not be distracted by fake corn stocks that look like they are planted too far apart. This is a 'less is more' situation IMHO and you have done a good job of it.
Heaven forbid that the Bear dare to eversully Mel’s sterling contributions to the Forum, and then query Dave’s memory, but I suggest that the lighting thread mentioned is Mike Lehman’s Night Scene.
Hi Bear,
You are correct! Thank you for fixing my mistake.
By the way, I question my memory every day so feel free to chime in! I need all the help I can get!
Apologies to Mike Lehman for not giving credit where due.