03/31/2016

UPDATE:

I have been working on the bridge area of the layout and have completed the plastering and fitment of the piers and abutments. Also I have started the scenery. Once I am finished with this section I plan to move on to the mill area where I have been laying out the track work. Check out the pictures here or click on the updates link on the left side of the page.

02/08/2016

I have done a lot of  work on the improvements to the truss bridge check them out here or navigate to the layout updates page.

A new start

Happy NEW YEAR!!!

Well it's been several months since I have done anything on the layout or even thought about running trains. I have been either too busy or have had no ambition to work on the layout. This is all going to change. I have several tasks lined up in front of me. The first is a major cleaning in the train room and workbench areas they are, well lets say a F5 tornado would be child's play compared to the current state things are in. Once I get the mess organized and clean its down to business. First order is out standing projects I have several loco projects that are unfinished or in near completion states. I will be doing my best to get these completed so that I can have the room and focus on the next issue I have been meaning to tackle which is the bridge spanning the junction and the "mill/brewery" scene. I built this section in a hurry to get trains up and running and well frankly I hate the current design so back to the drawing board. I will keep the bridge layout and track plan more or less but totally redo the scenery and bridge supports.

 Another item on my list is to finally go through and edit all the videos I have been making for the YouTube channel I have a lot of material to edit and it will take some time to compile it all.

Please bear with me as I get things organized and moving forward. I will be making a more proactive approach to post something every month at least for the you tube channel and this blog. The over all plan for the layout this year is to finish the major scenery and track work so I can start planning the second part of the layout. A helix to a lower level about 30" or so off the ground. It is undetermined if this will be solely for staging or scenic-ed yet. Please stay tuned for further updates

 

Summer Projects

Here is one of the many projects on the layout I've been working on this summer.

I finished off the fueling facility by making a simple platform from styrene and I used some parts from my parts box to create the gas pumps and added details. I still have not decided on what i want to do for the sanding storage, two ideas I keep looking at are using a old covered hopper or two styrene cylinders to simulate storage tanks. I also plan to add a new switch to the track lead so that two locos can be fueled at once.

Below is some pictures of other projects that are in progress on the layout. First is a new engine I picked up a bachman RS-3 in B&M maroon livery. 

Next is a few pics of random scenery I have reworked or added.

painted rock face added shrubs and ground cover

New signals and scenery part 2

The new signals are in place and testing is still on going, In the mean time I am working on the scenery in Grafton yard click here for some pictures.

Check out the Updates and Work bench pages for some current projects and layout progress.

Summer is here finally hope you all have a great summer!

Scenery and Signals

Well the temperature outside today is 9° F to cold to go out so what better time than to work on the train layout. For some time now I have been meaning to add some signals for the tunnels and finish a section of scenery that runs between them into the yard. I started with a little demolition to make room for the new signals I will put in this area. Once I had removed the plaster I used two pieces of foam to make the profile of the rock face. I shaped the foam by carving it with a knife and trimming it to fit the space I wanted to put it in. Once I got the foam looking the way I wanted I mixed up some Sculpt-A-Mold and filled in the cracks and voids in the foam to make the pieces all one rock face. While I was at it I decided to fill in the rest of the rock face I had started in the Grafton yard area too. Once the Sculpt-a-Mold was dry, it took a few hour to be hard enough to move on to the next steps. I started making the new signals for this area out of brass.

  

Once the whole thing was dry I started painting the rock face. I used a dry brush technique to shade the rocks and give the effect of sediments and layers in the rock face, I am not impressed with the result but it will work for now once I get scenery on them it might blend better to the scene.

After I finished the scenery I started work on the tracks as I had to add blocks to the layout in this section. I started with the first tunnel coming from Elliott Junction, I was not happy with the track work in this section so I re worked the area eliminating several issues inside the tunnel. I added a much needed re-railer in the tunnel and soldered all joints to created the first block. I then moved on to the other tunnel near Grafton yard. 



Some things learned:
1. Prep work is key and saves time and frustration later on.
2. Using a standardized wiring schematic is a must. many times I had reversed the common rail not realizing it.
3.Access points for tunnels are a must especially on blind corners.

In the next post I'll talk about how I made the circuits for the new signals.

First day of fall

Well fall is here again and the leaves have started to turn color. This is the time of year that things start to slow down for me and I have more time to work on the layout. I have a lot of new ideas and some old on my plate so here we go!

First up is a follow up to a long term project I have been working on. I first mentioned this project in my Amherst train show post. I have been working on a kit bashed GE U-23b locomotive with a modern era twist. Click here to see some pics and a little wright up about the loco.

 Summer Time

Well summer has finally arrived and also the heat stay cool everyone!

During the summer we all know how busy we can get but I will try to make some posts letting you know  how the layout is progressing.

First on to docket is some track work head over to the Work Bench and Update page to check out what I have done.

Second item is a pair of Athern old blue box U-23bs /U-30's not sure. I plan to update these U-boats with more modern power and add in a modern look to them. I plan on making a  blog series and you tube videos on them so keep an eye out for those in the future. I am starting to plan out the lower shelf level of the layout and will post some thoughts on this later on in the next post. This level is still undetermined if it will have scenery or be just for staging. 

Have a great summer everyone and a happy Fourth of July