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Discussion Boards => HO => Topic started by: WoundedBear on March 17, 2009, 07:08:00 PM

Title: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout updates)
Post by: WoundedBear on March 17, 2009, 07:08:00 PM
I have been in a state of layoutlessness (spell check that one if ya dare....lol) for almost a year now. The move to the new house is coming in less than a month and I've been planning all winter.

A few of you here have seen this, and the description, in the past few weeks, but I thought I would throw it up for everyone to have a bash at.

Layout room is 11.5 feet by 22.5 feet, and to the right (east) of the diagram, in an adjacent room that measures 11.5 feet by 16.5 feet, will be my studio.

The layout room has the main entrance in the lower right corner, with another doorway roughly midway along the lower (south) wall. This "extra" door is going to be handy in providing access.

The sawmill is located on the northeast peninsula. There will be a drop down leaf running south to mate up with the narrowish shelf along the south side (I missed drawing it on the plan). Logs will be dumped in the pond from an unloading ramp set between the loops.

Once on the south side, the engineer can decide whether to continue along the main into town, or take the switch and start a roughly 3.2% climb through a tunnel and up to the summit. Up here will be the main logging area. The sidings are for log cars and one for the camp train. A short branchline splits off and climbs up to another small town and past to a mine at the extreme south-east corner.

The logging loop can haul loaded cars back to the mill from either direction, although the line running north to the yards is less of a grade. It only needs to be about 2.7% to gain the same 5 inches between railheads. So it would make sense that the empties come out of the mill and take the steeper route back up, then run a gentler grade on the downhill, once loaded. I assume a prototypical railroad would use the two different routes similarily. (Assuming they had the luxury of 2 routes).

Along the route are 3 small towns, possibly a fourth once I get building. These and a whistle stop would give an excuse to run a short passenger train using Roundhouse's 34 foot Overton set, in CPR colors. Also gives a reason to have the 4-6-0 low driver loco on the layout. The yard is more than ample to hold freight cars as well as a string of log cars if needed. I still could use an MOW, RIP and 'boose track, but will fit those in as construction progresses. I'm still undecided if the turntable is going to stay or not.

As it is, the table will turn my Shay and Climax locos with no problems, and will hold a Mantua 2-6-6-2T. The tenderized version of the 2-6-6-2 will not fit the Atlas table, so the Mallet house has both bays accessibly with a straight through pass on the turntable. The Mallets can be turned on the loop around the mill.

My 2 Climax locos will "live" on the south shelf only. Their primary duty will be shuttling loads out/empties in at the mine. The parallel tracks in the southwest serve as the interchange for the ore cars. I may mount a small A frame turntable on the Atlas mechanism and move it to the Climax engine area, then replace the turntable in the yard with track and turnouts.

The town in the center will allow switching and a variety of structures. The double mainline running SE to NW will allow almost a sixteen foot run and should make any train look good.

There will be a hill covering the inner track in the northwest corner, and the outer track leading up to the logging area, will flow through a cut and be visible. The 5 inch height of the logging area also gives me room to run a staging loop so I can take a train off scene until it's scheduled return. If I don't put the staging area there, it will pass through the wall in the NE corner and connect into the adjacent room, which will be my studio.

I'm seeing roughly 50 foot mainline runs on either route. All mainline turnouts are #6, yards are #4 with the exception of the mine. I can use up my last couple of Atlas snap-switches there.

At bottom left is a second doorway into the layout room, and I have left 18 inches to get in there for maintenance. I think I could build two lift out sections of scenery for the access area, and not have the canyon effect. Access seems good for all of the turnouts with the exception of the one leading to the mine branch. I may have to move it further north.

This Atlas program does some nice things, but lacks the inventory of some of the other CAD programs. Once I start laying things out, I'm sure I can streamline the trackwork even more when I incorporate my various curved turnouts into the scheme.

I'm thinking of a fictional shortline using scenery like one would see on a trip between Edmonton and Hinton. Basically prairie to foothills. I would love to have the high mountain, narrow passes feel, but with that complexity, comes reliability issues. This plan should be a fairly easy build as far as benchwork goes. Wiring may be a different story.

I can see I will be needing probably 3 polarity reversing modules, and probably a fourth for the turntable.  I use an MRC PA Squared unit with a 3.5 amp power supply.

So many things to work out ahead of time. Hopefully I catch major points and the little points fall into place as I go....lol.

Anyhow...have a boo at the plan...let me know what you think.

Cheers

Sid

Here's a direct link to the track-plan image if you don't like the shrunken version.
http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/GoldBarHills.jpg (http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/GoldBarHills.jpg)

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/GoldBarHills.jpg)
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: pdlethbridge on March 17, 2009, 07:37:32 PM
Nice plan Sid. Have you thought about how it should be wired yet?
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: Frisco on March 17, 2009, 08:55:48 PM
That looks really great :) .
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: Tylerf on March 17, 2009, 10:59:20 PM
Sounds like you've planned the layout out VERY well and it sounds like lots of fun.
Good luck
Oh DC or DCC
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: WoundedBear on March 18, 2009, 10:56:49 AM
Quote from: pdlethbridge on March 17, 2009, 07:37:32 PM
Nice plan Sid. Have you thought about how it should be wired yet?

Well, now you've found my weak point....lol. Going with DCC  will simplify things somewhat, I still think I need at least 2 Auto-Reverse Polarity Modules. There is one reverse loop at the mill, or maybe 2, due to the inner loop.....and 1 loop at the logging area. I thought if I gapped these like I did on my last layout, I should be ok.

Have I missed something obvious?

Sid
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: pdlethbridge on March 18, 2009, 11:22:39 AM
the turntable will need an auto reverser and the left loop actually looks like 2 loops. Like you, I'm electrically challenged.  Eliminating one of the cross overs on the left side by the orange block might help. ( lower left one)
Also eliminate thew right side entrance track to the turntable will solve the reverse loop problem there.
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: WoundedBear on March 18, 2009, 11:50:23 AM
I think you're seeing two loops on the left because of the overlapping tracks. The elevation change is around 5 inches, so there is only one loop on the upper logging area.

The "orange block" represents a barrel factory and is above the line leaving the west end of the yard. What you are seeing as a crossover is actually a siding off of the logging loop.

I knew about the turn table needing a reverser (see 1st post). The Atlas program has the ability to hilight short circuits, but doesn't always indicate where exactly to gap the rails.

Sid
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: pdlethbridge on March 18, 2009, 12:25:11 PM
Its hard to tell on a small picture whats up or down ;D
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: WoundedBear on March 18, 2009, 01:04:52 PM
If you click on the link just above the small picture, it will open up a full sized view.

Sid
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: pdlethbridge on March 18, 2009, 01:49:49 PM
Now I see what you did. My bad ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: Yampa Bob on March 18, 2009, 11:45:53 PM
Sid
That is a great plan, I especially like the name. Building it should keep you out of mischief for a few years.  :D

Please keep us posted on your progress.
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: jward on March 19, 2009, 03:37:27 AM
sid,
that one reversing loop in the lower left can only be entered or exited through the same switch. so it doesn't need an auto reverser. a much more cost effective solution would be to wire the contacts on the switch motor to change the polarity on the loop. it works every bit as well as the auto reverser at a fraction of the cost.
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: pdlethbridge on March 19, 2009, 03:40:25 AM
The polarity of the loop doesn't get changed, it's everything else. If you changed the loop polarity, the engine would stop and reverse in DC
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: jward on March 19, 2009, 10:05:49 AM
Quote from: pdlethbridge on March 19, 2009, 03:40:25 AM
The polarity of the loop doesn't get changed, it's everything else. If you changed the loop polarity, the engine would stop and reverse in DC

that's the beauty of using the switch motor contacts, it will work for both dc and dcc. in dc, you merely stop the train once in the loop clear of the switches, throw the switch and the reverse on the power pack, then continue on your way. in dcc you don't have to stop. an auto reverser is incompatable with dc.

my friend and i have been using just this system on loops and wye tail tracks for years without any problems, on both dc and dcc.
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: WoundedBear on March 19, 2009, 10:13:13 AM
I will be using DCC. I like the idea of the switch machine contacts, but I do have a couple of AR1 modules already.

Sid
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: robin on March 19, 2009, 10:21:28 AM
Sid,

Here is something to think about;  You mentioned a nearby studio room.  Would it be possible to run a spur or mainline through the wall and around a section of that room?  It's something a friend Fl did by running his double tracked main through a small bathroom at eye level (when sitting down).  I'm trying to figure out how to do something similar while dealing with doorway and stairs.

Robin
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: WoundedBear on March 19, 2009, 11:50:47 AM
Robin.....

Yes, I have considered using that room. I had always planned on having a "service track" running from my work desk to the layout. I was thinking of coming through the wall in the far NE of the layout. The way the basement is constructed, it should be easy to do.

Now that I think of it a little more, there is no reason I couldn't extend track into the studio and use it as my staging area. I was going to hide a staging loop under the logging area, but I like this better. Great idea! ;D

Now....how do I tell the wife?....Honey....after we stop at the Speed Shop (again) I need to go to the Hobby Shop (again). :-*


Sid
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: SteamGene on March 19, 2009, 12:03:32 PM
Bear - sorry I could never open your plan.  It looks good to me.
Gene
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: WoundedBear on March 22, 2009, 12:01:09 PM
Thanks Gene....and everyone else.

I was a little apprehensive about showing the layout plan. I spent a lot of time reading just about everything I could get my hands on regarding track planning.

I tried hard to avoid the usual pitfalls that can creep into a design.

I kept all turnouts on the main at #6. I tried to keep the main from using the diverging route of a turnout as much as possible. I tried to keep at least 9" of straight run before any direction change. I was careful about access to all areas. I think I may have one switch in the southwest that may prove a little difficult to access (the split off to the mine stub).

With a lot of space to play in, it's easy to get lost in the proverbial spaghetti bowl.

After some of the positive comments I have received, I think I am on the right track, so to speak, and feel more confident about the new build.

Thanks guys. Always a pleasure to hear the opinions of more experienced modelers.

Sid
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: pdlethbridge on March 22, 2009, 01:05:03 PM
keep up the good work. Its a winner
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: Joe Satnik on March 22, 2009, 03:31:11 PM
Dear Sid,

Can you somehow show us where your track gap or insulative connector pairs (for reverse loops) are going to be?  (2 pairs needed per loop.)

Thanks.

One of my concerns is that the TT is connected to both ends of the turn around loop to the right of the TT.

The placement of the motor-gear housing around the TT determines where the polarity of the approach tracks change.  Tracks directly across from one another are naturally the opposite from one another (as viewed facing the center of the TT.)

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik


Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: WoundedBear on March 23, 2009, 10:52:22 AM
Joe......

I will admit to being at a disadvantage when it comes down to wiring.

I think this picture should show what I have planned, at least for the mill area loops. If I connect an AR-1 to both loops, and a third to the TT, I think I should be ok.

If not, please feel free to chime in.

Sid

Again, here's a direct link to the "bigger" picture.
http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/GoldBarGaps01.jpg (http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/GoldBarGaps01.jpg)

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/GoldBarGaps01.jpg)
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: pdlethbridge on March 23, 2009, 11:46:11 AM
If I were doing the wiring, I'd put the insulated gaps  on both tracks of the #6 left hand turnout just above the turntable and a gap on the #6 switch above it on the straight side. Leave gaps at the other 4 locations for block control if your using DC and DPDT switches. If your using DCC then the gaps would only be needed at the #6 turnouts by the turntable that I mentioned first. This puts the right lead to the turntable under the same control as the loop
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: WoundedBear on March 23, 2009, 12:12:36 PM
PD.....I am using DCC.

If I read you correctly, you want gaps in the places indicated by the black lines, right? But would I not also need to gap at the point marked with the red question mark over to the east of the mill? This is another connection into the mainline.

Sid

http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/GoldBarGaps02.jpg (http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/GoldBarGaps02.jpg)

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/GoldBarGaps02.jpg)
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: pdlethbridge on March 23, 2009, 12:25:09 PM
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u134/pdleth/switches.jpg?t=1237824096 (http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u134/pdleth/switches.jpg?t=1237824096)
Yes,  that is part of the main line. My bad :-[
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: WoundedBear on March 23, 2009, 01:28:38 PM
No need to apologize for anything. I'm as confused as the next guy when it comes to this part of the project.

I hot linked your diagram into this post, PD......I think we have our gaps in the same places.  I can see how this would work better for longer trains as well. Thanks.

I will still need a reversing unit to power the turntable with, right?

Sid

(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u134/pdleth/switches.jpg?t=1237824096)
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: pdlethbridge on March 23, 2009, 01:53:36 PM
try it this way and it shouldn't need one as the track on the right is part of a reverse circuit
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: jward on March 24, 2009, 09:29:19 AM
quick question: is that an atlas turntable? if so you may still need an autoreverse unit as the turntable rails automaticly change polarity about halfway through the rotation. you can use an ohm meter or continuity tester to check exactly where this occurs.
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: WoundedBear on May 09, 2009, 12:45:43 PM
Well.....the move into our new house is complete. Most of the mess has been contained....lol. I don't want to see another cardboard box for 20 years.....lol.

Got the old incandescent bulbs out of the basement ceiling and some nice bright fluorescent jobs put up. What a difference!

Now that I can see what I'm doing, or attempting to do, things should start progressing nicely. Need to put up a couple more lights in the studio then I can start buying lumber. It looks like I will be joining the two rooms by tunneling through the wall, and the studio tracks can serve as staging/reverse loop and a line to the workbench.

Updates to follow in a month or so.

Sid
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: pdlethbridge on May 09, 2009, 04:04:26 PM
If you add a auto reverser, it would be able to do the turntable and reverse loop with the gaps as shown
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: WoundedBear on May 30, 2009, 10:26:22 AM
Construction has begun!!! I finally picked up a few sticks at the local lumber yard, and got a good start on the L-girder benchwork.

The benchwork may look a litlle light, but trust me....you could park a Volkswagon on it and it would hold up. All joints are glued and screwed, with leveling feet under each leg.

Next trip I bring home some plywood. ;D

Here's a couple of pics.....click on the direct links to view full size.

http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/Benchwork005.jpg (http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/Benchwork005.jpg)

http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/Benchwork006.jpg (http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/Benchwork006.jpg)

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/Benchwork005.jpg)

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/Benchwork006.jpg)

Cheers

Sid
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: pdlethbridge on May 30, 2009, 12:18:20 PM
Lookin good in the neighborhood! ;D
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: OkieRick on May 30, 2009, 10:23:19 PM

My high school gym wasn't as big as that room!  Looks good.  Keep us in pictures.

Rick

Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: WoundedBear on July 14, 2009, 10:53:37 AM
I have a few more updated pictures to share.

The ashpit cutout is ready.
(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/Ashpit.jpg)

Managed to get the backdrops installed along one of the 22 foot walls and one 12 foot end wall. I used Walthers' Instant Horizons. While not photo-realistic, they do add a nice appearance to the layout. Although, you can see the differences in the colors over the various printing runs.

The sawmill loop is laid as is most of the yard and service trackage.

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/Backdrops.jpg)

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/MillLoop.jpg)

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/Turntable.jpg)

Also got a start on the main peninsula. Just laying track out to see what fits where the best.

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/PeninsulaTestFit.jpg)

Now that I have begun construction, there is a pinch point that had to be addressed. The main line will need to loop back on itself instead of continuing onto the drop leaf. No big problem......just need to fudge things around somewhat.

That's all for now....more soon.
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: Frisco on July 14, 2009, 01:01:06 PM
Looking good! Your a fast worker ;)
What type of track are you using?
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: FECfan on July 19, 2009, 04:16:36 PM
Looks like Atlas Track
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: WoundedBear on July 20, 2009, 11:38:35 AM
Yes, it is all Atlas sectional/flextrack in code 100. There are a few Peco turnouts in the mix, but 99% of it is Atlas.

A new tool to my kit is RibbonRail's track alignment gauges. They come in straight and various radii and greatly help with the alignment of sectional track.

Sid
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: FECfan on July 20, 2009, 08:38:36 PM
I Knew it!  Mostly I use E-Z track, for now, but all of my turntable sidings are Atlas, I should know.
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: WoundedBear on August 05, 2009, 10:15:53 AM
Another few weeks have passed, and some further progress has been made. I got the second large area designed and track is laid and roadbed cutout and mounted on risers.

Slowly but surely, is the game plan......I learned from the last layout that rushing the benchwork is a bad idea.....lol.

Sid

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/Roadbed01)
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: Jhanecker2 on August 05, 2009, 12:24:48 PM
Nice work , that "L" girder construction is very strong and  " 2x2 " legs are strong enough for most reasonable loads .   If I ever get started on a layout I am planning to use E-Z track for the main line but Atlas Code 100 for most everything else except for the power-lok track I have just to use it up. John II.
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: CG04 on August 05, 2009, 01:05:21 PM
Sid,

I have missed something somewhere along the line here.  Why did you cut out around the tracks on the last photo?  Is it elevated or something?

Clif

Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: WoundedBear on August 05, 2009, 05:46:26 PM
Clif....

Doing the subroadbed in that cookie cutter style makes it easier to build scenery below track level. It also makes things a bit easier when it comes time for trestles or bridges.

Sid
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: WoundedBear on September 02, 2009, 01:58:20 PM
Time for some new pics.

The main portion of track has been laid. There is now a complete loop in place and has been tested on straight DC. Now comes the fun part :-\ ...installing permanent wiring.

I have started soldering feeders and rail joints. The layout will get divided into at least 4 blocks. I made up a quick little switch panel with switched from the local discount hardware store. The SPST switches will be connected to one rail with the other being common throughout. The DPDT switch is for control of the programming track....one direction for "run" and the opposite for "program".

I will be using 14 gauge stranded wire for the busses and 18 gauge feeders. I think drawing some diagrams for future reference will be a good idea.....and best to do it now rather than trying to trace it all out, once installed.

Sid

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/Peninsula640.jpg)

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/railfeed02.jpg)

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/railjoint02.jpg)

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/panel01.jpg)
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: jonathan on September 02, 2009, 02:08:26 PM
Aha,

I get it now!  Very, very nice work.  Oh, to have all that space...

Regards,

Jonathan
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: CNE Runner on September 02, 2009, 06:52:21 PM
Sid, awesome layout...I'd kill for that room and lighting. I love your trackwork. Your shining achievement is your magnificent benchwork...what an artist (too bad it will eventually be covered by scenery). My first impression of the early track plan was another spaghetti bowl design...I can clearly see how wrong I was.

Regarding the Atlas turntable
: you don't need to do anything special to use the turntable with DCC (I got this information directly from the Atlas technical department). The turntable will reverse the polarity automatically. I have (actually had) that unit, with DCC, and it worked flawlessly.

A suggestion on your track feeds: to make them less noticeable, solder the lead closest to the layout edge on the inside of the rail and the other feed on the outside of the rail. This will place both feeds on the opposite side of the rail from an observer. I use #22 AWG solid core wire until it just comes out from beneath the plywood (or whatever) rail base. Using Scotch 'suitcase' connectors, I connect it to #16 AWG wire which then runs to the buses (#12 AWG). Another bit of advice is NOT to rely on rail joiners for electrical conductivity...better to solder a feed to each section of track. Yes, overkill - but you'll be running trains while others are troubleshooting their wiring. Oh, don't worry about soldering on the inside of the rail. Just tin both the rail and the wire and with minimal heat and very little solder the wire will attach and not interfere with passing wheels.

Again, you have already done an excellent job.

Ray
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: Jhanecker2 on September 03, 2009, 09:22:23 AM
Good Morning All : Wounded Bear great looking benchwork , loved the purple wall with the hunter green trim.  We painted our enclosed porch the same color inside , we are still debating the type of flooring to install and will then decide what type of trim to install. The Atlas track with flex track allows for a more fluid layout  especially  in yard and terminal sections. John II
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: WoundedBear on September 03, 2009, 11:07:26 AM
Thanks for the compliments on the benchwork, guys. I am not overly handy with a hammer and nails, but with some guidance it all came together.

I think the 14 gauge bus and 18 gauge feeders will be more than adequate for the layout. The MRC Advance Squared only has a 3.5A rating. I run 20 and 30 amp circuits in race cars using 14 gauge wire.....12VDC is 12VDC....either on a layout or in a car, correct?

My biggest problem with my soldering, turned out to be that I was using too small of a gun. By the time the rail got hot enough to solder, the ties were melting. This time I have a 125 watt gun, and soldering is going much, much better.

I did use the Scotch-lok connectors for the bus/feeder connections. Normally, I steer clear of these type of connectors in a race car, but we have huge temperature and vibration issues to deal with. On the layout, I can't see these ever being a problem.

Thanks for the heads up on the Atlas TT, Ray. I was playing with it and a multi-meter yesterday, and do believe you are correct. With the way my approach tracks align, it seems an AR1 will not be required for the TT. I'll let you know how it goes once I get it wired in.

As for the rail joiner issue.....I already knew about that one. ;) I solder most rail joiners, then connect a feeder to roughly a 5 foot section of soldered track.

Thanks for the tips and advice guys.

PS: For those of you that are curious, I have attached a pic of my latest "toy". The body is a 1923 Ford over top a chrome-moly funny car chassis. This thing was certified to 300 MPH in 2002. I shouldn't have much trouble running 150-160 in it. ;D

Sid

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Racing/23T.jpg)
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: CNE Runner on September 03, 2009, 03:06:30 PM
I'm glad I managed to supply some useful information.

To All: I am first in line to have Sid build the benchwork for my next layout. The rest of you will have to take a number.

Ray
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: MC on September 03, 2009, 04:56:19 PM
Ray, can I be in line behind you..

Now I see why Sid has to visit the speed shop along with the hobby shop. Must have a very understanding wife.

Great job on the layout. I wish mine was comming along that well.

Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: CNE Runner on September 03, 2009, 06:15:37 PM
You sure can MC...in fact I'll bring a cup of coffee for you (I think it will be a long wait). My layout is finally in the 1:1 paper planning stage and nowhere near Sid's stage (unless you count my daydreams). My next task is to figure out how to make 3, side-by-side transfer tables work flawlessly.

Ray
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: jbsmith on September 05, 2009, 08:55:24 PM
looks like a fun layout!
It has got a bit o'everything.
Turntable,Switching yard,sidings,shunting ops, point a to point b ops,
or even continous running!,,small town part, possibly rual parts, it has it all!

What does the part that is shaded green in lower right? what is the
significance of the shading?

And those green lines on the left?

Nevermind,,after looking at the photos,,,different elevations.
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: jonathan on November 17, 2009, 11:11:58 AM
Sid,

Going through withdrawl.  Any updates on your layout?

Regards,

Jonathan
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: WoundedBear on November 19, 2009, 10:58:53 AM
I'll try to get some updated pictures soon. Lately, it seems, I can't get away from the race cars long enough to do any railroading.

Sid
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: WoundedBear on December 14, 2009, 01:55:55 PM
 ;D As promised.......some fresh pics of the layout.

I tore out most of "Summit". The one grade running up the back just didn't look right. It seemed OK on paper, but once built, it was far too steep when compared to the rest of the payout, and it stuck out like a sore thumb.

The solution was to abandon the continuous running idea and change the layout to a loop-to-loop configuration. Doing that also opened up a nice scenic area for the 18" Atlas curved chord bridge.

(http://members.shaw.ca/woundedbear2k/train28.jpg)

Other than that, I have been picking away at a few projects. Finally got this old toolcar up and running. A paint job and some Kadee trucks made for a good looking unit.

(http://members.shaw.ca/woundedbear2k/train29.jpg)

I managed to complete the sawdust collection shed for the sawmill. This is an old Muir Models kit with NBW castings and corrugated metal roofing. The upper and lower walls are assembled as seperate pieces, then one sits atop the other's corner support beams....not an easy task.

(http://members.shaw.ca/woundedbear2k/train30.jpg)

(http://members.shaw.ca/woundedbear2k/train31.jpg)

I've made some more headway on the sawmill itself, too. This is a JV Models Lucas Sawmill kit that is NOT die/laser cut. This is true board for board construction. The interior details are a mix of Woodland Scenics and Scale Structures white metal casting kits. I am almost ready to start laying out the belt drive system. Here's a link to the kit at Walthers.

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/345-2021 (http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/345-2021)

(http://members.shaw.ca/woundedbear2k/train37.jpg)

(http://members.shaw.ca/woundedbear2k/train38.jpg)

(http://members.shaw.ca/woundedbear2k/train39.jpg)

I have also been busy with a two stall engine house. This is a Kanamodel laser cut kit, ( link here http://kanamodel.com/Premium%20Kits.htm#CANADIAN%20PACIFIC%20ENGINE%20HOUSE (http://kanamodel.com/Premium%20Kits.htm#CANADIAN%20PACIFIC%20ENGINE%20HOUSE) ) with resin doors, hinges and windows. I use white glue to make all the "glass" in my structures. The front doors are hinged, with 16 seperate hinge straps, 16 holders, 16 pieces of wire and 16 .020" hand drilled holes. Again....not an easy task, but with enough patience, the doors work smoothly with no binding.

The floor of the engine house is NOT included in the kit. I thought it would enhance the building's appearance, so away I went. It is all done board for board with Kappler Scale Lumber and a sharp pencil for the nail holes.

Tha's about it for now....enjoy the pics....more to come! ;D

Sid

(http://members.shaw.ca/woundedbear2k/train32.jpg)

(http://members.shaw.ca/woundedbear2k/train33.jpg)

(http://members.shaw.ca/woundedbear2k/train34.jpg)

(http://members.shaw.ca/woundedbear2k/train35.jpg)

(http://members.shaw.ca/woundedbear2k/train36.jpg)
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: jonathan on December 14, 2009, 02:25:04 PM
Thank you, Sid!

You are a heckuva craftsman. 

Regards,

Jonathan
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: pdlethbridge on December 15, 2009, 04:17:20 AM
besides that, he's pretty good ::)
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: Terry Toenges on December 15, 2009, 10:32:12 AM
Looks great Sid.
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: WoundedBear on December 15, 2009, 01:24:53 PM
Thanks for the kind words, Gents. Muchly appreciated.

Sid
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: WoundedBear on March 20, 2011, 05:00:34 PM
So.............been a little better than a year since anything new was posted to this thread......guess it's time for an update or two, or three or four...lol.

Where to begin? The track work is mostly finished, with working staging loops and a completed mainline. There are still some sidings/spurs to add, but those will come as my structures get built. To date I have installed 25 Micro-Mark "Switch-Tender" stall motors and 1 Tortoise stall machine. The Tortoise operates one #8 tunrout in the staging area, and due to it's built in double pole contacts, I was able to energize the frog with a shorter wiring run. The Micro_Mark machines use 3PDT switches, so all your frog wiring has to run back to the switch panel. Not a big deal, but like I said, using the Tortoise in that one location cut out 40 feet of wire. There are 4 switch panels around the layout for turnout control, and one panel for DCC blocks. I should be able to start on the fascia once the last of the frogs are energized. Thanks to Jim Banner for the wiring tips.

Been working on some structures as well. Got 4 of Woodland Scenics' white metal kits done. These can be a little finnicky to get right, but the end results warrant the effort, in my opinion. The little tanker truck is a Woodland Scenics white metal kit as well.

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/town01.jpg)

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/town02.jpg)

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/town03.jpg)

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/town04.jpg)

Next project that got done was a build of a dozen Tichy Train Group 22 foot ore cars. I have built a lot of kits in my day....all subjects, and all sorts of manufacturers. These Tichy kits are far and beyond what I used to think of as a "well engineered" kit. These things fit so precisely it's unreal. Each truck alone has to be assembled from 16 seperate pieces (times 2 trucks is 32 pieces) and the car itself consists of another 33 parts for a total of 65 pieces per car. I followed Tichy's directions to a T and after adding the JWD Products ore loads, these are some of the best tracking cars I have seen. I only built a dozen, but by varying the numbers you can represent a much larger fleet.

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/tichy01.jpg)

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/tichy02.jpg)

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/tichy03.jpg)

A Con-Cor Pierce-Arrow Galloping Goose was added to the roster. This is an exceptionally nice running unit with a Digitrax sound decoder factory installed by Con-Cor.

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/goose01.jpg)

She'll do a fine job servicing the mines and mills in the area. This is a Grandt Line kit that is just getting it's base colors.

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/stampmill01.jpg)

That's enough for one posting....more to follow.

Sid
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: WoundedBear on March 20, 2011, 05:33:13 PM
OK....those are out of the way....now...let's see what else there is.

This is an American Model Builders Laser-Kit (Kit #118). Built right outta the box with the adition of interior lighting, which I don't have pics of working yet, and some interior detail. I added nail holes and siding joints and a bit of weathering and the open doors draw you right inside.

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/supply01.jpg)

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/supply03.jpg)

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/supply02.jpg)

Next up is a project that has been on the shelf for a long time. I finally came up with enough parts to do it. This is the venerable MDC Roundhouse Rotary Snow Plow kit. I had most of it, then stumbled across the missing roof panel at a flea market. I then struggled with what to use as a tender for this unit. A trip to our LHS turned up another old MDC kit, this time in the shape of a slope backed oil tender. Now was time to forge ahead. The roof had to be modified to fit the cupola into it. The side access doors were scratchbuilt along with hinge rods and straps. The rear of the roof had a small extension built and a snow deflector was fashioned for the outlet of the plow. Locating the pivot hole and centering the housing on the front of the car body is an interesting challenge as well.

I will use the Die cast MDC trucks under the plow and probably change out the plastic tender trucks for a set of Kadees. The V-shaped thing-a-ma-jig in the pics is the belly flanger blade. It is getting scratchbuilt from Evergreen stock and I am hand embossing the bolt heads for the wear edges with a .015" drill bit chucked blunt end out in a pin vise. The snow deflector is hinged and will pivot to either side. The tender didn't need much modification, other than removing the light mount and filling the hole. The light that should go there will now be mounted up on the cupola. I am having a blast with this build. The hole in the roof gets filled with a boiler and I have a small, white metal, single cylinder steam engine to go inside the plow.

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/plow01.jpg)

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/plow02.jpg)

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/plow03.jpg)

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/plow04.jpg)

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/plow05.jpg)

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/plow06.jpg)

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/plow07.jpg)

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/plow08.jpg)

And as for trains....that's about it for this winter.....drag race season is calling. Our first race is supposed to be on April 30....hope the snow melts by then. Here's a link to our Youtube vids of the car's last passes in 2010. She ran fast enough to where I had to license in order to race. This year we have to get my son licensed and I think he'll be taking over pilot duties in the next year or two.

http://www.youtube.com/user/WoundedBear2k?feature=mhum (http://www.youtube.com/user/WoundedBear2k?feature=mhum)

Have fun guys............I'm off to make some noise. ;D

(http://members.shaw.ca/wbearart1/Models/hotrod01.jpg)
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: NMWTRR on March 20, 2011, 06:38:54 PM
Mr. Bear

First of all I had not seen this post before so was amazed at your craftsmanship!

Second I have one question regarding your snow plow. I have the same kit sitting in my to do box.

Are you planning to power the rotary blades?  If so what method/ motor/ bearing arrangement are you planning to use?

Lastly good luck on the track with the awesome dragster.

NMWTRR
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: jonathan on March 20, 2011, 08:21:01 PM
Sid,

Once again, thanks-a-million for sharing your true craftsmanship.  Great talent.  Get out of those cars before you hurt yourself.  ;D

Regards,

Jonathan
Title: Re: Start of a fresh layout
Post by: WoundedBear on March 21, 2011, 04:02:09 PM
NMWTRR........

Motorizing the model went through my head, but my electrical skills aren't quite there yet. I built the pivot assembly pretty much as MDC suggests, and once the holes are bushed with slices of aluminum tubing, I suppose one could manage to get it to spin quite freely. This one turns with a nudge from a toothpick once it's in place.

But I'm adding the oil fired boiler and steam cylinder inside the model, and that doesn't leave a lot of room for electronics. I thought of a motor with a decoder and lighting control. A guy could go wild if you chose not to do an interior...one could even add in a speaker in the tender and download the proper sounds for the plow.

And thank you both for the compliments on my craftsmanship. I try hard ;D

Sid
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy.
Post by: WoundedBear on February 22, 2013, 03:33:56 PM
wow.....it's been a while since I've posted any updates here. :o

I guess that comes from spending more time building something, than spending time talking about building something....lol. But I think we're all guilty of that from time to time.

A lot of the photos I'm going to post are stored as higher resolution images than the forums allow....so...just click on each photo to view the full sized original.

Anyhow....on with the show. I see I last left off with the rotary plow still in bare plastic. It is a finished model now, and ready to do battle with the fiercest of drifts. These images are only 640x480.

(http://i70.servimg.com/u/f70/17/83/87/93/plow1310.jpg)

(http://i70.servimg.com/u/f70/17/83/87/93/plow1410.jpg)

(http://i70.servimg.com/u/f70/17/83/87/93/plow1610.jpg)

As an aside here..........the often scorned Atlas turntable does indeed have a prototype....despite the, commonly heard, urban legend to the contrary.

OK....what next? Oh yeah...this..........

The first station to be erected for the LS&D was the one at Djheet Run. This is an old Suydham kit, that believe it or not, I picked up at my LHS not too long ago. These cardstock kits present a whole new set of problems and are a steep learning curve. I found they offer little room for error. The instructions must be followed to the letter at times. The kit also includes the interior.

I am nowhere near the detailing stages on the layout yet, so for now, she sits as an empty and lonely shell.

(http://i70.servimg.com/u/f70/17/83/87/93/djheet10.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=10&u=17838793)

(http://i70.servimg.com/u/f70/17/83/87/93/djheet11.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=11&u=17838793)

(http://i70.servimg.com/u/f70/17/83/87/93/djheet12.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=12&u=17838793)

(http://i70.servimg.com/u/f70/17/83/87/93/djheet14.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=14&u=17838793)

(http://i70.servimg.com/u/f70/17/83/87/93/djheet15.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=15&u=17838793)

Enjoy!

Sid
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy.
Post by: WoundedBear on February 22, 2013, 03:43:21 PM
The next thing to get done, was a fire truck for the good folks of Djheet Run. This is a Jordan Highway Miniatures kit of the 1913 Model T Fire Truck. There are 41 parts to the all styrene kit and I added a few metal watch parts as detail items here and there.

(http://i70.servimg.com/u/f70/17/83/87/93/1913tf13.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=40&u=17838793)

(http://i70.servimg.com/u/f70/17/83/87/93/1913tf11.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=83&u=17838793)

(http://i70.servimg.com/u/f70/17/83/87/93/1913tf10.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=82&u=17838793)

And then one of the mines was crying for some new equipment...........

(http://i70.servimg.com/u/f70/17/83/87/93/dozer110.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=26&u=17838793)

After those got completed, I turned my attention back to another station, this time in Lye Flats. After all, the stations were at the heart of most small towns.

This is a Muir Models kit....again an oldie. I did change the roof and put Campell shingles on it. This one is all wood but lacks any interior. What makes this one stand out is the scratchbuilt curved platform. She snuggles up nicely to a 22 inch radius.

(http://i70.servimg.com/u/f70/17/83/87/93/lyefla10.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=16&u=17838793)

(http://i70.servimg.com/u/f70/17/83/87/93/lyefla11.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=17&u=17838793)

Enjoy....more to come.

Sid
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy.
Post by: WoundedBear on February 22, 2013, 04:11:29 PM
Now....there was more.

The layout needed an ashpit or two. The first, went in at Stihl Yards. This is the busy hub of the layout. The kit is a Walther's Cornerstone. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of this kit, given the sheer disappointment I've found in other Walther's products. I built it on a piece of 1 inch extruded foam then installed that up from below the benchwork. The opening had been cut when the layout was first constructed.

(http://i70.servimg.com/u/f70/17/83/87/93/ashpit10.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=6&u=17838793)

(http://i70.servimg.com/u/f70/17/83/87/93/ashpit11.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=7&u=17838793)

I have a passion for taking below-average and oft-maligned kits and seeing if I can bring out the best in them.

The first challenge was an Atlas Lumberyard kit. We've all seen these, and if built unpainted and following their instructions, can be a total monstrosity. I still need to stack the racks with product but the first boxcar load is arriving as we speak. The signs still need to be done. I added a little sifted sawdust under the power saw. Everything you have seen is painted using nothing but rattle cans. I can't stand the effort of the airbrush, but I do know how to use one ;) Rattle cans are easier.

The final shading is all done with powders and chalks.

(http://i70.servimg.com/u/f70/17/83/87/93/ld210.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=8&u=17838793)

(http://i70.servimg.com/u/f70/17/83/87/93/ld310.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=9&u=17838793)

Next in my "sow's ear to a silk purse" category, is the venerable Model Power Old Coal Mine. This is another widely criticized kit based on a Jack Works article in MR from the 60's. And, like the Atlas turntable, a lot of folks think this is a totally fictional structure with no prototype. Wrong, again.

Once I figured out the proper track arrangement, things fll into place. This will occupy a back corner near the staging entrance. I built the mountain from stacked pieces of extruded foam and covered it with using the usual plaster method. The mine adit is scratchbuilt from wood as are the retaining walls. You can see the walls wrapped in tin foil to keep them clean as the plaster sets in behind them. I have not got to any painting or ground cover yet, still in winter mode.

(http://i70.servimg.com/u/f70/17/83/87/93/umm0210.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=19&u=17838793)

(http://i70.servimg.com/u/f70/17/83/87/93/umm0410.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=20&u=17838793)

(http://i70.servimg.com/u/f70/17/83/87/93/umm0510.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=21&u=17838793)

(http://i70.servimg.com/u/f70/17/83/87/93/umm0710.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=22&u=17838793)

And that's it for now.

Drag racing season is soon upon us here....I just got baby back from the dyno. Put a fresh bottom end in her and a roller lifter/camshaft setup. She made 523 HP and just over 505 lb/ft of torque. I can't wait....c,mon spring time. ;D

(http://i70.servimg.com/u/f70/17/83/87/93/back_f10.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=4&u=17838793)

Sid
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy.
Post by: jonathan on February 22, 2013, 04:29:26 PM
Wow, Sid!

I'd almost forgotten about your great craftsmanship.  I am always impressed and jealous.  That's some kind of skill, sir!

I notice your structure color of choice is somewhat close to depot buff... a B&O color.  Intentional? One wonders...  :)

Thanks for posting your updates.

Regards,

Jonathan
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy.
Post by: WoundedBear on February 22, 2013, 04:51:46 PM
Depot Buff??!!?? ???

B&O??!!??  ???

LMAO.....I'm a model builder and basically know diddely dick all about real railroads. ;D

I chose that color for two reasons.....

1....I had a bunch of it left over from my automotive modeling days

2....I liked the yellow.

To me it's known as Viper or Daytona Yellow...lol.

Color is color, man, and that's all it is. Rogetra made a comment on color and how the magazines hype these "railroad" colors for every damn project they do. And I agree. If a color is right for a project, then use it. Too many modelers get focused on the color name rather than looking at the actual color itself......then wind up frustrated.

Sid
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy.
Post by: Thomas1911 on February 22, 2013, 08:45:29 PM
Great looking layout, Sid. Top-notch work.  Will be waiting to see more.

Gook luck with the motor.  Don't want to get your thread off-track, but what CI is it?  496?  502?  I'm a gear head myself.  Built a 347 for my Mustang last winter.
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy.
Post by: WoundedBear on February 22, 2013, 09:37:16 PM
Thanks Thomas.

She's a 468 cubic incher with 10.8:1 compression ratio. She did the 520 horse on pump gas....wheeeeeeee. ;D

Sid
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy.
Post by: Thomas1911 on February 23, 2013, 01:32:27 AM
Very cool, impressive numbers.

My best friend has a '91 Chevy short-wide with a 496.  He hasn't really been able to drive it yet, was having some electrical issues then had a cam go flat.

Hoping to dyno my 347 pretty soon.  Ought to be a 350-375-ish HP motor.  Has AFR heads, custom billet roller cam, 10.5:1 C/R.  Still doing some tweaking on it.  Makes a fun street driver.

(http://i989.photobucket.com/albums/af15/85MUSTANGGT_TJM/Mustang%20Pics/NewValveCovers_zps81394678.jpg)

Sorry to get your thread off-topic.
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy.
Post by: WoundedBear on April 21, 2013, 04:26:31 PM
Hi again guys. Well another month and some has passed......the race car is back together, now if it would just quit snowing. We had snow most of the day yesterday and today I don't think we're getting above freezing. So much for playing hotrods today, so I took a few more pics of things I did around the layout.

The first building is one of Walthers cardstock kits made for them by GC Laser Kits. At first glance, I was a little disappointed when I opened the kit, but as I read the instructions and started to get a picture in my mind, my opinion changed.

If the directions are adhered to, this is a clever little model. I really liked the positionable windows, as delicate as they are. Everything is tan cardstock and white paper, except the chimney and the door knobs. To top it off I added some Bar Mills shakes to the roof instead of the simple tarpaper that Walthers supplied. All the coloring (paint) is done with weathering powders and chalks. I find paper really responds nicely to this method of coloring. No overcoat of dullcoat needed either, the colors adhere permanently.

I stuck a couple of figures inside, one in a suit the other in overalls. The floor pops out and a light will be added before it gets "planted". A black view block keeps the focus on the figures in front and keeps the light from getting lost, so to speak.

As always....click on the pics themselves to view full sized versions.

Sid

(http://i70.servimg.com/u/f70/17/83/87/93/smalls10.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=73&u=17838793)

(http://i70.servimg.com/u/f70/17/83/87/93/smalls11.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=74&u=17838793)

(http://i70.servimg.com/u/f70/17/83/87/93/smalls12.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=75&u=17838793)

Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy.
Post by: WoundedBear on April 21, 2013, 04:27:11 PM
Next pictures are a couple of locomotives that have been painted for the layout.

First is a Mantua 2-6-6-2 with tender that has been painted up as No.66 of the Lye, Stihl & Djheet Railway Company. This started life as a black unlettered version that was DCC ready. This loco is the biggest power on my layout. It is responsible for bringing the bi-weekly freight drag in and out of LS&D

She first got ripped down to her basic parts and then a few things were done. I added extra pickups on the tender for better continuity and also tossed an MRC universal steam decoder in while I was at it. The MRC decoder is nice.....I like it's ability to mimic the sound of a mallet properly.

A quick coat of corporate green and some homemade decals went on the tender and cab, etc. I use the Testors decal system and so far have had good success. A photo printer helps too. I added glazing cut from a piece of packaging plastic, and the smaller cab windows just got glazed with Krystal-Kleer.......which is way easier than cutting out microscopic windows ;D

The boiler got a coat of black and graphite and all the detail parts were painted. Most of the weathering is done with the drybrush technique. I actually used very little powder on this model. I added nothing to the loco other than the junk on the tender deck.......I just painted and detailed the crap outta everything that Mantua supplied. She turned out to be a nice runner and because the model is as small as it is, it cruises around my 18" radii curves quite happily.

(http://i70.servimg.com/u/f70/17/83/87/93/lsd66r10.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=76&u=17838793)

(http://i70.servimg.com/u/f70/17/83/87/93/lsd66f10.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=77&u=17838793)

Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy.
Post by: WoundedBear on April 21, 2013, 04:27:35 PM
As I was photographing No. 66, one of Lye Flats Lumber Company's Shays happened to amble by. Pulling a Kadee bobber 'boose, LFLC's No.22, affectionately known as Laura to the crew, is on her way back to camp from a hard day in the bush.

This is a stock Bachmann model with Tsunami sound. Very nice runner. These and the Climax models are Bachmann's jewels. Damn shame about the gear problems though. This one has had the NWSL steel gear upgrade done, and what an improvement!!

Again we have some home made decals and some subtle weathering again done mostly with powders. The Shays are a little difficult to get apart, and you really need to watch exactly where that powder is going. Some precison masking is needed in spots to keep junk out while working. One area to watch is the speaker opening.

With some junk added to the tender deck, and a crew inside, she looks like a well cared for, hard working loco.

Will update again soon.

Sid

(http://i70.servimg.com/u/f70/17/83/87/93/lflc2210.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=78&u=17838793)

(http://i70.servimg.com/u/f70/17/83/87/93/lflc2212.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=80&u=17838793)

(http://i70.servimg.com/u/f70/17/83/87/93/lflc2211.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=79&u=17838793)
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy.
Post by: electrical whiz kid on April 21, 2013, 04:41:40 PM
Wounded Bear;
I was half-reading the post about putting extrra pickups on the tender and it went through my cheese " putting extra pickups on my fender" and I woke up two lines downstream...  Been playing guitar waaaaaay too long.
RIch C.
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: WoundedBear on July 12, 2013, 06:50:28 PM
Been at the bench some more........time flies when you're having fun. ;D

This time up was a Bachmann Spectrum 4-6-0 DCC ready model. This has been with me since early 08. I installed a Lenz 1835 motor decoder and she runs beautifully.

Getting the shell off one of these is no big deal, I may write up a little tutorial on how to do that if I get time soon. What bugged me most was trying to get the detail parts off the shell itself. I went so far as to pop out all the cab windows as well. Whatever kinda super-uber glueber-doop Bachmann puts on these parts at the factory is the best damn glooping-goop I've ever seen. Most pins broke off, no matter how delicate I was, and had to be redrilled and replaced. What can I say? :(  My CDO (that's OCD, but in the correct order) just compels me to paint and weather even the hidden details. HEY! I know it's there, alright? 8-}  :lol:

I like to place family and friends into the layout when I can, as I'm sure a lot of you do as well. This one was for my best friend of 30 + years. His lucky number is 13 and his Mom's name was Luree. I added nothing to this other than a pair of properly scaled figures and some tools. Mostly done with dry brush technique using model master military colors and finished off with Doc O'briens powders. I lost one front marker lamp into the carpet, but a trip to the LHS should solve that.

Enjoy the photos.

Sid

(http://i33.servimg.com/u/f33/17/83/87/93/luree010.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=94&u=17838793)

(http://i33.servimg.com/u/f33/17/83/87/93/luree011.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=95&u=17838793)

(http://i33.servimg.com/u/f33/17/83/87/93/luree012.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=96&u=17838793)
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: WoundedBear on July 12, 2013, 06:50:42 PM
A few more................

(http://i33.servimg.com/u/f33/17/83/87/93/luree017.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=101&u=17838793)

(http://i33.servimg.com/u/f33/17/83/87/93/lureel11.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=103&u=17838793)

(http://i33.servimg.com/u/f33/17/83/87/93/lureel10.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=102&u=17838793)

Enjoy!

Sid
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: WoundedBear on July 12, 2013, 06:54:12 PM
I weathered a string of Rivarossi skeleton cars......here's a closer shot of one of them. Another Kadee boose joined the fleet and tried a few different weathering techniques out on this 36 foot boxcar.

(http://i33.servimg.com/u/f33/17/83/87/93/skelet10.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=108&u=17838793)

(http://i33.servimg.com/u/f33/17/83/87/93/bobber10.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=106&u=17838793)

(http://i33.servimg.com/u/f33/17/83/87/93/cutler10.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=107&u=17838793)

Sid
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: WoundedBear on July 12, 2013, 06:59:43 PM
And lastly.....a couple of shots of what's soon to become the Main Street of Lye Flats.

Among the kits visible are Banta's general store, Campbell Scale Model's firehouse, a Muir station, a Suydham (now Alpine) Well's Fargo Office, a couple of Walther's newer laser kit's and some City Classics houses in the back. The tractor dealer is also an old Muir kit.

(http://i33.servimg.com/u/f33/17/83/87/93/mainst10.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=104&u=17838793)

(http://i33.servimg.com/u/f33/17/83/87/93/mainst11.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=105&u=17838793)

That's it for now....Enjoy!

Sid
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: jonathan on July 12, 2013, 10:14:48 PM
Enjoy it, I did!

That crewman on the back of the tender sure looks familiar.  :o  I think I hired the same guy to work in my roundhouse.

I really like the whole fictitious railroad idea.  Seems to allow for more artistic freedom than trying to model a specific railroad.

Great stuff.

Regards,

Jonathan
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: Thomas1911 on July 12, 2013, 10:18:17 PM
Very cool, Sid.  Weathering looks great.
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: rogertra on July 13, 2013, 02:48:34 AM
Nice locos and equipment, looking forward to seeing scenery.

Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: Jerrys HO on July 13, 2013, 07:11:17 AM
Great work Sid.
Wish you could post more pics on that coal mine project. It looks great.

Jerry
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: WoundedBear on July 13, 2013, 10:46:09 AM
Thanks for the compliments fellows. I regard you guys as some of the best on this forum, at least in the HO side of things, and hearing those comments from you, reaffirms that I am on the right track with my modeling. Even though we all model totally different subjects, I always look forwards to seeing what you fellows are doing as well. Too much blah blah blah on here at times....not enough pictures.

Jonathan....thanks for the thumbs up on the fictitional line concept. A few years ago, when I was building mainly automotive replicas, I almost got burned out of modeling from trying to copy prototypes. The freelanced idea has really allowed me to use the right side of my brain a little more.....lol. I'm glad you mentioned the crewman. I had it in mind at one point in this project to paint his butt, then forgot. Seems the dude is a triplet or quadruplet or something. Turns out their brother is running another loco on my layout and one on my buddy's.....lmao.

Thomas.....thanks. I have a penchant for Doc O'Brien's powders. Ever tried them?

Roger and Jerry......scenery...wow. There's something that is still in the very back of the mind. The coal mine is pretty much right where it got left off in these pictures. I haven't even unwrapped the foil from the retaining walls yet since the plaster dried, but I am looking forward to revisiting that project soon.

Lately things seem frenzied. I'm awaiting double hip replacements, and those are due to begin in late September or early October. In the meantime I have this feeling of a deadline looming and can't decide on what to try and get done first. The surgery means I probably won't be able to get into the basement for months, probably most of the winter. I'm looking at ways to cover the layout, maybe some 2 mil poly, and will probably box up the locos. Between the layout, the yardwork and the cars I'm feeling a tad overwhelmed

Anyhow....thanks for your interest in my layout, guys. Here's a little update on the LS&D concept......

Quick description.........a small fictional shortline on the BC-Alberta border in the Yellowhead Pass region, circa 1932. We run a few mines, a sawmill, a logging area, 2 small towns and a central yard. The layout room is roughly 12 X 22 and I have a 12 X 15 studio in the room next to it. Staging runs through an access hole in the wall and is in the studio room. Minimum radius is 18, but the small equipment I use looks fine. Max grade is 2.2% and there is provision for a continuous run route through staging, or it can be operated as a point to pointer.

The names are fictional as well.....the small town of Lye Flats is where Lye Flats Lumber Co has their mill. Main street consists of a store, fire hall, station, and other buildings. It leads up a road past some company houses to the largest mine on the layout. The centrally located Stihl Yards look after servicing and repairing all of the LS&D's equipment as well as doing work on the privately owned units of the mines and lumber company. The other town on the line is Djheet Valley with a number of various industries and a layover stock yard. There is a station here as well.

Down the line is the logging area and a wye, then on towards a few more mines and finally into staging. It's a single main with limited passing. At Stihl there is only a small 4 track stub yard. Big power is a Mantua 2-6-6-2....it brings the weekly freight drag into the area.  The workhorses of the fleet are three Bachmann 4-6-0's with the 52" drivers. They are responsible for passenger service and hauling the local freight.

The mines and sawmill run Shays and Climaxes. The mines have both 2 and 3 truck Climaxes, a 2 truck Climax will handle yard switching and Shays pulling Rivarossi log cars are everywhere. There is also a Concor Pierce Arrow Galloping Goose that hauls hot shot freight to the mines.

I'll post more pics as soon as I can.

Thanks again.

Sid
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: Doneldon on July 13, 2013, 08:31:45 PM
Sid-

I strongly endorse your intention to cover your railroad. While this is usually too big of a pain in the keester to do on a daily basis, it is genuinely worthwhile for a layout which won't be used for a while. It's especially worthwhile for layouts in unfinished space where the ceilings are unfinished. But ...

Even two-mill poly can do a lot of damage to a carefully built layout. Mostly that happens during installation and removal. You can minimize that, especially on the removal end, if your set up allows you to hang the poly from overhead. Opened metal coat hangers work well for this or you can use odd pieces of wood with the poly held by thumb tacks. A good alternative is making a lean-to kind of cover with the poly rolled on some light wood (may be 1x2 or smaller) which has just a couple of screws into the wall. Then run the poly to the fascia or some uprights, depending on just what is near the edges of your railroad. The few screw holes can be quickly and invisibly repaired or left in place for future dormant periods. I suppose it would be possible to make some small plugs which are painted like the backdrop and would almost conceal the holes while leaving them in place for future use if needed. I haven't tried the plugs myself but they should work.

I hope your new hips have you down the steps a whole lot sooner than you expect but, at the same time, don't push so hard that you make things worse. I've had seriously compromised mobility several times myself, and I've found that pushing through the pain and beyond doctors' instructions gets me up and around faster than predicted, but it has to be kept somewhat in check because overdoing it can lead to a hated setback. So ... push some but use your common sense.
                -- D
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: WoundedBear on July 13, 2013, 08:52:55 PM
Don.......

I still have a ton of bare plywood on the layout so covering is not a huge ordeal. Only a few choice areas need to be protected for the long run. Normally I keep a HEPA filter air purifier running 24/7 in the layout room and I rigged filters in the overhead forced air ducts so the dust doesn't get blown in in the winter time.

I'm hoping these hips do more than just get me down the steps........I'm concerned with being able to run a snow blower, the lawn mower, change a spare tire, get under a car to work on it, get in my race car, soend a day on my feet, etc etc.........I'm in my early 50's and I'm worried this is gonna age me 20 years overnight, so to speak. I want them to do both at once, but because I had a heart attack three years ago, they won't risk it.

But at the moment, the pain is off the charts, and being stoned on pain killers for the last 6 months or so is not sitting well with me. Try drag racing when all you want to do is have a nap :D The implants are the only answer....so I'll go in as positive as I can, and see what's left on the other side. I have a good support network behind me with family and friends.....I just hope the recovery team and the physio folks are ready....lmao.

I'm so motivated for this that I have even managed to quit smoking.....that was a 30 cig a day habit since I was 15. Gee....wonder why I had a heart attack....lol.

Sid
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: Doneldon on July 13, 2013, 09:17:19 PM
Sid-

I commend you for doing the single healthiest thing anyone can ever do -- stopping smoking. Not only is it very difficult (My dad said it wasn't all that hard because he had managed to quit five times himself [!!] although he died at 52 from a heart attack which unquestionably aggravated by his smoking), it really is a boon to your health. I'll bet you already have better breathing and sleeping.

Not to get your hopes up too far, but I know a bunch of people who've had hips replaced and they describe it as a true miracle. One colleague about your age lamented that the doctors would only give him new hips and a knee if he stopped running (he was a marathoner) but he was so pleased with the results that he started limited running and felt he would be glad to have another replacement in 15-20 years if that would be the cost for maintaining his active lifestyle. Ten years later he's still running five miles a day with no evidence of problems in his hip or knee. I hope your experience is equally positive. Keep us posted.
                                                                        -- D
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: Thomas1911 on July 14, 2013, 01:17:37 AM
Sid,

Best wishes on your upcoming surgery and congrats on quitting smoking.

Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: jbrock27 on July 14, 2013, 08:23:17 AM
Now that's some great modeling going on right there Sid!

I cover my layout with light plastic, like you would use to cover furniture when painting.  Maybe what you can try is making a couple of wood "stands" out of some scrap wood, shaped like an upside down "T" or a wood dowel on piece of stock in the same shape, just a little higher than the highest structure, place them in strategic places on the layout and then lay the plastic over it, getting a "tent" effect.

I have every confidence you are going to do well with your surgery and be able to do those things again that you want to do-you are too tough a bird not to!
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: Jerrys HO on July 14, 2013, 08:52:34 AM
Sid
Good luck on your surgery. A friend had the same surgery and now walks like he's 25yrs. younger.
Great modeling and I like how you worked the coal mine into the mountain.
I use the Doc O'Briens powders also and love them. You can wash them off if you don't like the look or if you like it I shoot a little dulcote on them to seal the project.

Jerry
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: J3a-614 on July 14, 2013, 06:50:21 PM
Sid, I too wish you luck on your surgery, hope it works out well.

And if you can't get Rivarossi skeleton flats, may I recommend Kadee's original versions from the late 1950s or early 1960s that are still in production.  They make a truss rod variation, too, and are the only source of disconnect log trucks in HO I know about.

Of course, I also have to put in a plug for Bachmann's own log flats, which are based on a Cass, W.Va. prototype!  Couldn't model logging in West Virginia without them!
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos and updates)
Post by: WoundedBear on February 28, 2014, 11:39:22 AM
Wow......holy shmokers Batman....was this thread ever buried.....lol. Can't believe it was back in July that I last posted any updates to this thread.

Thanks for the concern regarding my surgery, fellas. I had the left side done late in October, and am happy to say that it has healed up well and is now pain free. Now for the right side. Unfortunately, it has more pain than the left, but I did the left first due to the lack of movement I had there. Now that it is strong and free, I should be able to recover from the right side replacement even quicker. That surgery is due sometime in late April if all goes to plan. Maybe, just maybe, I can try climbing back in the race car come September.

Anyhows.....back to the topic at hand here.....model trains and stuff.

First up is a Banta "Dallas Divide Section House" kit. This was the last thing I got built before getting laid up. Laser cut, with injection molded windows and doors, the kit also has a cast plaster foundation and white metal chimney castings. The kit is supplied with a tarpaper roof, but the Northeast shingles looked much better. This roof was a bear to do, row by row and planning the gap to be able to slip the separate back roof in and have it all look seamless. Weathering to follow. I prefer to get builds done then do a weathering of several items at once. Those powders can get into places you don't want them if you're careless with them.

(http://i56.servimg.com/u/f56/17/83/87/93/sectio10.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=147&u=17838793)

(http://i56.servimg.com/u/f56/17/83/87/93/sectio11.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=148&u=17838793)

(http://i56.servimg.com/u/f56/17/83/87/93/sectio12.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=149&u=17838793)

Next up is a little cabin. I wish I knew who made these. I got two of them plus parts of a third at a swap meet. She measures about 11 X 23 scale feet....good shack for a couple of miners or hunters. This one is die-cut wood with white metal castings for the doors and windows and a plastic chimney. I used Krystal Kleer for the window glass and again replaced a tarpaper roof. The floor pops outta this one to replace a light bulb that's inside of it. Now to build one more.

(http://i56.servimg.com/u/f56/17/83/87/93/miners10.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=137&u=17838793)

(http://i56.servimg.com/u/f56/17/83/87/93/miners11.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=138&u=17838793)

(http://i56.servimg.com/u/f56/17/83/87/93/miners12.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=139&u=17838793)

I also popped open a little Woodland Scenics white metal kit called Tucker Brother's Machine shop. Although a simplistic kit from a builders viewpoint......it only has 6 or 7 parts that make up the main part of the building. All the detail is cast into the walls.....inside and out. This is a perfect project if you can't stand up....lmao. I shot a coat of grey primer on the inside and a coat of red primer on the outer surfaces. Then I grabbed a brush with about 5 hairs in it and got busy.....lol.

An aside here.....Testors has come out with a new line of enamel stains in their ModelMaster series of colours. I strongly endorse their use. ;D Note....some experimentation required before attempting on a real model. You can't wash these off and try again like a powder or acrylic based wash.

Inside the Machine Shop kit is also a lathe, a drill press, a vertical mill, a workbench (covered in tools and parts), a bench grinder, a small forge and hood and an oxy-acetylene setup. Quite a value in my eyes for 25 bucks. Oh.....there's also an anvil mounted on a large wood block. This model is far from complete. There's a ton of painting still to do and a roof needs to be scratchbuilt.

(http://i56.servimg.com/u/f56/17/83/87/93/machin15.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=150&u=17838793)

(http://i56.servimg.com/u/f56/17/83/87/93/machin12.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=134&u=17838793)

(http://i56.servimg.com/u/f56/17/83/87/93/machin16.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=151&u=17838793)

(http://i56.servimg.com/u/f56/17/83/87/93/machin13.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=135&u=17838793)

(http://i56.servimg.com/u/f56/17/83/87/93/machin14.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=136&u=17838793)

Enjoy.

Sid

Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos...updated)
Post by: WoundedBear on February 28, 2014, 12:06:22 PM
OK...now that that is outta the way....here is the next thingamjigee I've been playing with.

I've had this MiniTrains Plymouth set sitting in a drawer for ages. I also an 18 X 36 inch wooden display case I had built years ago for some project and never used it. I decided to build a Carl Arendt inspired HOe micro-layout that can be incorporated into my main standard gauge layout as a scenery element. The concept is simple.....the little loco hauls ore from the mine to the ore dock.

I first laid out the plan on a computer program......I was able to tweak and shape the flex track down to a loco bending 4.5 inch minimum radius. With a printed copy of the track plan I started laying out buildings and after a few more track plan revisions, I was at last satisfied with the look of things.

I used extruded foam as a base and Woodland Scenics 4 percent incline starter ramps to change levels. The track is code 80 N gauge flex with Peco electro-frog turnouts. I soldered a length of flex to each of the legs of the turnouts, cut them roughly to length and attached it all to the cardstock roadbed with Lepage's Liquid No Nails. Wires have been tunneled into the foam and all connect at the rear of the layout.

The mine is a Grandt line kit. The supply house is an Alexander kit and the shacks are venerable Atlas trackside shanties. I think they will eventually be replaced by those miners shacks. I placed a wood floor in the mine house and added in a Bachmann HO log skidder to work as the steam hoist.

Here's a few pics of the progression of the layout and at the end is a quick vid I posted recently to youtube of the layout finally making laps. The thing is working well on DC now, and as the loco wears in a little, it's performance is smoothing out as well. Speaking of power......my ultimate plan is to be able to control this from my main DCC system once it is in place on the main layout. The loco itself has absolutely zero space for a decoder, nor am I willing to re-engineer the whole shebang to isoate a motor. My plan is to place a large scale decoder between the bus lines of my main layout and the feeder lines of the micro layout. If I connect the input of the decoder to the bus lines and the output to the micro layout's feeder lines it should work. Preliminary testing is proving positive.

(http://i56.servimg.com/u/f56/17/83/87/93/mini0110.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=140&u=17838793)

(http://i56.servimg.com/u/f56/17/83/87/93/mini0410.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=143&u=17838793)

(http://i56.servimg.com/u/f56/17/83/87/93/mini0510.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=144&u=17838793)

(http://i56.servimg.com/u/f56/17/83/87/93/mini0610.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=145&u=17838793)

(http://i56.servimg.com/u/f56/17/83/87/93/mini0710.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=146&u=17838793)

And finally the video link.............

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjzxcCJEgJE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjzxcCJEgJE)

Enjoy!!!

Sid

Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: jbrock27 on February 28, 2014, 12:36:50 PM
Great work, as always!
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: jonathan on February 28, 2014, 01:22:13 PM
Shnickey's, Sid!  Great stuff!

Thanks for getting back into the mix and showing us your stupendous work.

Regards,

Jonathan
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: Doneldon on February 28, 2014, 02:55:19 PM
Sid-

Great work and excellent photography. Thank you for showing us your work.

                                                                                                        -- D
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: WoundedBear on March 01, 2014, 11:06:17 AM
Thanks guys.....glad you like my craziness. ;D

Sid
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: Jerrys HO on March 01, 2014, 12:23:31 PM
Awesome work as usual Sid.
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: rogertra on March 03, 2014, 05:52:55 PM
Looking good Sid, keep it coming.

Cheers

Roger.
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: ryeguyisme on March 04, 2014, 06:14:07 PM
I've been wanting to do an HOn3 Mining portion for my redesign layout for my future blackstone K-36's I had the same idea for a coal dock as well, I definitely like where you went with this mini layout concept and how you made it 3 dimensional
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: WoundedBear on January 13, 2015, 03:28:02 PM
Wow :o How time flies when you're not having fun. I can't believe it's almost a year since I've posted anything about my layout. Since the last update, I did manage to get two new hips installed and I'm happy to report that I'm pretty much pain free and can spend a day on my feet without it killing me. No more pain meds......got rid of those totally two weeks after surgery. Doc says cold turkey on those after the many years on them, probably wasn't such a good move when it comes to my depression problem, but he's ok with my other way of coping.......cough cough.....LOL. Speaking of smoking.....I haven't touched tobacco in a year and a half now...so that's a good thing.

But a year of stuck in the house, not being able to get out, gets old real fast. This is where I was glad to have the modelling studio downstairs to work off some frustration. I even got a few automotive model projects completed. I look back on the year, and can't believe just how much I managed to accomplish.....but then again, I was dedicating 4 to 6 hours a day to model building, some days more than that. AC/DC or Flogging Molly blaring outta the stereo constantly......always amazed that I could focus on shingles and headbang at the same time.....lmao.

Anyhow.....enough yakking, let's get on with the pictures.

Back on page 5 I think it was.....I had shown the start of the mine in the back corner. Back then we had a snow white plaster hill. I really should have taken more photos than I did, especially of the progress stages of a project. So to refresh, first a shot of the mock up process of getting the mine floor level with the adit.

(http://images20.fotki.com/v207/photos/9/3572619/13560686/photo2-vi.jpg)

Then I did a bunch of stuff and the mountain turned green....lol. This is where the more pictures thing comes in. The rocks were painted with the same technique I use to paint castings. First I paint everything a dark almost black color of gray. Raw Umber works well in a pinch. I use just cheapo craft acrylics. Once the black base coat dries, I put a bit of white, yellow ochre, brown and gray on a pallet and using a dry brush I slowly build up the color into the rock. My first attempt resulted in rather dark rocks, so I went back and very easily, lightened them up a bit. If worse comes to worse, you could repaint the base and just start over.

(http://images20.fotki.com/v207/photos/9/3572619/13560686/photo3-vi.jpg)

For the ground cover, I tried Truescene's Fusion Fiber and I'm hooked. No plaster mess and you have days of working time. WS and Bmann foam and ballast products are then added in layers to the fiber. Google Fusion Fiber Truescene. There's still a ton of detail to be worked into this scene, but it's progress from where I was.

(http://images54.fotki.com/v104/photos/9/3572619/13560686/photo3-vi.jpg)

(http://images49.fotki.com/v630/photos/9/3572619/13560686/photo4-vi.jpg)

(http://images59.fotki.com/v543/photos/9/3572619/13560686/photo5-vi.jpg)


Then I opened a kit called Our House by WS. For a styrene kit, I was surprised by how much was in the kit. The freakin flower stems are individual stems....talk about a test of tweezer skills. She's painted entirely with rattle cans and a brush. The finish coat of weathering is done with Doc O'Briens powders from Micro-Mark. The tree is a natural armature with WS fine leaf foliage added and all planted on a chunk of 1/2 inch plywood for stability.

(http://images59.fotki.com/v543/photos/9/3572619/13561780/photo1-vi.jpg)

(http://images20.fotki.com/v207/photos/9/3572619/13561780/photo-vi.jpg)

(http://images20.fotki.com/v207/photos/9/3572619/13561780/photo2-vi.jpg)

(http://images54.fotki.com/v104/photos/9/3572619/13561780/photo1-vi.jpg)

(http://images60.fotki.com/v778/photos/9/3572619/13561780/photo-vi.jpg)

Sid




Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: WoundedBear on January 13, 2015, 03:28:44 PM
Next up was a "prove I can do it" kind of project more than anything. I had an old Mehano Camelback (box was dated 1997) and a spare MRC sound decoder in the pile. Guess what happens next? Yup. Even got rid of the NEM coupler on the tender and managed to get a Kadee mounted in the pilot too. I learned about speaker mounting, wiring and LEDs with this project. While I was at it, I painted it up for the Lye, Stihl and Djheet. It runs not bad....not what a Spectrum model is, but not bad. First is a pic of the out-of-box loco then a few pics down the line.

(http://images61.fotki.com/v249/photos/9/3572619/13561784/photo2-vi.jpg)

(http://images20.fotki.com/v207/photos/9/3572619/13561784/photo-vi.jpg)

(http://images59.fotki.com/v543/photos/9/3572619/13561784/photo1-vi.jpg)

(http://images49.fotki.com/v302/photos/9/3572619/13561784/photo-vi.jpg)

Here's a couple of pics of the LS & D's fleet out front of the engine house. Up front is a Spectrum 4-6-0, then a Mantua 2-6-6-2 then the Camelback.

(http://images20.fotki.com/v207/photos/9/3572619/13561782/photo3-vi.jpg)

(http://images60.fotki.com/v361/photos/9/3572619/13561782/photo-vi.jpg)

Then I got my hands on a Spectrum 0-6-0T for really cheap. DCC on board too. Promptly tore it to pieces and lettered it up for the Stihl Brothers Minerals Company. This is going to be the switcher for the mine in the corner. It's a good thing I energized my frogs, cause this little guy almost stalls on a #4. There was another project in the past year.....I energized 19 of my frogs ;D

(http://images54.fotki.com/v104/photos/9/3572619/13561782/photo1-vi.jpg)

(http://images59.fotki.com/v543/photos/9/3572619/13561782/photo-vi.jpg)

(http://images54.fotki.com/v104/photos/9/3572619/13561782/photo2-vi.jpg)


Sid

More to come.................................

Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: WoundedBear on January 13, 2015, 03:28:58 PM
Here's a Muir kit called Moonshine Whiskey Barrel Works. I rearranged the floorplan and built a new wall or two, so it's kind of a mirrored/set back version of the original. The platform was another one of those patience testing events. Again I'm amazed that I can focus on a task like that and bang my head to the rock and roll at the same time. I had to take the loupe off my optivisor because I kept shaking it loose and it would spin around. Annoying as hell....lol.

(http://images43.fotki.com/v1369/photos/9/3572619/13443122/DSC03440-vi.jpg)

The shingles are Muir's die cut strips, and after spray painting them with red/gray/black primer, they got applied row by row by row by row by row by.......good thing I got ways to beat stress......lol. Then I took a knife blade and went pick pick pick pick pick pick and stood random shingles up. My friends think I'm nuts. Eventually there'll be lights and an interior and a rope hoist for the little dude at the attic doorway.

(http://images43.fotki.com/v1439/photos/9/3572619/13443122/DSC03441-vi.jpg)

(http://images53.fotki.com/v695/photos/9/3572619/13443122/DSC03443-vi.jpg)

(http://images53.fotki.com/v107/photos/9/3572619/13443122/DSC03447-vi.jpg)

(http://images46.fotki.com/v678/photos/9/3572619/13443122/DSC03450-vi.jpg)

(http://images20.fotki.com/v207/photos/9/3572619/13443122/DSC03453-vi.jpg)

(http://images60.fotki.com/v370/photos/9/3572619/13443122/DSC03454-vi.jpg)


Wow....this is taking a long time to post. And I hate typing at best of times. ::)

Anyhow....more pics....next is a hoist house for that little HOe mini layout I had got started on. That whole 18 X 36 is getting incorporated into my main layout's scenery as a lift out element. This is a Grandt Line Wentamuck Mine kit with a Bachmann log skidder minus the skid as a steam hoist and some WS figures and details. This building is also lit.

(http://images60.fotki.com/v778/photos/9/3572619/13561778/photo-vi.jpg)

(http://images20.fotki.com/v207/photos/9/3572619/13561778/photo2-vi.jpg)

(http://images61.fotki.com/v249/photos/9/3572619/13561778/photo1-vi.jpg)

(http://images20.fotki.com/v207/photos/9/3572619/13561778/photo3-vi.jpg)

Enjoy

Sid

Every good mine needs good housing. I got started on the hill that will lead up to the mine and have a row of company houses facing a narrow road and overlooking Lye Flats Station. The houses are City Classics kits. The three lighter blue homes are colored with weathering powders only over top a base coat of white primer. The darker blue home is one that recently got repainted and they decided to go with a darker blue this time around in hopes it would stay looking fresh a little longer than the earlier powder blue did.

(http://images59.fotki.com/v543/photos/9/3572619/13561775/photo-vi.jpg)

(http://images59.fotki.com/v543/photos/9/3572619/13561775/photo3-vi.jpg)

(http://images54.fotki.com/v104/photos/9/3572619/13561775/photo1-vi.jpg)

(http://images60.fotki.com/v361/photos/9/3572619/13561775/photo4-vi.jpg)

OK....I think that's it for now. If I find more I'll post again. Maybe now that surgery is over I won't be waiting so long between postings. Now I can look forward to summer and getting back to racing too. I missed all of last season. That didn't help the depression either. But for now, we got 3 more moths of snow to contend with, which means I got three more months of building ahead of me. See ya all again soon.

Enjoy the pics.

Sid
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: Doneldon on January 13, 2015, 05:45:09 PM
Sid-

Nice work, and a ton of it, too. It's hard to know where to begin the accolades. For me it would be the Queen Anne for
the mine president or its contrast with the row of much less remarkable workers' houses. And the kicked out / rusted
out tipple is pretty neat, too.
                                            -- D
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: jonathan on January 13, 2015, 06:00:36 PM
Sid,

I am beside myself with envy.  Your modeling is some of the most beautiful work I've seen.  I want to come run my trains on your layout.

Your posts are certainly spread out some...  :) , but they sure are worth the wait.  Thanks for letting us see your work.

Regards,

Jonathan
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: WoundedBear on January 13, 2015, 10:59:06 PM
Don........

Glad you like the housing. I found those to be a nice change from building the normal industrial type structures we commonly see built. Would sure like to see some of your work Don.

Jon........

Thanks for the kind words. Coming from a modeller of your caliber I take that as quite a compliment. I need to do more lighting effects projects like you have done in the past on your layout. Maybe that will be next winter's focus.

Sid

Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: WoundedBear on December 01, 2015, 01:16:41 PM
Wow.......here we go and it's almost another whole year gone by and I've posted nothing.

That doesn't mean I've been doing nothing though ;D It's been a busy year. I did a repair for Roger T and then had a local club member bring over 4 Shay's, a new 3 truck Climax and a 2-10-0 that were all in need of some TLC. Happy to report all are back in service now. How about yours Roger? Is it still running? Remember.....my warranty was 50 feet/50 seconds......lololol :o

Since having my hips replaced a couple years ago, this was also the first year back in the dragster. I was able to run the entire season, pain free. What a pleasure. We struggled a bit this year.....lost an ignition box, then the engine. With the help of family and friends we got a used motor and had the thing back on the track 3 weeks later. Despite the setbacks, we managed to get my car into the 14th spot for the year out of 112 racers in my class. My buddy, who I crew chief for, managed a 7th place finish. I was really happy to see him in the top 10. Now winter is back and we've ripped the cars all apart again. Here's a shot of our bodies as of early November. It's time for some paint this year, so we started razor blading the old layers off the fiberglass.

(http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrkttdwdqdkkbddxsqskkdtfqrbwd,vi/rtrdgrtdwxtttqkbbkrxkbqtdwdsw/9/3572619/13873463/photo-vi.jpg)

But I digress. This is a train forum, so on with the train stuff.

I have been building, I just haven't been posting....or taking enough photos. I have completion shots, but was lazy about the construction phase shots. I do have one recent project that did get photographed from start to finish though. More on that later.

First up is a Woodland Scenics Trackside Scale kit. This is one of their small white metal kits. It is destined to be used at the large mine. That's a Spectrum 0-6-0 with some Tichy ore cars in behind it. In keeping with some of the wordplay that is apparent on my layout, I changed the decal from "Thiel" scales to read "Thief" (pronounced teef) with a couple quick brush strokes.

(http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrktttktwqkkbqwxsqskkdtfqrbwd,vi/swbggrtrrxrgdrgdsbkxkstqqkrbw/9/3572619/13872902/photo-vi.jpg)

(http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrktsbkfdksbfqqxsqskkdtfqrbwd,vi/wtwtqtfwkxgsgtfgqbbxttwkwktsb/9/3572619/13872902/photo-vi.jpg)

Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: WoundedBear on December 01, 2015, 01:17:25 PM
Next shot is a row of buildings that are destined to become a side street in the small town of Lye Flats. The first white building on the right is another one of these Woodland Scenics white metal kits. This is their Ticket Office. These things are just an adventure in detail painting. Being metal, any paint will work and if ya mess it up, all you do is dunk it in paint stripper and try again. All painting and decorating must be done before you assemble these models.

(http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrkttdwrbgbbqtfxsqskkdtfqrbwd,vi/swbggrtrrxsbqwbwgbdxbwggwqstk/9/3572619/13872902/photo1-vi.jpg)

(http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrktsbkgtrtgbdrxsqskkdtfqrbwd,vi/sqbddwtwtxwssfftsttxttwkwktsb/9/3572619/13872902/photo1-vi.jpg)

(http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrktsbkggwkgtqkxsqskkdtfqrbwd,vi/grgwswsssxfrqrdgbqxwdttffqkw/9/3572619/13872902/photo-vi.jpg)

To the left of the Ticket Office is a Walthers laser cut card stock kit. It is back a few pages in this thread as well. I still haven't decided on what the building will be used for. To the right of it is a new build I did of Banta Model's "Clark's Outpost". The front is board on board over a laser plywood frame. I was careful to make sure I placed nail holes at each joint. I do my nail holes with a sharp hard lead pencil. I changed it to the local newspaper's headquarters and played off my late brother's name Dale. Everyone needs their Daley's News, right?  (Say it 3 times fast.....lol ;D) The Assay Office on the end is a Walther's laser wood kit from a few years ago. In the background, you can see the 2 stall engine house. I finally got around to weathering the roof, adding the chimneys and guy wires and put a couple guys up there doing some leak repairs. They are strategically positioned over top of a sink mark in the plastic roof that I couldn't get rid of with putty.

These next shots are a JL Innovative section house kit I just finished up. It is still in need of weathering, but the structure is complete. I think those are Northeastern's shingles on top, I don't quite recall. I have plans to use this to house a handcar as well as be the warehouse for the caboose track.

(http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrktsbkkgtqbtskxsqskkdtfqrbwd,vi/rkktrfgfsxrtdsggwskxgtbfwtkf/9/3572619/13872902/photo1-vi.jpg)

(http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrktsbkgsfttskgxsqskkdtfqrbwd,vi/skgrdsrtwxbwtrqsbqdxrtbksqstb/9/3572619/13872902/photo-vi.jpg)

The next shot is of a Tichy low side gondola kit, lettered for my home road. It is being placed under the sawdust bin by a Spectrum 2 truck Climax (older run) and a sound 3 truck model behind it.

(http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrktsbkgkkbwqgtxsqskkdtfqrbwd,vi/rqtrkbqtkxgswssqrtxbwgwtsrdb/9/3572619/13872902/photo-vi.jpg)

Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: WoundedBear on December 01, 2015, 01:17:55 PM
Lastly in this series....is an overview of the ever evolving town of Djheet (pronounced pretty close to cheat) Visible in the photo are a Banta house in the foreground, an old Suydam (now Alpine) Wells Fargo depot, sans signage, and a Banta grocery store and gas station. Behind them one can see the back of a Campbell Scale Model's firehouse, a Muir Model's "Logging Repair Shop", a Life Like supply house and a Grandt mine way up back. I'll build in any media....cardstock, wood, plastic, resin or white metal. I'm more a modeller who got fascinated by railroad models, than I am a model railroader....know what I mean?

(http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrktsbkktqqsqkfxsqskkdtfqrbwd,vi/rkgkfkkgsxfbrrbrfbdxrgdbtrwkg/9/3572619/13872902/photo-vi.jpg)

Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: WoundedBear on December 01, 2015, 01:19:38 PM
Now I'm going to show you a quick little build I just did of Campbell Scale Model's "Quincy Oil Dock". By quick, I mean I got started and done in under 2 weeks. A couple small tricks helped speed things up and will be shown in the photos. When you open a Campbell kit you get a pile of sticks and a few die cut wood parts. They also include any plastic and a few metal castings that will be needed. You can add as much of your own as you like. As with all wood kits, I start by staining everything with an ink/alcohol solution. Plastic parts get all flash and injector marks cleaned up....same with metal castings.

The kit only came with one set of templates, and that would limit a guy to building one trestle bent at a time. Not for me. I ran off 6 copies of the plans and built them all in one sitting. They suggest covering the templates with waxed paper to keep glue from sticking, but I've found that this new silicone coated parchment paper works way better, and for most types of glues. So 6 bents built and then line 'em up on the footprint and start installing the bracing.

(http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrktstdsrfkkrgrxsqskkdtfqrbwd,vi/bwrgrdqwfxsqtttqtqdxskfgkttdw/9/3572619/13872919/photo-vi.jpg)

(http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrktstdsfdsgkskxsqskkdtfqrbwd,vi/rkgkfkkgsxtwkdrtbrtxtdbbbqbs/9/3572619/13872919/photo-vi.jpg)

(http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrktsbgfbskkrqbxsqskkdtfqrbwd,vi/gtbfwtkfxskgbsqsrqxbdtqddsg/9/3572619/13872919/photo1-vi.jpg)

(http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrktsbgdktbkrbbxsqskkdtfqrbwd,vi/wttsttqfsxswqfkgwbwxkbqtdwdsw/9/3572619/13872919/photo-vi.jpg)

While that's drying, I set to building the two sheds that nestle under the bents. These got stained with Testor's new enamel stains....the walls natural and the doors light rust. Some dry transfer signs and then test fit them between the bents as the bracing gets added. Then the tank support beams get added.

(http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrktsbgfstgrfsrxsqskkdtfqrbwd,vi/rftqwgtbwxrrsswdfdtxbwggwqstk/9/3572619/13872919/photo-vi.jpg)

(http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrktsbggddrdqbgxsqskkdtfqrbwd,vi/grgwswsssxrgdrgdsbkxrrsswdfdt/9/3572619/13872919/photo2-vi.jpg)

(http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrktsbgbfdtgqsfxsqskkdtfqrbwd,vi/rqrkswwdqxrtftwsbfxwssfftstt/9/3572619/13872919/photo3-vi.jpg)

A couple of quick roofs later and we have complete sheds. One corrugated metal, the other tissue paper. Some catwalks for the structure and then I made a base from 1/16th plexiglass. The plexi got a coat of paint and some ballast and fine foam sprinkled in while still wet. The bents got attached with 2 part epoxy to the base. Then fill in with small amounts of scenic material to hide the edges.

(http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrktsbkqktgsgwrxsqskkdtfqrbwd,vi/rgdbtrwkgxgsfrrwrwrxtwkdrtbrt/9/3572619/13872919/photo2-vi.jpg)

(http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrktsbkqttbgtkqxsqskkdtfqrbwd,vi/gsfrrwrwrxsqddgfwkwxbwtrqsbqd/9/3572619/13872919/photo1-vi.jpg)

(http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrktsbgbsqqrbqfxsqskkdtfqrbwd,vi/frqrdgbqxrswtsdgtdxsqkbkrdst/9/3572619/13872919/photo-vi.jpg)

(http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrktsbkrdwfrdtwxsqskkdtfqrbwd,vi/sbqwbwgbdxttrdssqbfxwfqgwskgb/9/3572619/13872919/photo-vi.jpg)

Campbell included the tank shell, but that's it, just a shell. For safety reasons I made the crew a handrail from .019 stainless wire and a nice sturdy wooden ladder. There is minimal piping included, so for interest I added some scratchbuilt domahinckeys. The real test of courage comes when you gotta drill holes in your freshly finished roofs. :P Then it was time to paint and weather all the plastic pieces parts.

(http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrktsbkrqfsqtswxsqskkdtfqrbwd,vi/ssqrtwrstxsfwgbgsbqxsbqgdbfkr/9/3572619/13872919/photo1-vi.jpg)

(http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrktsbktbrfqgbsxsqskkdtfqrbwd,vi/skgbsqsrqxrgdbtrwkgxswfbrrbkk/9/3572619/13872919/photo3-vi.jpg)

(http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrktsbksrsrgkdtxsqskkdtfqrbwd,vi/gsgtfgqbbxwssfftsttxkdgdwrbqd/9/3572619/13872919/photo-vi.jpg)

(http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrktsbktkssdqwfxsqskkdtfqrbwd,vi/frfqrfkbxrttwtwrtwxskgrdsrtw/9/3572619/13872919/photo-vi.jpg)

Once all the sub assemblies are done and weathered it's time to put her all together, and the result is this. I added some figures, not sure whose, and a few little things. We have a fellow out back stacking boxes, the foreman giving instructions to his worker, and up top, we have Sledgehammer Smith doing his best to get the diverter valve freed up. Never use force, use a bigger hammer, right?

Enjoy guys....more to come this winter.

Sid

(http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrktsbkdrbqrbwtxsqskkdtfqrbwd,vi/ttwkwktsbxrttwtwrtwxswqfkgwbw/9/3572619/13872919/photo2-vi.jpg)

(http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrktsbkdgkgbwtdxsqskkdtfqrbwd,vi/wssfftsttxrgdbtrwkgxwdttffqkw/9/3572619/13872919/photo1-vi.jpg)

(http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrktsbkdfwgdtgbxsqskkdtfqrbwd,vi/wttsttqfsxttwkwktsbxwtdrgbktk/9/3572619/13872919/photo3-vi.jpg)

Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout photos)
Post by: jbrock27 on December 01, 2015, 01:26:25 PM
Great stuff!
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout updates)
Post by: jonathan on December 01, 2015, 05:57:54 PM
Sid

As usual, I'm green with envy.  Your modeling is in a superior league.  I built that same, two-stall engine house (in the background). I love the little extras you put in... really makes it pop.

Keep showing us your work.... please.  :)  Gives the rest of us schlubs something to strive for.

Regards,

Jonathan

PS. The wait was worth it... again!
Title: Re: The Lye, Stihl and Djheet Rwy. (Layout updates)
Post by: WoundedBear on December 02, 2015, 10:15:08 AM
Thanks for the positive input guys. I'm starting to think this thread is getting a little long.....perhaps time to start a part 2.

Jonathan.........I dug back and found your thread showing your version of this engine house....nice job!

Sid