Jonathan's Layout #3

[Ken Huck]

That 'mountain pass' scene would be the perfect place for a 'rail fan' lookout.  With all that work
you've been doing, the landscaping makes everything look a lot bigger now.  I'm lovin' it !  How
'long' is that bottom level ?

Thanks for the pics.

Ken

[jonathan]

Thanks, guys, much appreciated.

Ken, the layout footprint is 6' X 16'.  The mainline double-track is 80 feet. I know this because I kept track of how much cork roadbed I laid down.

Overall, there's approx. 200 feet of track on the layout.

Did that answer your question?

Regards,

Jonathan

[graywolf]

Jonathan it's nice that you post your progress photos for us. One observation I have is that you can see the plaster cloth fabric through your scenery ground cover. You might consider brushing on a layer of diluted spackle to fill in the voids and provide a texture that looks like soil or rocky areas depending on how thick you apply it. Where can you buy the receiver plug?

[jward]

Just wondering about the signals. Having grown up in B&O country, all the signal posts i saw were painted silver. Were they black in the steam era?

[jonathan]

Thanks, Graywolf.

I considered coating the plaster cloth.  Where the rock outcroppings occur, I will be adding a bit of spackle or sculptamold or something.

Also, there will be plenty of trees, bushes, weeds, and the like.  This will also hide the holes.

Finally, wherever holes still appear, I will be adding bit more dull ground foam.

There will always be spots where some of those holes will still be visible. I'm ok with it for now.

Oh, the coupler hitch cover came from Amazon.  I searched "train coupler hitch cover". Occasionally, they show up on eBay as well. Saw one on a truck a few years ago.  Just knew I had to have one, too.   I got a plastic coupler.  For twice the price there are cast aluminum couplers that are more prototypical in size and appearance.  I was pretending to be subtle.

Jward,

Honestly, I've never seen a B&O signal in person.  I have seen photos of both silver and black.  Just happen to like the black better.  I could be completely wrong. The black signal photos could have been a shadow thing. There was a photo archive I once found online, highlighting B&O signals.  Long since lost the link.  Just happen to like the black better. FWIW

Regards,

Jonathan

[jonathan]

A few more progress photos today.

I'm about 95% complete on ballasting.  Don't want to head out and buy any more ballast as our Governor has asked us not to venture out unless necessary right now.

DSC_0270_01 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

Down to the last few feet in the back of the layout.  Perhaps scenery will make it unnecessary to ballast again the backdrop:

DSC_0272_01 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

I threw some coal under the loading area, mostly to help stretch out my supply of ballast:

DSC_0273_01 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

DSC_0274 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

This is where I ran out of ballast.  I have started to build up the area where the mountain will carry to the backdrop.  Tunnel walls installed with hot glue:

DSC_0275 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

DSC_0276_02 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

After the ballast is dry, I run a "vacuum" test.  The vacuum sucks up any ballast where the glue didn't quite soak in.  A little repair required here.

DSC_0278_01 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

I can crawl under the layout and access the tunnel if something goes wrong in here:

DSC_0280 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

One last shot:

DSC_0281 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

Regards,

Jonathan

[jonathan]

I really wanted to copy Sid's fascia plan and build supports away from the layout.  There just isn't enough space for me to do it.  So, I'm installing my fascia flat against the layout:

DSC_0282 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

DSC_0283 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

The top lip of the fascia sits 1/8" above the layout's ground level:

DSC_0284 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

A little more progress on the mountain pass:

DSC_0285 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

Dug out all the vehicles I plan to use on the layout.  You may notice some magnet wire projecting from some vehicles. The headlights work on those:

DSC_0286 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

DSC_0287_02 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

DSC_0288_01 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

The '65 Galaxie doesn't fit my scheme, but it was my first car... Gotta put myself in the layout somehow (I've mentioned this before... sorry).

DSC_0289 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

Regards,

Jonathan

[Len]

Interesting. My first car was a used '59 Galaxy with a white roof, primer red body and the word "CONDEMNED" (don't ask, it was there when I bought it) in Day-Glo orange on the front quarter panels.

It was soon replaced by a '57 Chevy with a 327 short block sporting dual Holley four barrels.

Len

[Joe323]

I thought the 4 door version of the Galaxy was the Custom 500 which my parents and later my older brother owed for years.

[Terry Toenges]

After I got off active duty in '70 and moved to NY, I bought a clunky old '61 Galaxie for a couple hundred dollars from a friend's bro as my 1st car up there. It was a 3 speed on the column and shortly after I bought it, the bit of metal on the column (that held the shift lever pin in) broke. I had to keep the shift lever in the seat next to me and stick it in the column when I wanted to shift. The upside was that, since it was NY, I could take the shift lever with me when I got out and didn't have to worry about someone stealing it.

[jonathan]

  Yes. The 4 door was the Custom 500. Good pull Joe. Loved that car. 289 engine was indestructible. Finally handed it over to salvage when the frame was so rusted, I couldn't jack up the car to change a flat. Minnesota does not provide a good environment for vehicles.

Regards,

Jonathan

[jonathan]

Well, I'm pretty much out of scenery materials for the moment.  Decided to work on my control panel for a while.

I'm making a rough draft of the panel, in place, to figure out the most logical, and comfortable positions for the turnout switches and track power switches:

DSC_0293 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

While that is in progress, I'm creating the actual panel as I go.  Still need to stripe-in a couple of cross-overs, but this shows how it will look so far:

DSC_0292_02 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

I had to run the tracks north/south instead of east/west.  This is due to where my control seat is situated (the far end of the layout).

I painted the board white.  Then used thin masking tape and sprayed the black on top.  Unfortunately, I'll have to tape off the two cross-overs and paint white over black.  Betting that'll take a few coats.  

Regards,

Jonathan

[Ken Huck]

Looking good Jonathan.  Keep it up.

Thanks for all the pictures.  I haven't even started to consider where or what
my control panel is going to look like.  But, every time you and Sid put up more
pictures...well....

Ken

[jonathan]

Thanks, Ken.  Happy to share. Keeps me occupied in my leisure time. 

Now this is what I had in mind:

DSC_0295_01 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

Camera had a tough time focusing, even though I had 2 500W halogens pointed at the thing.

All that's left is to create some appropriate labels... eventually. This is much simpler that my last layout... no 17-stall roundhouse to deal with.  I do miss it though...

Regards,

Jonathan

[HoModeler]

Very nice Layout is all your rolling stock Bachmann & Loco's we should exchange #'s my layout is 17ft long by 6ft wide I have a 2 track main  3 track interchange up to the main tracks & a 9 track storage track. if interested in exchanging #'s send me a PM oh & I got you beat on the switches MY SWITCHES are AIR Powered That's right I said air powered