Daylight,

I've been meaning to reply to your question some time ago, but I kept forgetting.   

About two months ago I finished replicating the Arkansas River for my new layout.  I used a section of plywood for my base over which I spread a thin layer of patching plaster.  After sanding it as smooth as I could get it, I spray painted it with green and brown spray paint and feathered the two colors together.  The edge was sprayed with a sandy spray paint.  By using the darker colors in the main channel where the river is deeper and the lighter colors towards the bank, it gives the illusion of depth.  After it had dried I poured two pint cans of MinWax clear latex over the river.  I poured about 4 layers of the clear latex in thin layers ( abt. 1/8 inch) and allowed each to dry throughly before applying the next layer.  MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ALL OF YOUR SEAMS PROPERLY SEALED or you'll have your "water" flow onto the floor.  The MinWax leaves a clear gloss layer that looks remarkedly like water.  Also it is many times cheaper than the Woodland Scenics water.  One other hint.  If you use spray paint near some track or scenery, be sure you cover it with newspaper or old cloth.  The over spray will wreck havoc with your track.  I learned the hardway and spent many hours cleaning my rails.

Good luck,
Bill

What Pac NOrth and Kevin said is true.  If you have room only for a small layout, try, try, try to avoid any grades.  There is simply never enough room to make a proper inclined elevation.

Bill

I used a Heljan turntable on my old layout.  It came with an electric motor.  The plastic from which it is constructed has a tendency to warp slightly and that causes a rough rotation.  I never could get mine to make a 180 degree turn without binding.  Also it did not have any indexing system to align the tracks to the roundhouse.  It looked pretty neat, but I have decided not to incorporate in my new layout and I'm saving my money for a better quality one.  Perhaps the one sold by Walthers.

Bill

Rashputin,

Yampa Bob hit the nail on the head.  Be sure and check the running gear that there is no packing material or debris in the gears or drivers.

Bill

Click on the Service/Parts link above.  It will cost $10.00 and gives you the address.  Yes, send a letter.

Larry,
The name of George Sellios' book is "The Fabulous Franklin & South Manchester Railroad". As a matter of fact it's on sale for $16.98 (reg $19.95). Go to their website at Walthers.com or call 1-800-487-2467.

In regards to the terrain around the hills, you have one picture (I forgot which number) in which it appears you sprinkled some some WS fine grass. To me it looks like a freshly mowed lawn.  Areas such as this should have shrubbery....it's rough and wild and not maintained.  I would first paint the area a soil color to establish your base. You can go to any good art supply store and and buy some acrylic paints. (red or brown ocre) or use WS ground cover stain.  Then add your shrubs and/or very small trees.  Than as you come down the sides, this is where rain run off would scour the dirt forming the beginning of a stream. Perhaps here you could glue short strands or clumps of field grass inter mixed with some small talus (again Woodland Scenics).  Then towards the bottom the water would erode the base which could expose some rock strata.  My hobby shop sells some rubber molds in which you can form various shaped rocks that you can incorporate in your scene.  I could go on and on, but your best bet is to purchase another book from Walthers entitled "Planning Scenery for your Model Railroad" on sale for $17.98.  Finally, there is a guy named Harold Menke (sp?) who writes quite often to this forum.  He has a website that has some great scenery ideas.  Harold if you read this, send Larry your website address.

Also, if you haven't already, subscribe to Model Railroader Magazine. Every month they feature layouts and you can get some great ideas.

Good luck, Bill

Larry,
Absolutely great work.  I agree with Prebres...muck it up a bit.  Rail yards and engine facilities were notorious for having various forms of debris. Dirt, ballast, trash, oil spills anything your heart desires (oops, no pun intended).

You have a couple of pictures that show grass (looks like Woodland Scenics) on top of some hills. Keep in mind how rain water would erode the soil and expose rock stratas.  I actually used real dirt from my back yard, sifted it and added WS fine grass which came out very realistic. You could also add some creeks or detention ponds.  If you get the chance check on the Waltlhers website and order George Selios' book of his layout.  This guy is a master in detailing city and track scenes.

You are doing wonderful work.....keep it up.

Bill

MM,

Great looking layout!  I built a 16 X 24 shed in my back yard which I really enjoy.  I'm not sure where you live, but by the second picture you posted you live up in the mountains somewhere.  I live down south which required me to put a small room airconditioner in my shed.  I was wondering if you need one and where would you place it?  I cut an opening in one of my walls to insert my A/C.  Also, do you plan any interior lighting?  I used trak lighting which I really enjoy.  Thanks for the pictures and keep everyone updated.

Bill

To Yampa Bob:

Bob, how did you go about adding weight to the lead trucks and what did you use?  I read on another thread a long time ago that one of our members suggested this.  When one of my 4-6-0s was waiting for its replacement spring leaf, I tried to run it, but it was worse in derailing then before.  There isn't much room from the top of the truck to the bottom frame of the engine.

Bill

Sparky,

Since no one has ventured an answer to your question, I'll take a stab at it.  I do not have a Spectrum 4-4-0, but I do have two 4-6-0s.  I have a curved section of track which enters my yards which I used flex track.  I would guess that part of the curve is slightly less than 15inches in radius. My ten wheelers do not have a problem negotiating this curve.  However my 2-8-0's do derail at times.  In looking at pictures of the Spectrum 4-4-0 and 4-6-0 it appears the 4-6-0 has a slightly longer wheel base. Based on this, I would not think your 15" radii would have any problems.

As far as your leading trucks are concerned, one of my 4-6-0s has a tendency to lift up and derail....the other one runs fine.  On the one, the tender harness has a tendency to lift up the locomotive causing the lead trucks to leave the track.  You can adjust this by pulling more wiring from the tender which allows more flexibility between the engine and tender.  Also, you can slightly bend the leaf spring to apply more pressure to the trucks, but be very careful in doing this and make small adjustments at a time.  I ruined one leaf spring, but ordered another from the Bachmann parts department.

As I said, I don't have a 4-4-0, so if anyone else who does have one gives a different answer, I'll yield to their opinion.

Good luck, Bill

Jim,
Thanks for the tutorial...I've been having the same problem myself and your detailed plictures and instructions were a God send. 

Your advice ranks as one of the best on this forum....like Nigel and others.  By the way has anyone heard from Nigel lately?

Bill

Thanks Rich.  That fits the bill.

I have a P2K 0-8-0 in which one of the driver wheels has gotten out of sync with the others causing the rods to bind.  I understand there is some type of wheel tool that can re-syncronize the driver with the others.  I don't know the name of this tool and was wondering if anyone can help?  Also, if I were to reposition the driver wheel, would CA hold it in place on the axel?

Thanks, Bill

Gene,

I've been out of town several days and was delighted to see the pictures you posted.  You are going to have a wonderful layout.  You and Sheldon make a good team in planning and construction.  Do I assume you are going to have a large waterfall flowing under your viaduct?  It would be a nice place for one.  On my old layout I had real good luck using clear Dap for the rapids and waterfall....I read that somewhere either in MR or the numerous books I have on scenery.  If you're interested I'll search my library for some additional information.

Oh, by the way, a couple of weeks ago I posed the problem of whether to place an operating cross signal facing the wall to balance the one I have facing the front.  You suggested I get a simple cross signal.  Well, I followed your advice and found one at my LHS.  Thanks for the input.

Keep us posted on your progress.  Perhaps in a few weeks I might show some pictures of my layout.....I'm particularly proud of the bridge crossing the Arkansas River. 

One last thing....the cemetery is at the Little Big Horn!

Bill

To add to Gene's comment back on January 21st, Shinohara makes a transition track, 6 inches long that transitions from code 83 to code 86.  Walthers distributes them.  You can also find them on the INternet Train site for just under $5.00.