Building a New Layout

[J3a-614]

I pity the man who has to retrieve the log-laden car on the end of the inner yard track. Hell of a switching job!

Ha!  Many a real railroader has had to deal with just that situation!  Meant having to pull the whole string to get the car or cars you wanted, and then shove the whole lot back again! 

Of course, that adds to the realism!

I haven't seen it in years, but there was a YouTube or something video showing just such an operation. The draw for the photographer was the Alco power, but the crew did just what we're talking about, starting with the locomotives cutting off and rolling past the switch, backing in to the spur, coming out  hauling a long string to get to two cars at the end that were ready to move, shoving the two cars back to the rest of the train, coupling them on, then cutting them off from the cars they had to take back, pulling the string clear of the switch, shoving them back in again, and finally the locomotives coming back out, backing to the train, and finally getting on the way again!

Yes, it took a while to watch that, too!

[J3a-614]

Now I'm looking back at Jon's newest photos, and looking at all the track he has, and I'm wondering what else he's going to fit in. . .I would bet he's thinking of a factory district of some sort, either near the roundhouse, or squeezed into that curving yard. . .a place for his Dockside, naturally!

[jonathan]

Well... now that you mention it...

I am trying to salvage some of my industry structures from the old layout.  I'm hoping to set up something credible in the middle of the freight yard. 

My biggest problem right now is my coal mine structure.  It's pretty neat, but I can't find a functional spot for it.  Definitely don't want to add more track.  I have too much as it is.  Perhaps the powers that be will allow me to expand the layout one day.  However, this could affect my man-cave.  A couple of the photos show the rest of the room with a big TV, couch, and lazyboy. This basement "rec" room went unused for quite some time.  Now, my son and I are decorating it to manly specifications.

As for the dockside--I'm thinking it's going to get a spot in one of the short stalls in my roundhouse.  Tested it on the turntable the other day.  It still runs... not bad for a 70 year old hunk of Zamak.

Just finished tinning a big pile of track feeders, and soldered about half the track joins so far.  I'm hoping to get a long session this weekend, to feed and solder some bus wires.

Regards,

Jonathan

[jonathan]

Got the first track up and running this morning. 

I used green bus wire (18 gage), with white, with 22 gage feeders for the North rail; then blue wire (16 gage and 22 gage) for the South Rail.



I will cover the bare wire after I've completed all three tracks of the main line.

Tested a train for about an hour, to work out the kinks and ensure trains will run smoothly.  My 0-6-0's (double-headed) will pull 15 cars up the 2% grade, before they start to show a bit of slippage.





So far, so good.

Regards,

Jonathan

[Ken Clark]

    Jonathon

Looking good, I used Tap-In-Splice connectors for my wiring. Lot neater the solder and no nicks, burns or smoke to put up with. And you do not need to cover. I am currently rebuilding my layout and reusing them from the first layout, no problems in 4 years of use.

  Ken Clark
   GWN

[jbrock27]

Speaking of cover, JV, you plan to insulate the splice with Liquid Electrical Tape?

[jonathan]

I just use regular electrical tape.  I find it easier to remove when it's time to disassemble.

I got lucky and had a loooong session with the layout today.  So, all three tracks of the mainline are up and running. Plus, got to start adding some fascia to cover up the benchwork and wiring:



with flash


I'm pretty tired.  Think I'll hit the hay now.

Regards,

Jonathan

[rogertra]

Speaking of cover, JV, you plan to insulate the splice with Liquid Electrical Tape?

I use wirenuts.  Easy to use and remove when required.

Cheers


Roger T.

[jbrock27]

I use wirenuts.  Easy to use and remove when required.

Cheers


Roger T.

I am sure they are.   

I prefer barrier strips and tap connectors myself.

[jonathan]

You know how the big hardware stores have an "oops" paint shelf, where you can buy somebody's reject paint color for pennies on the dollar?

Well, I went into such a place this morning and got a can of paint for $2 that looked a little shady, yet somehow familiar.  I started getting excited when I started painting the fascia.  As it started to dry, the color looked even more familiar:





Two coats and I'm ready to move on to more wiring:





I also started putting a floor under the layout, for storage of train related items.  That pressboard (nomen?) is leftover from installing a floor in my attic.

Regards,

Jonathan

[jonathan]

Update:

Trackwork and wiring become tedious after a while, so I'm taking a break to make a control panel.  I googled MR control panels and saw some spectacular designs.  Obviously, some of these guys must work for NASA, just looking at their incredible wiring behind the panel. I have chosen a simple, old-timey design.  I believed I mentioned I get a bit old-fashioned when it comes to trains.

Anyway,  I took a piece of 12X24 birch plywood and painted 4 coats of white (sanding in between coats).  I designed, on grid paper, the area where the yards join the mainline.  Using thin masking tape, the panel looks liked this:



The only flat spray paint I had left was a shade of brown, so that was my primer:



I haven't decided whether to seal the panel with flat or gloss finish.  

Here is how it will sit on the layout, once the switch controls and brackets are mounted:



I have also begun putting together the control area for the roundhouse and 2 additional engine houses:



The first 17 switches are for the stall tracks.  The next 3 switches are for the engine houses.  Finally, the last switch is for the turntable.

I have a really old 6V Bachmann transformer (from the 70's I think).  This is the sole source of power for the turntable.  I can put the throttle on 20%, and the turntable creeps real sssssssslllllllloooooooowwwww.

Regards,

Jonathan

Addendum:

I'm not buying all new switches... just recycling whatever I had from the old layout:

[jonathan]

Update:

I'm up to 12 stalls on the roundhouse... only 5 more to go.  As usual, I don't have the roof pieces glued down, yet.  I wonder if there is something I can use to make the roof pieces stick down, but would still be able to pull them up later when it's time to detail the interior? ...and I'm out of soot, so weathering is on standby...

Anyway, I wanted to model the poles and wires that connect the turntable bridge power to an electrical source.

I used 2lb. test fishing line for the wires (painted grimy black) and bamboo skewers for the power poles (buck-a-bag at the grocer's).  The poles I painted with a highly diluted solution of rail brown.

I drilled #76 holes in the poles and that turny thingy at the top of the bridge.

My plan is to have a set of power poles lined in the background, behind the roundhouse.  This is why the power lines run up and over the roundhouse.  Plus, I think it looks cool.  











Regards,

Jonathan

[Ken Clark]

  Jonathon

  Looking very good, as to a system for the roof, might it be possible to use a catch strip and magnets to hold them in place, so they could be removed for viewing of the interior?.

   Ken C
    GWN

[jonathan]

Thanks, Ken.  I hadn't even thought of magnets.  I was thinking about some cheap caulk that would hold the roof down even, then pull up later.  But magnets... great! That could be a permanenct solution, if I can find the right size.

Here's my reward to myself for all the work so far:





For J3a-614, notice the wreck train stall I'm putting in outside the roundhouse... Along with a caboose track:



Regards,

Jonathan

[Jhanecker2]

To Jonathon :  Coming along very nicely . John2.