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pcmatt
Engine Wiper
 
USA
217 Posts |
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Red P
Fireman
   
USA
1040 Posts |
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LandNnut
Fireman
   
USA
1617 Posts |
Posted - 05/12/2011 : 3:27:48 PM
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My vote is for a white fence weathered to grey. L&N nut Jon |
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jbvb
Fireman
   
USA
6916 Posts |
Posted - 05/22/2011 : 07:45:53 AM
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Thanks, Matt and Red. Jon, my memories of "roadside attractions" from the 1960s are that if they could afford the paint, they repainted often.
Most progress since my last update has been non-photogenic; my drawing of Newburyport depot, foundations for structures. However, last night I started the Washington St. crossing.

I'm working from standard plans published by the B&MRRHS: Two 10" planks outside each rail, one with a flangeway on the inside. I'm using Micro-Engineering "Micro Spikes" where the prototype installed drive screws (every 2nd or 3rd tie depending on traffic). For my code 83 rail, I chose 1/16 x 3/32 (tie stock) basswood. Closer to the layout edge, I might have shimmed .010 or .015 under it, but leaving the rails a little proud won't do any harm here. |
James
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jbvb
Fireman
   
USA
6916 Posts |
Posted - 05/22/2011 : 9:00:09 PM
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It was an intense afternoon, this was the result:

This completes the carved wood putty stone retaining walls in the Merrimack St. area. I'm planning to do the High St. cut with carved styrene overlays. |
James
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LandNnut
Fireman
   
USA
1617 Posts |
Posted - 05/24/2011 : 5:30:31 PM
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[:-star][:-star][:-star][:-star][:-star] |
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jbvb
Fireman
   
USA
6916 Posts |
Posted - 06/21/2011 : 10:26:57 PM
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There's been some more scenery work in the past month, but haying and a whole bunch of life have also intervened. I'll see if I can post a couple of photos this weekend. |
James
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jbvb
Fireman
   
USA
6916 Posts |
Posted - 09/22/2011 : 10:37:54 PM
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It's been three months; in that time, I separated from my wife, my mother died and my employer spent two months in "we have to have this code frozen by Friday" mode.
But tonight some friends came over and I ran trains, and I've been experimenting with different track plans for the GE River Works in West Lynn. The area under consideration is in red:

This one makes more work for the Lynn Switcher, because he has to pull GE's outbounds first, then come back with the inbounds. The runaround is always available for GE's 44-tonner, and it has a few more spots. But if receiving (Building 41, upper right) uses bridge plates to the 2nd track, that gets in the way of the runaround.

This one lets the Lynn Switcher set inbounds on one track and pull outbounds from the other. But if GE's 44 tonner spot cars alongside Building 30 (left top), they have to be moved before any cars can be run around.
The next variation I'll try will be moving the left crossover to the right, between the two sharply curved tracks that go off to the rest of the plant 'behind the backdrop'.
Comments? The B&M tracks here are the prototype's arrangement: a "middle" siding, with the EB & WB mains on either side, and running tracks outside them. Staging is to the left, the West Lynn yard (4 stub tracks) is on the upper right. |
James
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jbvb
Fireman
   
USA
6916 Posts |
Posted - 11/25/2011 : 07:44:47 AM
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It's been a while since I did something photogenic to the layout - life events were some of it, but once you've seen one block panel, you've seen most of them. However over the past few days I've accomplished the hard part of the remaining West Lynn backdrop:

I used 1/8" lauan plywood, because the reverse curve where the Saugus Branch exits staging would have been tough to do in hardboard. Also, I can cut lauan with several passes of a utility knife. Hardboard would have needed many trips up and down the stairs to avoid getting sawdust all over the rest of the layout. Technique as I've posted before: Use "scribing" with a compass to make a cardboard template, then more "scribing" to refine the fit of the plywood.
Also, I'm having "milestone" feelings, as it is just about four years since I started this thread. In that time, I've built as much layout as I had when I started, gotten the oval closed and the control system finished and even had time for a few structures. And the first photos I posted here were of the switch that's now under the backdrop opening. The Railroad-Line community has helped, offering ideas and feedback and an interested audience. Thanks, all. |
James
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Waverly RR
New Hire
3 Posts |
Posted - 01/11/2012 : 10:20:28 PM
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Very nice James! I like the McGinnis-ish colors on the control panel. |
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Mike Hamer
Engineer
    
11492 Posts |
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jbvb
Fireman
   
USA
6916 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2012 : 12:06:48 AM
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Thanks; most of my modeling time between the holidays went into structures - the Gothic Arch dairy barn in 'Starting from Scratch' and a ModelTech Studios resin tenement. But neither is finished, nor is likely to be before February - I was in Germany on vacation a week ago, and work is calling me to HQ in New Jersey for the week before the W. Springfield show. |
James
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Pacbelt
Fireman
   
USA
1073 Posts |
Posted - 01/29/2012 : 01:50:32 AM
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VERY nice James!!!! Great use of space! I look forward, with the others, to the progress of this impressive layout! I also hope to gain ideas and inspiration, as my layout is about to start after 14 years on the armchair!! ;-p Well done! |
______________________ Carmine * CEO, Engineer, and Janitor * Pacific Belt RR, since 1975!! NCE & TCS, w/Keep-Alive ONLY!! PBRR Page: http://www.facebook.com/PBrr.N |
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jbvb
Fireman
   
USA
6916 Posts |
Posted - 02/07/2012 : 07:35:41 AM
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Thanks, Carmine; there's a lot of experience on this forum and pretty much any question gets prompt answers.
As for me, I've been traveling about half the time since the New Year. There are several projects in progress, but this one will have to get moving soon if I want to participate in the Challenge:

This is B.E.S.T's 'Clam Box' kit, moved from Ipswich to north of the center of Rowley. The prototype has grown many additions, I'm only going to model one.
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James
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jbvb
Fireman
   
USA
6916 Posts |
Posted - 02/16/2012 : 11:01:29 PM
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A test assembly of the Clam Box and addition.

I re-ordered the walls so the door would be visible to visitors and the shed would be up against the blank wall. I don't think I'll have time to airbrush it until the weekend. |
James
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