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AVRR-PA
Fireman
USA
4657 Posts |
 Posted - 10/16/2010 : 10:34:53 PM
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Hi, everyone --
Mark, Tom, Chris and Neil (and evereyone else who commented), thanks for taking the time to write. The encouragement is appreciated.
I got a bit more done. I put the DCC extension panels (the MRC version of UTP's) in place temporarily. Later, when the fascia is added, I'll cut holes for them but for now they can hang below the benchwork. The throttle holsters are also screwed in temporarily - they'll either wind up screwed to the fascia or, if I use the indoor/outdoor carpeting as Vagel did, they'll be retired and replaced with Velcro on the back on the throttles.
I ran the Loconet cable and pulled two power buses (red/black). As I mentioned earlier, I think, before I put the tops on, I'm going to drill another pair of holes and pull a lighting/accessory bus, probably in blue and white ('cause that's what I have on hand).
Here are a couple of overview shots:
To finish up the bus wires, I need to buy a few barrier strips to terminate the wires at each end and solder drops onto the bus wires and run them to a barrier strip right above the DCC components so I can connect the command station to the buses.
Oh, and one other not so little chore. I stupidly forgot to plug an extension cord into the only outlet on that side of the hallway before I set a magazine case in front of it and filled it with three metric tons of magazines. So now I get to unload all the magazines, move the book case, plug in the cord, put it back, and reload all the magazines. [:-banghead]
The weather is supposed to be great tomorrow so I'm abandoning model railroading for bicycling -- off the enjoy the fall colors on the Ghost Town trail!
Don |
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AVRR-PA
Fireman
USA
4657 Posts |
Posted - 10/17/2010 : 11:11:33 PM
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Hi, everyone--
I had a most enjoyable bike ride and still had enough energy for a little work on the layout.
I realized that I didn't need to spend time and money terminating the buses with barrier strips. This ain't a FreeMo module - nothing gets connected at the ends. All I needed was a way to mechanically secure the wires, so I found a box a screw eyes in the shop:
I pulled the wiring up good and tight - it helps to hold the layout together.  Actually, I think it makes it easier to solder track feeders if the bus wires can't move around too much. But to be on the safe side, I left some extra wire coiled up at each end.
I soldered on the drops to connect to the command station. And I did add a blue/white lighting or accessory bus. At the next Greenberg Show I'll pick up a used train set transformer for a couple of dollars and set it for about 9 volts and use it to power that bus.
So now I can screw the tops in place and start operating!
Hmmmm.... The power's on, I've got the right loco selected, the throttle is cranked up, but nothing is happening. I must have forgotten something.
Don |
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MarkF
Engineer
USA
9329 Posts |
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Rusty Stumps
Fireman
USA
5962 Posts |
Posted - 10/18/2010 : 09:09:31 AM
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Gosh Don, you need to put tension springs and toggle bolts on those feeder wires to keep them taunt!  Just kidding, looks great so far, keep it going.
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Walt
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Bbags
Administrator
USA
13054 Posts |
Posted - 10/18/2010 : 09:46:06 AM
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Don,
You have made some excellent progress to this point.
I have been following along without comment to this point but I also had the same problem with my loco's.
I remembered the track but when I looked under the layout I couldn't find any wires.
Guess I also forgot something. |
John Bagley
Modeling the Alaska Railroad in HO in Wildwood Georgia. |
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Orionvp17
Fireman
USA
2847 Posts |
Posted - 10/18/2010 : 10:00:14 AM
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Don,
Did you check the coupler height? That usually helps. [:-boggled]
This is coming along very, very nicely. Keep us posted!
Pete
in Michigan |
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AVRR-PA
Fireman
USA
4657 Posts |
Posted - 10/18/2010 : 10:32:50 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by MarkF
Looking good Don, but I think your enthusiasm has gotten the best of you!
Hi, Mark - you may be right. [:-bouncy] |
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AVRR-PA
Fireman
USA
4657 Posts |
Posted - 10/18/2010 : 10:34:36 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Rusty Stumps
Gosh Don, you need to put tension springs and toggle bolts on those feeder wires to keep them taunt! Just kidding, looks great so far, keep it going.
Hi, Walt -- I like that idea! Maybe I'll use turnbuckles instead of tension springs. I could put kingposts under the layout, like an old-fashioned flat car.
Don |
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AVRR-PA
Fireman
USA
4657 Posts |
Posted - 10/18/2010 : 10:36:55 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Bbags
Don,
You have made some excellent progress to this point.
I have been following along without comment to this point but I also had the same problem with my loco's.
I remembered the track but when I looked under the layout I couldn't find any wires.
Guess I also forgot something.
You and I should team up - you have track and I have wires.
Don |
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AVRR-PA
Fireman
USA
4657 Posts |
Posted - 10/18/2010 : 10:44:50 PM
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I put the Sanborn map and the aerial photograph on a flash memory stick and took it out to FedEx Office. It was not a particularly satisfactory experience. I remember when that location was Kinko's and had really good computer people and graphics designers on staff. Maybe I hit them on a bad night. The other problem was price -- waaaay higher than what I've paid for similar work at Staples.
Anyhow - I now have a rather large print of the Sanborn to work from, and a large-ish (about ledger size) copy of the aerial photograph to help me interpret the Sanborn.
I'm working on attaching the tops. I'm using a very long (about 7 feet) pipe clamp to pull the frames diagonally so I can square them up to match the tops - which I hope are square. Not very photogenic.
Many distractions and I haven't yet made it to Steel City Glass to buy the "water" - shower door glass. Until I have the float bridge (which is a waterline model) sitting on the water, I can't determine the exact height of the land.
Don |
Edited by - AVRR-PA on 10/18/2010 10:48:55 PM |
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AVRR-PA
Fireman
USA
4657 Posts |
Posted - 10/20/2010 : 11:40:23 AM
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I made it to Steel City Glass and got a price on the piece of shower door glass. Ouch! Thirty-one bucks. I'm going with Plan F (as in Frary). I'll paint the plywood and then add the water with various gel media (like Mod Podge).
I imagine I could get around the cost of the glass by going to the local building material surplus place and buying an old shower door and re-cutting it, but I'm happy using Dave's methods. I used them before and they work really well. I'll re-watch his video.
The 7-foot bar clamp did the job, BTW. I racked the frames square and then screwed the tops in place, which should keep them square.
I think if I were doing this again, I might use cut up hollow core doors or torsion box construction so that the tops were more rigid and inherently flat and not so totally dependent on the adjusters to keep this long, thin layout flat. Or perhaps use one of the other construction methods where the subroadbed is on risers so it doesn't matter if the frames are a little wonky.
I'm working with Sanborn map and will get Vagel over here soon to translate it into a track plan.
Don
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Neil M
Fireman
Australia
2173 Posts |
Posted - 10/20/2010 : 12:58:18 PM
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| I think you are right regarding the water. To be honest I'm not sure how well the ripple glass works compared to some of the effects that people get with silicon sealant and gloss medium. |
Built a waterfront HO layout in Ireland http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=22161 but now making a start in On30 in Australia |
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AVRR-PA
Fireman
USA
4657 Posts |
Posted - 10/20/2010 : 9:52:10 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Neil M
I think you are right regarding the water. To be honest I'm not sure how well the ripple glass works compared to some of the effects that people get with silicon sealant and gloss medium.
Hi, Neil --
The shower door glass was used in a couple of waterfront layouts that were featured in MR or RMC or possibly NGSL and I thought it would be interesting to try it. But I'm not THAT interested.
In between working on the layout, I occasionally work on the float bridge kit. It's ready for me to start painting and weathering:
Here's a picture of the print of the Sanborn map after I went over the yard and trestle with a hi-liter.
I also scaled it - this particular enlargement (which I had optimistically thought might be about N-scale) is actually 1/384 scale - pretty darn small. Garth has offered to make me a file that will print out full size for HO even if the person at the copy place isn't particularly competent. I may do that and then start cutting it up and rearranging it.
Gotta get Vagel (aka Cardboard CAD Dude) over here.
Don
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elwoodblues
Fireman
Canada
4961 Posts |
Posted - 10/20/2010 : 11:08:05 PM
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Don,
Just catching up on your build, the benchwork looks great and the wiring neat. Looking forward to see how you translate the Sanborn map into the final trackplan.
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Ron Newby
General Manager
Clearwater Valley Railway Co.
http://www.cvry.ca |
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AVRR-PA
Fireman
USA
4657 Posts |
Posted - 10/21/2010 : 09:57:22 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by elwoodblues
Don,
Looking forward to see how you translate the Sanborn map into the final trackplan.
Me, too!
I finished screwing the tops in place this morning. Not a lot of fun, since the screws had to be driven from under the layout. Bifocals don't work when you're underneath, looking up. [:-banghead]
A few thoughts on this method of securing the top(s) to open grid benchwork.
-- My plywood isn't even close to flat so I needed a lot of the little pre-drilled scrap wood securing blocks. I thought I had too many; I wound up wishing I had more.
-- I used plywood that is about 5/16" thick. It's actually some millimeter thickness that is close to 5/16" which is kinda/sorta close to 3/8". For the other half of the layout (in the bedroom), I'll upgrade to 1/2" (or some millimeter approximation).
RANT - given the vast quantities of plywood we consume in this country, don't you think HD, Lowe's, etc., could get their suppliers to make the bloody stuff in OUR dimension system?
-- Part of the reason for going with thicker plywood is that it was really hard to get screws to hold because there wasn't much material for them to bit into. I think I'll also go for better quality material - it might - maybe, just maybe - be somewhat flatter.
-- Woodscrews from Home Depot (Crown Bolt) are junk. I knew that, but this experience really reminded me. Trying to pull the tops down tight - with a plain old philips screw driver, not a screw gun, I tore up the heads of about 25% of them. I hear Lowe's has better stuff but it's a lot longer drive. Maybe I need to try Fastenal.
Anyhow - lessons learned...moving on.
This morning I bought a sheet of tempered hardboard and will cut it into 16" wide pieces for scene boards.
Don |
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Topic |
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Rail-Marine shelf layout in a small apartment
