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T O P I C    R E V I E W
AVRR-PA Posted - 08/19/2010 : 09:51:03 AM
I'm ready to start actual benchwork construction on this project and I want to cover that in a thread separate from the "Rail-Marine Layout Plans" thread. So here goes...

Moving to a new window so I'll be able to edit.

Don
15   L A T E S T    R E P L I E S    (Newest First)
AVRR-PA Posted - 05/25/2013 : 08:18:08 AM
quote:
Originally posted by elwoodblues

Wow Don, you have been busy, lots of progress made in such a short time, It's looking goof.



Thanks, Ron!
AVRR-PA Posted - 05/25/2013 : 08:17:06 AM
Hi, everyone --

I decided to get some rolling stock quickly up to the "good enough" level - good enough to put on the layout so I can do more interesting "operating sessions."

This means:
Kadee 148 whisker couplers and "Greasem" lubricant
Metal wheels if the trucks are basically ok; replacement trucks if they're really bad.
Add weight if needed.
Adjust height with washers or draft gear shims as needed to get couple height correct.
Bend the trip pins if necessary to get them to pass the coupler height gauge test.

And that's it for the short term.

Here are some pictures:

Two automobile boxcars at the automobile platform --




Two auto box cars on the layout

Third auto boxcar and a hopper on the float --




Third auto box car and hopper on layout

Next in line; three Branchline Blueprint cars that are almost ready to be put into use. I'll try to finish them up this afternoon or evening --




Three more boxcars almost ready for use

That will pretty much do it for low-hanging fruit. Everything else consists of more difficult resin or wood kits or kits that are un-started.

FYI, I do intend to do more on the cars that have only been taken to a can-be-used level. I'll replace the clunky plastic stirrup steps with brass and weather them a good bit with the airbrush, chalks, and oils. But that will happen slowly, in between scenery projects and a lot of other stuff.

Off to yoga class!

Don
elwoodblues Posted - 05/24/2013 : 09:32:27 AM
Wow Don, you have been busy, lots of progress made in such a short time, It's looking goof.
AVRR-PA Posted - 05/24/2013 : 08:00:02 AM
Thanks, Clif!
clif Posted - 05/24/2013 : 12:48:46 AM
Your layout is really looking good Don, congratulations getting to this stage.
AVRR-PA Posted - 05/23/2013 : 8:11:57 PM
Hi, Pete --

Good to hear from you!

Keep going on what, that is the question. I'm not complaining - I like to have lots of stuff that I can work on - but right now, I'm kind of shaking my head, wondering what to tackle next.

Weather forecast for tomorrow is craptastic for biking - guess I'll have to play with trains.

Don
Orionvp17 Posted - 05/23/2013 : 7:39:31 PM
Sounds good to me, Don! Progress, however slight, is still progress, and it looks to me like yours is anything but "slight!"

Keep going!

Pete
in Michigan
AVRR-PA Posted - 05/23/2013 : 7:31:13 PM
I decide to stick with the rail-marine layout a bit longer, before going back to other projects, in part because I was really anxious to get these magazines out from under foot:




Mags I got tired of tripping over


Here's the case back under the layout - now to fill it up. In the process I decided to donate quite a few magazines to my MR Club, to be sold during the holiday show.


Empty mag case back under layout


At last - sorted and reshelved!


Mags back in the case


The next chore was to dig out the Dremel, scrap styrene, CA, files, etc., and clean up all the soldering - rail joints, track feeders, etc.

By the time I ran out of gas Wednesday night, my toothpick flags had advanced almost to the landward end:



Flags almost at landward end


In most cases, all I had to do was remove excess solder or, occasionally, use the Dremel to grind a railhead down a bit. But sometime I had really blown it and had a big gap between rail ends. In those cases, I CA'd in styrene and then cut, filed, ground and sanded the repair:




Big gaps at rail joiners


Gaps with styrene CAd in place



Filing down the styrene

As a final step, I sanded everything with 400 grit wet-or-dry. Then I vacuumed the layout and starting testing it.

I'm happy to report that it actually works pretty well. I found and fixed a couple of problems with the trackwork like a point that had actually gotten bent or a Tortoise rod that was too long and was being hit by the trip pins on the couplers. But most derailments turned out to be problems with trucks or couplers which I was able to fix fairly quickly.



Testing the layout after cleaning up rail joints


Testing the layout after cleaning up rail joints 02

I also installed the first bit of "scenery." The whole layout is going to get a layer of Foamcore - a friend gave me two 4x8 sheets. The Foamcore is the same thickness as the cork roadbed. It will be covered with styrene brick, styrene cobblestone, concrete, asphalt, sanded grout (representing cinder ballast) etc., per the D&LW map. I wanted to get this piece installed to raise the freight house mockup enough so that I could get cars through the doors:



First piece of foamcore fitted and glued down


I'd really like to go back to working on the barge and I definitely need to put in some time on the gas station, and Vagel's last two shacks - but I also need to get more rolling stock on the layout. I have a lot of stuff I've bought at the Greenberg Shows or fairly nice kits - and a lot of it is quite close to being ready to put on the layout:



Rolliing stock close to ready for use


Rolling stock kits nearly done

Hmmm...I wonder if I could talk a few friends into doing some of these.

Despite the shortage of rolling stock, I'm still able to have fun "operating"- trying to figure out how to shift cars around so I can load and unload the float without capsizing it.


Operating the layout Sort of

So - some progress.

Don



AVRR-PA Posted - 05/21/2013 : 7:28:41 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Vagel Keller

Good progress -- no, excellent progress, Don!

But as I recall, that former stub-end siding was to serve an automobile unloading platform. It'll now be a run-around track unless there's an automobile boxcar spotted there first, at which time it'll be a kabuki dance track. But, hey, that's the fun of operations in a confined urban space. It's a certainty that real yard masters in such locations had to deal with these kinds of situations. It'll be a nice twist to what is already a very interesting modified prototype track arrangement.

Vagel


Hi, Vagel -- yes, there are definitely both losses and gains in this change. And there will definitely be some kabuki switching if not dancing.

Here's what I'm trying this evening: Using the 0-5-0 switcher, I'm placing cars at various locations in the yard - a couple of Athearn "Blue Box" automobile cars at the automobile platform (which is now on the run-around and which is blocked by these cars), a couple of the same type of cars on the float, an empty "poultry" car at the poultry platform and a full one on the float; and so on.

The idea is that the crew shows up for work in the morning as the float and tug are "approaching" and due in a hour or so. (At this point, the float is represented by a place-holder that doesn't move, but we'll use our imagination.)

The poor hard-working switching crew must now rearrange all these empties to make room for the first string to be pulled off the barge. I've no idea how it's all going to work out but I'm sure it will be fun.

Now that I've gotten a few other chores done, I can go back to improving, weathering, finishing, etc., the cars we picked up at Greenberg show plus the various kits that I've been futzing with for years.

I should get a tape of appropriate music for kabuki dancing.

Don
Vagel Keller Posted - 05/21/2013 : 4:58:00 PM
Good progress -- no, excellent progress, Don!

But as I recall, that former stub-end siding was to serve an automobile unloading platform. It'll now be a run-around track unless there's an automobile boxcar spotted there first, at which time it'll be a kabuki dance track. But, hey, that's the fun of operations in a confined urban space. It's a certainty that real yard masters in such locations had to deal with these kinds of situations. It'll be a nice twist to what is already a very interesting modified prototype track arrangement.

Vagel
jbvb Posted - 05/20/2013 : 7:04:54 PM
My Weller, bought for me by my parents around 1969, only has 1 range. I can still get tips, I haven't looked for new switch contact.
AVRR-PA Posted - 05/20/2013 : 4:54:07 PM
quote:
Originally posted by elwoodblues

Don,

Nice progress, the run around track will add a lot to the operating potential of the layout.

Is that a Weller soldering gun on the layout, I used to use one of those to melt ties.



I'm setting up for an operating session - although that's probably too dignified a term for what I'll be doing. More like "Don plays with trains." At this point, I'm not even using a switch list - just trying to remember what the cars on the float are supposed to represent and where they will be going. But even that is a lot of fun. I'll take pictures as I go along and post a description of the great event.

Yeah, that's an old Weller. I liberated it when I was in the Air Force, somewhere around 1966.

It's still labeled "USA CEM" as in "Communications - Electronics - Metrology."

Can't kill it. It does melt plastic ties very effectively, but with the two step trigger, you can actually control it pretty well. And I'm way too impatient to wait for an iron to heat up. I sure hope it never dies.

Don
elwoodblues Posted - 05/20/2013 : 1:28:15 PM
Don,

Nice progress, the run around track will add a lot to the operating potential of the layout.

Is that a Weller soldering gun on the layout, I used to use one of those to melt ties.
AVRR-PA Posted - 05/19/2013 : 9:05:23 PM
I decided today was the day to finally clean up some things on this layout. I am tired of tripping over all the magazines that are supposed to be under the layout but are all over the living room floor because I need to be able to work under the layout.

The first project was repairing a Tortoise that I had installed incorrectly. This lead to the usual Tortoise-ey frustrations. I spent about an hour trying to install it with original (cut-off) throw lever before finally breaking down and spending five minutes making a new (longer) one - which I was then able to install very quickly. Stoopid. Anyhow - that's done.

Tortoise before:


Tortoise before repair


Tortoise after:


Tortoise after repair

While working on the Tortoise, the whole layout shorted out. I almost took a recip saw to it. It turned out to be not so mysterious - two buses were touching each other at un-insulated connections where track feeders connected to the bus. That motivated me to move everything out from under the layout (snarl!) and cover every uninsulated bit of wire with that nasty gloppy brush-on "electrical tape." Not fun but I'm glad I did it.

Playing with the layout has made it clear that, in compressing the original design, we had eliminated a badly needed run-around. So the other project was to create a second, longer run around by adding a turnout. I had been pretty much dreading this...

Here's where I started - that stub-end track could be connected to the main switching lead, thus creating the run-around:




Here I have the new turnout sitting on top of the existing track, marking the cuts. BTW, the "new" turnout is one of the many turnouts that Al Carter contributed to this project.

I cut the rail with that slick little razor saw that I did a thread on - it cuts so quickly and cleanly that I prefer it to the Dremel.




I cut some leftover cork to make a base for the turnout and the rest of the track I'd be adding.




And here is the new roadbed, ready for the turnout:




Here's the turnout, soldered and nailed in place, while I work on the s-shaped track that connects it to the existing siding:




And here are a couple of pictures of the new run-around in use:







It was a busy afternoon and evening. Tomorrow I will gamble that there won't be problems under the layout and re-load the magazines into the cabinets. Fingers crossed...

Don
Orionvp17 Posted - 03/27/2013 : 4:07:45 PM
You're welcome.

Pete
in Michigan

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