Tehachapi, BC

[mark dance]

Once I'm happy with the basic shapes, I'll remake the back-board and spines with something more substantive, then fill in the rest with lattice.  In this stretch I will use a "horizontal fascia", i.e. the scenery will extend down to the level of the bottom of the shelf, then stop.  One of the local HO guys has a similar (BC-based) scene on his pike and it looks really cool.

-gfh

To illustrate, here are a few photos of Anthony Craig's wonderful Kettle Valley Railway - Coquihalla Division.







Anthony's layout was featured ion the Nov '03 edition of Railmodel Journal.  And there are more photos here http://www.vanrail.ca/node/242

[GaryHinshaw]

Awesome.  Thanks for posting those md!

BTW, Anthony was one of the first-timers here on Saturday.  We had to teach him the difference between a GE and an EMD; "these are diesels."

[tappertrainman]

That is a fascinating way to address the foreground scenery and eliminate (sometimes) unsightly fascias.  While I would not be able to do that on my current pike, it is something to ponder for the future for sure...

James

[DKS]

I don't know... to me it looks like the Mysterious Floating Mountain Ridge layout. Not especially appealing, but to each his own. I think my eye would prefer even a narrow strip of fascia just to draw a definitive line between the two spaces.

[C855B]

I don't know... to me it looks like the Mysterious Floating Mountain Ridge layout. Not especially appealing, but to each his own. I think my eye would prefer even a narrow strip of fascia just to draw a definitive line between the two spaces.

Same here. I found it a little unsettling. Makes me think of Rocky & Bullwinkle's "Mt. Flatten" with its upsidaisium mine.

[davefoxx]

I didn't want to say anything at first, but I'll add a +2.  A concern that I would have is that, despite the upper deck not projecting as far as the lower deck, a small strip of fascia would not only protect the layout edge, but it would help operators judge where the edge is to avoid smacking it by accident.  I doubt that scenery is as durable as a piece of Masonite.

DFF

[railnerd]

Operated on this layout a few years back— it is totally natural in person.

[robert3985]

Operated on this layout a few years back— it is totally natural in person.

So are hairy armpits on beautiful women, but...I don't like 'em.  Your preferences may differ....   

I also prefer a defining edge for the upper level.

[Andrew Hutchinson]

Ad me to the slope to nothing crowd. It's as good a way of truncating hillsides as I have seen. Part of the reason it works is that it comes and goes to form a playful line around the layout room. By way of coming and going the scenes are significantly broken up.It is also a hell of a lot more sturdy than masonite. The edge is either plywood or solid wood carved to match adjacent scenery. Doing it this way gives you a deeper scene for a given depth - important on a long run multi-deck railroad like AC's with lower level ancillaries built into the upper level framework.  As for bumping it with one's head - no, I've never done that-  probably owing to the ways the upper level contour is positioned. In most places it is well back from the lower deck and out of the way. There is a significant "mind altering" bit of benchwork on the KVD but I've only encountered it when performing the terminal (mole) Agent/operator job.

Andrew Hutchinson
Surrey BC Canada

[ednadolski]

to me it looks like the Mysterious Floating Mountain Ridge layout. Not especially appealing, but to each his own. I think my eye would prefer even a narrow strip of fascia just to draw a definitive line between the two spaces.

JMHO, my impression is it's kinda like a big lift-out section that no one can ever put back down.  maybe it's a bit less jarring in-person, but flat pictures lack the depth perception, so the eye expects a fascia as a clue for where the break in the scene is supposed to go.

Could also be that the presence of the fascia on the lower level that contributes to the sense that something is missing on the upper level.

Ed

[mark dance]

To address some of the questions raised about "slope to nothing" upper deck treatment:
- Anthony is a very skilled cabinet maker.  The upper deck edge profile is actually carved from solid cedar along the front.  No need to worry about damage there!
- In his application the upper deck sits behind the lower one so there are no concerns about operators bumping into it...and hurting themselves!
- For those who may be familiar with the CPR's Coquihalla and Coldwater canyon geography upon which this is modeled -  where the rails cling to the sides of steep and unstable canyon walls - the effect is very dramatic and stunning in person.
- there are more photos in the link I provided if there is concern that the posted photos lack depth.  I took them over 10 years ago now...

Yes, each to his own, however I haven't run into anyone who is anything other than impressed with this treatment when they see it in person.  Should you be modelling canyons and steep scenery with lots of tunnels, give it consideration.

md

[GaryHinshaw]

I had a feeling this would generate some discussion.   

First, I think the KVD example works well in person (as everyone who has seen it has attested).  Second, one thing that is unusual about this shelf on TBC is that it sits over a section of the lower deck that juts out into the room: the Tunnel 2 peninsula, as shown below:



Here the black track is the upper deck (the photo angle of the above mock up is indicated) and the green track is the lower-deck-to-be.   The main reverse loop/staging yard will lie under the Tunnel 2 peninsula and will wrap around the red oval, which shows where provisional access will be provided for occasional upper deck access.  (So far, I have never had to rescue a train in that stretch of track.)  It is still unclear to me how the scenic transition between decks will work here, but suffice it to say that it is somewhat unusual.  If the horizontal fascia is awkward in this setting,  I'll be the first to admit it try something different.

Of course, you should never hold back on giving me your opinions!

-gfh

[PGE_Modeller]

Having operated on Anthony's KVD on numerous occasions, I will add my voice to Mark's and Andrew's.  The "zero fascia" concept may sound strange and look unusual in photographs but, in person (and, perhaps more importantly, in this particular example), it is very pleasing to the eye when seen in 3D.  As Mark has pointed out, Anthony is a very talented finish carpenter and there is very little chance of doing any damage to the edge of the scenery.  Moreover, the edge of the upper deck scenery is far enough into the front to back depth of the lower scene that one would almost have to be taking a dive into the lower scene to have any chance of making contact with that upper scene edge.

Cheers,

[GaryHinshaw]

I've been on the road for almost two weeks, but this weekend I made a little progress on the storage yard (as seen in this schematic).  The yard throat is temped in place:



and the Tortoises have been mechanically installed:



(Only one of them required serious use of expletives.)  This yard will connect with both the north end of the line (the Bakersfield staging yard) and the south end of the line (the staging helix under the Loop) which will hopefully produce a reasonably flexible staging arrangement.

Next up is to wire the Tortoises and tie them to a pair of DS64 decoders to enable "1-button" route selection.  Once everything is electrically and mechanically tested, I'll glue the throat down permanently.  In the meantime, the rest of the yard is done and is slowly filling up, despite the lack of any connection to the outside world...



Nature abhors a vacuum.

[eric220]

In the meantime, the rest of the yard is done and is slowly filling up, despite the lack of any connection to the outside world...

Nature abhors a vacuum.

I know what you mean.  My staging yard is practically full, and I haven't even finalized the design to connect it to the layout!