Weekend Update 7/10/11

[davefoxx]

I finally got the A&R II out to do a little work this weekend.  Not long ago, I built my second handlaid turnout, a code 40 #6 turnout, which I installed in Aberdeen yesterday.  In the horrible picture below (I haven't located my tripod since the move), you can see both code 40 turnouts I have built (the wood ties give them away).  Today, I finally made up my mind to add an element of the A&R: HCD edition, and I added the small Seaboard System yard at the lower right.  FYI, the roundy-round (A&R) loop is/will be code 40, but the SBD mainline and the new yard are code 55.



To do this, I had to increase the depth of the layout.  I took a scrap of 2" foam and laminated it under the layout, but I offset it 4" to add the depth.  Then I glued a scrap on top, which the yard now sits upon.  In a short time, I cut out the SBD mainline to add the turnout to the new yard, laid down the cork and code 55 track, and, voila, I've got a small yard to add a couple of cars' capacity to the layout.  I really regretted leaving this yard out in the initial construction, as it's the interchange between the SBD, SOU (which, unfortunately, has to be omitted in this plan), and the A&R.  Although small, this plan (thanks to DKS!) has most of the elements of the HCD layout, so, hopefully, it will suffice for a while.

I will cut back the excess foam and eventually add a fascia board around the perimeter.  I just need to decide where the edges will be.  It just occurred to me that the laminated foam underneath makes a handy shelf: I could use this (or, preferably, cut it out and add a third layer underneath it as the shelf) to locate the DCC command station.

Finally, I bought a quart of paint today and that pink foam will soon be a memory... thankfully.

DFF

[DKS]

Keep it up, Mr. Foxx, and little by little you'll have the thing back up to the dimensions of the original HCD edition! Somewhere in there is a good lawyer joke, too, I'm sure...

[Dave V]

Progress continued on the Apex, NC layout for my son Jacob.

[Guilford Guy]

Dr Vollmer, that's quite possibly the best way to go about this hobby.

I have accomplished little in the past couple weeks, owing in part to my sister's wedding taking up much of my free time. Today I finally got around to doing a little more- weathering a PRR hopper, and painting an MTL caboose.

[seusscaboose]

accomplished 4 things today...

1) a recommendation for fellow A$$Hats, check to make sure your drainout pipe from your air conditioner is cleaned out to make sure any run off can be drained off properly.  I spent the last 2 hours cleaning up Lake Payne underneath Grutzmacher Orchard (for those of you local) thanks to a clog.  It reminded me of the Hot Springs incident our Host had a year ago...

2) I invested in rubber mats for the basement (in front of the yard)... that should help the feet....  your welcome to Ed and Tim (POVC)  ;D

3) I tied down my era to 1950-1955.  This, while possibly an afterthought to most, is a big deal.  It allows me to put a line in the sand and move forward (At least a little).  I will likely trim it down more of course, but  it is a start.

4) picked up some ice blocks for my 2 ice houses (recommended by DKS) that should work ok for me... (Z scale ice in an N scale application) http://www.stonebridgemodels.com/accessories/index.html

[wm3798]

Blocked and reblocked coal hoppers.  I'm starting the experiment with blocks of 5 cars.  This keeps things relatively tidy, and all of the on-line industries that use coal can accommodate 5 cars at a time.  It also keeps the clipped card stacks manageable.

After cycling the first few trains through, I'm discovering a few bottlenecks, but I think they'll work themselves out before too long.  F'rinstance, I've got two sections of BT-1 in East Staging, but they're both around 15 cars each, and should be easily digested by the big new yard.  If it weren't for the threat of a string line on the helix out of the staging yard, I'd combine them into one train.  Once the cards cycle a couple of times, I'll be able to manage the flow with some judicious editing of the waybills.

Lee

[wcfn100]

I painted some freight cars.




Jason

[atsf_arizona]

BTW, just in the last 24 hours, more commentary and more photos on 2011 National Train Show are being posted on
X2011 West's Facebook page:   

http://facebook.com/x2011west

The latest discussion there is about who built the "Arsenal of Democracy" layout, while not N scale,
it's still an interesting display 



Feel free to check that discussion as well as all the Photos and Videos, as we all
recap and reflect on X2011 West NMRA Nationals and 2011 National Train Show. 

By the way, you've all seen the X2011 West photo album on Mitch Valder's NWP 1958 N scale layout?

http://www.pbase.com/atsf_arizona/x2011_west_layout_tours_mitch_valder_7-6-11

Keep on sharing photos and commentary, pls! 


John Sing
X2011 West NMRA 2011 Convention online Social Networking coordinator
http://www.facebook.com/x2011west
http://www.twitter.com/x2011west
http://www.youtube.com/x2011west
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/X2011WestAttendees

[mcjaco]

Thanks for the updates, John.

As someone that loves the NWP, I love Mitch's layout.  I'm going to model the south end of the line, but it's neat to see someone else model such a little know SP branch.

[Ken G Price]

Thanks for the updates, John.

As someone that loves the NWP, I love Mitch's layout.  I'm going to model the south end of the line, but it's neat to see someone else model such a little know SP branch.

I know that this is not really important in the great scheme of things, But.
Would you know if there a reason that Mitch has the directions of the cities and towns on his layout backwards from the way they are in the real world? Eureka is not south of Fernbridge.

In any thing written about this layout it is never mentioned why he did it this way.  As I have no way of asking him, if any one knows the answer it would be appreciated.

[sirenwerks]

I know that this is not really important in the great scheme of things, But.
Would you know if there a reason that Mitch has the directions of the cities and towns on his layout backwards from the way they are in the real world? Eureka is not south of Fernbridge.

In any thing written about this layout it is never mentioned why he did it this way.  As I have no way of asking him, if any one knows the answer it would be appreciated.

It is a nice layout, no matter how much he played with the map. He's got beautiful trees. I played with the idea for a long time of modeling the Santa Fe-proposed line north of Eureka and Arcata. Never completely decided, given the lack of documentation on the whole plan, whether to run the fictitious line through Crescent City and on to Coquille to meet up with the Coos Bay branch or to hang a right at CC and run up to Gasquet and the Illinois River valley to Grants Pass.

[sizemore]

Engineering is complete on the Super-Berk, just tweaking little things like pick-ups and such for better running on Super-El curves. The next steps are headlight, programing and painting.

The S.

[wm3798]

Mr. Leilich is at the Hagerstown Roundhouse awaiting the arrival of the Uber Berk.  The bar in the office car is stocked, and the brass is polished.  See you Monday?

[Ken G Price]

Sirenwerks, thanks for the reply. I do agree with you about the great look of his layout. Was just curious.

Thanks.

[sizemore]

Mr. Leilich is at the Hagerstown Roundhouse awaiting the arrival of the Uber Berk.  The bar in the office car is stocked, and the brass is polished.  See you Monday?

It will be coming with me. That will be the real test of the Super-Berk Numero Uno. I've been putting in a lot of hours at work so I most likely wont have time to get to ACME Labs to get the lights finagled nor the ACME Labs paintshop and squirted with paint. I'll also bring Super-Berk Numero Dos y Tres.

The S.