Cisco Bridges: a new layout concept

[Scottl]

Unfortunately the doors can't be changed. They do eat up room, but the furnace does need some access space anyway.

I did not take any photos this afternoon, but I did play around with some ideas.  In this version Black Canyon makes a reappearance but staging is lost.  This is actually a very interesting configuration.

[Scottl]

Here is a shot of a simple canyon wall mocked up with the five staging tracks roughly placed behind.  It is hard to imagine, but the mainline and river would be located where the current yard tracks are on the right side of the picture.  I can get back there to reach the tracks, barely, and sanding on a chair makes it easier.  At this point I remain unconvinced that I can make that work (or I can the first time until a loco stalls or a derailment happens back there).

[GaryHinshaw]

So is your main concern not being able to access staging, or not having enough real estate in front of staging to pull off the scene you want?  Your last plan is pretty interesting, but I think having no staging would grow tiresome pretty quickly...

Didn't you say your wife wanted to move?...   

[Scottl]

Ha ha, I've put out that fire for now, we're staying in our little place.

With the first plan, I think the staging access aspect worries me less than not having enough space for the scene.  It is about 14-18" in front of the canyon divider, which is enough on paper, but will it be enough to give decent scenic treatment?  This are two good shots of the vertical nature of the background I am aiming for.  The river is quite narrow at the tunnels proper, and the east bank is more gentle slopes covered in grass and scrub.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=493712
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=497876

When I took the photos I posted last night, I convinced myself that he staging area was all within reach with those barriers in place.  The hardest track to access is the one immediately behind the canyon wall, but by standing on a chair that gives me access to even that part.  I feel fairly confident that I can maintain sporadic access to the tracks.

I do agree that the idea of not having any staging would get old quickly.  I run fairly long trains of 18-20 cars +2-3 locomotives, so setting up and taking one down is not something that would happen often.  Also, part of my vision is to develop semi-automation so that the staging tracks are routes that are controllable via DCC, with all the gadgetry associated with that including some kind of sound control.  Basically, I want to be able to sit and watch a random selection of trains roll by.  So in the end, staging is a must.

On an unrelated bit of positive karma, in a desperate attempt to do some modelling, I installed the fix-it washers on my DI Maxi cars.  While doing so, one of the tiny washers disappeared under my workbench, and the search revealed both the washer AND the Showcase Miniatures signal light head I had lost about five months ago.  I guess it pays not to vacuum too often. 

[davefoxx]

Those staging tracks are going to be difficult to clean, even if you never have a derailment back there.  I suggest removable scenery.

DFF

[Scottl]

Curse you and your reality check 

Well, in the spirit of doing rather than thinking about it, I took the opportunity offered by the holiday to do some track arranging.  This is more fun than on the computer, and it is a bit sobering as well.  There is definitely room for all the track and some reasonable space for the river scenes, and I have pulled the staging from the deep corner so it is all pretty easy to reach, even with a 12" vertical barrier.  Still, I don't underestimate the misery limited access may provide, so Dave's point is a good one.  Can I make this work with some kind of removable scenery over the staging?  Maybe something that moves up on sliders and locks in place?  My scenery will be foam board and plaster rock casts- all told it won't be too heavy.  Hmmm.

I'm also openly thinking about keeping the Tortoises on the surface next to the staging tracks.  They will be hidden, but this will make installation and access easier.  There are only four turnouts at each end of the staging so it won't be too crowded.  The two turnouts on the mainline will need to have them installed below I think, unless a remote linkage on the surface is possible.







And in case you assumed I had a lot of space to work with, the view from the laundry room 

[svedblen]

The problem with removable scenery is the boundary between the removable part and the fixed part, which you want to be invisble. It is not evident from the prototype pictures if there any ridges along the mountain side. If it is, the solution might be to hide the lower part of the removable scenery behind the  lower part, like this.



Just food for thought.

[Scottl]

That is my concern as well, and moving it means it will suffer some wear and tear too.  It might be possible to make a break at the top of the rock face where the slope above begins.  I like the idea of having it on sliders so it can move up and out of the way for track access, and then down for normal operations.  Having a way to motorize that would be slick, but I can imagine a way with some kind of pulleys too.

More clean up and some quick images scaled to see how the rocksheds fit in the space.  One of the long ones will need to be shortened a bit but I'm quit happy with the view lines and the space for the river.  The 3" of foam is almost precisely the distance above the river, a happy coincidence.  I have not cut out any foam for the river yet, just exposed previous hollow areas from a previous layout.  It is like an archaeological dig 

[mark dance]

Not sure where you are with your track-planning options but regarding removable scenery...

I have had success with removable cliff faces.  I cast or carve the lower section of a cliff from Hydrocal, then lay plastic wrap across the top and finish the upper portion right down over the lower one.  In some cases I have used styrofoam forms over which I lay plaster and in other cases just many layers of plaster gauze and Sculptamod followed by Hydrocal rocks. 

Here is the short Paulson tunnel...gap just barely noticeable.
 


A much larger section covers a sharp, ~18" long, turn back curve just east of Shields.  Unfortunately it is at the end of an alcove and I don't have any shots of it handy...it is a rock fall scene not a snow scene and there are more ground cover options to mask the seam so it is even less visible than the Paulson tunnel lift out. 

The entire cliff face below and around the Shields retaining wall is also removable for access to a variety of things.  It was made from carved stacks of foam covered with plaster and castings.  It is about 3.5' long and 12" high.


(Tim Horton photo)

Can you hide the switches at each end behind ridge lines (which could be removable) and just cover the parallel yard tracks with removable scenery?  If you make the land forms out of plaster covered layers of Styrofoam it will be light weight, accurately fitting and reasonably robust

[Scottl]

Mark,

Thanks for these great examples.  It took me a few tries to see the gap in the first example, but I "think" that I see it now...  Stellar work, and I like your ideas.

I think I will keep the turnouts at both ends of the staging hidden but exposed for access.  For the rest of the staging, I'm planning something that either lifts off, or even a version like this that would be lifted on drawer sliders and pulleys.  It might be too elaborate, but I have all the mechanical components anyway so I thought I would give it a try.  Your approaches to hiding the gap should be very helpful.

[Scottl]

OK, the mechanism for moving the scenic cover is too much, I'll just go with a foam cover that I remove by hand.  KISS 

I've ordered the Tortoises, I'm tuning my turnouts, and raised the higher backdrop today.  Progress has started again.

[Kevin C]

This will be good. Waiting in anticipation. Keep the updates coming.

Kevin

[Scottl]

Back from a week away and now have a NCE Switch-IT8 Mk2 in my hands.  My plan is to control the Tortoise motors with this via my DCC control.  A few minutes to hook up some wires and quick test shows that this is a very elegant solution.  Turnout control from my handheld DCC unit!

One mystery is the second set of communications connections that is labelled "relay".  There is no mention in the documentation but NCE sells a relay board but the connections don't seem to match.  It is as if it is meant for a more complex board with a multiple relays and a serial connection.  I could see how this is used to contol frogs and power to the track or for auto reversing.  Very cool.

This gizmo stuff is good fun! 

[davefoxx]

Scott,

Model Railroader's Video Plus has a series, "Drew's Trackside Adventures" with a new video that railfanned the Thompson River Canyon, including Cisco.  It was interesting to see the prototype in action in the canyon, and the video provided me with a better overall perspective of the area since I've never been there.  There's some incredible scenes in there.

I'd say you've nailed the canyon scene.  Keep up the good work.  I look forward to progress on your planned revisions of your layout.

DFF

[Scottl]

Thanks Dave, I've seen the first episode from that series (and subscribed because of it!).  It is an amazing stretch of railroad and I visit every opportunity I can.  If I had a garage or larger space, I can think of a dozen signature scenes that would be worth doing, along with operational CN and CP lines.  I'll settle for my space, but I've found some new motivation to work on my next layout phase.  This time it will be wired for semi-automatic operations and I have spent a lot of time on the turnouts to tune them for reliable operation.  My previous track efforts were rather slap-dash by comparison, so I hope this will work out well.