Hello all...
I had been completely unaware that there was to be a big train show this June in Round Rock, TX (Austin suburb)...I lived in Round Rock from '89 until moving back to the Gulf Coast in 2003.
I cut my N scale teeth with the AustNtrak group and I was excited to hear they will be setting up for the show. Frankly, I've missed my friends there AND participating in a model railroad group (although I find the Ntrak standards difficult to allow effectively modellled prototypical scenes). However, there's no denying the draw of being able to create massive layouts with NTrak modules.
Another thing I miss is being able to attend decently sized train shows...seems that Texas had/has quite a few train shows compared to the dearth of shows here in the Deep South.
I've decided to build a module (I sold my previous ones, built in Austin, to members of AustNtrak before I moved), to be completed in time for the Round Rock show. A great opportunity to travel back and visit with Austin/Round Rock friends, hit some favorite eatery and night spots, participate in a show, and talk trains.
I like the 6 ft modules for the scenery aspects they allow, and, as long as there is another 6 footer, or a 2 foot module in the mix, they'll fit into the layout scheme with a little planning.
The AustNtrak group runs digital on Red, and runs separate digital network on Blue-instead of the 'mountain line', many, or by now, most of ther AustNTrak modules have , instead an 'alternate' blue track, at track level, where the 'mountain line' would normally reside. They also have incorporated an additional siding off of the Red line (Red siding or orange) to allow some level of operation on the digitally controlled red line.
My previous 6 footer (still being used in group setups) incorporated the red siding and alternate blue; however, I ended the red siding at both ends of the module, and curved blue line away from red and yellow, and back again at the other end of the module, doing my best to isolate just red and yellow-to better represent a double track main. The blue represented the 'original' single track mainline, and the parallel red and yellow represented the new double track alignment-foam scenery was designed to represent this with the 'new tangent track being placed in a cut into the hilly terrain.
This is the way the module appears today (it's changed hands numerous times and has seen some rough handling-the original interlocking tower is gone and a church sits in its place-gone, also, is the nice cantilever signal bridge that signaled this junction between blue and alternate blue-some details have been lost from the gas station at the rear as well. A skyboard was built and included, but I believe its no longer around
I named this module 'Arbo Junction' and used one of the old Sunrise ATSF station signs to label it...
I recently found some more pics of it, taken by a board member on another forum-hopefully, he won't mind if I reproduce his pics to better illustrate my work...
Here one can see where the interlocking tower used to reside....
and a view from the other end...showing the cut and the crossovers (I never did add signal bridges-they would look great here)
I used different ballast for red siding and the old main line- and a completely different ballast on alternate blue to represent another railroad that made aq connection with the old main at Arbo Junction.
The new 6 footer will do some of the same things-end red siding at both ends, but this one will also have alternate blue connect, at both ends, with blue. This one will represent a New Mexican scene on the ATSF mainling...somewhere just east of Laguna. A large mesa will dominate the area from the red-yellow-blue tracks to the rear of the module; in this case, I'll have to disguise blue as a lesser or set out track of the double track main.
I'm excited to start and finish this in time for the show in June-Peco electrofrog switched are on their way from Mike Fifer, and I have enough sticks of old code 80 to lay track!
Here is a rough sketch of the plan-showing some of the details and highlights....
and today, work began on the module frame...I had intended to rip plywood for this one, but with so many furniture grade 1x4s in the garage, I couldn't rationalize buying the plywood-I drill holes with a doorknob attachment to keep the module woodwork light...as usual, my helper is watching out for any squirrels that may attempt to intrude on the build!
Thanks for looking!
~Bruce
