Weekend Update 9/13/15

[peteski]

Hey David, welcome back!  Your layout is looking absolutely fantastic!  You really have the scenery and track looking top-notch. The photo cells are easy to hide, but you'll need to drill through the Unitrack.

No kidding!  I was so impressed by the scenery that I didn't notice that the track was Unitrack!  Only after I read your post I went back and reviewed the photos. Even then, the track is so well weathered that it looks nothing like Unitrack!  Who says that code 70 sectional track can't look good?  Well done David!

[Joetrain59]

"Perhaps we should be chatting with Craig Martyn about offering us some ALCO detail parts . . ."
 I suggested that on the A board a few years ago. One member really got on my case, "go find an Alco, and take some measurements"..blah...blah...blah.
 Joe D

[nkalanaga]

David:  Looks like places I've been here in Appalachia - including the nicely paved road that turns to dirt.

The best one I ever saw was at Williamson, WV years ago, where US 52 had a 4-way intersection north(?) of town.  52 went south to Williamson and north to Kenova.  Another road, a nice wide one, crossed a new bridge over the Tug Fork to the "west".  To the "east" was maybe 100 feet of road, paved, striped, everything, and a vertical cliff.  The intersection had left turn lanes, traffic lights, the works.  The left turn light "southbound" into the dead end even worked, and was in the regular cycle.

We weren't back for at least ten years, probably more, and the road was entirely different.  52 now went straight through the hill, instead of around it, entering the intersection through a big cut, to the "dead end" section, then crossed the bridge, bypassing Williamson entirely.  The old road was local access "north" or the intersection, and still wnet into Williamson to the "south".

But it took years to finish the job, and during that time, it looked like someone started to build scenery and never finished it.  Who ever heard of a working left turn lane to a patch of pavement going literally nowhere?

[towl1996]

Here's my Queen,



Thanks to Peter at N scale kits for supplying me with replacement parts for the ones I managed to mangle and break. Outstanding customer service.

[Rich_S]

Been making more progress updating the foreground of the layout.  Trying to add more visual interest so I built a couple Blair Line company houses and added some more details to the company store and the surrounding scenery.  Also purchased some Tomar searchlight signals and have started to add them to the layout. Thinking about buying some photo cell block animators from Logic Rail Technologies.  Has anyone else used these?






Thanks for looking,

David

David, Your scenery looks fantastic  What size is your layout? From the photo's I'm guessing a 4 x 8 island style layout? What is on the other side of the backdrop?

[davidgray1974]

@Dave Vollmer - Thanks David!  Good to be back! I'm really enjoying your Midland build.  Loving the bridges, especially the wooden trestle.  Have no doubts your layout will look amazing and show great depth and scale.

@johnb - This is a Blair Line Company Store kit.  Bought it from M.B. Klein.  Pieces fit together perfectly and its a fun build.

@peteski - Thanks!  The Express Scale # 50 Blended Ballast really sits well between the rails and I think is much more in scale than the Kato ballast I was using prior.  Really love the look of Code 55, but since this is my first layout I felt Kato Unitrack was the best thing considering my skill level.

@nkalanaga - Thats the ultimate compliment when someone from the area your modeling tells you it looks like a place they've been.  Thank you!  Coalcampusa.com has been a great source of information on Appalachian coal camps.

Thanks again for all the great comments!

David

[Chris333]

 considering my skill level.

Considering your skill level, I'd consider letting you do all my scenery work!!

Damn that looks great.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

@davidgray1974, your layout is beautiful! Those are some skills indeed.


(Below is a repost from my layout engineering thread: https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=30583.msg441794#msg441794)
This was a pretty busy weekend in Windsor St.

First, @mu26aeh stopped by to talk DCC and get some Glamour Shots of his really pretty Gettysburg geeps.



While I was waiting for him to arrive, I started working on filling in the "woods" behind the yard. I'm a little rusty, but I think it's a good start.



Then, after reading @davefoxx's progress on ballasting his layout, I sacked up and started doing mine too. Of course, I have a TON of track to grout, but it's not bad if you do it in little bits.

Here's where I started.


The first section was before yesterday's Ravens opener. Obviously, some touchup is required.


I mixed up a new mix for the secondary track (the controlled siding).

I liked that blend enough that I also did some of the "runner" track.


After the game, I came back and finished a bunch more of the mains and siding.


The next steps there are going to be after I get that building sorted out. I changed the color to gray this weekend, so I think it's now an issue of final assembly and detailing. Then I can ballast near it.

I'm excited. It's really starting to look like a semi-finished model railroad at this point!

[sizemore]

Apologies; that was not my intent at all.  I can refrain from further posts on this project if it is a problem. 

Perhaps we should be chatting with Craig Martyn about offering us some ALCO detail parts . . .

Tim

Just busting your stones in good fun do not take it personally! Looking forward to seeing those Alco's done!


The S.

[chicken45]

Here's my Queen,



Thanks to Peter at N scale kits for supplying me with replacement parts for the ones I managed to mangle and break. Outstanding customer service.

That looks great, @towl1996 ! Let's see more pics! Tell us how you got that square peg in the round hole! Did you reshape the transition sections? What all did you do to this?

[glakedylan]

@davidgray1974

simply wow!
what a fantastic job on scenery
including the track
you have really captured reality
in that work
thanks for sharing
much appreciated
sincerely--
Gary

[towl1996]

That looks great, @towl1996 ! Let's see more pics! Tell us how you got that square peg in the round hole! Did you reshape the transition sections? What all did you do to this?

Thanks Josh,
You know the drill; file, JB weld, file some more, more jb weld, and then file some more. The bottom lip was filed off and replaced with a wide styrene strip and I used styrene corner bracing to help hid the gaps. For some reason I was determined not to let this one go unfinished. Now all we need is a turbo generator, know any one?

[crrcoal]

Davidgray1974--One of the best "unitrack" layouts I've ever seen. Outstanding! And a coal hauler to boot!

[GimpLizard]

Davidgray1974--One of the best "unitrack" layouts I've ever seen. Outstanding! And a coal hauler to boot!

Wait a minute!! That's Unitrack? That can't be Unitrack. There ain't no way you can make Unitrack THAT good. Is there?

Aw, come on. You're pulling my leg. That ain't Unitrack. Is it? Really?

Well I'll be... It is. It really, REALLY is. Gotta look close to tell. But that's Unitrack.

Damn.

[tom mann]

Holy crap that @davidgray1974 scenery is amazing.