Weekend Update 7/10/16

[craigolio1]

More progress on the Rock River crossing.

That was fast!  Looks great.

Craig

[Cajonpassfan]

+1! Yea Dryl, that was fast! Nice to see you up and running again!
Impressive bridge, too....
Otto K.

[MichaelWinicki]

Been working on a scratch-built 1970-era former PRR yard office based on the one that existed in Olean, NY...





The original was built in the early 1900's and lasted until 1980, although judging by the early 70's image it had seen better days.

[reinhardtjh]

Been working on a scratch-built 1970-era former PRR yard office based on the one that existed in Olean, NY...

<Olean Yard Office.jpg>

<Yardoffice.jpg>

The original was built in the early 1900's and lasted until 1980, although judging by the early 70's image it had seen better days.

I love the Arcade & Attica boxcar sitting in Olean    Nice picture of the remnants of the Olean yard, too.

[MichaelWinicki]

I love the Arcade & Attica boxcar sitting in Olean    Nice picture of the remnants of the Olean yard, too.

Good catch!

[PiperguyUMD]

No real modeling, but I completed a virtual project!  I drew up a pair of WM chop nose GP9 cabs.  Test print is coming soon, hopefully they'll be available in a week or two!

[wcfn100]

Had a failed experiment this week.  I had designed a utility knife blade holder to cut a bevel into some 1/8" cork.  One of my pet peeves is the profile of ready made cork road bed.  This cutter would have made a more prototypical 2:1 slope and I could have cut the strips to a better width than commercial.  Unfortunately the cork I have, which is 1/8" floor underlayment, just tore with so much blade width cutting through it.  Maybe if I had cork that wasn't made up of such big pieces (if that even exists)?

But it was really cool for a minute. 


Jason

[peteski]

Had a failed experiment this week.  I had designed a utility knife blade holder to cut a bevel into some 1/8" cork.  One of my pet peeves is the profile of ready made cork road bed.  This cutter would have made a more prototypical 2:1 slope and I could have cut the strips to a better width than commercial.  Unfortunately the cork I have, which is 1/8" floor underlayment, just tore with so much blade width cutting through it.  Maybe if I had cork that wasn't made up of such big pieces (if that even exists)?

But it was really cool for a minute. 


Jason

Jason,  I had similar experiences using either utility or even hobby knife blades.  As I see it the problem is the thickness of the blade.  If you can redesign your tool to use a single edge razor blade, you might have better luck. That blade is much thinner.  It is worth a try.  It made a difference in my application.

[wcfn100]

If you can redesign your tool to use a single edge razor blade, you might have better luck. That blade is much thinner.  It is worth a try.  It made a difference in my application.

The blade thickness was the first thing I went to and did a few experiments with a SERB.  I still got some tearing.  I assume this underlayment cork is the lower end of things (I picked it up from a flooring place as a damaged box on the cheap) and I've had it a long time here in CO so it's really dried out.  I also don't have the greatest setup for pinning the cork down while also allowing the blade enough depth to cut through the bottom.

In short, lots of variable I can address.  Ultimately, I think the angle is just too shallow to get a clean cut through these particular cork chunks.   I have a couple other ideas, but will probably try a different blade at some point too.

Jason

[Missaberoad]

The blade thickness was the first thing I went to and did a few experiments with a SERB.  I still got some tearing.  I assume this underlayment cork is the lower end of things (I picked it up from a flooring place as a damaged box on the cheap) and I've had it a long time here in CO so it's really dried out.  I also don't have the greatest setup for pinning the cork down while also allowing the blade enough depth to cut through the bottom.

In short, lots of variable I can address.  Ultimately, I think the angle is just too shallow to get a clean cut through these particular cork chunks.   I have a couple other ideas, but will probably try a different blade at some point too.

Jason

My local craft store and Staples both have cork sheets available in multiple thicknesses with a smaller "grain". They're not available in as large sheets as at the home store but might be worth a try... 

In the past I've also used cork available on a roll at the home store with good luck, it was made up of larger pieces but cut very well...

Failing that if you can find a setup where you can make your cut in two passes it may help reduce resistance and tear out.

[wcfn100]

My local craft store and Staples both have cork sheets available in multiple thicknesses with a smaller "grain". They're not available in as large sheets as at the home store but might be worth a try... 

In the past I've also used cork available on a roll at the home store with good luck, it was made up of larger pieces but cut very well...

Failing that if you can find a setup where you can make your cut in two passes it may help reduce resistance and tear out.

What's getting lost in all of this is the biggest problem, the angle.  Even if you know that a 2:1 slope is about a 26 deg angle, it's hard to know what the looks like exactly.  Your using double the blade area than a normal 90 deg cut.  Even finer cork at 1/8" is going to move around trying to cut so shallow.  And it now occurs to me that I might have had more success in testing all this because I was doing it on cork that had been glued down.

I 'm thinking the focus should be on a smaller blade but as important, a way to firmly secure the cork.

If all else fails, plan Z is to sift WS ballast and use the bigger pieces to form the slope and ballast over that with the finer screened pieces.

Jason

[nkalanaga]

"If all else fails, plan Z is to sift WS ballast and use the bigger pieces to form the slope and ballast over that with the finer screened pieces."

I used AR&M ballast, but the same idea.  My roadbed is wood, 3/4 inch wide, with vertical sides.  The entire ballast shoulder is ballast, so the angle of the roadbed side doesn't matter.  Jason's suggestion would use less ballast than mine, and still save the trouble of cutting the cork.

[chuck geiger]

N - You can build up the roadbed profile on each side with sand and then ballast. Looks better too.
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/p/103923/1208568.aspx

[wcfn100]

N - You can build up the roadbed profile on each side with sand and then ballast. Looks better too.
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/p/103923/1208568.aspx

You get any cracking where the sand meets the cork?

Jason

[fcnrwy23]

Well the RG train has FINALLY, made it into the paint booth.....




I am starting to go through all of my photos.  To put together a thread on how this thing came about...


Jerry G.