The Carolina Sandhills Lines in HO Scale

[davefoxx]

I can see them being pulled. Do you ever push them? (Or perhaps not prototypical for the line your modeling?)

Worked fine in reverse around that curve a few times, but, yeah, mine don't run in push-pull service.  I only have to back them into or out of staging.  I will admit that they didn't want any part of the s-curves to get into that far track (I'm not surprised), but no problem to the middle track (I was pleasantly surprised).  They'll probably do okay to the front track.  But, it really doesn't matter because the Amtrak train has no business on the A&R's tracks.  This was more of an experiment than anything.

DFF

[davefoxx]

With the installation of the third A&R yard track, that should complete all of the trackwork on the Seaboard Central 3.0.  The layout is even more fun to run now, as I have three railroads represented on the layout with each having its own mainline and staging.  Of course, they all share the SBD yard in Aberdeen where interchange between the three roads occurs.  And, the A&R can now get to the SBD yard without even having to enter the SBD mainline.



Here’s a picture of the layout overall: that’s the Seaboard Central at upper left that comes across the trestle and down the hill into Aberdeen; that’s the Aberdeen & Rockfish at upper right on the new shelf that weaves around the plumbing to enter Aberdeen; and then there’s the Seaboard System that is the roundy-round on the main layout with the large yard at lower right and additional staging capacity on the folding shelf mostly out of the picture.



The results were well worth the marathon of building the A&R’s line over the past nine days.  Now, I can take a break and JFRTM.

DFF

[davefoxx]

I used to do the same thing when joining PECO Code 55 TO's to ME Code 55 flex. 
It's been a long time since that layout but if I recall, I used a Dremel to shave the shoulder of the joiner completely under the ME flex leaving only the tab because the transition wasn't as much as what you're facing.
You take great care with your track work, I'm sure as a result of your N Scale roots.
I think you're likely fastidious by nature though and this leads to good operations.

Thank you for those kind words, Bryan.

DFF

[LIRR]

I like it...well done

[wm3798]

That looks great.  You have an attention to detail that really shows from the benchwork construction to the rail joinery. 
Good roundy round track plan with enough places for trains to go and come from to keep it lively.
Lee

[DKS]

That looks great.  You have an attention to detail that really shows from the benchwork construction to the rail joinery. 
Good roundy round track plan with enough places for trains to go and come from to keep it lively.
Lee

What he said!

Thanks for posting that overall view--it helps create a sense of the orientation of things.

[davefoxx]

Thanks, guys!  The next real dilemma to solve will be the backdrop.  You can see where it stops now in the picture above.  The plan is to have it continue and then curve around the corner and run behind the A&R's new yard.  Obviously, the sewer pipe is in the way.  My initial thought would be to take the full sheet of Masonite and split it horizontally at some point so that the backdrop can run in front of the pipe above the yard (with the bottom edge at maybe just below eye level), and also run directly under the pipe and back against the wall behind the yard tracks. 

I bet that's as clear as mud.  Any thoughts?

DFF

[Philip H]

Run the backdrop to the current of framing and down to the new shelf.  Then put a bunch of scale height trees at that edge, carried over in picture form on the backfrop.  And remember that as @Ed Kapuscinski reminds us (Ed's Law Chapter 2) real trees are way taller then what we often model. Leave the A&R staging without backdrop, even if you scenic the ground.

[nuno81291]

Certainly a shot in the dark but I would say how about disguising the diagonal pipe with some scenery, tall trees, or perhaps an overpass (with embankments/walls) running into that corner. Do you have any examples of rock cuts on the line (A&R?).

[DKS]

Thanks, guys!  The next real dilemma to solve will be the backdrop.  You can see where it stops now in the picture above.  The plan is to have it continue and then curve around the corner and run behind the A&R's new yard.  Obviously, the sewer pipe is in the way.  My initial thought would be to take the full sheet of Masonite and split it horizontally at some point so that the backdrop can run in front of the pipe above the yard (with the bottom edge at maybe just below eye level), and also run directly under the pipe and back against the wall behind the yard tracks. 

I bet that's as clear as mud.  Any thoughts?

DFF

The big problem I see is that there's no way to run the backdrop in front of the pipe; the diagonal part of the pipe extends over the track, so you're kind of stuck. Me, I'd just run the backdrop behind the pipe, paint the pipe the backdrop color, and maybe work in some sort of structure or scenic element to detract from where the pipe descends behind the benchwork. Otherwise, I think you'll be tearing your hair out trying to solve an unsolvable problem.

The only other thing you could do is hire a plumber to replace the diagonal portion of the waste drain with a large-radius elbow. But I think that's more trouble than it's worth, especially since you'd have to remove the benchwork in front of the pipe to do that.

[Dave V]

OK, here's an idea...  Paint the cinder block wall and the pipe your sky color.  Then add a Masonite backdrop but only a 2-D ridge with rolling top edge covered in distant tree-looking stuff (clump foliage, puff-balls, whatever).  The Masonite profile could be made to dip below the pipe in that corner.

[DKS]

Uncertain if this is worth considering or not, but it's perhaps a way of killing two birds. And instead of trying to describe it, I rendered it as art (saved a few hundred words).



As I hope one can tell, it's a road that crosses the track twice, running in front of the water pipes and the waste pipe. Behind the curved track is a rock cut so that the scenery can rise up above the road level. I'd also populate the terrain with a lot of tall trees to help hide more junk.

[davefoxx]

Thanks for the input, guys.  I've been given some food for thought.  I like what you designed, @DKS, and will consider something like that to disguise the maze of pipes.  I'll have to look into how that blends into the scenery on the layout and as compared to that little corner of of the real world Aberdeen.

As for the backdrop, I like the suggestions to not get too fancy with this.  I always say I'm a lazy model railroader, so anything that makes it easier.  I was just in the layout room and looking at this from multiple angles.  I'll probably just choose the option to run the backdrop behind the sewer pipe and paint that pipe the sky color.  I'll have to clean it first, because it has about forty years of grunge and dust on it.  Then, I'll just have the Masonite meet in the corner at a ninety degree angle, because there's no use in building a complicated coved corner behind the pipes.  But, this will allow me to still have a blue sky behind most of the layout for photos.  Creative photographic angles can probably minimize the impact of the plumbing in the background.

Thanks again,
DFF

[davefoxx]

OK, here's an idea...  Paint the cinder block wall and the pipe your sky color.  Then add a Masonite backdrop but only a 2-D ridge with rolling top edge covered in distant tree-looking stuff (clump foliage, puff-balls, whatever).  The Masonite profile could be made to dip below the pipe in that corner.

I found a scrap of Masonite and plopped it onto the layout.  I probably can get six or seven inches of backdrop below the angled sewer pipe.  So, to borrow from the ideas to hide the pipe/corner with trees and scenery, I could make a small six- or seven-inch tall viewblock with perhaps a photo backdrop or 2D trees on it.  The sky color on the Masonite applied to each wall would provide the sky above the small viewblock, and this viewblock would hide the pipe down at the layout's level.



Thanks again for the ideas, guys!
DFF

[GimpLizard]

I always say I'm a lazy model railroader...

You? Hardly. Now as for me... I have a PHD in lazy.