föstudagur, 23. september 2011
Walking tour - 1
When Dave Emery came out for the open house last weekend he took some overall pictures of one side of the peninsula. So, I'd thought we'd start the "walking tour" with them - mostly because there's no track down in the "around the walls" section - something I plan to address very soon.
This is the view looking down the peninsula from the bottom of the basement stairs:
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This is the view looking down the peninsula from the bottom of the basement stairs:
Looking back at the peninsula (to the far right) - the Williams Creek scene is in the center.
Turning left from the previous shot reveals the unfinished section around the wall (the benchwork extends behind the photographer also). Current plans call for one fairly large industrial complex - likely a wire rope plant, to go along the left side of this shot.
When I get more track in place and cleared off I'll post photos of the rest of the layout.
mánudagur, 19. september 2011
Open house!
We had about 40 local NMRA members come by and visit over four hours
during the open house Saturday. I enjoyed having a chance to see old friends, and make new ones and got a kick out of seeing the reaction to some of my rather unusual construction methods.
The layout performed well without any issues - I was really pleased especially considering how "temporary" some of the wiring is at this point! I actually laid some track the in the morning and wired it in time for the open house! I really shouldn't have done that, but I wanted to be able to run the entire length of both sides of the peninsula. I had a list of 10 things I wanted to get done for the open house - issues with one turnout cost me more than a day of troubleshooting which blew the timeline so I didn't get the fascia painted (item no. 10). I considered painting it on Saturday morning, but cooler heads prevailed when I had visions of visitors leaving with splotches of fascia color on their clothes!
Jeff (my oldest son, in the green shirt in the photo) came up from Virginia Beach for this event. He helped clean up before the open house and was a great help during the proceedings - he mostly ran the trains and I talked, and talked, and talked. Which apparently isn't really a problem for me . . .
Everyone who saw the previous layout footprint found the new arrangement to be a real improvement. I'd estimate we had as many as 25 people in the basement at one point. It seemed cramped but not overly crowded - of course I'll never have half that number for an op session. But I concluded the day secure in the knowledge that 8-12 member crew will be very comfortable in the space.
I reviewed some options for the mill stream arrangement with a few folks, including Dave Emery who's an expert on New England mills. We did come up with a workable arrangement for the Lamson & Goodnow kit but I'm still considering using the Atlas Middlesex building since it seems a little larger, more modern, and might fit the space better.
I also talked through some decisions that need to be made for the "yard" area - which is still an expanse of open benchwork. Stay tuned to this blog for more details on how that area will shape up in the next few months.
The decision to change the layout has been worth the blood and sweat to pull it off. Since the entire layout is actually cleared off I should take a series of pictures as a "walking" tour (Dave showed me some cool pics he took with his "extreme wide angle" setting) and record what it looks like at this point - about nine months to the day after I started construction!
Read More..
during the open house Saturday. I enjoyed having a chance to see old friends, and make new ones and got a kick out of seeing the reaction to some of my rather unusual construction methods.
The layout performed well without any issues - I was really pleased especially considering how "temporary" some of the wiring is at this point! I actually laid some track the in the morning and wired it in time for the open house! I really shouldn't have done that, but I wanted to be able to run the entire length of both sides of the peninsula. I had a list of 10 things I wanted to get done for the open house - issues with one turnout cost me more than a day of troubleshooting which blew the timeline so I didn't get the fascia painted (item no. 10). I considered painting it on Saturday morning, but cooler heads prevailed when I had visions of visitors leaving with splotches of fascia color on their clothes!
 |
| Jeff McGuirk (in bright green shirt) chats with Potomac Division members at the September 17 open house. |
Everyone who saw the previous layout footprint found the new arrangement to be a real improvement. I'd estimate we had as many as 25 people in the basement at one point. It seemed cramped but not overly crowded - of course I'll never have half that number for an op session. But I concluded the day secure in the knowledge that 8-12 member crew will be very comfortable in the space.
I reviewed some options for the mill stream arrangement with a few folks, including Dave Emery who's an expert on New England mills. We did come up with a workable arrangement for the Lamson & Goodnow kit but I'm still considering using the Atlas Middlesex building since it seems a little larger, more modern, and might fit the space better.
I also talked through some decisions that need to be made for the "yard" area - which is still an expanse of open benchwork. Stay tuned to this blog for more details on how that area will shape up in the next few months.
The decision to change the layout has been worth the blood and sweat to pull it off. Since the entire layout is actually cleared off I should take a series of pictures as a "walking" tour (Dave showed me some cool pics he took with his "extreme wide angle" setting) and record what it looks like at this point - about nine months to the day after I started construction!
miðvikudagur, 14. september 2011
Down by the Old Mill Stream
Making some progress on the mill stream scene. I got the New England Brownstone culverts painted and installed, and carved the large hill that divides the peninsula in half to shape. I also got a coat of "ground goop" on the hill and started on the riverbed before I gave out last night. In this shot, I hadn't gotten the track shimmed - hence the "washed out" look!
This shot shows the area (to the left and right of the river) where the other two planned mills may go (L&G to the left; Delabarre Woolen to the right):
Goal for tonight is see if the L&G kit will fit the area. I may well decide to go with an Atlas Middlesex Mfg. kit since that may take less room than the L&G complex.
Then I have to get the layout room cleaned up for the open house this weekend!
Marty
Peninsula Progress Report - I
With the Williams Creek scene basically completed I decided to start the rough scenery on the mill stream scene that bisects the lobe end of the peninsula.
I've got the foam stacked for the hill that will serve as a viewblock between the town scene and the mill stream in place. The cardboard mockups are for one of the three planned mills along the river � this particular mill is based on the Berry Excelsior Mill from NH � the cardstock mockup closest to the camera is the Berry Machine Shop. The other mill in this scene will be the upcoming South River Modelworks "Delabarre Woolens" - that will go to the lower right of the photo. Although freelanced, it looks a lot like one of the mills that stood alongside the CV tracks north of Eagleville, Conn.
A third mill, in the large area to the lower left of the picture, is a possibility as well. It may be Lamson & Goodnow - another SRMW kit that's my model railroading albatross, the Atlas brick factory kit, or a scratchbuilt structure. Frankly, I may opt not to add a mill anything to the area in the interest of preventing an overly crowded appearance.
You can see I've cut the stream bed into the foamboard and the point where the spillway will be installed should be apparent - even in this pink wonderland.
The last photo shows where the mill stream will leave the modeled portion of the scene - the track is on a curve here so I decided to go with a culvert (from New England Brownstone) instead of a bridge.
I've got the foam stacked for the hill that will serve as a viewblock between the town scene and the mill stream in place. The cardboard mockups are for one of the three planned mills along the river � this particular mill is based on the Berry Excelsior Mill from NH � the cardstock mockup closest to the camera is the Berry Machine Shop. The other mill in this scene will be the upcoming South River Modelworks "Delabarre Woolens" - that will go to the lower right of the photo. Although freelanced, it looks a lot like one of the mills that stood alongside the CV tracks north of Eagleville, Conn.
A third mill, in the large area to the lower left of the picture, is a possibility as well. It may be Lamson & Goodnow - another SRMW kit that's my model railroading albatross, the Atlas brick factory kit, or a scratchbuilt structure. Frankly, I may opt not to add a mill anything to the area in the interest of preventing an overly crowded appearance.
You can see I've cut the stream bed into the foamboard and the point where the spillway will be installed should be apparent - even in this pink wonderland.
The last photo shows where the mill stream will leave the modeled portion of the scene - the track is on a curve here so I decided to go with a culvert (from New England Brownstone) instead of a bridge.
þriðjudagur, 6. september 2011
"Houston, We have a problem"
We had family visiting for most of the weekend, so I didn't get a lot done on layout - until they left for the airport on Monday morning. I spent the first part of Monday afternoon getting the remaining feeders connected to the buss wires. Then I tweaked a troublesome turnout on the south end of Richmond (just beyond the bridge scene). Once I got the passenger cars through it without any issues I dug out the Division Point 2-10-4s and one of my Overland 4-8-2s.
The 2-10-4 made it through the mainline route of the switch - the diverging route traveling northbound direction was no joy - that wasn't a surprise and is something I can handle with a timetable special instruction (there's no reason for a 2-10-4 to be on that siding anyway).
Then I got out the first 4-8-2 - it ran back and forth just fine, I was thrilled. Then, the engine stopped. I mean it just froze. I immediately suspected a wiring issue - after all I was testing the wiring. Then I figured perhaps it was a track issue - no problem, the engine was on the rails. Then I noticed the side rods were a funny shape - the main rod looked like a mountain range - going up and down. That can't be right. Apparently the long screw holding the valve gear assembly into the third driver had loosened to the point where it slipped out of the driver on one side - throwing everything out of whack.
I put the engine back in the box, and put the other 4-8-2 on the track - checking it to be sure it was in good shape. It ran back and forth even better until it started stuttering - I shut it off right away and examined it closely. Believe it or not, this engine had the EXACT SAME issue - loosing it's siderod screw after a few runs back and forth.
So now I have two engines that are down hard until I have enough time to really work through the issue. I've never been much of a locomotive mechanic - looks like that's about to change.
I'm so mad I could spit.
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The 2-10-4 made it through the mainline route of the switch - the diverging route traveling northbound direction was no joy - that wasn't a surprise and is something I can handle with a timetable special instruction (there's no reason for a 2-10-4 to be on that siding anyway).
Then I got out the first 4-8-2 - it ran back and forth just fine, I was thrilled. Then, the engine stopped. I mean it just froze. I immediately suspected a wiring issue - after all I was testing the wiring. Then I figured perhaps it was a track issue - no problem, the engine was on the rails. Then I noticed the side rods were a funny shape - the main rod looked like a mountain range - going up and down. That can't be right. Apparently the long screw holding the valve gear assembly into the third driver had loosened to the point where it slipped out of the driver on one side - throwing everything out of whack.
I put the engine back in the box, and put the other 4-8-2 on the track - checking it to be sure it was in good shape. It ran back and forth even better until it started stuttering - I shut it off right away and examined it closely. Believe it or not, this engine had the EXACT SAME issue - loosing it's siderod screw after a few runs back and forth.
So now I have two engines that are down hard until I have enough time to really work through the issue. I've never been much of a locomotive mechanic - looks like that's about to change.
I'm so mad I could spit.
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