Sýnir færslur með efnisorðinu Layout design. Sýna allar færslur
Sýnir færslur með efnisorðinu Layout design. Sýna allar færslur
fimmtudagur, 23. júlí 2015
Sneak Preview - and a possibility???
This post serves two purposes. And, it may be the first model railroad blog post to feature a Vulcan funeral�
The first purpose is crass commercialism - a plug for my friend Bernie Kempinski's Upcoming book from Kalmbach - 45 Original Track Plans.
But one of those plans does have some bearing on this post and on my layout. It's Bernie's Magnum Opus du White River Junction�. or some such. Essentially the plan in the book features White River Jct. and several other CV towns in a massive dream layout scenario. He did me a favor and didn't design it for my present basement - a good thing since I'd likely be taking a crow bar to what I DO have had that been the case. Thanks Bernie!
For frame of reference here's a snippet of the parts of the plan that apply to this discussion (reproduced here with Bernie's permission)
I've blogged about the issues with the White River scene on my layout before so I won't repeat those concerns. I might come to the conclusion that what it is is what it is�and it's not worth the time/effort/expense to change.
But, as Mr. Spock said, "I like to consider that there are always �. possibilities."
[Editor's Note: Of course that was shortly before he sucked down the Enterprise's main engine fumes inside a glass box that looks the smoking rooms in the airport, died, and then got shot out of the ship in a giant eyeglass case�.But I digress.]
Although the plan in the book is too large but perhaps I could take a kernel of an idea and solve several of the issues with WRJ by adapting it to fit my space.
The key would be the removal of the wall behind WRJ - completely - and finishing off the walls in the present workshop to match those in the rest of the layout room. (The workshop area is 6 x 11 feet).The staging yard which presently juts into the middle of the storage room would turn 180 degrees and end up along the left wall of the present workshop in this view.
I'd add a little - perhaps 14-18" to the rear of the layout - enough to make the platform area of the station a true highlight. The resulting operator's area would be approx 36" wide. Access could be via duck under or through some sort of lift out lift gate. A door may or not be installed between where the water heater is and the corner of the wall.
A conceptual sketch of how this might fit the space is below.
Will I actually do this???
Honestly, I don't know. There's some appeal to it but I also dread the thought of another step backward.
At least this wouldn't require tearing out sections of the layout and rebuilding them - it's a change to the space more than the layout itself.
Key is to determine if the time/effort/expense is worth the benefit. We'll see.
Read More..
The first purpose is crass commercialism - a plug for my friend Bernie Kempinski's Upcoming book from Kalmbach - 45 Original Track Plans.
But one of those plans does have some bearing on this post and on my layout. It's Bernie's Magnum Opus du White River Junction�. or some such. Essentially the plan in the book features White River Jct. and several other CV towns in a massive dream layout scenario. He did me a favor and didn't design it for my present basement - a good thing since I'd likely be taking a crow bar to what I DO have had that been the case. Thanks Bernie!For frame of reference here's a snippet of the parts of the plan that apply to this discussion (reproduced here with Bernie's permission)
I've blogged about the issues with the White River scene on my layout before so I won't repeat those concerns. I might come to the conclusion that what it is is what it is�and it's not worth the time/effort/expense to change.
But, as Mr. Spock said, "I like to consider that there are always �. possibilities."
[Editor's Note: Of course that was shortly before he sucked down the Enterprise's main engine fumes inside a glass box that looks the smoking rooms in the airport, died, and then got shot out of the ship in a giant eyeglass case�.But I digress.]
Although the plan in the book is too large but perhaps I could take a kernel of an idea and solve several of the issues with WRJ by adapting it to fit my space.
The key would be the removal of the wall behind WRJ - completely - and finishing off the walls in the present workshop to match those in the rest of the layout room. (The workshop area is 6 x 11 feet).The staging yard which presently juts into the middle of the storage room would turn 180 degrees and end up along the left wall of the present workshop in this view.
A conceptual sketch of how this might fit the space is below.
Honestly, I don't know. There's some appeal to it but I also dread the thought of another step backward.
At least this wouldn't require tearing out sections of the layout and rebuilding them - it's a change to the space more than the layout itself.
Key is to determine if the time/effort/expense is worth the benefit. We'll see.
miðvikudagur, 22. júlí 2015
Key Pieces of White River Junction
I've had some inquiries from my post the other day showing one possible change to the White River Junction section arrangement. I think it may have confused some people - in fact I know it did! I didn't make it clear that the plan doesn't show the layout IS - and in fact is a compromise from the prototype.
In an attempt to clarify -
here's an aerial photo from 1953 showing the station area at White River Junction, Vt. From the UVM web site. I added the labels to show some "key" elements.
The orientation of this aerial photo is close to how my layout's White River scene is presently arranged - the station is to the left and the CV yard is north - to the right in this photo - as you look at the layout - and when you're standing in my aisle you're really in the White River.
Read More..
In an attempt to clarify -
here's an aerial photo from 1953 showing the station area at White River Junction, Vt. From the UVM web site. I added the labels to show some "key" elements.
The orientation of this aerial photo is close to how my layout's White River scene is presently arranged - the station is to the left and the CV yard is north - to the right in this photo - as you look at the layout - and when you're standing in my aisle you're really in the White River.
My main issue with the current arrangement is the staging yard - it's on a stub-ended shelf through the large mouse hole. And, speaking of the mouse hole, well that's issue #2 - but as we add more and more elements to the foreground and continue the scenery into the staging yard it becomes less and less obtrusive 
But it doesn't change the fact that the staging yard itself is a real problem�.And now here, for the first time anywhere - the "Backstage" View. I've lost count of how many times I've bumped into the end of this damn "temporary" staging yard.
fimmtudagur, 9. júlí 2015
Flipping the Yard?
I've discussed some of the frustrations I have with the main yard scene on the layout in previous posts.
Bob Sprague, who's had a number of layout designs published in MR over the years, came by a few months ago and after we reviewed the list of what was bothering me (outlined in more detail below) he prepared this drawing showing a possible solution. This drawing shows the "main peninsula" exactly as it exists. Changes to the main peninsula are off the table.
The top wall and left side walls (relative to the drawing above) basically the location of the main yard does not reflect the current state of the railroad. At this point the station "wye" scene (not actually a complete wye) is where the turntable is shown on this plan - the turntable is in the upper left hand corner.The south-end staging yard is currently on a stub-ended shelf that juts into the middle of the furnace room. This drawing shows a revision to the staging yard that wraps the line around the furnace and creates a double-ended fiddle yard on one end.The other change on this plan from what's in the basement presently is the right side of the room (relative to the drawing) - currently the north end staging yard is along that wall - I'd like to move that from the wall to another location. Pluses to the current arrangement:
1. Current arrangement represents the "prototype" orientation of White River Jct. - from the north you go through the CV yard, past the engine terminal and then arrive at the station.
Cons to the current arrangement:
1. The station in its current location is kind of hidden - the proposed plan would make the station - a signature scene - the first thing you see when you walk down the main aisle.2. The current location of the turntable is too far from the aisle to effectively work as the "hostler" and there's no room for the roundhouse - which means this section of the layout languishes simply because I can't figure out how to make it work. And frankly we never seem to use the turntable during an op session.
In essence the main issue is the station is a "curved scene" - the curve in front of the station is a longtime favorite of prototype railfans - and the same north yard is an inherently straight scene - (on the prototype it's arrow straight for a couple of miles).
Naturally, I ended up with the "straight" scene in the corner - meaning the yard has a 90-degree bend in the middle.
There is one "con" to the proposed new arrangement - actually two:
1. I'd have to scrap what I have and rebuild the thing
2. The orientation of the elements in WRJ don't match the prototype - you'd pass the station before arriving at the yard from the north - exactly the opposite of what really happens.
But, although the orientation will be reversed from the prototype the arrangement in the "new" plan has the yard and engine terminal in a "straight" part of the layout and the station in the corner.... I've been toying back and forth with these plans for several months - thought it was time to share it with the world and see what the reaction is.
Read More..
Bob Sprague, who's had a number of layout designs published in MR over the years, came by a few months ago and after we reviewed the list of what was bothering me (outlined in more detail below) he prepared this drawing showing a possible solution. This drawing shows the "main peninsula" exactly as it exists. Changes to the main peninsula are off the table.
The top wall and left side walls (relative to the drawing above) basically the location of the main yard does not reflect the current state of the railroad. At this point the station "wye" scene (not actually a complete wye) is where the turntable is shown on this plan - the turntable is in the upper left hand corner.The south-end staging yard is currently on a stub-ended shelf that juts into the middle of the furnace room. This drawing shows a revision to the staging yard that wraps the line around the furnace and creates a double-ended fiddle yard on one end.The other change on this plan from what's in the basement presently is the right side of the room (relative to the drawing) - currently the north end staging yard is along that wall - I'd like to move that from the wall to another location. Pluses to the current arrangement:
1. Current arrangement represents the "prototype" orientation of White River Jct. - from the north you go through the CV yard, past the engine terminal and then arrive at the station.
Cons to the current arrangement:
1. The station in its current location is kind of hidden - the proposed plan would make the station - a signature scene - the first thing you see when you walk down the main aisle.2. The current location of the turntable is too far from the aisle to effectively work as the "hostler" and there's no room for the roundhouse - which means this section of the layout languishes simply because I can't figure out how to make it work. And frankly we never seem to use the turntable during an op session.
In essence the main issue is the station is a "curved scene" - the curve in front of the station is a longtime favorite of prototype railfans - and the same north yard is an inherently straight scene - (on the prototype it's arrow straight for a couple of miles).
Naturally, I ended up with the "straight" scene in the corner - meaning the yard has a 90-degree bend in the middle.
There is one "con" to the proposed new arrangement - actually two:
1. I'd have to scrap what I have and rebuild the thing
2. The orientation of the elements in WRJ don't match the prototype - you'd pass the station before arriving at the yard from the north - exactly the opposite of what really happens.
But, although the orientation will be reversed from the prototype the arrangement in the "new" plan has the yard and engine terminal in a "straight" part of the layout and the station in the corner.... I've been toying back and forth with these plans for several months - thought it was time to share it with the world and see what the reaction is.
fimmtudagur, 29. janúar 2015
Rethinking White River Junction - 2
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| Is this the answer to the White River Junction dilemma? Time will tell. |
I received a fair amount of feedback on the blog post, both on the comments section and through personal emails and I've read, considered, and most of all appreciated them.
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An overhead view of the station in position on the layout. |
If I hadn't done any rework to the layout I would likely choose the latter - but as I told Bernie at lunch last Thursday I feel like all I've done is benchwork, track, and wiring. Frankly, I'm sick of infrastructure.
Finally, there's the not so insignificant fact that the station and coaling tower - two signature structures - are complete.
So a "tweak" it is.
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| Several people commented that the hole would be less objectionable with light levels matching the layout room. Here's a view that proves that theory. I made it that tall to take photos from "inside " the hole looking out - but the result is the hole is too tall. |
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| This prototype shot is pretty close to the angle of the model photo above. Note the Cross & Abbott building to the right. Circa 1957. B. Decker photo. |
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| By the time I took this photo Cross & Abbott was Vermont Salvage. (For a number of years it was White Mountain Paper Co.). Most of this wall will be visible on the layout. |
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| This is a portion of the old Swift & Co. packing house. The low height will work well for screening the hole in the backdrop. At least I hope it will. |
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| Sanborn Map shows how some of these elements fit together. |
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| Front side of Vermont Salvage, which will be the Cross & Abbott Co. during my era. |
On the right side I plan to add the long warehouse structures to the rear of Cross and Abbott and may add some portion of the Swift branch house - even running the wall into staging.
What of the staging yard that juts into the middle of the workshop? That's going to have an adjustment made as well, but first I want to ensure this transition works.
Wish me luck!
fimmtudagur, 22. janúar 2015
Rethinking a few things
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| Some things work, others don't about the White River Junction yard. It remains the only layout section that hasn't been rebuilt�yet. (White ruler is for size reference!) |
But I'm not.
I could never actually "over plan" anything - we've all known modelers who are trapped in "analysis paralysis." My approach is a little more "Ready�Fire�.Aim!" but hey, it works for me.
After spending several years and lots of hours building, rebuilding, and rebuilding again I'm finally happy with the "middle" of the railroad - basically the long peninsula down the center of the room.
They say the sure-fire way to tell if something isn't satisfying shows in a distinct lack of progress. And any visitor to the basement can immediately identify where that area is on my layout - the main yard area.
Here's a run down of the issues:
1. The White River Junction station is tucked into a reverse corner - and a portion of the platform is actually poking into the south end staging yard in the utility room.
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| Issue #1 and #2: The position of the WRJ station. Note how the platform canopy actually ends up under the "hole." |
2. The south end staging yard itself - a stub ended yard that juts into the middle of the utility room. It's always in the way. Since it's an unfinished part of the basement where I do a lot of sawing and sanding and the ceiling is unfinished dust and dirt rain down on the track and the equipment in the yard. It drives me nuts. Enough said.
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| Issue #3 and #4: Center of turntable is beyond arm's length in the corner. So operators don't use it since it's hard to see. Also, no room for even a "bas relief" roundhouse. |
4. Because the turntable is shoved in the corner there's little room for a roundhouse or any kind - let alone a decent scale model of one.
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| Issue #5: A little hard to tell here but the north yard throat is confusing to visiting operators - and the guy who built it! |
The next two issues are much more aesthetic/design related than the previous two:
6. To access that staging yard I ended up with a huge slot in the wall - effectively masking and screening it is proving elusive - there's no easy way to hide something so wide. Adding a highway overpass would destroy the composition of the prototype scene. I've tried various ways to "soften" the transition - they work in photos but in person, well, it's tracks going through a hole in the wall.
7. And this is much more aesthetic - there's lots of "countryside" and "small towns" on the layout - what's missing is a city-like element. Something that contrasts with the pastoral nature of much of the rest of the layout.
Not sure I have the solutions to these items worked out in my head quite yet, but I've hired a consultant to provide some professional solutions to these problems. Luckily, as the treasury is plenty bare he works cheap!
Stay tuned.
mánudagur, 20. október 2014
The Layout-At-A-Glance
Prototype: Roxbury Subdivision of Central Vermont Railway
Locale: White River Junction � Richmond, VT (not all towns modeled)
Period: September, 1954
Scale: HO (1:87.1)
Layout Size (roughly): 15 x 48 with a stub ended staging yard in the utility room
Style: Around the walls with center peninsula
Benchwork: Open grid
Roadbed: Cork, trimmed to width of ties
Track: Primarily Micro Engineering Code 70 w/#6 turnouts � with some Peco Code 83 curved turnouts
Mainline Run (approx.): 150' (north staging entrance to south staging entrance)
Maximum Grade: 0%
Minimum Radius: 32� main; 24� industrial sidings
Power & Control:Easy DCC (CVP Products) DCC, manual point-thrown turnouts
Backdrop: Handpainted on drywall (on walls) and 3/16" Masonite on center peninsula
Scenery: Combination of cardboard lattice and plaster cloth or pink foamboard in open areas with Florist foam in heavily wooded areas
_______________________________________________
As this blog closes in on 170,000 unique visits I'm amazed that so many are so interested in what I'm doing. I only hope the readers of this blog get some inspiration and ideas for their own modeling efforts - even in those cases where I provide an example of what NOT to do!
For my part I learn a little about the layout, and some things about myself, from each post I write. Reading through each line in the above offers some interesting insights hidden just behind the rather terse descriptions.
For example, when I started building this layout I thought I would handlay most of the turnouts - over time I've found I prefer using prefab track wherever possible. I have some handlaid turnouts and they work fine, but I don't relish the thought of handlaying turnouts, so I don't do it. At this point I think there's two or three handlaid turnouts on the layout - all in White River Junction.
I also find it's easy enough to transition from code 70 to code 83 that I've been happy with installing Peco code 83 turnouts where needed to match the track geometry. When I started I was hung up on having everything code 70 since it "matched" - some paint and ballast and I find I have to look for the transitions between the various rail sizes to find them.
Writing the "Scenery" description was the most telling - I use any of several scenery methods depending on the scene, the material I have on hand, and what I feel like working with at the time. I'm pretty sold on florist foam for areas that I know will be heavily forested - but otherwise it doesn't matter much whether I use plaster cloth or pink foamboard. A coat of paint and some ground texture and the results look the same.
This list was prepared strictly for the blog. At this point there's no plans to do a "layout visit" type article on the layout - the layout simply isn't far enough along and, frankly, I'm not sure it would be worthy of such publicity. My efforts on the layout tend to show up from time to time in my Getting Real column in Model Railroad Hobbyist. That seems to be enough exposure. Besides, I'm having too much fun sharing my efforts through this format.
fimmtudagur, 25. september 2014
Layout Alterations - further simplifications
When I started the layout I planned to have Essex Junction as my "main" yard scene. Then as the design process progressed I found I could include White River Jct., a scene I really wanted to include, in the "main yard" area - and I relegated Essex Junction to the end of the "rear" aisle. I managed to get the track to fit - of course we didn't have the wye, (I included two legs of the wye), and the train shed and station were on the wrong side of the town relative to the prototype.
I managed to get most of the sidings in place - but the problems really started when I tried to fit the structures into the scene. There was just no room for them.
Not helping matters was the track issues in Essex. Frankly, I rushed the track work in an effort to get it ready for an open house, and ended up with some kinked track that worked - sort of - and stayed in gauge - sort of. But I was far short of 100% operating reliability - the issue was simply too much was jammed into that portion of the layout.
Here's a couple of shots showing Essex Junction - as you can see there's a LOT of track crammed into this alcove.
So I've decided, somewhat reluctantly to remove Essex Junction.
What's going in its place?
Richmond, VT., the station between Essex and Waterbury that had slipped between the floorboards during the design process.
To give you an idea of what this will look like here's a preliminary sketch of the track plan for Richmond. I reserve the right to alter this as we make this change, but the result will hopefully be a simple scene that is interesting to view and photograph.
Read More..
I managed to get most of the sidings in place - but the problems really started when I tried to fit the structures into the scene. There was just no room for them.
Not helping matters was the track issues in Essex. Frankly, I rushed the track work in an effort to get it ready for an open house, and ended up with some kinked track that worked - sort of - and stayed in gauge - sort of. But I was far short of 100% operating reliability - the issue was simply too much was jammed into that portion of the layout.
Here's a couple of shots showing Essex Junction - as you can see there's a LOT of track crammed into this alcove.
What's going in its place?
To give you an idea of what this will look like here's a preliminary sketch of the track plan for Richmond. I reserve the right to alter this as we make this change, but the result will hopefully be a simple scene that is interesting to view and photograph.
fimmtudagur, 11. september 2014
White River Junction Scene Planning
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This pre-construction mockup shows how the scene is arranged (it's not in its final position in the room here). the B&M Boston line ends at the wall, and the CV/B&M south staging is stub-ended. I'm considering connecting these two staging yards to form a loop around the furnace and hot water heater. |
My posts over the past week on White River Junction ("WRJ in a Garage" and "Lessening the Mouse Hole Effect") produced some email requests for more detail information on the track arrangement at my HO scale version of this iconic New England railroad junction.
To those who don't know, White River station sat in the middle of a wye junction with four "legs" (For an aerial view of White River in the 1950s see this post:
(1) A joint CV/B&M (technically it was CV to Windsor, then B&M south from there...) down the Conn. River Valley towards Springfield, Mass.
(2) The B&M "Northern" Line to Boston,
(3) The B&M (with CPR trackage rights) line up the Conn River Valley towards Wells River, Vt and ultimately Berlin, NH and
(4) The CV mainline north through Vermont to Montreal (by way of St Albans and the CNR).
Although it was a busy junction for the CV, the majority of the trains were B&M.
In many ways, the entire layout hinged on whether or not I could include White River. Knowing that it was going to be tricky I built this mockup back in February of 2009. For those keeping score, that predates the double-deck version of the railroad. I tried a number of options to get all four legs of the junction "live" on my layout, but the resulting plans always ended up with lots of staging to represent the various B&M lines, and required placing the station and junction in the center of the room - preventing me from modeling some of the other things I wanted to include.
I could see no way to make it all fit so I opted not to model White River Junction, primarily because of that obsession with making all the lines "live."
So I started building a double deck railroad representing a completely different portion of the CV - then in December of 2010 tore most of that out and started again.
And once again I wanted to include White River Jct.
The design for my current layout started with the photo of that mockup from 2009. Only this time I remembered I'm modeling the CV - not the B&M. So the only B&M trains I model are those that interfaced directly with the Central Vermont. All the others (and there are many) I ignore.
This radically simplified the staging requirements. On my layout the big hole in the wall leads to the joint B&M/CV "South" staging yard. The track to the far left will lead into another hole and into the B&M's Boston staging tracks - currently the South End staging yard is stub ended but I'm seriously looking into connecting the south staging tracks and B&M Boston tracks to form a loop in the utility room.
What of the other two routes?
In my case, the CV mainline continues past the WRJ yard and on to the rest of the railroad.
The line to Wells River, which is behind the station in the overall view, is a dummy track - it crosses the B&M Boston line (protected by a ball signal) and then continues north aboiut 5 inches until it traverses my railroad's steepest grade - 54" straight down to the floor!
þriðjudagur, 9. september 2014
Lessening the mouse hole effect
Taking a break from working on Waterbury structures to offer a planning/construction tip.
Frequently on model railroads track passes through walls. Typically the mainline leaves the scenicked portion of the railroad and heads into a staging yard in a separate room. That's the case near the White River Junction station on my layout.
Modelers frequently disguise these openings with highway overpasses, buildings, and the like. But in my case no such options were available.
Let's face it, we're not really fooling anybody into believing the train isn't going through the wall. What we need to do is lessen the impact of the track heading into a dark mouse hole.
The easiest way to ease the transition is to maintain the same light levels and type of lighting on both sides of the opening.
The photos (underlie purposely to show the effect) illustrate what I mean.
Read More..
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| The train emerges from a darkened staging yard. What's the first thing your eye sees in this view? The scratch built station? No, it's the cavernous black hole. |
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| Turning on the lights in the staging room offers an immediate improvement. The next step will be to screen the exposed stud and support post with a realistic backdrop that will blend into the layout room backdrop. |
Modelers frequently disguise these openings with highway overpasses, buildings, and the like. But in my case no such options were available.
Let's face it, we're not really fooling anybody into believing the train isn't going through the wall. What we need to do is lessen the impact of the track heading into a dark mouse hole.
The easiest way to ease the transition is to maintain the same light levels and type of lighting on both sides of the opening.
The photos (underlie purposely to show the effect) illustrate what I mean.
föstudagur, 5. september 2014
Layout Design: White River Junction in a single-car garage
I came across it the other day and thought I'd post it here.
If there's one thing I'm not entirely happy about with the current layout it's the staging at the two ends of the railroad - I doubt the answer lies in the arrangement shown here, but I came across this plan the other day and thought I'd post it here in case you've ever pondered how to capture much of the action, if not all the tracks, at White River Junction. fimmtudagur, 26. júní 2014
The many locales of Williams Creek
The expense and time building a helix, second level, and a laying a lot more track. The wasted effort of doing, and then tearing out backdrops, scenery and the like.
It seems kind of strange that I kept one scene - the Williams Creek crossing, intact through all these changes. The labels show how this section of the layout, about 20" x 48" overall, started on the upper level, then moved straight down about 15" when the layout was single-decked. Finally, the addition of the longer siding at Randolph meant the bridge came out. As I related in a series of posts back in March and April, the bridge scene sat on a shelf in the storage room and more than once almost went to the curb. In the end Williams Creek has come to rest in his present location and there are no plans to move it anytime soon.
I really need to accept that the track plan, area for buildings, scenery, etc... will never be ideal. Instead I have to move forward and finish some other portion of the railroad. I'm planning for that to be Waterbury - but you never know.
Stay tuned.
fimmtudagur, 27. febrúar 2014
Does dividing the peninsula make a layout seem larger?
I follow the USA & Canadian Railway RMWeb forum since I think getting a British perspective on American railroads and modeling is kind of interesting. (I first found RMWeb looking for information on Irish narrow gauge railways since I have a long-standing interest in those lines). One of the regular posters on the USA & Canadian forums is an N scaler "Barry Ten" who is building a very nice layout (see this thread) reflecting the railroads of the Southeastern US.
The footprint of the layout is similar to many we have on this side of the pond (as the Brits would say) - around the walls with a peninsula jutting into the center of the room. Or at least it will have a peninsula jutting into the center of the room once he finishes building it.
The other day he posted the following regarding whether or not to include a "backscene" - what we'd call a "backdrop." Hey, I might not be able to translate a lick of Russian anymore, but I can handle translating English!
Here's Barry's post:
"I considered a backscene, but reckoned it would make the room feel a bit too cramped as it would effectively block my view of one half of the room from the other. My plan is to have a high ridge down the middle of the peninsula instead, but not as high as a backscene would have done..."
When I read this over my morning coffee this morning I immediately remembered having the same concerns with my layout in Colorado. On that layout I'd originally built the peninsula without a center divider, (even though we'd used them pretty consistently on several MR project layouts as then managing editor Jim Kelly was a big fan of them!) I planned to rely instead on a ridge to divide one side of the peninsula from the other as I'd done on the N scale Carolina Central. Here's what the layout looked like - sorry if these images aren't up to snuff, they're fairly small pics and I no longer have the original larger files:
I toyed with the idea of adding a peninsula, but, like Berry, was unsure if it would make the room seem even smaller than it was. In an effort to see what it might look like I used my completely mediocre Photoshop skills to add a "sky" backdrop, as well as some of the planned buildings to the scene. The result is shown below.
Read More..
The footprint of the layout is similar to many we have on this side of the pond (as the Brits would say) - around the walls with a peninsula jutting into the center of the room. Or at least it will have a peninsula jutting into the center of the room once he finishes building it.
The other day he posted the following regarding whether or not to include a "backscene" - what we'd call a "backdrop." Hey, I might not be able to translate a lick of Russian anymore, but I can handle translating English!
Here's Barry's post:
"I considered a backscene, but reckoned it would make the room feel a bit too cramped as it would effectively block my view of one half of the room from the other. My plan is to have a high ridge down the middle of the peninsula instead, but not as high as a backscene would have done..."
I'll leave it to the reader to decide if this makes the room larger. I will say I added the backdrop to the layout and was happy I did.
föstudagur, 24. janúar 2014
Prototype Map - Randolph (First Draft)
I place the "source" material in layers in Illustrator, resize them until they are in scale relative to one another, and then trace the outlines in Illustrator.This isn't precision work - the diagram shown here is actually sourced from four different railroad track maps and two Sanborn Maps. Getting them perfectly aligned with one another is difficult at best. Luckily, it's not really necessary to do so.
Of course I don't have the length available to exactly duplicate this in HO scale on my layout. So why bother with the prototype map at all? (I've done them for all the other towns on the layout).
Eventually the "notes" layer, not shown here, will be filled with everything from thumbnail photos of the prototype buildings to various notes and comments on types of siding, years it was built and/or altered, interesting notes on who lived where....even a location of a particular tree if it somehow "makes" a prototype scene! In short, these maps centralize much of what I know about the scene in one place. That way, when it comes time to build the models I have an idea of where to look - or at the very least a place to start!
Once I get this information together, the next step will be to develop a track arrangement that will actually fit in place on the layout - most of that layout planning is not done on paper but instead is done full size with flextrack and paper cutouts of the various buildings I've deemed essential to capturing the look of the prototype.
föstudagur, 8. mars 2013
Course Correction
As some of you might know, I'm one of several columnists who write a column called "Getting Real" for Model Railroad Hobbyist, the online model railroad magazine. My fellow columnists are Mike Rose, Jack Burgess, Nicholas Muff, and Tony Thompson. We rotate the column, so no one contributor has to come up with a column each and every month. It's also interesting to get different perspectives on the subject of prototype-based model railroading.
The March 2013 issue has a long column on the process I went through designing, building, redesigning and rebuilding my Central Vermont Winooski sub.
If you haven't seen it, check it out HERE.
Read More..
The March 2013 issue has a long column on the process I went through designing, building, redesigning and rebuilding my Central Vermont Winooski sub.
If you haven't seen it, check it out HERE.
laugardagur, 9. febrúar 2013
Updated Track Plan
Thanks to Bernie Kempinski's skills with Illustrator we're able to present this first look at the "as built" track plan for my Central Vermont. Obviously, the White River Junction and south staging portions of the drawing are not complete.
For fun, compare this to the "draft" track plan that was one of the first posts on this blog. Although some things have changed, most notably the addition of White River Junction and moving Essex from one side of the railroad to the other, the basic plan has been unchanged.
Lesson learned - Don't wait until you have the "perfect design" to begin construction. No battle plan survives contact with the enemy...and no model railroad is ever built precisely to the original drawing.
Read More..
For fun, compare this to the "draft" track plan that was one of the first posts on this blog. Although some things have changed, most notably the addition of White River Junction and moving Essex from one side of the railroad to the other, the basic plan has been unchanged.
Lesson learned - Don't wait until you have the "perfect design" to begin construction. No battle plan survives contact with the enemy...and no model railroad is ever built precisely to the original drawing.
miðvikudagur, 17. október 2012
Peninsula Campaign - How it looks today
It's been a couple of months shy of two years since I basically tore down most of my layout and started rebuilding it in its current configuration. I had the opportunity to take a couple of photos of the peninsula this evening.
I wanted to create the impression in the viewer's mind that they were seeing some New England countryside with an occasional glance of the railroad in its surroundings. Instead, I thought the "Front Door" looked more like some sort of giant modern art sculpture. It was all about the infrastructure and not about aesthetics. And it really grated on me. Here's a look at how the layout entrance looked the day before I tore the upper deck off:
And here's what the same viewpoint looks like today (pardon the leaning buildings - most of them are simple mockups propped in place):
Comparing these two shots has convinced me all the work and effort have certainly been worthwhile.
It's been a long journey, and it's not over yet, but I feel pretty good about how things are looking.
Read More..
I wanted to create the impression in the viewer's mind that they were seeing some New England countryside with an occasional glance of the railroad in its surroundings. Instead, I thought the "Front Door" looked more like some sort of giant modern art sculpture. It was all about the infrastructure and not about aesthetics. And it really grated on me. Here's a look at how the layout entrance looked the day before I tore the upper deck off:
It's been a long journey, and it's not over yet, but I feel pretty good about how things are looking.
fimmtudagur, 20. september 2012
White River Junction from the air, 1953
A few months ago I found a neat UVM web site that featured vintage images of Vermont - including some aerial views of Essex Junction and even a close up a industry at Waterbury. While these images were extremely helpful, the White River Junction selection was pretty slim pickings. In fact all that came up in a search of "White River Junction" was a bunch of photos showing the interstate highway being built through the Green Mountains in the late 1950s. While somewhat interesting, it hardly was useful for my layout research.
That was a few months ago, and the internet is always changing. I've had some time during my lunch to wander around the internet over the last couple of days. Just for fun I went to the UVM site and entered "White River Junction" in the search window, fully expecting to find those same photos of interstate highway construction. Wow, those folks at UVM have been busy. There are dozens of photos of White River Junction - including this one dating from 1953 that at long last shows exactly how the turnouts between the station and the CV yard were arranged. If you go to the link you'll be able to use the "Zoomify" function to get some real close up views.
Read More..
That was a few months ago, and the internet is always changing. I've had some time during my lunch to wander around the internet over the last couple of days. Just for fun I went to the UVM site and entered "White River Junction" in the search window, fully expecting to find those same photos of interstate highway construction. Wow, those folks at UVM have been busy. There are dozens of photos of White River Junction - including this one dating from 1953 that at long last shows exactly how the turnouts between the station and the CV yard were arranged. If you go to the link you'll be able to use the "Zoomify" function to get some real close up views.
föstudagur, 2. desember 2011
Planning Essex Junction
I have been spending an hour or so a night for the last couple of weeks planning, and re-planning, the Essex Junction scene.
I�m happy to report these efforts are starting to pay off.
This scene and I go way back. The first layout I started building as an adult (when I determined the CV in the steam era was right for me) featured the Essex Junction scene. That one never got past the benchwork stage. The second time I modeled it was in N scale on a small layout I built in a rented townhome when I was on the MR staff. That scene led to an article on Essex Junction that appeared in Model Railroad Planning.
It's finally time to do this scene again - this go 'round will be HO scale.
Essex Junction is, in reality, two different �scenes.� The first, and most recognizable, is the area around the trainshed itself. Here�s a familiar view of the trainshed.
Using CV engineering department drawings and Sanborn Maps this map shows the track and most of the industries in, and around, Essex Junction in the early 1950s.
Due to the configuration of the layout and the basement, I can also add a live third leg of the wye to serve as a live interchange track representing the Burlington branch. This same track will also permit me to reverse trains between sessions by backing them over from the north end staging yard.
I suppose there are some who would be bothered to no end by the compromises I�ve made on this scene. I think the finished scene will look like Essex Junction, even if the individual elements are not arranged exactly like the prototype.
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.
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
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