jeff train

miðvikudagur, 11. júlí 2012

Essex Junction trackwork in progress

Been spending time over the last couple of weeks laying track in Essex Junction. It took several evenings with Sanborn Maps and prototype track maps - along with photos - to come up with a trackage arrangement that resembles the prototype and is functional enough to support the planned operation on the layout (sometimes those two things don't align as well as we might like!)
Anywhere I can use a straight "stock" turnout I use Micro-Engineering Code 70 no. 6 turnouts (all the track, with the exception of a couple of code 55 sidings, is M-E code 70. For curved turnouts, custom fit to a specific place, I handlay them.
I need to handlay a total of six turnouts for the train shed approach tracks - most of these turnouts are somewhat curved. I'm using Detail Associates frogs whenever possible (on at least two turnouts the "stock" frogs won't work, so I have to scratch build the frogs as well) -
One of the main things I need to figure out is how to throw the hand built turnouts - the ME turnouts have a built-in spring - and I've really come to like those - crews don't have to translate between a turnout and a control panel of some sort, and I don't have to build a control panel - or, even better - install under-table switch motors. I've been using Caboose Industries ground throws in some other areas of the layout (Hartford and Waterbury) - they work great but look awful - especially in photos. I'd rather avoid them in the Essex Junction scene. Stopped by Radio Shack on the way home and picked up a couple of slide switches to see if they would work.

Here's a couple of progress shots - more pics to follow!

fimmtudagur, 5. júlí 2012

Layout Work Sessions - Beneficial or Too much like, well, work?

I've had several local modelers volunteer to come over and help with various aspects of the layout. Several have indicated they would be willing to stop by and help next time I have a "work session."

While I appreciate the gesture, and have certainly accepted help on the railroad from time to time from friends, I've been a little hesitant to declare "Every other Tuesday night" or whatever is a work session and invite a half dozen people over to work on the railroad. I seem to do okay with one or two folks at a time. I also do okay when it's a group project - something like building benchwork comes to mind. Or it's something where I know the results will meet my vision (Bernie's backdrop painting, like that shown HERE, jumps to mind.)
My main hesitation stems from the fact that the few times I've had more than one person over to work on the layout I get really stressed out looking for tools, materials, and the like, answering the "is this what you wanted?" type questions, and all the rest. Frankly, it brings the hobby dangerously close to the kind of stuff I deal with all day at the office. And that doesn't sound like fun.
But the whole process is fraught with peril of another sort. Someone might be the nicest guy in the world, but he's all thumbs when it comes to modeling - or certain aspects of modeling. Such things can easily lead to hurt feelings - "Gee, Bill, thanks for taking the time to make all those trees last work session. They looked like garbage . . . which is where you'll find them if you want them . . ."
Hardly seems friendly.
But I do know some modelers who manage to host what amounts to a private club in their homes - and they seem to get a fair amount accomplished. I'm not sure, but my guess is they know to play to each person's strength - and in some cases may find that honesty, even brutal honesty, is the best policy. And there's a clear understanding that "This is my layout, and if something doesn't meet my expectations I reserve the right to change it."
Another key would be to have the "work assignments" in mind before everyone shows up at the door - and tell them what they will be working on and ask they bring their own tools. That would cut down a little on the need to spend an entire evening or afternoon rushing around the basement looking for all the tools and materials needed.
Any thoughts for people who host, or attend work sessions? No need to mention specific names.

miðvikudagur, 4. júlí 2012

Happy Independence Day!

Actively working on the layout (more track work - update coming soon!) and staying out of the summer heat -

Hope all have a happy and safe 4th of July!

laugardagur, 23. júní 2012

Farewell to yet another Waterbury landmark

Although the Waterbury Vermont station has been wonderfully restored the other buildings that once stood across the tracks haven't been so lucky. The first of these to disappear was the feed mill that was directly across the tracks from the station proper. Now, I understand from Bill Brigham and some of the other folks in Vermont that the former CV freight station is no more. The photo above was taken during a late winter safari with my friend Alan Irwin. Alan was a dear friend - but he was a train chasing rail fan at heart and never really understood WHY I would stop and take pictures of buildings with nothing around them - especially in a dimly lit cold (and I mean cold) Sunday afternoon in early March.

I'm glad I did.

Here's a photo of the feed mill I took the same day.

Of course, I plan to include these on the layout in the Waterbury scene, but at this point all that exists of the freight house is the footprint. (For the record, this is "full size" in HO scale):

Leveling Sand

Not much has been happening on the layout in the last few weeks, but I did spend some time in the basement today - the track laying crew are getting fired up again. I fully expect to be able to reach the end of track laying chores during the summer.

In the meantime . . .

On the Proto Layouts Yahoo Group this week one of the topics that came up was the use of Leveling sand to create a fast and easy ground base. Simply apply the leveling sand to the layout base, then glue in place with adhesive. Ted Pamprin uses this material extensively on his C&O layout - and I've tried it as well and find it works great. Ted holds it in place with an additive use to make tile grout flexible. This stuff is available at any home improvement store (Home Depot, Lowe's etc . .)

Here's the stuff Ted uses to cement the leveling sand in place:

sunnudagur, 13. maí 2012

A Two-Legged Wye?

Not sure if it's akin to a three-legged dog. The riddle: "When is a wye not a wye?" The answer: "When you only model two legs of it."
Adding a wye to a model railroad is usually a source of frustration and trauma. Sure, a small wye - one that has nothing in the center, can be a fairly straightforward addition to a track plan. But what about those times where the wye has "stuff" - buildings, sidings, and the like - inside?
The wye at Essex Junction was unusual since there was a cut off track (I�m not sure what it was called) that ran between two legs of the wye. Along this cut off track were several industries. Since I didn�t have the depth for the �outer legs� of the wye, I decided to focus my efforts on this cut off track. In essence, I'm modeling two of the three legs of the wye and not connecting them together. (On the prototype, the "missing" leg formed the branch line to Burlington, about 8 miles west of Essex Junction.
Losing the wye is not a problem for me - and trying to include the complete wye was causing all types of track planning issues.
Besides, I�m more interested in the industrial switching possibilities than in modeling the several blocks of commercial and residential buildings that would be required if I wanted to model the complete wye.
In a previous post, I mentioned how I�d switched the position of the trainshed and wye. I also found I had to flip the orientation of the wye itself � a mirror image of the wye. Luckily these changes are almost �transparent to the user� � you have to be pretty familiar with Essex Junction to pick up on the differences between my now-developing layout scene and the actual prototype. The main goal, in my mind, is to capture the overall look of the scene.

This old time photo of the wye area (I�m not sure when it was taken, but based on the locomotive I�d say this pre-dates 1920) shows a couple of key buildings that I wanted to include on the layout. The opening photo shows the area just to the right of the picture about. One of the neatest industries in Essex Junction was the Vermont Maple Sugar Co. (a signature industry for rural Vermont - sometimes you have to almost hit people over the head for them to get what you�re modeling � the sign is a step towards that goal) and the Baxter Brothers cannery.
I know both of those buildings were still there in the 1950s (they�re still there today), and I can get photos and enough information to model them. The other industries that were on that connector track inside the wye are a little more problematic. I hadn�t turned up any photos showing those buildings until I came across the UVM website that included aerial photos of Essex Junction in the 1930s. I do have footprints of the buildings from both the railroad drawings of Essex Junction and Sanborn Maps. I also managed to locate the buildings, as they appear today, in Bing Maps overhead views of Essex Junction.
I�ve adjusted the position of some of the buildings to better fit the layout space, but I have already built mockups of the Vermont Maple building, the Baxter Brothers cannery, and several of the other industries have been mocked up by taping pieces of various kits together.

Backdrop tweaks

My first attempt at including a backdrop in what I call the "Essex Junction alcove" (You can see the approximate position of the Essex Junction shed with the mockup on the left) utilized a curved piece of Masonite attached to the wall and forming a constant radius curve in front of the support post and joining the peninsula backdrop.
I didn�t like the way the curved section of backdrop looked � besides it would have made an awkward scene with the wye trackage. I also (for once) wisely decided to do something about it before laying track in this area. It would have been difficult to do this work with track in place � and virtually impossible with scenery!
So I removed the last backdrop section, cut a panel of Masonite to fit between the end of the existing backdrop and the support post, and blended the joint smooth. I�ll paint the post sky blue so it will look like part of the backdrop.

Removing the backdrop section meant the backside of another section of backdrop was visible. I framed up some supports and used some Masonite to fill the area between the support post and the wall. When this is all painted sky blue I think it will fade away from view � something that all backdrops should do!
As an aside, I'm really, really pleased with the fascia color!