Saucier Central

Hi garethashenden, welcome to the TrainBoard. We're happy to have you aboard, especially a fellow B&M fan. Do you have a layout? Love to see some photos if you do.

Though I grew up with and love the Maroon and Gold Minute Man livery, I don't exactly "model" the B&M. I take liberties with what runs on the Saucier Central. For example, I have the Con-Cor Pioneer Zephyr, lettered with B&M/MEC and Flying Yankee decals. For years, I have been agonizing about how to shorten the Con-Cor "Fourth Car" body so it can fit over the Zephyr's second chassis to represent 6000's "B" Car, without totally screwing up the body. In the meantime, I run the Zephyr as-is, while claiming it's the same Minute Man I rode in October 1952 on the Fitchburg Division from Troy, NY to Ayer, MA. Who's to argue...it's my railroad. :tb-wink:

 

A little more has been added to the Saucier Central. The Wortham Woods Recreation Area has been created for the benefit of the local folks. The Wortham River is slow-flowing and wide enough for canoers, and the beach makes for cool refreshment in Summer. You may notice the car's occupants are not down on the beach, it's possible that they are "resting" in the woods out of sight...:tb-err:

(Truth is that they're on order from my LHS, to be delivered soon...I hope.)





It appears that a local entrepeneur has set up a thriving business, The Wortham Adult Beverage Co. Though apparently the park rangers are not aware of it yet. Oh well, I suppose it's good for the local economy.....I think.

 

Ooops, forgot to give y'all an idea where Wortham Woods fit into the big scheme.
Rats, I didn't see that the fascia needs cleaning until now. Darn cameras show everything that the brain denies...:tb-embarrassed:

 

Ya know, that's where I thought it might be. Great transition and excellent work! Wish I had the time/money/space/___(fill in the blank)___ to be as far along on my layout plan. Glad I can live vicariously though. :tb-biggrin:

 

Thanks, you're kind. I'm sure you'll be as far along as I am today after you also have been retired for 14 years. I've been making layout mistakes and false starts since 1947...talk about a learning experience. However the result is what I appear to be able to create today.

 

Jim,

Can't help with your question, but here is a real nice example of a covered bridge in Vermont. It sure looks a lot like Hytec's.

Hytec,

Nice job on the park! The transition works real well.

I had a question about your bridges, did you put the bridges in while laying the track, or after? Just tring to determine how I am going to do mine. Currently I am laying roadbed then track and I plan on going back later to cut out the track, roadbed and foamboard and then inserting the river and bridge. What steps did you (or others) take?

Thanks,

Michael

 

Heh, the way my life is, if I've been retired for 14 years, it's because I've been in the dirt for 15+! :tb-tongue: Your years of experience certainly show through though. I've been learning modeling bits and pieces since I could crawl and I just hope I can at least crank out a simple T-Trak module. Completing ANY train project would certainly be nice (well, I guess I did get all of those locomotives and cars painted and lettered about 15 years ago, hehe).

Anyway, keep it coming, I'm learning more and more each day from all of you TBers. :thumbs_up:

 

Jim, the bridge is modeled after the St. Johnsbury & Lamoille County bridge that Michael referenced. It's made by Northeastern Scale Models (NE30014 Railroad Covered Bridge).

 

Michael, that area evolved over a couple of years. When I started the layout a few years ago, I cut a narrow river channel into the top layer of foam as I laid the track. A year or so later, I built the covered bridge, cut the front track at a joint a few feet away, and slid the bridge in over the river channel. Last month, after deciding my original concept sucked, I completely redesigned that area. I recut the front track, slid out covered bridge, widened the river channel, cut the rear track, and slid the covered bridge onto that track. I then cut a section out of the front track and inserted the plate bridge in place of the covered bridge. So, to answer your question, you can install bridges at the beginning, or you can install them after the track is in, or you can change your mind, and the scene, as often as you want.
However, I will admit that it took me many, many years to realize that nothing has to be permanent. If you don't like it it, change it. :tb-wink:

 

Cool! Lucky link on my part. Thanks for the refernce and part number. I'm not sure that I have a place for it, but it is a realy nice bridge.

Thanks, I guess I will stick to doing mine after the fact. I don't have a bridge to know how much to cut out at this point.

Michael

 

Michael, one thing I forgot to mention...there was one area in the river channel that was too wide and had to be filled in. I popped in a small piece of leftover foam and covered it with WS Plaster Cloth and Sculptmold to hide the gaps...quick-n-easy fix.

I had a manager who told me, Don't worry about making Correct Decisions more than 51% of the time, just be able to recover from the Bad Decisions more than 51% of the time.

 

Thanks for the extra tip. That's the nice thing about foam. You can always add more. On mine I have 5 inches to work with, I can go lower just by adding more foam below.

Sound like a good boss.

Michael

 

The Saucier Central now has a fully operational electric power grid.

First – Plant Saucier is huffing and chuffing reliably at Lorraine. An SCRR switcher is picking up an empty hopper from the coal yard, after delivering a replacement transformer for an overhaul of the electrical switch yard. There's a bulldozer behind the switch yard that swaps empty and loaded hoppers as coal is used so they don't have to pay a switcher each time.




Second – the sub-station supplying the Saucier Municipal Electric Co., Inc. is now in full operation. The lights are on in Saucier, the Tavern has cold beer, and the Mayor is happy...so is her husband, the Tavern owner.




Third – The Saucier electric power grid crosses Wortham Woods and Wortham Dairy Farm. The grid presents no problem for the door of the house power distribution panel because the “wires” (EZ Line from Berkshire Junction) stretch about 700%, and recover immediately when the door is shut.

The other half of the power grid will be installed after there is scenery on the left side at the Robinwood lumber and furniture operation, and beyond to the Lyman Jct engine terminal.

 

Ehyup.

For anyone who has tried to assemble these towers, I found an easy way to glue them together. Initially gluing the tower sections was like rubbing my head and patting my stomach, while scratching a mosquito bite. But I figured out to put the four sections together before gluing, holding the mating surfaces together with short pieces of telephone wire (~22AWG). Once all four sections were aligned the way I wanted them, I drizzled Testors plastic cement along the joints, allowing it flow between the mating surfaces. That way the sections were able to be aligned carefully and slowly without worrying about the glue curing too quickly.
BTW, I have six extra towers (two boxes) if anyone would like some. I stupidly over bought because I forgot there were three towers in each box....:tb-embarrassed:

 

You have a nice railroad, Hank.

 

Thanks Tad, I appreciate that. I wish you or other modelers lived closer so we could share in person. It might "force" me to clean up the room once in a while. :tb-wink:

 

Those towers look very impressive, and give a great sense of (N-ormal) scale to the layout.
How tall are they?

And is there any way to give that fusebox door a shot of blue paint?

The layout's looking great!
Wish you lived in the neighborhood so I could railfan! (after helping you clean up, of course )

 

Either that, or I dare you to run some feeders from it... ;-)