Bear Creek Valley RR - Layout Progress

Jerry Tarvid Jul 10, 2010

  1. Jerry Tarvid

    Jerry Tarvid TrainBoard Member

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    Jamie,

    I love tech questions, so ask away!:tb-biggrin: Everything was designed using PanelPro. Drop down edit menus allow for changing straight lines to circles at a set number of degrees arc. Using curved lines sure smoothes out the appearance of the onscreen layout panel.

    PanelPro is totally interactive.:tb-cool: If you click on a turnout or signal it will send a packet via LocoNet changing the on layout device. PanelPro is great for setting up and saving routes. Routes can also be implemented via on layout triggers; which allows for a certain degree of layout automation. I have no intention of using the computer to run trains. That is the part I enjoy doing the most.

    Jerry
     
  2. Jerry Tarvid

    Jerry Tarvid TrainBoard Member

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    Track Work Ajdustments

    All track has been nailed to the bench work including two super elevated curves. Of course that showed up about a dozen irregularities in rail height for various reasons.:tb-sad: As we know Unitrack 29mm and 45.5mm sections are slightly taller than other sections of Unitrack in the rail support area. I also had a couple of issues with the curved side rail on the point side of a switch being high.

    Issues with rail height differences were resolved using a double grit carborundum
    sharpening stone with superb results. See: Filing Bad Unitrack Joints

    I super elevated an inside curve going into the peninsula and the outside curve on the peninsula using 3/32nd inch thick foam sheets. See: Superelevation Using Unitrack

    Now it is time to start doing some rough in terrain work using foam.

    Jerry

    Filing Bad Unitrack Joints

    [​IMG]


    Superelavation Using Unitrack

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 14, 2010
  3. Pete Nolan

    Pete Nolan TrainBoard Supporter

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    Very nice work all around.
     
  4. CSXDixieLine

    CSXDixieLine Passed Away January 27, 2013 In Memoriam

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    Superelevation....... LOOKS GOOD!!! Jamie
     
  5. RBrodzinsky

    RBrodzinsky November 18, 2022 Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter In Memoriam

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    That super-elevation looks fantastic!
     
  6. Jerry Tarvid

    Jerry Tarvid TrainBoard Member

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    Terrain Rough In Using Foam

    I have successfully cut up a 4 x 8 sheet of 3/4" and 2" foam. Unfortunately I have not made a lot of scenery out of it.[​IMG] The tunnel / highway overpass section has been my primary focus. What I have roughed in appears questionable to me, so thought it was time to post some pics and get comments / suggestions.

    Tunnel portals will need to be custom made and a section of retaining wall will be used on the backside where the tunnel comes out at the yard. I would like to see the long "cut" leading into the tunnel have a "V" shape; however that will reduce the land mass considerably.

    The pictures seem to make it look better than it looks in person. That makes this even more challenging.:tb-confused:

    Jerry

    Some ariel view pictures:
     

    Attached Files:

  7. Jerry Tarvid

    Jerry Tarvid TrainBoard Member

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    These pics show the "cut" side of the tunnel / highway overpass area. This area raises the most doubt in terms of appearance.:tb-confused:

    Jerry
     

    Attached Files:

  8. Specter3

    Specter3 TrainBoard Member

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    cut

    You are going to probably have to make the pieces between the tracks narrower to allow for some slope of the finished terrain. Down here it would be about a 50-60 degree slope covered in kudzu. But unless you are going to model cut rock it needs some space for the transition.
     
  9. Jerry Tarvid

    Jerry Tarvid TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks Ryan. There will be some cut rock and rock outcroppings scattered about. The majority of the hill facings will be a mix of ground cover, a mix of debris and some small trees along the top edge of the background hillside. I have made what I believe to be the appropriate mods to the foam scenery base.

    Jerry
     

    Attached Files:

  10. JSL

    JSL TrainBoard Member

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    Qutstanding work. I don't know how I missed this thread. What size buss wire and feeders did you use?

    JSL
     
  11. tbar

    tbar New Member

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    Love your layout, 1st class all the way. I will be looking forward to following it as you progress.
     
  12. Jerry Tarvid

    Jerry Tarvid TrainBoard Member

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    Thank you JSL. I used 12 gauge buss wire with one exception where I ran 10 gauge wire from the PM42 to each of the two BDL168's. Feeder wire is 22 gauge and soldered to each piece of Unitrack on the underside using a chisel point tip. All feeders were then hooked up to the buss wire using the yellow (10 - 12 gauge) Posi-Taps.[​IMG]

    Jerry
     
  13. Jerry Tarvid

    Jerry Tarvid TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks tbar and welcome to TrainBoard.

    Jerry
     
  14. Packers#1

    Packers#1 TrainBoard Member

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    Jerry, I haven't been following much on trainboard lately but I gotta say your layout is looking pretty darn good, I think that foam will work out nicely. And Ryan B ain't kidding about the kudzu here in the South, that stuff covers anything not being used, and some buildings that are still occupied.
     
  15. mtntrainman

    mtntrainman TrainBoard Supporter

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    I like the cuts coming out of the tunnels. I used the same technique when I made T.H.E. Pass on my layout. It just gives a more realistic and eye appealing look IMHO

    .
     
  16. Jerry Tarvid

    Jerry Tarvid TrainBoard Member

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    The Chicagoland area that I am modeling has some of that kudzu type grass on many of the highway hillsides and it has spread to other areas. Typical ground cover on most railroad right of ways in the outlying areas leans toward tree overgrowth and bushes with some grass on the edges. As you get closer to downtown there is predominently grass and bushes. Lacking the scenery space in this area I plan on using a weedy / grass mix with some bushes and dead stuff thrown in.

    Jerry
     
  17. Jerry Tarvid

    Jerry Tarvid TrainBoard Member

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    I recall seeing T.H.E. Pass and the cut definitely made it come alive.:thumbs_up: I knew something was not quite right with my first approach and when Ryan B addressed the cut angle it made perfect sense. Now that I have the yard corner roughed in I will move on to another section. This will give me time to reflect on what has been done and allow me to tweak things a little before gluing it all in place.

    I still have to make the tunnel portals and a retaining wall out of hydrocal. I also plan to cover all the foam with a thin layer of sculpting plaster. The plaster layer will take color pigments / dyes well and firm up the terrain.[​IMG]

    Jerry
     
  18. Jerry Tarvid

    Jerry Tarvid TrainBoard Member

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    River Foam Base

    I'm beginning to like working with foam.[​IMG] I have fewer reservations about the river banks using foam. I used forced perspective by narrowing the river and curving it into the background. Seems to have worked, let me know what you think.

    Jerry

    River pictures:
     

    Attached Files:

  19. RBrodzinsky

    RBrodzinsky November 18, 2022 Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter In Memoriam

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    Jerry, that looks great! Perfect river banks for the area you are modeling
     
  20. Jerry Tarvid

    Jerry Tarvid TrainBoard Member

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    Layout Redesign / Reconstruction

    As many of you may know I decided for specific reasons to redesign my layout as explained in BCVRR - Layout Redesign / Critique. In short I was not happy with the direction the layout was going and felt I could do better. That was two months ago. I now have a finalized track plan / layout design and bench work started.[​IMG]

    The main focus for the layout is switching operations, with a construction challenge of incorporating grades into a folded loop design. The perspective I would like to achieve is a rail side view of a big city. With that in mind along with childhood memories I chose modern day Chicago. Industries include an intermodal yard, ADM flour mill, plywood manufacturer, lithium battery manufacturer and chocolate manufacturer. All of these industries currently exist in the Chicago land area.

    Of all the things I wanted the most a modest sized doubled ended yard topped the list.[​IMG] Given the room size this was going to be my biggest challenge. I managed to fit in a yard with one A/D track, five classification tracks, one engine storage track and a run around track. The yard also has an engine service terminal, service track and RIP track.

    Attached is a finalized track plan / layout design and bench work reconstruction. My next post will show some additional progress shots.[​IMG]

    Jerry
     

    Attached Files:

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