The Greenbriar Delta & Rutland

maxairedale Apr 7, 2010

  1. maxairedale

    maxairedale TrainBoard Member

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    Progress is being made.

    Today I attached all of the plywood and then followed up with gluing down the ceiling tiles.

    The ceiling tiles have been stored in the garage on an end table. The end table is smaller then the tiles so the tiles are bent. Not a big deal. To flatten out the ceiling tiles I grabbed a few blocks and what ever I thought would have the needed weight to do the job.

    bench work addditons 13.jpg
    I have not put in the needed support yet, with all the weight of the blocks and other things I felt it best if I clamped a 1X4 to the bench work as a temporary leg

    bench work addditons 12.jpg
    The coffee can is full of stones as is the peanut jar next to it. Ignore the level bubble, I have not made any attempt to make things level with this project yet.

    bench work addditons 11.jpg
    More clamps, blocks, bottles, and a trailer hitch draw bar.

    Next up is putting the protective trim (for the edge of the ceiling tiles) and fill in all of the joints, holes, dents and gaps etc., with Spackle.

    Sometime I need to get the desk out and relocated or just changed out to a smaller one I have stored away.

    With some luck the curved switches will arrive tomorrow, but track work is not likely to start until sometime next week.

    Thanks for looking.

    Regards,

    Gary
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 9, 2012
  2. maxairedale

    maxairedale TrainBoard Member

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    Last evening I worked on the changes needed to the operating plan. All changes affect Turn 3 only.

    Before the changes


    Track plan
    track plan bmp.jpg

    Operating schematic for Turn 3
    Turn3.jpg

    1. Turn 3 leaves the yard by taking the right leg of the WYE
    2. Services C9 as needed
    3. Uses the passing siding to get around its train
    4. Services C11 as needed
    5. Services the interchange as needed
    6. Heads back towards the yard
    7. Services C10 as needed
    8. Services C4 as needed
    9. Returns to yard

    After the changes

    Track plan
    Track_Plan_080712.JPG

    Operating schematic for Turn 3
    Turn3_080912.jpg

    1. Turn 3 leaves the yard by taking the right leg of the WYE
    2. Services C9 as needed
    3. Services C10 as needed
    4. Uses the passing siding to get around its train (siding located at C5 - C8)
    5. Heads back towards the yard
    6. Services C11 as needed
    7. Services the interchange as needed
    8. Services C4 as needed
    9. Returns to yard
    Just a few steps moved around.


    Complete operating schematic

    NEW_SCHEMATIC_08-09-12.JPG

    Thanks for looking,

    Gary
     
  3. maxairedale

    maxairedale TrainBoard Member

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    All of the latest changes are completed
    • road bed down
    • track laid
    • track cleaning
    • test run using jumper leads
    • minor alignment changes made
    • wiring finalized

    proposed_track_plan_J_crop.jpg
    track plan in area of changes

    Some minor changes have been made to the plan. I decided to keep the passing siding that was already in place and extend it to just right of the yard and add another switch so that the siding could connect to the yard. That new connection can be used as an escape for locos entering the yard. Furthermore it created a second reversing section for turning complete trains if needed.

    After getting all the stuff put away and the top cleaned off of tools, track nails, pins (used to temp hold road bed and track in place), ties that were remove, and anything else that did not belong I snapped a few photos.

    new loop 1.jpg
    new loop

    The tunnel portals are standing there with the help of some very long quilting pins, I am trying to determine the best location for them. I was hoping to use one double portal at the position seen at the left side of the photo and two singles where the second one is located, but at this time both are doubles.

    Some fun with buildings and other items


    new loop 4.jpg
    The building on left is located on the inside siding and the right building is between the main and the outside siding

    new loop 2.jpg
    Placed a second building on the inside siding.
    Overall I like how the two buildings work together.

    new loop 3.jpg
    A couple rental locos passing between Cumberland Container and Cleo's Cold Storage

    new loop 5.jpg Cumberland Container and Cleo's Cold Storage

    There is still a lot of work to be done in the area. You may have noticed that I did not paint the area that I added. That was just being lazy and in a rush to get the trains running around the new loop.

    Gary
     
  4. maxairedale

    maxairedale TrainBoard Member

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    A Mountian is forming

    Hi All,

    Since my last posting I have had a few false starts on making the hill/mountain with tunnel in the area that I recently expanded. The hill is seen as the green blob in the following
    proposed_track_plan_h_crop.jpg

    Today after a few weeks of thinking about a better way to design it I started with some Ribs made out of foam core board.

    [​IMG]
    The largest rib is set at 45 degrees to the sky boards and the rest are at 90 degrees

    The tunnel portal is sitting where I plan to place it (subject to move). The end on the right side will be a rock portal a few inches to the right of the that last rib.

    I plan to use card board strips and make a fake webbing to attach the ribs together and then cover it with "CelluClay" that I got at Michaels. The final shape is TBD.

    With luck after I get the ribs attached to each other I can the do the rest of the work on a table and move it into place.

    I have been testing the clearance with my longest and tallest cars to make sure that they all pass through the ribs. I went with the foam core board because it is light weight and after having openings cut in it, it remains strong.

    Gary
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 27, 2012
  5. maxairedale

    maxairedale TrainBoard Member

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    A Mountain is forming Continued

    Progress is being made

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  6. maxairedale

    maxairedale TrainBoard Member

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    Moved away for the mountain/tunnel area for a while as I concentrated on the area around Farmers Grain Coop as part of the winter layout party.

    Here is where I started

    • No Ballast
    • No Switch stands within Farmers Grain Coop
    • No scenery
    • No _________

    2012-2013 Fourth Annual International Winter Layout Party starting photo 3.jpg 2012-2013 Fourth Annual International Winter Layout Party staring photo.jpg

    [HR][/HR]After a week or so there are improvements.
    • Farmers Grain Coop tracks are ballasted
    • Switch Stands installed
    • The photos don't show it, but the main, most of it in the area, has been ballasted
    • 4 more grain towers added to elevator

    2012-2013 Fourth Annual International Winter Layout Party progress photo 1.jpg 2012-2013 Fourth Annual International Winter Layout Party progress photo 2.jpg

    [HR][/HR]A few more weeks and more progress


    • Scenery and detail added
    • Grain bins installed
    • Piping added to new towers

    FarmerCoop3.jpg FarmerCoop1.jpg FarmerCoop2.jpg
     
  7. HydroSqueegee

    HydroSqueegee TrainBoard Member

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    Lookin good!
     
  8. paperkite

    paperkite TrainBoard Member

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    Grain elevators look great , and the photo on the left with the layered rocks , very nice indeed !
     
  9. maxairedale

    maxairedale TrainBoard Member

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    Thank you guys.

    Sorry so long for replying, I was away from home from February 1st to March 2nd. Planning for the trip took me away from the computer for a few days before.

    Gary
     
  10. maxairedale

    maxairedale TrainBoard Member

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    Another possible change

    Okay I have been away from the railroad since January (out of town for the complete month of February and very busy around the farm since getting back), but that has not stopped me from thinking about some changes. Here are some of the issues I have been wrestling with:

    1. I'm not happy with how my tunnel/mountain area is looking. I really messed up the mountain by doing some painting on it.
    2. I'm not happy with the track work that would be in the tunnel and wish to broaden the curves there (see track plan bottom right corner ).
    3. I'm thinking of extending the double track from the tunnel portal to the curved switch near Customer 10 (buildings seen in the following image see track plan). [​IMG]
    4. I have a few buildings that can be used as a scene block if I remove the tunnel/mountain.
    5. Removing the tunnel/mountain would make track cleaning easier.
    Gary
     
  11. badlandnp

    badlandnp TrainBoard Member

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    I agree that the hidden track in there will be a maintenance issue, but not too bad if the mountain is removeable.

    The layered rocks look great! Been thinking about that and it appears my thoghts actually were in the right direction this time.Thanks!
     
  12. maxairedale

    maxairedale TrainBoard Member

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    I designed the mountain to be removable for a few reasons
    • Where is a train going to derail? In the area that is hardest to get to.
    • Track maintenance
    • Having to do most of the tunnel/mountain work off the layout.

    Thank you. I assume you are referring to this hill

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Both images are of the same hill which I keep doing some things to. I use it as a small scene divider between two customers on the layout.

    I attempted to replicate some of the rock formations that we have in the area. Yes some seem to just pop up out of the ground. I may do another one where the tunnel/mountain area is now. I have picked up some small rocks during my travels across the country during the past year and may use them there also.

    While I was working, I had a source for the ceiling tiles, used but free. You might be able to find a broke box at Lowes or Home Depot and get them cheap. The local Lowes used to sell them each, but have changed to full boxes only.

    During my applying of washes (water with acrylic paints) it almost fell apart during the handling process because I was not waiting for things to dry before applying more. The paper really sucks up the water and gets soft. It took almost 2 days to dry after applying the wash.

    I glued all levels with the finished side down using white glue. Some of the finished side can be seen in the bottom of the two images, 7 and 8 layers, above the switch stands. I normally don't look at it from that level so all is good with the world (that part of the layout).

    Most of the levels are not solid, there are 2 or 3 full levels to add some strength to the hill with some supports (tiles cut and put on edge) to keep the full levels from sagging. Most of the levels are pieces about 1/2 deep and range from 1 to 4 inches long. To cut the pieces I scored them with a utility knife and snapped them off. To remove the straight line from the scoring I just picked away at it with my fingers and a small screwdriver. I used some long sewing pins, from Walmart, to keep the pieces from moving until the glue dried. There are some pins buried in the stack.

    Covering the tiles after painting with a gray latex and applying the washes I used WS turf along with some other scenery material and dirt out of the back yard. The rocks on top are from the driveway. Not seen in the two photos are some dead trees and logs that are from parts of Maple leafs. Diluted and full strength mate medium was use to fix the scenery material in place.

    Regards,
    Gary
     
  13. badlandnp

    badlandnp TrainBoard Member

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    Thanx for the info! Will put it to use,....one day. Soon, I hope!!
     
  14. maxairedale

    maxairedale TrainBoard Member

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    Some minor changes

    While working in the area of Farmers Grain Coop (Customer #1 in my track plan) for the Annual International Layout Party on TrainBoard in December 2012 and January 2013 I saw an image of a scene of a loading dock that wrapped around the train car on three sides with a ramp going to the ground. I thought that maybe it was something that I could incorporate at the Team Track area. In late 2005 or early 2006 when I added the three Team Tracks I attempted to have the area paved up to the rail heads so that trucks could move anywhere. That area (the gray spot with the boxcar on it) can be seen in the image below just above the throttle in my Grand Daughters hand.

    [​IMG]

    The area is also in the image below in the bottom left after I remove most of the spackling (I had painted gray) I had applied over 1/16 in sheet cork and as well as the cork strips that was placed between the rails.

    FarmerCoop3.jpg

    This area was below the level of the rest of the tracks due to the difference in the thickness of the sheet cork and the roadbed and I wanted to raise the tracks to the correct level and do this WITHOUT removing the switches or the tracks. I did not want to have to remove the feeders and then resolder them to the rails. After removing any track nails from the track and switches, using a knife blade I cut the cork sheet in to two parts along the feeders and pulled it out. With the track and switches still attached I them put foam roadbed under them. I started on the outside of the outside tracks and worked towards the center track. At the same time I repositioned the two tracks nearest the edge of the layout. I did bring one right to edge, something that I normally avoid like the plague, as seen in the following image.

    [​IMG]

    I also decided to install the switch stands (ground throws) while working in the area.

    [​IMG]

    Turns out that there was not enough room between the main (track with ballast) and team tracks to install the switch stands so it was time to improvise

    • Put the switch stands on the layour edge side of outside track
    • Install the switch stands backwards without using one of the included hooks
    • Enlarge hole in switch stand bar
    • Run wire under track to hole in the switch throw bar
      • The short wire for the switch stand on the left is positioned so that it runs under a tie on an angle.
      • The longer wire for the switch stand on the right runs under the ends of a switch so I put it inside a coffee stirring straw. This stand controls a switch on the main.
    Next

    • Time to paint the rails and ballast tracks
    • Build the loading/unloading doc for the upper (3rd from bottom) track, the reason for this change.
     
  15. maxairedale

    maxairedale TrainBoard Member

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    Long Needed Update

    It took the better part of 6 months to almost finish the Team Track area. No I was not working on it full time. [​IMG]

    Here are just a couple images

    This is what the area looked like in April after I tore it up during the annual layout party in January

    [​IMG]

    Here what it looks like in October
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Thanks for looking.

    Regards,
    Gary
     
  16. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    It is always interesting to see how an area appears when finished, versus what we were imagining it would become...
     
  17. maxairedale

    maxairedale TrainBoard Member

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    HI all,

    It has been a while (over 2 years) since I made any real progress on the layout or even run any trains. I really don't know why other than I loss some interest in it. It is not like I totally lost interest in the layout or even the trains. I frequently go out the train building and look at all the projects I have and it becomes a bit overwhelming. I know that I just need to tackle one project at a time, but I'm having a hard time to figure out which one to start with. Which one will give me the most satisfaction at the time while working on it and when it is completed, will it have added any impact to the layout? Since I retired I just don't get too the trains as I did while working. It is not just the trains, but other hobbies also. I guess I have too much time on my hands.

    It has been a few years since I joined the Layout Party and I was thinking that maybe it is time again, so I went out to figure out what I wanted to work on for the Eighth Annual International Winter Layout Party.
    • Do I rip up part of the scenery that I already have down so I can add a section of street running within part of the town or do I finish the area as I had planned 5 years ago and forget the street running?
    • Do I continue with the small hill it the corner with the tunnel, or start over with that corner forgetting about a tunnel and just use scenery to hide the curve?
    • Do I remove 2 switches and a short section of track that creates a short inter-loop withing the main dog bone?
    • Last summer I notice on Google maps that the NS serves a customer located about ½ mile from their yard in Danville, KY. I have an on-line customer near my yard that is served from the mainline. Seeing the image on Google maps made me think that I should serve that customer from the yard. This would require changing the track plan and operating plan. In changing the track plan do I use a switch off of the most outside track or just continue that track to the customer?
    • I have a couple customers that have only one track in them, and I think that because of their type of business they should have additional tracks. Additional tracks means purchasing more switches.
    • Speaking of switches, I have some Peco shorts scattered throughout the track plan. These switches work great in conserving space, but cause problems with long cars with body mounted couplers. About 3 years ago I purchased new trucks for those cars with the idea of converting them. Now I'm thinking that maybe I need to replace the switches with some mediums. More money to spend on a very limited income. The two switches I mentioned above are also Peco shorts so no savings there.
    • Then there is the car routing system. Do I continue working on the car card / weigh bill system or continue working on my own computer generated program. Either way both will require a lot of time.
    • Buildings
      • Building kits - I must have 20 kits if not more to assemble.
      • Assembled ones – I have buildings that are already assembled (from previous layouts) but don't have a proper location for them on the current layout. Should I try to fit them in, cut them up and make something out of the parts?
    • The staging area. I played with it about 4 years ago, but... Since it will be spanning the doorway of the train building it is going to be short, but that works with my alleged operating plan. The question is do I make it as a sector plate or install switches?
    • Do I put in a couple switch machines for the hard to reach switches or run linkage to ground throw?

    I have to say that it is frustrating because I don't know where to start or what to continue with. Furthermore not having any other model railroaders in the area to enjoy the layout with and/or bounce ideas off of is also frustrating.

    Even my grandkids are not interested in the layout. I have one more that I may have a chance with, she is only one year old now.

    Thank you for reading the above ramble, and letting me vent my frustrations, I'm not looking for advice, suggestions, or other ideas.

    Have a Happy and Productive New Year.

    Gary
     
    Last edited: Jan 2, 2016
    mtntrainman likes this.
  18. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    It's been too long. Good to hear from you again, Gary!
     
  19. Rocket Jones

    Rocket Jones TrainBoard Member

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    Gary, my layout isn't anywhere near as large as yours, and sometimes I get overwhelmed by what needs doing. Here's a couple of things I do to deal with it.

    1. I took photos of my entire layout, each about a 1 foot square. Looking at each photo, I jotted down a quick list of things that needed to be done just in that square. At the end, I had a pretty good list of everything that needed to be done above board on the layout, and it was already mostly broken down into small tasks based on the square foot limits. I can take care of a lot of things in a short amount of time this way.

    2. Do something - anything - for 15 minutes. Gather tools for your next scenery effort. Paint some details. Install a sign. Whatever, just do it for 15 minutes. Getting started is the main thing, you might find yourself ready to go longer, and even if not those 15 minutes add up over time.
     
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  20. maxairedale

    maxairedale TrainBoard Member

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    I don't believe it, but it has been 5+ years since I have done anything with my layout other than go out to it and think.

    Well, this week I started planing and have 3 ideas that I am going to start working on.
    1. fiddle/interchange tracks
    2. cross over
    3. a second track for the industry
    upload_2021-3-24_22-1-46.png

    1. A hinged section with 3 short tracks for the fiddle/interchange tracks. This section will span the aisle at the door of the train building. This is where the rolling stock will enter and leave the layout.
    2. Remove the two switches and replace them with a crossing. The second track from the bottom will go directly to the interchange from the yard. Operational this means the yard crew will be doing the interchange and the main will not be able to access the interchange. The crossing may not be located at the location of the switches, I don't know at this point.
    3. Add a second switch for the intermodal facility.
    I apologize for not being around for a while.

    Gary
     
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