Pulled up and reconfigured all track in the ICG Decatur Yard, Interchange, and Engine Facility. This pic looks up the Yard from the south. The track on the right goes to the Engine facility, next track is a running track to get to the north end of the yard, 3rd track from right is the Arrival-Departure Track, Interchange track is next, and 5th track is the Southern Division Main. The 6th track is the Northern Division Main. It runs parallel to the South Division Main but does not connect in Decatur. I still have to reconnect/solder 8 pairs of feeders in Decatur. Long view of ICG Decatur Yard, Interchange, and Engine Facility by ppuinn posted Jan 13, 2024 at 3:59 PM The Engine Facility tracks were shifted over a little to give me room for the Running track and still have space for the fuel tanks and buildings. I also replaced the original cardstock mock-up of the Engine Shed with a new one that doesn't need to lean against the locos to remain upright. A few years ago, I printed Google Maps Street View pictures of the houses and Church across the road from the Yard in Decatur and glued them to cardboard. Some are sagging a little now, but I'll hold off on upgrading them for now (maybe later in the Party...if I finish all my higher priority items). ICG Decatur Engine Facility by ppuinn posted Jan 13, 2024 at 3:59 PM Before the reconfiguration, the Interchange track was too short and two crossovers were in the wrong location for convenient switching. The new arrangement allows the Arrival Departure track to be used as Staging: In the morning, an operator runs engine north on the Running track and picks up consist with Caboose staged on the Arrival Departure Track, then runs ICG 292 Decatur to PPU East Peoria north to PPU East Peoria Yard. Late in the day, the same power (but different operator) brings ICG 291 back to Decatur, leaves the consist and caboose on the Arrival-Departure Track and parks the engines at the Engine Facility. I'll re-stage the caboose to the other end of the train for the next operating session. There will always be 4 cars on the interchange track. (It used to only hold 3.) All trains running north or south on the Southern Division Main, will swap 4 cars for 4 cars each time they pass Decatur. Reconfigured ICG Decatur Interchange track by ppuinn posted Jan 13, 2024 at 3:59 PM
These pics show the end of the peninsula with Decatur on the lower right and N&W on the lower left. Darst Block in Peoria is on the upper deck right, and Kickapoo Yard and the large IBS Scrap Iron Recycling Yard are on the upper deck left. I have 40 light fixtures (mostly 4ft shop lights) in my 35x40 foot basement ceiling that illuminate the upper deck of my N scale layout; another 30 fixtures that light my N scale lower deck; and 5 that light my HO switching layout, dispatchers desk, and modeling spaces under the lower deck. The first pic shows the area where I store all the spare fluorescent bulbs and the new LED fixtures that I use when I have to replace a Fluorescent fixture that no longer works. End view of Peninsula, ICG Decatur Yard on right, NW Frankfort Yard on Left. Storage space open by ppuinn posted Jan 13, 2024 at 3:59 PM The second pic shows the backdrop up hiding the storage area and some Google Maps Street View pictures of the Decatur Depot. End of Peninsula, storage space closed by ppuinn posted Jan 13, 2024 at 3:59 PM I need to upgrade the backdrop by adding some tree flats...which I'll probably do as soon as I finish re-configuring the N&W Interchange.
I've come up with a rearrangement of the tracks for the N&W Frankfort Interchange on the Northern Division Main. Just as the ICG Decatur Interchange now holds 4 cars, I hope to squeeze in 4 cars on the reconfigured N&W Interchange instead of only 3. Unlike the Decatur Interchange which was only accessible by trains on the Southern Division Main, the N&W Frankfort interchange is accessible by southbound and northbound ITC trains on the Northern Division Main, and by both southbound and northbound CR trains, ICG trains to or from Mattoon, and P&E trains to and from Indianapolis on the Southern Division Main, however, all northbound CR, ICG or P&E trains must use the nearby N&W Yard Lead as a run-around to work the N&W Interchange as a facing point. N&W Frankfort Yard, Possible new configuration for longer Interchange. by ppuinn posted Jan 13, 2024 at 3:59 PM N&W Interchange and Engine tracks by ppuinn posted Jan 13, 2024 at 3:59 PM I hope to get the Frankfort trackwork done this weekend and will rewire/re-solder all Frankfort feeders and all Decatur feeders next week. I also plan to print out several ground throw labels for Frankfort and Decatur to facilitate switching in both areas, and probably add some track labels to tracks running through areas with complex trackwork but no electric switches so operators must get through the areas without the benefit of Switching Routes. In addition working on my own layout, I am working on other modelers' layouts, too: HO structures for Ken (who helps me weekly on my layout), early stages of designing a Late-Steam era HO layout for Jeremy's basement, installing a photo backdrop on Gary's HO layout...as soon as the last set of photos arrive, and generating the switchlists for Larry's next few semi-monthly operating sessions.
A few more pictures on how to use the plate girder bridge halves if you print them instead of the complete bridge with the deck. If you don't have road bed down printing the complete bridge might be easier but....if you need more than a single track or if the road bed is down using the separate bridge sides can be of benefit. I carved out a piece of 1” foam board for this example. If the track it in place work in from both sides. You probably don't have to make a cut all the way through if you can't see under the bridge when it is installed. . I haven't progressed with the final landscaping since this was a piece of scrap foam and not the layout. Above is the double span bridge. You can also print the side files for the single span and do the same. I will post a link to the print files here when they are up. A link to this whole build ( HERE ). Sumner
Print files are up....... You can find the print files for the 10 foot concrete culverts ( HERE ). You can find the print files for the 13 foot concrete culverts ( HERE ). You can find the print files for the different plate girder bridges ( HERE ). For all my thingiverse.com print files go ( HERE ). Sumner
A bit of progress on my SP in the IE layout. I was able to get a bit more wiring done. The acc bus operates turnouts on the upper and lower level and all run and answer to the proper address. I feared the bus length plus the amount of track so I expanded the number of power districts. Districts protected with PSX units; Fontana Branchline. Helix. Double track mainlines from helix to Old Colton(Pepper Ave). West end of West Colton Yard. West end of Staging on upper level. The accessories will eventually be powered by an old DB150. I also relaid the yard leed/branchline to separate it from the mainlines at the crossovers and bridge. This way I can add an abutment between the tracks and have more realistic length bridges to the branchline. I am at least close to running from the yard to Fontana and back or up and back from staging.
Today I reconfigured the tracks for the Norfolk & Western Frankfort Interchange and N&W Engine Facility tracks. There is now--just barely--enough room for 4 cars to be spotted on the N&W Interchange track. Reconfigured NWFrankfort Interchange Tracks 1 by ppuinn posted Jan 14, 2024 at 11:32 PM Reconfigured NWFrankfort Interchange Tracks 2 by ppuinn posted Jan 14, 2024 at 11:32 PM Reconfigured NWFrankfort Interchange Tracks 2 by ppuinn posted Jan 14, 2024 at 11:32 PM I also put down some grass, shrubbery, a gravel access road for the railroad... Railroad gravel road, grass and shrubbery by ppuinn posted Jan 14, 2024 at 11:32 PM and I'm testing out a cardstock version of the repositioned the highway grade crossing between the NW Engine Facility and the NW Yard. Cardstock Repositioned highway grade crossing by ppuinn posted Jan 14, 2024 at 11:32 PM Tomorrow I'll work on reconnecting/soldering feeders in Decatur and Frankfort. And, hopefully print out and mount some ground throw labels and track labels.
Have been continuing work on the propane dealer. Got the gravel down on the base, the tanks and small buildings, and some of the piping painted and installed. This is a street view photo of the prototype office building at this industry that I had started to scratch build in my last post. Some of the details I am noticing here is that this part of the facility has asphalt. Also, those yellow blocks appear to be something like sand filled highway barriers. There are a number of those also protecting the tank area. I would be easy to include something like that. And here is my model a little further along than last time. A little compression has also been done here. The prototype appears to be 50 ft long, I made the model 40 ft and reduced the number of doors from 3 to 2. I had mixed a good color match for the blue on top but some of it pulled off when I masked it to spray the bottom. So I sprayed the whole thing white and will brush the blue on the top. Hopefully I can get a good mix again. I've also painted and assembled the customer tanks that came with the kit.
That trailer being slightly smaller than the prototype should actually be a good thing. I also find those barriers interesting. That would be a nice detail to add. I also noted in another post you mentioned looking for some propane trucks. Showcase make a nice local delivery truck and Royale Models makes a nice 3d printed propane trailer. I have a couple of the trailers and still need to add one or two of the delivery trucks.
I have a Royale Models fuel tanker and yes, they are great models. For what I am looking for I may end up going with the Showcase model. I've done a couple of their vehicle kits and like those too. Years ago Lineside Models had a good cast resin kit of a propane delivery truck. I built two of them and sold one, now cant' find the one I kept.
I was thinking about how I'll stage the ICG Decatur Freight Trains and realized that re-staging most of the other freight trains in a similar fashion would be tremendously time consuming, even though re-staging any one of them will only take 3 to 6 minutes. So, instead of me re-staging the train, when an operator finishes the ICG 291 East Peoria to Decatur freight job, they will set out their consist on the Arrival-Departure track in Decatur and park their road power in the engine facility. They then immediately "switch" hats, acquire a Yard switcher from the engine facility, use it to remove the caboose from the end of the train, park the caboose on the Caboose track. and then park the Yard Switcher back in the engine facility...thus restaging the ICG Decatur Freight Job for me. At the next op session, when the morning jobs are run again, the operator assigned to Freight train ICG 292 (Decatur to East Peoria) must first act as the Yard Switcher and acquire a Yard Switcher from the engine facility, move a caboose from the Caboose track to the end of the outbound ICG 292 cars parked on the Arrival Departure track (which are actually the cars brought from East Peoria by the Afternoon Crew), and return the Yard switcher to the engine facility (thus completing the re-staging of ICG 291 into ICG 292). He then "switches" hats, acquires road power for the ICG 292 trip north to East Peoria, uses the Running Track to go to the head of the Arrival-Departure track, pick up the outbound cars, and deliver them to East Peoria. To implement this type of "automatic" re-staging (during an op session, the operators move the cars to where they need to be for the next op session, instead of me moving (staging) the cars between sessions), I needed to add a crossover at the south end of the Arrival-Departure track where it would provide a Caboose track. Caboose sitting on the Caboose Track at the south end of the ICG Arrival Departure Track by ppuinn posted Jan 15, 2024 at 10:27 PM After installing the crossover to create the Caboose Track, I re-connected all the feeders in Decatur and in Frankfort. and tweaked the scenery a little bit. This afternoon, I hope to get some ground throw labels and track labels printed, cut out, and put in place on the layout.
Going to try and hookup my turn out switches again. I disconnected them some time ago. What better time then a Layout Party Notice the old magazine I am referring too Had it for over 30 years, I think?
Amazing the household items you can find for thing's. They work perfectly to hold my NCEPowerCab cable in place. Who knew? Not even sure what they are called, Binder Clip's maybe? They work great and have them from small to large Use them everywhere.
I was able to finish the GHQ crane. Decided to use black thread for the cables. It's now at work in the scrap yard at the west end of Carlin. Got a lot more done on the propane dealer office trailer. Was able to get a good match for the second time for the blue on top. Painted doors and added some sign decals. The Gold Medal Models chain link fence arrived this afternoon, so I'll be work on that next.
I’ve got almost all the benchwork up. I need to build a 40”x89” portion of the peninsula (black circle) and then figure out exactly how much I need to add for the area around the lift out (red circle) once it’s all up in real life. I also need to add a support pillar because I have a window where two shelves meet (blue X). Hoping to get all that done next weekend, plus adding foam board. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Hopefully only a slight diversion from what I had planned for 'The Party'........ 105 Ft. N Scale Plate Girder Bridge --- Pt. 1... Used a rasp to flatten and ….. …. knock the shoulders down on the roadbed I had laid down. Then spent a couple minutes after that with an 80 grit sanding block. Finished up putting down spackling. I really like the nice flat surface you end up with doing this. Makes the track go down really nice. Also fills any voids between the cork strips and larger ones where the cork is cut for turnouts. You don't need to be quite as accurate with the cork there. Also fills the seam at the bottom of the cork where it is glued to the foam board. Knocks off all those cork edges, loose cork and high spots that can be a problem when laying the track. All in all well worth the 45 minutes it took to do the above. Next I got side-tracked from the scenery in the mesa area. I needed another plate girder bridge on the upper level on the side of the layout where I've been working on the scenery. I thought I could do this fairly quickly as I had a shorter bridge already designed when I was designing plated girder bridge sections for the other side of the layout for a high bridge there. I had designed a bridge that was 10 N scale feet high but a little shorter than what I needed here. Didn't take to long to make that one longer. Pretty much maxed out what I could print with the Photon M3 resin printer. Got this on sale for a little over $200 and love how it has been printing. I've only been using Siraya Tech Build Sonic Gray resin so far and love it also. It is tough, somewhat flexible on thin parts and I can print detail down to right around one N scale inch with it. Adjusting the bridge length went quickly and the print was about a 9 hour print. Then things slowed down as I needed abutments to hold the bridge up. I had made some a while back for my double track girder bridge (more info and print file links HERE ) but …. I got off to a bad start on designing these and spent most of a day on.... ….. the design above and was going to pint that the next day but woke up at 2 am and laid there a couple hours and realized I wasn't going about it in the right way. . Got up at 6 and made new templates (shown above) and.... …. used the template and the bridge to make a new drawing. I'll now take the drawing and go back into Fusion 360 and try again. Shouldn't take much time after learning a few new tricks in yesterdays effort. To be continued...... A link to this whole build ( HERE ). Sumner
Sumner: I just "collected" some of your thingiverse N-scale details. Thanks for posting those files. I plan to download and print some of them...probably toward the end of or after the Layout Party is over.
i'll get pics up later, but most work these days is just adding blended turf as the first ground cover over my unsanded grout "dirt." then will com static grass, shrubs and other course turf and eventualy trees. Then I can turn to the organization portions of this winter's plans.
