Layout Expansion

Another weekend has passed where I couldn't really put much time to the layout. I started a couple of DPM kits and put them onto the layout to try to get an idea of how spacing would be. The main street that was laid out was to scale width and I wanted to see if I could shave a few scale feet from the width to allow more room for the town, but after having the buildings in place, I think I will have to stay with the proper width. A few of the kits came for the engine servicing area, a sanding facility and a diesel fueling kit. Now I have a idea of how much real estate will be taken up and where the tracks will have to be placed. Nothing like crawling along at a snails pace. Too much going on during the summer months. Below are a few pictures of the starting of main street. I think the structure next to the market will become FW Woolworth Co. There will only be room for one more narrow building to the left because I will need room for a parking lot for the freight station, and an access alley to the rear of the market and other buildings. Parking will also be needed for the Dining Car restaurant. I guess a number of other kits similar to DPM kits will also be needed to complete the business district. These can be ordered and work on the engine facility can now move forward now that I have an idea of the track placement for the turntable approach can now be determined. Sure would like to have a day or two to devote to moving the project ahead but that doesn't look like it will happen for a while with too many other projects going on for the summer. All but one car is ready to go to auction at Mecum and the last is just about complete.

 

Progress is painfully slow. I have been working my butt off trying to get a number of cars ready for the Mecum Auction in Des Moines in July. Got the last one buttoned up last weekend, and found out that the auction was cancelled. Well, at least they're done. Guess I'll be looking at Monterey or Dallas.

With the rain we've been getting, the lawn seems to be growing as fast as I cut it. I did have some time to finish laying all of the track for the yard. I had a locomotive push a 20 car train through every conceivable trackage in the yard and the only derailment was caused by some dummy that forgot to throw a switch. The only track that is left to install are the leads to the turntable and service track, and a team track by the mill. The only thing I am waiting for is a coaling tower. I did get the diesel fueling kit and sanding kit. Wait, wait wait.

 

A bit more work has been done. The market is almost complete. Just needs a little touch up in a couple of spots. I don't know if the billboard included in the kit will go on the roof. If it does, it might be for a restaurant, " The Dining Car" which is going to be in the B&O heavyweight diner behind the market.

 

Fourth of July weekend. Very little got done. Did and will have people over for fun and adult beverages. Managed to get the last but of work done on the cars going to the Mecum Auction. Even managed to find a few hours to go up flying for a bit.

A little work has started on the turntable. Basics are put together and it is all wired up. I guess the hardshell in the corner should go up next so the roundhouse can be completed. The old eyeballs aren't as good as the used to be I found out during kit building for this project, but I guess it;s something that I'll have to live with . I'll have to find a coaling tower before I can complete the approach tracks to the turntable.

 

Thanks, Alan. There are so many things that have to be done, and I know what I am capable of doing and I guess it is just frustrating that things aren't going faster. I have many ideas, but finding the time is hard.

 

Progress is still moving slowly ahead. I have started a few more kits so I can get a better idea of where service facilities will be for the new yard. Now I have a better idea of where to place the different items.

The diesel fueling will be on the gray platform running between the two approach tracks to the turntable. Sanding towers will be there also. To the right of the water tower is the diesel fuel tank, and the sand house will be to the right of that. The coaling tower ended up being a lot larger than I thought and the unloading building at the rear was removed. Coal unloading will be under the tower. I had the water towers sitting around for a while for the steamers, and now they'll have a home. I was nice to get down into the basement with the 90 degree temps. Unfortunately I didn't have the time to get much done as we had some out of state visitors over the weekend, but in the process of showing them around the local area, I did get some sagebrush cut for trees. I haven't had the time to get that done for a while.

 

Here are a few pictures of what it looks like.



I have it drying out in the trunk of my car right now in the summer heat. I usually cut the dead branches. Once the leaves fall off, all you have to do is trim it to the shape you want and add foliage. You can see the last two pictures how the natural sagebrush mimics tree bark. I also found out that it make a great car air freshener. Smells great.

 

Work is continuing slowly. I have been rather busy attending car shows and cruise ins, but have been pecking away at some of the structures that are slowly moving ahead. This is a Walther coaling tower I had to modify and finally have it about where it will go. As soon as a sand house is completed, the rest of the trackwork to the turntable and roundhouse will be completed. I have also started on a number of building for the town of Logan. Looks like I'll need a few more to make a decent size town.

 

Still too much is going on in the late summer, but I have been pecking away at kits for the engine terminal in Logan so the final tracks can be installed. Now I have a prety good idea ofwhere things may go, so hopefully the track work will be done soon. The fueling and sanding towers won't be fully completed as I really do't want to have to reach over them while working. The roundhouse should be completed (finally) and now I have to figure out a way to connect a manual crank to the turntable. I have heard stories about how there can be problems with the Walthers motorizing kit.
Moving ahead, but painfully slow.

 

any movement is good, I think it is the time of the year, I have always got more work done on layouts in the past during the winter months.

by the way, nice NP SW

 

A bit more work has been done over the Labor Day weekend. Engine servicing kits have been started and put into place so the service tracks can finally be laid. The roundhouse has been complete with the exception of the doors, and a bulk oil distributor kit has been started so an idea of the footprint needed. Where the red building is I had planned on pitting Walthers Golden Valley Canning kit, but it is too large for the area without crowding something. Anyone need a kit ??





With many of the town structures started, I drew out areas for parking lits, a grassy area in front of the freight station that will probably have a few trees installed and a small park in front of the passenger station.



The fun part is yet to come. I have heard of problems with the Walthers turntable drive and I have a manual drive from an old turntable that was motorized that I want to get installed. This should be an interesting project some time down the road.

 

Montanan, Can you tell me what the name and brand of the freight depot with the trucks in front of it is? I'm looking for some buildings like that for a section of my layout that is being rebuilt.

Thanks
David

 

It is a Walthers Water Street Freight Terminal kit.

 

Looking good, what is that building that has Davenport on it? One of those would look good on the junction on my street trackage section.

And I could do with a canning kit but the postage would be very high on something like that.

Sent from my Xperia Z using Tapatalk 2

 

I believe that it is a Woodland Scenics pre-built. I usually don't like spending money on these buildings, but I have so many that I need for the town, and this one looked so good, I couldn't pass it up. You would be mor ethan welcome to the cannery kit. I barely start to put the kit together. I just had put two of the walls together when I decided to pass so as not to crowd things into the space I had available. I have some more pictures of the "Davenport" at home. It is a department store. I'll get the pictures to you if you're interested.

 

It's been a while since anything has been posted on the expansion. Not a lot of work has been done as I have been very busy getting ready for winter. Had to get the last mowing and yard work done on a 2 acre lawn, but the mowing deck has been removed from the tractor, and the snow plow and tire chains put on. It's ready to go when needed.

Mostly what has been done is working on building kits and getting their placement of them figured out.



This is an over all look at the town. I Woodland Scenics prefab kit is the starting point for this gas station. I would have liked to be able to use the built up version, but ended up personalizing it for the town. I still have a few detains to add, but they will have to wait until the streets are in.



I had this Walthers Golden Valley canning kit sitting around for over ten years and it ended up that it wouldn't fit in its original configuration. With the loading dock that was supposed to be on the hidden side of the building, it would have put it self in the middle of the street and not left room for the gas station and the fuel oil distributor behind it. A door opening was cut into the end of the building, and a loading dock was put in the building. There is no room for the boiler house that is included in the kit, but it will be used for the roundhouse. The building will be a packing and shipping facility for potatoes, which is a big crop in the area.





The turntable and fueling facility locations are carved into a rock now. Final installation and kit completion will be done after the hardshell is installed to the background.





I have been looking all over for a retaining wall for this part of the track work. This leads to the hidden staging, and the Northern Pacific interchange. Without any hobby shops around, I had a hard time finding exactly what I needed. The bottom was cut so the top of the wall would be level, and the bottom fir the grade. Now that this has been installed, hydrocal hardshell can now be installed, and a scenic background put up. Getting tired of looking at paneling.