Summer Shunting Shelf Project

MC Fujiwara Aug 12, 2011

  1. Grey One

    Grey One TrainBoard Supporter

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    Nice. Very Nice!
     
  2. MC Fujiwara

    MC Fujiwara TrainBoard Member

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    Didn't think anything could be as tedious as tie replacement, but I gotta say: painting window sills and door jambs has to be right up there.
    Fortunately, I have helpers.

    My daughter discovered the joys of painting around panes:

    [​IMG]

    And then my 5-year-old son decided to pitch in by helping CA the windows:

    [​IMG]

    The structure is two bashed "Gripp's Luggage" kits into something akin to the original Del Monte cannery in Alameda.
    We're calling it the "Bella Fonte" after one of our fav singers (especially his appearance on The Muppet Show).

    When all was washed & dried, we affixed some cardstock background buildings:

    [​IMG]

    In the left corner you can see the planes flying over the Alameda Naval Air Station, which will have a chain-link gate to help the transition.
    In the above photo you can also see the concrete street & pad for the freight house we poured, using thinned & tinted lightweight spackle.
    When it dries we'll sand it smooth (the ties still show through a little), and then weather.

    (cont.)
     
  3. MC Fujiwara

    MC Fujiwara TrainBoard Member

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    CA'ed the black styrene backing to the backdrop, and then CA'ed the cannery to the backing:

    [​IMG]

    (The window shades were "fun" to paint too ;) dang if it isn't hard to get a straight line! Next time I'll try masking tape or manilla folder squares)

    So here's the long view:

    [​IMG]

    It's about 25"+ long and the docks can hold 5 cars (with 5 more on the parallel).

    At the very end is a little jog in the building to help block off the end:

    [​IMG]

    Just put some cinders on the roof to mimic a rough roof.

    Next up:
    The concrete loading dock, which will probably be made out of .06 or .08 styrene strips.
    Still debating on having an awning: the original did, but we'll see how it goes.
    Thanks for looking!
     
    bremner likes this.
  4. poppy2201

    poppy2201 TrainBoard Member

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    I must say this is awesome.:thumbs_up::thumbs_up:
     
  5. PW&NJ

    PW&NJ TrainBoard Member

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    Awesome! Though for some reason, I'm craving fruit salad...
     
  6. MC Fujiwara

    MC Fujiwara TrainBoard Member

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    As my grandpappy used to say: "Cheese to stop, fruit to go."
    So go bananas! ;)
     
  7. MC Fujiwara

    MC Fujiwara TrainBoard Member

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    Did a bunch of work to get the layout ready for a show / open house at my LHS today.
    Bunch of quality SF Bay Area layouts were there in G, O, S, On3, HO and HOn3, but I was the only "Normal" scale dude there.

    Put a building front on the back of the control box, where 99% of viewers will never see it:

    [​IMG]

    Experimented with an ad poster, printed on regular paper, sanded thin & attached with diluted Modge Podge matte.
    Sticks alright, but I should have sanded it a bit thinner.

    Needed a 1/4 car to stick out of Doolittle Freight warehouse, so I sacrificed a Baby (-food car).
    This is what happens when you calculate the correct angle but cut the incorrect direction:

    [​IMG]

    Easily fixed.
    Here's an overview of the left side of the layout:

    [​IMG]

    Got the concrete dock in for the cannery, with Gold Metal industrial stairs at each end.
    Weathered the road a bit.
    Installed the chainlink fence & gate with barbed wire at the Naval Air Station entrance (it's a bit short, but will work).
    Put in basic ground cover (dirt, a little fine foam of "weed" and "green blend", some fine gravel for under the tank & around the cannery).
    Put cinder "ballast" for the SP interchange line.
    Mocked up Doolittle Freight with DMP walls & carstock.
    Installed an SP tank (bought yesterday at Great Train Expo in Richmond) at end of Oil spur to service the engine on the neighboring track.
    Installed a wood grade crossing at the front-left.
    One bush.

    Here's a little bit more busy scene:


    [​IMG]

    Things are coming along.
    Things will look better when we get Doolittle Freight bashed together & we build a "roof" for the control box during photo ops.
    Thanks for looking.
     
  8. Nimo

    Nimo TrainBoard Member

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    That's one hell of a layout there! The pace that you are going in is amazing... great stuff...

    I really like the way you concealed the control panel behind buildings...
     
  9. Logtrain

    Logtrain TrainBoard Member

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    I am planning a layout currently that uses a car barge for the connection with the outside world. I got the idea from the Milwaukee Roads Port Angeles terminal. The cars were barged to PA from pier 27 in Seattle. This operation was later used for a brief 4 years by the Seattle & North Coast RR following the MILW embargo of the PCE.

    On my layout I plan to have a rack system under the layout in the area of the car barge that stores additional barges which are to be taken to destinations off the layout. Once one barge moves off the layout it is replaced with a different barge (all barges will be identical) with a completely different manifest of cars.
     
  10. PW&NJ

    PW&NJ TrainBoard Member

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    Heh, I'm planning the same thing (though mine is based loosely on the Brooklyn, NY car float dock railroads... primarily Bush Terminal). My car barges will plug in to the water using furniture dowels in the bottom to ensure proper rail alignment with the float bridge. Your layout sounds neat! Looking forward to seeing what you come up with! :)
     
  11. MC Fujiwara

    MC Fujiwara TrainBoard Member

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    To prevent a hijack, I'll say that the reason we didn't use a carfloat cassette is because our float is rather small & thin, and the whole layout folds into a box [thunk], so the dowel thing wouldn't work.

    Also, while carfloat cassettes are a fab idea in theory, unless you place a securing system around the cars they're going to fall over laterally.
    Guarenteed.

    I think it's easier to transport in HO--heavier cars & wider wheelbase.

    As for having them not roll off the end, I've seen nifty pins inserted between the rails, or even semi-stiff wires angled back that allow the cars on, but provides enough force to prevent the cars from freely rolling off. A loco can pull them off fine.

    Our float is merely for good looks and to act as the "staging pad".

    If I had planned it better, I'd put a scale track (with operating gauntlet track and throwbars) & shed in the middle of the float lead.
    Might go back and do that, but when I look into my crystal ball of reality, I'm foretelling other projects will get priority.
     
  12. TrCO

    TrCO TrainBoard Member

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    You sir, never fail to amaze me. Congrats to you and your kin on all the fantastic work. It's like you've found the perfect balance between rivet counting and fun: everything looks prototypical and amazing (to all but the most trained eye) and the way you describe how you go about things makes it sound like a fun trip down happy go freely lane :p If only I could pull off that attitude haha!

    My applause to you for once again reminding me what this hobby is all about :)
     
  13. Logtrain

    Logtrain TrainBoard Member

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    In theory, like I said theory, I would think that you could make a barge/docking area without the use of a dowel or locking mechanism buried in the layout. The way I would think this could be achieved is by having your pilings on the docking area be flush/tight with the end of the barge. The pilings would "wrap" around the front end of the barge locking the front of the barge with the docking collar. This would eliminate any side to side movement. Then on the water end of the barge you could have a piling(s) in the water and a collar that is permanently attached to the barge that would slip over the top of the piling. This would keep the back end of the barge from being "skewed" at an angle. This in THEORY would act as a locking mechanism yet camoflauging the locking mechanism to the naked eye.
     
  14. MC Fujiwara

    MC Fujiwara TrainBoard Member

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    Using the pilings as the locking mech is a good idea: I've seen it done with magnets.
    You could also use a headphone jack in the front, which would both secure the float and power the tracks (should you be moving locos as well).

    The main issue is just picking up the carfloat and exchanging "cassettes" without the cars falling over.
    Neigh impossible, even if you use "Wingardium Leviosa".
     
  15. Logtrain

    Logtrain TrainBoard Member

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    What if you made some type of "cover" to go over the top of the carfloat while moving it under rthe layout? Something along the lines of a clear casing(similar to a locomotive display) that would slip over the top of the cars. This would keep them from tipping over.
     
  16. PW&NJ

    PW&NJ TrainBoard Member

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    Being one that likes a challenge (or perhaps I'm just a masochist?), I think there's a pretty easy way to pick up the float cassette without losing any cars. Basically, you'd have a board with foam padding on the bottom. Both sides would have thin wood paneling (let's say 1/8 or so inches) mounted with piano hinges. The bottoms of the side boards would have something to grab on (basically under) the float. Maybe polished nails (non-pointy) or something? Then the top part of the side boards would be spring-loaded so you could drop it down over the cars, the foam would hold them in place while the spring-loaded sides would grab the bottom of the float and encase the whole shebang. Now this might not work as well with things like flat cars and gondolas, but you could put a little spacer foam on those when necessary, or you could just be careful and the rest of the cars might hold it in place long enough to get off the layout.

    Just thinkin out loud...
     
  17. MC Fujiwara

    MC Fujiwara TrainBoard Member

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    I think a frame like a spice rack turned on it's side with foam lining would work.
    (With one "rack" per track)
    You'd want something to act as bumpers: not pinch the cars but just prevent them from tipping over.

    Kinda moot for us, as the carfloat is screwed.
    Into the water, that is.
     
  18. EMD F7A

    EMD F7A TrainBoard Member

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    Loving it! You know, I used to patrol down at the SF Cannery (down by fishermans' wharf) and around early century, the railroad that ran along the embarcadero actually put cars right into the building! Quite an amazing setup. Your cannery looks quite authentic for the period. It also looks quite a bit like the old buildings in the industrial district in Alameda, I was just there last month! Not sure how those looked back then, but seeing as Alameda was just rails & trees until the Navy came in? Probably quite accurate! (incidentally I'm moving there from Bjorkley in a few weeks! Nice place)

    Can't wait to see it all assembled etc. Planning on coming up with a logo and etc. for the Bella Fonte Co. and its cannery? Could be a cool project to paint an engine & some stock under your owner's colors, and weather them etc. with the kids..... LMK if you need an undec. loco to paint!

    Oh, and shoot more car float pics! That thing looked fantastic! (especially for being so quick & dirty LOL)
     
  19. MC Fujiwara

    MC Fujiwara TrainBoard Member

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    In the middle of karate, soccer, drama, American & Japanese school and morning runs with Dad, we got some things done this week, mainly the Doolittle Freight up against the control box, the rest of the background photo & building flats along the back of the left section and some more ground cover.

    Here are some shots of Doolittle Freight:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Here's a wide shot to show how the freight building butts up against the control box:

    [​IMG]

    Soon we'll be building a roof cover for the control box for photography, but until then low shots are alrighty:

    [​IMG]

    When the globs of diluted white glue that cover the area to the immediate right dry we'll take some pictures of the rest of the week's work.
    Thanks for looking.
     
  20. SleeperN06

    SleeperN06 TrainBoard Member

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    This is such a great thread with so many great ideas and photos. Thanks for sharing it has been a pleasure,
     

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