The Santa Fe Shed division

Geep_fan Mar 26, 2012

  1. traingeekboy

    traingeekboy TrainBoard Member

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    eh, i'd add a track for the loco and a caboose. I mean really basic no engine house just a fuel and sand place.
     
  2. Geep_fan

    Geep_fan TrainBoard Member

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    yay, I now have a website with its own domain for the shed division.

    http://www.santafesheddivision.com/



    Traingeekboy: I have given thought about stationing a tanker truck alongside the yard ladder for refueling.
     
  3. Geep_fan

    Geep_fan TrainBoard Member

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    more update!

    I now have completed the mainline on my layout with one minor change to the origonal plan, the Mopac interchange had to be reversed because somebody cannot remember his left hand turnouts from his right hand..... *whistle*.

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    MOPAC GP15-1 #1587 is currently my only motive power for the layout because I found my MRC Power supply. I just installed an MRC 645 sound decoder in this engine last Thursday at the club, and I'm lovin' it at home. First time I've ever had a sound equipped engine on any of my home layouts.

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    I know, I know, wrong road, but its the only motive power I've got! I was using this combine to test my trackage as it is the longest car that will run on the road. ran without a hitch

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    overview of the new yard design, not too shabby.

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    On the duckunder, construction of the mainline has continued while the spur to the grain elevator has been put on hold until my next shipment of central valley stuff arrives.
     
  4. Geep_fan

    Geep_fan TrainBoard Member

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    [​IMG]

    this end of the yard has been HEAVILY redesigned since it's days as a staging yard. Much smoother a transition and without all those kinks.

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    This is the MOPAC interchange switch, it faces the opposite way from the plan, but I think this will work much better, I have room for a staging yard with this now too!

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    I also created a control panel for the layout, although it will only contain 2 buttons for the switch machine and a switch to select either DCC or DC.

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    Heres a bit of future motive power for the shed division, just awaiting a decoder, which I already have at the club.
     
  5. Geep_fan

    Geep_fan TrainBoard Member

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    [​IMG]
    Another interesting piece is this hobbytown RS-2, which will be going into the stripper to be repainted into the pinstripe scheme. Santa Fe had one RS-2, and it had a steam generator, just like this one. Going to use this on mixed passenger service on the shed division. However it's introduction into service has been delayed until I install a decoder in it.
     
  6. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Fascinating how some times as we build, plans evolve. For me, while there is some challenge in the process, it has always been good fun working through it to a desired outcome.
     
  7. Geep_fan

    Geep_fan TrainBoard Member

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    I honestly have never been able to build one of my plans to the letter, I always make changes here and there as I go.
     
  8. traingeekboy

    traingeekboy TrainBoard Member

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    Great progress.

    i've always had a weakness for Santa fe blue and yellow fright locos. I have an old tyco f9 ( or whatever it was ) in that scheme from about 1970. It was in my third train set ever when I moved back to America. Seeing yours tempts me to get something in blue and yellow for my layout.

    Speaking of old... Looking at your layout pics I saw the old Athearn blue box. Man that really brought back some 35 year old, possibly 40 year old, memories for me.

    Oh yeah and the whole point of digging up your thread was that I stumbled across a video that reminded me of your winter door gap problem. It's another HO gauge snow plowing video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNQc-qouvN4&feature=youtu.be
     
  9. Geep_fan

    Geep_fan TrainBoard Member

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    You can never have too much blue and yellow! That's a pretty cool video of the outdoor HO layout, giving me ideas......... but with wind gusts out here capable of 80 miles an hour, not sure I want to attempt to expand this outdoors!




    No pictures as of now, but I did get around to installing decoders! Yay! I bought a walthers trainline GP9M for the shed layout as well, since the P2K GP7 from previous pictures has been reassigned to club service. Detail wise, not very impressive, but its a smooth runner. I have some Plano Louvers to convert the GP9 to a GP7, then with the addition of a window post up front, it have one of Santa Fe's GP7u's that didn't get the Topeka Cabs.

    I have decided to install a large transfer table for my staging yard in the 4 feet I have left to the wall. Will give me a fair amount of extra room than a normal staging yard with switches. Does anyone have experience with these kinds of staging yards? I've never seen one in person.

    I also had to add yet another switch to the plan! During operation testing the other night, I found that I had nowhere to stick the doodlebug or the combine when I was operating. So I've decided to add another switch at the depot to create a house track.

    Finally I'm half tempted to take a "fictional" step here. I found pictures of a small railroad in kansas (during a much later time period of course!) that owned a mere mile and a half of track and only had one 44 tonner on the roster, they ran from a grain elevator and connected to the BNSF mainline. I thought creating my own version of this would be pretty cool on my own layout. I could put another switch in the layout near the yard lead, and run a short track with a steep grade down under the 3x8. There I could leave room for a 44 tonner and 2 grain hoppers. Adding another element of operations and giving another job when I have 2 people operating the layout. However this would be in the future and I'm still thinking about it.

    I also now have a mini-deadline to have the trackage for the grain elevators and staging finished. My mother is hosting an open house for my high school graduation on the 27th of May, so I want the layout to at least be looking decent by that time.


    well, I'll be back with pictures probably some time tomorrow!
     
  10. Geep_fan

    Geep_fan TrainBoard Member

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    Ok, more pictures an a LOT of progress! YAY!

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    I threw in a DC power pack, and a DPDT switch to select DC or DCC on the layout so I bought out my only current DC engine at home to test the layout tonight. Atlas SD26 #4600 is the victim this time.

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    My local hobby shop got a bunch of these kit cars (plaster? resin? no idea). These are 1940 Chrysler vehicles. I know they're a bit out of my era but hey, they look cool! The dark blue one is going to get its windows painted here soon and then weathered up a little. I'm going to pose it inside a barn on the layout, some high school kids tinker toy. The other one is probably getting good ol' patrol car black and white with a spot light and siren (came with the kits) and put on the club layout.

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    The display shelves have been cleared of everything not in operational status on the layout. All the DCC motive power and "in staging" cars are in there. Eventually this shelf will move over to the sector plate to store the cars there.

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    I also dug my paint booth out of the barn and put it under the layout, got an Atlas RSD5 being given its dark blue right now.
     
  11. Geep_fan

    Geep_fan TrainBoard Member

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    [​IMG]

    Not sure if I showed this before. The new control panel for the layout, now has a pair of buttons to control my one switch machine on the whole layout.

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    There's the DPDT and DCC indication light. Works terrific!

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    Also started some scratch building. There's the new team track loading dock. I need to finish staining it and then put a deck on her. The Ford F100 I bought last August that was the preclude to this layout is also in this shot.

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    The Mopac interchange actually has a few cars on it. Shocker. That last 6 inches or so of track to the end of the table will be installed when I get the sector plate installed and tested.
     
  12. Geep_fan

    Geep_fan TrainBoard Member

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    [​IMG]

    The one switch machine on the whole layout. Will be almost invisible after scenery and the grain elevator is installed.

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    The beginnings of the grain elevator. Both tracks combined hold 6 cars, just the right size for this layout! I experimented with different end of track devices here, one is a rock pile, the other a tie over the rails, both look good to me.

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    A little further up the grain elevator siding is the propane dealer.

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    On the other side of the layout, a lone ATSF tanker sits unloading oil at the Sinclair oil dealer. Not technically the right tanker but it will have to do for now. After I get some proper oil tankers, this thing will be relegated back to the pikemasters for MOW and company service.
     
  13. Geep_fan

    Geep_fan TrainBoard Member

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    [​IMG]

    The yard is a little more empty now, cleaned out the stuff that was just taking up space and didn't run well.

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    The DC control panel, very sturdy despite the fact there's only one support!

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    The future sector plate is the two pieces of plywood. They have a HUGE drawer slider in between them. Going to mount one on the wall with brackets, then install a 4ft section on top of the top piece. Add a pair of running rails to the outer edges, and I have a stable table. That may or may not get done before my upcoming high school graduation open house.

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    Decided to play a round of darts after working on the layout this evening, my aim could use some work......
    I did have one dart bounce off the board and fall onto the tracks below. gave me a new track nail hole in a tie!



    well that's all the pictures for now. I did find out I need to add one more siding to store a passenger car in, but that won't be until after the open house. I do have the RS-2 almost all painted up, will have a decoder in it sometime this summer.
     
  14. traingeekboy

    traingeekboy TrainBoard Member

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    This is a really nice looking layout so far. A short line without too much track can be really pleasant to look at.

    Years ago there was an article in model railroader about a guy who built rolling low hills with kitty litter. He'd shape the hills and then fix the surface the same way ballast is glue'd; just wet it down with a spray of water and then apply 50/50 glue and water. If you are planning on having low hills you might want to try this method. It's a very cheap way to make scenery. Then you can sift on some dirt followed by ground foam.
     
  15. friscobob

    friscobob Staff Member

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    I thought the dartboard was some new car routing technique...............silly me.....................:cute:

    Seriously, I like what you're doing so far. If you can find one, that layout calls out for a CF7 to handle the local.
     
  16. Geep_fan

    Geep_fan TrainBoard Member

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    I do actually have some terrain variation already in place. I just gotta crack out the plaster cloth.
     
  17. Geep_fan

    Geep_fan TrainBoard Member

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    Using the darts for car routing? hmmmm, sounds interesting.

    I have a CF7 assigned to the layout too. An older Railpower Products shell on an athearn drive fitted with a sagami can motor. I just need to get some new axle gears because the ones the CF7 previously had cracked.
     
  18. traingeekboy

    traingeekboy TrainBoard Member

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    He's right. You throw the darts and then use the chalk boards to write up the evenings car movements.
     
  19. Geep_fan

    Geep_fan TrainBoard Member

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    Well, the open house ran pretty well actually. I spent all morning leading up to the open house cleaning track, vacumming the floor and clearing off the layout.

    However my Sound equipped Mopac GP15 decided to be the redheaded stepchild of the day and refused to stay powered up despite clean wheels and clean track. Will have to have a fireside chat with said unit.
    GP7 #2672 and GP38 #3520 provided all the freight service during the open house and doodlebug M-14 saw a few minutes of track time. Everything ran without a hitch except I ran over the railend at the grain elevator and shoved two grain hoppers about a foot along the benchwork after a short (my DCC system controller has to be unplugged to "reset" after every short, however the command station will still broadcast the last commands it received). Got a few laughs from guests when the gp7 just kept plugging along.

    I did discover I need to replace the turnout on the West end of the yard. The turnout had been a derailment problem for some equipment for a while, and it reared it's ugly head at the open house when the points separated from the turnout completely. Whoopee, now I need 2 switches to complete the layout.

    On a side note, another engine has left the Shed divisions shops as of today for testing.

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    Atlas RSD5 #2135 arrived on the shed division in February wearing a quite ugly paint scheme of Light blue and a really off shade yellow. Here it is after the shops finished repainting it into proper santa fe colors. Just awaiting decals and some weathering. I still need to install the grab irons and horns as well, but I need to pick up a new pin vice first.

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    A shot of the engine disassembled before repainting.

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    And here's a shot of the blue monster (second unit) at the club before repainting.
     
  20. traingeekboy

    traingeekboy TrainBoard Member

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    Good to hear your open house went well. It's always nice to show off the trains.

    Is all your track nickel silver?
     

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