Looks great! I love the diminutive nature of all your rolling stock. Even the tiny container cars. So cool!
Like I have stated a railroad with a narrow gauge flavor operating on standard gauge tracks and tight curves. Small 4 axle diesels and small drivered 3 axle steam. Cars limited to 40 footers max. Another video of double headed diesel powered steeple cabs pulling some heavy tonnage of ten ore cars filled with refined Moly ore and a caboose. The locos are Bandai electrics converted to diesel with Bandai 8 wheel drive mechs in them, the ore cars are atlas and the caboose is a Japanese type that i fitted with a cupola and have working end lights. I am going to be working on the engine service area and tacking down the track in that area today.
YouTube has a number of 24/7 channels covering all styles of music. Plus they have 24/7 rail cams and ship cams. I have normally 2 to 3 ship cams on at a time plus a music station.
Well up early this morning 0600 and already working on the layout. While glue is drying that is tacking down the engine service area track I started my highway tunnel. Chiseled out the plaster stones and then cut out the underlying foam in the cliff side. 000_1392-2 by John Moore posted Jan 6, 2020 at 6:30 AM Yesterday I combined four retaining walls with a double wide railroad tunnel portal all of cut stone and painted gray with a wash of India ink in alcohol. 000_1395-1 by John Moore posted Jan 6, 2020 at 6:30 AM A road will be extended consisting of fine cinders and while the cinders are still wet with diluted Elmer's glue the tunnel structure will be sunk into it. Before that happens though the exposed foam will all get a coat of black acrylic paint. Then the highway from Friday Harbor to the resort town of Roche Harbor will be done. The rail route will be simulated going past the mine and disappearing into the mirror that is set in the face of the rock cut there. 000_1396-3 by John Moore posted Jan 6, 2020 at 6:58 AM
Well the scenic glue finally set on the highway tunnel. 000_1397-1 by John Moore posted Jan 7, 2020 at 8:46 AM The tunnel has a forced air venting so I cobbled together a machinery enclosure that provides the venting made from two 14 foot containers and supplied with vents and parts from the parts box. 000_1397-3 by John Moore posted Jan 7, 2020 at 8:50 AM Tacked the engine house track down and then used some old ballast to fill and level the area, Still can see the 1 to 1 rail spike that was used to hold the track while glue set up. Now I am ready over the next day or two to fully scenic the area. 000_1398-2 by John Moore posted Jan 7, 2020 at 8:47 AM
Just added the Friday Harbor Village water tank in a new position, the yard office back in its former position. water tank and water column in front of it to be able to serve two tracks. then the sand house and the oil column. Behind all this stands a service rack. 000_1399-4 by John Moore posted Jan 7, 2020 at 11:29 AM More scenic work will be done late this afternoon after everything dries.
Thanks but sometimes you have to go back and do it again. In this case had an issue with derailments at the entrance to a pier. Discovered that one of my joints were I had made some flex had separated putting the 44 tonners on the ground. Thanks to using water soluble glue I was able to remove the black top and the rails easy rejoined the track and spiked it. 000_1400-5 by John Moore posted Jan 7, 2020 at 5:45 PM Now just a matter of putting back in the grade crossing after supper. So far any issues I have had with unitrack have been an easy fix. Also I am giving some serious thought about getting either a pair of Plymouth MDTs or looking at a smaller Bandai for switching the dock.
Well this morning replaced some of the scenic material at the pier where I re-aligned the track yesterday. Checked the engine service area and the scenic material there is still drying due to high humidity which has dropped now to a 72% from the high of 90% last night. So have a forced air heater running on the layout. Hopefully back to scenic work by noon. Meanwhile I have to find something that I can work on from my chair due to having a knee go on the fritz yesterday. Getting old is not for sissies. Performed some more scenic work at the engine service area by creating some blacktop roads and created some blacktop around the yard office and connected it to the highway. 000_1402-1 by John Moore posted Jan 8, 2020 at 11:08 AM Started my connection of the village to the back highway and next up is to install grade crossings. 000_1403-2 by John Moore posted Jan 8, 2020 at 11:08 AM And I have a thermostatic control heater fan running up at the pier to try and dry the scenic material so I can put a layer of asphalt down and the grade crossings. The humidity has dropped from an earlier 72% to 45% now. 000_1404-3 by John Moore posted Jan 8, 2020 at 11:08 AM
Performed some more scenic work on the layout today mainly by the engine service area installing some grass and tomorrow clean track and run trains. I am considering some 3 or 4 axle diesel switching power that is smaller than the 44 tonners namely two of them to run as a married pair assigned to the port. I can get some upgraded Plymouth MDTs or spend some more money for some Japanese 2 axle power that are a little smaller. Anyone have any experience with the recently upgrade MDTs?
Today I have installed what I think are the last grade crossings. I am using Blair Line laser cut crossings. Got the crossing in from the village to the highway at the back of the layout. 000_1405-1 by John Moore posted Jan 10, 2020 at 12:07 PM Added to or created grade crossings from the ferry landing to the village. 000_1406-2 by John Moore posted Jan 10, 2020 at 12:07 PM Now I have to carefully bring the cinders/asphalt up to the boards when the glue is dry and stain the wood with India ink in alcohol. Created some car loads with a nautical theme this time concrete rip rap shapes. These were some of the things that were included in the TomyTec boat repair facility kit. 000_1407-3 by John Moore posted Jan 10, 2020 at 12:07 PM I also ordered some more autos for the layout and a boat house off shapeways. Then I took the plunge and ordered a pair of Plymouth switchers. I checked the various ones that were available from Japan that were 2 and 3 axle versions and found that some would be very difficult to convert couplers plus I could not be sure of running reliability. Went to Spookshow and checked out the newer MDT which is really an MWT. Found that the newest version has all axles pickup and knuckle couplers so this morning I ordered a pair of them which I got on sale for under $50. They should be here next week. I have got a short work train parked on the siding by the stone works. 000_1408-4 by John Moore posted Jan 10, 2020 at 12:45 PM Eventually this siding may get a tunnel and a snow shed and become the route to Roche Harbor at the other side of the island.
Overall when the total is finally added up the conversion to unitrack has cost me $808.47. That was to do roughly a 16 foot by 30 inch layout and just about all the sidings and piers in the harbor and on the layout proper.The peace of mind that is good to almost flawless running is priceless.
Well starting to see light at the end of the tunnel on the layout restoration after the unitrack install. Last night I built two sections of fence from a laser kit and installed one behind Wicked Wanda's and Waterfront Willy's and the other around the farmhouse garden. Then I added some more grass to the areas. 000_1409-1 by John Moore posted Jan 11, 2020 at 11:32 AM Next I reinstalled the sheep herder bunk houses after some repair was done. 000_1410-2 by John Moore posted Jan 11, 2020 at 11:32 AM Added on to the work train on the siding. 000_1411-3 by John Moore posted Jan 11, 2020 at 11:32 AM Then I needed another grade crossing for the brewery yard tracks so got that installed. 000_1412-4 by John Moore posted Jan 11, 2020 at 11:32 AM Now ready for a good vacuuming to get some of the random ballast out of the grass and where ever it doesn't belong then a good track cleaning of all the siding and the mains. Monday's evening post should have my autos that I need to finish up and my 2 Plymouth switchers. Next up will be to add more people to the layout.
Wow John, I can't believe all that you have accomplished recently changing out track and probably in the past (I'm new). Wondering if you ever sleep . I enjoy all the updates, Sumner
I am a retired gentleman living in the Maritime area of Gloucester VA on 2 and a 1/2 acres. During the Winter I model railroad but come the warmth of Spring and it gets shoved aside for fishing, gardening and tending my fruit trees. I also am a chef and writing a cookbook and busy with two different government advisory committees. I usually take a afternoon senior nap and then refreshed go at it again. Projects are usually thought out in advance and I an an experienced scratch builder from the dark ages of N scale. Since I live in a Maritime area and not far from the CSX and NS port yards I combine my love of ships and trains. I am also a big fan of Japanese rail and you see some of that flavor in my layout also.
Last night I decided to add signals to the layout and so far have installed 4 three light units and one signal bridge. 000_1413-1 by John Moore posted Jan 12, 2020 at 10:49 AM 000_1414-2 by John Moore posted Jan 12, 2020 at 10:49 AM Then Hands the brakeman managed to destroy the passenger covered platform across from the village train station. In about two hours it was rebuilt and this time much stronger and with enclosed ends to shelter the waiting passengers. 000_1415-3 by John Moore posted Jan 12, 2020 at 10:49 AM Today will be spent once again cleaning track and the layout grounds and then I will be going through car boxes checking cars for loose bolster pins and wheels before placing them on the layout. Checking postal tracking my new little switchers are laying in the post office for delivery by tomorrow evening and the next batch of autos should be here also.
John do you remember where you got the teardrop trailer? http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/teardrop/teardrophomepage.html I built one and would like to find one. Thanks, Sumner
