Idaho Belt Freelanced plan

[basementcalling]

Not been making much progress lately, other that the logo thread I should have put in here.

I did get a few spare minutes this weekend despite it being budget season and spring fever time at school.

I have roughed in some land forms at the inside end of the center aisle and put one coat of sky blue paint on the backdrop to see what it looked like away from the mill area, and behind the chip pile. Thoughts?

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Behind the chips. Needs a second coat I think, but wondering about the shade.

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The inside of the middle aisle from the end. It's 8.5 feet from camera to backdrop here. 36 inches wide. The track at left exits a 1 loop helix to enter this scene. Through the open access hole you can see the white subroadbed from the looped track on the upper deck, which only faces the outside of the Peninsula here. Quarters inside are too tight for two decks.

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Zoomed in and without the junk.

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And a close up of the broad curve that leads into a cut off a fill. To the right will be a 3 1/2 foot bridge scene.

[OldEastRR]

I am trying to get the front edge a bit further away from the spur, too, and leave room for enough tanks to be convincing. Already decided I probably have to scrap the idea of a larger diameter tank or two (spray bomb can caps) in the area.

They don't have to be whole tanks, do  they? If you cut the spray can caps (or whatever) in halves you can stick them against the backdrop behind the kilns. The half-tanks may give you enough space to still have a little space between the kilns and the track. With this option the kilns should probably be more parallel to the tracks than angled, so the tanks form a straight row across the backdrop. The picture behind the tanks can be more tanks and towers or complex piping, which should be easier to blend into the foreground.

[basementcalling]

They don't have to be whole tanks, do  they? If you cut the spray can caps (or whatever) in halves you can stick them against the backdrop behind the kilns. The half-tanks may give you enough space to still have a little space between the kilns and the track. With this option the kilns should probably be more parallel to the tracks than angled, so the tanks form a straight row across the backdrop. The picture behind the tanks can be more tanks and towers or complex piping, which should be easier to blend into the foreground.

Genius.

[GaryHinshaw]

I think that shade of blue looks good.  Do you have plans for any other backdrop treatment in exposed areas like the fill section there? 

You might want to run a few trains through there before you go too far with scenery, just to make sure the curves and grades work alright with the kinds of trains you're planning.  Always nice to see progress!

[basementcalling]

I think that shade of blue looks good.  Do you have plans for any other backdrop treatment in exposed areas like the fill section there? 

You might want to run a few trains through there before you go too far with scenery, just to make sure the curves and grades work alright with the kinds of trains you're planning.  Always nice to see progress!

Good ideas Gary. I plan to let the blue sit a while and see if it grows on me or if I decide to add some details.

 I did some testing last summer when I used the ripped plywood stick there as a temporary bridge and laid flex down over it with tacky glue. I didn't have enough upper level track at that point to really get any lengthy trains running. The big curve is a 20 incher, but on a short 2.3% grade until the bridge, which is at 2%, like the loops and is the standard grade for the IDRR. I put the 2.3% in so the hidden loops wouldn't be the sections with max gradient. If a train will stall, it will do so on the fill area where it's easy to access, as opposed to underneath scenery. The clearance between the upper deck under the paper mill warehouse and a short section of the loop there is pretty tight. I had to cut a trench in the plywood to get double stacks to clear, and had to relocate a brace for side clearance.

I'm not sure I like the big hillside. It's a bit based on Iron Ridge on the MRL thanks to a suggestion from a forum member. My scenery thinking runs along the same track as @coldriver in that I want to have scenes that capture the look of nowhere between the industrial areas and towns.

[basementcalling]

I think I am in a rut. I am stuck on unmotivated the last month or so. Had the perfect weekend to get plenty of work done, and all that I managed was a second coat of sky blue paint on part of the backdrop.

With luck, next week is Spring Break and I should be able to take at least 1 whole day just to work on the layout. I need to get upper deck bus wires routed and feeders connected, and play with my new Berret Hill servo turnout controls to see if they are how I want to build control panels. Then, I might be able to get to the point that trains can run through the paper mill and travel the mains from the lower deck to just short of the summit.

Im starting to think about a temporary return loop up top to allow for some mainline running. All work and no train play is making me grumpy.

[C855B]

I know where you are, Peter. I've been taking a couple of college classes this semester, and the mental attention these require plus our usual winter doldrums has sapped the motivation to work on the layout, the layout building, the apartments... you name it. Our get-up-and-go got up and went.

But for us this is cyclical. The weather is warming, I mowed the "south 40" at the layout building campus last week for the first time this season and it looks all spiffy, so we are thawing out and getting interested in "stuff". Now if I can just get my sorry butt out of this chair...

[basementcalling]

I know where you are, Peter. I've been taking a couple of college classes this semester, and the mental attention these require plus our usual winter doldrums has sapped the motivation to work on the layout, the layout building, the apartments... you name it. Our get-up-and-go got up and went.

But for us this is cyclical. The weather is warming, I mowed the "south 40" at the layout building campus last week for the first time this season and it looks all spiffy, so we are thawing out and getting interested in "stuff". Now if I can just get my sorry butt out of this chair...

Mike, I firmly blame online modeling forums for my lack of progress at times too.    Can't get much done when reading about all the amazing work other people are doing. 

[GaryHinshaw]

Before I built the Vortex I had a temporary track that let me close a loop on the upper deck for continuous running.  It was great to have that ability.

You might ask yourself what task you most wish you had behind you (I suspect it is wiring), and really tackle that one head on.   If you're not sure how to proceed with some aspect of wiring, ask us specific questions and we'll push you along. 

[mu26aeh]

Mike, I firmly blame online modeling forums for my lack of progress at times too.    Can't get much done when reading about all the amazing work other people are doing. 

I feel that way when I see your updates on the paper mill.  Then I look at mine and turn away to do something else. 

[basementcalling]

I feel that way when I see your updates on the paper mill.  Then I look at mine and turn away to do something else. 

Feel free to ask questions. I still say a few of us DC Baltimore metro TRW guys need a round Robin style set of sessions. I'd gladly trade paper mill design work for  wiring help, turnout motor installation assistance, and DCC dedumbing. 

And, @mu26aeh, we still need to capture @Ed Kapuscinski and hold him  hostage for some custom mixed grout colors. 

[JMader]

Hello Peter, I'm new to the forum. I stumbled across your thread here while searching for N scale Paper Mill ideas. Ngineer on Shapeways had a link posted for here on his rotary kiln 3D Print kit, however none of your most recent photos on the last few pages appear to be working in this thread anymore. I see its been several years since this thread was last updated. Do you have any updates on your paper mill? Im interested in seeing what you've done with your mill and how you built your Rotary Kiln.

Thanks,
Josh