Seaboard Central 2.0

[Rich_S]

The lettering would definitely look better over color, but I don't own an airbrush and I'm lazy.   

DFF

Dave, You really don't need an airbrush, Microscale has what you need 

http://www.microscale.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=TF-2&Category_Code=TF&Product_Count=5

And they make these trim sheets in many colors 

Scroll down the page.
http://www.microscale.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=TF

[davefoxx]

Thanks, Rich!  I think I can find a blue color that's sufficient to match the A&R blue. Since, it will only be a small letterboard, it doesn't have to be perfect.  Besides, I'm colorblind.    I just need to figure out a road number that I can cobble together from the A&R decal sheet.  I would like to do #108 (the next in line in a small series of A&R jitneys), but the decal sheet doesn't have the right digits.  I'll figure something out.

DFF

[davefoxx]

The newest purchase on the Seaboard: an Atlas L&N GP40 shell that I bought from the Railwire's very own LIRR.  It will eventually get a heavy weathering to represent a SBD locomotive still in L&N paint.  I just had to swap out the Rapido couplers and plop the shell on a spare GP38/40 mechanism.  Thanks, Rich!



DFF

[davefoxx]

I installed a good portion of the cork roadbed and track in Hamlet Yard today.  In the first picture below, from left, there are four classification tracks, two arrival/departure tracks (which are incomplete but will be eventually double ended), and the main line at far right.  I still have to install the locomotive facility and caboose track, which will be in the open area at left.  Now that the track is installed, I have a better idea of how to trim the hill back and design the track in Raeford up top.



In the picture below, this is the north end of the yard.  The main line is at left heading towards Aberdeen.  The stub with the former SCL SD35 is the yard lead.  With this lead, I can pull five cars clear of the first arrival/departure track and six cars clear of the second arrival/departure track at a time to break down and build trains to/from the class tracks.



DFF

[Rich_S]

Looking good Dave. Once you got the Atlas code 55 turnouts out of the package, were they bent and did you have to straighten them or was that just an optical illusion caused by the clear plastic bubble?

[davefoxx]

I only opened the turnouts that were packaged correctly.  I have four turnouts that are packaged incorrectly, and they are really bent.  It's not an optical illusion.

I had to even flex and bend some of the turnouts I installed today, because, even if packaged correctly, they are not straight.  This is not a new problem, and I was hoping it would have been addressed with the new supplier.  Now that I've installed a bunch of turnouts today, I think that I could probably fix the really bad ones that are packaged incorrectly.  But, I'll wait to hear from Paul Graf and see what he wants me to do.

DFF

[davefoxx]

I finalized my track plan in Raeford and installed some cork roadbed this afternoon.  If I have time, I'll work on some track.  It'll be fun to be able run a train out and back on the A&R.



Next up is figuring out the track plan for Dundarrach.

DFF

[davefoxx]

Enough thinking about it.  I decided to go with a short passing siding to allow me to get around three 50' grain hoppers to switch the stub siding in Dundarrach.  If you're wondering about the bend in the passing siding, it (1) helps maximize the length of the passing siding, and (2) allows me to expand around the hot water heater, if I go crazy and keep going.



Interestingly, after I finished installing the cork roadbed, I stepped back and noticed how close the level of the track was to a shelf on the opposite side of the water heater.  I put a level on it, and the shelf is only 3/8" low!  Hmm.



DFF

[MichaelWinicki]

Go for it.

If nothing more than additional staging, it would amp up the operating potential of the pike.

[seusscaboose]

YES YES YES

[eric220]

Do it.

[packers#1]

Removable bridge to a staging shelf for some ultimate A&R local train hawtness, while having the big boys of the Seaboard lapping the main line, plus the water heater is still easily accessed? DO IT

[conrail98]

One of the layouts in our area used an H beam with a 1x on top of it mounted to each side of the layout to have a solid one piece of benchwork spanning the 4' gap around the water heater. It did go behind it and not over top of it. A little over the top but I've also seen U channels used and a few other things as well,

Phil

[davefoxx]

Thanks, guys.  The more I think about it, the more I like the idea, too.  I'll probably go with construction like that which I did when I built the cassette that is now hanging on the layout as the Southern Ry. interchange in Aberdeen.  That was a piece of 3/4" white pine with Masonite sides.  I'll probably add a piece of 1" foam as subroadbed on top of the shelf (I have scraps left over), so it will only be a 5/8" climb over approximately three feet.  No problem.  Oh, and it will be easy to make the "bridge" over the hot water heater removable.

DFF

[John]

be a good place for a nice bridge scene over the Fayeteville  .. or this place ..

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.0026113,-79.5674538,3a,15y,96.95h,88.34t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sEmFx06U9UwIpLNkuLbydYw!2e0
..