Seaboard Central 2.0

[MichaelWinicki]

Look forward to seeing the new yard.

[packers#1]

I understand about not taking the trestle out man, and it is an awesome scene. Count me in as well as looking forward to seeing the new yard!

[davefoxx]

Well, you asked for it.  I sanded and sanded and sanded the joint compound against the fascia to level the subroadbed for Yard Track #1.  It varied between 1/8" to 1/4" thick I had to sand down by hand.  That space was too small to get in there with my power sander.  Anyhow, here's the result (looks just like DKS' PhotoShopped pic):


In case you can't tell, I haven't reconnected the ex-SOU interchange or the locomotive facility, because, as usual, I'm one turnout short.  I have seven right-hand turnouts, but I am out of lefts.  Sheesh, I just bought nine turnouts last week.     I may just tear out the interchange and locomotive facility and redesign it for a right-hand turnout.  I do like the jog around a hill against the fascia for variety, though (all the other track in Aberdeen is straight).



Man, I've got to get to bed.  With my luck, the baby will wake up right as my head hits the pillow.

Thanks, guys!
DFF

[MichaelWinicki]

Looks great Dave!

That will make the yard more versatile.

[Dave V]

Dave, I have a suggestion on an unrelated subject...

I noticed it looks like you're using a very, very light earth color under your greenery that almost looks like the white Sculptamold color in your photos.

Might I suggest, at least in sloping areas where the foliage will be dense, using flat black as your base tone?  It's what I used on the Juniata Division.  On the unfinished Apex, NC layout I built for my oldest son, I used a rich reddish-tan that reminded me of the dirt in my crawlspace when I lived there.  While that looks good in flat lots where the grass is supposed to be thin, it was a bear to cover with overgrowth on hills so as to disappear.  On the Juniata Division, even on relatively flat but overgrown areas the flat black base gives a tremendous amount of depth to the foliage.

It's not for everyone, but it worked for me!

[davefoxx]

Hi, Dave.  Thanks for your post.  Actually, my photographs are terrible and don't accurately reflect the color of the layout very well.  What you see that appears as white Scuptamold is actually unpainted lightweight joint compound.  Those areas have not been painted yet ('cause I'm lazy).

Under the few areas that have only a base layer of fine foam is a sandy color that, I believe, accurately depicts the soil of the sandhills of North Carolina.  Remember, this area used to be an ocean floor and/or a beach, so it is really sandy.  I have seen prototype pictures where the earth almost appears white at trackside in that area of North Carolina.  That light color showing through would be okay with me, and I think it would be prototypical.  It is a sparse, almost desolate, ecosystem.

Check out the picture in this link regarding the sandhills: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandhills_(Carolina).  The picture on that Wikipedia site should be my goal.  Lots of pine trees and thin undergrowth.  To quote Buzz Aldrin, "Magnificent desolation."

Also, according to an article on North Carolina soils, located at http://www.ehow.com/list_6912779_north-carolina-soil-types.html#ixzz2H3X7crHq: "Sandhill soil is a loose, gray sandy soil, commonly found in the Coastal Plain region of North Carolina. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), sandhill soil is typically found in ridges or hills and can range from 10 to 50 feet in depth. Oftentimes, the top layer of this soil is bleached white with underlying layers ranging in color from brown to reddish-brown. Because sandhill soil is low in organic matter and very dry, it is not well suited for agriculture. Naturally occurring plant growth includes longleaf pine, scrub oak and wiregrass. However, certain types of deep-rooted fruit trees, such as apple and peach, can be cultivated in this soil."  (Emphasis added.)

Thanks,
DFF

Hmm.  Looking at that article, I don't see any mention of kudzu.  Uh oh!  More research is needed.  Back to the internets.

[Chris333]

That is just a long way of saying he is color blind   

I took a little baggie of "dirt" with me to the craft store so I could match if perfectly with paint to use as a base coat. I was surprised out of 100's of colors they had nothing matched. I ended up with 4 different colors to mix up. All this just for the few square millimeters of the paint that would end up showing through the scenery. If you plan to let some of your base coat show through on purpose I would weather it after painting. 

[davefoxx]

That is just a long way of saying he is color blind   

True dat.

If you plan to let some of your base coat show through on purpose I would weather it after painting. 

That's what I plan to do, but I admit that the colorblindness is a hindrance.

[Chris333]

Oh I was just joking about being color blind, but oh yeah I could imagine it would be very hard to match colors.

[davefoxx]

Oh I was just joking about being color blind, but oh yeah I could imagine it would be very hard to match colors.

Heh, I had my wife pick the final choice for the fascia color.  So far, it has seemed to receive rave reviews.

[davefoxx]

I stopped by Radio Shack a week or so ago and picked up a pair of mini-switches to use as ground throws.  I've never used these as throws before and only have experience installing those huge Caboose Industries ground throws.  Using Chris333's method (see earlier postings upthread), I buried the switch in a piece of cork roadbed that was glued in upside down (bevel to bevel).  Once that was dry, I cut a hole for a snug fit of the switch.  I attached a piece of wire between the switch and the throwbar, quickly hit it with a black Sharpie to tone it down until the track is painted and ballasted, and ta-da! 



Oh, boy, this thing works great, and (not counting drying time for the glue holding the cork roadbed), I can install one in just a few minutes.  Note that these switches are SPDT, but I'm not wiring them up to power the frogs yet.  I am seriously considering the simplicity (despite the expense) of Hex Frog Juicers.  However, these mini-switches are held in place solely by friction at this time, so if I decide to use them for frog powering, it's easy to pull them out.

Fortunately, it turned out not to be nearly as fussy as I expected getting the switch in the right place to properly throw the points.  I found that this switch, if nestled right up to the ties, places it just where it needs to be to properly lock the points in both directions.  Unfortunately, Radio Shack only had one package in stock and another store was out of stock.  I'll try a third store nearby and, if that is a bust, I'll try to order them online.

DFF

[Scottl]

Nice work.  I've been putting these in too and they seem like a good option for manual switching.  I bought a whack of switches off of ebay that are small enough to fit between the head blocks.

Any thoughts on preventing these from seizing up during the subsequent ballast-dilute glue?  I had the thought to put some oil in the switch to keep it moving in case any glue gets in it.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

That switch mech is the PERFECT solution for my new Onetrak module. The way I was doing it, I didn't have room for a linear throw.

Do you happen to have an item number for those switches?

[Chris333]

Thumbs up 

Plus I can't believe you found a Radio Shack that still carries electronic components.

If you aren't using them for the frog then just put a couple drops of oil down there before you glue.

[Scottl]

You mean if they are not being used electrically?  Is oil and using it to power the frog a problem?  I have no idea if oil is conductive....