The Burlington C&I Sub

[PAL_Houston]

Over the last few days I decided I was 'close enough' on track positions on most of the Flag Center module, so I have installed cork roadbed and installed & wired in a couple more tortoises.  I also roughed in some of the topography and basecoated it with an earth-colored latex (which is also the same stuff I used to glue the cork in place).



More anon....

[PAL_Houston]

Time sure has a way of getting away from me....it's been a month since I posted last.  Over that time I've accomplished a bit.
I roughed-in some basic scenery at Flag Center, and extended the front drop at the back of the module.  Here are some pix:







In the third pic, above, you will note that there is a righthand turnout missing, in the foreground:  back-ordered!

The (temporary) staging is working about as well as I could've expected to help me sort out train schedules and operations.
Here are a couple of pix meant mainly to indicate that staging is there and functioning: I have a westbound Zephyr, and eastbound Empire Builder and an eastbound North Coast Limited, plus an eastbound "pick-up" freight staged currently:



but I can also squeeze in the Oregon Turn and a spare pair of E-8's if I have to



I spent some time sorting thru passenger consists and looking at train-schedules for operations.  I put together a power-point that (starts to) explain layout operations, and some associated items like a 'job description' for each train and track warrants.  As an outcome of doing this, I have been able to rationalize my needs for motive power and rolling stock, and a few items have gone out the door via e-bay.  It looks like I can run a 2-hour operating session with a 4:1 fast clock, so represent a full-day's schedule in the real thing over 3 operating sessions.

I may schedule a trial run or 2 even before getting the final track configuration laid-in.

[Chris333]

I like this new area!

[PAL_Houston]

I like this new area!

Thanks, Chris!  I think I do too.  The challenge going forward is going to be  scenic-ing the foreground without cluttering up the "view", so to speak, so that photos will retain a sense of depth.

Speaking of which, I need to reinstall some photostacking software on my new computer!

[PAL_Houston]

...

Speaking of which, I need to reinstall some photostacking software on my new computer!

Some quick efforts at enhancing photo depth of field with CombineZP: align, stack, crop & retouch photos of the Oregon Turn at Flag Center:

[PAL_Houston]

I was fortunate to be able to acquire some used #10 and #7 turnouts in good condition, and for a very fair price.  So now the wye at Flag Center and the double-track to single-track mainline convergence are fitted and partially tested.  Still need to install and wire the tortoises in this area though.



Also, I had enough of the right turnouts to install a 9-track staging yard, which also has been fitted and partly tested.  I need to do some additional work to get the switch-throws installed, and a couple of the turnouts had the throw blocks cut off on the wrong side for what I really need....suggestions welcome.



After I am satisfied with that then I can experiment some more with operations, which will be a bit easier with this staging configuration than with my 8-track plan.

I have made enough progress on this that I can also start fixing some of the track in place in preparation for making a lift-out out of what is now a  duck-under to the bathroom.

[PAL_Houston]

Wooo  Hooo!!!

 I just noticed this thread went over 10k views!!

(Unfortunately the ratio of comments/replies to views is less the 1%.)

(And why is the add at the top of the page saying "Liquid Plumr -- Hair Clog Eliminator"?  )

[Philip H]

SO about those cut-off throw blocks - are you talking about the Atlas "ties" that are intentionally left long on each side that the throwbar sits in?  If so, frankly, I don't pay them much heed.  I have yet to use them for anything that isn't ornamentation.  It looks like you are using Caboose Industries ground throws in the staging yard, so if height is an issue, get a couple of styrene strips of about the right height and glue them to the cork. Then your throw should sit at the right height on the right side.

If you are talking about actual throwbars . . . . drill a small hole in the center of the bar, carve a channel under the turnout for a stiff wire (!) and use that to extend the throw bar to where ever your throws will sit.

[PAL_Houston]

So, my wife went to visit our grand-daughter in Houston.  Of course she took the camera for a photo-shoot.  (Our grand-daughter is a 5-month old model for baby clothes, don't you know!!.)  So you'll just have to trust me on this:  I wired up some tortoises and have been working on ballasting the Flag Center module.  I would've taken some pix while waiting for the glue to dry, but....

[PAL_Houston]

Currently I am working to get the Flag Center module ballasting complete, and also a base layer of scenery down.  Here are a couple of pix showing current status of the western side of the module (the eastern side is submerged in scenery raw materials, still in containers, unfortunately! )

[PAL_Houston]

Basically, I haven't done much on the C&I in the last 6 months.  I am struggling a bit to figure out what I will do with Flagg Center, so as not to get it too cluttered, and still seem appropriate.  I have been toying with using the middle-distance as a tree farm, in order to hide Flagg Rd as it disappears in the distance, while using the foreground as a fallow field.  Either way need more trees and a frame farmhouse, so these are now onl order....


PS: this photo was cropped, but not re-touched.  I am pretty happy with how the background and "front-drop" skies blend, now.

[PAL_Houston]

Honestly, it's been really hard to spend time on the layout recently.  But here's a shot of Flag Center from a different angle, now with about 1/2 of a tree farm in the right middle-ground, and the Morning Zephyr hustling eastbound

[PAL_Houston]

It has been well over a year since this thread has been updated:
Today,  I started dismantling the C&I, in preparation for moving it to its new home.  It took about 3 hours to get all the freight rolling stock off the layout and boxed, and another  couple hours to put up the passenger cars and motive power. Remainder of the afternoon was spent bagging trees and foliage, and then pulling up staging yard track and bundling it for future use.

Plan for tomorrow is to remove the DCC and electrical and then clear the place out to prepare for mechanical disassembly of the modules.  That will be the hard part.

Why? You ask.
We are in process of transitioning to our retirement home, and need to get our current home ready to sell this spring

[MVW]

So ... is it safe to assume you have space reserved for this little beauty in your new digs? Any reconfiguration necessary?

Best of luck on the move! I hope your old home sells quickly. (Our old place has been on the market for close to 1.5 years. It's a bummer.)

Jim

[PAL_Houston]

Well, it took me 4 days to disassemble the layout,  and move most of it to its new home.  I still have one module left to move and it just won't fit in my wife's Enclave.  Gonna have to borrow the neighbor's GMC pickup.

The new space is called the pumphouse.  Guess why.
Actually it is the original structure on the property, and was a garage that also happened to house the original well, long since abandoned, but still houses the pump controller and accumulator.

It is going to require some significant reconfiguration of the layout.  Savanna and Oregon will still be represented, but I will have to sacrifice Flagg Center for a return loop and some staging.   But I will also get a better geometry for Galena Junction, and  a shot at modeling Portage, which means I get to keep some Rock Island themes too.  It will work out well but will take some months of work to get it all put back together a d functional.  And I am not actually planning  to retire until 2017. 

Meantime I am planning to install LED track lights, some weather striping and a heat pump so the space will be temperature control ed year round .

Plenty of stuff to keep me busy besides this too.

More anon.