Thanks for the kind words.
Mike: my work is so full of mistakes and flubs that the camera doesn't show that I wouldn't feel comfortable selling my work.
Yet.
As we're in the middle of "the Big Construction Mess" and photos are a little confusing, so I had to explain it on another forum so I thought I'd share the design process a little here, too.
Here's the original Wye Knot module as designed by SVFMN member Eric:
Where it gets wacky with the Wye Knot module is that each of the four center sections are also modules: each is 5' long (from point to point) and have 12" endplates on both sides of the 45 deg "point".
The idea (and a very cool one at that) is that:
--each individual module can be used as a separate 90 deg. curving module;
--two can be put together as a 180 curve (or three for a 270 curve);
--with the wye sections (those are not modules, as only the single-track is a standard endplate) attached you have two separate wye modules
--four center module sections and one wye section create a single return loop
--add the other wye section to the "top" and you have two overlapping return loops (one from each side) as well as a big curved passing siding for through traffic.
Here's what Nils (who I see has now joined RW finally!) & I came up with:
The scenes are based on similar one in the Sierra Nevada Mountains here in California.
Even with all the new trackage, the module can still be arranged in all the variations mentioned above, though if each center module is used individually there'll be a lot of "dead, abandoned track" and industries that can't be served.
However, buy splitting the whole thing down the middle, you get two wyes, a big 180 deg. curve, and the ability to serve all the industries:
And the only thing that is really changed is the that the long passing siding / runaround on the left becomes a stub-end siding.
But really we expect to use this as the second return loop for a long time coming, so it'll probably almost always get put together in this way.
The "top" wye section is not operational yet and so won't be used at the show this weekend.
Nils and I also designed the scenes with viewing angles in mind: when you look at the tunnel / rock shed scene:
you cannot see the quarry behind it at all, and the mine tipple and Company Town will be shrouded in trees in addition to the low rise you see in the background.
The quarry, operated from the pit, can be viewed clearly from across the coal tipple storage tracks (trees on the low ridge, along with the road, will direct the eyes left to the quarry scene):
[Note: those picts are two days old, so things look a bit better now
]
When viewing the quarry you cannot see the tunnel / rock shed scene.
Both the tipple and the Company Town have higher hills and trees that will act as a partial viewblock of the quarry, thus increasing the "distance."
Remember that Free-moN modules are at 50" high, so even a 4" of mountain plus a few inches of trees becomes an effective scenic divider!
Alrighty: two days to go, and much more to do!
Definitely not going to be anywhere close to "done", but it would be nice to get some trees and at least the tipple on before the show, as it becomes very tiring to keep explaining: "So, there will be a tipple here..."
Thanks for looking.
