The LIRR Industrial Service, Inc. shelf layout

[Lemosteam]

Been a very long time since I posted anything on my layout. I had been wavering on adding PRR catenary to the elevated main using my etched Cat poles and had the all folded and assembled but became worried that the FUD K braces were too weak to be reliable, especially since the cat poles are on magnets, and designed to be removable.

I bit the bullet and used the remaining cat etches to fab the K braces and solder them in.

Meanwhile, I also decided to add an electrical substation to add interest on the right side of the channel.  I was going to put it down on the end of the duck under but it just looks so good where I was photographing it that I decided to keep the location.

Here is a shot of the structure on my practice diorama:


Added earlier to the scene is an old lines east signal bridge that I purchased from DKS  You can see it in the image below.

Anyway, here are some images of the substation, it's building, superstructure and printed electrical transformers and such. Up on the elevated main, there is a structure to receive the power from the substation to feed the imaginary trolley wires. I am still debating adding the trolley wire and supports, but leaning toward doing it, un-powered. I have no illusions about the pain involved in powering the loco from the trolley wire.

Substation off the layout:


Substation location on the layout:


Electrical components for the substation:


Substation, cat poles, tower, signal bridge and wire transfer structure (uo on the main):


Here are all the parts for the electrification, counter-clockwise from bottom right, substation superstructure, wire transfer structure, signal bridge, and K brace cat poles, there are eight total.

[wazzou]

But, but, but...why didn't you make the transformers I wanted?   
Nice job.  Glad to see this active again.

[Lemosteam]

LOL! @wazzou !

It's been active for some time- I actively look at it whilst doing CAD for everyone else, JK 

Seriously thoug I plan on spending more time on it, mainly for ME.

Thanks!

[Lemosteam]

Got the superstructure and signal bridge painted and decided on the final location. Wires next.

[Lemosteam]

Wow. Over 2 years since my last post. Working from home I could only look at the layout next to me. I still had much basic work to do before I could JFRTM at all.

Pulled the layout off its moorings last weekend, so that I could complete some important tasks before I could scenic the layout.



While all of the track was soldered at the joiners, none of the feeders or turnout frogs were connected to the bus wires, so I put it up on sawbucks to easily access the wiring. You will never see a picture of that mess, lol.



Here is a pic of each “half” after wiring and cleaning the track.
 




Next up is to tape off the track, paint it, ballast it, and repaint the water base. After that I plan to install the elevated girder track and related bridges.

[Lemosteam]

Ready for Paint!

[Lemosteam]

Some more progress this morning. After painting the track, I added some height using 1/26” thick WS foam sheet to the landscape to make up for the double stick tape under the track. The goal is to have semi-buried track for the non PRR trackage. The bermed track and interchange down will be pristine 1950’s PRR ROW ballast. This is the one lower track at the crossover that continues to the end of the benchwork.



After that I painted the covering on the left, I covered that with unsanded grout, and sanded grout for ballast in the curved stub so I could install the elevated trackage after that dries.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I think you need to sand that down a bit to level it out.

[Lemosteam]

I think you need to sand that down a bit to level it out.

I actually want some texture in this area. It will have a lot of undergrowth and weeds. I’ll smooth it out in the front areas. I’m not trying to make a parking lot under there.

[Lemosteam]

Some more re grading around the track. Back part is drying. My first attempt was not successful at solidifying the grout.




Found this WS foam tack glue to work really well. It’s a contact adhesive that is applied to both surfaces, and then you place the foam.



I decided to use some bondo spreaders to lay the glue out evenly.



Then plop down the filler.



Installed the concrete bumper near the sea wall.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I actually want some texture in this area. It will have a lot of undergrowth and weeds. I’ll smooth it out in the front areas. I’m not trying to make a parking lot under there.

Oh, ok! I thought it was supposed to be more "settled". Carry on then.

[Lemosteam]

Re leveled, painted and ready for unsanded grout ground cover. Also added some PRR style cinder mound type “bumpers” ready to be covered with mixed ARM cinder. Next, post will be a HUGE milestone for the LIRR IS.

[chuck geiger]

John - Looking good. Springs coming along, had to get a helping hands with magnifying glass and boom. Some of the
Atlas C-55 turnouts have these large points, need to file them down. Odd: Some do and some don't. The spring needs
to move these points closest to the stock rail as possible I've tried to accomplish. Used turnouts posses a bigger issue.

[Lemosteam]

I am looking for an industry to place in the green area here along the extension, well past the substation which is on the main part of the layout.  I think I have about 2-2.5" of space.  The eventual road will dead end at this industry on railroad property.  I am thinking a simpler wood structure and much shorter icing station would look really cool there, a simpler version of the Huntington:

Certainly other ideas are most welcome.  It cannot be much taller than the berm wall due to the way I store it up at the ceiling, but any height can be removable with magnets- i.e. the catenary will have the be knocked down on the elevated main as well already.



What is the purpose of the tall structure at the end?  There's not much out there in google land regarding this platform.

[Lemosteam]

A second question that forgive me if I may have asked before.  Its almost time to ballast the elevated berm.  There will be catenary poles on magnets about every 300 scale feet. the poles have magnets to hold them on place to secured metal triangles (glass points) in the roadbed.  The poles need to be removeable, and I want the ballast to surround their bases to look like they are not removeable, with a small gap to allow them to pull straight out of the ballast with minimal destruction to the ballast.



I would like to ballast with the poles in place, but I do not want the ballast gluing process to secure the poles in place accidentally.

Looking for ideas to prevent this.

My first idea is to wrap the pole bases with Kapton tape and then put them in place and ballast around them fully, let the ballast fully dry, and then try to pull the poles out.  if the Kapton sticks to the glue, fine, but hoping the poles release from the Kapton easily.  Or the best scenario that the ballast will "mold" to the Kapton and the slipperiness of the Kapton will just slide out with the pole, leaving the square hole behind.

Coat the pole bases with grease or oil during ballasting, hopefully keeping the Elmer's mix from sticking to them during ballasting.

Help appreciated!