Weekend Update 3/2/14

[M.C. Fujiwara]

There's somethin' happenin' here... What it is, ain't exactly clear....

There's a man with a (solder)gun over there,
Sayin' "Fingers, you better beware!"

Lookin' good Lee!
Nice to see your work again.

[VonRyan]

Those last two locomotives are scratch built and over 30 years old now. Both have done many actual miles. That's my finger for scale.

I'm loving the scratchbuilt steam. Any old loco catches my eye, regardless of if it is GWR or not. 30 years under their belts is quite an impressive accomplishment. I'll be glad if my Dapol 57xx survives two years.

I agree that putting time in at a show can be quite exhausting, and I only have to contend with N-Trak modules that box up nicely in pairs. Moving that brute of a layout must be a logistic marvel.


-Cody F.

[wm3798]

What I've got here is an old Christmas garden I tossed together a number of years ago, that has languished as a spider habitat since my relocation...


Overall it was 20" x 36", with the track plan being a modest homage to Gregg Mahlkov's little TV cabinet layout.  I'm working on adding a couple of switches and a small "yard" on the 6" extension I put on the front, in hopes that I can update the scenery to something a little less snowy (let's face it, I think we've ALL seen enough of that this year!)  and have something that I can diddle around on with a switcher and a few cars.  I figure if I have a runaround track and a couple of sidings, I can amuse myself shunting cars.  The scenery can be refined and augmented with some scratchbuilt structures or nicely detailed kits.  I'm hoping it can serve as a photo bed for things I'm working on, and a fun project for "craft night".   I want to build some proper cabinetry for it to make it portable and presentable.

The trickiest part is going to building a halfway plausible bridge where the upper loop crosses the lower.  I'm sure Ed's Law will provide some guidance.  Anyway, that's what I'm up to lately.

Lee

[davefoxx]

The trickiest part is going to building a halfway plausible bridge where the upper loop crosses the lower.  I'm sure Ed's Law will provide some guidance.  Anyway, that's what I'm up to lately.

The obvious is a plate girder deck bridge, assuming you have the height between the two tracks and room for a pier between the lower tracks.  It looks like you have a temporary pier between the tracks in the picture above.  The plate girders wouldn't have to be huge, if you bring the abutments in as tight to the lower tracks as you can.

Alternatively, you could move the tunnel portal forward and eliminate a need for a bridge.

DFF

[alhoop]

Lee:
This would fool the grandkids:


Al

[DKS]

Alternatively, you could move the tunnel portal forward and eliminate a need for a bridge.

This.

[wm3798]

I'm leaning toward Al's solution.  There's already a substantial amount of buried track, and I actually kinda like the "model railroady" effect of the bridge over the tunnel.  Let's face it, this isn't going to be my most "serious" project.  I'm thinking about somewhere between Chris' little mine jitney layout and Gregg's.  I've got room for girder plates about 3/8" to 1/2" deep.  I can also shorten it by about 1.5" by drawing in the abutments as tight as they'll go.  (Odds are, I won't be running 85' hi cubes here...)

I'm still plotting and scheming an HCD layout with some urban scenery once I make a bit more room in the garage, so this is really just a pallet on which to mix colors...

Lee

[alhoop]

I'm leaning toward Al's solution.  There's already a substantial amount of buried track, and I actually kinda like the "model railroady" effect of the bridge over the tunnel.  Let's face it, this isn't going to be my most "serious" project.  I'm thinking about somewhere between Chris' little mine jitney layout and Gregg's.  I've got room for girder plates about 3/8" to 1/2" deep.  I can also shorten it by about 1.5" by drawing in the abutments as tight as they'll go.  (Odds are, I won't be running 85' hi cubes here...)

I'm still plotting and scheming an HCD layout with some urban scenery once I make a bit more room in the garage, so this is really just a pallet on which to mix colors...

Lee

Here is the other end of the bridge: BTW my great-grandson loves to run the funicular up and down - keeps him from trying to push a long N-scale train by hand.

and from whence it came( the upper level track the little steamer is on):


Don't be surprised if it's a long time until you get to that HCD layout. I have had more fun with the pictured 30" x 50" logging
extension than I have with my 1 1/2 room 100' mainline run layout.

AL

[sirenwerks]

That's a fine mess you've gotten yourself into, Lee.  I'm envisioning a two arch somewhat skewed version of the Thomas viaduct with Escher-istic propotions.

[TrainCat2]

Anyone what to wager a guess as what is nearing completion ????

[JoeD]

my laundry? 

[wcfn100]

Anyone what to wager a guess as what is nearing completion ????

Hopefully my first TrainCat car.

Jason

[peteski]

Anyone what to wager a guess as what is nearing completion ????

You designed your non-photoetched model car kit using Corel Draw?!?! 

[Iain]

Lee:
This would fool the grandkids:


Al

As an aside, you'd never see coal in a Norfolk Southern hopper

[alhoop]

As an aside, you'd never see coal in a Norfolk Southern hopper

So this was a fantasy scheme from Atlas? Atlas #41186 May 2003.
Al