Tehachapi Loop II

[ednadolski]

Here are a few more pics with all the sections laid out.   Loop diameter is nearly double what it was on my old layout.... I can only imagine how big a 100% scale size would look 

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This should help me decide exactly where the lighting will go.

Ed

[GaryHinshaw]

Tantalizing!   

[jagged ben]

I really miss being able to do carpentry like that.  (Don't ask.  Career change, etc....  Maybe someday soon it'll happen again.) 

Also, you know exactly how a full size loop would look:  25% bigger!      It is impressive that you have gotten as close as you have.  Don't tell anyone and they won't know.   

[GaryHinshaw]

It's hard to tell from these photos if this is the pre- or post-2016 version of the Loop.

Also, I've been meaning to ask: what's going on behind that big pillowed wall?  Are you storing some kind of hazardous waste back there? 

-gfh

[jagged ben]

Forgot to mention...  I'm glad to see a certain signal bridge.

[ednadolski]

Also, you know exactly how a full size loop would look:  25% bigger!      It is impressive that you have gotten as close as you have.  Don't tell anyone and they won't know.   

One thing I had in mind was the difference in the way the real Loop appears in-person as opposed to in pictures or videos.   The distinction is subjective, but to my eye it always seems that the lens inevitably inserts an additional level of 'distance' to any view, whereas in-person the scene has a 'presence' that the camera cannot capture.  By modeling to an 80% scale, my hope is to re-create at least some of that in-person effect for the trains.   So far the early signs seem promising, but I will know better once the layout is raised to the proper height and I can place some models on it.

It's hard to tell from these photos if this is the pre- or post-2016 version of the Loop.

Why Gary, I am a bit surprised that you did not notice the Walong signal bridge, like @jagged ben did! 

Actually everything I have built so far is from the original plan which is nominally set in 2004.   I haven't made any decision yet to go with the later period.   While the jury is still out, I do have to admit that at this point I am liking the look of the signal bridge in its longtime place, as well as the idea of running consists that include 'earlier' diesels (SD40-2 and various GE Dash-8's).

Also, I've been meaning to ask: what's going on behind that big pillowed wall?  Are you storing some kind of hazardous waste back there?

Insulation!  Most poured concrete basements in CO built over the last 20 years or so have an insulation blanket installed around the interior foundation perimeter.  It is 2"-3" of fiberglass batts covered by plastic sheet, and it does a pretty good job of keeping the place from getting too cold (not sure if it is appropriate for more humid regions).  For a finished basement area tho, the blanket is usually removed so that the stud wall can be close to the concrete, and then new insulation is installed between the studs.  If I had it to do again, I would probably opt to finish out the train room with studs/drywall the way we did the rest of the basement.  (The wall behind the Woodford section is an interior stud wall, tho just mud/tape and not fully textured & painted.)

Ed

[Smike]

Its hard to gauge the true size effect until you get a long stack train wrapping around the loop.    What always helps to get as much of that 'presence' as possible on a layout is the singular focus. I guess that's what draws me to layouts likes yours when space is limited, do one thing and do it in spades.  This is what I have chosen to do with my layout (Engineering thread to come shortly before I get too far along) 

Must be satisfying to see the parts starting to take shape. Great progress!

[ednadolski]

Bending the backdrop:


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This was harder to do than expected, since I mistakenly bought a 3/16" thick sheet instead of 1/8".   Anyways, it's up now (64 square feet so far):


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As of this writing those sheets have been mudded/taped/primed, and the first base coat of blue is up.  I used artist's acrylic gesso for the primer and it took 3 coats.

I've also installed some of the LED floodlights, and with those on the defects in my taping job are pretty apparent.  So more mudding and sanding and priming (oh my!) ...


Ed

[ednadolski]

Here it is with the base sky blue paint color completed:


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This is the 'horizon' blue, I will be painting on increasingly deeper shades of blue from bottom to top, in order to try for the gradient transition.

Before I can start that, I have a bunch of drywall dust to clean up first.... 

Ed

[GaryHinshaw]

Great to see the updates Ed.  Keep 'em coming.

[svedblen]

Here it is with the base sky blue paint color completed:

Looking good! And I think it very wise to have them that tall. Backdrops tend to always be too low when taking pictures.

[ednadolski]

Well, I seem to be in the middle of learning a lesson the hard way with respect to making rail gaps on curves. I have some Atlas Code 55 flextrack that I installed in the first level of my helix on a 25.5" radius curve, with the sliding/loose rail on the inside of the curve.  But after I cut the electrical isolation gaps in the inner rail with a Demel they all started to do this:



The rail doesn't like being bent into a curve and wants to straighten itself out, and the Atlas flextrack has enough 'slop' in the sliding rail to allow it do just that -- to the point where kinks like this can develop and the gauge is affected.   Unfortunately all the cut gaps in my 4-track helix are exhibiting this (even as large as 30" radius).   The silver lining is that I have so far built only the first level of the helix and so I have the chance to correct it before going any further.

Seems there are a few options:  first, I can pull up the track and replace it with the same kind of Atlas track, but with the sliding rail on the outside of the curve (which is electrically common and will not have isolation gaps).   This seems like it should avoid the kinking but I am still somewhat concerned about possibly hitting other (gauge?) issues due to the tolerances in the Atlas track.  (I did not have problems with the Atlas track in the smaller helix on my previous Loop layout, but OTOH that did not have rail gaps like these.)  Alternately, I could just to switch to 100% Micro Engineering C55 flextrack in the helix, which has better tolerances and holds its curvature, even without rail joiners.  The ME track is costlier and harder to work with, but may be worth the tradeoff because this trackwork will need to be essentially bulletproof and not degrade over time.  (Thus I'd also be concerned about plastic rail joiners possible loosening up over time.)  Lastly, I could try installing several (6 or 8 ) soldered/PCB ties at each gap, but that could take a lot of fiddling to 'rescue' the places that have already kinked.

Does anyone have any experiences or input on this sort of situation?  This seems like an inherent 'feature' of the Atlas flextrack so I guess others may have encountered it (unless I've just been 'lucky' enough to get a batch of track with excess tolerances....  ).

Thanks,
Ed

[wcfn100]

Seems there are a few options:  first, I can pull up the track and replace it with the same kind of Atlas track, but with the sliding rail on the outside of the curve (which is electrically common and will not have isolation gaps).   This seems like it should avoid the kinking but I am still somewhat concerned about possibly hitting other (gauge?) issues due to the tolerances in the Atlas track.

There's a chance the gauge could be better as it ideally should be wider on curves.

Jason

[pdx1955]

I've only had this happen with Atlas (Code 80 in my case) when the gap isn't filled. I generally would take a bit of bread tag plastic (its the same thickness as a cut-off wheel) and superglue it in place. After it dried , I'd carve it to match the rail shape. I think you could force the rail over with a temporary small brad then fill the gap which will give the free rail something to bear against. I've also driven brads in and  soldered them to the rail on the outside to hold a rail in alignment at section breaks - I don't see why you couldn't do that here to keep the rail in alignment (versus the PCB tie route).

[GaryHinshaw]

Model Railroading is Fun.

Since this is staging, the first thing I would try is a pair of track nails through pre-drilled, tightly fitting holes in the roadbed.  This can definitely be made to work if it doesn't violate your sensibilities.