N Scale Hi Rail - Retro Hollow Core Door Layout

[wm3798]

More magic happening.  I did manage to shorten the posts on these two.




All made possible with my own home brew "plug and play" system.

[wm3798]

Another scratch built structure for downtown PawPaw








Now it's off to the paint shop.

And before any of you wags start carrying on about whether or not scratchbuilding has a place on a retro layout, I say yes it does.  The tight curves and close quarters Elevation changes of a small loop layout has always presented real estate challenges that can't always be solved with a commercial kit.  So kit bashing and scratchbuilding are legit in my estimation.



Plus, you know, Rule 1 Yada yada..Yada...

 
Lee

[Philip H]

There was a lot of scratchbuilding back in the day.

[wm3798]

One more building to go.








Sparkly!

[nscalbitz]

One more building to go./9-140322102646.jpeg[/img][/url]

Sparkly!

I think you should draw a 'fraidy face' on it!

[dem34]

Oh, thats a clamp in the last image, was wondering when you added the gantry crane.

[wm3798]

Went back to work on PawPaw this week.

Installed the first section of sidewalk to establish the grade



Then I built the road bed to establish the curve



Then I did a little trimming to make sure the clearance worked...


And just like that it's starting to look like something.
Once I locate and wire in the street lights, I can glue it all in more permanent like.  The structures and sidewalk remain removable so I can add details at the work bench.

Lee

[OldEastRR]

You got the road to go up the hill!  Fantastic! It's amazing -- well, ingenious how a "retro" layout w/ '70s N scale turned into a very logical and realistic (in principles, if not in dimensions) scene. The stereotype vision is a tiny loop of roundy-round with scenery and buildings just crammed in. Roads thrown in haphazardly, no street access to industries, etc. You instead modeled only a portion of a railroad (from tunnel to tunnel) and thus it seems like a real railroad scene.

Bravo!                   

[dem34]

Thats what I think the big takeway of the layout is. While it is following the template of those layouts it does frame itself nicely into that strip of land between Baltimore and Scranton where at one point it wasn't uncommon to have 3-4 railroads spaghetti over each other through a gap along a river.

[wm3798]

Thanks, guys.
I better get to work on that last building!
Lee

[OldEastRR]

I like how you set up "ops" w/ the industries on the upper level -- I believe your switching technique is called "multilap ops". Too bad you couldn't get an industry or two in on the lower loop.  ??? Where did the wagon top box come from? Is that retro?

[wm3798]

I have 4 wagontops that are from old Precision N resin kits from the early 90s.  I also have a couple of new Fox Valley cars.
No switching on the lower level, other than the sidings.  I just wanted to showcase mainline trains running.  There is very little industry along the B&O in the valley.
Lee

[wm3798]

A little fleet building thanks to @delamaize and his bargain bin.

What would a HiRail layout be without a Bachmann train set grade GP40?


For nearly 50 years, the same shell has ridden on three different drives.  The epitome of Hi Rail ethos.  Millions have been manufactured over the years, and finally the version introduced in the 21st century came from the factory in Western Maryland paint.  As usual, a few touch ups are needed to pass muster with this modeler, low though his standards may be.
In the first image, the factory paint is on the left.  By some mystery, Bachmann was under the delusion that the cab roof should be black.  And rather than have red handrails and yellow ladder grabs, they opted for full red down the sides and full yellow castings for the end platforms.  C+ for trying... a little masking and a shot of red took care of the roof, and some touch up paint did the rest.




Under close scrutiny, you'll also notice they printed the nose herald lettering upside down!  Fortunately I have a stash of old decals on hand to take care of that.


Lastly, since I received two of these, I needed to renumber one of them.  I carefully rubbed off the 6 and replaced it with a 5 from an old Northeast Decals set. (The Microscale set's font was a bit too small to get away with).  As you can see, the 5 is a tad wide, but we're not entering any contests with this.

So while the oldest thing about these model is the numeral 5, the chunky proportions, thick paint and thicker handrails make them right at home on the Hi Rail rig.

The more modern drive is good, but strangely no better than the first generation model with the brass gears.

Lee

[nkalanaga]

Those first generation Bachmann units didn't always look "right", but they ran!

In their defense, WM upside down is still WM, although the font looks funny.  To someone at the factory, who's never seen a WM diesel, and may not be used to the Roman alphabet, it might not be obvious which way it should be.

[OldEastRR]

Recently changed my DCC layout to DC (temporarily) to test some non-DC locos before I sell them and wow! Retro N railroading rocks! Having locos just run around continuously while you watch is very pleasing. Might be a while before I re-hook the DCC. Not using retro rolling stock, tho, newer stuff w/ all that detail.
You're right, Lee! Model RRing is FUN again!