Newport & Rock Falls: Another Retro Micro-Layout

[MichaelT]

Glad to see you're still lurking, @MichaelT ...  I hope all is well with you!
Lee

Thanks Lee, there has been a lot of things going on in ministry and between family, work, and our local church my train time has become little bits here and there. 
And yeah, reading, keeping up, taking in ideas and tips...just don't have much to show and would be embarrassed to anyway. My skills are nowhere near where the majority of this group is.

Our little hobby shop group has continued working on HO and N layout modules based on HCD's 32x80 or 16x80, and putting them up at a couple of shows here in Arkansas. With some changes at home I don't have a dedicated train room any longer so have to work on small projects and something like this would fill the gap nicely I think. I've been trying to offload my large scale inventory, but haven't found the right person to write me the right check for all of it...maybe someday.

I have sold off about 2/3's of my HO inventory at the last few shows we've been at, so that's dwindling down nicely. 

[DKS]

After having completed the commissioned Postage Stamp layout (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=47395.0), I returned to work on this retro layout. I finished the wiring, and began installing structures.



However, having a touch of ADD means I'm easily distracted, and I've been thinking about resurrecting the Penn Central Stockton Branch (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=44969.0) project as well. Stay tuned to see what I work on next.

[DKS]

Yes, it's been a very long time. Slightly over a year, in fact, since I last touched this layout. And I wouldn't have dragged it back out of storage were it not for a nice long chat with @wm3798 a week or so ago. He didn't recommend getting back to work on it, indeed he didn't even mention the layout. But our conversation got me thinking about why we model. Well, hopefully, is mostly about having fun. And Lee made a point of relating just how much fun he's been having with his "Hi Rail" HCD layout--more fun, perhaps, than any other layout.

I confess I haven't been having much fun lately. Heart disease sucks, and has me down--really down--most of the time. And yet there we were, Lee and I, laughing at stupid jokes and sharing just how much joy these old toys bring us.

So, here's my salute to Lee and to our old toy trains.

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The Spirit of Retro Modeling — 10 February 2021

The layout had been sitting in storage for close to a year when, in February 2021, I had a long conversation with the modeler who'd inspired the layout in the first place. Without directly making any recommendations, he inspired me to return to work on the sadly neglected little layout.

Before I got down to any modeling, I re-examined my motives: the goal of the layout was to have fun. At the outset of the project I'd established some ground rules that I came to realize were interfering with that goal. They were simply too restrictive: originally I'd wanted to use genuine period kits, track, rolling stock and scenery materials exclusively. I'd even wanted to utilize period construction techniques, as well as avoid any kit modification or bashing.

The modeler with whom I spoke has been working on a retro layout for quite a while, and to my knowledge has no such rules. Once I let go of my own rules, I saw all sorts of opportunities to enjoy the layout much, much more.



The first thing I did was look at the rolling lift bridge anew. That butt-ugly control cabin had to go! In its place I decided to use an ancient Kibri switch tower, and the original control cabin became the yard office. With that, the floodgates opened...



The next major change was to get rid of the massive, misplaced machine factory (save for the powerhouse). In the sprawling empty space that resulted, I envisioned a gravel works utilizing an old favorite Pola kit for its originally-intended purpose. That meant I was going to need a lot of rockwork and retaining walls, and suddenly I was raiding an enormous stockpile of Chooch goodies as well as a bunch of leftover Cripplebush Valley rubber rock.



Seeing the Chooch stuff also convinced me to ditch the plastic tunnel portals and stone walls. Then I started sifting through my scenery supplies—I had enough ground foam and other stuff to finish several small layouts. And from there I began unearthing the surfeit of LEDs I have with an eye toward lighting many of the buildings.

Things kept snowballing from there, all because I let go of some silly rules and instead embraced the spirit of retro modeling. It's not about the age of the materials used; it's about capturing that feeling of returning to one's modeling roots, ignoring any assumed overarching edicts about realism and accuracy, and just having fun.

Some modelers have wondered why I didn't return to work on the The Mountain Vista Railroad. The principal reason? It's become somewhat stressful worrying about realism and accuracy and such. Plus, with failing eyesight and shakier hands, it's getting more difficult to accomplish things. I just want to have fun in the ever-decreasing time I have left, and that layout wasn't providing me with enough. This layout, on the other hand—well, if the glue shows, so what? Code 80 rail? So what? Besides, the Mountain Vista isn't a roundy-rounder... JFRTM!

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I just spent the last half-hour editing all of the prior posts to change the image URLs (I didn't take them down, I simply moved them). Next, I'll start a series of new posts detailing what I've been up to the last few days for the entertainment of the Asshats who follow my "work," such as it is these days.

[DKS]

Although I didn't make any changes to the track plan, I did shuffle a bunch of buildings around and swapped out some kits.



1 Yard Powerhouse
2 Yard Office
3 Enginehouse
4 Coal Tower
5 Phone/Relay Shed
6 Switch Tower
7 Tool Shed
8 Water Tower
9 Diesel Fuel Station
10 Machine Shop
11 Scale House
12 Freight Depot
13 Passenger Station - Newport
14 Houses Under Construction
15 Rolling Lift Bridge
16 Freight Crane
17 Factory
18 Gravel Works
19 Plate Girder Bridges
20 Foot Bridge
21 Passenger Station - Rock Falls

[DKS]

10 February 2021. After raiding my Chooch stockpile, I went to work on abutments, retaining walls and the tunnel portal at the center of the layout were the two plate girder bridges live. I started by splicing two double-track bridge abutments into a single one that spans the end where the bridges are closest.



Next, I posed the bridges with single-track abutments at the other ends to be sure everything works.



Then I chopped a double-track portal in two and spliced the parts together to form a slightly wider single-track portal, because it's oriented on an angle relative to the track.

[DKS]

11 February 2021. I got to work on the gravel pit. First, I shortened the siding just a bit to make room for a short narrow gauge line to connect the pit with the gravel works (T Gauge flex track). Yes, while pondering illumination, I got all OCD about incandescent lamps, and now here I am messing with some definite 21st Century stuff. Hey, Rule #1.



Then I started chopping up rubber rocks and posing them in place. A chunk of stone wall breaks up the monotony of endless rocky cliffs. Also... yes, I understand that the rock being represented (sedimentary) isn't the kind used to make gravel (igneous). But two things: one, not many people would know this, and two, it's all I had.

[DKS]

12 February 2021. The rock walls of the gravel pit meet the stone abutments of the plate girder bridges. The Chinese puzzle is coming together.





Continuing around the corner, I got a long stretch of very model-railroady stone wall in place. But wait, why is part of it already painted and weathered? Because I saved it from the White River & Northern IV! Photo of the WR&N by Lou Sassi.

[wm3798]

Glad to see you having fun on this.  I'm especially glad you found at least some nugget of value in the 45 minutes of your precious time I helped you burn through last weekend.

One of those rare times when the student teaches the mentor.

You've been a remarkable inspiration to all of us over many many years.  Glad I could give a little something back.

Now I've got to work out something to do with my rolling bridge(s)!
All the best,
Lee

[MVW]

David, thank you for all the time you spend in documenting and posting your work.

I imagine much of the personal pleasure you derive from the hobby would still be there whether you shared it with us or not. The fact that you've dedicated a lot of time over what -- the last couple decades? -- sharing and inspiring and advising says a lot about you as a person. You help many, many of us increase our enjoyment of the hobby ... and most of us are complete strangers.

Thank you.

Jim

[CRL]

David - Thank you for your recent posts to this thread. It has led me to reconsider my layout plans for when we move into our new home shortly. I was planning to build an operations based layout with only a limited continuous run capability, because that’s what I wanted back when I didn’t have the space or time to build a home layout. Now, being retired and becoming much more aware of my lack of immortality, I want to JFRTM while I dodge the scheduled trains with a local switcher working some industry. Now, don’t get me wrong, I still don’t have any interest in the mind numbing NTrak or TTrak train show roundly-round, but an old fashioned model railroady style layout is more visually interesting to watch if you’re going to JFRTM. Plus, since I love doing scenery, that type of layout provides unique challenges to merge realistic scenery with a rather non realistic track plan. Taking this approach will also help me overcome a new train room obstacle that has reared it’s ugly, very tall head.

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I had specified a “low boy” water heater to keep things below the layout level, not realizing the exceptionally hard water in our area would require a Shaq sized water softener.

[peteski]

DKS, it is good to see you back, doing what you like again.



Is that solenoid-powered device in the center of the photo a remote uncoupler for rapido couplers?

[DKS]

Is that solenoid-powered device in the center of the photo a remote uncoupler for rapido couplers?

Affirmative.

[Point353]

Is anyone one else not seeing the photos in line with the posts?
If I quote the post (as if to reply to it), then the URLs for the photos appear, which I can then cut and paste to open them in a new tab/window.

[peteski]

Is anyone one else not seeing the photos in line with the posts?
If I quote the post (as if to reply to it), then the URLs for the photos appear, which I can then cut and paste to open them in a new tab/window.

Could this be the problem with non-secure photos posted to the https forum (in Chrome)?  The problem and solution is described in the Admin forum.

[Point353]

Could this be the problem with non-secure photos posted to the https forum (in Chrome)?  The problem and solution is described in the Admin forum.

Similar problem, but with a different browser (Edge).
Read the post in the Admin forum, found out what setting change to make in Edge to allow the display of insecure content (which can be set on an individual website basis) and now the photos appear inline with the posts.
First time I've encountered this issue with any other website/content.
I vaguely recall seeing a post from DKS mentioning that he had a vast amount of insecure/legacy content and that updating it to secure status was either infeasible or uneconomical.
If the photos had first been uploaded to a RailWire gallery, would this then not have been an issue?