The B&O Delaware Avenue Branch

[dougnelson]

I did this small industrial zone street trackage scene for the PRR rubber-tired switcher.  The cobble streets are a cobble street pattern that I scaled and printed from my computer, glued to thin cardboard and track is embedded within the cardboard cobbles.  The building is a photo building with window cutouts.  The street lights are cast metal from P&D Marsh (England).  This photo was published in Model Railroader December 2015.

[TrainCat2]

That looks fantastic, but I have to admit my eyes went straight for the Connie first. I have different things to test for the street before I commit such as Noch embossed printed sheets, vacuum formed plastic sheet and rolling stamps for clay.

[TrainCat2]

So the modules are complete and have been raised 3in. Not as high as my pits, but where I liked it after shimming the first one to find this height. I really did not have a problem with the last height. Actually, I liked the lower height better for viewing when sitting in my chair. The reason I did change was I was able to get under the tables easier.







Once inside the den, I transferred the design on to the cork and started test fitting the building I have.

[TrainCat2]

With the module construction out of the way, more attention to the things on top of the modules. The first pier building is complete after adding some SS walkways and painting the tackle beams







Then back to the workbench to try my hand at the this set of #5 crossovers which will go in front of the warehouses.

[Bob]

Bob - I find it rather mind-boggling how quickly you work - you are tackling large buildings, making them look great and you are knocking them off at a great pace.  Really impressive!  The other Bob.

[TrainCat2]

I'm using 36in shelving brackets attached to the back of the modules to add the overhead supports for the lighting and the valance. The LEDs are COB strips of 5000K and are producing 2000 lumens at 18in above the layout. I saved some room up against the valance to install 2700K LEDs and auto dimmers so I can transition from daylight to sunset and then dusk. The backdrop is CorroPlast as a backing for the final backdrop (whatever that will be).



I have also finalized the location of the piers and the ship slips. I will be periodically be taking ships out and putting others in a rotation. I found a 1/160 Cutty Sark to add for a visit as well as a 1/168 Bobtail Cruiser to add to the mix.



I have also been busy building track sections for Delaware Ave in front of the piers.

[Cajonpassfan]

Impressive progress! Love the trackwork, too. I assume most of it will be buried in the roadway? Curious how you plan to tackle that.
Otto

[Pomperaugrr]

Bob, I am enjoying watching the progress of this very distinctive scene!

[TrainCat2]

Impressive progress! Love the trackwork, too. I assume most of it will be buried in the roadway? Curious how you plan to tackle that.
Otto

Otto, yes most will be buried and I have a couple of ideas for that:

(1) I did buy several of cobblestone rollers recommended by Randy https://www.shapeways.com/product/DXCEBYC2Q/set-2x-stra-szlig-enbelag-walze-reihenverband-n-1-160?optionId=43296054&li=ostatus where I plan to glue them together to create a single 2in roller what I can make a master for molding and casting. I could just use the clay and the std width roller, but most of the streets (adjacent to the track and the stand alone one) are much wider than the roller width and I did not like how that looked with multiple passes. Using the clay between the tracks looks really nice. Having a std thickness from castings would be advantageous so I can make sidewalk & other castings to make streets easier.

(2) Or I could use printed sheets of some kind on a substrate.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

As a copious user of those rollers, remember: the rails MUST stand unprototypicaly proud of the street. This is because model wheels are significantly wider than the prototype and overhang the rail. If the rails don't stand proud your locomotives won't get good rail contact.

That's a lesson I learned on my last layout.

[peteski]

As a copious user of those rollers, remember: the rails MUST stand unprototypicaly proud of the street. This is because model wheels are significantly wider than the prototype and overhang the rail. If the rails don't stand proud your locomotives won't get good rail contact.

That's a lesson I learned on my last layout.

I was just going to mention to make sure that the railhead is higher than the street surface.  While your reason is absolutely valid, even more important is track cleaning.  I've seen many layouts where repeated track cleanings ruined the look of the  street surface.

[TrainCat2]

Both points are exactly while I am heavily leaning to creating master cobblestone street planks where the height (thickness) can be controlled and having a built-in notch to go over the ties. I was originally thinking about .030 below the rail head, but now I question that.

[peteski]

I was originally thinking about .030 below the rail head, but now I question that.

As too much, or too little?

[TrainCat2]

Possibly too little but I don’t think I will be getting too aggressive with a bright boy so if it’s too little, it won’t be by much. Been nearly 25 years since I ran enough trains that I have had to think about track cleaning. At least I have a while before streets go in to research.

[Cajonpassfan]

.030 should be plenty but not with a grooved out BrightBoy. I prefer wood blocks with tight white cotton fabric wrappers and 91% IPA. Cratex on a stick from MicroMark for tougher jobs.
Following with interest,
Otto