The Housatonic Railroad in N Scale

[GaryHinshaw]

An outstanding example of N scale's strength.  That building would be 44"x77" in HO!

[Ian MacMillan]

I can't wait to come down and operate on this layout. 

[wazzou]

I can't wait to come down and operate on this layout. 

I can't wait until you take those pictures of yours that you said you would. 

[Ian MacMillan]

I can't wait until you take those pictures of yours that you said you would. 

Hey..I have a pretty busy schedule right now...those really warm days the last 2 weeks really got all of the "regulars" coming out of the woodwork early!

[wazzou]

Hey..I have a pretty busy schedule right now...those really warm days the last 2 weeks really got all of the "regulars" coming out of the woodwork early!

Live and let live for the regulars... 

[Ian MacMillan]

Live and let live for the regulars... 

hahah I can't! Then they attack the rest of the town! I'll see what I can get ya in the next few days, jeesh!

[Pomperaugrr]

I can't wait to come down and operate on this layout. 

Thanks guys.  Slow progress is still progress.  I hope to start installing and programming the 50 + servos I have.  Once that is done, at least on the mainline, I hope to have a formal operating session.  It will probably be this fall.  Visitors are welcome any time for informal operations.


Eric

[Dave Schneider]

Eric,

I need to chime in as well to mention how much I like your modeling. Anyone who features all those beautiful Schneider trucks is doing something right! The large buildings look great, and have the correct proportions to them. Big, but not too big.

I haven't waded through all of your writings on your construction methods. Are you using foam directly on the shelf brackets? If so, how do you deal with the end to end foam joints? How are you mounting your switch machines/servos to the bottom?

I look forward to seeing more of your work. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Best wishes, Dave

[Pomperaugrr]

Hi Dave. 

Thanks for the comments on the building sizes.  I am really attempting to replicate the actual operations of the Housatonic short line.  The industries will all have close to prototypical car capacities, so I am building them big to justify the traffic.  I am minimizing mainline rural running to provide for operational interest.  I am not making exact duplicated of the prototype structures, but I want them to at least look familiar to people that know the area.  I really don't like the look of industries that are not much bigger than the freight cars that serve them.

I screwed 1" x 2"'s to the shelf brackets and glued shims cut from cedar shingles under the 1x2's to bring the supports to level.  The metal brackets are angled a bit, so the shims under the 1x2's make for a nice level surface..  I made sure that all of the foam butt joints were made over the 1x2's.  I used 1" extruded foam for the first layer, with 1/2" extruded foam laminated to that with latex contact cement.  The foam joints are staggered with the 1/2" foam and the resulting surface is very strong.  I lean on it without any ill effects.  The 1" foam is attached to the 1x2's with DAP acrylic latex caulk.  This holds much better than the liquid nails I first used.  I redid all of these with the latex caulk and they hold up great.  I did add a 1x2 running around the front, on edge.  This was attached to the 1x2's on the brackets to tie it all together, as well as support the foam and provide a mounting surface for the fascia.

Here are a few old photos showing the brackets and backdrop support.

Metal brackets in place.  This is the corner where Kimberly Clark is now located.


1x2 with shims installed - backdrop being painted.


Foam installed and painted.  Looking north on layout.


This is looking south, back toward the corner where Kimberly Clark is currently located.



I'll be mounting the servos to the foam using the Motrak brackets supplied by Tam Valley Depot.  Ian has a good video that demonstrates these.

Finding those Schneider trailers has been a lot of work, but I needed them, since they are the primary haulers for Kimberly Clark.  I think I have about 25 or 30 in total.

I'll try to post better photos, as all I have right now are older cell phone grab shots.

Eric

[Ian MacMillan]

I'm starting to wish Tam Valley made the Octopus III in a DCC version at a good price.

For all new servo orders I am going with the Quad Servo Decoder. As already stated I did not order mine modified like Eric's so all the components are on the same side, so I have messed up 2 modifying them  .   I've gone to modifying them a different way. More later this week over on my thread.

[Pomperaugrr]

I'm starting to wish Tam Valley made the Octopus III in a DCC version at a good price.

For all new servo orders I am going with the Quad Servo Decoder. As already stated I did not order mine modified like Eric's so all the components are on the same side, so I have messed up 2 modifying them  .   I've gone to modifying them a different way. More later this week over on my thread.

I'm not so sure I even needed the DCC versions.  I bought 50 singlets, but I will probably only use the fascia mounted push button option.  Any new ones for industrial sidings will probably just be non-DCC controlled versions, like the Octopus.  I'm glad I have the flexibility, but with walk around operations, DCC singlets was probably overkill.

Eric

[Dave Schneider]

Eric,

Thanks for sharing the construction photos. Very helpful to see how you are doing things.

Best wishes, Dave

[eagle5473]

Eric,

Great work Looks like the real deal.

Im next door in Roxbury

Aaron

[Ian MacMillan]

Eric... I was able to build my Corn Storage building...man that thing is HUGE. I ended up using the kit as two parts, splitting the shed in half, and it is still pretty sizable in half its size.

[Pomperaugrr]

Ian, I'm glad that worked out for you.  It is a nice kit.  That's the size N scale building kits should be.

Aaron, thanks for the compliment.  It is rare to have people familiar with the Housatonic.  Letourneau Gorge is purely fictional, but I am trying to capture the look and feel of the industries served by the HRRC.  I am indeed next door, just down Rt. 317 from you.

Here's a quick cell phone video of part of the layout.  I just got a new cell phone, so I wanted to try out the video.  Please excuse the bright out of the box paint on the rolling stock as well as the poor video production quality and lighting.  This is my first crude attempt at making a layout video.  Scenery is just base level and test samples.  1,000's of trees will be needed as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Svj6lZ4PGhA&feature=youtu.be

Eric