Waiting on etches now to finish the bridge, so I have turned my attention to the Cisco scene and trying to make the most of my limited space. The layout design that emerged in Nov 2012 looks something like this, and I am focusing on building a 2'X4' mount for the bridge so that it is secure and can be moved later if the layout needs to be dismantled. Ignore the 2.5' X 5' HCD outline, it is too big to be practical given I have limited space to work and store this module until it finds it's home in the new benchwork.
I started with a sheet of baltic birch plywood and started to build up a topographic layer cake with 0.75" foam. It is all very rough and messy, but reveals some shortcomings in my original plan I need to deal with.
The elevations are essentially accurate here, the canyon and water level of the river are 10.5" below the rail level. The scene is prototypically this tight and vertical, and the river is only marginally compressed. As planned, the bridge crosses the river at a sharper angle, and this presents some issues for the scene, particularly the interaction with the CPR mainline. The latter is cosmetic in this layout but I want it to be convincing and to be suitable as a photo prop on occasion.
Several issues have emerged:
1. The cutoff that connects the CN and CP lines would have a grade of about 7% if completed as per the layout. I'm not sure I want the cosmetics of this- again, I'm not worried about operation on the cutoff.
2. The space where the CP line cuts under the high bridge is not geometrically correct. Mocked up like this, it does not seem right to me. I have put some scraps of track in there to give the elevation of the line but you will see in the original plan this was meant to extend the length of the 2 X 4 module.
3. There is very little room in the layout for the bank of the river with the CPR mainline and the cutoff, so the ability to scenic behind it is limited. I want to deal with this compromise as best I can.
4. I'm really unhappy about the river configuration in the bottom left of the module. It narrows the river too much and makes the long bridge seem rather unrealistically placed to my eye.
Solutions? I'm open to comments and ideas. A few things I am contemplating are illustrated in the photograph.
A. I'm contemplating having the CPR line and cutoff exit the scene earlier, ultimately minimizing the visual impact of this by strategically placed topography and trees (which I plan to be scale height). The scraps of track give a sense of this configuration for the CPR line. It would allow the crossing of the two lines to be at a more normal angle which is closer to the prototype.
B. I'm thinking of widening the river in the bottom left of the module, as crudely illustrated by the orange painted board. This would give the scene and the layout a more faithful rendition of the river and canyon up valley, at the expense of the CPR and cutoff lines.
C. Following with B., I think I need to bring the left bank (true east) out more to give additional space for the approach bridge and the CPR line. The area where this would happen is located in the photograph where I have a piece of paper at river level. It could probably come out about 6" resulting in a sharper bend in the river in the larger layout, which is also more prototypical.
Comments are welcome. It is a big scene that I want to get right, and the reality of the topography and making it work has me rethinking many aspects of this.
I think it will look pretty amazing if I get it right, but details, details, details
