Essex branch HO v4

[nuno81291]

On the semi sexy front I got fascia installed on the left side, as well as installing my recessed switch mounts.
Yesterday I managed to move the peninsula backdrop back 1.5” which makes the depth for the river scene look a little better. Worth the effort with the minor bit of reframing. It is easy to draw up a plan and get close but need to tweak things as it comes together. On the not so fun side I finished installing the track and accessory busses for the left side and peninsula.
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[nuno81291]

Got my old backdrop pieces cut down to size and installed over lunch. Hope to get through the backmost frame.

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[nuno81291]

Cut the last piece of backdrop that I’m going to touch for now. The remainder toward the yard is on hold until the frame is built there. Certainly more pleasing to see a generic blue sky backdrop than the wall or miscellaneous stuff in the room. Got a coat of paint on the fascia, and need to wire up the switch machines that I have installed thus far. Track that is down is wired and perhaps this week will be a maiden electrical voyage. Update shows some of the key scenes to get a better feel for how the backdrop makes the narrowness of the scenes apparent. However I think careful use of photo backdrop will make this seem larger than it is, that’s the goal atleast. Scouting local scenes that will be good to photograph for key locations on the backdrop. I included a photo of the expanded river scene. Hm and my pictures now post upside down! Modifying...
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[nuno81291]

During lunch I laid out and skim coated the grade crossing for South Canal St. also cut the fascia for the canal.
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[Ed Kapuscinski]

Very nice.

[nuno81291]

Thanks Ed.

Here I am roughing in some of the canal features. I backed the rock wall with ply, and will cap the top with anchoring cement to represent the abutments/ repair for the bridges above the rock wall. The canal wall coloring will be based off a local one in Lawrence. I plan to take the backdrop photo from one of these similar bridges over this canal.

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[nuno81291]

Not much photographic fun here but I went ahead and blew the hobby budget on turnouts and track for the yard. I ripped out the old plank shelf level that I will be framing over. Any thoughts on the last version of the yard? Going to frame it as I go to workout spacing of the girders to avoid tortoises, and the turntable pit. This leaves the yard area, and depot area for track work. Hope to get it all roughed in and wired this week and then do the first powered test of the layout. In the meantime I’ve been slowly finishing some of my n scale Alps structures for that layout. Going to wait to build until I get this layouts infrastructure finished and ready for my favorite part; scenery. 

[nuno81291]

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Looking down the yard area frame. Hopefully spaced my frame such that I won’t have to move anything for the switch machines... we will see how that pans out tonight perhaps. Either way I am pumped up for a shorter but straight yard. Should make actually operating it a bit more enjoyable than previous iterations.

[nuno81291]

The yard is taking shape. Not glued down yet, need to straighten a few pieces and will get glued tonight. Then on to the bulk of remaining switch machines and wiring. Still have some odds and ends like the turntable, Round house and engine service tracks, and the other sides MOW/RIP tracks. Then it’s on to laying track for the depot side of Essex and the hinged bridge/drop down section. Excited to bring the dcc station out from storage hopefully sooner than later.

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[nuno81291]

Getting close to wrapped up on putting track down. A couple areas left to cut and glue. Installed the turntable  and roundhouse. Here is a rough view of the engine service tracks/turntable lead. Got almost up to the last turnout when I ran out of flex track for Essex depot area. Have 17 tortoises to insta and wire. Feeders for Essex and the yard. Going to make 2 panels for the yard ladders. Lots to do but nearing powered track testing is quite the motivator.

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[nuno81291]

Well a good 3 month break from the trains has me itching to get back to it. Today I ran the remaining track bus and dropped feeders in the yard. Also glued down the aux/engine tracks. Also laid the yard lead toward Essex, as well as the main. I have 4 tortoises left to install and 13 left to wire. Began making the control panels for the yard and have a rough idea of how the others will shape. Need to cut fascia to mount these panels then it will be time to fire it up for the first time.... my longest layout build without running a train. Excited for the final push of the infrastructure so I can get back to scenery.


Side note I hate how I can’t get the pictures upright

[peteski]

Side note I hate how I can’t get the pictures upright

If you upload your photos to your TRW gallery (instead of attaching them directly to the post), you can edit them at any later time (and rotate them).

[nuno81291]

Well well. Time for an update. My fiancée caught me aimlessly staring at the layout and asked what’s wrong? I explained the logic problem I have with passenger ops and the bridge scene. While talking it out it struck me, don’t make another curved cut out, and turn the door entrance into a straight segment and use the otherwise unused wall as another smal staging yard! Huzzah! This makes my lift out segment considerably easier to build (straight versus curve) and lets me move my bridge scene to a logical place, before the opposite staging. Now passenger trains will stop at a Depot in Essex yard and the unused portion of the peninsula will be come an homage to a local branch line. I will model the water river trestle as it was post fire to denote the end of the line, and take some liberties for industry arraignment. So this iteration would not have continuous run, but it is a sort of long run from staging to staging and a lot to take in for any visitor. I don’t care much for continuous running as this isn’t really a sitting area but a dedicated space for operations. Sit back and watch them run will be for the alps train. Hey who knows maybe I manage to stick one more turnout and make a continuous loop to the existing staging yard. Photos show the opening and new staging yard I finished this evening, minus fascia.

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[Ed Kapuscinski]

Fantastic! Sometimes you just need to talk something like this out with someone.

One of my old coworkers called it "Teddy bear debugging": explain the problem to a teddy bear and you'll often figure out the answer.

[nuno81291]

Here you can see the roughed in removable bridge to staging. It plops right in and can be stored next to staging when not in use.

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I cut a few pieces of backdrop from my remaining Masonite stock. Time to pick up some more. Tonight I hope to finish laying the new track configuration for the peninsula, install the 4 remaining tortoises as well as wire up those and the few I have not got to yet. I can taste powered testing in my very near future. This layout has been an exercise in delayed gratification for sure... and on a good note my first attempt at frog power from a tortoise for my #8s worked!