HOn3-mo

[John]

Some inspiration for you

[ArtinCA]

Isn't all of Colorado out in the middle of nowhere? 

No, more spread out than that.. Towards Nebraska and Wyoming..

[Mark W]

Bouncing back to track work for a quick fix.  My first 3 way turnout was ok, but not great, so I built a new one to replace it.

Old installed (everything left un-glued/soldered since I planned to replace it).  New one on site ready to go.


https://i.imgur.com/nUrWmZ0.jpg

Besides being much more precise on the center frog assembly, the new turnout also directs the normal route to the right, heading to the service tracks.  To the left is storage and car shop tracks. 

Who doesn't love a good 3 way, eh? 


https://i.imgur.com/SER2Baa.jpg

[Dave V]

Mark, that's some outstanding work there.  Craftsmanship in the finest Railwire a$$hat tradition.  Bravo, sir....bravo!

[dcarrell8]

Bouncing back to track work for a quick fix.  My first 3 way turnout was ok, but not great, so I built a new one to replace it.

Old installed (everything left un-glued/soldered since I planned to replace it).  New one on site ready to go.


https://i.imgur.com/nUrWmZ0.jpg

Besides being much more precise on the center frog assembly, the new turnout also directs the normal route to the right, heading to the service tracks.  To the left is storage and car shop tracks. 

Who doesn't love a good 3 way, eh? 


https://i.imgur.com/SER2Baa.jpg

I notice you have spiked the three way instead of using quick-sticks.  Do you glue the wooden ties to layout first, or do you spike them on the work bench first?
~Dennis

[Mark W]

Thanks Dave.  I appreciate your kind words!

I notice you have spiked the three way instead of using quick-sticks.  Do you glue the wooden ties to layout first, or do you spike them on the work bench first?
~Dennis

I glue all the track and turnouts (less wood ties) down with clear calking spread over the whole area.  Once dry I slide all the ties into place.  The calking provides a nice tacky grip for wood ties to stay put long enough to drill, spike, and trim with a dremel. 
They're still wiggly if you poke at them.  Once I paint the rail/ties they'll get a little more hold (kinda like a spot weld), and then ballasting will be the final step to glue them permanently in place. 


I finally removed this section from the set-up in order to get some work done.  Cut out some rough below-grade areas and glued the hill tops.  Should be able to start smoothing out the hills throughout the week!


https://i.imgur.com/Aah0nMc.jpg

[Mark W]

The Hills module continues to take shape!  I think I trimmed the fills a little too steep by mistake, but that will be a fairly easy fix. 


https://i.imgur.com/H78yJFC.jpg


While waiting for spackle to dry, I made a cardboard mock-up for the freight transfer in Dunwell.
I think I'm starting to get the feel for HO scale structures!


https://i.imgur.com/kTJDDD9.jpg

[RogerBrown]

The biggest and most interesting build I've seen.

[davefoxx]

The Hills module continues to take shape!  I think I trimmed the fills a little too steep by mistake, but that will be a fairly easy fix. 


https://i.imgur.com/H78yJFC.jpg

I love this module.  Almost nobody gets topography correct like this with cuts roughly matching fills.  This is the way that it's done.  Just get the slopes of those cuts and fills to approximately forty-five degree slopes or less, and you got this.

Kudzos,
DFF

[dcarrell8]

This looks awesome!

[Mark W]

Thanks all!  I went ahead and slapped on some ground foam for a quick photo and video.


https://i.imgur.com/9yfV2V7.jpg

[nuno81291]

Looks very nice.. what is the scenic treatment for the cut? Some rock outcropping?

[Dave V]

@Mark W ,

Not sure if it's what you intended, but those modules look like a dead-ringer for the D&RGW line over Cerro Summit (between Cimarron and Montrose), part of the D&RG(W)'s original Narrow Gauge Transcon route.  I love it because so much of the Rio Grande narrow gauge system was spread out over rolling grassland and sage-and-juniper-covered hills, but all we seem to model is the more rugged stuff.  In spite of the otherwise benign-looking terrain around Cerro Summit, it was a solid 4% grade on both sides.  A C-21 would have to triple the hill with nine loaded coal cars, and was said to have been working so hard even with three loads in tow that the brakemen could walk alongside the train.  K-27s faired a bit better on the tonnage but were equally slow.

You're really capturing what in my mind is the essence of the D&RGW narrow gauge, a sorely-underrepresented-in-the-model-world slice of the ocean of rolling grass-covered hills on the Marshall Pass/Gunnison line (or west of Chama for that matter).  Good show!

EDIT:  Here's a gallery of photos of the line between Cimarron and Montrose for inspiration!

https://ngtrainpics.photoshelter.com/gallery/RD035-D-RGW-Cimarron-to-Montrose/G0000k7c4bha6Zfc/C0000Vd2qoA2MbNU

[Mark W]

Thanks Dave.  I think I got lucky that these two hills turned out almost exactly as I imagined.  I plan to continue this terrain into the curve instead of that tunnel originally planned. 
I'd love to replicate double and triple headers barking up the hillside...  but my bank account just winced! 

Those photos are great, and already reveal an improvement I can make.  I measured approximately 42 degrees for angle or repose on some local (modern) fills, but those photos look a bit less steep, maybe closer to 30-35.  The rocky/ballast fills maybe reach 40 degrees, but some of the dirt/grassy fill sides are clearly more sloped.  This makes sense with the premise pointed out earlier of narrow gauge construction having a speed/economy component to it.  Probably didn't waste any time or money to carefully manufacture those fills either!   I'll have to make these fills even wider than I thought.


Reminds me of this video from Practical Engineering:

[Santa Fe Guy]

Looking very nice.
Dave do you have access to a track layout drawing at Cerro Summit. I am about to add an additional peninsular to my Monarch Branch and the link you added to Marks post has just started the fire.
Thanks in advance.
Rod.