Seaboard Central 2.0

[davefoxx]

We've been visiting my wife's family in Illinois this week, so I took a few hours this afternoon and drove to Waukesha, Wisconsin to tour the Kalmbach office.  While I was viewing the MR&T, the first thing that I saw was the custom painted HO scale Seaboard Central heritage locomotive. Since that 1980s MR project was inspiration for my layout, it seems apropos to post this picture here:



More later,
DFF

[Philip H]

Did you convince Neil to run those decals in n scale?

[davefoxx]

Did you convince Neil to run those decals in n scale?

I already have the artwork to print my own decals.   Several months ago, I posed a question on Ask MRVP (episode 2, I think), and they responded by explaining how to paint the locomotive and made the artwork available online.  I just need to find somebody with an ALPS printer to print them in white when I get around to that project.

DFF

[conrailthomas519]

I'm also looking for someone to create and print custom white decals for me as well Dave. A side note:  I'm not even sure where to begin.....

[chuck geiger]

Did they run out of free WS ballast for the engine tracks and have to use table salt?

[davefoxx]

I'm actually working on the layout this weekend!  We were supposed to visit my in-laws in Lewes, Delaware, but Tropical Storm Hermine is forcing us to stay home while the Delaware and New Jersey coasts are taking a licking today.

So, with this newly-found free time, here's what I'm getting into.  With the reversion of the layout to a mere HCD, the track plan in Aberdeen is not ideal.  To run the roundy-round, the SBD has to foul the A&R mainline in Aberdeen.  Since there's no longer much of a mainline of the A&R even outside Aberdeen (it's more of a branch now), there's no place for A&R motive power to sit idle.  A brainstorm (and an excess of track from taking down the expansion) made me realize that redoing the crossovers in Aberdeen would fix the problem.  First, I could keep the SBD trains off of the A&R, except where they dive under the highway bridge for the roundy-round.  The new track plan will become obvious later, as I rebuild the interchange.

Two BEFORE pictures for reference- first, the north end of Aberdeen's trackage:


. . . and the south end of Aberdeen's trackage:


And, now, DECONSTRUCTION:


This is why I like yellow carpenter's glue for the track and cork roadbed.  Look how clean that was removed!


Finally, I used a sanding block to ensure the foam was flat and hit the layout with the shop vac to clean up the loose ballast and debris:


And, with that, construction is ready to begin, as soon as the lightweight spackling I used to fill in gouges and turnout throw holes in the foam substrate dries.

Stay tuned,
DFF

[davefoxx]

Cork!


Track!  Well, at least the roundy-round is restored, as soon as the yellow carpenter's glue sets and I can pull the pushpins:


There's only three pieces of flextrack that remain to be installed between the turnouts, but I still have to power the frogs and install slide switch turnout controls on the four turnouts before I can paint and ballast the track.  But, I'm out of the dark gray ballast that I used for the A&R.  Anyone got about a cup of Highball Ballast Dark Gray N scale ballast they can spare?  My LHS doesn't have anymore.  I think I have just enough gray mix ballast to fix the SBD trackage. 

DFF

[davefoxx]

Track's installed and trains run through without problem.


To give perspective, here's the north end of Aberdeen's track:

BEFORE:


AFTER:


Here's the south end of Aberdeen's track:

BEFORE:


AFTER:


DFF

[Chris333]

Dave needs an Obama like poster... "change"   

[conrailthomas519]

Looks GREAT! I like it.

[Philip H]

@davefoxx that looks a lot cleaner on both ends without really sacrificing operability.

Well done sir!

[seusscaboose]

The Surgeon!

Nice, precise and closed up clean!

[MVW]

Wow! Can't wait to see what happens next week.   

Jim

[davefoxx]

Dave needs an Obama like poster... "change"   

"Hope" might be more apropos, as in I hope I can finish a layout to my satisfaction. 

DFF

[davefoxx]

Thanks, guys!

@Philip H, operation is actually improved and that was the reason for tearing up the layout . . . again.  The new track actually improves flow through Aberdeen, and, most importantly, the SBD roundy-round no longer fouls the A&R main in Aberdeen.  The A&R now has access to the SBD without backup moves.  This will be helpful in interchange between the roads and switching the shared yard in Aberdeen.

DFF