Posts: 838
Threads: 28
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,152
Threads: 46
Joined: Dec 2008
Deano - Save money is the idea. I think most of the trees will keep their foliage and can be used again. The ground foliage is what I am not sure of at this time. I have boxes ready to hold what I can re-use.
Posts: 2,152
Threads: 46
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,152
Threads: 46
Joined: Dec 2008
Got some more work done. I began cutting out the farm scene and removed some more of the hill.
I am trying to get track. I have contacted a few shops online but have not heard back. We have one hobby shop local. I, however, do not like going there. The plain and simple is one of the owners is a jerk. So I am little frustrated as a result.
Posts: 2,152
Threads: 46
Joined: Dec 2008
I know it has been awhile since I posted. For the last few months I have been concentrating on weathering rolling stock in order to reduce the height of the Wall of Trains. Now that I am down to the last couple of RTR cars to weather it is time to get working on the layout again.
The last few nights I have removed the mountain behind the Farm House and Grain Elevator.
Next will be removing some pieces of foam that are stained. I do not know what the stains are. They could be from the water problem as in some places the water did leak through the floor. Since I do not know what they are, the sections will be removed and replaced. After that it will be time to expand the width of the layout. In order to run with 24 inch curves I need at least 65 inches so that the track is not running on the edge. The current width is 58 at this end and 66 at the other end.
I won't start removing track until I am ready to relay it. I want to keep running trains as long as I can.
Posts: 3,737
Threads: 44
Joined: Dec 2008
01-21-2021, 07:13 AM
(This post was last modified: 01-21-2021, 07:14 AM by Tyson Rayles.)
Mike
Sent from my pocket calculator using two tin cans and a string
Posts: 2,152
Threads: 46
Joined: Dec 2008
As things are moving along and the preliminary track plan has been created it is time to think about what I want out of this version of the layout.
The size of the layout will be 68 inches wide and 14 to 16 feet long. An additional piece will be added to the layout extending it another 6 to 8 feet. I obtained the lumber I need to expand the width of the layout and hopefully I will begin to add it this week. Next will be the removal of the existing pink foam board down to the plywood. Then replacing the foam board to make the new width.
Backdrops will act as screen dividers. There will be at least three areas but as things are developed this could change. There will be an urban area, town area, and rural area. When the extension is added there will be at least two more yet to be determined areas.
The following sections are the results so far of brainstorming sessions and bouncing ideas off my son. They range from must have to possibly having on the layout.
Passenger Trains
There will be an urban station and one in the town area and one in the rural area. Long distance and commuter trains will be handled.
The urban station is presently designed to be elevated over the platforms. The platforms under the station will disappear into a scene divider.
Coal Trains
The lines represented are anthracite roads so there must be coal. Plans are to run through coal drags. Deliveries will be made to the Power Plant in the urban area and at least one coal dealer in the town area and possibly one in the rural area.
Milk Trains
Since I seem to have an obsession with milk cars and milk tank cars milk trains are a necessity. Thus far operations of milk trains are the most developed and thought out. There will be a milk platform at the town station and rural station. There may be one of more stand-alone milk platforms. A dairy/creamery (Walthers Brook Hill Farms Dairy will be located in either the town or rural area. A team track will be needed in the urban area.
Roughly the operations will be
• Milk cans collected at platform sites.
• Cars carrying milk cans or milk tank cars picked up at interchange track
• Stop at dairy to drop off milk cans. Pick up milk tank cars. Possible reefers to pick up butter and/or cheese.
• Stop in urban area using team track to off load milk into trucks for delivery to large processing plants.
The dairy may also receive coal to be used for powering the dairy.
Yards
Possibly one in the urban area and another elsewhere. Urban yard will most likely have some engine facilities such as coaling tower, engine shops, water tower, fueling facilities, sanding facilities. This is still a work in progress.
Other industries
Cement, and grain need to be thought out and what facilities that will be needed identified. Express and ice reefer traffic will need to be identified and fleshed out. I am not sure what if any more will be added in the future.
Posts: 11,836
Threads: 576
Joined: Nov 2008
Pretty well thought out there Tom.
![Applause Applause](https://bigbluetrains.com/images/smilies/extra/applause.gif)
, nice plan. Me, I work on impulse, can't think that far ahead.
Don (ezdays) Day
Board administrator and
founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD
Posts: 2,152
Threads: 46
Joined: Dec 2008
Thanks Don.
It may look organized but I can guarantee there will be many impulses included. Like you I tend to be impulsive. How else would I wind up with so many milk cars?
Posts: 5,859
Threads: 175
Joined: Dec 2008
(01-28-2021, 08:41 AM)tompm Wrote: How else would I wind up with so many milk cars?
Maybe you listened too many times to that inane commercial from some years go...."Got milk?" I think it might have been one of those mind control things. We don't want to see your water towers for the locomotives turning into milk towers, either.
Wayne
Posts: 2,152
Threads: 46
Joined: Dec 2008
Tonight I ran what is most likely the last train on the current track plan. Below is a video of the train.
https://youtu.be/x9MW7usuKe0
Of course the train stopped at the end of the video because the front trucks of the front loco derailed.
Posts: 2,152
Threads: 46
Joined: Dec 2008
Time is coming for heavy demo but first
Posts: 2,152
Threads: 46
Joined: Dec 2008
Got a good amount of demo this weekend. First was removing the Hunting Cabin
Before
After
Next came the rock face.
Before
After
Posts: 2,152
Threads: 46
Joined: Dec 2008
Now for removing the Grain Elevator. I tried to save as much as I could. The track, however could not be saved as it came up when I started removing the foam.
Before – Grain Elevator isolated
The Grain Elevator removed
The area without the Grain Elevator
Posts: 2,152
Threads: 46
Joined: Dec 2008
Down to the wood
The Farmhouse waits for removal
Next up is finishing removing the Farmhouse and the foam on the first board. Then I will start working on the wood for the widening of the layout.