...although I doubt that I'll be able to stand on one foot for all that long.

Anyway, I've recently been doing some work on the lower part of my layout, motorising, and/or at least making a number of now hard-to-reach (because of the second level over that area) turnouts remotely controlled.  I'm using Rapido RailCrew motors for four of them, BluePoint switch devices for at least five of them (I have another 10 available), and, if I can overcome installation difficulties, four more using PFM/Fulgurex turnout motors.

While all of the above wouldn't seem at all related to this Challenge, the fact that I will no longer need to reach in to flip Caboose Industries turnout devices means that I can fill-in some areas which might benefit, visually, from having something there other than patches of Woodland Scenics ground foam.

The idea came to me just tonight (it's just past 3:00 AM here - prime time for doin' stuff that doesn't make too much noise), and I think that I can build a square foot's-worth of something to fill-in those vacant spots.

These first two photos show a couple of Train Miniature boxcars that were damaged when I was removing the original paint, in order to detail and re-paint them.  Both suffered large cracks in one side of the body, and while I cemented them back together, the flaws were still somewhat noticeable. 
Luckily, on an around-the-room-layout, the backside of most structures is seldom visible, although I do place the camera on-layout to get views which are otherwise unavailable.
I made one car into a shed for MoW crews and material, as seen here...

   

...and another into a temporary freighthouse for LCL shipments near the Elfrida station...

   

However, both cars were originally PRR X-29 boxcars, which were very prominent in my late '30s layout era (almost 29,000 real ones were built), and would not have been downgraded to such uses at that time.  Eventually realising that, they were given to a friend who models the '50s, for use as railroad outbuildings.

Here's the vacant area near the Lowbanks shop where the MoW shed stood...

   

...and the now-vacant spot in Elfrida...

   

Here's another possible site in Elfrida...

   

...and a place in Lowbanks, east of the car shop...

   

...and another west of the car shop...

   

This empty space, across the track from the oil house, which is behind the loco shop, will be the re-fueling site for the Bee, which calls for a tank of some sort, and perhaps a pump house...

   

I don't have any drawn plans for what will be built, but seldom do, so we'll see which spaces get used (all, I hope) and what ends-up in each.
The total area covered may exceed the 12"x12" limit though, in which case I'll simply choose the ones which come closest to that total...or maybe do them all as a cubic foot rather than a square foot.

Here's some of what I'll be using for materials, but I do have lots more from which to choose...

   

Wayne

WPMA-29 picks up an empty reefer at Jersey Cold Storage.

Bruce

   

Hi all, I've made a control panel for my layout.
I used 10 mm thick MDF.
It's 18" x 6.5" in size, which was the minimum I wanted.

I drew the plan and then drilled all the holes for the LEDs and push buttons.


I counter drilled the holes from the backside to make it possible to add the LED and the nuts for the push buttons.


I primed it with cellulose first and then black Badger Stynylrez primer.


I then airbrush painted white where the track lines were going to be.


I masked the lines with 1/16" automotive masking tape. I painted over the tape with white to minimize the risk of bleeding.


The panel was then painted with dark green acrylic paint. Around the tracks I shaded with black.


This is how it looked when I removed the masking tape.


I added texts with Microscale decals.


The panel is clearcoated with Alclad matte.

Now it's the fun part; installing all the electrical bits.

I use the panel control system from MGP Here in Sweden, a very competent system with its own programming app and uses Loconet for communication.

This area is where the Murphy depot goes. I built the depot a long time ago but never have installed it and finished the area. There is also a half built Southern RR maintenance shed that needs to be finished to go in this area as well. The stuff along the backdrop will probably stay as you see it. At 10.5" from front to back and 12" side to side it comes in under the wire at  126 sq." of the 144 sq." allotted. This of course is in the correct scale of N. 

Attached Files

Thumbnail(s)
       

...to accommodate the addition of a partial second level.

While it was always my intention to have a partial second level for my layout, it was a number of years before it was added, and I hadn't realised, in the planning stages, how it might affect the portion of the layout beneath it.

One issue was accessibility to manually-controlled turnouts (Caboose Industries ground throws) which were all easily reachable and viewable when the layout was on one level, but some of which became difficult to reach or see when the second level was added and with trains on the lower level, now in the way, unable to see over them due to the upper level blocking the view. 

I had long considered the use of powered or otherwise remotely-controlled devices for these problem turnouts, but only recently have begun to address them.

Recently, there was mayhem at Lowbanks when crews arrived to do trackwork.  For some time now, since the addition of the partial upper level of my layout, some turnouts on the area below have become more difficult to reach, especially when trains or rolling stock are in the way. 

The plan was to replace the Caboose Industries ground throws (which otherwise operate perfectly well) with fascia-mounted controls, either via electric motors or mechanical means, like the BluePoint devices.  While most of the track is on 3/4" cut-out plywood subroadbed, nearby scenery, and the turntable have somewhat unconventional support by a mishmash of on-hand materials.

Here's an aerial view (courtesy of Secord Air Services) taken before the second level was in place, showing the area where the incident took place.  Just visible over the roof of the Lowbanks Shops, and behind the combine parked at the station, is a pair of turnouts which form a crossover between the north and south mains.  Those two turnouts were the ones to be updated, using Rapido's  Rail Crew turnout motors...



These motors mount next to the turnout being controlled, and require a suitably-sized hole (1.125" diameter) to be drilled 1" from the nearest rail.  I used a 1.125" spade bit in my cordless Dewalt impact driver, and was fortunate to not hit any screws or nails during the drilling. 
However, I was surprised by the "collateral damage"....

...this one's just over an inch deep...





...while this one's over 2" deep, due to the aforementioned mishmash of materials....



In addition to the wood chips (how much woodchips could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck chips), LPBs, vehicles, and many not-nailed-down or otherwise secured details, some up to 6' away, were dancing all over the place.  They're currently in piles scattered about the area.

Most of the wood chips have been vacuumed-up and the two RailCrew motors are in place and are, after a considerable amount of adjustment, functioning, but still need to be permanently wired to a power source and a fascia-mounted switch.  I hope to be able to control both motors from the same switch, as neither should be used without the other.





Headblocks and working switchstands still need to be added, then the motors will be covered-over with ballast.

I have another eight turnouts to modify on the lower level of the layout,. and at least three on the upper level, although that will increase when the industries are built in some of the not-yet-started towns.

I have two more of the RailCrew motors (got all four at a good price of ten bucks apiece when a nearby - five minute drive - hobbyshop closed). 

I also have four Fulgurex stall-motor turnout devices, thank to a generous modeller on the MR Forums, who gave them to me free.  I had used one on a previous layout, about 45 years ago, to control a scratchbuilt curved turnout (roughly a #12, or perhaps a bit longer) with a moveable frog.  At that time, the turnout motor cost over $20.00 apiece.  It worked beautifully.

I've already added one of the Blue Point turnout devices on the upper level of the layout, although have not yet added the control rod for it.  Installation was very easy, and I have another 15 of them on hand. 

These remaining devices will be used wherever they'll be most appropriate, relative to both the layout construction methods and materials, and ease (or difficulty) of access.

F'rinstance, this turnout, near Chippawa Creek and on the outskirts of Elfrida...




....has been fitted with one of the Fulgurex machines, but I cannot get it to work due to the benchwork modifications needed when Chippawa Creek was added.
I'm hoping to remove it from beneath the layout, and perhaps use it on-layout for the same turnout, hopefully disguised by scenery or in a structure.

There are lots of other turnouts needing attention, and I'll deal with them here as time permits.

Wayne

Power and crew change at Leetown

   

I'm working my way through my layout, got the rural area pretty much done, next is the town of Santa Maria's "downtown" area. This is partially the area outlined in blue, and although it is N scale, I'm still looking at around one square foot. I may go beyond that a bit since I still have a few buildings that I rescued from my old layout. Not sure what goes where yet, but I'll figure out something that works with what I've already got built and in kits....

   

In G or more accurately 1:20.3.  

https://image.shutterstock.com/z/stock-p...917591.jpg

Something like the building only, No turntable.  2 stalls for engines, tools and work benches.
I'll have to install lead in switches and tracks in addition to building the structure.  It will be made with wood, as most all of my projects.

List - 1st draft:

• Design building - Done
  
• Draw building - Done except for floor details (tools, work benches etc)
  
• Decide on materials to build structure - Paint sticks and spare pieces of lumber - Done
  
• Build structure 
  
• Add switches to layout - Connect air tubes and toggles to operate switch machines - Add position LED lights to switch frogs
  
• Add the tracks inside the shed
  
• Isolate the 2 tracks electrically and connect "power lead" switches so both engines don't come out at the same time  
  
• Light building - More LED's
  

WPMA-29 has set out a car for Great Bay Foods.

Bruce

   

I had an old project 2 years before of a western spaghetti layout that I postponed. Finally, I come back with a similar layout lucky luke on 30 layout based on LUCKY LUCK strip cartoon. The overall dimension is 2m long for 45 cm wide for the boxed layout plus an oval to create a continuous loop.

This is the mock-up. I will do a mix between a true  traditional layout and the strip cartoon. It's not so easy because the code and the rules are different.

IMG_3835 by franck combe, sur Flickr

I have to create the background for each building. The buildings come from Atlas collection and I have more than 50 figurines from the strip cartoon. They are more or less at the scale of 1/48. We'll get all the clichés of the cartoon strip.


IMG_3836 by franck combe, sur Flickr



IMG_3837 by franck combe, sur Flickr



IMG_3838 by franck combe, sur Flickr

IMG_3839 by franck combe, sur Flickr

IMG_3840 by franck combe, sur Flickr

IMG_3841 by franck combe, sur Flickr

IMG_3842 by franck combe, sur Flickr

IMG_3843 by franck combe, sur Flickr

IMG_3844 by franck combe, sur Flickr