East Terminal & Newburgh

[Schraddel]

Hello! Next day, time to report what has happenend ago.


Meanwhile i came to an final decision of the configuration of the tracks on modules #1 and #2. Module #1 has no switches and module #2 has indeed 4 switches.
Three of them are Atlas Code Custom Line 83 #8 and one with the black frog is a #6. So all switches on the main are #8's with the excepition of the particular #6 which will be travelled in straight direction on the main.
Time to made thought of a background building. The IHC kit Novelty Ironworks drop my attention. This building with walls made out of random stone seemed me suitable to represent a 1850's foundry plant. Within one of the oldest industrial business in my mythical Cleveland. Long before the railroads appeared. It was founded on the embankement of the Ohio & Erie Canal (not modelled on this layout).
Here like as in the first picture, so it may be looked in the mid-1800's.
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From:
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The kit was not build up as intended by the maker as you see. It was cut up to form an background building and after much trying and trials it got this general shape.


Further progress with background blanked out.


A control photo.

And now it was time for the layout to get it's owm legs.

The X-menbers are from IKEA.

And the first oversight:





Still yet the tracks are loose.
On module #2 i started to lay cork bed. All the main will be laid on cork and all the spurs will be laid direct onto the ground. The cork was bought in the home depot in sheets. It was much cheaper than prefabricated cork bed, but have the same quality. And cutting into stripes and sheets of suitable measures is easy done with a cutter. Then i glued the bed down with white glue. On particular stretches a slope was formed by cutting 45° stripe from the edges of the cork, but the main sloping was made with the ballast.


Nailing down the tracks has begun. This is a photo made to detect how straight, or how crooked the rails are.


From above position.


From the other side.

Electrics is simple. As this layout will be DCC only all rails are permanently under juice. The only exception are the frogs. They will be juiced by electric switches in accordance of the polarity it the switch is thrown or not.
So all rails were simply wired through to pemanent current.


On this electrical background i made the first test runs. Here with an Bowser PRR Mike of 1000g ( 35.27oz ; 2.205lb) weight.
The tracks down into the spurs were shimmed with pieces of styrene rods an sheets. Lateron they will disappear complete under the ballast.


The gaps of the sleeper were closed by wood ties made out of wood profiles. Squeeze them a little bit to get the right height. I found it simpler and easier made than cutting down plastic ties.
The long sleepers ouf the switches were also made in this manner.

Modules #1 and #2 are now finished with track laying.

Lutz