Shadowlands and Tellynott

[Mark Dalrymple]

That's quite an update.  Ever since you explained how you do the metal ridge peak flashing I have been impressed with how realistic it looks.  Taking the time to do it in a way that duplicated the prototype makes such a difference in the impact of your modeling.  I really like how the shingled roof came out.  I've never been quite satisfied with how my roofs with the Campbell shingles look, I'll have to try your method.

Thanks, Jerry.

I use a toothpick to meld the tin foil into the undulations of the iron.

I find the combination of double sided tape and canopy glue makes getting the shingles straight easy.  Troels Kirk's painting method is pretty foolproof.  If you go too far you can always bring things back with some more blackish brown.

Cheers, Mark.

[nycjeff]

Hello Mark, I'm very impressed with all of the progress you are making on this very interesting complex. I realy liked the walkovers- some fine modeling there

[S&S RR]

Great modeling here, my friend. I agree, the ridge cap is perfect.

[Mark Dalrymple]

Hello Mark, I'm very impressed with all of the progress you are making on this very interesting complex. I realy liked the walkovers- some fine modeling there

Thanks Jeff!

The roofing takes ages - as I'm sure you know - and although I've been pottering away at it progress is slow, especially at this time of year (autumn).  I've also been spending time getting into the track laying.  There is a lot to do!  I have now bought 5 boxes of Peco code 75 flextrack.  So far I have laid one box.  The point work really slows me down!

Cheers, Mark.

[Mark Dalrymple]

Great modeling here, my friend. I agree, the ridge cap is perfect.

Thanks, John.

It is fiddly.  On my third corrugated roof for this complex I had to have two attempts as my first one went a bit skew whiff!  There is no rescuing those kind of fragile double sided tape pieces and I had to make up a new ridge capping.  All went well the second time around.

Cheers, Mark.

[Mark Dalrymple]

Hi guys.

So I bought some more Australian, New South Wales rolling stock.  These are about ten years too modern for my period, but 'oh well'.  They come in four packs and these sets are always limited runs and always seem to sell out.  I bought two 10 packs of coal hoppers and was planning to get one more ten pack with hungry boards and they all sold out.  Such a shame as I really wanted that random look of a few here and there with hungry boards.  So I got five cattle wagons, four sheep wagons and three dairy wagons.  Here are three pictures of the train in the passing siding at Ellery.  I have laid the track work and installed the turnouts through here now.  All curved track is cantilevered.  The photos should show a nice flowing curve - I tried hard to get one!






Here is the second bridge for Shadowlands.  This is the one I had to partially rebuild after Wilbur escaped from his crate in the middle of the night and among other antics, knocked over the table on which my bridge was being built.  My original plan was to have a micro Engineering tall steel viaduct with height extensions, but when I got to the track bed stage I discovered I didn't have anywhere near enough height.  I lowered the baseboard as much as I could and the river bed is now directly fixed to the module bearers.  I have plans for the tall steel viaduct elsewhere, but without the height extensions. 


More in a sec, cheers, Mark.

[Mark Dalrymple]

Hi again...

Photo 5 - shows a heisler and two of the hoppers mocked up on the bridge.  I used Micro Engineering code 70 bridge track.


Photo 6 - shows the view through the bridge to the Builders in Scale Silverado mine.


Photo 7 - is looking down on this section of the layout.  There will be a tunnel mouth just to the left of the bridge, and at the right the gradient flattens for the passing loop at Malcolm.


Photo 8 - shows the view through the bridge to the track snaking its way to the Silverado mine.  This track is now laid too.


More soon, cheers, Mark.

[nycjeff]

Hello Mark, what great progress you are making on your empire. You have a lot of mountain building to do, can't wait to see it.

[cuse]

Beautiful work on the trestle Mark...that's going to be quite a scene. The complexity of the benchwork is certainly intriguing as I try to envision the dramatic scenery to follow.

[Zephyrus52246]

Great looking trestle, Mark.  Can that tiny Rio Grande engine really pull all those wagons?

Jeff

[Mark Dalrymple]

Hello Mark, what great progress you are making on your empire. You have a lot of mountain building to do, can't wait to see it.

Thanks, Jeff.

Yes - it will be nice to get into forming up the mountain scenery.  Hopefully I will get to some of that later this year.

Cheers, Mark.

[Mark Dalrymple]

Beautiful work on the trestle Mark...that's going to be quite a scene. The complexity of the benchwork is certainly intriguing as I try to envision the dramatic scenery to follow.

Thanks, Cuse.

I'm planning on having the river split into two streams coming under the trestle.  The river that flows to this point will have to be lowered.  At the moment I have 16mm MDF screwed (but not glued) to the top of the joists for the riverbed.  In order to allow enough height for the Micro Engineering tall towers to fit under the higher track (just past the spur to the snowy river battery) I need to lower the MDF to be flush with the top of the joists.  A bit more cutting and fitting to do yet.  The river then falls about 3 inches to the lowered section that the trestle sits on.  I carefully plotted out the position of all the piles and set my plunge router to the correct depth and routed slightly larger holes for the piles to fit into.  It was a mare to get the piles into all those holes (40, I think) and so I have attached the track to the bridge at both ends and will try to scenic around the bridge in position.  We will see how that goes.  It was a super elevated bridge on a 28" radius curve at a 3% grade.  You can't build them much more difficult that that!  To be honest I'm amazed it fitted as well as it did...

Cheers, Mark.

[Mark Dalrymple]

Great looking trestle, Mark.  Can that tiny Rio Grande engine really pull all those wagons?

Thanks, Jeff.

To be honest I don't know yet.  Probably on the flat.  The wagons are quite light and extremely free running.  I would imagine the 4% grade might be a little taxing.  I was looking at how I could do away with the loop, make the layout point to return loop, and lower the gradient to around 2.5%.  It is possible (although a hell of a lot of messy, double handling work) but it kind of creates as many problems as it fixes.  It also means there would be about 6" less vertical displacement.  In the end I decided to carry on with the 4% grade.  Geared locos, shorter trains.  Perhaps trains will need to be pushed up hill and pulled downhill to stop runaway derailed wagons.  I can tell you from testing my trackwork with a short rake of cars - they sure do get up some serious speed!

Cheers, Mark.