Delaware & Northern Construction version 1.0

Started by jerryrbeach, February 05, 2018, 09:11:43 PM

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jerryrbeach

Over the years, I have tried a few methods of track planning.

First, I started by sketching freehand, but what I drew never, ever fit when it came time to lay the track.

Then, I dug out my old drafting supplies and started drawing everything to scale.  You guessed it, when it came time to lay track, it still didn't fit. 

I tried to learn some track planning software on the computer but found I spent more time yelling at the computer than actually getting anything done. (Stupid computers do not seem to listen or care.)

A friend suggested I mark out my space on a clear area of the floor and then apply masking tape where I wanted the track.  I tried this, but found getting back up took longer than the time I spent crawling around the floor laying tape. 

I fell back on the simplest method I could think to use.  Lay out a sheet of brown paper and use actual track and a marker to draw the building footprints.  I also use some cardstock mockups of structures.   

While I keep playing with the track arrangement, I have been sorting thru potential backdrop photos.
Jerry

jerryrbeach

Quote from: ACL1504 on February 09, 2018, 09:33:08 AM
Jerry,

Looking great my friend. Very well done. I see you use the same type weights I do to hold the foam down. 8)


Tom ;D

Tom,

Thanks for dropping by and your kind words.  I was beginning to think I wouldn't find enough "weights", but I did.
Jerry

jerryrbeach

I haven't had a lot of time to devote to working on the layout in the last few days. 

I have pretty well finalized the track plan.  I'm sure I will make some small changes when I start laying track, but it is very close.  I sprayed the track with a Rustoleum Camo brown rattle can.  I plan to paint the rails and weather the ties after the track is in place, but this supplies a base color to work from.

I primed the Masonite backdrop, and used some earth colored latex to coat the pink and blue foam.  Like the track, this is just an undercoat to help keep the glaring pink foam from showing through later should the scenery be damaged.

I have been doing some practice backdrop painting on a piece of scrap Masonite.  I have also been looking at backdrop photo options.  The photos I had planned to use didn't really give me the effect I was looking for when I taped them to the backdrop and left them there for a few days. 

That's about it for now. 
Jerry

ACL1504

Jerry,

Nice and clean, for now anyway. Looking forward to seeing the track plan. This is going to be fun.

Tom ;D
"If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed."
Thomas Jefferson

Tom Langford
telsr1@aol.com

jerryrbeach

Quote from: ACL1504 on February 13, 2018, 04:37:11 PM
Jerry,

Nice and clean, for now anyway. Looking forward to seeing the track plan. This is going to be fun.

Tom ;D

Tom,

Thanks for checking in.  You're right, for me the fun part is just starting. 
Jerry

jerryrbeach

#35
My backdrop painting adventure did not turn out as I had hoped and planned. 

If you recall, I had hoped to fade the blue sky to a lighter hue as it approached the horizon.  My practice panel gave me a chance to blend the colors using a foam brush.  I attempted to do the same on the backdrop, working on each section (module) of the backdrop separately.  I started with my sky blue color and mixed a lighter color by adding white to it until it looked more "horizon like" to me.  I used a roller to roll the darker blue across the 8" more or less of the top, then rolled the lighter blue across the bottom.  I used a foam brush to try to pull the colors together and blend them.  This seemed to work OK if I worked very quickly, given how fast the paint was drying.  Once I finished and everything dried completely, I had two different blue colors, the issue was that they did not really fade or blend, but I was left with a line across the sky where the color changed. 

At that point, I decided to cut my losses, admit I have less than zero artistic talent, paint the entire backdrop with one shade of blue, and move on. 

Side note:  I used 1/8" Masonite for the backdrop as I have a good supply of it that cost me nothing.  When assembling the modules, I worked hard to line the seams between the sections as tightly as possible.  After applying the paint, the Masonite moved all on its own, and not in unison.  The tightest backdrop seam at assembly is now the most uneven.  I did not prime the back of the Masonite, and thus do not know if that would have helped, but it is something I will try next time. 
Jerry

jerryrbeach

#36
Time for a brief, I hope, history lesson on the D&N. 

The D&N, when constructed, connected a group of small villages along the East Branch of the Delaware River, most with fewer than 500 inhabitants.  The valley widened along the northern half of the railroad and the area economy was based on primarily on agriculture.  Almost every village had a creamery, most built by the railroad.  After milk, lumber in many forms, bluestone, and vegetable crops were the norm.  The predominant type of manufacturing was based on the lumber industry, with a barrel stave factory, handle factory, shingle mill, excelsior mills, and wood acid factories.

The D&N, for the most part, followed a simple formula when it came to the trackage serving the villages.  Most featured a passing siding and anywhere from one to a few spurs serving the needs of that village.  I based my freelance plan for this layout on the way the D&N served its customers. 

My basic plan is a passing siding with here industrial spurs serving the local industries.  There is a longer spur that curves onto the "L" section of the layout, for whatever industry ends up in that space.  I also added a couple tracks next to the backdrop that can be used for staging when the layout is expanded. 

As indicated in an earlier post, I covered the layout in brown paper and laid track and switches on the paper, rearranging them multiple times until I got what I felt would fit in the space and offer a reasonable amount of operation.  I then drew the outline of the track and switches on the paper. 
I slipped my cutting mat under the paper and used a scalpel and straight edge to cut out the paper about 1/8" wide along the center of the straight sections.  I did the same at the ends of the switches, and at various points where the track was curved.  I used a marker to draw through the slots I had cut, thus transferring the plan onto the brown painted foam. I pulled off the paper and had the bare bones of the plan drawn onto the foam.

I had noted the radius of the curved sections (remember I drew the plan using actual sectional track components), and I simply wrote these numbers in the appropriate places on the foam.  I then used a trammel stick to draw in the curve centerlines.  Of course, not everything transferred exactly, so I used the track components to double check that everything would more or less fit as planned. 
Jerry

ACL1504

Jerry,

You are having to much fun! However, it is looking good.

I enjoyed the history of the D&N and what you are planning for switching, lots of opportunities.

I'm getting anxious to start my third level so I can have more fun myself.

Tom ;D
"If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed."
Thomas Jefferson

Tom Langford
telsr1@aol.com

jerryrbeach

Tom,

Thanks for looking in and your nice comment.

It should go without saying, but I'll say it anyway; I'll be watching the next phase of the A&S construction.
Jerry

jerryrbeach

I mentioned earlier that I envision using these modules as part of an ongoing process toward constructing a layout.  I want to include at least basic staging so I laid out a track along the backdrop.  Then I added a passing siding to the first track.  My idea is to use structures and a low hill to somewhat block the view of the staging track.  These tracks are not really accessible with the three modules I am working on now, but rather part of the master plan. 

Since I wanted this track to be less noticeable, I laid it directly on the foam.  By doing this, I needed a way to transition from the foam to the cork roadbed.  After a little thought, I decided one way to do this would be to use wood shingles, since they already feature a nice long taper.  I had purchased purchased wood shingles for a project several years ago, and saved the ones I did not use. 
Jerry

S&S RR

Jerry


I'm really enjoying your thread - your layout is really looking great. I will be following your progress.
John Siekirk
Superior & Seattle Railroad

jerryrbeach

Quote from: S&S RR on February 16, 2018, 09:13:38 AM
Jerry


I'm really enjoying your thread - your layout is really looking great. I will be following your progress.

John,

Thanks for following along, and your nice comment. 
Jerry

jerryrbeach

I did some research online to see how other modelers fasten their track and roadbed to the surface of the layout.  Many modelers use white glue to hold the cork to the layout.  I considered using that method, but wasn't sure how well the white glue would bond with the foam.  The method I decided to use was to bond the roadbed to the foam was to use latex caulk.  Thus far, this has worked well, though I have found I need to use lots of weights to hold the cork in place while the caulk dries.  When I have had to move some of the already bonded cork roadbed, I have been able to slide a putty knife under the cork and separate it from the foam with only minor damage to the foam.

If you decide to use this method, be sure to buy the latex caulk and not the latex caulk with silicone added.
Jerry