The Modeler's Forum

Welcome to the Clearwater Valley Railway Co Layout Build. 

This is a continuation of the thread I started on the Railway Line Forum on March 2, 2007.

First a little history, the Clearwater Valley Railway Co is a fictional located in Southern British Columbia and runs between Mara near the Okanagan Valley and runs to Margaret's Bay on the coast modeled in On30.  You can read about the history of the CVRY on my website (http://www.cvry.ca).

If you are interested in seeing the construction progress to date you can also find it on my website under the layout construction Blog tab in the index.  There hasn't been much/any progress on the layout since 2012 as I've been working out of town since that time until recently.  thirteen years of working on the road has left no time to work on the railroad.  I am still working on the road but I'm close enough to home that I am home every night. just get to drive 3 hours a day but I'm only working 4 days a week.  I recently started working on the layout again with the building of the Lac La Hache yard (west end staging).

As a side note, I am also building a portable N scale switching layout (14" x 72") that I take with me when I'm working on the road.  It is presently under construction and I'll start a thread on that too when I get back to working on it.

Here is a trackplan of the layout.

Clearwater Valley Ry-Ver 05b.jpg

The main layout is situated in a room that is 16'-10" x 10-6" and the Lac La Hache staging yard measures 7'-7" x 1'-3" and is in another room that is my modeling room.

This thread will follow my trials and tribulations starting with the building of the staging yard and beyond.

Thanks for looking in.

Ron,

I'm looking forward to this build. I've been reading up on the history and the layout construction blog.

Tom 

Looking forward to following your progress, Ron.

It's great that you have time to get back to building your empire.

Cheers, Mark.

Thanks for looking in Tom and Mark, hope you will find it interesting.

The Beginnings of the west end staging Yard (Lac La Hache) ....

While I have held operating sessions in the past on the Clearwater Valley Railway Co. the missing piece was the west end staging.  In the past, west end trains started and terminated on the track located on the lift out section at the entrance of the layout room.  Cars and locomotives were replaced manually by hand, not an ideal situation.

But first a little history......

A couple of years ago between road trips (projects out of town) I converted the original storage room that was located adjacent to the layout room into a modeling room.  Years before that I build a larger storage room in another part of the basement so the original storage room contained a bunch of empty shelves.  One of the goals of the new modeling space was to contain the west end staging yard.

Now back to the story.....

In the new modeling room the location of the staging yard will be over the workbench which is 7' - 7" long, width to be determined.  My original workbench wasn't ideal as both the layout and the workbench underneath it was 24" deep.  This led to my forehead leaning against the fascia of the layout while modeling which made for uncomfortable modeling.

So what did I want for the new staging yard?

• an arrival track
• a departure track
• 2 yard tracks
• a runaround track
• a place to store cabooses (or is it cabeese?)
• a place to store locomotives
• a way to turn locomotives (I only operate steam locomotives as the railway is set in the late 1920's - no stinking diesels here  :P )

This is what I came up with.

Staging Yard Trackage - Colour.jpg

I was able to get this in a width of 15" and the trackage use is as follows, remember the staging yard is designed using function over form.

• The top track would be used as the departure track
• The second track would be used as the arrival track
• The third and fourth tracks would be used as yard tracks
• The bottom track would be used as a run around track.
• The turntable would be used to turn engines from trains that arrive and be used to break up the train that just arrived, put together the next train for departure or moved to the locomotive storage tracks.

Staging Yard Clearances.jpg
Above is a cross section of where the location of the staging yard will be in relation of the workbench.  I built a mock-up of the staging yard modules out of foam-core to make sure that the staging yard would not interfere with my modeling.

Next up.... Building the module frames.

Thanks for looking in.

Welcome Ron, I'm looking forward to your seeing progress on the layouts.  

Ron,

Of course I'm a big fan so I'll be looking forward to all you post on the build.

Tom 

Thanks for your comments Gregory and Tom, they are very much appreciated.

Tom, I'm also a big fan of yours, a really learn a lot watching your builds.

Time for another update.....

Building the Module Frames for the West End Staging Yard (at least the easy ones). . . . .

When I was working in Kentucky I decided to build a portable N scale switching layout using T-track modules as a guideline.  They were built by laminating 1/4" thick poplar which is a hardwood that is easy to cut, sand and paint.  I was very pleased with the result that I decided to build the staging yard modules using the same techniques.

 

Staging004.jpg

The material required to build the module frames which consists of 2-1/2" x 1/4" poplar used for the outside skin, 1-1/2" x 1/4" uses as the inner skin and foam support and 1" thick pink foam for the base.



Staging005.jpg

All the pieces cut to size for the 2 modules.



Staging008.jpg

One of the modules glued and clamped together.  No metal fasteners were used in the construction except for a few brad nails used at the corners to keep everything in place until the clamps were applied.  One can never have too many clamps.



Staging010.jpg

The first module frame completed.



Staging011.jpg

The second module frame completed.



Staging012.jpg

The 1" pink foam top added.


Staging015.jpg

Before going too far I added the DCC bus at the workbench as it was easier to do it now before the nodules were installed.



Staging017.jpg

The shelves above the workbench rearranged and shelf brackets realigned to support the modules.  12" shelf brackeks were used.



Staging018.jpg

Before laying the modules down I installed the LED tube lights that light up the workbench when working.  These were recessed into the module frame to cut down on glare.



Staging019.jpg

The modules set in place.

Next up is figuring out the location where the track goes through the wall.

Thanks for looking in.

Welcome Ron;

I look forward to watching your progress, lots of neat ideas I see already.

Jim

Ron great job on the modules.....except I feel like I've seen this before...must be a little deja vu. Anyway I'll be checking in and watching your progress.

Quote from: Jim Donovan on January 05, 2025, 05:30:53 PMWelcome Ron;

I look forward to watching your progress, lots of neat ideas I see already.

Jim

Jim,

Thanks thanks for the welcome and for looking in hope you find the journey enjoyable.

Quote from: Larry C on January 05, 2025, 05:38:43 PMRon great job on the modules.....except I feel like I've seen this before...must be a little deja vu. Anyway I'll be checking in and watching your progress.

Hi Larry,

I'm betting there will be a little more deja vu till I get caught up. ;D

I followed the Yellow Brick Road..........this doesn't look like Kansas???????????
It's good to see your fine work Ron...
KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry.

Hi Kyle, Nope it's not Kansas :D , thanks for looking in.

Time for another update, going to call this one .....

Decisions, Decisions ......

In order to build the third and final module the location of the track coming through the wall needed to be determined.


Staging021.jpg

I built a No. 5 turnout  that will be used to bring the mainline to the staging yard.  It was moved along the mainline to determine the best place for the new trackwork.



Staging023.jpg

Once the approximate location was determined I removed the section of rail, ties and scenery where the hole in the wall was to be located.



Staging025.jpg

Cork roadbed was added.



Staging026.jpg

I then added the track center lines to determine where the test hole would be built.

As an aside I was going to make this a longer post but there seems to be a limit on the amount of pictures allowed for post.  I'm new here and still learning but showing the building process in smaller chunks is not really an issue.

Thanks for looking in.

This is great! Very educational and inspirational.  Thanks for sharing!

Quote from: ReadingBob on January 10, 2025, 08:17:58 PMThis is great! Very educational and inspirational.  Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for looking in Bob, glad you are finding it useful.

Woo Hoo! Looking Great!

Quote from: Philip on January 11, 2025, 10:18:00 AMWoo Hoo! Looking Great!

Thanks Philip, much appreciated.

Time for another update, this one should bring me me up to date on my progress on the staging yard (well almost). ::)

I'm going to call this update .....

Bring on the boring Machine ....

Now the fun starts, seeing as I built this wall when I bought the house I know that the studs were placed on 16" centers but many, many years later I have no ideas where the studs are now that that the backdrop was in place.  For the record the backdrop is 0.060 styrene that I bought in a 4' x 8' sheet from a local plastics supplier that I cut into 16" strips.



Staging027.jpg

After gathering up my courage and holding my breath I drilled a pilot hole where the track centerline met the backdrop. I had to start somewhere. :-\


Staging028.jpg

Seeing as the pilot hole didn't hit a stud I cut away a 4" high x 3" wide (centered on the pilot hole) by removing the backdrop and drywall behind it.  I couldn't believe my luck (lottery ticket time?) as the pilot hole landed just inside a stud, man was I a happy camper.  I then took a 5ft long 1/4"drill, laid it flat along the track and drilled through the wall to see where it landed on the other side.  

Where did I get a 5ft long drill bit?  When I bought the house (over 30 ago now :o I decided to install my own alarm hardware to save money.  In order to run the wiring through the floors where I made a hole in the wall for a device I would pass the 5ft drill in the opening and drill through the floor plate to the basement.  There is a hole at the end of the drill bit where you could add a fishing swivel that you could attach the wire to and pull it up through the floor to the alarm device.  Who knew that I would find a use for them 30+ years later.  Probably be another 30 tears before I find another use for them.



Staging029.jpg

The location of the drill bit in the modeling room where the staging yard is being built.



Staging030.jpg 

The pilot hole also gave me the height of the track (railhead height).  Using this information I marked out where to cut the hole through the modeling room side of the wall.  For the record the opening is 7-1/2" wide by 4" high with the left side being 16" from the pilot hole.  Have I mentioned that I'm one happy camper as no studs needed to be cut for this.  ;D



Staging031.jpg

The hole cut through the wall.  All I needed to do now is remove the insulation.


Staging032.jpg

Using a piece of On30 flex-track I cut the hole on the layout side till I got the clearances I needed for the rolling stock.  I used a Bachmann On30 coach for this as this is the biggest piece of equipment I own.

In the next update I'll show how I lined the opening through the wall.

Thanks for stopping by.


 

Coming on nicely, Ron.

I was sure you meant a five inch drill bit - but I see you didn't!  It looks like it was plenty long enough...

Cheers, Mark.

Quote from: Mark Dalrymple on January 11, 2025, 07:34:31 PMComing on nicely, Ron.

I was sure you meant a five inch drill bit - but I see you didn't!  It looks like it was plenty long enough...

Cheers, Mark.

Thanks Mark,

Yes the drill bit was plenty long enough :D

Update #5 . . . . Where's the Dynamite?

Because of the insulation in the walls and the fear of a piece of equipment derailing and falling into the void never to be found again, unless a major "renovation" is carried out to retrieve it, A tunnel liner needed to be built.

I had pieces of 1-1/2 and 2-1/2 wide poplar left over left over from the module build so I used them to make a tunnel liner.  Because the wall was constructed from 2 x 3's which is only 2-1/2" thick I took a piece of 2-1/2" wide piece and wedge it into the bottom of the hole and glues it into place.


Staging034.jpg

To make up the sides a piece of 2-1/2" wide piece cut to length and a piece of 1-1/2" cut to length was glued together and clamped until the glue cured.


Staging035.jpg

The edges were sanded on an angle and glued into place.  In order to attach the top a piece 2-1/2" wide poplar was cut to size and a screw was partly screwed into it.  This was used to pull down the top of the tunnel liner down onto the sides.


Staging036.jpg

The finished tunnel portal.

Thanks for dropping by.

Update #6 . . . . Now for a little planning

Now that the location of the track coming through the wall is established I needed to figure out the track location to determine the size of the last module.


Staging037.jpg

The goal here is to create a "signature" scene where the track comes through the wall using a mountain tunnel that immediately crosses a deck girder bridge then a trestle before hitting land.  There is also the the triple curved turnout that is the yard ladder that needed to be placed as this will determine how long the trestle can be.  You can see the Girder bridge in the background that will be used in the scene.


Staging038.jpg

The finalized plan.  The red centerline was the original track centerline while the black centerline is the actual centerline that will be used.  The solid red line at the bottom is the front edge of the module



Angle Module - Staging Yard.jpg
With the final size now set I made a preliminary drawing of the module.

Thanks for looking in.

The black hole is sealed. Where did that huge switch come from? Guessing a fast tracks jig?

Nice work!

Quote from: Philip on January 12, 2025, 01:29:26 PMThe black hole is sealed. Where did that huge switch come from? Guessing a fast tracks jig?

Nice work!

Philip,

The black hole is finally gone. 8)   The huge switch is custom made, no Fast Track jig to make them.  I did use a Fast Track #8 point and frog jig though.  I only own turnout jigs for #4, #5 and #6 straight turnouts.  Every thing else is custom made to fit the space. I do have #4, #5, #6 and #8 point and frog jigs.

Excellent.

Time for another update. . . . .

Update #7     Where are the Earth Movers???????

Now that the track geometry has been figured out and the size of the last module has been built it was time to build the last module required for the staging yard.  Due to the angles involved, I decided to build it one side at the time. 


Staging040.jpg

The first thing I did was build a couple of cleats to hold the module in place along the back wall.



Staging041.jpg

The framing completed for the back wall.



Staging042.jpg

The front frame complete.  I'm using the clamps to attach the front frame to the back frame and to the existing modules.  This gives me the final dimensions and angles for the last frame required for the module.



Staging043.jpg

The frame pieces constructed and glued together.  I used wax paper where the new models meat the back wall and existing modules so that the glue in the joints don't glue what I don't want it glued to. ;D



Staging044.jpg

The module frame completed and in place.  The module will be connected to the existing modules using a couple of bolts.

Next up, installing the base scenery.

Thanks for looking in.

 8)

Ron nice to see your latest work here. Great job and your precision is outstanding.

Ditto Ron.

Thanks Larry and Curt,

Well I have some catching up to do let lets get the next update on the go.

this is Update #8 . . . . Terraforming Continues - Part 3


 Staging044.jpg

The final part of the framing required adding the supports for the foam.



Staging045.jpg

Foam added



Staging046.jpg


Another view of the foam base



Staging047.jpg

Needed to paint the fascia to match the rest of the staging yard.

Thanks for looking in.

Bonus Material (Part One) . . . . . .

Help, There are Two Many Angles . . . . .

Cutting the foam turned out to be a challenge due to the fact that of all the angles involved with each section. So in order to take the guess work out of it, I took a trick from countertop measuring.


Staging048.jpg

I needed something thick that would be stiff enough to hold it's shape so I took a file folder and cut them into 1" wide strips.



Staging049.jpg

Using the strips I started using them to outline the section where the foam piece will go.



Staging050.jpg

With the outline established I added some intermediate strips to reinforce the outline frame.



Staging051.jpg

The template put on a piece of foam ready to be cut out.



Staging052.jpg

The foam cut to size. It is a little longer at one end as this edge needs to be cut on an angle to match the angle of the slope.


Staging053.jpg

Wait HOW COME THE FOAM WON'T BEND TO FIT PROPERLY????????

OK, so I need to rethink this as the angle at the front is not the same as the back.

How will our reluctant hero solve this problem, will he go off the deep end and destroy everything built to date?  Will a sledge hammer be involved.  You will have to wait till Bonus material part 2 to find out.

Thanks for looking in.

Bonus Material (Part 2)

How to Bend Rigid Foam. . . . .

Staging053.jpg

As you can see here the rigid foam doesn't fit properly as the frame angles are different at the front and back of the modules.



Staging054.jpg

In order to get around the angle difference I sliced the piece into 3 pieces to start.  I then took the first piece, laid it in place and proceeded to cut it into smaller strips until the slope fit in place properly.  I then did the same procedure on the other 2 pieces.



Staging055.jpg

The completed slope.

Thanks for looking in.

Looking forward to the build Ron.

Jerry

I look forward to seeing your progress Ron.

Howdy Ron, nice work bending the foam. I am anxiously waiting for the structure to bridge the gap.  Have fun, mike

Ron, thanks for starting this thread here so we can continue to follow along.

Thanks for the comments Jerry, Curt, Mike and Rick.

Rick, your welcome, I just need to get used to only 6 pictures per post. :o   Might need to make my updates in smaller chunks.

Ron nice work solving the angle problem; looking forward to following your adventure. I'm sure you've noticed how much faster this site is to post too and far less issues to contend with.

This is the final "catch-up" update.  This will bring me up to date on the staging yard progress to date.  All future updates will be real time. 

Update #9  The Surveying Crews Get to Work .......

Before I can lay the cork roadbed I need to establish the track center lines.


Staging056.jpg

For me, locating the center lines is a 2-step process. I begin by laying out the main track center lines in red. This is the west end of the staging yard.



Staging057.jpg

Seeing as the west end of the staging yard is the critical area as that is where the yard ladder is, I started with the tripple curved turnout laying out the center lines  The black lines is the final track center lines.  All curves are 24".  To make it easier on myself I cut out a template using foam core.



Staging058.jpg

In order to maximize space I had to move the turnout further back than I wanted to.  The throw bar ends up being on the slope section of the module (snag #1). I thought about just bending the end down to match the slope but quickly realized that the grade might be a bit to much for my smaller locomotives so I marked out the area that will have to be modified instead. 8)




Staging059.jpg

The west end of the staging yard with the track center lines finalized.  There will be a 12" diameter (48ft) turntable at the end. This where I ran into the second snag :o .  When I drew up the trackplan for the staging yard I figured that the turntable was 12" diameter. Before I went too far I decided to check what size hole I need for the turntable as I'm going to be using the one that is presently in Mara as I have a replacement turntable for Mara, I just need to build it. Well, it turns out the hole required for the turntable is 12-1/2" >:( . Well that changes things. The bottom track centerline that was going to be the caboose track will need to be relocated as there is not enough clearance to add the track there.



Staging060.jpg

The center of the staging yard. I added a switch at the bottom for the new location of the caboose track



Staging061.jpg

The east end of the staging yard showing the land form modification to allow for the turnout throwbar.

Next up is laying the cork roadbed, but that is a tale for another day.

Thanks for looking in.

Quote from: Larry C on January 31, 2025, 10:55:58 AMRon nice work solving the angle problem; looking forward to following your adventure. I'm sure you've noticed how much faster this site is to post too and far less issues to contend with.

Thanks Larry and yes I have noticed how much quicker this site is to post to and no "Error 500" to deal with. :)

The only issue I have with the site so far is the number of attachments allowed per post.

Ron the pics in your last post aren't showing up.

Quote from: Larry C on January 31, 2025, 11:10:49 AMRon the pics in your last post aren't showing up.

Larry,

I see the pictures, is anyone else having this problem?

I see the pictures. 

BTW, this is a good thread, thanks for sharing.

Yup, I 'em now. Nice track planning btw.

Real deja vu! ;)

Quote from: IWannaRetire on January 31, 2025, 01:32:40 PMI see the pictures. 

BTW, this is a good thread, thanks for sharing.

Mark,

Your welcome, glad you are finding the thread enjoyable.

Quote from: Philip on January 31, 2025, 09:30:24 PMReal deja vu! ;)

Isn't it ;D

Well time for another update, a "Live" one this time ;D

Update #10 The Grading Crew Goes to Work. . . . . .

Now that the track center lines have been established, It's time to lay some roadbed.


Staging065.jpg

I decided that I would start the process at the east end of the yard where all the fancy cutting would take place for the 3 curved turnouts.

Moving down the yard I soon realized that I would need to temporarily install the turntable so that I could finish installing the cork at the west end of the yard.



Staging066.jpg

HOLY GUACAMOLE BATMAN, I THINK WE USED TOO MUCH DYNAMITE :o

In order to install the turntable I needed to cut the hole out of the foam.  I used a hot wire cutter for this.



Staging067.jpg

With the turntable temporally installed I can finish up the cork roadbed installation.



Staging068.jpg

The cork roadbed installed at the west end of the staging yard.



Staging069.jpg

The cork roadbed installed at the east end of the staging yard.  I think I used every pin I own laying all this cork. :D

Thanks for looking in.

Ron that is a lot of progress on your layout. It looks like you will use the TT just for turning locos around without a roundhouse?

Looking good Ron...... 8)

Ron,

I see lots of progress, well done, very well done.

Tom 

Nice progress Ron!

Wow! That is going to be quite the staging yard; nicely done.

Thanks for the comments Curt, Greg, Tom, Philip and Larry, they are very much appreciated.

Curt, you are right, the turntable will only be used for turning the locomotives.  I only operate steam locomotives (no stinking diesels here 8) ) on my layout. 

Ron, it's looking good.  With all that roadbed laid, I expect to hear the gandy dancers any time now.  Nice work.  Have fun, mike

Ron, congratulations on getting the TT installed and the track layout established.
I am curious as to why you are using a cork roadbed in a yard?

Thanks for the comments Mike and Rick.

Rick, I use cork roadbed for 2 reasons;
     1. It deadens the noise, running trains on bare foam is a noisy preposition.
     2. It helps hold spikes as all the track on my layout is hand laid.

I use 1/8" gasket cork for this as it is much denser that the cork you get from hobby shops, home depot, staples, etc as there is a rubber component to it.  It holds spikes really well.  I got it from my local gasket supplier in 3ft x 3ft sheets which I cut into 1" strips.

My foam roadbeds are louder than my decoders ;) I'll try that on my next module.

Ron great update.  Turntable looks really nice who's make is that??

I wish I was the supplier of the pins I could retire selling you those!!!!  ;D :)

Jerry

The project is coming along so well.  I'm excited to see the scene develope.  It really is great to watch as the whole thing takes shape.  Will there be a lot of rocks and debri, or will it be more subdued and grassy. Trees? This is really cool Ron, and I love the TT.  Have fun..................

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry.

Thanks for the comments Philip, Jerry and Kyle, they are very much appreciate them.

Jerry, the turntable pit and bridge are from a Walthers 90ft HO Turntable.  The deck is scratchbuilt.

Kyle, The layout is based in British Columbia, so I'm thinking lots of rocks.

Cool.................

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry.

Good evening everyone,  guess what?  It's time for another update. :)

Update # 11 . . . .  The Bridge crew gets to work.

While waiting for glue to dry I decided to start working on the steel girder bridge because it's location and length will determine the length of the trestle bridge.



Staging070.jpg

I was able to pick an unfinished project from my "Unfinished project shelf".  Ok, it could be a couple of shelves.  If memory serves me correctly, I started this project 3-4 years ago, but it never got finished due to a work assignment.  The sides came from the Atlas HO flat car girder load that was spliced together and the deck was scratchbuilt using Evergreen styrene structural pieces.



Staging071.jpg

I finished off the ends and painted the bridge with TAMIYA oxide red fine surface primer.



Staging072.jpg

Seeing as most railroads tend to put their name on the sides of their bridges I decided to do the same.  ;)  Although I will say that the lettering in real life looks straighter than in the picture.  I'm sure that no one will notice once the weathering is done.  Now I just need to figure out how to weather it, should I use washes and weathering powders, of should I take the easy way out and leave it outside for a couple of years and hope Gracie (our dog) doesn't find it.



Staging073.jpg

When I built the trestle for my On30 modules I built a jig for the bridge ties.  I tend to keep my jigs in case I build something else where I could use them.  This will be the 3rd bridge I have used this jig on.



Staging074.jpg

Once the ties are laid in the jig, I used a 1/4" strip of masking tap to hold the ties in place while they were transfered to the bridge.



Staging075.jpg

The ties were glued to the bridge using CA adhesive.

The ties will be stained when I stain the staging yard ties.  At least now I can build the trestle bent that will support one end or this bridge and one end of the trestle.

Thanks for looking in.

That looks very good Ron.

Ron, nice job on the bridge.

Ron your bridge looks really good. As far as the weathering goes, I think it
depends on "how much" you want. Washes would be heavier where as powders would
be more subtle; just my 2 nickels worth due to inflation.

Ron,

Great looking bridge, well done.

Tom 

Nice work on that bridge.

Bernd

Howdy Ron, excellent work on the bridge.  It looks like a winner.  Have fun, mike

Hey Ron nice job I like that little jig you used for the ties.

Jerry

Nice work!

Superb, absolutely superb..............
KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry.

Thanks for the nice comments on the bridge Curt, Rick, Larry, Tom, Bernd, Mike, Jerry, Philip and Kyle.

Time for another update, just a small one this time.

Update #12 . . . . The track Crew Begins Work.

Staging076.jpg

To begin the track laying process I cut out paper templates of the switches and glue them in place with white glue.  This gives me the locations of the wood ties.



Staging077.jpg

Here are the switch ties are laid and the glue allowed to dry overnight.  Nor that this is done I can go ahead and lay the track ties.



Staging078.jpg

I don't have the patience to lay them one by one so I made a jig for that too. :)   I made this jig when I first started building my layout on 2007 (has it been that long already?).  This jig has got plenty of use since it was built and was even loaned out a few times.



Staging079.jpg

Strings of switch ties ready to go.  The goal is to have all the switch ties laid before I leave for Florida on February 22, 2025.

Hopefully there will be one more update before I leave.

Thanks for looking in.

Ron, I can't see any of the pictures.
All I see is the blue question mark.

Very strange.
I can see them now.

Ahhh, the sound of gandy dancers hitting the steel.  Looks like fun.  ~mike

Love it Ron, I do my ties(but no jig)the same way...production line railroading.......Have fun on your trip ??(business or pleasure)

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry.

Busy Busy! looks good Ron!

Thanks for the comments Rick, Mike, Kyle and Philip.

Rick, not sure whats happening about the picture thing, that has happened to me to, I just hit refresh and then they show up.

Kyle, it a 8 month business trip.  The project I got assigned to is in Jacksonville Florida.  I'll be bringing my N scale modules with me so I'll be continuing that saga when I get down there.

Looks great Ron.  really like the way you do the track work.  I don't think I would ever have the patience but you sure make it look easy.

Jerry

oh, you'll be here for hurricane season. Lucky you. 8)

Ron, strikes me as about 3 months too late to start an assignment in Florida :-)  Being there mid-summer won't be pleasant.

dave

Quote from: Jerry on February 12, 2025, 11:48:53 AMLooks great Ron.  really like the way you do the track work.  I don't think I would ever have the patience but you sure make it look easy.

Jerry

Thanks Jerry, I make it look easy cause I've had way to much practice ;D .  I know hand laid track is not for everyone, but it is one part of the hobby that I really enjoy.

Quote from: PRR Modeler on February 12, 2025, 12:28:20 PMoh, you'll be here for hurricane season. Lucky you. 8)

Gee, thanks Curt, something to look forward too. :o

Quote from: deemery on February 12, 2025, 12:38:16 PMRon, strikes me as about 3 months too late to start an assignment in Florida :-)  Being there mid-summer won't be pleasant.

dave

Dave, unfortunately I don't get to dictate starting time of a project, I'm guessing AC is a must.

Time for another update.  This one is so small that it doesn't even get a number.  ;)

Managed to get the ties for the staging yard installed.  Once the glues dries it will be time for the next step.

Staging080.jpg

The ties laid at the west end of the staging yard.



Staging081.jpg

The ties laid at the east end of the staging yard.

Thanks for looking in.

Ron, nice job of getting the ties down.
Looks great.

Ron great job on the ties; man that's a lot of wood pieces.

Quite an accomplishment Ron! 8)

This will really be something when the rail is in place!!

Jerry

Impressive Ron. When you stain the ties that doesn't loosen the glue?

Ron,

Looks like you have it all tied down now.

Tom 

Thanks for the comments Rick, Larry, Philip, Jerry, Curt and Tom.

Curt, I have had no issues with the glue loosening when adding the stain, the stain dries pretty quickly plus the stain is oil based.

While I'm here I might as well post another update.

Update #13 . . . The Track Gang Continues it's Work


Staging082.jpg

After allowing the glue to dry overnight it was time to add the first coat of stain.  The colour used is Minwax #224 - special walnut, I've used this stain on the rest of the layout.



Staging083.jpg

After allowing the stain to dry for a couple of hours I use a sanding block with 100 grit sandpaper to sand the top of the ties.  Once all the stain is removed from the top of the ties I know that the top of flat.  This will eliminate any low or high spots when I lay the rail.  This is the west end of the staging yard.



Staging084.jpg

The east end of the staging yard.  Once all the sanding was competed I used a shopvac to remove the mounds of sawdust that was left by the sanding process.



Staging085.jpg

With the sawdust removed it was time to re-stain the top of the ties.



Staging086.jpg

The other end of the staging yard with the re-stained ties.  For the record approximately 750 ties were harmed in this process.

Now the rail can be laid, which for me is the fun part. 8)

Thanks for looking in.

That color is very good Ron. You can almost see the ties covered in Creosote.

Ron great job on the ties and coloring. 750 ties? Yikes, that's a lot of wood; enjoy.

Ron, nice job on staining and leveling the ties.

Ron just looking at the ties and the coloring it's perfect.

Jerry

Ron,

Great job, the color looks natural for creosote ties.

Tom 

Thanks for the comments Curt, Larry, Rick, Jerry and Tom.

Progress will slow down and then come to a screeching halt very shortly as my work assignment to Florida is only a week away.  I do hope to get a bit more done before I leave.

Ron don't forget shorts. It will be Africa hot before you know it.

Quit! Then you won't have such distractions.  ;)

Looks Great Ron!

Thanks for the comments Curt, and Philip.

Curt, you make it sound like I'm going to change from complaining about the cold to complaining about the heat in short order. ;D

Philip, I tried quitting but they won't let me.  :o  Although I have told them that this is my last road trip.

Quote from: elwoodblues on February 15, 2025, 04:47:36 PMThanks for the comments Curt, and Philip.

Curt, you make it sound like I'm going to change from complaining about the cold to complaining about the heat in short order. ;D

Philip, I tried quitting but they won't let me.  :o  Although I have told them that this is my last road trip.

Roger That!

Well it's been awhile since I last posted to this thread but I'm now back from the Florida project and settled in so work can finally continue on the staging yard.

I'm going to call this update. . . . . . 

The track gang finally starts working in the yard.

First up is to prepare the turnouts for installation


staging 087.jpg

First up is to add the "frog" wires to the frogs.  This wire will be connected to a frog juicer.  All the turnout frogs on the layout are connected to frog juicers as I do have some short wheeled locomotives (critters and porters). 



staging 088.jpg

Usually once the frog wires are installed the turnout is usually ready to install.  In the case of the triple turnout DCC feeders wires needed to be installed as the track between the frogs need to be powered due to the gaps in the turnouts.


staging 089.jpg

Now the fun part, drilling the holes and feeding all the wires through.  I hate to admit this but this turned out to be delicate process.  :o



staging 090.jpg


The turnout spiked down this is the base point for the rest of the track laying process for the yard.




staging 091.jpg

The turnout leading to track 5 is installed and spiked down



staging092.jpg

The turnout to the caboose storage track is in place and spiked down.  Because the track between these turnout are short (approx 2") I soldered the rail joiners to the rails, normally I don't do this as each piece of track get feeders wires so I don't rely on the rail joiners to transfer power.

Thanks for looking in.

Ron that is totally amazing!  The wiring and putting in the turnouts everything lined up perfectly.

Jerry

Ron,

This is great work. How often do you install the feeder wires?

Rich

Excellent job Ron!!! This is way above my skill level but you look like you know what you're doing; darn good engineering.

Your track work is outstanding Ron.

Ron, that is some impressive track work.
Congratulations on getting it installed.

An amazing looking turnout! I think we have the same set of wire strippers! ;D  Love them!

Thanks for the comments Jerry, Rich, Larry, Curt Rick and Philips.

Rich, every piece of rail gets a feeder.

Philip,  I really like the wire strippers, they are one of the few pair that strips wire down to 30G.

Howdy Ron,

Wow, those turnouts are amazing.  Did you draw the turnouts, then build them on top of the template?

Have fun,
mike

Quote from: friscomike on July 15, 2025, 07:14:03 AMHowdy Ron,

Wow, those turnouts are amazing.  Did you draw the turnouts, then build them on top of the template?

Have fun,
mike

Mike, thanks for the complement.

The straight turnouts are a #5 built with a Fast Track jig.  I drew out the curved turnouts, printed out the template (1 have access to a 36" wide plotter) and built the curved turnouts on the printed template.  The outside rails are a single piece.

Hi Ron;

I'm just catching up.  Incredible job on the turnouts. I'll be following along as I can.  Keep it coming, it's really inspiring.

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry Co.

Quote from: kyle creel on August 02, 2025, 01:52:09 AMHi Ron;

I'm just catching up.  Incredible job on the turnouts. I'll be following along as I can.  Keep it coming, it's really inspiring.

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry Co.

Thanks Kyle.

Now that I'm home full time the intent is to keep it coming.  ;D

It's been a couple of weeks but it's time for another update.

Going to call this one..............

Ron very nice track work!! You'll be going from the yard to the rest of the layout before you know it; enjoy.

Ron your track work is perfection!!!

Jerry

Ron, that's some good looking track.
Well done!
Looking forward to your bridge construction.

 8) Cool!

Great track work Ron.

Thanks for the encouragement Larry, Gerry Rick and Curt, it is very much appreciated.

Time for a small update. . . . . .



Finally found time to finish laying the track for the staging yard.

Staging093.jpg

The engine storage tracks completed.


Next up is building the trestle so that the staging yard can be connected to the main layout.

Thanks for looking in.

Does 'complete' include a post-installation electrical check-out?  Looks great!

dave

Ron, congratulations on finishing the track work.
I look forward to your bridge build.

Congratulations Ron. You've hit a milestone on your layout.

Excellent work Ron.  When is the bridge going to be ready???  ;)

Jerry

Now we're cookin' Ron ;)  ;)  ;) - absolutely fantastic trackage.."Bring on da bridge; bring on da bridge!!" 8)  8)  ;D
I love it................................

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry Co.

Good looking curved switches Ron..... 8)

Great track work. Da bridge will be the "crown jewel".

Howdy Ron, 

That's some exceptional turnout work. Congrats on staging completion. 

Trestle on and have fun,
mike

Grand work! 8)

Thanks for the comments Dave, Rick, Curt, Jerry, Kyle, Greg, Larry, Mike and Philip.

The track laying process was real relaxing, now it is on to the next step.

Some progress was made yesterday so it's time for another update......


If you look and any steal constructed bridges you will notice that there are bridge shoes between the bridge and the support pier.  Bridge shoes are critical as they allow for the expansion and contraction of the bridge due to temperature differences.  This prevents the bridge from buckling and/or damaging the bridge supports.  On end of the bridge is fixed while the other end moves freely.

I figured if I'm going to do it right I better add the bridge shoes. ;D 

First up was to get the bridge shoes and I only had N scale one which would be way too small for my bridge, so an internet search showed that Walthers made a set that would work, but my local supplier didn't have any and getting them elsewhere would be costly and I would have to wait for them so I decided to make my own.  I found plans online but I also found 3d printing files (stl) for them online st Thingiverse.

Staging094.jpg

The files were for a HO bridge but looking at the dimension in the slicer software they would scale out to 2' high which seemed a little to tall for me  so I printed them out at 12" high and 18" high.  While the 12" high ones looked good they seemed too small under the bridge while the 18" high ones looker right.

As a side note, because these pieces were small and delicate I printed them using my resin printer.  They were printed using Anycubic water wash resin, which is a lot less hassle that using resin that used isopropyl alcohol for washing and clean up.


Staging095.jpg

I painted the bridge shoes black grey (Vallejo 70.862)  I don't use black is it is to stark and never looks right as the colour is overpowering.


Staging096.jpg

The shoes glued to the underside of the bridge.


Staging097.jpg

A close-up of the installed bridge shoe.

Next up is figuring out the height of the bridge pier.

Thanks for looking in.

That looks very good Ron.

Ron nice shoes; betcha don't hear that often. I'm amazed at what you guys can do with 3D printers.

What LarryC said!  (No one has ever complemented my shoes in any scale....)

dave

Ron, congratulations on successfully printing those shoes.
Thay look perfect under the bridge.

Well when I need new shoes I know who to call!!!  ;D

Great job Ron.

Jerry

Thanks for the comments Curt, Larry, Dave, Rick and Jerry.

First time my scale shoes have been complimented.  ;D  Probably the last time it will happen too.

Time for the second update from Yesterday's work, going to call this one......

Sent out the Survey crew.

Now that the bridge crew has completed adding the bridge shoes to the bridge I can now figure out the height for the timber pier.

Staging099.jpg

First up was temporarily install the bridge to to see where the bottom of the bridge would be as well as the position of the bridge shoe that will need to rest on the pier.



Staging100.jpg

Using some squares and rulers I made a template of the land form.



Staging101.jpg

I used the template to cut out and refine the template that will be used to make a scale drawing of the bents.

Next up is making the scale drawings.

Oh, while all this was happening,



Staging098.jpg

I found time to stain the lumber required to make the pier.  I used Hunterline's Burnt Umber weathering mix for this.

Thanks for looking in.

That is just amazing that you did all that work for a land form!!

Your work is just so outstanding.  A real pleasure to follow you.

Jerry

Ron it almost seems that you have something to do with construction!. Well done. I just winged it on my layout and it worked out. ;)

Ron, excellent calculating and measuring.

ACLTom, Ron just upped the level game.  ;D  8)  ;)

Thanks for the comments Jerry, Curt and Rick.

I've worked in construction all my life so that might have something in the way I do things.  ::)

Managed some more time at the bench today, mostly at the computer.


Staging103.jpg

These are the plans that come with the kit.  The issue is that it is to long and too tall for the space I have for this structure.


Staging102.jpg

This is my version of the structure.


Staging104.jpg

I cut out a copy of the template and glued it to the land contour template to make sure that it would fit properly.


Staging105.jpg

I cut out another template and glued it to a piece of foam core.  This was in turned covered with clear packing tape.  This will prevent the white glue from sticking to the template.  I usually make a styrene jig but I've seen Dave Meek of Thunder Mesa Studio fame use this method multiple times on his videos.

Now I need to find the track crew so that I can get them started on the pier construction.

Thanks for looking in.

Very nice job Ron.

Ron I have to say...pure "Genius" the way you go about your construction!! I've never seen anyone use scale rulers and square like the before. This will be a "show stopper" for sure when finished.

Howdy Ron,

That's quite a contraption you used for temporary support of the bridge.  Did you get it at MicroMart?  ;)  Looking forward to the pier build.

Have fun,
mike

Goodnite Irene!!! 

That's amazing Ron.  This project is aleady one for the ages, I can't wait until trains leave the staging yard, traverse the bridge/trestle, venture through the wall and out into the empire of the Clearwater Valley Railroad Co.;)  ;D  ;D  You've got a winner here Ron  ;)  8)...........

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry Co.

Ron,

Great job on the plate bridge and shoes.

Those Hunterline trestles are very nice kits and I want to add, Thank the Lord for mini-clamps and small metal rulers.  ;D

Tom

Thanks for the comments Curt, Larry, Mike, Kyle and Tom, they are very much appreciated. 

Mike, the contraption holding up the bridge came from multiple sources like Busy Bee (a machine shop supplier in Canada), Amazon, Lee Valley and I believe Harbor Freight, I have 10 of those 1-2-3 blocks now and sometimes I thing even that is not enough.

Tom, I have built a few Hunterline kits over the years, Rick makes fantastic kits and stains. 

When's the next update???  ;)
Either scale would be fine!

Jerry

Jerry, you want another update, I have one for you, but it might be what you are expecting.  ;D

Going to call this one



Many many years ago I bought a mini miter saw for modeling use.

Staging106.jpg

A you can see it is a nice size for cutting strip wood and even came with a stop.


Staging107.jpg

it came with scribed line at 90 degrees and 45 degrees at both sides of 90  (the 20 degree line was one I added for a past project).

Seeing as the current project require multiple degrees required for the piles seeing as they will be installed on a slope hill side I needed a way to accurately mark the angle, rather that use the trial and error method.  I know what angles I needed as I draw all my templates in AutoCad. 


Staging108.jpg

As you can see from the photo above, most protractors (I was going to say "all" as I didn't find any online, but you never know) don't start at 0 degrees at the bottom edge.


Staging109.jpg

Using a metal edge and a razor saw I cut the bottom off at the 0 degree.  Now I have a protractor where I can accurately
set angles on my super duper teeny tiny miter saw.  ;D

Now I need to start cutting wood for the Timber pile and trestle over Apache Creek. 

Thanks for looking in everyone.

Now that's pretty darn cool ;D  ;)  8)  8)  8)  8)  8)

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry Co.

Very ingenious Ron, and no I didn't realize that about a protractor. :-*

Ron great tool to have and It'll make the angle cutting much easier and way more accurate.

Nice saw! Please reveil those magic angle when you start cutting.

Philip

Ron, nice saw and that new protractor will be very handy to have.

Well that is a really fine machine you have there.  A genius at work in the small world of trains!!

Jerry

Ron,

Very well done on the problem solving with the angles. I agree, that is one nice miter saw.

Tom

Thanks for the comments and kind words Kyle, Curt, Larry, Philip, Rick, Jerry and Tom.The Mini miter saw was made many many years ago by someone somewhat local and cost me a small fortune at the time but it gas been worth every dime.  If the mini miter saw impressed you, wait to you see my mini drill press.  ;D 

While I have been swamped at work this week I still managed a little time at the bench.This episode is called........



Now that the template was made it was time to put the bridge crew to work


Staging110.jpg

In order to hold the bottom of the posts in place I pined a scrapped piece of wood along the sloped bottom.I then used poles to hold the posts in place.



Staging111.jpg

All the bent braces are glued and held in place with pins.  Once the glue was dry enough the bent was flipped ober and the bent braces for the other side were added.



Staging112.jpg

All the bent braces installed on the first bent.



Staging113.jpg

A small sneezing fit late and all four bents were completed.



Staging114.jpg

All the cross bracing installed.

Now the fun part, installing a gazillion NBW castings.  :o

Thanks for looking in.

Excellent work Ron!!

Jerry

What Jerry said and more!
Nice How-to, thanks.

Rich

Excellent modeling Ron. All the cuts are perfect. It's certainly tedious doing a lot of NBW's, but they add so much to the details.

Ron, seeing all the angles you cut I can see how your saw and protractor came in very handy.
Those bents look great.

Can't wait to see your drill press.  ;)

Ron that is some mighty fine engineering going on there; VERY impressive work.

Now that's what I call "a damn good bridge crew doin' its' thing" ;)  ;)  ;) Very very cool Ron 8)  8)  8)

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry Co.

Thanks for the comments Jerry, Rich, Curt, Rick, Larry and Kyle, they are very much appreciated.  The miter saw makes doing repetitive angle cuts consistent. Not only does it speed up production, it makes for very accurate cuts.

Only had to work a half day today and have the rest of the weekend off.  ;D  I decided it was time to tackle the "NBW" issue.  :o

This update is called ........


Well it was time to drill a gazillion holes for the gazillion NBW castings.


Staging115.jpg

In order to drill the holes required for the NBW castings I used my new mini drill press.  I went through a few drill bits before I realized that the drill RPM was to low, so I ran it at full speed and the broken drill bit problem went away.   ;D

The drill press came with a variable speed controller.



Staging116.jpg

The holes drilled for the NBW castings.



Staging117.jpg

In order to find and prevent the casting migrating I cut then off the sprue and placed them in the ceramic dish. (they look like ants in a dish.  :o )



Staging118.jpg

The NBW casting installed on the first bent.



Staging119.jpg

The four bents completed.

Thanks for looking in.

Outstanding job with the NBW's Ron. I think the hardest part of the task is picking them up with the tweezers. :o

Howdy Ron, the bents with NBSs look perfect. Excellent work as usual.  Have fun, mike

Ron very nice little drill press and the bents look great with all the NBW's installed. Keep up the awesome work.

Ron, that's a neat looking drill press.
Nice job on the NBW's.

Are you using a foot pedal to turn the drill on and off?  Having recently done some trestles, I know how annoying that gets.  The NBW castings in the white dish is good idea.

dave

Great job Ron.  I didn't see any curse words so I assume it went pretty well!!  :)

Where did you get tht drill press??  Or did you make it!!

Jerry

Just wow!  8) My Unimat lathe has an included column for drilling and milling. A true lifesaver in accuracy. Also interested where you found that drill press?

Philip

That's amazing Ron; those are some beautiful bents, ;) nice drill press. 

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry Co.

Thanks for the comments Curt, Mike, Larry, Rick, Dave, Jerry, Philip and Kyle.

Dave, the drill did not come with a foot petal.

Jerry, Philip, the mini drill press is a very recent purchase that I got when I was in Florida.  I purchased it here;

https://innocraftsman.com/products/mini-drilling-machine?variant=42189678411846

So far, I've been very happy with it as it is very quiet and very little to no wobble.  I have been able to drill into the edge of .040 styrene using a micro vice.

Now that the bents are completed it's time to start assembly.



Staging120.jpg

First up was to cut the caps and pin them to the template.



Staging121.jpg

Using the template as a guide I positioned and glued the first two bents to the caps.  I let this dry for about an hour before moving to the next step.



Staging122.jpg

The four bents glued to the caps.  Once this had set up it was time to add the remaining cross braces.



Staging123.jpg

All the cross braces installed.

Last step is to install the remaining NBW casting and then this puppy will be done.  ;D

Thanks for looking in.

WOW :o  :o ...This 'mutha' is gonna be 'the REAL DEAL' ;)  ;)  ;) ......nice start Ron; love it....... 8)

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry Co.

Really well done Ron.  Great job!!

Jerry

Outstanding planning and modeling Ron. I might of missed it from earlier but what color stain was used?

Ron great job of engineering; very neat and precise.

Quote from: Larry C on September 09, 2025, 08:18:57 AMRon great job of engineering; very neat and precise.

Exactly what I would of said.

 8) Nice work!

Quote from: PRR Modeler on September 09, 2025, 06:49:12 AMOutstanding planning and modeling Ron. I might of missed it from earlier but what color stain was used?

Curt,

The stain used was Hunterline's Weathering Mix - Burnt Umber

Thanks for the kind comments Kyle, Jerry, Curt, Larry, Rick and Philip.  Your encouragement helps keep me motivated. 

Some modeling was done last night, so it's time for another update.  This one is called. . . . . . . .






Staging124.jpg

The remaining NBW casting added to the cross bracing the holds the bents together.



Staging125.jpg

Another view of the completed pile bent.



Staging127.jpg

The pile and girder bridge in place.  Things are starting to take shape now.

Now that the bridge and pile is in place I can make the trestle required to bridge the rest of the gap.  Time to start phase 2.

Thanks for looking in.

That's one hell of a cool bridge Ron 8)  8)  8)  8)  8)  ;)  ;) I love it ...............

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry Co.

Very nice modeling Ron.

Ron, not only is the construction excellent, the colors on the wood is excellent too.

Ron that is really outstanding work.

Jerry

Ron that looks amazing!!!!!!!!

Howdy Ron,

Exceptional work on the pile bent.  It looks amazing.

Have fun,
mike

Thanks for the comments Kyle, Curt, Rick, Jerry, Larry and Mike.

Was a busy day at the bench yesterday where I did a lot of jumping around due to waiting for stain and glue to dry. 

Update #1 for today. . . . . . . .



Now that I know the exact location of the pile bent and girder bridge I could start building the trestle that spans the remaining gap to the staging yard.

Staging128.jpg

First item was to stain the ties, the stringers were already stained as they were leftover pieces that I stained for the pile bent.  The ties were stained "Special Walnut" by Minwax (#224) which is the stain I've used on every tie laid on the layout.



Staging129.jpg

Years ago I made 2 templates for building trestle decks, one to place the trestle stringers and one for the tie spacing. After placing the ties in the tie template a strip of painters take was used to hold the ties in place.  The next step was to take the ties and glue them to the stringers.



Staging130.jpg
Adding weights on the ties till the glue dries.

Thanks for looking in.

While the glue was drying on the trestle I decided to shift focus.  This update is called. . . . . . . . . .



Once the bridge components are completed a need a way to fix each end of the bridge.


Staging131.jpg

Because the track through the wall would have a tunnel exit through a mountain as I want something dramatic and be a signature scene I started working on the mountain below the girder bridge.  I started out by cutting a piece of 1" thick foam and sloped it from 0" at the top to 1" at the bottom. Because this is a vertical rock face  I sliced out some vertical area to give the face some form. 

I then cut out the area under the bridge where I planed to add the stone abutment.  It had to be cut at the 1/2" thick line as I needed a 3/8" shelf for the bridge shoes.  I used a filler piece and placed the bridge to verify the height of the abutment.



Staging132.jpg

Now that I knew whet the mountain meets the stream I marked the outline of the cliff where it met the bottom to determine the location of the stream.  I then marked and carved out the stream profile on the fascia and then used a hot wire cutter to carve out the stream in the foam.  I still need to cut out the framing at the back.



Staging133.jpg

After the stream bed was carved out I went back to the cliff face and proceeded to build the abutment.  Going through my scenery supplies I found a piece of foam brick/block that would work.  It was molded on a piece of 1/4" thick foam.  I don't know who made it or where I got it from.  It was a case of acquiring it in case I found a use for it later.  ;D  When I acquired it it was already painted a dark brown colour.



Staging134.jpg

Here is a preview with the bridge in place.

I also stained the wood required for the abutment on the other side of the valley but that is a story for another update.

Thanks for looking in everyone.

Ron, looks like you've got a good plan here.

You're making great looking progress Ron.

Thanks for the comments Rick and Curt.

I'm very happy with the results so far.

Ron I posted here but I guess the "WEENIES" must have eaten it.

Nice update really looking forward to see how this all comes together.

Jerry

I really like how the project is progressing Ron, ;) this'll be quite a cool addition to and already outstanding layout.... 8)  8)  ;D .....very inspiring ;)  ;)

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry Co.

Thanks for the comments Jerry and Kyle.

Jerry, I've had the "weenies" eat my posts too.  :o

Kyle, your work inspired me to try harder.

Ron nice imagineering, this should look good when finished.

 8)

Thanks for the encouragement Larry and Philip.

The weekend is here and I managed some time at the bench.

This episode is called. . . . . . . . 



Now that the pile bent, girder bridge and trestle deck is built it was time to turn my attention to the retaining wall required at the west end of the bridge.



Staging136.jpg

The front and ring wall constructed.  The wing wall took two tries  :o to get it right.  Left over material from the pile bent kit was used for the flat boards.



Staging137.jpg

Just when thought I was done with NBW castings I found I had a bunch more castings to install.



Staging138.jpg

The pieces clamped together.  I will this way overnight to let the glue fully dry.  I have a feeling that it will get installed tomorrow.

Thanks for looking in everyone.

Great job Ron. I liked that you used NBW's on the bracing.

Quote from: PRR Modeler on September 20, 2025, 07:00:58 AMGreat job Ron. I liked that you used NBW's on the bracing.

Thanks Curt, I think the NBW's add a lot of interest to the model and was well worth the effort. 

Ron, great colors on the wood and those NBW"s are a good addition.

Ron really a nice color and those PITA's NBW's are looking great.
Very neat work!!

Jerry

Ron great job on the retaining wall and I agree with Jerry; very neat work.

Howdy Ron,

All those NBWs look fantastic and nicely finish the retaining walls.  I have quite a few to build, and I'll go to school on your build.

Have fun,
mike

Thanks Rick, Jerry, Larry, Mike.

More work on the bridge construction, this update is called. . . . . . . .



Staging139.jpg

The retaining wall wall installed.



Staging140.jpg

In order to install the trestle deck I needed to add some blocking to bring the top of the trestle deck even with the top of of the girder deck.



Staging141.jpg

It seems that even measuring 3 times and cutting once doesn't always work.  When put in place the ties at the end of the trestle bent was slightly higher than the yard ties.  This was easily fixed by cutting a notch in the bottom of the stringers.  Once installed you will never see the notch.



Staging142.jpg

The trestle deck in place.

We are near the end of the bridge build, I have just one trestle bent to build that will be installed in the middle of the trestle.  I already got a start on the last bent.

Thanks for looking in.

 

That's coming out very nicely! 

dave

Ron, I agree with Dave, it is coming together very nicely.

Outstanding modeling Ron.

Thanks for the comments Dave, Rick and Curt, they are very much appreciated.

Manage to finish the bridge project do this update is called. . . . . . . .



Finished the last trestle bent and now I can put it all together.

Staging143.jpg

The completed trestle bent.



Staging144.jpg

The trestle portion installed in place.



Staging145.jpg

An overall view view of the bridge project.



Staging146.jpg

Another overall view of the bridge project.

The next part of the project will be the basic scenery that will involve a layer of Celluclay which will be used to lock the bridge components in place.

Thanks for looking in.

Ron that looks great.  Very well done.

Jerry

Very professional Ron. You have a future in construction! ;D

Boy does that look good.
Congratulations!

You should probably wait until the scenery is done to add sway bracing between the trestle bents.  But that scene will look great!

dave

Coming along great!

Howdy Ron, the bridge scene is coming along nicely. I'm looking forward to the scenery in the gap.  Have fun, mike

The bridge scene is looking good Ron..... 8)

Beautiful work Ron ;)  ;)  ;) it gets me going 8)  8)  8)

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry Co.

Ron great job on something that could have been a bit tricky.

Thanks for the comments, Jerry, Curt, Rick, Dave, Philip, Mike, Greg, Kyle and Larry, your encouragement keeps me going.

Dave, the plan is to wait till the base scenery is done before I add the sway bracing. Right now the components are modular and I plan to keep it that way until I can plant the components.

Ron, on my trestle, I cut styrene pieces the same size as the wood mud sills, and put them in place while doing the scenery.  Then I removed the plastic plugs, and planted the trestle bents.  That worked out pretty well!  I should have smeared Vaseline on the styrene, to keep the scenery glue from sticking, though.  Removing some of the plugs was difficult.

dave

Well, it has been awhile but it's finally time for another update.  This one is called . . . . . .


Before I start any scenery work I thought it would be prudent to add the backdrop.

Staging147.jpg

So, as you can see from the photo above I have these pesky shelf brackets to go around.  I thought that they were the same thickness as the shelf brackets I used around the layout, but wouldn't you know it, these ones are thicker.  :o  For the shelf brackets around the layout I used 1 x 2's to make up the difference.  The ones for the staging yard are 1-1/8" thick, I need to come up with another plan.



Staging148.jpg

Step 1.  Glue 1" thick foam to the wall this will make up 1" with 1/8" to go.  ;D  I used scrap pieces I had lying around.



Staging149.jpg

Step 2.  Cut 1/4" Gaterfoam into 3 inch strips and glue them to the foam.  This will allow me to install the backdrop material flat.



Staging150.jpg

The other end of the staging yard.

I'm going to allow the glue to dry overnight before I attempt to install the backdrop.

Thanks for looking in.

Very clever Ron.  Looking forward to the backdrop.

Jerry

Great solution Ron.

Moving forward!! Great stuff Ron!

Ron, glad you got that sorted out.

Howdy Ron,  The backdrop solution looks like it will work well.  Congrats on the solution.  Have fun, mike

That's a really great solution to the issue ;) - you are always coming up with the coolest ideas..... 8)  8) it's inspiring to see somebody create such an ideal way to solve the problem.... 8)  8)  8)  8) cool...........

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry Co.

Thanks for the comments Jerry, Curt, Philip, Rick, Mike and Kyle, your comments are very much appreciated.

It's seems "Necessity is the mother of invention".  I needed some combination of items that added up to 1-1/8" thick.  I'm happy with the result.  Now that the base support is dried, it is time to install the backdrop material.

Going to call this update. . . . . . . .



Staging151.jpg

The material used for the backdrop is 0.060 styrene signs that was used for advertising in buses (If your wondering how long I've had these the ad was copyright 2007). The overall size of the sign was 70" long x 21" high.  The height of the styrene needed to be cut to 13" high.


Staging152.jpg

I used the left over piece to mark the location where the slots need to be cut for the shelf brackets.



Staging153.jpg

Once the slots were cut into the backdrop it was time to install the first section of the backdrop.  While the narrow strip took took the tight curve of the corner the actual backdrop piece decided to give some push back.  I had to added a "stop" at the corned to hold the end of the backdrop until the adhesive set.



Staging154.jpg

The next day the second section of backdrop installed.  I also had to add a "stop" to hold the backdrop in place until the adhesive set.

Tune into Part 2 to see how the rest of the backdrop went down.

There is one more piece of background to install.  To make it interesting there are angles and cut-outs involved.  :o


Staging155.jpg

With the last piece being an odd shape a template was required, of course a template would be involved.  Those who know me I'll use any excuse to make a template for something.  ;D I prefer the template method to the trial and error method, although the trial and error method can produce some interesting results.  ::)



Staging156.jpg

The styrene backdrop cut to the template.  It seems that no matter how accurate one makes a template there are always some minor twicks to be made.



Staging157.jpg

The third piece installed.  Don't worry about the "lines" in the photo.  In my excitement to install the backdrop I installed the adhesive on the wrong side of the backdrop.  :o :-[    I did my best to scrape it off and applied the adhesive to the proper side of the backdrop.  Once sanded and painted no one will never know.  ;D

Thanks for looking in.

Ron nice job on the backdrop prep and installation and your eye to detail is amazing. This should have an interesting result.

Great job Ron.

Ron, nice job of cutting the backdrop to fit.
That last piece looks a little tricky but I know you'll get it right.

Ron that is so well done!!

Jerry

Howdy Ron,

The backdrop is amazing.  Well done. 

Have fun,
mike

 8)
Philip

Man you've sure got it goin' on 8)  8)  8)  8)  ;D - great ideas and application ;)  ;) ..............

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry Co.

Ron,

Very well done on the bridge and trestle. The N&B casting really make it perfect. Also, the back drop is well done as well.  All thumbs up here, but, I only have two.  ;D

Tom

Thanks for the comments everyone,

After a very hectic week I finally found time to make it to the layout.  You know what that means, time for another update.  ;D

This one is called. . . . . . . .



Staging158.jpg

I hate painting and I tend to be a messy painter so the  first step is to mask off the areas where I didn't want paint.


Staging159.jpg

I use a 3 part process to painting the backdrop (Disclaimer, I didn't invent this method but have used it before with satisfying results).   Step 1 - Adding a light blue on the bottom of the backdrop.  Step 2 - Adding a darker blue at the top of the backdrop.



Staging160.jpg

Step 3 - Blending the 2 colours.

The key in this method is choosing two blues in the same family.  In my case I used Behr flat paint from Home Depot.  The colours I used was "Spa Blue" (PP1-1) and "Life Force" (PP1-2).



Staging161.jpg

The end result at the west end of the staging yard.



Staging162.jpg

The finished east end of the staging yard.  It is amazing how much the simple sky backdrop adds to the layout.

Next up will be painting the mountains on the backdrop.  I think I'm going to have to hire Kyle for this part.

Thanks for looking in.

Looks good Ron, but now you need trees of green!

Ron nicely done; starting to look like a layout extension. Have fun with painting the mountains.

Ron, good choice of colors.
Have fun painting the mountains and add some clouds too.
If it were me I'd buy a photo backdrop.
There's a guy that has some great ones.
I think his name is Joey.
ACLTom would know who it is and his URL.

Ron it looks great so far.  Looking forward to the greenery.

Jerry

Nice backdrop. Not distracting, but effective. 

Jeff

At first I saw green tape.........Great Job Ron! ;D

Did somebody mention my name? :o I'm truly flattered and humbled Ron, If you were "Just down the road a-piece"; it'd already be done ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;) .....I've seen your fine backdrop artwork; and I was encouraged and inspired by what I saw WAY BACK in 2012 and 2013 on your incredible layout, :) back when you used to post my pictures for me 'cause I was too dense :o  ;D to understand how it all works.... ;)  ;) you've got exactly what's needed in your hands and fingers and head.....I have NO doubt that whatever you create will be stunning ;D  ;)  ;)  ;) and beautiful......and thanx for the very generous and high compliment...... 8)  8)  8)  8)  8)...........GO TO IT....you've got this ;)  ;)  ;)

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry Co. 

Quote from: kyle creel on October 29, 2025, 03:02:00 AMDid somebody mention my name? :o I'm truly flattered and humbled Ron, If you were "Just down the road a-piece"; it'd already be done ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;) .....I've seen your fine backdrop artwork; and I was encouraged and inspired by what I saw WAY BACK in 2012 and 2013 on your incredible layout, :) back when you used to post my pictures for me 'cause I was too dense :o  ;D to understand how it all works.... ;)  ;) you've got exactly what's needed in your hands and fingers and head.....I have NO doubt that whatever you create will be stunning ;D  ;)  ;)  ;) and beautiful......and thanx for the very generous and high compliment...... 8)  8)  8)  8)  8)...........GO TO IT....you've got this ;)  ;)  ;)

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry Co.

Kyle,

I can't believe I painted my backdrop that long ago, now I need to remember how I did it  :o

Thanks for the comments Curt, Larry, Rick, Jerry, Jeff, Philip and Kyle.

The sky was the easy part.  This weekend should be interesting.

Good evening everyone,

Time for another update on the backdrop saga, this one is called. . . . 


After getting the acrylic paint I needed to paint the backdrop it was time to get started.

Staging163.jpg

First step was to mark a rough outline for the mountains.


Staging164.jpg

Out line marked at the east corner of the backdrop.


Staging165.jpg

The basic mountains painted on the backdrop. 


Staging166.jpg

Another view of the painted mountains.

For those who are interested the colours used for this part of the update are,

     - Titanium White
     - Neutral Gray 5
     - Purple Gray
     - Ultramarine Blue

The paint I used were made by Liquitex Basics acrylic colours.

Thanks for looking in

Wow, that is a great looking start.

Ron what Curt said. It'll be interesting how you develop the backdrop; precise as always.

Ron, looks like a good start to me.
I'll keep watching to see more progress.

Well you're off to a great start Ron.

Jerry

Very nice Ron, sitting back waiting on more.

Looks great!

Howdy Ron, 

The backdrop paint does make a difference in the scene. Before you know it, although it is staging, you'll be encouraged to add grass, trees, shrubs, building flats...  ;D

Have fun,
mike

Ron,

Your work on this really looks great. No room for errors here.
Will be nice when completed.

Rich

Ron,

Excellent job on the backdrop. I will be a great look when finished.

Tom

Thanks for the comments Curt, Larry, Rick, Jerry, Gary, Philip, Mike, Rich and Tom, they are all very much appreciated.

Hopefully more progress will be made this weekend on the backdrop.

I decided to take a break from building the boxcars and did a little more work on the backdrop behind the staging yard.

The issue I have is that I painted the the layout background about 15 years (seems like yesterday) and I have to remember the techniques used when it was painted.

This update is called

. . . . . "Where Did All the White Stuff Come From" . . . . .


I decided to continue around the mountains as it seemed to be a good place to continue.



Staging168.jpg

The left end of the mountain range.



Staging169.jpg

The main mountain range



Staging170.jpg

The right side of the mountain range.



Staging167.jpg

The overall view of the range.

Thanks for looking in.

Very nicely painted Ron.

Quote from: PRR Modeler on January 01, 2026, 06:11:27 PMVery nicely painted Ron.

Thanks Curt,

It's still a work in progress, but I'm happy with it so far.

Thought I stop in and look at the progress. Curt's right about the backdrop. Nice start.

Bernd

Looks great Ron.  Sure will addd to the scene.

Jerry

Quote from: Bernd on January 02, 2026, 10:23:53 AMThought I stop in and look at the progress. Curt's right about the backdrop. Nice start.

Bernd

Thanks Bernd, I appreciate the comment. 

Quote from: Jerry on January 02, 2026, 10:45:47 AMLooks great Ron.  Sure will addd to the scene.

Jerry

Thanks Jerry, the techniques are slowly coming back.

Ron nice start on the backdrop so far; you're a lot braver than I'd be. Have fun!

Ron, what you've done so far looks very good.

Quote from: Larry C on January 02, 2026, 04:58:56 PMRon nice start on the backdrop so far; you're a lot braver than I'd be. Have fun!

Thanks Larry,

Brave???    The issue I'm having is that I'm so afraid of screwing it up, even though I've dome this before that I'm suffering from paralysis.  I finally said screw it.  ;D

Quote from: Rick on January 02, 2026, 07:10:23 PMRon, what you've done so far looks very good.

Thanks Rick.

Somehow seeing all the likes means I'm I must be doing it right.

Howdy Bob Ross,

The backdrop is looking great. Backdrops are intimidating to me.  

Have fun,
mike

Yep it's right!  8)

Quote from: friscomike on January 03, 2026, 11:39:36 AMHowdy Bob Ross,

The backdrop is looking great. Backdrops are intimidating to me. 

Have fun,
mike

Bob Ross Mike? You're giving me a lot of credit there.  ;D

I remember watching Bob Ross when he had his show on PBS, he made everything look easy.

Quote from: Philip on January 03, 2026, 01:06:03 PMYep it's right!  8)

Thanks Philip.

La fabuloso Ron.... ;D  ;D  ;D  8)  8) wonderfully done buddy....

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry. Co.