Ogden & Cache Valley RR

[ACL1504]

Doug,

Hope all is well. Are you still building the layout? Any updates?

Tom

[Onewolf]

I'm back after about a 4 month 'break' from model railroading.  A conspiracy of distractions kept me busy with 'other' stuff but now the focus is back on layout building.

#1) As a part of the "deal" (quid pro quo) for building the detached garage/workshop/layout built we remodeled the kitchen and redid about 1200 sq ft of floors.  This kept me busy for almost two months. Photo album: http://onewolf.org/Album/KitchenRemodel/index.html

#2) We had our first real vacation scheduled in almost three years (rented a house in the Florida Keys the first two weeks of October).  This required me to catch up on several years of deferred maintenance on our boat/trailer which took several weeks.  Unfortunately Hurricane Matthew prevented us from taking this vacation and it has been rescheduled for next May.

#3) Two weeks for a (business) trip to India.

#4) I spent the time to build and develop loads for two new long range precision rifles (284 Win and 223 Rem for my wife)

Over the last three weeks I've made significant progress on the layout (except for last week when I was in Chicago all week for a Microsoft workshop). 

Finished building the helix structure and installing the track. This is the start of the track power wiring.  There are 22 occupancy zones in the helix so there are 22 sets of track bus wires.





The track as it leaves the helix and enters the middle level.



Building the 3/4" plywood subroadbed along the 'nolix' for the climb from the middle level (62" elevation) to the bridge that crosses the aisle into the upper level (79" elevation).



There is approx 150 ft of mainline track on the middle level (including the nolix). I have installed and wired all the mainline track (and passing siding) up to the bridge that crosses the aisle. One thing I noticed was that before I installed additional power district PSX breaker zones and double gapped the track I was able to run a locomotive all the way along the ~150 ft of track with a single set of track feeders.

There will be numerous service spurs around the center platform of both the lower and middle levels.

I painted the lower level pink foam a 'test' brown color to subdue the pinkness.





Middle level passing track.





The start of the 'nolix'.



The 60 ft run along two walls of the nolix will be a canyon wall with scenery/terrain reaching within a foot or two of the ceiling. There will also be a 3ft long trestle/bridge in this corner.



This will all be canyon wall.



There is 41" elevation difference (38" - 79") between the lower return loop and the middle level mainline where it reaches the bridge that crosses above the aisle into the upper level.



I plan to detail the bridge to look like a LONG plate girder bridge.  The bridge span is 90".  If I get really ambitious I may build the bridge to look like a truss bridge of some sort.



I'm now going to basically finish the blue backdrops in the upper level before starting to install the upper level mainline track.

I had originally planned to butt join the backdrops in these two red highlighted corners of the upper level but I subsequently decided they would look much better if the backdrops are rounded/coved so I am reengineering these areas. I plan to finish the upper level backdrops before I start laying the upper level mainline track.



After taking out the backdrop panel for redesign/rebuild.



Last night I finished installing the 1/8" backdrop with curved corners in the center area of the upper level.  I have 2 more 'corners' to fix to allow me to install curves rather than butt-joined backdrop.  After I finish those I will start the finishing process of patching/fairing/sanding/repeat and then prime/paint the backdrops.

[GPdemayo]

Great progress Doug.....

[Powersteamguy1790]

Very nicely done Doug.

Stay cool and run steam.......

[Janbouli]

Wow Doug really on a roll now.

[ACL1504]

Wow Doug really on a roll now.

Doug,

Well done sir, very well done. I like the curved back drop. The rounded look flows with the eyes much better.

Wonderful work!

Tom

[Erieman]

Good Morning Doug,


Amazing is all I can add. A kitchen remodel, a vacation, the railroad project and more, WHEW, that is a lot of work and everything looks great. Glad to see you back posting. Keep up the great work.


Frank / Erieman

[Onewolf]

Lately I've been working on the upper level backdrops.  I plan to get them installed and painted basic sky blue before installing the upper level mainline and upper return loop/staging tracks.

I finished installing the 1/8" masonite and I have started patching the screw holes and seams.  I am hoping that two mud/fair/sand coats will be enough for a smooth backdrop. There's about 100 linear feet of backdrops in the upper level currently.  After the upper level return loop/staging track is installed/functional I will install about another 16 feet of backdrop.





After sanding the screw hole patches.

[cuse]

I'm speechless. That is an absolutely amazing undertaking!


John

[ACL1504]

I'm speechless. That is an absolutely amazing undertaking!


John

Doug,

Double speechless! The work and layout is simply amazing as John said.

Tom

[Onewolf]

This week I've been working on the upper level backdrop.  I got a coat of primer on this morning and I plan to paint the sky blue color this afternoon.  I was thinking I would do a two color light/dark fade but I have subsequently assessed my painting skills and decided to go with a solid slightly darker blue and then I will spray some white haze around the lower portion of the backdrop.

I made a panorama photo of the upper level with the primer coat this morning as well.

[S&S RR]

Doug


You are moving right along - it looks great.  Please keep sharing your work - I'm really enjoying the thread.

[Onewolf]

The slightly darker shade of blue for the upper level backdrops. For some reason the photo makes the blue look darker than it does in reality. I still need to cut in the very top near the ceiling. I plan to use white spray paint to create some 'haze' on the lower area of the backdrops.

[Janbouli]

Am I the only one that thinks the facia like that or maybe with a coat of protective varnish would look great.

[Onewolf]

Am I the only one that thinks the facia like that or maybe with a coat of protective varnish would look great.

I plan to eventually install painted beadboard panels to cover the bare plywood.