The St. Louis & Denver Railroad - The Build

[GPdemayo]

Hey Greg, something is better than nothing at all. After saying that I need to get my butt moving on the layout also!!

Hi Bill.....we need a western chapter SBG meet soon to see what you and Cris have been up to.....thanks for looking in! 

[GPdemayo]

Greg,

I believe it cause I see it! You'd be finished now if you used ME code 70 flex track. Yea, I know, ain't gonna happen! The hand spiked rail does look good on your layout.

Tom

Hi Tom.....you're right....."ain't gonna happen". Thanks.....

[GPdemayo]

Looks good Greg. How do you attach the rail to the ties? Also, what tool do you use to bend the rail?

I've never hand laid track before but plan on doing it for my next diorama.

Thanks!
Alan

Hi Alan.....thanks for following along.
 
The rail is attached to the ties with Micro Engineering "small" spikes (Blackened Metal Spikes Economy Pack -- Small 1/4" Long pkg(1,000) Approximately - Walthers #255-30106). If you look on page 10, or thereabouts, of this thread I talk about the rail installation.
 
The only thing I don't like about them are that the heads are a bit big and if not seated perfectly, they are so large that the wheel flange hits them. So before I start the spiking, I cut off about half the head and that eliminates the problem. The spikes I bought years ago did not have large heads, but they are out of business and as far as I know, Micro Engineering is the only game in town.
 
As to bending the rail, I didn't use anything to start, but have found that a little bending before spiking down, especially on sharper curves, makes the installation easier. For that purpose, I use the Fast Tracks rail bending tool (http://www.handlaidtrack.com/Rail-Bending-Tools-For-Trackwork-s/35.htm).
 
If you check out the videos on Tim's website, you can watch how he pre bends the curved stock rail with his thumb. I imagine he has done this so many times, he has just the right feel for the tension it takes to do it just right.
 
If you want to chat about this or have any more questions, send me an e-mail (demayoind@aol.com) with your phone number and I'd be happy to give you a call. Just put something in the subject line that refers to the hand laying so I don't delete it without opening.

[GPdemayo]

Just as I got started again, earlier this year, life interrupted with some construction & development consulting projects in North Carolina and Oklahoma and I'm still on hold with the next phases of the benchwork, until I can enlarge the room to hold the size layout I'm in the process of designing.
 
A small digression from the St. L&D and the main reason for this post today..............................
 
I finally got an answer last night, to a question that has been niggling the back of my brain for years and I thought I'd share it with you while it is still fresh in my mind.....
 
"Why is the majority of the craftsman style structure building and layout construction centered up North, particularly in the Northeast?" No offense to Erieman Frank and Bob Parrish and all those others out West who are doing a magnificent job with their layouts and builds.
 
At first I thought that it had to do with the climate, y'all have long cold winters that keep you indoors far more than we do here in sunny Florida. That seems logical, but we have far more older people down here that have the time and the disposable income to get heavily involved with the hobby. It still makes sense, but it isn't even close. You're not going to believe this, but it appears to be true.
 
The answer came last night while watching a show on the National Geographic channel. Here goes......
 
Apparently the age group that has held the lead in the record books for decades for certain romantic activities that lead to unwanted social diseases has been the late 20's to mid 30's crowd. It seems that in the last few years however, and probably longer than that, this groups' habitual over achieving parents and grandparents have demolished their record.
 
Studies now show that with the advent of little blue pills and a change in the moral attitudes since the 60's, that the group that now leads in that interesting statistic is the older, senior citizen, blue haired, geezer bunch that started with the Greatest Generation and is continuing on with the Boomers.
 
Now here is the kicker.....drum roll please.....wait for it.................the capital, epicenter, world leader and generally all around greatest place for this activity among the senior set, confirmed by records from the CDC is...................................FLORIDA!!!!!!!!
 
Now I know why y'all up North have been leading the way in the hobby..........the people here in the Sunshine State that have the time and the disposable income to really have a great time playing with trains are much to busy playing around with the (in most cases) opposite sex.

Florida's new motto....."Come on Down, We're Reinventing the Definition of Active Adult Communities"
 
Moral of the story..........you have to know where your priorities lay.
 
Back to the latest with the St. L&D..............
 
In the meantime, I'm trying to get structures complete that are currently planned for phases 1 and 2 and looking forward to trying my hand at all the new scenery techniques the are available today.
 
With any free time I have, I have been doing preliminary designing of the layout and adding to my kit stash the buildings that I want to have in the expanded layout. I have had a bit deal of success lately with the purchases of a number of older FSM, SW and SRMW kits. Now, with the kits in hand I can begin the construction design for the layout with the actual footprints of the kits for the various scenes.
 
I am especially happy with the purchase of SW's Twin Mills kit for the timber area and the Deer Creek Mine for the mining area. Both of those, along with others and some scratch designed and built structures, should make great scenes when completed.
 
Exhibit #1 - (DCM-005)

 
Exhibit #2 - (TM-006)

 
With the help of a couple of SBG friends I have added the needed buildings for the station and engine service area in Moosebutt. That has been a great help in getting that area fleshed out in the design and along with the saloons, cathouse and a few others should make for a great area.
 
Exhibit #3 - (FSM-2015)

 
 
With a few more purchases I can get the major structures for each scene, then I'll only have to get those smaller structures to flesh out the areas for each. The B.T.S. Pulp Mill will add to the timber area and a scratch-built office and out buildings for the mine gets me pretty close to having the majority of the kits I'll need.
 
So, as time permits, I'll get those 4 buildings I have yet to complete finished, continue refining the design for the layout and building some of these great kits.
 
Next time!

[UP Fan]

WOW, I better move back to Florida.  I spend most of my free time working on my layout and building craftsman structures.  Didn't realize Florida was such a hot bed of ... well, hot beds. 

[ACL1504]

Greg,

That was some screed you wrote and you deserve my encomium for the effort. Speaking of the "blue pill" generation, it all started in Ocala, Fl. with the Villages Community. They have the highest per capita rate of STD's in the Continental United States.

And speaking of the means to afford the hobby, if I'm not careful I could easily find myself in penury if the spending doesn't stop. Now masticate on that for a bit my friend.

Tom

[donatode]

[GPdemayo]

WOW, I better move back to Florida.  I spend most of my free time working on my layout and building craftsman structures.  Didn't realize Florida was such a hot bed of ... well, hot beds.

Thanks for looking in UP.....I'm not sure about the hot beds, but it does get a bit warm in Central Florida in the summer.

[GPdemayo]

Greg,

That was some screed you wrote and you deserve my encomium for the effort. Speaking of the "blue pill" generation, it all started in Ocala, Fl. with the Villages Community. They have the highest per capita rate of STD's in the Continental United States.

And speaking of the means to afford the hobby, if I'm not careful I could easily find myself in penury if the spending doesn't stop. Now masticate on that for a bit my friend.

Tom

Huh.....   I guess golf, tennis and  polo isn't enough activity for those folks up in The Villages. 

[GPdemayo]

Quite a set of chompers Donato.....appreciate you following along. 

[Twist67]

Hi,

wow,you have some nice kits to build........

Cheers,Chris

[GPdemayo]

Hi,

wow,you have some nice kits to build........

Cheers,Chris

Thanks for looking in Chris.....it's killing me not to have the time to start a number of these kits, but unfortunately, I have to keep working. Maybe someday I'll be able to retire like ACL1504, then I can get a few out of the boxes.


Until then, I'll have to keep on adding to the stash and reading the instructions.

[GPdemayo]

Greg,

That was some screed you wrote and you deserve my encomium for the effort. Speaking of the "blue pill" generation, it all started in Ocala, Fl. with the Villages Community. They have the highest per capita rate of STD's in the Continental United States.

And speaking of the means to afford the hobby, if I'm not careful I could easily find myself in penury if the spending doesn't stop. Now masticate on that for a bit my friend.

Tom

Chomp, chomp.....chomp! 

[GPdemayo]

Funny dog Donato.....thanks for following along. 

[GPdemayo]

Just a quick note today. I have to get back to marketing and don't have the time to work on any models. I hope all those ole' retired guys know how lucky they are to have loads of time to devote to the hobby, especially when they can't use their hand to get any layout progress going.
 
I have been continuing with the Groovey Jeff kit (A.D. Low & Company Shipping - #1339), as time permits - hasn't been much. I finally have the walls up and am in the process of installing the windows and doors. Next up will be the roof covering and I have been thinking about something different than the roll roofing paper that Jeff provided with the kit. I will make a decision and hopefully add pictures in the next post.
 
Exhibit #1 - (ADL-027)

 
I've also been getting the base for the FSM 2 stall engine house ready. I used some sheet material and painted it concrete and am in the process of adding the wood flooring. When that is done, I'll glue the walls to the base and get to work repairing over 30 years of banging around the walls have gotten from being packed and unpacked in all our moves.
 
Exhibit #2 - (EH-002)

 
Exhibit #3 - (EH-025)

 

By the way, The area at the top left is to be a concrete slab extension, with a shed roof, that will be the base for the stationary boiler that will provide steam for the engine house.
 
I'm in the process of trying to figure out what to with the finishes from the original build. For example, since it was one of the first craftsman kits that I attempted, I followed George's instructions for the stone work, the roof covering and the paint and stain colors.
 
Since that time I have decided on a standard color theme for the St.L&D buildings and this one needs to be repainted. The roll roofing that George provided isn't a good choice for the roofing for this type of structure, so I have purchased some good looking standing seam metal roofing from Northeastern Scale Lumber and will install that when I get to the roof.
 
The other thing that has been bothering me about the exterior walls is the stone from the foundation to wainscot level that was included with the kit. Because I didn't know any better at the time, I put it together, per the instructions, but now I don't feel that it would be appropriate for this structure and want to remove it. 
 
The problem is, I don't remember what I used to attach it to the walls with and it won't come off with water to loosed the glue or a chisel to pry it off. I asked Tom about this and he advised that I might have to cut the walls in the stone areas off  and patch with matching siding. I'm still mulling this one over.
 
I've added a donkey repair scene to the Mill area and ordered one from Brett at Sierra West a few weeks back, so it should be here soon. I'm also looking to expand the Mining area with some related structures and might have to design and scratch build these, as I haven't found any out there that I like in kit form.
 
Well, that's about it for today, see y'all next time.