The St. Louis & Denver Railroad - The Build

[GPdemayo]

Just confirmin' that you have riff-raff in the house!
But I'm gonna lay low while y'all are messin' around with lights and that elecstrishity shtuff -
I don't want my name associated with no fars!!     

Glad to know the riff-raff is around to keep things honest! 

[ACL1504]

Wow,
looking fantastic...love the look of that handlayed track and turnouts....

Regards,Chris

Thanks for looking in Chris.
 
My favorite part of the hobby are the track and structures.


Tom keeps trying to get me over to the dark side with flex track, that isn't going to happen, but it is fun listening to him expound! 

Greg,

I just want to let you know that the "dark side" isn't as dark as you may think! Just saying! Now go sniff more creosote!

Also, thank you very much for all your help yesterday with the lumber. I very much appreciate it.

Tom

[GPdemayo]

Greg,

I just want to let you know that the "dark side" isn't as dark as you may think! Just saying! Now go sniff more creosote!

Also, thank you very much for all your help yesterday with the lumber. I very much appreciate it.

Tom

I love the smell of creosote in the morning! 


You're very wecome, I had fun yesterday and really enjoyed seeeing the great work you're doing on the ovalix.....

[GPdemayo]

Merry Christmas to all................
 
Exhibit #1 - (S050)

 
Since gnat (Thanks for the compliments by the way!) was grumbling that I haven't posted any progress lately, I thought I'd get this done before Christmas. I am still in marketing mode for the business and haven't made much progress on the layout, but I have been able to steal a few minutes here and there.
 
The trackwork is slowly getting done for phase 1 and 2. I am getting the last few ties glued down and have spiked down some more rail in the yard and have completed the mainline and it's bypass siding on the one end, next to the yard. The service track and 2 of the 3 sidings are spiked down and I'll get the last few inches of the third yard track spiked down in a day or so, then I can solder the feeders onto the rail and it will be ready for ballast.
 
Exhibit #2 - (T419)


I have chosen to use Highball ballast rather than the Woodland Scenics product because of the way it holds in position during the gluing process. Of course, having a bunch of bags of Highball ballast from 30 years ago had nothing to do with my decision. Sometimes being thrifty (notice I didn't say cheap), because of being part Scottish, makes me compelled to save a buck or two.
 
I began by putting some test ballast along the track to make sure I get the look I'm going for. The first photo is on the wye and is the cinder mix I am thinking of using on the branchline and yard areas.
 
Exhibit #3 - (S021)

 
The mainline will be a mix of light and dark gray and in the picture below ( they don't show up well in the picture, but in person there is a definite difference in the two), I have the 2 mixes I chose from. The mix on the left is 1 part dark gray to 4 parts light gray and the mix on the right is 2 parts dark gray to 4 parts light gray. The mix on the right won because I thought the lighter mix on the right was to washed out looking.
 
Exhibit #4 - (S027)

 
Well, enough for today. Next time I will add a few pictures of the ballasted track on the mainline and the yard area.
 
Again have a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

[GPdemayo]

I hope everyone had a good Christmas and a safe New Years eve. I can't believe that February is here already. 
 
I've finally sneaked a few minutes to report on train related activity. I really have been trying to get this done for a few weeks, but ReadingBob has been nagging about the lack of activity on this thread - so here I go!
 
I have been doing marketing for the company and it is really starting to interfere with the modeling and cutting into the time I have to work on the layout. I want to get to building a few structures and designing some structures to scratch build, but the time hasen't been there. But the good news is that I have been able to steal a few minutes here and there and have done a little ballast on the mainline and electrical work in the yard.
 
I started out by getting the branchline and mainline spiked down fully so it would be ready for ballast. I started with the cinder on the service track lead on the left side of the photo below and ballast on the mainline at the switch for its passing siding on the right. 
 
Exhibit #1 - (S032)

 
I then continued the mailine and passing siding out a couple of feet from the switch. I got it out far enough so that I could try adding a little dirt and weeds in the drainage ditch between the tracks.
 
Exhibit #2 - (S033)

 
The next shot is of the branchline and yard tracks where they come off the mainline. The 2 tracks on the left are 2 of the 3 legs of the branchline wye. The 2 tracks in the center are the service track and yard lead converging on an upgrade to the raised mainline. The 2 tracks on the right are the mailline and the mainline passing siding.
 
Exhibit #3 - (S046)

 
The final shot is of a dirt drive going across the one side of the branchline wye and uphill to an as yet undetermined business in a small area between the mainline and branchline.
 
Exhibit #4 - (S047)

 
Well, that is about all for now, back to 1:1 work. See y'all next time.

[PHQRR]

Hauling in dirt by the truckload...

Looks great!!

[GPdemayo]

Hauling in dirt by the truckload...

Looks great!!

Hi Al,


Thanks for following along, it's getting interesting with the scenery starting, this will be a challenge and I'm looking forward to all the new stuff out there.

[bparrish]

Greg.

Kinda fun.... we usually don't take a lot of photos during construction as to what it looks like in 1/87th

thanx
Bob

[GPdemayo]

Greg.

Kinda fun.... we usually don't take a lot of photos during construction as to what it looks like in 1/87th

thanx
Bob

Hi Bob.....yeah, I'm having a great time, that is when I can escape and get a few minutes to work on the layout or some structures.


I never took pictures during construction either, but since these forum things have been on the scene, I started. I have to admit, the photos do help in showing where things have worked and where they don't. Turns out to be a helpful tool in a way.


Love the work you're doing on that brass engine, you must have the patience of a saint.

[bparrish]

Greg.........

Regarding my progress on the Falk loco and my patience........

I only have two speeds and if you don't like this one.............. you REALLY won't like the other one  ! ! !

see ya
Bob

[gnatshop]

Greg.........
Regarding my progress on the Falk loco and my patience........
I only have two speeds and if you don't like this one.............. you REALLY won't like the other one  ! ! !
see ya   Bob 

A typical Riff-Raff response!!
But the really slow speed is when Viv' wants sum home shtuff done! 
He's gonna get his head whomped if she sees this post!   

[bparrish]

Viv knows well my two speeds and she doesn't like the other one much.

I did get the garage cleaned last week and it only took me an afternoon....... But just consider how much lubricant a few beers provide.

Riff Raff #2


out

[GPdemayo]

Viv knows well my two speeds and she doesn't like the other one much.

I did get the garage cleaned last week and it only took me an afternoon....... But just consider how much lubricant a few beers provide.

Riff Raff #2

out

It wouldn't be a very interesting place without the Riff Raff - #1 & #2...........................thanks guys!

[GPdemayo]

Hello Again!
 
It's been awhile since my last post and I am sad to say that there has been almost no progress on the layout or structure builds since last February. As mentioned before, life does have a nasty habit of interfering with our modeling.
 
But all is not lost, things have begun to move with the business. I picked up a new client in New Jersey who sent me a project he wanted a preliminary estimate for a project in Wilmington, DE. It was only a weeks worth of work, but it is a start and he has another project down in the Virgin Islands that he will be sending in a week or so.
 
I have also received requests for help with projects from builders in TX, CO and LA for the near future, so I think the worst is past and things may begin to pick up at a faster pace. I have been speaking to a many builders, contractors and developers in the West, Midwest, East and South that are just waiting until they see a positive sign after the election is over before they commit on their projects and begin turning dirt.
 
As a result, with some of the pressure off, I have been able to steal a few minutes away from marketing to do a little scenery work. So to the progress, so we can see a few pictures.
 
My intent with the scenery is to start with a base of raw land and build up layers to archive the desired results. For example, in the yard, I want the final result to look like a well used busy transfer point between the branchline and mainline. To get the end result, I intend to start with the cinder ballast and dirt and build layers upon that to represent many years of accumulated dirt and grime.
 
I started with the yard tracks in Phase 2 using the Highball cinder ballast and "fine" dirt. The ballast was brought up to the top of the ties. I used the dirt for highlights between the tracks and for what will be a service road on the right side, as seen below.
 
Exhibit #1 - (S052)


Here are a couple of more shots with the service track added.
 
Exhibit #2 - (S055)


Exhibit #3 - (S056)


I wanted to add a little coal spillage near the coaling tower and the old coal I had was way out of scale, What to do? Good ole ACL1504 to the rescue with a couple of tablespoons of the correct sized stuff. Here is the coal spill with a Pennsy tender playing a dramatic role in the picture.
 
Exhibit #4 - (S070)


As you can see, the results are a little flat, but that will be remedied as more layers and details are added. I have been looking on the internet and see that Highball has a number of shades of dirt and earth and when able, I shall get some of these to add to the mix. I think that the lighter shaded dirt I am using here would be more appropriate in the mountain sections of Phase 3 & 4 and that I need to add some darker highlights for these lower elevation areas of Phase 1 & 2.
 
That's about enough fun for now, hope to have some more pictures for y'all soon.

[ACL1504]

Greg,

The ballast is looking good! I may have some code 83 flex track left over! I'll let you know!

Tom