The Grizzly & Dilapidated Ry.

[friscomike]

Howdy Kyle,

This innovative plan is a winner that begs to be built.  I'm looking forward to your progress reports.

Have fun,
mike

[kyle creel]

Thanx Larry C., thanx Bernd, thanx Michael, thanx Ron,and thanx Mike.

I started on the sector plate today(Tuesday); I found an old deck girder bridge span I scratch built back in 2012 that was longer than I needed, and went to town whittlin' it down.  I cut it down to 17", which gives me one extra inch.  My longest locomotive is 'The Beast' (my K27) @15-1/4" overall and 13-1/2" 'flange to flange'; so the length will be just about right.   I cleaned off the ties, pulled the leftover spikes, (there was no rail) and hand laid new code 100 rail.  I still need to add the guard rails.  I think I still have some code 70 or 83, but I'll have to find it.  anyways here's what I've done so far.............

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry.

Hope it looks OK..............

[PRR Modeler]

Nice job Kyle.

[deemery]

It's a clever idea to reuse that bridge for your sector plate!

dave

[Rick]

Kyle, nice repurposing and it longs more than long enough to handle any loco.

[Philip]

I see rails?    The long row to hoe way! Nice update!

[friscomike]

Kyle, that's so neat.  Have fun, mike

[Larry C]

Kyle nice you were able to repurpose the deck and use it on your TT.

[ACL1504]

Kyle,

Nice repurpose of the deck for the turntable.

Tom 

[kyle creel]

Thanx Curt, thanx Dave, thanx Rick, thanx Phillip, thanx Mike, thanx Larry C., and thanx Tom; Well it's been a while since I posted anything.  I went through one of those "who's gonna handle the 'disposition' of the G&D Ry when I'm gone; and why am I 'adding to the issue' by expanding the layout (as planned)" phases.  So I spoke to my baby brother (whose gonna be 62 in April), and he said "don't worry, I'll handle everything". He is a very talented modeller and I trust him to take care of the project.  He knows and understands how the RR is being constructed and has all the skills and tools to disassemble it and move it (to his house if he wants) and everything that is included.  So. back to the present.
 
  I've been thinking about why the RRs' next phase isn't 'grabbing me' and saying c'mon, let's go!!!!  It's because I'm not comfortable with the RR taking up all 3 walls.  One day last week I walked into the room and it hit me...go across the top of the rolltop desk, and into the next corner and take it past the first window and at about 6"-8"past the pillar between the first and second windows on that wall, STOP.

  "That's not much of a run", my obstinate half said.  "Maybe, but with the section plate in the corner and adding a switchback branch back across to the opposite corner You could have a mine!!!". My, my -"Holy interesting sh*t Batman!!!" you could have a mine"......I know I just said that...

  So I began erasing the section (on the plans) I'm no longer gonna build, and commenced scaling and measuring for accuracy how to do this thing, and have it actually work without 9% grades and no proper track spacing and arrangement.  Here's what I came up with.......




  The red arrow is the 'I Me Mine'; the green arrow is the 'Pflatugen Gas well'; the orange arrow is Dilapidated (depot); the blue arrow is 'Phartz & Schmelling Gas Co.'

  Where the G&D main line and siding converge leaving Grizzly the elev. is 0".  It climbs up a 3.9% grade to Dilapidated @4-1/4"elev.

  The sector plate in Dilapidated is in the lower right corner of the track plan @4-1/4" elev. and the switchback spur goes from there up a 4.5% grade to the 'I Me Mine' @7"elev. 

  The spur rises from the sector plate elevation @4-1/4" to 5-3/4"elev. where it crosses over the Pflatugen Gas Well spur which is @ 2"elev.  It continues on up to the mine which is @7"elev.

  I also got rid of "Sore Arch".  It was too overwhelming, and 'in yo face'.  I replaced it with a combination of 'Old Flathead' and 'Perkins Point'- which I removed from the corner in order to install 'Woods' Ridge' and a "rock shelf" for the sub road bed to sit on for the 'I Me Mine' tracks.  Here's some preliminary shots.....

This is the mine location; the orange arrow is the mine and track level, the red arrow is the sub roadbed level.



  Here's before and after..........................




  Here's what the 'gap' will 'sorta' look like


  That's about all for now.  If all goes well I'll be able to begin construction next week.  My friend Henry has a sheet of 4x8 - 1" thick beaded insulation foam for me.  It was left over from his garage door project.  I know beaded foam is not the optimum choice, but free is free.  I'm going to also get a 4x8 sheet of 2" thick pink foam board and laminate the 2 together.  I think it'll be fine.  Henry says that the 1" foam is extreemly rigid and has a foil backing.  It'll all work out.
 
  All for now, have fun and thanx again for stoppin' by.......

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry. 

[Philip]

Nice update!

[Larry C]

Kyle I really like the changes you've made including saying "bye-bye" to the huge rock in the corner; looks much better. I think sometimes we tend to build layouts way to big for what we want to accomplish. Personally I've always leaned to the "smaller is better" concept; but that's just me. Enjoy your build.

[Michael Hohn]

Kyle,

Your changes make sense.  I like the "gap" in particular.

Mike