The Grizzly & Dilapidated Ry.

[PRR Modeler]

Interesting answer to developing a 1/4 turntable. Will the TT track be powered?

[Larry C]

Kyle nice piece of imagineering going on there; certainly something unique.

[friscomike]

Howdy Kyle,

That's an interesting solution to the TT problem.  Congrats on solving the problem.  The layout looks great.

Have fun,
mike

[ACL1504]

Kyle,

Your backdrop painting and foreground scenery look fantastic. 

Tom

[kyle creel]

Thanx Curt, thanx Larry C.*, thanx Mike, and thanx Tom;

Curt-yes the TT track will be powered and connected to an MRC Auto Reversing Unit   ,

Larry C*, somebody-I think it was Ron said that it's called a 'Sector Plate'- and it's very popular in Europe ; I really like the way the 'Contraption' looks now that it's starting to "take shape"; I still need to add the full decking on the bridge, hand rails and "push poles"   ;

Mike, it is kinda cool ain't it??       -I just didn't have the space-and I really didn't want to "bounce back 'n forth" between 2 TTs-   so this is what I schetched out and it works     ....    

Curt my man   thanx so much for the backdrop/foreground scenery compliment;)-actually the only 'painting' involved in the backdrop is the blue of the sky-and the basic 'brown shapes' of the land forms; all the rest (including the clouds)is done in Soft Pastel Chalks.     Sometimes I also use Oil Pastels, but that's only when the texture is a ittle more important than normally is the case. 

Today(Thursday)I removed the trackage I installed a couple of days ago   and decided to put down 1/4" cork for the base of the ground.  I then re-installed the trackage and began soldering all the main line joints along with the tracks leading to and from the 'contraption'     -I got them all done and now all that's left is the siding and the trackage to the Engine Shed     .....Next I'll glue it all down and then add the feeders   .......After that I'll get on with painting and 'dirting' the 'pit' and adding ballast to ALL the trackage in Dilapidated......then..work my way gradually around to Grizzly....   

Here's some shots of Dilapidated as of Thursday Oct. 9th 2025......hope they look alright    
Ya'll keep those cards 'n letters coming and don't forget to 'write'....yuk yuk yuk        

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry Co.

Birds' eye view................

From the 'ground floor'........
heading across to the 'Contraption' entry track.........................

backed onto the 'Contraption".........................................now 'reversed'-and pulling off the 'Contraption' & gonna grab some H2O


That's all I got   thanx again for the look-see... ............see ya              

   

[Larry C]

Kyle nice work on the sector plate and the cork was a smart idea. FYI in the world of Micro Layouts, any R.R. under 4 sq. ft.in size, sector plates are used frequently as a space saver among other devices.

[kyle creel]

Thanx Larry C*;

I had the cork in a box, and since it has a SERIOUS ADHESIVE BACKING   - I decided to go ahead and use up the last four 12"x12"squares   .  I still have some scraps leftover, so I decided not to trash 'em-ya never know     .

The 'Contraption' sure does save space   ......This evening(Friday) I started the next phase of work on the thing   .......I built the walk ways and supports, next I'll solder up some hand rails     and get the thing stained....   Here's some shots..........All for now, thanx again for stoppin' by........

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry Co.

Whadda ya think???  


In place.........




gotta go....................see ya......        




   

[Philip]

Mad scientist stuff here! I like it! 

[kyle creel]

Thanx for checkin' in and for the comment Phillip, and thanx to all ya'll that just popped by to grab a look-see     , it's much appreciated

This evening(Saturday) I stained the "Contraption" and painted the pit area.  I decided to go with a concrete color on the pivot base and the 'entrance base ring'-although you can't really see the later. I painted the track and ties a basic rusty brown- it'll get some weathering before the ballast.  I'll add some dirt and ballast this week probably.   ..............here's some shots..........  

I also painted all the trackage from the end of the hand laid track all the way through Dilapidated     including the yard tracks and the 'Contraption' approach and exit tracks ...I went with a dirty brownish grey to better match any commercial track with the bleached out hand laid track     ..........I got a couple of shots of that also.....I'll put a thin black wash over all of it after I paint the rails  and after it all dries for a day or so...... .....then I'll add the dirt surrounding the trackage, glue it and when it's nice and hard - add the ballast       ............that's about it for now........thanx again for lookin' in on the G&D Ry Co.....see ya.......            

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry Co.

The 'contraption'and the pit....................

 

Some trackage.......................



I didn't start on any of the track leading to the "I Me Mine"................. 

[friscomike]

Howdy Kyle,

The contraption is looking good.  Congrats on the track painting, it won't be long before we'll see ballast.

Have fun,
mike

[Larry C]

Kyle looking real good; it's getting there.

[kyle creel]

Thanx Mike, and thanx Larry C.*;

Yesterday(Wednesday) I drilled all the holes for the feeders.  I also inserted narrow (gauge)       plastic straws into the holes so I can better find and insert the feeders from below.  I know almost everybody solders the feeder and then inserts it down into the hole     etc,etc,etc,.....BUT TODAY (Thursday) I built my main bus (14awg) and attached all the feeders (18 & 20awg) in advance using Scotch tapping clips(no soldering) and will only have to be UNDER THE RR long enough to attach (staple) the bus with the little strips of plastic I saved from the top of the 11oz "semi foil" bags of coffee I buy at Kroger or Walmart.... and insert the feeders into the straws;   all the hard part..."the UNDER THE RR soldering"... is completely eliminated       cool....   .......The only soldering is TOPSIDE...(WAY EASIER) ...to solder the feeders to the rails and that's a piece of cake compared to the pain in the ass of cranking my back and neck around UNDER THE RR         and trying to manage it with a hot soldering iron dangling precariously close by     I tested all the feeders and all of them work perfectly       ..........

I took some shots of the main bus and feeders, along with the plastic strips               .... now if I can only find the other MRC auto reversing unit I put away (so I wouldn't lose it)         ....I'll get cracking on installing the whole mess.....oh well;.... I'm 'plum tuckered out' today....   so that's gonna wait till this weekend       ..........all for now, thanx again for stoppin' by and ya'll come back now ya hear???     ............

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry Co.

The main bus wire and feeders.........................


The 'clips'...........................the plastic 'mounting strips'.......................


That's about all I've got     ya'll keep those cards 'n letters coming.....     .....
see ya..     ........................................       

[Larry C]

Kyle when I first saw the stuff on the floor I thought it was spaghetti that had fallen off your plate. Lol.
Your process sounds a whole lot easier than crawling around on the floor; I know I couldn't do it anymore. You'll be running trains in no time.

[PRR Modeler]

Kyle I used the suitcase connectors on my first layout and had issues with them. Sometimes I didn't get a good initial connection, or if the smaller guage wire was pulled tight after installation I tended to have issues with it and lastly age seemed to cause issues also.

This was just my experience with them and I hope you have a better experience.

[Philip]

Cool!