Prototype Railroad Modeling

Yosemite Valley RR and ATSF Crossing: A Prototype Scene (1)

Posted on by jkdummler
Basic track plan for a 24″x 18″ prototype scene set on the Yosemite Valley

 

One of the possible certificates I would like to pursue on my way toward the ultimate goal of becoming a NMRA Master Model Railroader is to build a “Prototype Scene”.  The requirements are fairly open for this category, and as I have enough (I think) information available in my archives to build a scene from along the Yosemite Valley, the location just outside Merced, CA where the YV crossed the ATSF and the ATSF had a town for controlling the signals involved in the crossing, I think this would be an excellent choice.

The plan, as drawn, is for a 24″ x 18″ scene.  The base will be built from cut plywood benchwork, allowing for the introduction of lights in the tower and possibly some animation for signals, all mounted underneath.  The track is fairly straight forward, with the ATSF running top to bottom of the drawing (so 18″) and the YV running left to right (Merced toward El Portal) and having a distance of 24″.  The scenery will include a scratch-built ATSF tower, and lots of golden grass so it appears to be California in the summer.

I plan to hand-lay the track on this project in order to give that a try on a small scale as well.

There will be a YV train poised on the display, most likely with one of the 2-6-0’s, a caboose, and a few freight cars that will stretch close to the whole 24″.

My goal is to have this project completed, along with other projects, by the end of 2019.

-JD

Freight Crate Modifications

Posted on by jkdummler

It’s that time of year again when I build the newest batch of Freight Crates from Fast Tracks to carry cars to RPM Chicagoland as well as store them until they’re in use on the layout that, (fingers crossed) will be up and running in early 2019.

For a few years now, I’ve had a couple of bits of difficulty with my crates, but in my book there isn’t a better option on the market for storing and protecting equipment.  About 6 years ago I had things in large cardboard boxes that are made to store and transport cars.  During a move, 95% of my equipment, including locomotives, were smashed to the point of unrecoverable.  After moving over to using Freight Crates, I have taken cars to multiple RPM’s and not broken anything, so the protection is sound.

The issues I’ve had surround two items.  1. The locking tabs on the bottom of the crates have a tendency to brake off.  During repeated opening and closing of the crates, I’ve broken more than one.  2.  Getting the locking tabs to not become glued in place during construction is difficult (for me),  3.  Getting crates to open when the lid slides all the way down to the bottom can be difficult.  Humidity and air temperature can affect how things slide.

So when I set out this year to build my newest batch, I decided on two things.  First, if I could avoid using the locking tabs, because I don’t really need those, I would.  Second, if I could solve the opening issues by figuring out a way to add leverage for my fingers I would do that as well.

The bottom of the Fast Tracks Freight Crate shows the mounting points near the ends for the locking mechanisms that also work to allow the crates to stack.

 

These pieces I now leave out of the bottom construction.

 

The mounts for allowing the Freight Crates to stack are still used, just without the lock portion.

The first part that solves both of my first two issues was easy.  I simply build the bottom of the crates following the directions and leave out the locking tabs.  The way I handle the crates I always have a hand on the bottom anyway.  Replacing the locking tabs with a pair of stout rubber bands around the crate wound’t hurt either, or I may wind up adding some velcro straps to the sides to keep the lids on.  Either way, without the tabs, there is no frustration and the crates still stack.

A newly assembled lid is seen drying here with blue painters tape used to hold everything together.

Solving the lid-opening issue took a little more thought.  What I decided to do was to set my Bladerunner table saw to have a 1.5″ cut.  Then I ran the parts for the sides and ends of the lid through there before assembly.  Once cut, I used a sanding sponge to just knock down any “hair” from the bald that was raised on the hardboard material, and assembled the top following the rest of the instructions.  I use blue painters tape to hold everything in place while I’m gluing and assembling both the top and bottom.  I find it works nicely to hold joints together, but peels off with ease once things are dry.

A pair of modified crates awaits filling with cars. The side modification tom the lids can be easily seen.

The end result is a Freight Crate that I can lift the lid off of easily, that stacks, and that protects my equipment.  This modification isn’t for everyone, but for me, it works.  The same modification I made to the new crates I can make carefully to the existing set, at least to the lids, with the saw, so they function just as easily.

I have a bunch of cars to finish if I’m going to make my deadlines this year, so it’s probably time to get back to the workbench!

-JD

Moving Indoors

Posted on by jkdummler
The spray booth moved inside this weekend from the garage to the laundry room all thanks to a new vent hose attachment.

For the last few years, any painting, gluing with MEK, weathering…. anything that created fumes, had to be done in our garage.  That means everything had to be done during the Spring / Summer / Fall and was subject to the outside temperature, bugs, humidity, and general idiosyncrasies of painting outside.  With the really difficult time we’ve had this year getting any time in the booth because of the strange weather patterns, things piled up that are now causing a rush ahead of RPM Chicagoland later this month.  I’m still hoping to finish 18 or so cars, but wow, wouldn’t it be nice to build and finish a project one at a time?

We solved the issue there with the addition to our spray booth of the available hose attachment.  I was able over the weekend to move all the painting equipment into our laundry room, set up, and weather cars inside without having to worry about all the outside elements.  The fan cleared the fumes nicely.

I’m looking forward to finishing cars and structures going forward as they’re ready and not waiting for everything to pile up all at once.

-J

Adjusting A Track Plan

Posted on by jkdummler
The top is a traced drawing that shows the changes to the original to suit my plans. The bottom is the cut out of the original plan that provides the inspiration.

Planning for the next rise of the Norfolk & Western layout is underway.  After some thoughts about completely abandoning the original plan for a smaller version, we’re now back to some semblance of sanity and progressing with track plans.

The gist of the layout project is to build a Norfolk & Western branch set in West Virginia in 1927.  I originally started out to build the Black Creek & Buda as drawn by Iian Rice.  As the first attempt at the benchwork failed and was torn down this summer, the next “version” will soon rise from the garage floor.

Major setbacks have a tendency to make me review and analyze how to correct for the previous failures, as I’m sure most folks do.  The major failure of the ACP branch was the construction and materials, but adjusting the track plan to fit the new materials will be necessary, and the huge “blob” as I came to call it from the last layout design will be replaced with a more streamlined “phased” approach, with the goal of building two sections now within the next couple of years, and making them “moveable”, not really portable, but capable of being transported in a truck to another location in the future, where more layout could be added.

With that in mind, I’m focusing on the “end” town, which has now been named “Loveall”.  On the Iian Rice plan for the Black Creek & Buda, that’s the town of Buda.  A couple of changes to the track layout were already in the offing, and now a few more will be made.  An article from Model Railroad Planning several years ago prompted me to think about cutting the plan up, and I’m glad I did that.  This first section is mostly going to follow the original, but as things progress, changes will become evident due to the scissors being used as a planning tool.

First, the original includes hidden staging through the drawn coal tipple to allow for change-out of cars.  I don’t want to include the hidden trackage, so that will be eliminated.  The plan around the tipple also included a Washery Dump Track, which I’m going to delete, but likely will replace it with a third track at the tipple.  There was an “extra” track on the plan as well, most likely intended as a caboose track at Buda, or a locomotive track at Buda, but that’ll go away, and the drawn water tank will move closer to the station.  This town also has no need for a scale, so the scale track will be deleted.  The large tipple for the Loveall Coal Co. is still planned for this town, and the mainline will be planned so it can be extended past this location for either future staging or to connect to another layout section.

Now known as Loveall, the small town retains much of the feel of the original BC&B plan, but has been customized to fit the new benchwork footprint.

With the demise of the first set of benchwork, the ACP branch name also will go.  The new name is still in progress.

Overall, this is sort of a TOMA (coined by MRH) style layout plan now.  In Part 2 about layout planning, we’ll discuss the second layout section, and the rough plans for what that will look like.

-JD

2018 RPM Chicagoland Clinic

Posted on by jkdummler

My clinic for RPM Chicagoland is now done and in the “can” as they say.  This year I will be presenting a revised version of the clinic I first gave in 2016 on modeling with low vision.

This year I’ll be discussing the newly revised workshop that we’ve built, some changes in equipment that I use on a regular basis, and more tips for operating and making your layout comfortable for those with low vision to enjoy.

If you haven’t signed up yet, and will be in the Chicago area October 18, 19, 20, please come out to hear me, and other speakers.  You can find registration information at rpmconference.com.

-JD