Test run!

Warning, a real bad videoclip from this evenings test run

Waiting...

...that the Sculptamold will dry...


The embankment ready to get some landscape.


In place...


First train. No, not really it's just a test how it will look.

Friday evening...

... and a short progress report. Yesterday the tracks on "South River" was laid. At the end a pair of Minitrix Rerailer was installed to make fiddling easier.


Today there have been testdriving, track cleaning, track cleaning... and at last the bridge abutments was glued in place. The bridge is recycled from an earlier layout and will hide the entrance to the staging.

From idea to shelf

As usual there been some replanning and due to the "user interface" Crawford Valley was turned 180 degrees.

The connection to the south will be "South River", a micro staging (just two tracks) that hides beyond the computer desk and make further expansion possible to a little bigger removable staging yard.

The tracks will disappears out of sight below a small bridge to the left.

Some Wood added...

...makes it look much better. Here's the Mill Street Crossing


And Main Street crosses four tracks


"Cabwiew". Hmmm, I must find some better background than the old wallpaper.


North Eastern Scale Lumber #354(?) with som PS Dirt if someone wonder.

To late...

... in the evening when it's work tomorrow?

Nevertheless some painting have been done on Main Street crossing the tracks.

Progress Report

After a nice family weekend with a crayfish party there been some work done. The track got painted, mainline with Tamiya XF-63 "German Grey" and the sidings with Polly Scale "Dirt" and some ties in "D&H Grey"


A close lookup on the elevator siding with it's worn down track laid with the intention to look real bad

Some tests

Decision making? PS Dirt + D&H Grey or just D&H Grey, which track suits the freightshed and elevator best...

Just for fun...

The Depot section are now enough ready to make some switching (and testing). The module set have been mounted in the right place but still there are some stuffs that hasn´t been moved.

The shelf are going to be replaced by a background and som lights.


Just for fun a number of buildings and cars were placed on their right location to test the appearence


Tomorrow it's time for the missing four switch controls to get in place...

Extra 265 West

"Mill Street" from down under. Only thing missing are the knobs on the control rods


Extra 265 West ready for switching (and testing). The tracks were really dirty and the loco need some cleaning to. And there is a BIG difference between this Atlas GP-7 and my favourite Kato NW-2. The NW is much less sensitive to dirty track...

(Click picture for larger)

Switch Control (part 1)

I prefer to control the switches manually and want to have the possibility to chose which (or both) side the operator works from.

I use levers of 1mm Piano wire shaped like a hook and bearings of 2mm brass tubing to transform the movement down trough the module


First step is to drill a 2mm hole next to the switch (at the same measure as the hook have)


I cut the brasstubing in pieces with my Dremel Multitool and grind it smooth


I press the tube in to the hole with my scriber.


I make small plates of scrap brass to secure the tube. One 2mm hole for the tube and one 3mm for a fastening screw.


After a secont check that the tube levels i solder the plate and tube together


(To be continued)

More things in the toolbox

Some more useful tool laying in the toolbox

A Scriber (sv. ritsnål). I'm using both as intended to make marks on metal or other hard surfaces and as an Awl (sv. pryl) to make holes and mark before i drill.


Gauges, both a NMRA trackgauge and homemade ones as templates for tracklaying. 28mm are for main to siding and 60mm for the staging yard. i've used PCB and brassplate.

Further plans

As usually their are plans for the expansion ;) The current goal are an "operational" small module-set in the office/workroom this autumn. The stagingyards going to be built as shelfs along the South and North walls.

Here are a proposal of "South River" with a railway bridge hiding the entrance.


"North Ridge" are a still secret (undecided) yard and industrial connection along the northern wall...

Progress

The result of this days work, four parallell tracks. Main and siding Atlas c55, freight and elevator ME c40 and a little lower.

Real work...

The parcel with switches has arrived and work started on the Depot section. The old crossover has been moved and the new together with the switches to the freight and elevator track are on their way.


The crossover switches are shortened too tighten the trackspace to 28 mm (yes, they are going to be even closer ;) )

Overwiew

All parts together

Trackplan Muddy Creek

The third piece of Crawford Valley. The track from south pass a little creek on a small trestle before the first switch

Trackplan Depot Section

Trackplan for the Depot Section (please click on the picture to see all of it)

Trackplan Mill Street

A drawing of the "Mill Street" section is the result of some work in AnyRail 4 combined with MS Paint



(8/8 New updated picture)

A "new" trackplan

After a long break som new ideas have appeared to allow some more operations on the modules. The "Depot module" laying on the workbench but the "Extension" are still just an idea...

CS - Farmers Co Op Storage
E - Elevator
FD - Fuel dealer
FH - Freight house
GS - Grain storage
R - Ramp
TM - Textile Mill
TT - Teamtrack