Crawford Junction

Unexpected progress(?)

2012-01-19T21:31:00.003+01:00

Some unexpected progress took place. I've got an real early birthday gift from my parents, a pair of new IKEA kitchen-cabinets and an old countertop to form the workbench.

2012 Update

2012-01-15T21:10:00.004+01:00

A long Christmas and New Year holiday but without modelrailroading. Why will some ask and the answer is the BIG MOVE. The former work/layout room are now my new bedroom with new walls, floor and ceiling.

And this weekend the most of the MR-stuff moved to the new work/layout room. Still its temporary waiting for "Ivar"-shelves below.

A wiew along the tracks...

Test run!

2011-11-08T21:49:00.002+01:00

Warning, a real bad videoclip from this evenings test run

Waiting...

2011-11-06T21:13:00.009+01:00

...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...

2011-11-04T22:33:00.006+01:00

... 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

2011-10-10T21:55:00.004+02:00

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...

2011-09-01T22:27:00.005+02:00

...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...

2011-08-31T22:25:00.004+02:00

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

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

Progress Report

2011-08-28T18:12:00.006+02:00

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

2011-08-16T21:42:00.002+02:00

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

Just for fun...

2011-08-13T00:17:00.005+02:00

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

2011-08-11T18:52:00.005+02:00

"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)

2011-08-11T13:47:00.003+02:00

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

2011-08-11T08:10:00.004+02:00

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

2011-08-10T08:15:00.005+02:00

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

2011-08-09T22:18:00.004+02:00

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...

2011-08-09T14:08:00.006+02:00

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

2011-08-08T15:37:00.002+02:00

All parts together

Trackplan Muddy Creek

2011-08-08T14:17:00.003+02:00

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

2011-08-08T11:04:00.006+02:00

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

Trackplan Mill Street

2011-08-07T20:00:00.005+02:00

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

2011-07-20T00:07:00.005+02:00

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

Long time, not seen

2010-10-24T14:27:00.004+02:00

At least some work on the modules. The track around the bridge got ballasted.

On demand!

2010-09-16T21:28:00.003+02:00

A pair of simple sketches of the houses and freight house.

Measures in mm

Bigger picture

On the module:

Forced to rest

2010-09-12T20:17:00.005+02:00

It has been quiet a while due to that I injured my knee real bad but now i manage to move my self to the hobbyroom again...

The manual turnout control from below. It´s possible to throw the turnouts from either side of the module.

In the side of the module.

In the other side

First look...

2010-08-04T00:10:00.004+02:00

... towards the north entry of "Crawford Valley". It´s a recycling of a former N-RE doubletrack junction. There will be the possibility of two incoming tracks and also a short industrial connection (a quarry?) to the right. Tomorrow we will take the dynamite and remove some of the old landcape

The Depot area are also showing progress with roads and the place for the freighthouse

Some paint...

2010-08-02T21:57:00.004+02:00

... on the sides. Now it´s just waiting for the work I enjoy most, the making of complete scenes with landscape, houses, cars, people. Making the module to a little story.

Big difference, from the industrial district straight out on the countryside?

A little work have been done...

2010-07-31T00:10:00.006+02:00

... despite the poor beginning of the day. I woke up on the wrong side but it definitely got better.

The Mill Street section have taken one step further with some paint on the concrete roads, some "Carlsson-Goo" on the hillside and some filler on the part next to the teamtrack.

On the Depot section is it a bit calmer, its just a test of the new Farmers Co Op storageshed (Walthers) together with neighbours. The Freighthouse on the opposite side is a loan from the Junction awaiting a slight smaller and more Burlingtonlike scratchbuilt one.

First cargo arrived...

2010-07-29T23:16:00.002+02:00

... to the "mill track". The remaining trackpieces was soldered and a small testrun was executed. All tracks all over again and again and ... and it seems like it work (this far). The switching crew on the local will hate me for the layout with two roadcrossing that not should be blocked ;)

Two small pieces of track

2010-07-29T00:34:00.003+02:00

Todays work have been the two missing pieces of track on "Mill Street"-section together with work on the road and place for the Mill itself.

Schematic trackplan

2010-07-28T01:06:00.004+02:00

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

The Extension section is not yet started

Another piece

2010-07-28T00:58:00.004+02:00

A further piece in place but still som tracks missing. The new section is named Mill Street after the Textile Mill that will take place behind the train

First trip to Crawford Valley

2010-07-25T23:55:00.005+02:00

A local freight are ready on the staging yard

Through the big curve

Making a photostop on our americaN fellowship module "Zero Creek"

The trestle over "Muddy Creek" lays just outside "Crawford Valley"

It´s must have been a shaky trip ;)

Switch to get ready to return

Long time...

2010-07-22T19:15:00.004+02:00

Due too many other things the work on the Junction got lower priority a long time, but now it´s one the move again. One big decision been made, "Crawford Junction" (seen above) and "Crawford Valley" are now to separate module-sets but still on this blogg together.

Hopefully there will get som new grass and a lot of train running to test before the rail are painted and ballasted on the remaining

Almost there

2010-01-30T23:54:00.005+01:00

Even if the ground got the same color as yesterday the building made a change to the better. I like the combination with red and green that "The Q" used. Next step now is to make the middle section ready for the building.

Change!

2010-01-29T22:07:00.003+01:00

Change is a popular word in some countries. And on Crawford too. Instead of a Santa Fe inspired Walthers kit there going to bee a scratchbuilt smaller structure as depot. The appearence are borrowed from a drawing in an old "Model Railroader".

With brown primer it looks like chocolate but it´s going to be "indian red" and "oxide green" instead.

Roofs and windows

2010-01-24T21:57:00.005+01:00

This weekends small works. The storage shed and "Jensen Motor" got roofs and windows.

A closer look, to close? Who stole the stairs ;)

"Jensen Motor" still missing one window thats going to be replaced by a sheet of plywood or something similar.

Prewiew

2010-01-17T11:22:00.001+01:00

The houses and other things on their right locations just to test the feeling.

Housebuilding!

2010-01-16T10:11:00.004+01:00

Two small houses and a freight shed standing on the workbench. The buildings are scratchbuilt with "Evergreen" Clapboardsiding as walls and are now waiting on details and paint.

MoW on the run!

2010-01-16T10:06:00.004+01:00

The Maintenance of Way Section have done some work with ballasting the track. Still some adjustment to do but now it´s beginning to look like a railroad.

Some more progress

2010-01-02T17:55:00.004+01:00

Today it was time for the "bad machine", the homebuilt grassmaster to have some action. First the village side

And the side of the storage shed. It still need some more paint with som texture.

And a wiew along the track.

At the same time the dirt road that crosses the rail on the "South End" got guardrails and a layer of putty. (or is it some local snow)

An owerwiew from south to north of the "Mini-Crawford"

And in the opposite direction.

Still a lot of work to do but now we see the end (?). Hopefully it will go public on http://www.dream-track.se/ in March this year.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T00:21:00.005+01:00

A good new year so far. The "North End"-module got som paint on the sides and the surface got some basic paint in preparation for the grass. The mainline got som gray paint to even if its hard to see.

The place for the storage shed got some putty and another layer of cork to level the railroad cars with the trucks.

A wiew of the future railroad crossing

Roadworks

2009-12-27T00:44:00.005+01:00

Among Father Christmas and swedish meetballs there been some small works on the modules. The road that cross the module was this evenings project.

A sheet of 0,75mm styrene was cut in a 4cm slice and scored with a knife in "concrete slabs"

A quick trip to the paintbox and primer and tomorrow it will be glued in place (hopefully)

Landscaping

2009-11-11T21:49:00.007+01:00

This evening there was a half hour of landscaping. At first the "raw" creek.

Then the garage of Jensen Motor

And at last the place where farmers coop will place there storage shed.

Test and trials

2009-11-08T21:42:00.005+01:00

Puh!

After some work without pictures are Crawford Junction ready for tests and trials in the garage. The first trial was a short work for the switcher to change the loaded hoppers by the elevator to empty ones.

The NW-2 at the junction with the empty hoppers.

Ready, testing the brakes.

Out again. Here in the almost ready landscape on the south section.

Back in the Valley, pushing the cars.

And coupled to the loaded ones.

*¤#*, sorry end of battery in the camera.

Hopefully it will be more pictures from further testruns in the future.

Down under

2009-11-08T21:37:00.003+01:00

A wiew from the hidden side with the track feeder and connectors below North End. Here´s also the holes for attaching the legs visible.

Tracklaying finished

2009-11-02T23:02:00.005+01:00

I made a fast decision and used a Peco c55 flextrack instead of the missing Atlas to the elevator track.

I also tested the location and height of the depot but nothing is decided yet.

With addition

2009-11-02T14:31:00.000+01:00

A small building for the passengers added

Depot building

2009-11-02T12:30:00.002+01:00

The Depot at Crawford Valley will be a kitbashed Walther SF Freight shed. I´m going to add some space for the waiting passengers.

Track laid and almost finished

2009-11-01T20:15:00.005+01:00

The trackwork is ready except the elevatortrack. A wiew towards north.

And the opposite direction.

Painting and trackwork

2009-11-01T17:17:00.005+01:00

First step today was to glue the base of the elevator to the module and paint where the track will be placed straight on to the plywood

Next thing to do was to shorten the turnouts to allow a narrower trackspace (cc 28mm)

After that feeders where soldered to the turnouts. I have made the habit to feed every single bit of track.

The turnoutpair glued in place.

Not to bad

2009-10-26T20:37:00.003+01:00

Todays there was just some time to test the ideas and place the structures as planned.
One special is the track on the "outside" of the buildings, please notice the safety arrangement that will keep the trains on the right place despite the short distance to the edge.

Here´s also the hardboard that outlines some of the roads visible.

"Terraforming"

2009-10-25T20:40:00.004+01:00

Next step was to begin the terraforming and make the landscape with connecting road more smooth. The "Goo" used is a mixture of plaster, glue, sawdust and paint.

Tracks on the North End

2009-10-25T20:32:00.003+01:00

Today the work progressed in two steps. The first was laying tracks on the roadbed that was finished earlier this week. The right side will hold "Farmers Coop" with a small storage shed and the left some small cottages and a car workshop

Roof, doors and windows

2009-10-20T19:46:00.002+02:00

Some small progress yesterday evening.

The elevator with some paint

2009-10-18T21:34:00.004+02:00

The kit a number of steps further. The corrugated metal sheets got a rusty look with dry brushed silver paint and then a rust wash. The windows and doors got som Burlington Green to make the building a bit more colorful. Tomorrow the elevator will hopefully got the roofs on and a number of more details attached.

Time for buildings

2009-10-18T14:11:00.002+02:00

One of the buildings will be Walthers "Valley Growers Ass." which will add some traffic in boxcars (with grain doors) or covered hoppers depending to which era the traffic session will be in.

One, two and three

2009-10-13T20:52:00.004+02:00

Here´s some pictures showing the principle of modularity. How it´s possible for Crawford to grow and fit several spaces

One - The small one, with a short track to a freight shed. South and North End(ca 109 cm)

Two - medium size, with a short run around and an additional track to a grain elevator on the Valley(ca 218 cm)

Three - Next step, with the Junction in place but the not yet grown sideways. (ca 330 cm)

Four, five, six... are still in the imagination of the builder.

Some painting!

2009-10-10T22:32:00.004+02:00

Today in the evening the inside of both the "Valley" and "North End" modules where ready to get som paint.

Crawford Valley

2009-10-04T19:47:00.007+02:00

Connecting to the junction on the northern side is the small fictious village "Crawford Valley"

The module is already waiting for some paint in my garage. Compared with the trackplan has the elevator and its track changed places.

More testing

2009-08-19T22:31:00.002+02:00

This sunday there was a big test driving session. Most things worked out fine except the left switch on the interchange tracks. This is the only Atlas No 5 on the module, all other switches are No 7. I´ve to take a closer look to see whats wrong.

Testing

2009-07-26T23:38:00.005+02:00

Today it was time for some test driving. Two DC-Locos drove back and forward and tested all tracks on the module set. The picture is false because it was one loco at the time (someone, guess who, had made a bad connection). It was meant to have the possibility to disconnect the crossing line with a switch if there is a need for several DCC-boosters on a bigger module layout but that didn´t work out today.

Sandwichmodule

2009-07-25T17:14:00.004+02:00

I regulary build my modules as a "sandwich" with thin (4mm) plywoodsheets and pine strips around a core of styrofoam.

First step is to cut sheet at the right measures (fitting inside the end and sides) I use to cut the sheets in long strips in the hardware store where i buy it.

Then i glue and nail a frame of pinestrips on the top sheet. Also a supporting strip directly beyond the roadbed.

Then i take a brake when the glue hardens. (It´s below somewhere)

Then i fill up the hollow space with styrofoam and glue and nail the bottom sheet.

(To be continued)

In the modulebuilders toolbox

2009-07-25T16:33:00.005+02:00

Ok, there´s one part missing and i thought that i will take the opportunity to show a little bit closer the way i build a "sandwich module"

Some of the tools

The straight angle is necesary in a lot of places

Here also

Not here, but that wasn´t meant.

A saw to make straight angles

North End

2009-07-23T21:39:00.004+02:00

Next section to build is that which will connect to the right. Instead of the trackconnection in the previous plan there are just a simple loading track with a storage shed used by the Countys Farmers

Soon in the right colours

2009-07-23T20:00:00.005+02:00

Two shots with the result from yesterdays small paint session (with a real helpful four year old daughter) Some parts will get another layer with paint before it´s ready for grass and turf.

The Countys Farmer got a possibility to send and recieve goods on an of the interchangetracks

Milwaukee track

2009-07-19T18:55:00.005+02:00

Track on the crossing line(Milwaukee) laid.

The set with sections are meant to be transported in a stack with the centerpiece in the bottom and the four small sections bolted in pairs. The crossing line sections fits together and makes a 108 cm long piece.

One more piece in place

2009-07-18T16:53:00.001+02:00

This afternoons work was to mount the connectors between the centerpiece and short section so it will be ready for tracklaying.

Harvest?

2009-07-18T10:03:00.002+02:00

Alongside the right of way of the "Q" are the fields almost ready to harvest but i still want the crops to bee a bit more dense.

A closer look.

It´s growing!

2009-07-18T00:29:00.001+02:00

Today after a short vacation it was time for some building. The homebuilt "Grassmaster-clone" was used together with static grass from Heki. To make the grass a little more rough I used som blended turf before the grass was set.

Here is a wiew from the secondary road that´s cross the maintrack.

Prototype Information

2009-07-14T22:49:00.001+02:00

For those who is interested in the prototype "Crawford Tower" there is the following link:

http://www.signalbox.org/overseas/usa/crawford.htm

(And if you now where there are more prototype information, please send me an mail)

Terraforming

2009-07-11T13:18:00.000+02:00

Terraforming has started on the southernmost part. I use a mix of plaster, glue, paint and sawdust. The plywood strip are going to be a narrow road.

2009-07-09T14:39:00.001+02:00

More testing

2009-07-09T14:24:00.002+02:00

Last evening the trackwork on the third, the interchange section began. And here are a few photos from today when it was ready to test. First a wiew of the layout.

A closer look to the connection. There are still a lot of soldering to do.

Testing

First real trains on Crawford Junction

2009-07-08T18:44:00.002+02:00

After a long yesterday evening with the two sections bottom up and soldering switchmotors and track connectors. That made it possible to the first real test run of two Crawford sections today. First an overwiew from "South" or Chicago in the real world.

Ready for todays work is CB&Q 9215, a Kato NW2 with a short train.

Waiting on the interchange track is three cars from the Q

After a short trip are the cars on the interchange track for Milwaukee Road.

A short move.

And out again on it´s way back.

The dispathers office, Uhhh!

The temporary switch control.

And at last mr FredI.

And a short wiew of a pair of NW2:s, I was lucky and found a matching brother to the first on ebay.

Line up

2009-07-07T23:24:00.001+02:00

Today the track was glued on the section with the interchange switch and here it´s lined up together with the central section

A Tower!

2009-07-05T23:32:00.002+02:00

Todays small works, a test - Tower Zero, to see how it will look like on the module and to see that it looks prototypical (I´ve got just one picture of the real Crawford Tower). The big change to the real model will be the windows ant to mount them much closer to the surface.

On the module it looks nice I think.

Yesterdays work, legs aren´t fun to make but necesary.

Paintshop?

2009-07-03T00:08:00.002+02:00

One step further... tomorrow i hope it will get the right colour.

Another part!

2009-06-29T00:02:00.001+02:00

A little step further today! The south entry section of the junction is ready to get some paint

Together with the central part of Crawford

Good solution?

2009-06-26T10:30:00.001+02:00

One problem in making the Crawford module has been to make a reliable connection between the sections but yesterday i think i solved it.

The solution are the following items, connectors for window:

The "female" in place:

Two "male" on the adjacent section:

And the result together with the common bolts and nuts:

Module?

2009-06-02T18:33:00.000+02:00

I´m building the modules in the standard that http://www.america-n.de/ set. It´s mostly the same as the FREMO N-RE but fitted to North American prototype.

In the western part of Sweden we are an small group that follows that standard and like operation.

Building

2009-05-31T22:47:00.002+02:00

The building of the modules have started, i prefer to build with thin 4mm "Plywood" spaced by 20mm foam.

The idea how to transport the module set (with som more space between)

Why this blogg?

2009-05-31T12:52:00.000+02:00

In this blog i will try to show the creation of the america-n module "Crawford Junction"

Why building Crawford Junction, is a hard question to answer, one is that was the right prototype at the right moment. When we started to discus a swedish us-module railroading group i´ve already seen pictures from the prototype i chosen on the www and looked closer on by using google maps just maked me more convinced what i want to build.

The updated sketch of the moduleset. Chicago at the left and St Paul at the right

(The trackplan is made i 3rd PlanIt and painted i Photoshop)