I've got to get my track plan and progress photos on here. Soon! Until then, I'll try to describe what I'm up to. Also, I want to respond to DEV's comment and his questions about roadbed and scenery.
Over time, I've found what I enjoy is switching and scenery construction, including structures. So my layout is strictly a switching layout, running along three walls of an 11' x 13' spare bedroom. The entry door and closet are on the same wall, which is really fortunate. There's one window, exactly midway on the 13' wall. I'm building the benchwork in sections in the garage; the sections are 28" wide, in 2-1/2' and 4' lengths, depending on where they'll be placed. Once a section is completed, I haul it upstairs and join it to the others. I hope we never move again, but just in case, the layout can be easily dismantled; the same advantage applies if the bedroom window needs replacement.
Each section has fairly simple construction, using 1" x 4" white pine for the frame, legs and bracing. The surface is 5/8" particle board. Most sections are 42" high; three that will have "water" are 40" with two levels of particleboard. This type of construction doesn't allow for much height variation, but I'm modeling a very flat area. Wood screws are used throughout, and sections are joined together with carriage bolts.
Now for the plan. The layout, set in April 1947, represents a small seaport and its terminal railroad at the end of a branch line of a fictitious Texas coastal railroad (name to be determined) that runs from Houston westward. There is a short segment of main line that disappears behind trees at one end and, at the other, ends at a passenger depot/freight yard. A turntable and three-stall roundhouse are adjacent, along with a freight house. At the other end of the layout is the port area, with two railroad wharves and five industrial sidings. Though I won't be running any passenger trains, I plan to build several passenger cars (I have one already completed) and the depot will provide a place to display them...plus it will add to switching opportunities.
The layout will also have space for non-railroad businesses and a small residential area. I think these are essential in setting the era and locale, because of advertising signs, types of retail stores, automobiles, etc.
I'm laying track on 1/4" x 1-3/4" white pine roadbed, ripped from 1" x 4" x 8' planks courtesy of my son-in-law Craig. On curves I cut the roadbed into 4" segments. Turnouts are on 12" x 3" pieces. The roadbed is bonded to the particleboard baseboard with white glue. I then cut ties from 1/8" x 1/8" balsa, which I stain with acrylic burnt umber. The ties are then put down with white glue. I lay the track in place, except for the turnouts. I find it's easier to build those separately on their bases and then insert them into the intended locations.
DEV's comment asked whether the white pine roadbed is noisy. Although I am still building and haven't run any trains yet, I have used a few cars coupled together to test the trackwork, and the noise doesn't seem excessive. More so than using Homasote, but not bad, I think. I do like the way white pine takes spikes. I considered white pine in the first place after reading Paul Mallery's Trackwork Handbook for Model Railroads. His advocacy of white pine and the fact Homasote is expensive provided the impetus to give it a try, and I'm glad I did.
DEV also asked about scenery. In the past I've used cardboard and foam for terrain shapes, and real dirt and ground foam fixed with 50/50 white glue and water mix. Roads and streets were patching plaster sanded flat and colored with acrylics. I think I'll probably take a similar approach on this layout. More about scenery in a later post. I'll try to also post some photos of my previous Idaho layout to show scenery examples.
One more thing...the railroad's name. I'm still working on the fictional mainline railroad's name, but for the port railroad I have settled on Gulf Harbor Terminal Railway. Guess that makes my port Gulf Harbor, Texas, somewhere west of Houston (and there's a lot of Texas west of Houston!).
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Chuck, sounds like a plan. It's not what I would do, but then I'm not doing anything like anyone else would do.... Regardless, as long as your benchwork is solidly constructed and you do indeed glue the roadbed to the particleboard, you will have eliminated some sources of vibration. I don't like particleboard, as it is likely to resonate badly, and over time will likely sag, but as long as it is kept in a totally dry environment it will work, if given enough bracing.
ReplyDeleteFor your scenic terrain, I would like to suggest using ceiling tile. The "celotex" type, not the fiberglass type. It is easy to carve, is relatively inexpensive, looks a lot like "dirt" if it is ever accidently exposed, and when glued to a flat panel (like your particleboard) has sound deadening properties. Multiple layers can be built up, but you do need to pay attention to glue. Water based contact adhesive is best as it does not give a hard layer, and is environmentally (indoors!) friendly. I wouldn't use it for mountains, but you're not talking about great elevation changes on your layout. Anyway, it's just a suggestion.
Gulf Harbor sounds like it should be somewhere around Corpus Christi. It's not, but sounds like it should be....