jimtyp
1st Class Member
Centennial, CO
Conductor
Posts:723
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 | | 07/21/2008 10:59 AM |
| | Matt, looking exceptionally nice! Your ladder looks awesome. I like how you have maximized your space. Looking forward to seeing some trains running :-) | |
livin' la vida loco | |
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Dr G
1st Class Member
Ft Myers Florida
Foreman
Posts:132
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bnsfconductor
Brakeman
Posts:47
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| | 07/21/2008 12:46 PM |
| I like the look of you trackwork, it flows very nicely, but doesn't look as if everything is stuffed into a little area. It tempts me to rip out what I've layed and make it better. The visual impact of #6 turnouts helps create this look. But were are you going to find room for the industries? Doesn't look there is much room for buildings? Did you use any thing to design your layout? Is it based of a section of the FEC?
Craig | | | |
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Dr G
1st Class Member
Ft Myers Florida
Foreman
Posts:132
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| | 07/21/2008 1:22 PM |
| Craig,
It is loosly baised on a switching lead in Miami--small municipality of Meadley Florida, an industrial wharehouse district. The end of the line has 2 large Cemex rock quarries--obviously not on my layout. My plan it to do the "HO module" thing and use false front buildings for the wharehouses and suggest the industries with signs etc. For example on eof the sidings will be a Weeks LP gas distributor that will be represented by a chain link fence, a sign, one LP tank and the unloading tower. Less is more. Will also decrease the number of buildings I need to bring inside with the next hurricaine--WHEN not IF.
Another siding will be an interchange with the CSX--any type of car can be spotted there. Another one will be a team track--a track and pavement--thats it!
Amazing how creative you can be with very little realestate.
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Matt--FEC Nut
http://www.fecrs.com/ | |
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bnsfconductor
Brakeman
Posts:47
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| | 07/21/2008 2:49 PM |
| Sounds like you have a great start of a layout. Eventually I would like to model a whole subdivison (Woodinville Sub, near Seattle) in my backyard!  The LP distributor sounds like an intersesting idea. My problem is that I want to load/unload my cars so I end up eating up all the real estate. I've found that building taller buildings take up less space, but give the look of a full sized industry. The one thing I don't like to compress are buidlings, modelers tend to forget how big a warehouse, or industry needs to be to deliever cars too.
The interchange is something I hadn't thought of yet on my layout, but I might have to steal that idea.
Looking forward to some new pictures.
Craig | | | |
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Dr G
1st Class Member
Ft Myers Florida
Foreman
Posts:132
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| | 07/21/2008 2:58 PM |
| Craig,
Steal away--its how I got most of my ideas--my ladder roadbed is a unabashed copy of Richard Smiths system--right down to wood type and dimensions! The LP distributor idea and basic industrial lead idea is stolen from Lance Mindheim's "East Rail" Miami CSX industrial lead that was published in an issue of Great Model Railroads. He has a website on the HO shelf layout
http://www.lancemindheim.com/
Copy and paste the link--you will be impressed with the realism he achieved in such a small space. | |
Matt--FEC Nut
http://www.fecrs.com/ | |
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Matt Vogt
1st Class Member
Southwest Ohio
Foreman
Posts:237
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| | 07/21/2008 6:57 PM |
| Could someone be a gent and save me some time? I can't seem to locate Richard's website to find the details of his system. I thought it was all raised on platforms.
Thanks | | | |
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Dr G
1st Class Member
Ft Myers Florida
Foreman
Posts:132
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| | 07/21/2008 7:06 PM |
| Finished laying the track on hand. Stretch at C&OC is sending more, but it will be a week. Ode to the days of HO scale when the hobbyshop down the road carried at least some track for such emergencies (Ok not exactly an emergency--but.)
Not to let a good afternoon go to waste, I started painting the track. This is aluminum and it will be nice and shiny silver 20 years from now as it is today--yuk. Nothing bothered me more than a beautiful HO or N layout with bright shiny rails--just ruined the realism for me (personal hang up I guess). So we are painting. Back in the day (read HO scale) I did this with my trusty airbrush--no way--rattle cans here baby! My first choice would have been Krylon camouflage series, but no one seems to have them around here without the "Fusion" added. And that seems to be bad news per many a post here on MLS. I used Krylon rusty red primer, followed by flat brown and a dusting of a beige color in "Val Spar" from Lowes. Seems like good paint, goes on just as smooth as the Krylon, and easier to find.
Just for comparison; unpainted track:
You be the judge. I think it will look great once ballasted. Sorry about the lighting, but I ran out of it and all I got is this little point and shoot--the wife took the SLR digital on a trip with the kids. | |
Matt--FEC Nut
http://www.fecrs.com/ | |
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Richard Smith
1st Class Member
Port Orford, Oregon
Foreman
Posts:448
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| | 07/21/2008 8:21 PM |
| First just to clarify one thing. I didn't originate the ladder roadbed system. I merely did my own spin on it with cedar. I'm very sorry I don't remember the name of the originator but maybe someone else can supply his name.
Matt V.
Steve Conkle did a very fine compilation of most of the POC RR's posts. It is a quite large PDF file that can either be accessed or downloaded. He even provided a table of contents so you can go to whatever part you want without scrolling through every page. Link below:
http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/stevec/POC%20RR/POC_Main.pdf | |
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Matt Vogt
1st Class Member
Southwest Ohio
Foreman
Posts:237
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| | 07/21/2008 8:49 PM |
| Thank you, Richard
the other Matt | | | |
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Dr G
1st Class Member
Ft Myers Florida
Foreman
Posts:132
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| | 07/22/2008 10:02 AM |
| Matt,
I HIGHLY recommend reading that compilation of Richard's posts--I even went as far as to print it out and put it in a binder for reference. It is a great read!!  Be warned it is LONG--think I burned thru a printer cartridge. His layout is indeed elevated, and this was my initial plan, but since I will be moving in a few years (so the wife has informed me), I figued the raised planter beds would add value to the house--all I have to do is remove the trains and the new owners can plant flowers. Raised platform would need to be torn out. Next layout will surely be raised on a platform (told my wife we will buy ONE more house--better be sure she wants to stay--I hate moving that much, besides it is hard on the trains). Even my slightly raised beds are hard on the back--and I ain't that old--YET | |
Matt--FEC Nut
http://www.fecrs.com/ | |
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jimtyp
1st Class Member
Centennial, CO
Conductor
Posts:723
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| | 07/22/2008 11:02 AM |
| I believe the originator of the ladder system was Bill Logan:
ladder system
But Richard is the champion of the Smith Outdoor Benchwork method :-) | |
livin' la vida loco | |
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Richard Smith
1st Class Member
Port Orford, Oregon
Foreman
Posts:448
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| | 07/24/2008 7:37 PM |
| Posted By jimtyp on 07/22/2008 11:02 AM I believe the originator of the ladder system was Bill Logan: ladder system But Richard is the champion of the Smith Outdoor Benchwork method :-)
Hmmmm! Smith Outdoor Benchwork! S.......O.......B..! Yep, I like it!  
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Dr G
1st Class Member
Ft Myers Florida
Foreman
Posts:132
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| | 07/24/2008 8:48 PM |
| Richard,
You truly have a great sense of humor.
Haven't gotten much done in the last few days--rain and more rain every evening. Got to work during the day--got to fund the trains somehow (oh and save for retirement, pay the mortgage and save for the kids college--but we will keep our priorities straight--trains first!
Spent the last few days putting metal wheels and kaydee's on a few more cars. Nothing exciting. I am hoping to finish painting the track tomorw and begin ballasting. Oh and I got two new train DVD's in the mail this week--could be another reason for my lack of progress--hummmmm" border=0> | |
Matt--FEC Nut
http://www.fecrs.com/ | |
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jimtyp
1st Class Member
Centennial, CO
Conductor
Posts:723
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| | 07/25/2008 9:21 AM |
| | LOL! Richard, I didn't realize the acronym I was proposing. How about Benchwork Outdoor Smith System - U da' BOSS :-) | |
livin' la vida loco | |
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blackburn49
1st Class Member
Copper Center, Alaska
Engineer
Posts:1855
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| | 07/26/2008 1:44 PM |
| Posted By Dr G on 07/06/2008 2:27 PM I finished the roadbed today, just before the afternoon monsoon " /> Here's a few shots of it. Next Ineed to fill in around the ladder and get on with laying the track. Still working on ballast choice--looks like it will be limestone fines--just want to find something a little more coarse than the stuff used for leveling patio stones--that is more like the size of sand. Anyone have any thoughts and buring the ladder in gravel of just dirt?
 
Great technique. Very impressive layout underway ! Thanks for the updates. | |
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Dr G
1st Class Member
Ft Myers Florida
Foreman
Posts:132
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| | 07/26/2008 2:28 PM |
| Thanks for all the comments
Here is the latest. Got all the track painted--again ala Richard Smiths technique, though I laid the track then painted it is place, I will ballast next to cover up the overspray--used to do it this way in HO and old habbits die hard
Began ballastaing as well. A few experiments:
This is 1/4 minus limestone (well 3/8 limestone passed thrue a screen into a bucket)
Good texture, but perhaps a little large for 1/29, better for 1/20.3 (narrow guagers in Fl are you listening).
This is limestone screenings after application but before "watering in" (mother nature does this every afternoon)
Looks less like sand after watering, note in this shot only a base layer of screenings is in place but track is only painted, but this is what the limestone screenings look like after mother-nature has watered in and compacted.
I have been very suprised how stable this stuff is after a few rain storms and no "glue." I was contemplating mixing the ballast with portland cement and then watteering in, but that may not be necessary. It does settle about 1/4" after a few days, but holds its shape and rather just "sinks" down as the sand settles. I have plans to "top up"--at $3.25 a bag I can top up for a long time, and the concrete supplier is just down the road.
As the sun goes down and if the weather holds, I'll ballast more today (too hot and humid to work in the middle of the day!) Not sure why I did not start this project in the winter--70 F weather and no rain, guess I'm not that smart
Later Matt
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Matt--FEC Nut
http://www.fecrs.com/ | |
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