La Mirada, CA Industrial Switching Layout Progress

[Trucklover]

Josh, I don’t know what brand my corrugated styrene is. I don’t order it online, I get it at an architectural model supply here. But I guess this stuff is all the same, no matter where you get it from.

Russ had some good points there. WS Hydrocal is expensive and there are lots of suppliers that offer casting plaster that is better and cheaper. Next time I won’t use WS Hydrocal, I found a better source myself. To lay screen in the middle of the molds is another good adice. It will make the castings much stronger. Though it is not necessary if you build your structures like I built mine. I built a sub-structure from .120" cardboard and glued the castings to it. Makes assembling a structure much easier, especailly if you are putting long walls together from several castings. Structures built this way are quite sturdy, a real advantage if you have to move them often. You still have to be careful not to hit anything with your structure when moving it around. It is esay to damage hydrocal especially at the corners of the structure.

Here is an article you may find interesting. It shows a different approach to making molds. http://trainweb.org/crocon/pcoquet/scrat...ticle.html

Kurt, thanks for the link and the additional pictures! Instead of using .120 cardboard, i think ill use Masonite. I can get a large 4x8' sheet and just cut what I need for structure backs on the table saw. That should really help strengthen the structure, although your right, any bumps to the structure will probably chip or break it so I will have to make sure I am extra careful when moving them around lol.

Im really exited for this project, and cant wait to get the plastic in to make a mold! Now we play the waiting game for the order to come in from Walthers lol

[Trucklover]

Kurt, another question for you lol

When you made your mold, how thick did you make the casting?

[cnw1961]

I made the castings 3/8" thick, just to be on the safe side. The walls of my two Downtown Deco Hydrocal kits are only 1/4", but then they are a bit more experienced than me making Hydrocal castings .

[fast car]

Thanks guys!!

Kurt, now perhaps you could help me out a little here. What do you use for your freight doors when building your structures? Im going to need a bunch of them, and for the most part from what I can see using Bing, most of the freight doors on the structures appear to be just standard roll-ups... Wondering what manufactures doors you use?

Josh,

I would try to get the N scale corrugated material from Plastruct as opposed to the HO scale. The corrugations in the sheet material are closer together and truer to what you would actually see. I have used the N scale corrugated sheets with excellent results. I believe Lance Mindheim's touches on this point in his article in the this months Model Railroader. Basically, certain details cannot be "scaled down" and modeled because it is impossible to achieve the measurements. This is why Lance shoots several of his details with a camera i.e. the roll up freight doors and glues the image to sheet plastic. For this reason I prefer to use N scale ballast.

Larry

[Trucklover]

Kurt & Larry,

Thanks guys.

I already ordered the HO Corrugated sheets, they will be in Tuesday lol. I guess ill be ordering some N scale Corrugated sheets as well, and then compare the 2.

I also think im going to use a different ballast this time, rather then using Woodland Scenics, I think im going to go with Arizona Rock & Mineral Ballast or one of the other manufactures who uses real crushed rock. There is something about the WS ballast that just doesnt look as good when its actually used as ballast in trackwork. Ill have to search around for some good stuff. Anyone know what other manufactures make ballast out of real crushed rock?

[Justinmiller171]

N-scale Corrugated styrene might be a little too corrugated to look realistic so I would stick with the ho-scale sheets.

Highball Products make ballast using real rocks: http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Highball_...s/1255.htm

Lance Mindheim recently made a blog article about ballasting track that should help you out some: http://www.shelflayouts.com/blog.htm

Glad to see you finally started your layout, Can't wait to see how it looks like finished!

[Trucklover]

N-scale Corrugated styrene might be a little too corrugated to look realistic so I would stick with the ho-scale sheets.

Highball Products make ballast using real rocks: http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Highball_...s/1255.htm

Lance Mindheim recently made a blog article about ballasting track that should help you out some: http://www.shelflayouts.com/blog.htm

Glad to see you finally started your layout, Can't wait so see how it looks like finished!

WOW Excellent Link to Lance's recent blog entry! I will be following that. Its funny, I had just come across the Matte Medium a few minutes ago, and then I read his blog entry and he suggests using it, now I know for sure im getting that stuff lol

Thanks for the help, and thanks for the great links, off to read some more of his blag entries

[nachoman]

Matte medium is basically flat clear acrylic. It has been touted for years as being superior to white glue for ballasting and scenery glue. Recently, I tried some Liquitex brand matte medium for ballast bonding, and it left a white residue on the top of my ballast. After trying a few different techniques, I eventually went back to using dilute white glue and it looks fine. I also used sifted dirt from my yard as ballast. I prefer the natural rock ballast to Woodland Scenics. Arizona Rock and mineral company another source for real rock ballast. BTW, that company is for sale - $100k!!!

[Trucklover]

Thanks for the reply Kevin. The only reason I got the Matte Medium stuff is because I can get it at cost and its about the same as buying a gallon of white glue lol

[Trucklover]

Got some more work done on Module #4 of this project today. i laid the rest of the Central Valley Tie Strips and placed the Walthers #6 Turnouts and Atlas 12.5 degree crossing. The last turnout to go on this module will be a Walthers #5 WYE, but it is not in stock and backordered till August, so I wont have it for a while...

The mainline was laid out down the length of the module. Its Atlas Code 83 Flex with Concrete Ties laid on Woodland Scenics Foam Roadbed. This will be the only elevated track, and it is only slightly elevated.

Im waiting for Micro Engineering Code 70 Rail to come in, so as soon as that comes in ill be able to lay the rest of the track and complete the yard. After that, ground throws will be installed, and then it will be ballasted.

Here are some quick pictures that show the recent track laid with some Cushion Coil Cars and 53' Thrall Gondolas on the track to give you an idea of how many cars this yard will be able to hold.











Attached below is a picture of the section im working on right now

[mountaingoatgreg]

Josh,

This is looking good!!
I really like the complexity of the plan but also the compact size of the overall layout.
By the way I am comforted that I am not the only one on hold waiting for parts from walthers...

Oh well it will give us both time to work on other projects...right

[Trucklover]

Josh,

This is looking good!!
I really like the complexity of the plan but also the compact size of the overall layout.
By the way I am comforted that I am not the only one on hold waiting for parts from walthers...

Oh well it will give us both time to work on other projects...right

Thanks Greg

I put the legs on the module today, there folding legs on hinges. This module is 8' long, and well it is pretty hard to handle, and while it was pretty light before, its now pretty heavy with the addition of the legs and leg hardware. Im going to live with it, but I have reduced the size of all the other modules down from 8' to 5'. Here is a new look at the trackplan showing the smaller module sizes. Ive also re-done a bit of the trackwork (some had to be re-worked when the modules were made smaller so turnouts were not on module joints) and ive also added a new structure to the extreme left of the layout. While not prototypical whatsoever, A Rolling Mill was added in next to Spartech Plastics. Reason being, I have a bunch of coil cars and gondolas that I want to be able to run and use, and well they need a place to go LOL.

New module dimensions:

Module #1: 24" W x 60" L
Module #2: 24" W x 60" L
Module #3: 24" W x 72" L
Module #4: 24" W x 63" L
Module #5: 24" W x 96" L
Module #6: 24" W x 60" L
Module #7: 24" W x 60" L
Module #8: 24" W x 60" L

[faraway]

A great plan and layout I would like to build and operate.
I would like to make a remark about the newly added rolling mill. It is not so much the very sparse tracks devoted to such an industry or the lack of storage tracks for empty and full coil cars. It is the psychological break of feeling between light and friendly ala Lance Mindenheim spirit all over the layout and than a harsh break into the almost depressing world of dark and more than serious iron business. That is much more than the color and impression of buildings. It is also ballast, ground cover and everything else. It is the emotional bridge to be spanned between southern California and Gary Indiana. To be frankly I am not convinced that is a change to the better.
However, I feel with you. I have a bunch of coil cars and other IHB cars unused on storage. Some time they will find a home on a very different layout than the current one.

[P5se Camelback]

Guys! I must publish this warning!
On Jun 30th, '10, 19:05 Trucklover said, "[color=#00000]Here is an article you may find interesting. It shows a different approach to making molds.[/color] <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://trainweb.org/crocon/pcoquet/scratchbuild_article.html">http://trainweb.org/crocon/pcoquet/scra ... ticle.html</a><!-- m -->"

I went there when that was first posted and then again this morning, having an unfortunately short memory these days, and my ever-present Norton Internet Security alerted me immediately with a big red X

Norton Rating
WARNING
Threats found: 4
Here is a complete list:
Threat Name: HTTP Malicious Javascript Encoder 5
Location: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://trainweb.org/usarail/">http://trainweb.org/usarail/</a><!-- m -->
Threat Name: HTTP Malicious Javascript Encoder 5
Location: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.trainweb.org/usarail/index.html">http://www.trainweb.org/usarail/index.html</a><!-- m -->
Threat Name: HTTP Malicious Javascript Encoder 5
Location: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.trainweb.org/usarail/">http://www.trainweb.org/usarail/</a><!-- m -->
Threat Name: Direct link to HTTP Malicious Javascript Encoder 5
Location: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.trainweb.org/usarail/massachusetts.htm">http://www.trainweb.org/usarail/massachusetts.htm</a><!-- m -->

I don't want to be perceived as an alarmist, but my machine was really screwed up for a while after my first visit to that site ... I had to run several "Sweep for Virus and Worm" programs and then re-install Java to get back to normal!!!

EDIT: Changed a few colors to hopefully "read" better when "quoted."

[Trucklover]

Guys! I must publish this warning!
On Jun 30th, '10, 19:05 Trucklover said, "Here is an article you may find interesting. It shows a different approach to making molds. <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://trainweb.org/crocon/pcoquet/scratchbuild_article.html">http://trainweb.org/crocon/pcoquet/scra ... ticle.html</a><!-- m -->"

I went there when that was first posted and then again this morning, having an unfortunately short memory these days, and my ever-present Norton Internet Security alerted me immediately with a big red X

Norton Rating
WARNING
Threats found: 4
Here is a complete list:
Threat Name: HTTP Malicious Javascript Encoder 5
Location: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://trainweb.org/usarail/">http://trainweb.org/usarail/</a><!-- m -->
Threat Name: HTTP Malicious Javascript Encoder 5
Location: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.trainweb.org/usarail/index.html">http://www.trainweb.org/usarail/index.html</a><!-- m -->
Threat Name: HTTP Malicious Javascript Encoder 5
Location: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.trainweb.org/usarail/">http://www.trainweb.org/usarail/</a><!-- m -->
Threat Name: Direct link to HTTP Malicious Javascript Encoder 5
Location: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.trainweb.org/usarail/massachusetts.htm">http://www.trainweb.org/usarail/massachusetts.htm</a><!-- m -->

I don't want to be perceived as an alarmist, but my machine was really screwed up for a while after my first visit to that site ... I had to run several "Sweep for Virus and Worm" programs and then re-install Java to get back to normal!!!

Hi Bil,

Kurt was the one that had posted that link in one of his replies, not me lol. Im on a MAC, and I just clicked the link again, page loaded a-okay for me this second time around and nothing seemed out of the ordinary for me. I cant speak for those who have PC's, so I would be cautious when visiting that site with what Bil has just mentioned...