I've said in a couple of weekly photo threads that the new MR Virginian project layout series has rekindled my interest in the Virginian (which I've had since before the H.Reid book came out, when I was about 14). I have a spot on my layout that's measured and prepped for a Walthers New River Mine. You can see that the concrete foundations are already in place, surrounded by the ballast. My resolution will be to complete the mine with surrounding scenery. Here's the starting situation:[attachment=9805]
Depending on how things fall into place, I will also try to add one or more small VGN structures to the scene, and possibly some others, like company houses. This is HO. The ballast hoppers are Tyco cars with Bill Mosteller's decals.

Looks like you are off to a good start, nice looking hoppers!

I already had a New River Mine kit that I'd assembled, but it's from a previous layout and is somewhat the worse for wear. I also realized, when I started to look more at prototype mine pictures, that the color isn't right -- most mines are silver (and painted that way, I think). I suspect the reason is that mines are pretty closely inspected, and the owners try keep them in good condition. So rather than try to fix the old version, I saw that Walthers had the kit on sale for like $25, and I figured it would be easier to start over.

I've started working on the cardboard lattice to support the plaster cloth, and this gives a good idea of how the new mine will fit in the area. Things are pretty close, so it's good to have the guide:[attachment=9814]

jwb Wrote:I already had a New River Mine kit that I'd assembled, but it's from a previous layout and is somewhat the worse for wear. I also realized, when I started to look more at prototype mine pictures, that the color isn't right -- most mines are silver (and painted that way, I think). I suspect the reason is that mines are pretty closely inspected, and the owners try keep them in good condition. So rather than try to fix the old version, I saw that Walthers had the kit on sale for like $25, and I figured it would be easier to start over.

I've started working on the cardboard lattice to support the plaster cloth, and this gives a good idea of how the new mine will fit in the area. Things are pretty close, so it's good to have the guide:[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]

Working with the second newer kit will be easier, but the first kit may turn out to be a good candidate for bashing or scavenging parts to customize the new building.

Matt

Now that I'm working on the cardboard lattice, I've come up against what might have been the real reason for procrastinating on this scene: right above the mine, the main line ducks behind a sewer pipe via the Moffat Tunnel. I recognize that having the Moffat Tunnel right above an Appalachian coal mine gives some folks the vapors, but It's My Flippin' Layout, and there are coal mines in Colorado anyhow. (And as a well-known modeler once said, "Remember, John, trees are your friends.")

The problem is that I wound up getting an Atlas girder bridge lettered for Rio Grande that I want to incorporate in this scene as well. So here's where things have wound up:[attachment=9839]
I decided the best way to use the Atlas bridge will be to turn it into a deck bridge that covers the subroadbed. But I'll need to cut away enough of the subroadbed to make the bridge more or less credible and then bring the scenery forms around it. So I think that's the next part of this project, and anyhow, my hobby shop is out of plaster cloth for the time being.

So the business of cutting away the subroadbed in the bridge area has begun:[attachment=9842]

I finished the demo part of the project, getting the subroadbed cut away enough to allow the Atlas girder bridge to be installed. My subroadbed is 3/4 inch plywood laminated to 1/2 inch Celotex, with all the plywood cut away here and just the Celotex remaining. However, this leaves the two sides a bit wobbly, and since my main line handles all manner of heavy power, like two U50s MUed, or a turbine MUed with GP9, or 4-to-6 unit diesel consists, I'm going to have to add some sort of reinforcing falsework below the bridge gap to stiffen things.[attachment=9856]

As an other modeler who has taken a jig saw to his layout to make changes...I salute you!
Ralph

Yeah, I just remembered I meant to say"Whew!" in the post above!

It takes guts to turn a jigsaw loose on your layout!

Tyson Rayles Wrote:It takes guts to turn a jigsaw loose on your layout!

I tried it many years ago on a German based N scale layout and the saw got stuck in the wood and the enormous vibrations literally "disassembled" all my Fleischmann switch machines. That was a very expensive experience

So far, not too much damage -- some existing plaster cloth and cardboard web got trashed, but that's no biggie. Other scenery items were knocked loose and taken out of the area temporarily, but not damaged. A covered hopper on some hidden track a few feet away has gone AWOL; I hope it's OK once I find it. A rooftop water tank on a factory on the other side of the aisle got knocked off by an elbow in the process of wielding the jigsaw in the scene, but that can be fixed. Two steps forward, one step back, or you don't make an omelet. . .

Bridge glued to bottom of Celotex with silicone caulk and clamped in place for drying.
[attachment=9866]
That darn bridge waited eight or ten years for this to happen!

I made up some falsework from scrap lumber left over from the benchwork and clamped it in place:[attachment=9892]
This should keep the track and roadbed rigid. Next steps are realigning and leveling the track, which wasn't damaged during the jigsawing but did get unspiked, and completing the cardboard lattice in this area in preparation for plaster cloth.

The progress is looking good. As far as the names on the tunnel portal and bridge go you don't have to live with em' if you don't want to. Plaster will fill in the letters on the portal then you can repaint it, and you can remove the lettering and repaint the bridge as well. Or not.