Hi there,

Wow,that´s looking better and better,Very cool little layout.

Cheers,Chris

This very cool as cool as its prototype and the many along the same area. So much action packed on a small space yet as prototypical as it gets. Many of us with limited space should have a really closer look on these things.

WOW

Great progress and very well done

Thanks guys fro the comments!

I restarted working on this project. I may call it a vacation project because I only work on it during my summer and winter vacations! That's the problem when you have too much diverging interests!

I started to work on the wiring with Louis-Marie recently and sometimes, solutions are easier than first envisionned. After a while, I decided to make the layout run on DC/DCC. Cleaning the rail heads will be a pain, but at this moment, making it a battery powered layout isn't no more a viable option. And with the Canadian dollar taking a plunge, let's say the hobby budget is shrinking in such a way it would cost an arm and a leg to implement such a fancy feature. Anyway, I once tested the layout on DC (before ballast and painting) and it worked flawlessly.

Shortliner's boxcab will be merged together with a GE 44-ton drive just like Reinhard did. Not the most prototypical solution, but I think it still looked great on his layout.



Last week, we tackled the problem of electrifying the carfloat and the float bridge. The answer was to run feeders from beneath to every stock rail.





The carfloat required I drill small holes against the rail to insert the feeders. Once putty and paint completed, it should be barely noticeable.



The wires were then connected together under the carfloat sloping hull. This part is invisible when the float is on the layout, so we didn't bother making it fancier than required. A male connector will make it possible to plug the carfloat on the layout bus wires. More about that later.



Feeding the float bridge required a little bit more ingenuity. My main concern was that the bridge could be removed anytime and wouldn't be directly connected with the main layout trackage. Using rail joiners wasn't an option to me. We thus decided to feed the rails with small copper wires soldered on each rail ends. Near the turnout, it meant the wire made a loop connected to insulated wire.



Once again, a male connector was also soldered to the bridge wires to make it plug-and-play. Since we don't plan to use the layout without the carfloat, all wires are visually hidden under normal circumstances. A little paint will make them disappear.



As you can see, when seen from top, you can hardly think all this wiring is running under the structures. You can also notice I added Frenchman River Models float bridge mechanism. Quite easy to put together and bring a lot of life to the model.



Finally, we soldered a pair of female connector on feeder wires. A hole will be drilled behind the pontoon and feeders will be soldered to bus wire in a traditional way. The carfloat and float bridge will then be plugged on it.

Matt

I finally tackled the time-consuming task of adding a wood deck on the float bridge today.



I don't know what took the most time, but cutting, staining and gluing all the individual planks took 6 hours non-stop. At least, it was quite relaxing and enjoyable, far beyond my expectation.



Before gluing the planks, I was required to glue a 0.5 mm thick styrene sheet over my original deck to get a flat top flush with the rail spikes.



Wood planks made of balsa wood were stained with a mix of India ink and alcohol. Color pictures of the 50s show that the bridge planking was relatively new and not totally greyish. Using alcohol was a safe bet to get that look.



The next step will be to further weather the planking according to prototype. Oil spills from locomotives were quite impressive!

Matt

Absolutely exquisite modeling!

excellent work Matt, you must have the " patience of a saint", sometimes this modelling lark can be very rewarding

Always like this track plan, just wish us brits had the space, then again maybe not, the trade of means smaller layouts, I can finish.

Ray

A wooden floor made from stained wood is unbeaten !

You're making a really nice version of that, Matt - well done
Have a great New Year

Thanks guys!

@Ray: This layout has one of the worst footprint for small space, even if relatively small itself! But someone could build the same kind of facility along a wall by not making it a spiral.

@Thanks Jack, Happy New Year too! I hope to work on the boxcab next year. The poor thing is sitting in a corner doing nothing! ;-)

Matt

Hi,

Fantastic deck from wood. Nothing is better than rea wood. How thick is the balsawood you´ve used?

REgards,Chris

Twist Wrote:Hi,

Fantastic deck from wood. Nothing is better than rea wood. How thick is the balsawood you´ve used?

REgards,Chris

Thanks Chris,

Balsa wood is 1.5 mm thick. I used a large plank (900 mm x 150 mm) and cut strips out of it.

Matt

Thank you gor the info....

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That looks great!!! Glad you shared it with us!

.
As usual a masterpiece: In construction, painting, realism and weathering. Looks real sharp!