UP Elmwood Subdivision - N Scale Layout

UP Elmwood Subdivision - N Scale Layout - Printable Version

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Re: UP Elmwood Subdivision - N Scale Layout - LiveSteamer - 06-21-2009

That is looking real good. Some nice modeling. Cheers

Re: UP Elmwood Subdivision - N Scale Layout - nolatron - 07-06-2009

Some new additions to the fleet.

6 new Kato SD70ACe locomotives, 2 in UP Heritage Schemes. Just need to order up some decoders for these guys now.

Re: UP Elmwood Subdivision - N Scale Layout - Trucklover - 07-06-2009

WHOA!! Love those big Beauties!! Misngth

Re: UP Elmwood Subdivision - N Scale Layout - viperman - 07-07-2009

Must admit I'm a little jealous on those new additions

Re: UP Elmwood Subdivision - N Scale Layout - Steamtrains - 07-08-2009

Shaun...Love that rockwork on that bend....How'd you do it..??
I sure enjoy your work...That's a fantastic layout...!! Thumbsup

Re: UP Elmwood Subdivision - N Scale Layout - Herc Driver - 07-09-2009

Great looking power for the layout. Really liked the signal movie too...very nicely done. I have to hand it to you and all the work that's been done so far. Looks like the layout is really taking shape...really super job.

Re: UP Elmwood Subdivision - N Scale Layout - LiveSteamer - 07-09-2009

Some nice locomotives you have there. Cheers

Re: UP Elmwood Subdivision - N Scale Layout - nolatron - 07-14-2009

Last few weeks I've taken a break from the railroad to work some other side projects, so not much has been done it. Prior to the break, I did manage to put down some terrain in the river bed:

Yesterday though I decided to make some headway on getting more terrain down and get all this plaster cloth covered. So I started a "Batch A Day" routine, where I basically sneak off to the layout room while the wife gives our daughter a bath. I mix up batch of the Woodland Scenics Mold-A-Scene material and plop it down.

Here's what I finished today (left side foreground, still damp), and yesterday (left side background):

I figure with doing one batch a day, I can probably finish the lower level in about two weeks. I've kinda put the layout in a "financial holding pattern" (Especially after buying up those 6 locomotives these past few weeks), so some slow paced scenery work is just thing to work on during this time.

I'll post photo updates as the week goes on showing the progess.

Re: UP Elmwood Subdivision - N Scale Layout - nolatron - 07-18-2009

Batch a Day Progress this week:

Re: UP Elmwood Subdivision - N Scale Layout - nolatron - 07-25-2009

Today I started working on re-doing the track plan for the upper level. I had already installed some of the track on the upper level, but it wasn't until afterwards I finally noticed I had practically mirrored the track right below it on the lower level. I also wanted to shuffle things around a bit. So up came the track.

Here's a quick laydown I did of track and inclines to see how it will all go in. The track will now come out of the helix area and run along the backdrop. About half way down on this wall will be the turnout for the siding through Elmwood with a spur into the paper mill plant. In the second photo, you can see where the track used to be (including turnout throw bar), and where it's going to go now.

And tomorrow I'll be visiting ACE Hardware to pick up another can of blue paint so I can over that ugly old backdrop color Smile

Re: UP Elmwood Subdivision - N Scale Layout - UP SD40-2 - 07-25-2009

Shaun, WHOLLY SMOKES! Eek

, I am TOTALLY IMPRESSED! Thumbsup

your really doing Slap Awesome work on your layout Thumbsup

, you also picked my two Favorite UP Heritage units too!...Great taste in engines :mrgreen: .

reading this thread ALMOST makes me want to go back to N scale. keep up the Great work! (I'll be keeping an eye on this thread)

Re: UP Elmwood Subdivision - N Scale Layout - nolatron - 07-26-2009

Got about 2/3 of the upper level backdrop painted in the new color.

Once I move all the building off the last 1/3 of the shelf and paint that area, I'll go back and blend in some white at the bottom for an horizon effect and add some clouds.

Re: UP Elmwood Subdivision - N Scale Layout - nolatron - 07-27-2009

New Staging In The Works

After finishing up today's painting and putting down some more mold-a-scene, I took a gander at my staging setup to see how I can do the power. Once again, I thought "How could do this better without these big cassettes? How could get the trains down to a staging level?"

And then it hit me. I remember reading an article in an issue of the Model Railroad Hobbyist magazinewhere Charlie Comstock built a left up section on his railroad to access an area back against the wall. He used drawer tracks for his design, so he just pushes and raises up the section. You can see it on Page 101 of Issue #2. There's a video showing how it all works too.

So using this idea I thought I could build a manual lift using drawer slides, one mounted to the wall and one under the layout. I'll secure a wood mount to the slides so I can attach one of my 6' aluminum channels to it, but also be able to remove it when not in use. I think a bolt through the channel and mount with a wingnut will do.

[Image: Kato-Unitrack-Staging-150x150.jpg]

A new lower level will be installed with 6 staging tracks using Kato Unitrack. A train will pull into the staging left. I would have to manually swap engines from one end of the train to another in order to turn it and I would then lower it down to staging. I would then pull the train up into the staging yard to park it on a dead-end track. When I'm ready to run it again, I back the train up onto the lift and then raise it to either the upper or lower deck.

It still has its cons: The lift channel is still limited to 6', and I'll have to swap locos from one end to another to "turn" a train, but it'll save my the hassle of having to move those channels across the room to the wall.

In the future I may extend the staging level further along the wall to the helix and build a turnaround reverse loop track. I could just back a train all the way around staging into a stage yard track, making it ready to back up on the lift and be pointed in the direction of the layout. Since I'll be using unitrack, making additions will be easy.

Re: UP Elmwood Subdivision - N Scale Layout - nolatron - 07-27-2009

Making good progress on putting down terrain this week.

When I changed over to concrete tie track, I decided to eliminate the crossover I had planned. So I thought I would try embedding some wood tie track into the terrain to look like some old abandon track. I think it came out pretty good (see pic #3). I'll repeat it on the other side now.

And the beginnings of the staging level begin to appear. Installing the wall mounts for a 12" shelf.

Re: UP Elmwood Subdivision - N Scale Layout - nolatron - 08-01-2009

Made great progress this weekend getting the new staging level installed. Spent most of Friday (My off-Friday, yay) installing the benchwork supports and plywood, and then today getting all of the track down. I'm short one right hand turnout after buying everything the LHS had.

What's left to do is attach some corner pieces where the track is overhanging the edge, wire wire up a bus under the layout and tie in the feeders and reverse loop circuit, install the new lift bridge, and get the loop area hidden behind a new fascia.