CP Scarborough Harbor Branch Line - HO Scale

[tetters]

Hello,

I promised some pics on Sunday but I was busy...working on my layout. By the time I got things done I was tired and decided to forego posting and get my sorry butt to bed.

So the layout has undergone a major change and I still have a lot of work to do. I don't have all the work done I would have liked to have had done before posting, but I am waiting on some materials and decided I better update this thread as its been awhile.

It never seems to take long to rip this stuff apart. I whip out a few tools and within an hour the whole scene was gonzo. Along the backdrop you can see the new ladder and caboose track that I constructed on my bench work. It's one big chunk of track work.




Test fitting the track work in place.



Glued and weighted down. I used good ole PL Premium again. Stuff is awesome.



I then turned my attention to the grade down to the lake bed. The run is 54 inches by a 1.25" drop. If I calculated it correctly it works out to a 2.3% grade. I was hoping for an even 2 but suppose that will have to do. Between 1 and 2 % would have been preferable, however in the available space I had this is best I could do. I don't believe I'll have a problem moving rolling stock up and down it with the 8-10 car trains I'll be building with it.





Wood ties glued and then sanded it was time to start mating the two yard ends together.



Once the track was all leveled and spiked in I decided to plant what would hopefully be a bumper crop of feeders.



A shot of the guts. I had three NCE Switch It stationary decoders on hand which would have aptly filled the need to have all the turnout run off the cab. However, two of them worked. One did not. Which is very odd as it was right out of the package. I've sent off the obligatory email to NCE to see if I can get some help with it. I fear I might have to send it in for warranty, I just hope I can find my receipt.



In the end it has all gone well. I am excited about this new direction. I plan to model a freelanced branch line in the Kootenay Region of B.C. Which will provide plenty of opprotunity for mountain scenes, logging industries, and perhaps a small mine. The next stage is to get the track down for the transfer slip on the grade. Then build the transfer slip and construct a two track car float, which I'll also scratch build. I also want the track on the float to be powered as entire trains were transported up and down the lakes between towns. It should be a good way to get new motive power on and off the layout in between Ops sessions. The last shot is give an overall impression of the yard capacity. I've been fooling with it the past couple of nights. Bringing in freight, building trains, moving stuff around. Seems to work well so far. Be interesting to see how the utilization of switch lists will impact the use of it.




Until next time.