East Terminal & Newburgh

[modelsof1900]

Dave, Lutz,
Here I have realized a illumination of classification lamps at this Brill rail coach. I think that I did not written about this here in forum since my last description to this theme.



Should I write a bit more?

[Puddlejumper]

Very nice! I am a big fan of those small 0-4-0 critters. I have one that needs repowered and lighting with DCC, but am almost afraid to do it for fear of cutting such a nice model.

The working switch stands and turnout throws are great! I finally know how I plan on doing mine now, thank you for posting the process!

Dave

[Schraddel]

After the break of several months it was time to make some prgress on the layout.


Again a control photo. I use such photos to detect flaws under the harsh conditions of flashlight. Here some cosmetical work has still to be done before mounting the switch stand.




The next modified Details West switch stand mounted. The little bend in the linkage rod allows to make a fine adjustement the tablet does eaxct the 90° movement.


In the back of module #5 there a warehouse was rised. This was made out of Walthers modular brick walls.










Initially this building had an peaked roof. Later, after a fire, it was replaced by an flat roof.

Lutz

[Tyson Rayles]

WOW ! I love that railbus !

[modelsof1900]

Mike, here is the almost whole history of my railbus - still incomplete without inner lighting, without window glasses and without interior.

[Schraddel]

Meanwhile on the other end on module #2 on the iron works plant...


... i started to made a loading ramp for trucks. Styrene-sheets, -channels and -rods were the basics.
On the left the concrete ramp from Kibri for railroad cars was one of the few things overtaken from my German stuff.
The truck is bashed also. Here i was was not agreed with the position of the rear axle as delivered. After researches in the www i decided to move the rear axle back. The chassis was cut into several pieces which were reassembled in a manner the rear axle got this place. Thus creating a longer wheelbase and the truck appears more "grown up".


And speaking of vehicles. I looked on my collection of German stuff if there were some vehicles which could be reused on the US layout.
At first a Ford 3ton (Cologne built) 1939 styling with canvas top.
A 1952 Opel Blitz 1,75ton ( aka "Weichblitz"). The cab with its split windshield is basically the 1950 Chevrolet. But the front axle is significant more rearward mounted, thus leading to different front fenders.
A Volvo PV544, don't know if and how much were imported to the US.
1950 Ford Taunus (Cologne built "Buckeltaunus"), a stylish interpretation of the US 1940 Ford Sedan.
Mercedes Benz 180 ("Ponton") don't know if and how much were imported to the US.
A Mercedes truck type L3500 with an resine body.


The loading facitilities were completed and painted. The areal was paved with cobblestones, may be "Deutsche Gründlichkeit" because the founder of the iron works was of German origin?
A pair of NYC mikados and their cabooses are passing by.


And here it became more green. Here i glued small irregular ripped pieces of grass mats onto the ground. Landscape forming is my weak point. Here i have twenty left thumps and i am still a greenhorny rookie.
Also the indicator tables of the switch stand were painted red.


A walthers roof equipment kit was purchased and loosely placed onto the roofs to look how it looks.

Lutz

[Schraddel]

Back from the Sinsheim Faszination Modellbahn (Big hopes of model railroading, but at least it put out as an ordionary disappointing toy train fair) as exhibitor.
The highway overpass on module #3.
Until now it has existed only as an cardboard mock-up. It should be an concrete construction errected in the late 1930's and therefor in the modeles 1940's still be modern. No Art Deco elements but an ordinary ornate less overpass.


I bought a Rix highway overpass, but it seemed met far too narrow and small. So only the railings were taken.
Styrene sheet in different thickness was the material of choice. The abutments and retaining walls were made of integral foamed styrene sheet.


The look from the other side. Here an additional retaining wall was made to have an easier road acess to the sintering plant on module #4


The embankements were made out of cardboard and alas!, i glued grass mats onto it.


On the tops of the retaining walls were 4x4mm profiles mounted.


The whole was painted somewhat concrete grey.




There is no detailing on the underside of the bridge because it is not visible. Only the camera is small enough to be capable of taking a look of the underside.



Two years later:

It took a couple of time until i mounted the railing. And meanwhile the whole concrete was repainted with a matte grey colour.

Lutz

[Harry]

good work Lutz

[Schraddel]

And here the promised "somewhat track plan" in form of aerial photos:

module #1:

Work done:
- roof vents and cooling apparatus on both warehouses
- addional fascade as background on rear warehouse
- an additional roof over the truck loading dock of the front warehouse as view blocker


module #2:

- roofs of the foundry plant completed and painted to get rid the plastici look
- more green
- wayside shanty and outhouse

module #3:

The highway overpass with its old horrible painting, this was completely renewed

module #4:

Here the sintering plant will be errected in the furure. The overhead crane is only a stand-in.

module #5:

- warehouse and office building got their final shape.

All these photos were taken about 1 year ago.
And here some just for fun photos:


W&LE Mallett #8007 passes under the bridge


A Canadian guest car.


A completed Tichy Train kit box car, still to be weathered.


A NYC Flexi Van car as guest "back to the future".


Flexi Van on road wheels.

Enjoy.

Lutz

[Schraddel]

It is time to tell the next chapter.


There was still the open space on the right end of module #5 which awaits filling.
Here i planned a steel and wire trading enterprise to settle.
On the photo i glued balsa wood sheets as level raisers onto the ground.


And then followed an absolutely recycling project. Let's have some looking into the div. scratch boxes what has collected there over the time:
- plastic brick walls
- decorative elements as surplus of Walthers kits
- Rix double-T beams
- a Walthers overhead crane
- pieces of styrene sheet

All was bashed together, not everytime as intended by the manufacturers. So the double-T beams were planted upright as crane and building columns.
The overhead crane colums and their framing became roof frames.
All was glued onto some styrene sheets as base.




With an rotating tool the seams on the concrete floor were added. With the help of an ruler they became straight.


The inadvetable cracks and crazes were made freestyle.


The brick walls were doubled back on back to simulate the thickness of the wall of this half open building.


Paintig the ground somewhat concrete grey.


With an black marker the seams and cracks were outlined. Black paper was glued onto the roof.


And here some miniature imitation of practical results of "Big Bang Theory" were relized.

That is as the layout appears today. Progress will come only in little portions from now on.
Thank you for watching.

Lutz

[Schraddel]

A attempt was made to create a background:


Light blue cardboard was bought and pinned simply onto the wall to see what it is lookalike. There should be no visible seam in the background. Also there should be some bushes and trees be planted to hide the the edge between layout and background and seams.
But what to do with the highway?


The highway overpass got road markings.


The black line represents the seam between abutment and bridge.
The white and the black lines were drawn with an Edding ink marker.
And some new cars were also purchased.

Lutz

[Schraddel]

Hello,

it is nearly 7 years ago when i did my last posting here.



Since that time a lot has changed. I had a lot of model railroad related activities, but working on Flats was not among them.
Indeed Flats was ever since then built up in it's unfinished state and operable, but has become a testbed only. There was simply no progress because i had to spent all my workforce to built up my self-dependence business. 

Meanwhile i became a active member of German Fremo. More exactly of the Southwest Division of it, which do US-Railroading.
They asked me to join with my modules their annual meeting. But my modules were built for home use only and i never thought onto participating on a Fremo meeting.
To make it possible the opposite ends of #1 and #5 module has to be altered to meet with the standardized dimensions.







One of the tasks was to made new legs to get the top of the railheads up to the standardized height of 1300mm above floor level.





The flat roof of the building on module #1 has sagged and was made new out of styrene sheet.





The building has be be reinforced too to take the increased stress caused by transportation.










A first appereance in the public was made at the Wolfersweiler Meeting. My modules got a benevolent welcome. A brick building dominated industrial area was new for them.
Here a small piggyback with circus style loading ramp was loosely upset.


And another decision was made by me; Flats will move through the  differnt eras.
Flats was planned and built up until now to resemble a 1940's industrial area situated in a somewhat mythical Cleveland/OH.
For the meetings settled in the Transition Era with steam and early first generation Diesel this upset is right.
But there are more modern settings.
At first the very mainstream of the 1970's, 1980's and early 1990's age.
Then the modern era which i will define as Era Now that is from 2000's onward.

This not only the rolling stock will be affected, but the buildings onto the layout too. Over the years old business closed down and new business developed as successor using the same area of ground. To display this, some of the buildings will become part of exchangeable backdrops. So it will be possible to move through the different Eras.


Lutz

[Tyson Rayles]

Better late than never! Looks like nice progress.

[Schraddel]

Hello,

that is really true Tyson.


Back home there were thoughts hoe to overcome the camouflages plywood district.





Lesson: The bridge railings were too much delicate to survive repeatedly transportation.

Activities: The repaired railing were reinforced with lenghts of 0.8mm brass wire. This should protect the filigrane railings.





Later they were painted grey to integrate them into the existing structures.










Lesson: The moveable opererating switch stands made out of Details West pewter kits are a nice sight, but they were very delicate und prone for damage during transport. Repair of broken parts was nearly impossible, for durable glueing was simply not enough surface existing and you can forget soldering as the pewter material is a kind of solder itself. Tests ended in a catastrophe when a switch stand was reduced to a blobb.

Activities: Try another brand made out of styrene plastic which is easier to repair by glueing.





More green. As modelling of landscape is not my thing and i have not fewer than ten left thumbs here.
Experimenting with turf from Woodland and shrubbery from Polak, a Czech manufacturer of landscape products.





Went fairly well until ...





... the plastic bottle bursted suddenly and unexpected when i squeezed it and left a huge lake of PVAC glue onto module #5.
The bursted bottle was photographed afterwards in the garbage bin. Friends this was "green" eco plastic with a restricted life span.





What to do with the lake? Take some turf, shrub an other and throw it into the lake. Wait 2 days and look what has developed.




 

Lesson: Missing something for tea cups and other stuff to place onto.
Activities: A removeable shelf was made. 

As i wrote, my modular layout will move through the eras. And i decided when is comes for modern era i will cross the border northwards into Canada. More exactly i will attach to CN related prototype. 


Lutz

[doctorwayne]

That was a pretty successful recovery on the incident with the glue, Lutz, but it also reminds me of the molasses incident in Boston, in 1919.

Wayne