Hidden Pass Junction RR < >

Very impressive!

Alex...this looks just fantastic!  I dabbled around with my subway about a year ago but stopped working on it and have been busy with other projects.  Your wonderful effort is going to get me started again!

 

Thanks,

Alan

Wow! What a great idea. The subway mall is an awesome addition. 

WoW.  I actually did a double take when I glanced at the Sears and JcPenny storefronts.  The realism is outstanding!

 

It truly looks like you are looking through arches toward the fronts of the stores.  

 

As always, great work!

 

Brian

Zett, Luvtrains, Brian –

Thank you for your nice comments and approval!

 

Alan – Remember, you were the one who got me started using the pink foam boards for rock walls and arches. In addition to the arches in front of the subway mall as I posted two days ago, I have used that method many times already.

 

 

One thing I really like about this method is being able to build the walls off site and then installing them and make them removable.

 

Here are more examples. (Click on the pictures to enlarge them)

 

Early on, and as inspired by Patrick H.'s use of the pink foam for his marvelous rock walls, I used pink foam for the walls around the graded track on my layout, such as around the turntable area. I used the method Patrick described to prepare the foam: beat it with a crow bar, make horizontal cuts with a saw (I later used a hot knife), and scratch it with a steel brush. 

 

And around the refinery:

 

Then I started using the pink foam wonder other places, as Alan had suggested, such as here:

BEFORE

 

AFTER

 

I made that wall, as well as all the others, off site. Here is a picture of the back of the wall:

 

And the front:

 

Detail: (The beam is 1/4" black foam board with plastic H-column at the bottom, horizontal, and plastic I-channels for the vertical braces)

 

Detail:

 

Some buildings in place, ready to add the road, ballast and other ground cover.

 

 

Another shot of the subway mall, from the side.

 

Another example of a simulated poured concrete wall, which also is easily removable and there is an access hatch in front of it. 

 

Thank you for looking!

Alex

 

How did you make the joint lines?

Alex, I'm always waiting for new posts of your progress, they are wonderful!

Leandro ...

Sorry I did not reply sooner, but I was at the “Mid-America 3-Railers” meet and at then at the wonderful picnic for the group at Alan’s (leavingtracks) house this weekend.

 

Lou -

I use 1/2" thick pink insulation board for the walls that resemble cut rocks, as the ones with arches around the subway mall, and also for several tunnel portals. I use 1" thick for walls that resemble poured concrete walls.

 

I tried many different methods for cutting and 'scribing' the pink foam board, and have settled on mainly two methods. For straight cuts of the 1/2" thick board, I use an X-Acto No. 26 blade and a straight edge. For cutting the 1" thick board, I use my band saw. The 1" thick board can be cut with the knife as well, but it is a bit tricky to maintain the cut at right angle throughout; but it can be done.

 

For cutting curves I use a hot wire and a template made of 1/4" masonite, but plywood or any other hard material would work fine for the template.

 

After the foam is cut to size, I paint it with latex wall paint that I buy at Home Depot in sample-size containers (about 8 oz) for under $3, and they will mix any color you want. (The foam can't be sprayed because enamels will dissolve it.)

 

After the wall is painted, I use a pencil to scribe the rock and poured form lines. For rocks, I use a slightly blunt pencil; and for poured concrete forms a slightly sharper pencil. I make my rocks 1/2" x 1" (2' x 4' full scale), and the concrete forms 1" x 2" to simulate a 4' x 8' sheet of plywood as may be used in real.

 

The poured walls also have an upper ledge and vertical reinforcements that are strips of foam 1/4" to 1/2" thick and 1" wide. I glue these to the wall with hot melt glue.

 

Here is an example of a tunnel entrance I am about ready to install. (click to enlarge)

  

 

Leandro -

Thank you - I'll continue to post as I progress.

 

Alex

 

PS. I forgot: For the tunnel portals - before painting them, I hit (softly) the wall surfaces with the ball end of a ball peen hammer.

Alex,

 

Thanks for sharing! So many techniques to try when I get to that phase. Your layout is really coming along, look forward to seeing more in the future

 

-bruce

Alex, Your layout is really looking GREAT. Thank you for taking the time to post all the info and pictures. Keep ,e posted on your "POLE BUILDING SOLUTION"

a ball peen hammer!  Never would have guessed that trick.  Your portal looks terrific.  I think I've got to try your method when I get to build my "real" layout.

Ron, the newbie.

Hi Alex beautiful work as always and really

great techniques.

 

THANKS, ALEX

Alex, you should write a book.  Great work.

I agree with Lou.  You should write a book.  This thread is an incredible education.  Keep 'em coming.  Thanks.

Ron, the newbie.

Ah...this is a case where the student does better than the teacher!!  Alex, the portals look great....  I just finished cutting out another 8 feet of portals which are going on the south side of the city (you know where that is).  I have still decided to leave out the blocks in this case because I want that poured concrete look.  I will be scribing blocks with keystones over the openings and capping the tops of the walls then dry brushing vertical streaks on the flat "poured" surfaces.

 

Keep those pictures coming!

Alan

Nice work with the foam.  I like your walls and portals.  I may be copying your techniques for a similar subterranean project I have coming up.  Take that as a compliment as intended.  Thanks for sharing. 

Your post 4/20 10:03,

You used plastic "H" and "I" channels on the foam wall.  Where do you purchase the plastic channels?

 

Enjoy each and every post, your layout looks fantastic.  Thank you for your time to take pictures and posting them.  They have provided much inspiration to all of us following your progress.

gsn1-

 

I buy the I, H and other structural shapes at the hobby shop and at train shows. My "LHS", 25 miles away (Mark Twain Hobby Center) normally has a good assortment and they discount it 10% or so. I also buy similar supplies from T and K Hobbies, and from Tower Hobbies.

 

As luck would have it, there was a vendor at the train show to which we went in Springfield, MO a couple of weeks ago (as part of the Mid-America 3-Railers meet activities) who was selling these and a lot more at 50%, 60% and 75% off! Evidently, the gentleman had bought the inventory of a store that had been hit by a tornado, and paid a minimal price for everything. I bought quite a bit of building supplies

 

BTW, the structural shapes that I use are the Plastruct ABS, dark grey in color, and are stiff; they are not the white, styrene variety, which is more flexible.

 

Hope this helps.

 

And thank you guys for your nice comments!

 

Alex

 

 

Alex, this is looking great, very nice foam work!

Alex, smart move on making the top hatch removable on your tunnel. I would imagine this will make track cleaning much easier in the future.

 

Bruce

Rich, Bruce -

Thanks! I try to make access hatches, etc. whenever possible, even if the need does not manifest itself initially. So far, every hatch has come in handy.

 

Even though I have a bit of it to do yet with portals and mountains, I decided to take a short break from the 'foam work' so I could work on the fascia.

 

You may remember that I had built two carts to store and move the dywall and 2x4's around when I was finishing the basement (Aug 2010 through Jan 2011). I decided to keep them to store the train stuff under the layout, and they served me well. After a while I was able to disassemble one of the carts, and it became the base for the Subway Shopping Center as I described a few days ago.

 

Here is what the carts looked like about a year ago: (Click on the images to enlarge)

Carts under the layout . . .

 

And wheeled out for easy access to the supplies. . .

 

I have seen so many of you guys so wonderful things with MDF that I decided to give it a try for the fascia for the front of the East side of the layout.

 

Starting with a 2' x 4' sheet of 1/4" thick MDF, a slotted 2x4, and some pieces cut out of 1/2" MDF . . .

 

Add some glue and clamps . . .

 

And voila! Some doors for the fascia. The hinges are of the loose-pin type, so it is easy to remove the doors if necessary.

 

And they open up easily as well, for access to supplies and to pull the remianing cart out.

 

The doors interlock with small home-made tabs, and I used magnetic latches to keep them shut. I will be painting the front in a couple of days.

 

 

(What appears to be a cage in front of the layout is one of several viewing platforms.)

 

I will make two more doors for the angled corners, but the rest of the layout will have curtains around it.

 

 

Next, I have a few new pictures to share with you that I just took of the area denoted by the red rectangle shown below.

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for looking!

 

Alex

Nice job on the doors! I have become a huge fan of MDF as of late.

Hi Alex that look's awesome what a professional job

I love it.That's all I use is MDF and masonite on my layout

 

THANKS, Alex

Alex...I just saw your posts above on the door....WOW....so this is what you were telling me about when you were here a couple weekends ago!  Very nice work for sure....boy am I envious with you having that great workshop a few feet away from the layout area....really comes in handy for a talented guy like you!  The doors look wonderful...makes me feel I am looking at roundhouse doors..

 

Alan

Alex - Everything you do looks FANTASTIC! I always look forward to your updates

Beautiful work Alex. Your layout is an inspiration to all of us "wannabee" high rail modelers like myself.

 

My first thought when I saw the doors was that they resembled a "Tunnel Portal". They look great as they are, but did the thought ever cross your mind to finish them to look like a stone portal. With your talents I think they would be a real conversation piece finished that way.

 

REV

Alan, Louis

Thank you for your nice comments – very much appreciated.

 

REV,

You may not believe this, but I was ready to post this, and when I  opened the thread to do so, I read your nice comment and suggestion.

 

Yes, I indeed had portals in mind. The question now is one of colors if I do want the arches to resemble tunnel portals. I sketched the image, below, to solicit opinions, and since colors are simply a question of taste, there can be no absolute correct or incorrect answers – just honest opinions.

 

 “A Question Of Colors”

  

(In the image I colored the raised features of the doors a different color so they would show up better, but when I paint the doors, all will be the same sandy-beige color, with a fine textured finish that resembles sand.)

 

What color would you paint the area under the arches? Flat black, dark grey, or the same as the rest of the doors? (Click to enlarge)

 

The top two may better represent tunnel portals, and the third more or less just doors, as perhaps for a roundhouse, as Alan suggested. 

 

 

 

Thank you for looking (and contributing!)

Alex

They look pretty good as is.  I thought they were already finished.  I would go with a concrete gray.  I liked Floquil Reefer Gray for a richer gray base on a recent project that had cut stone details, then weather it down with chalks for your deal I think.  Just a bit, because you have so much area that you want to give it texture, but that's enough.  The concrete and aged concrete are too yellow.  Doesn't work for me. 

I have a similar subterranean station project coming up.  I thank you for your blazing the trail.  Great to see you having fun.

 

 

Alex, Thanks so much for including us in your layout. You have inspired us with your ideas and suggestions. I was first going to vote for the black tunnel portal as it feeds into "Hidden Pass" name, but after seeing your layout here and in O Gauge Magazine, I would change my vote to the charcoal. Black is too much contrast compared to your colors, and would draw too much attention away from the rest of your work. These are beautiful, and I'm going to have to put a project like this on my wish list. Rom

I guess it's a case of "great minds think alike", or some sort of "carma" I guess.

 

I kinda like the black, or possibly some darker shade of grey, that would more resemble the inside of the tunnel. I would also add some angled raised pieces above the portal arch, that would sort of "fan" out, further adding to the "stone arch" effect.

 

My first thought when looking at the design was that the portals were actually highway tunnels rather then train tunnels. Either way, I would add either tracks or a center dividing line starting at the bottom and "fading" out as if to create a sort of perception of depth inside the tunnel, as the line, or tracks appeared to get further away. It would be pretty easy to just paint over the lines if the effect didn't look right.

 

Whatever you decide Alex, it's going to look great.

 

REV

William, Rom -

 

I will start with a dak grey; the same paint I used for the edge of the raised floor of the shopping center (see below) and see how that works out.

 

 

 

REV,

 

"...I would add either tracks or a center dividing line starting at the bottom and 'fading' out as if to create a sort of perception of depth inside the tunnel..."

 

Now, that is a cool idea. I'll sketch it first and see how well I may be able to create that perspective. I have been able to paint the buidlings on the walls somewhat in perspective, and they look OK (at a distance). A couple of weeks ago or so, I also painted a runway on the wall to go along with two airplanes I had just hung from the ceiling. That worked OK as well - I think . . .

  

 

 

Thank you, guys!

 

Alex

Alex......both look great to me. The runway sure gives the appearance of depth that I had in mind. I'm sure you'll have no problem with the perspective issue. As I said, even if you don't like the look, it will be easy enough fix.

 

REV

I should have the doors done in a day or so, and will post some pictures for your critique.

 

In the meantime, I more or less finished the section that I started with my post of April 29, above. I will add a few more trees, but you should get the idea.

 

 

The stiff wire brush does a nice job on the foam, don't you agree?

 

Oh, and I will also add a few deer in this 'forest'

  

 

 

I will have a few more pictures of the area - soon.

 

Thanks for looking.

 

Alex

 

(Edited to add):

Oops! Forgot this picture. It shows where the Hidden Pass Mountain will be located (red line) behind the stairwell. It will have two tunnel entrances on the west side (this side) and a wide tunnel entrance (four tracks) on the east side. Will start working on this very soon.  

 

Very nice my friend!!!  I'll bet that wire brush makes short work of putting in the "layers" of rock which creates a sedimentary effect.

 

Thanks,

Alan

Alex that's coming out so beautiful.

Great work your a true pro.

 

THANKS, ALEX

Thank you, Alex!

 

Doors are now painted and the top stained and varnished. As you can see, the area under the arches is a darker grey, and we (Judy and I) are still wondering whether they would look better the lighter grey as the rest, but I am going to leave them as they are for a while, as they look OK.

 

As was mentioned before, another option is to paint something that would simulate depth, as perhaps a road into a tunnel (last picture, below). I can try this by painting a foam core board and cutting it to fit under the arches. However, the objective of the fascia is to hide the framework and not to get too fancy

 

But now I want to work on something else (the Hidden Pass Mountain) so the fascia for this section will stay as it is. Judy is looking for material to make the curtains for the rest of the layout.

 

 

 

 

 

And the doors still open

 

 

 

The texture is like sand paper. I added an anti-skid compound to the paint to achieve the finer texture, and I like how it turned out.

 

This may be something to try later on.

 

 

Thanks for looking!

 

Alex

Alex it looks beautiful, I really like the dark color or even the last

picture. Alex paint it with railroad tracks and then paint a headlight

of a steam engine so it looks like a train is coming.

It can of course just stay the way it is its simply beautiful

Just professional work. I'm always looking forward to your

projects. Thanks for posting

 

Thanks,Alex

Hi Alex,

When you were installing the elevated sections of your track I saw that you were cutting support's graduated about 1/8" each 6". How did you attach the supports to the track supporting bed and to the decking on top of your benchwork? Did you predrill  pilot holes from the top down? Thanks!!!

Alex,

Those are good suggestions and definitely things to be considered. Thanks!

 

Popsrr,

 

I just glued (Carpenter's Glue) the spacers to the 5/8" plywood top, and the QuietBrace to the spacers - at the same time. There was no need to add additional weight to keep everything in place and make the excess glue ooze out; the track and QB weight were sufficient. To add the glue, I just lifted the QB and track slightly, slid the spacers out, added the glue, and slid them back in place - one at a time.

 

However, I did not glue anything until AFTER I had the trestle bridge finished in case I had to make any adjustments to the track. But no adjustments were necessary. In the meantime, before gluing, the spacers just cooperated nicely and stayed in place .

 

That sure brings back memories . . .

  

March 26, 2011 - Spacers for one of the two grades.

 

April 16, 2011 - Track at trestle site on temporary supports.

 

July 17, 2011 - The trestle and grade at Etieca Valley complete (at top of picture), and the grade at Villa de Rocas ready to have its spacers glued.

 

Alex

I would leave the painted doors as they are.

 

How steep was your grade in terms of %?

Lee,

 

Yes, the doors will stay as they are at least until I run out of things to do ()

 

The layout has a dual mainline throughout, with Ø108 and Ø99 curves spaced 4.5" center to center. The grades are 2% for the inner track and slightly less for the outer.

 

Thx!

 

Alex

 

 

Alex....

The doors turned out fantastic!!  I think they look fine just as they are....very nice job!

 

I will be getting in touch soon...

 

Alan

Very nice Alex. You continue to amaze me. Very nice quality work.

Alex, Thanks for your reply on the supports.

What size wood are you using for the supports?. Do you use the same width as the track support or have some relief? What are you allowing for width of the QB? Is the QBan 1" wider on each size? Thanks again Alex. Bill

Don, Alan -

Thank you for your kind words.

 

Popsrr,

Most of the supports were/are 3/4" plywood I had left over from other projects. Sort of an overkill, but a good place to use left overs, and they were stable. Others are 5/8" thick. I cut them the same width as the QB, about 8-1/4", as explained next.

 

The distance from outside tie outer end to inside tie inner end is 6-3/4” on my dual main. I cut the QB 1-1/2” over this, making it 8-1/4” wide. I angled the cuts 30° and that leaves about 7/16” from the tie ends to the QB edge on both sides.

 

A curved section: 

 

 

And a straight:

 

 

Hope this helps you, and do let us know how you end up doing it.

Thx.

Alex

Alex, Thanks for all the good info. Looking at your pictures is the "FABRIC" looking material sticking out past the tie a covering on the QB? What is your QG thickness? I never have seen it before. I assume Lowes or Menards would have it in saheets. Thanks for all your help.

"FABRIC" looking material" ??

 

That is just the QB surface, which I painted grey for the straight section, and left it black (as is) for the curved section.

 

The QuietBrace (a Temple-Inland product) is 1/2" thick. I have only seen it at Home Depot, but others may carry it. It is a sound-deadening material for buildings. It comes in 4' x 8' sheets and sells for $8-$9 per sheet. I couldn't find Homasote, so I used QB, and I am happy with it. (Ask Alan/leavingtracks about it - he has been using it for years.)

 

Alex

ALEX, THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP.

The Hidden Pass Junction Railroad has several tracks that join the two main sections of the railroad. These tracks are located behind the stairwell and hidden from the Control Center; hence the name of the railroad.

 

These hidden tracks can be seen and accessed from the service aisle (22 inches wide) and the lower level tracks are hidden from view for quite a span. The upper level tracks are readily visible, but I wanted to hide the short sections (about 4-ft) that are directly behind the stairwell, so I am building a mountain in this area.

 

The upper level tracks enter the mountain in two pairs from the west side, but all four are together on the east side and require a wide tunnel entrance. After considering several alternatives, I elected to use an eliptical-shape portal. NOTE: In the pictures below, North is down.

 

 The Hidden Tracks - Upper and Lower Levels:

 

Mountain location (red line) as seen from the west side. The three portals shown are for the lower level tracks.

 

The pink foam shows the location of the mountain as seen from the west east side.

 

The east side wide portal is done! Eventually, you will no be able to see as much of the far side through the tunnel.

 

Here you can see the stairwell closet.

 

 

This side of the mountain will be connected with the other side at the top.

 

As seen from a passenger riding the "L" train.

 

Thanks for looking.

 

Alex

WOW Alex that is just awesome work,  I love the way that you built the mountain,

and the top above the tunnel portal is just beautiful. Alex you really should write

a how to book or make a video. You are a true professional,  and every morning when

I first sign on I look for your updates.

 

Thanks for sharing, Alex

Hey, Alex -

 

With as many pictures as I have been taking of the construction as I progress, your suggestion definitely is not out of the question. I would say that I post about 1 out of every 25 pictures I take, so there would be plenty to arrange in some sort of logical progress and to provide tips. But would there really be any interest?

 

Thx!

 

Alex

Finally finished the west portals and tied or connected the two halves of Hidden Pass Mountain. I like the west portals best.

 

 West Portals

 

East Side

 

West Side

 

Thanks for looking.

 

Alex

 

Alex It came out just beautiful.

Thanks for sharing.

 

Alex

Alex....

 

Got home to your e-mail with these pictures....your mountain and tunnels are very nice!  I like how you went with the concrete poured type of portals and especially the 3-D appearance of the West portals.  By the way, I will PM you either later tonight or tomorrow as far as what is coming up in June and the rest of the summer.

 

Alan

Thank you, Alex and Alan!

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

While I was waiting for the paint to dry on the mountain and tunnel portals (above posts), I started on Lake Chiemsee, which is the largest lake on the Hidden Pass Junction RR.

 

It is made of a piece of Aquatex glass (thank you Dennis Brennan) approximately 24” x 43” x 41” x 46” with just one right angle. I painted the bottom of the lake, the side of the glass with the most texture, Rust-Oleum Night Tide. I liked the Camouflage Green that Dennis and others have used for their harbor scenes, but since mine is a lake, I wanted a hint of blue, and the Rust-Oleum Night Tide fits the bill nicely.

 

Due to the somewhat trapezoidal shape of the glass (except it has no parallel sides) it is easy to slide it back about two inches out of the three-sided grooved frame, and lower it. I built two rails under the lake to rest the glass once it is slid out from its frame. The rails are about two inches lower than the glass.

 

[Click on pitures to enlarge] 

 

Lake Chiemsee almost finished (not done with details around the lake)

 

Another view

 

Glass slid out of the frame to become an access hatch

 

The 48X-size giant pops up to do detail work.

 

Frame detail and rail. The grooves on the frame are 3/8 deep and 7/32 wide (glass is 5/32 thick)

 

View of the frame at the front side.

 

Little by little, I'll get it all done . . .

 

Thanks for looking

Alex

Looks great. I really like Dennis Brennan's idea of using the aquatex glass to represent water, and I like the blue color you used more than the green color I've seen in other examples.

 

A suggestion for the details, to have some sort of small boat ramp to allow the canoes access to the lake. There could be a dirt road and a vehicle parked with a rack on top for the canoes, or even some people waiting and setting up a picnic.

trestrainfan -

 

Yes, I like this color too. And those are good suggestions for details around the lake. I have some Scenic Accents that I have used on my other lake, and will see if I can work similar details on this one, as well as what you suggested.

 

Thanks!

Alex

Added a few more "openings" on the East side. (Click on pictures to enlarge.)

 

Made this timber portal out of left over pieces from the trestle.  

 

Steel H-Column reinforced 'hole in the wall' serves as observation point for O-Gauge operator, and as access for the railroad maintenance crew.

 

 

Road tunnel leading up to second level. Idea 'borrowed' from Alex Malliae.

 

Thank you for looking!

Alex

I love the tunnel portals!

Well done!

 

 

The use of the "water" as a "pop up access point" is fabulous!

 

Peter

Peter,

 

Interestingly, so far I have made eight tunnel portals (not counting the ones that consist of girders, beams and H-columns), and all are different!   I plan to make a video of trains running through these portals, hopefully starting today.

 

Yes, that access hatch (lake) has already come in handy a couple of times, and I suspect that it will be more so in the future.

 

Thank you for your nice comments!

 

Alex

Alex the tunnel portals look great and thanks for the nice comment

about the road tunnels. You also gave me so many idea's from your

layout. That's what makes this forum so great we all help each other.

Thanks very much, Alex

Alex,

 

"That's what makes this forum so great we all help each other."

 

Yes, I agree:  Like minds working together towards a common goal

 

Here is a more recent picture of Lake Chiemsee - not quite done yet, but looking better. 

 

Fantastic as usual my Friend!!

 

Alan

Alex, great pics, but you have to see it to believe it.  Thanks for inviting Rose and myself to see it in person.  Well worth the extra miles going to St. Louis.

Al

Al,

 

Thank you - you are welcome anytime!

 

BTW, I am just about finished with the Lake Chiemsee expansion and resort area - will be posting pictures soon.

 

Thanks again.

 

Alex

Alex, GREAT WORK!  You give me so many ideas, if I only use a small portion of them it will be a great benifit. You should do a how to video or book.

 Thanks for keeping us posted.

Mike,

 

Thank you for your nice comments. I have been taking pictures of what I do all along, about 2500 so far, and may look into what it would take to edit them and add some text to create a book.

 

Speaking of which, here are some pictures - four new ones and six from a few days ago. (Click on image to enlarge.) 

  

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for looking!

 

Alex

Alex, Great progress! I enjoy every post you have a super railroad.

Alex looks great. superb work.

 

Thanks,Alex

Ah yes...that last picture makes me want to jump in to cool off....it was 108 here today!!

 

Fine job as usual Alex....

 

Alan

Rich, Alex, Alan -

  

Thanks!

  

Well, I almost made it.

  

Yesterday would have been the first day since I started the layout 17 months ago that I would have not done anything to the layout, excepting the days I was not home, of course. All I had done up to dinner time was to run trains!

  

But after dinner, I happened to glance at the last area that was not ‘finished’, and just had to do it. It was another hatch that remained as an empty hole, it took a couple of hours to finish, and now I can say that all the ‘Heavy Construction’ is done.

  

All the track, basic wiring to the track and to the turnouts, (and a few accessories), all horizontal surfaces, all retaining walls and all tunnel portals are done. At least round one, that is.

  

Now I can concentrate on ballasting the rest of the track, adding the rest of the buildings, roads and ‘grassy areas; completing the street and other lighting, the train signals, and wiring the rest of the control panel.

  

When that is done – another year perhaps – I’ll get started on computer control.

 

 In the meantime, I’ll run some trains and take some videos.

 

 Thanks for looking!

 

 Alex

 

Alex, congratulations at reaching your 17 month checkpoint! Look forward to seeing all your updates.

 

Bruce

Thanks, Bruce!

I was planning on waiting until the 18th month, the year-and-a-half mark, to deem basic construction done, bit it came a litle sooner - probably because now I am retired!

 

Here are a series of pictures I took yesterday of the current completion of the layout. (25 pictures take a lot of room, so it would be just as easy to click on the first thumbnail, below, and advance from picture to picture.)

 

Next will be a video of a ride along the entire layout one time.

 

Thanks for looking.

 

Alex

Looking mighty fine Alex!  I have enjoyed following the progress.

 

Steve A.

Impressive work Alex, especially the trestle span over land and water and all the different tunnel portals. Much to be  proud of.

Alex....a beautiful set of pictures of a world class layout!! 

 

Alan

How did I miss all this?? Amazing work sir!

 

Congratulations, Alex, on reaching this major milestone!  I can't think of a better way to spend time in one's retirement.  I only hope I'm blessed with the same opportunity in those years. 

 

I've got a HUGE project in the planning stages that I'll be soliciting feedback on shortly.  And watching your progress here (among a few other forumites as well) has been nothing short of inspirational.

 

Many thanks for sharing your adventures in O-Gauge trains with us.

 

 

David

 

P.S.  I think I recognized an Intermodal Crane from my forum sales earlier this year that made its way onto your masterpiece of a layout.  Glad to see it being used!

Steve, Dewey, Alan, SaabsndTrain –

 

Thank you for your comments; and as always, they are very much appreciated indeed.

 

David,

Yes, that is the crane I bought from you and it was a perfect addition. The Intermodal yard is one of the areas I have not detailed at all, but I will do so soon. I will have the crane operational, and plan to do an automatic cycle where it travels back and forth and raises and lowers a container, but will not drop or pick up a container; at least not automatically.

 

Thanks to all –

 

And Happy Independence Day!

 

Alex

I posted this video elsewhere in the forum, but it really should be here .



Thanks for looking!

Alex

Incredible imagination and workmanship, Alex.

After viewing all 8 pages, I can say that you guys will never see any pictures of my layout....I would be embarrassed for you to see how little skill I have. Fortunately my 3 year old grandson won't care.

I love the tiered look and I hope to copy it as well as I can....once I get my room built in the attic. :-(   It's just too hot to work up there this summer.

Hi Alex such a beautiful video, I've been waiting for you to post a great video going

around your layout. That was a great ride, I watched it twice and will watch it again

tomorrow morning. Thanks very much, Alex

Leandro, Bill Alex -

 

Thanks for your comments!

 

Bill - That is a great picture of your grandson - he is welcome to 'engineer' my trains anytime!

 

Alex - Funny thing is that immediately after I posted the video and watched it on YouTube, I noticed several areas that I had intended to finish (scenery wise) before taking the video, but forgot. I had watched the video many times, but overlooked those details.

 

Sort of similar to proofreading what we write; we can read over our own mistakes time and again and not detect them until we 'publish' the piece. Oh well, it took me only a day to finish those areas, so they will be ready for the next video, on which I am working right now.

 

THANKS!

 

Alex

Somewhere in this thread someone mentioned oiling a switch motor with light oil.  I don't think that is a good idea.  The only thing I can recommend for lubing stuff is 5W-20/30 motor oil  It will never dry out and become gummy like most other lubes do.  3 in 1 oil, most greases, Lionel Lube, etc., all dry out and become hard or gummy.

Alex, fabulous workmanship on that layout.  Loved the tour!  The INSIDES of those tunnels are neater than my office!!!    Seriously... I don't think I've seen the inside/underneath of a layout look so neat.  It's gotta be a joy to work on if you ever need to debug anything.  Definitely an inspiration for us all.

 

Thanks again for sharing your talents!!!

 

David

David,

 

Thank you!

I added black foam core board to some of the tunnel insides if visible from the viewing areas so they wouldn’t look bad for pictures. I attempted to paint a couple to resemble a rock interior, but really did not spend a lot of time on those. Eventually, I plan to install Heiki rock foil that I have left over inside some of the more visible tunnels.

 

Other than that, the video shows part of the the 2x4 main frame and assorted 1x2,1x4, and 2x2 upper level support frame. The area under the layout is clear except for a couple of rows of boxes along a corner under Etieca Valley, so working under the layout as for wiring is very easy. Also, the lower level is 4-ft high, so the clearance from the floor to the bottom of the 2x4s is around 44 inches, and this helps a lot also.

 

Early on I made a small dolly/scooter to sit on and scoot around under the layout. I made  its height such that I have about an inch or two clearance between my head and the bottom of the 2x4s. The picture below (click to enlarge) shows the scooter and service cart, and where I stored them.

 

 

The comments, suggestions, ideas, and solutions to problems I read from the forumites most definitely are an inspiration to me!

 

THX!

 

Alex

Alex, I was watching Eric Siegel's latest video blog and found what may be the problem you had with your Legacy Signal at that tunnel entrance. I cant find the post you started on it for some reason, maybe you have already solved the problem, but I thought you would want to take a look.

 

 

Starts 9 minutes into the video

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X80bPgzmagA&feature=g-all-u

Great video Alex. Thanks for posting.Still laying my track on my layout but your posts and others have given me guidance. The 50 + sheets of quiet brace have worked out very well.

 

Dale H

Zett,

 

Yes, I solved it pretty much the same way as Eric showed. I ran a wire from the actual ground connection of the outlet, up to the layout and under the upper level for the length of track that was giving me problems; about 6-feet or so. I used insulated wire and it works fine.

 

A minor point about Eric's video: He said that the ground on the outlet runs to a ground rod. Actually, the ground terminal wire (usually bare wire) and the common terminal wire (white) of the outlet both run to the same bus bar in the electrical or circuit breaker panel, and on to ground. When I finished the basement – from scratch – (the 6th I have done and hopefully last one) I did all the wiring myself, as everything else, so I know that the outlets are properly wired.

 

To avoid removing the outlet plate and working on the outlet itself, some suggested using a three prong plug to connect the ground wire (ground plane is a misnomer) to ground. Others suggested the method Eric used; i.e., using the screw that holds the outlet plate as the conenction point since it screws into the outlet frame, which should be at ground potential. This last method is probably the best for anyone to use.

 

Dale,

I am glad your layout is coming along well and that you are doing well yourself! Looking for your progress reports too!

 

Thanks for the nice comments.

 

Alex

I think you may need these?

 

MTH Catenary Hardware Pack

And I think you need these...

 

RealTrax - MTH 8-Piece Catenary System

Hi, Jake!

 

As F.Smaritano mentioned, the ovehead electric cable/wire system used to supply electricity to the trains is called a Catenary. There have been several threads posted by contributors who have these on their layouts.

 

I would suggest you start a thread on the "3-rail, O-27 . . ." forum section and entitled it "Your experience using a catenary system as the actual power source." Ask how easy or difficult it is to install one.  I am sure that you will see many good answers.

 

Here is one on the subject:

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/d...400#3400749726000400

 

Good luck, and thank you for your P.S.

 

Alex

 

P.S. FWIW, the word catenary actually means the curve described by a cord when suspended from its ends.

Jake,

Regarding catenary hardware - If you want to know what is available 'new' and what is needed, you may call Jason /Jason's Train Shop at (814) 495-4329 and ask him those questions. You can tell him Alex suggested that you call him .

 

Also, I see that you posted your questions on another already on-going thread; this may or may not work. Don't be bashful about asking until you get the answers that you need.

 

Good luck!

 

Alex.

Friends, it has been a while since I updated my layout construction thread, but that does not mean I have not been working on it! I have been making progress on some scenery details to three corners of one portion of the layout. I also have a new Amtrak passenger train. 

 

The NW corner has a couple of houses next to a railroad grade crossing, the NE corners now has an archery range, and the SE corner is the venue for the superb ALARCO granary, which as many of you have already seen, I covered in it own thread.

 

Here are some pictures - (click to enlarge or click on the small pictures below for a really nice black background - new feature of the forum?)) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for looking!

 

Alex

Alex,

 

Your layout is beautifully done. Please post more pictures and a track plan. Keep up the good work.

 

Lou

Absolutely amazing photos.  The scenery looks fantastic, keep the photos coming.

Alex....

 

I am becoming ashamed of my layout!!!  Your pictures of the progress are amazing....just beautiful.  By the way, got the piping you made for me installed last night.  I will post some pictures soon.

 

Thanks,

Alan

Alex such amazing beautiful scene's, and craftsmanship

I enjoy your photo's very much. Thanks, Alex

Lou, Chris, Alan, and Alex -

Thank you for your nice comments!

 

Lou, the track plan for my Hidden Pass Junction RR has proven to be more enjoyable than I had envisioned, and even I sometimes lose track of where the trains will be coming from and have to look at the diagram or at the control panel. The stairwell, which I thought was a big impediment, turned out to be a nice division between the two sections of the layout.

 

The Hidden Pass Mountain, as you can see below, is behind the stairwell, and is where the junction occurs for both the upper and lower levels of the two sides of the layout. Another feature that is not readily seen is that each of the two mains has a double reversing loop.

  

 

I have most of the scenery done for the lower level of Madera Heights, and one block section of buildings on its upper level is also done. Now I am ready to start ballasting the second level of Madera Heights, after which I will start on Villa de Rocas and Etieca Valley. Following that, I will continue working on the controls until I have full computer control. I have enough fun to last me for a good while.

 

Here are a few pictures of trains crossiing the Judy Jane Trestle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the yard just outside the subway shopping center.

 

 

 

Thank you for looking!

Alex

Thanks Alex, it is as beautiful as can be, and I am sure that it gives you many hours of operating enjoyment. 

 

Lou

Alex & Alan, Very nice job on the Silos!!!! tHEY REALLY LOOK GREAT on the curve.

Excellent Alex,

 

Looks great!

Alex once again I must say your layout is pristine

 

 

 

          JUST BEAUTIFUL

ALEX

 

 

         

Awefully quiet lately. You still recovering from the visit?

Alex,

 

I have 2 Questions, which I am hoping you can provide some fairly detailed answers to.

 

#1)  What type of wood (dimensions of wood) did you use for the foundations/ piers for your transition ramp from the upper to lower level?  Part II of that question is; how did you figure/ find the measurements you needed to determine your angle of elevation from the Starting Pier to Ending Pier?  And Part III; how did you cut the angle on each pier?

 

#2)  Did you build your curved trestle from scratch?  If so, what type of materials were used to build it?  I'm asking this question because, for my layout I would like to build a 4 foot long trestle with a straight section of 32 inches, and the remaining 16 inches having a curve that would line up with an O-72 radius.

James,

 

I am sorry I waited this long to answer your questions, and wonder if I am too late. I wrote an article for OGR Magazine, which appeared in Run 256 (April/May 2012). In those nine pages I described most of the details of construction. And yes, I designed it and built it from scratch.

 

And thank you all for your comments!

 

Alex

 

If you do not have the magazine or otherwise have any questions, please email me - I'll be glad to help you out any way I can.

 

Thx!

 

Alex

 

 

I have not updated my layout is this forum for a while, but that does not mean that I have not been working on it.

 

Here is a video to bring you up-to-date (same as posted in the 3-rail 0-27 . . . forum)

 

Enjoy!

 

Alex

Hello Alex. I recall that you chose to use QuietBrace for sub-roadbed noise reduction. How's that working out for you?

Alex,

 

Your layout is amazing.  I really love your trestle bridge.

Beautiful layout. The word has been used before but you are an amazing talent. I just marvel at your creations.

My wife and I recently were guests at Alex and Judy's.  His layout is beautiful and runs perfectly.  The quiet brace has worked as planned and greatly reduces the noise level.

 

Alan

Alex WOW the layout is looking WONDERFUL!! i REALLY liked therBNSF POWER and coal train. Very very nice indeed. Thanks for shating with us.

Boy Alex,

I cant get over how well your layout is coming out. Just superb and something to really admire.  I may have mentioned this before but I just love when the engine comes out of the tunnel and down the long  sweeping S  grade. Fantastic layout from a fantastic person.

Alex,

 

I watched the video last night on my big TV.  Really looks great.

 

-Ted

Stellar layout.The video was fun to watch too!

WONDERFUL! You make it all appear to be so easy....but I think we all know it's FAR from easy. You're doing a fantastic job and thanks for dedicating so much time to posting your pix and comments on the forum.

 

Be safe, be well.

Great Pictures as always Alex. I really enjoyed visiting with you and Judy with my "friend" a few weeks ago.

 

Hope all is well and please keep the pictures coming.

Hi Alex,

 

You really got a lot of scenery work done, and it really looks beautiful. Very well done

thanks for sharing, and you know I'm looking forward to seeing a video!!!

 

Alex

Alex,

 

I was wondering.  Are they designing an Engine that runs on Static Electricity at the John Galt Research Facility??

 

Ayn Rand is alive and well on your railroad LOL

 

Happy Railroading,

 

Ed

Amazing layout!  Your scenery is looking great!

Roger,

I was able to take a little time since you were here to work on two, rather neglected corners and install two operating accessories. The Esso Gas Station and adjacent parking lot, the Woodsman spot, and an unloading car site. 

 

Alex,

It goes without saying, you are welcome anytime. I am counting the days to York and to visit you and see your layout then.

 

Ed,

Most definitely! As a matter of fact, in the rear of the building on the lower section rooftop, there is a Ultra High Speed Friction Drive Static Generator.

 

Jim,

Thank you as well!

 

Alex

Really cool---love the night shots

Thx for posting

Joe S  

Joe,

 

I appreciate your comments. Thx!

 

I will use this opportunity to post my latest video here in case anyone looks in this forum section for updates. The video shows recently improved areas. Please note that the video is HD, and shows very well in large TV's.

 

 

Thank you for watching!

 

Alex 

Alex,

 

Really nothing to add that hasn't been already stated.  An excellent layout!  Wish I could bring my UP locos over and run them with your rolling stock.  Well done...sir....well done!

Alex

Your layout has really come a long ways since I saw your pop up access hatches. Your efforts have achieved a WONDERFUL LAYOUT. So many GREAT EXAMPLES of your detailed efforts are reafly sean all over the layout. You have already captured my full attention and admiration of your work BUT, The NIGHT PHOTOS are just absoluteY a WOW FACTOR!!! Congratulations Alex. Bill

Pat, Bill -

 

Thank you for your comments - very much appreciated.

 

And one more picture, of a scene that I included in the video (above), and which scene I finished just prior to making the video. The Saw Mill -

 

 

It is operational, and the dump car is operational also. I will have push button switches on the edge of the layout for fans to operate the accessories. I have done the same at several other locations, and people really like them. (The red button is almost flush with the edging, below, and operates the Esso Gas Station.)

 

 

Thanks!

 

Alex

Alex,

Amazing layout!  I love your attention to detail and quality of work!  Your model railroad is inspirational!

 

 

Marvelous layout Alex.  How big is it?

 

Ken

Alex it just dawned on me that this is the layout I will be seeing Saturday, looking forward to it.

 

Ken

Hi Alex,

 

Beautiful scene's and expert work as always

 

Thanks, Alex

A.I., Ken, Alex -

 

Thank you!

 

I have a five areas yet to finish; i.e., they still have the raw QuietBrace as surface, and I will be working on them soon.

 

I am also trying to finish all the wiring. This means connect the remaining 23 turnouts (out of 57) to the control panel, because even though all are connected to the AIU's, I like to have both the AIU control and the toggle switches at the control panel.

 

I also need to wire the remaining 53 sensors for the turnouts. These are sensors for which I have a patent applied, and sense the true/actual position of the points without contact to the points. They do not in anyway use the switch machine or the control signal to the switch machine, are totally independent and accurately sense the points.

 

All in all, about 6000 feet of wire to go, to make the total around 14,000 feet.

 

And then computer control . . .

 

Ken:

As you will see in a couple of days, the layout room is 33' x 38' and the layout occupies about 80%, or 1000 Sq-Ft. Looking forward to your visit.

 

Alex

WOW... Nice job, keep up the good work and thanks for sharing!

Great work Alex! Its been great to watch your progress.

Very inspirational Alex....makes me want to put in more hours on our layout.

What caught my eye this morning, is the in depth and detail, in the street, landscaping.

Amazing !  (pic #6)

 

Alex,  You have explained the viaduct, construction, but I have 1 question,?? 

What are the Grey, Supports, and are they approx 6" high !!!

 

Really , like both yours and Alan's girder/viaduct construction--- I keep making notes

THANKS !

 

Alex, good afternoon!

I need a big favor from you, I'm riding my town and need to know the size of MTH Corner Building but without the sidewalk (gray) of your photo DSC_1989 A07 med.

Thank you,

Leandro ...

Leandro,

 

Is this what you want: (Click on picture for full size)

 

 

Let me know if you need any other dimensions.

 

Alex

Alex, Thanks !!

 

Your drawing was fantastic and exactly what I needed to know!

Thank you!

Alex,

 

It's been a pleasure following this thread from the beginning. You have done so much in a short time. I look forward to your updates. Keep up the great work. 

 

Andy

Marshel

Alex is a real craftsman and as you can see has done a WONDERFUL JOB on his layout details.