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I am finally at the point on this layout where I can start showing some real progress on what will be my steam servicing area and turntable/roundhouse setup. The eventual goal here is to have a mostly believable scenic area that will represent the 1920's to 1950's era. While most of my steam roster consists of PRR, the prototypes for the structures here are based on based on other railroads and materials handling suppliers.

The space is roughly 3'X17.5', with the TT/Roundhouse section bulked out to 4'. This allowed me put everything into a straight line but after laying out the trackage, I really could have used another foot or so. After playing around with various schemes, this is what I came up with:

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From front to back the tracks are as follows - ash hoist receiving/TT access, inbound track, coal delivery track/TT access, outbound track, and 'bonus' track (spur). I had some different ideas that changed over time. The biggest factor in setting up the tracks was the decision to reuse/remodel my GTW-based Ogle 350 ton coaling tower. This structure has coal and sand delivery on the front and back sides, with only coal delivery beneath. More info on it here: https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/t...aven-coaling-tower-1

Coal, water, and sand can be received on the inbound/outbound tracks. Ashpans can be dumped on the inbound track. The ash hoist receiving track and the coal delivery track were tagged into the TT just because I could do it. I have mixed feelings on this setup. Like I said earlier, another foot or two would have been nice to have here.

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The coaling tower and ash hoist are in their final spots. The water tower may move around but I think the water columns are in their correct locations on the inbound and outbound tracks. The water tower and columns are from the popular Walthers kit. I added some simple details to the columns to dress them up a bit. These are from the old layout.

The ash hoist is from Crescent Locomotive Works. I believe it is based on a Fairbanks-Morse structure. I believe these are built to order. I thought about making my own ash hoist but this one is really nice and saves a ton of time. I gave it a quick repaint/weathering job:

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For some reason, I was missing the add-on concrete cap for the one side of the pit. No big deal, I wacked one together in a few minutes. One really neat thing about this hoist is the fact that the mechanism works. The bucket will actually go all the way into the pit following the curved rails.

I donated my old Bowser 30" TT to a pal and replaced it with a Millhouse 28" PRR model. It's been built and running for a while, I just haven't had a chance to post about it. I chose the 28" model because I think it looks the closest to the real deal. I can fit my PRR duplexes on it no problem.

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I built a TMCC box to run it. It is the old R2LC/DCDR setup from something, I think a K-Line USRA Mikado. It gets connected to track power on one side, and the TT motor is connected to the other side:

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One of the goals of this yard was to use all Atlas #5s since my Decapods and Duplexes do not like to traverse the curved diverging rails of their O72 switches. I wanted all these switches to have manual throws but did not want to use Atlas' table top machines. Here's a pictorial on how I used Caboose Industries throws:

I cut an Atlas tie into three pieces:

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I cut the strap over the throwbar, then drilled a 1/16" hole on top of the it, about 3/32" from the edge:

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I then CA'ed the ties in place:

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I then used a couple of 1/2" long #2 wood screws to fasten the throw. The tie slots happen to work out well:

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I am keeping the background scenery simple for now. Just some mid-height bluffs with a concrete retaining wall along a short stretch. This will get covered with trees and rocks, along with some utility poles poking out here and there. I am making these bluffs out of 2" extruded foam. This section tapers down in depth from about 6.5" at the left end to about 4". The max height will be about 14" as it curves around the eventual roundhouse. I built this in three sections yesterday and the day before in the shop:

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I don't believe foam saves any labor compared to screen over wood forms, but it allows for better shapes IMO and is easier to modify. I had some visions of clusters of building flats in this area and I could add some in later on by chopping into the foam much easier. On these sections, I cut the horizontal profile out a big piece of foam. I like to rip the foam into 2" by 2" or 2" by 4" strips for easier handling and shaping. Building these sections in my shop saved me a lot of pain as opposed to building these forms right on the layout.

 

 

 

 

 

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Last edited by Norm Charbonneau
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Having had lots of experience walking around in steam locomotive terminals, I believe you have done things extremely well. I would offer only two suggestions/improvements:

1) Either wood or concrete platforms should be placed on either side of the inbound and outbound tracks, in order for maintenance/servicing workers to have easy access to the various running gear machinery components for maintenance and/or lubrication. Many steam locomotives were not necessarily put into the roundhouse when they were just being turned for another work assignment. Thus they would be lubricated, maybe a quick running gear wash with saturated steam guns, ashes dumped, fire cleaned, tender refilled with coal, and all lubricators topped off with the appropriate oil (valve oil or machine oil). 

2) Add additional water columns, so that pretty much any size locomotive can have the tender topped off with water, no matter which direction it may be headed. I searched for 2 or 3 years on eBay and other sources for the Kemtron/Max Gray/PSC highly detailed brass water columns, on order to have many of them placed throughout the servicing terminal. 

Thanks HW, that's very useful info. I've been watching someone on eBay selling those brass water columns but at ~$125 a pop, I may see if I can find another Walthers kit. I think one more column at the sanding end of the coaling tower should do it.

The one thing I didn't try to include was a full-on wash rack but having some hardware to support greasing and steam guns might be doable. I figure there's a compressor in the coaling tower machine house (for lifting sand from the dryers to storage) that could be tapped into. I never did figure out how steam heat was supplied to GTW's tower, I am thinking they brought it over from the roundhouse steam plant. Maybe I could put a small boiler in a shack that is fed by hand to at least provide steam for cleaning running gear. I don't think I'll have room for a proper boiler house and wouldn't have any way of getting coal into it.

This is a wonderful model of the Pennsy TT  electrical arch and center control cab.  Thanks Al Z and Norm.  

 Mike CT    We've come a long way from the Bowser TT's. 

I tried a similar power supply for my Diamond Scale TT, I was using an older Digital Dynamics drive.  I just could never get it to work.  Let me know how this works.

Last edited by Mike CT

Great work Norm!

I'm starting a cliff section similar to the dimensions you have and plan on using foam sheets too. How will you landscape the unfinished pink foam in your pictures? Do you paint and then ground foam? Steep sections are always difficult to apply the ground foam to, just looking for ideas. Thanks for any help you can lend.

Gerry

 

Well HW, now you have me thinking that I might be able to put in a powerhouse (the Altoona Model Works one comes to mind) in the location where the water tower is now sitting. I could use that spur to feed it if I push it closer to the retaining wall. Only thing is, I may end up overcrowding the scene. The other option is to put it by the roundhouse. I have the option of bulking out the depth of that section of the layout since the backdrop still extends out from my abandoned dogbone plan. 

Mike, that's basically what ran my Bowser TT on my old layout for a few years, just now in a tidy box. It's been running Al's TT now for a couple months, I just haven't had an opportunity to post about it. 

Drew, those are cool! 

Gerry, the next step is finish the painting and weathering of that retaining wall in the shop. I will then tack those three sections to the layout with hot glue. Normally I would hand carve rocks with plaster of Paris right on the layout but I bought a bunch of pre-made foam rocks. I will cut them up and hot glue them in place in locations that compliment the foreground features. I have taken a liking to the rock castings since they save so much time and work. I typically fill all the seams with painter's caulk. When the rocks are painted and weathered, I will then paint all the exposed foam flat black, then paint on a wood glue and water mix and start dumping ground cover on. 

Thanks all for the kind words and likes!

Last edited by Norm Charbonneau
Drew Madere posted:

" I wanted all these switches to have manual throws"    Norm, just thinking  

http://www.humpyard.com/

 

Drew I checked out that site and they are indeed some nice switch throws.  Only question I have is why does Howard state that it is applicable for HO and N scales only.  Given their size it would seem it would be suitable for just about any scale. 

Drew Madere posted:

" I wanted all these switches to have manual throws"    Norm, just thinking  

http://www.humpyard.com/

 

I'm sorry to say, but as slick as they look, I had a very difficult time making them work with O gauge. I bought 20 of them, but their downfall, at least for me, was the very light weight wire used to connect the lever to the throwbar. I couldn't find a good way to transfer the motion. If anyone wants some, drop me an email.

Big_Boy_4005 posted:
Drew Madere posted:

" I wanted all these switches to have manual throws"    Norm, just thinking  

http://www.humpyard.com/

 

I'm sorry to say, but as slick as they look, I had a very difficult time making them work with O gauge. I bought 20 of them, but their downfall, at least for me, was the very light weight wire used to connect the lever to the throwbar. I couldn't find a good way to transfer the motion. If anyone wants some, drop me an email.

I used them with my 3 rails for long time but I connect them to a blue point turnout machine without the toggle switch.

the maximum I reach in length was six feet no issues.

 

Andre. 

Here's a few quick shots of where the yard approach splits off from GB tower interlocking. I have been trying to do some of the rough scenery here, just trees, rocks, and ballast mostly. I also put together some 68kV power lines, using the article in the last OGR for inspiration. I also relocated that tool shed from its previous spot by Bryant tunnel.

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Wonderful photos and progress, Norm; and, the discussion from you and others has been informative and enjoyable.

Suggestion:  Since this is a "work-in-progress" thread, edit the thread's title with the date of your most recent update--makes it much easier to know you have posted new photos/information.

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