Marshal Canyon

I happened to be at Marshal Canyon today when a UP Westbound Manifest train came through. Luckily I had my Iphone camera at hand and I took some snaps!

The UP Manifest was headed by #8520, an SD70ACe. Here it is in dynamic braking as it rounds the curve deep in Marshal Canyon.

The last two photos were taken as the train rounds the curve entering the yard limits at Cheney, WA. Apparently the local road gang have just rectified a nasty road crossing. Here they have just poured a new concrete crossing to smooth the surface for vehicle crossing the main lines. 

Projects update 9/2/15

This has a been a week of Projects. 

Today I refurbished the old Yardley Yard West control panel with a new stencil (Track Plan) that is accurate to the exiting trackwork. This required removing the switch's, then the old stencil which was a tedious job. Then I cleaned up the control panel and filled the original switch holes with filler. Once dry I sanded the surface smooth, painted the control panel Matt Black and set out to dry. Whilst the control panel was drying I went to the local Office Works and had them print off the new track plan which I had drawn in excel. With this in hand I went back home and commenced the process of  rebuilding the panel: 

The following photos show the process. 

The below photo shows the control panel after it was painted black. It is drying in the full sun.

This photo is a of the control panel track plan, which is printed on A3 sheet. I've cut a majority of the excess white sheet off in this photo

In this photo the A3 sheet has been glued to the control panel. The round green dots are the DPDT switch locations for drilling

The panel has been drilled and switch's installed!!!

Ok the panel is now ready for installation on the layout

A couple of shots of the finished product. Re installed and rewired to the layout

Projects continued

Well I've had a great week. I've completed Marshal Canyon to a point that I am very happy with. The photos below will show the starting point - roughed in scenery and the processes I used to get the scenery to a basic completion. This involved shaping the styrofoam slopes; Placing the rock embankment; adding the ground cover and lastly installing trees.

Thanks to the help of Steve Ord and Trevor Phillips on Wednesday we completed two hundred fir trees of which 160 were planted on the layout. This effort has transformed the scenery on the layout, almost making it seem live. 

The picture of Marshal Canyon that I envisaged in my head is now actual and I can't be happier with the results.

Looking West along  Marshal Canyon at the commencement of the project a week ago. 













Looking East at Marshal Canyon.

 I've used both Styrofoam and expanding foam to make the basic scenery shell. Here in the photo you can see how I've blended the expanding foam to match the styrofoam. The pink colored landscape is expanding foam. I've used this technique for a long time now and find it helps on the smaller areas where you need to add scenery quickly. 

In the photo below I've commenced placing the first layer of ground materials on the styrofoam. My process is to: paint the area with an earth colored paint, place glue on the wet paint and paint this in, sprinkle real dirt on the paint / glue mix, add 3 shades of fine ground foam, then add the various colors and lengths of static grass as required.  

In the photo below I wanted a rock cut in the canyon. So I've applied rocks from plaster molds. once this has set enough I start the rock coloring process.

Upon completion of the rock coloring process I continue the ground covering process. 

Thanks to Steve and Trev2, I had plenty of trees ready for planting in Marshal canyon

Below is the final scene. I'm wrapped in how this has turned out and how it has seemed to come to life! My good friend Jim Younkins, whom I have traveled with to the Marshal Canyon and Spokane area, has said that I have captured the feel of the area well....That is good enough for me. Thanks to Steve and Trev this has happened fairly quickly. Now we are onto the next project...watch this space!!!

Layout projects to date

Hi all, well its time again to update you on progress on the UPBNSF Joint Division. Over the last few weeks I have been focused on scenery and more scenery. Thus far I've managed to Ballast 80% of Yardley yard, Scenic and build the industries for Thierman Rd Industrial district, Mission Avenue industries and trackage, scenic Bevvers Forest, Hangman Creek and fabricate and kitbash a few buildings to complement the operations of the layout and scenery. 

Iv'e also found some time to commence building a conveyor system on the  Hopper Junction Power plant.

With the N Scale convention here in Brisbane only 2 months away I'm fast running out of time to do much more work. It has been great to have a couple of helpers recently with Steve Ord and Trevor Phillips (Trev 2) providing working bee assistance. Thanks guys your efforts have been very much appreciated!!!!!

Over the next few nights I will update you on several areas on the layout with some posts and photos. This will give those who won't be at the convention an overview of various parts of the layout. The rest of this blog will focus on Bevvers forest.

The following photos depict the development of Bevvers Forest from Base scenery to Low detailed completion.

The first photo is an overhead view of the west end of Spokane and Bevvers forest commences on the L/H side where the three tracks converge into the single mainline. 

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Photo 2 shows the first tree planting. The comments I received from some of my mentors were that the trees looked great but what about the TRUNKS!

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So back to the design board I went and i developed a larger trunk as can be seen in the below photo

I then proceeded to plant out the rear ridge

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Looking from the end the trees forest is growing

Here we see Bevvers Forest on the Eastern side t of Hangman creek. Hangman creek disappears into the backdrop on the left

The completed scene of Bevver forest and Hangman Creek. The lower line is  branch line to a Coal loading facility in the local area. 

I wanted to depict the feeling that you are in a Pine / Fir forest. The mainline weaves its way along the hills. This is very similar to the mainline that departs Spokane Westbound through Cheney. I intentionally limited the mix of trees in this area to about 95% Firs. I like the feel that it gives. As I proceed around the next major bend in the layout I will commence mixing tree type to a 60% Fir, 20% Spruce and 20% Deciduous type trees.

Progress in Yardley Yard Spokane

Thought it was time to give another update on progress on the UPBNSF Joint Line. I've been making steady progress with scenery and ballasting of the trackwork in the Spokane area. As much as I dislike ballasting track, the one thing you can say is that you can see progress as you go....and practice makes perfect!!!!!

The photos show various parts of Yardley yard from the West end through to the East end. This section of the layout is 4.5 meters long and the mainline and Yard lead sweep around a 180 degree turn at the West end. Thierman Rd industrial area is located inside the mainline track curvature at this location. 

The first 5 photos show the progress from the last blog update at the western end. 

Three industries are located at Thierman Rd: King Beverage, Brenntag Chemicals and Boise Cascade Industrial Materials Supply (BCIMS). This industrial area will provide plenty of switching opportunity and variety during operations sessions 

Photo 6 / 7 is a helicopter view looking East. In the foreground are industries located along Mission Avenue which runs parallel to the tracks. These industries consist of; Cargill Grain, Exxon Oil and Fuel, Melcher Mfg, and American Recycling.

Adding the scenery to this area of the layout has also prompted some track changes. I'm excited and looking forward to the next Ops night to see how these changes will impact operations. Oh BTW, can you see any similarities between the photo above and below? 

 

Layout Update - Spokane works

 I finally managed to get out from under the layout and have commenced doing scenery, and some remedial track work to enhance the operations. For the last 3 weeks I've been working on the Spokane area of my layout.

The following list of works have been commenced, some completed but I still have a fair way to go. 

• Relocate the engine service facility to the eastern end of Yardley Yard
• Shorten 2 x interchange tracks to add an industrial spur track....The yard tracks never got filled during ops sessions so I thought it made more sense to add another industry
• Relocated Eagle Intermodal yard from Trent Avenue to where the engine service facility was located at western end of Yardley Yard. This will add for enhanced operations
• Changed the track work on Mission avenue to allow for individual industrial spur track feed. This required adding 2 x turnouts to allow for logical industry switching which will make life easier for the operators and be more prototypical
• Finally settled on the industries in the Thierman Road switching district and the industries to be placed along the Mission avenue area
• Commenced ballasting the track in the Spokane area..approx 40% complete at the writing of this blog
• Additional rail feed droppers installed
• Removal of the old car card holding boxes as they are no longer required . I am fully into using the JMRI operations paperwork 
• Painting the Spokane backdrop 

The following photos should bring you up to speed with all the activities and the current status. 

Further it would be remiss of me if I did not acknowledge the help that I have had from Stephen Ord, Jim Younkins and Frank Kenny. 

Stephen has been coming around here at least once a week for the last few month. His contribution to the current progress of the layout has been significant and I thank him immensely. 

Jim and Frank (Both in the USA) are inspirational with great advice. I often bounce my ideas of these guys. They soon straighten me out!!!!!!  

Here are some photos taken today of the works in progress:

Yardley yard before the backdrop painting commences

I've placed a wood cover over the track work to protect it from paint!!!! Please note this is important if you are about to do the same. Also note that i've sketched lines for the distant and foreground hills

Here I've taped off the top of the backdrop. This is done to give a nice straight edge to the top of the backdrop

I've placed all my painting equipment on the protector board, A 2 Meter section of sky blue has been completed and Im now ready to commence the artistic stuff.!!

OK, About an Hr later I've done the 2 meter section, and put buildings etc all back where they should be.

Another 2 hrs down the track I've roughed in the backdrop at the Western end of Yardley.  This was hard work as I had to lean in some way to reach the backdrop in this area.... I still have some final finishing to do but the backdrop is about 80% complete in this area.

Here you are looking at the Intermodal yard and the eastbound interchange tracks in the background area. The bridge is the Havana St bridge across the throat of Yardley yard at the Western end. The building to the left in the foreground, when completed will be; Ashgrove Cement  

Exxon Oil, and Cargill Grain, in the foreground

Now you are looking East along Yardley yard

I'm standing on Mission Avenue looking across the East end of Yardley Yard

American recycle in the foreground and the newly done engine service facility in the background

Looking East. the bridge is N Farcher St

I've ventured into the Exxon Oil farm and taken a snap of the yard looking East!

Ok well I need too get back and do more work now so that's the update for today. Hope you enjoyed.