Finally working on my main Yard control panel

My Control panels will use Berretthill.com touch toggles for all the switch controls, uncouplers, and even room lights.

I started by taking a number of phone shots looking straight down on the area for the panel

Phone shots from overhead

Next I realized I would need to change the actual proportions of the area to fit a useful sized panel for the controls, done in Photoshop.

Area of panel compressed in Photoshop

I then traced the compressed photo composite, and smoothed things out

Part of tracing paper taken from compressed photos

Then I photographed the tracing and put it in Photoshop to do vector final track layout the width needed for the controls etc.

Starting to put track diagram on a photoshop layer above the tracing

This completed diagram will be printed out to size for the panel, and the touch toggles (seen below) will be attached to the back of the paper and will show through indicating direction

group of touch toggles in my hand.

Here is how they would work showing through the completed paper for the panel.

Light shows which way the switch is thrown.

Below is completed panel, ready to be printed out to size.

panel just about ready for printing

In a future post, after I get all the touch controls in place, I will put up a fully glowing panel.

 

Passenger station area pt2

Continuing to work on my multi level passenger station first posted in December

pouring curb and steps to the station from the parking area

Looking along the future parking area toward the base for the station being glued in place. and yes, the hold down weights are defunct internal hard drives.

Road and parking area, with train shed structures
below

Start of sidewalks etc around the station building

Station area with sidewalks and railings

Getting a feeling for half of the station building in place. The other part will be to the left and scratch built, essentially as if the station were enlarged at a later date than this part.

first part of station building in rough position with railings, sidewalks, and steps.

Much detail, weathering, windows, painting, people etc to be added, in future posts.

More on new buildings

This time partially completed Lumber Mill, kit bashing an old Suydam kit with changed windows, doors, reconstructed missing parts and eventually scratch built additions.

First side, adding new windows and doors from Tichy Train Group, with weathered and rusting corrugated siding

Assembling the structure on a steel machinists plate. Handy to hold things in position with magnets, since the walls are steel.

Assembling with Epoxy and CA Glue

Next brick portion

Brick incinerator building

Adding Weathering to Doors etc.

Freight Door

Then starting to plan positioning on the layout on the Lumber branch.

Mill Side

Whole area plan showing places for Log chute, pond area, log dump, stream and separate scratch built finishing building and loading dock

Partially completed Mill on Plan of area

More on building multiple structures

In the process of designing and constructing a larger city building, gluing up small sections and pilasters to form the building, and then adding the window frames.

Starting construction

Adding piece by piece and modifying some sections

Front wall taking shape

Starting to see structure come together with side walls

Building without first floor commercial facades, using machine tool hold down blocks for weight and right angles.

Next, airbrushing the structure and the windows their finish color.

Some of the airbrushed parts.

Then adding the first floor structure and trying fit in a location before putting all the finished roof, window detail, adding some interiors, and lighting.

Trying building in rough position.

Will put more on completing this and other buildings in future posts.

 

 

Kit bashing and Scratch building

Starting to  work on multiple structures for the layout using kit bashing and scratch building. I’ll be putting up various progress on building in the coming weeks. The first area is the passenger station area in the city.

Passenger station area test ideas

This second view in same area with some added wall ideas

Station area in the city

The longer shed part of the station is at a lower level and further along.

Almost finished train shed area

Will put up progress on this and other areas as I move along.

Continuing work on the Lumbering branch line

I have been concentrating on working on the branch line this week, so here are some photos of progress at the future site of the sawmill.

Getting the sidings in place for the log slide to the pond and a siding for finished product.

Next a series of Photographs showing creating the terrain around where the mill will be.

Adding slab of foam for base of mill area.

Adding slope down base.

Using some hydrocal rocks from rock molds and plaster cloth.

Then filling with more rocks and blending with sculptamold

Next will be determining the contours of the mill area (buildings, pond etc.

Thinking about a previous post

In this time of social distancing, even though it seems perfect for model train work, I have been

more engaged in obtaining food, and other house projects, along with a certain amount of angst, as are I’m sure most of us. But, I have been reading Model Railroader and an article in the march 2020 issue, about taking scenery into the aisle, made me say-hey- I put up a post on a very similar idea almost a year and a half ago. So I thought I would share it again.

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I have a concept of the walk-in aisle of my layout being a river or small bay, so I am making my scenery (rocky banks etc.) all come down to a common level as it would be meeting a bay.

Series of shots, showing rocky banks coming to a common level.

Bank by the concrete arch bridge

Continuation of banks at bay level

Further along the bank

This showing my suspended edge, not yet fully built up with scenery

This shot from a low level showing the way the edge is built

My thought is to build a rolling cart with an area of bay level water that can be raised into position anywhere along the walk in aisle, for photography of the layout, with extended water.

I AM now ready to take advantage of the confined time to start Posting and Working on the Germantown & Northwestern!