Category Archives: Progress Update

Fast Clocks on the St Charles Branch

Fast Clock in the Layout Room
Fast Clock in the Layout Room

Today I upped the operations realism a couple notches on the St Charles Branch by adding fast clocks!… Ok, with only half the tracks built and with only one partial operating session under my belt, it doesn’t take much to up operations several notches at this point, but the fast clocks are still really cool! While fast clocks are an important part of operating layouts, I was surprised at just how few good options are out there, especially for analog fast clocks. There are digital options available that work with your DCC system (nice feature), but modeling the ’60s and ’70s, I felt a digital clock display would be too gross an anachronism, and I’m working hard to transport operators back in time when they’re on the layout. I even played around with creating my own “analog” fast clock using MS PowerPoint which actually turned out pretty good for what it is–it works, but it was never intended to be a permanent solution. Feel free to download the “Poor Man’s Model Railroad Analog Fast Clock” (below) and play around with it–it will function somewhat online, but it works much better if you download it. You can read more about it and download a digital version as well here.

Fast clock in the crew lounge
Regulator-style fast clock in the crew lounge. The FCC4 system let me retrofit this hand-made clock.

For the real solution, I needed a way to have multiple physical analog clocks all synchronized with an adjustable fast-clock ratio. I narrowed it down to two systems. The first was a WiFi system that offered both digital and analog clocks, but it was limited to a single style of analog clock, and I don’t really need MORE radio frequency waves in my house. In the end, I opted for Mike Dodd’s FCC4 fast-clock system. The FCC4 consists of a control board, three simple switches (run/stop, advance, and reset), and as many clocks as you need running off a two-wire bus. What intrigued me most was how Mike implemented the analog clocks–YOU buy the clocks, and he supplies the replacement mechanisms that will fit in just about any wall clock you can buy today. That feature enabled me to buy a clock for the layout room that had the style I wanted, AND it allowed me to convert a “Regulator” style clock made by my wife’s grandfather into a fast clock for the crew room (i.e., the rec room adjacent to the layout).

Temp fast-clock control panel
My temporary fast-clock control panel (the FCC4 is mounted in the background)

You can save some money by buying the kit version and assembling it yourself, but I decided to buy the assembled and tested versions of the controller and clock mechanisms, and everything worked like a charm (so refreshing in this day and age). I just needed to swap out the two clock mechanisms (a fun 30-minute project), add a few switches, and run several wires. Installation of the wires through the walls was the most difficult part of the project, but even that was pretty straightforward. In the end, I now have two fast clocks set to a 4:1 ratio that I can turn on and off, advance at a 17:1 ratio if needed, and reset to my session’s start time (5:30 AM for now) easily, and if I ever expand the layout into the spare bedroom next door, I just need to run a couple more wires and buy another mechanism to have another clock. I mounted the control board on a stud inside my helix space where it will be hidden from sight but easily accessible via a short crawl for troubleshooting or adjusting the ratio. The controls are on a temporary board for now–I’ll eventually install them in a recessed portion of the upper-level fascia to keep the switches away from little hands and wayward elbows.

If you need an analog fast-clock system, I would definitely check out the FCC4! Not only is Mike Dodd very responsive to questions, but he’s also a model railroader himself, so he’s designed this system from the perspective of an operations-oriented layout owner. I’m looking forward to my first operating session using the clocks where the times on train orders are more than just numbers on a  piece of paper!

 

Blue Sky in St Charles!

Painted lower level backdrop
Painted backdrop wrapping around the helix

There is now a pale blue sky in St Charles, VA! This past week has been “backdrop week” on the layout, and today I finished sanding and painting the blue color on the backdrop. It’s amazing what a difference the backdrop makes in giving shape to the scenes. This is also a big step because it’s one step further than I got with my last layout before I had to tear it down–it’s good to surpass the progress of the previous effort.

Masonite seam
There’s a vertical seam between two Masonite panels in the middle of this pick and an upper screw–can you find them?

The backdrop, like the fascia, is 1/8″ Masonite (or “hardboard” at some stores). I know a lot of modelers like Masonite because of its smoothness and flexibility, but over the years I’ve heard one repeated complaint: “it’s nearly impossible to fill holes and cover seams because nothing will stick to it.” If you’re worried about this, worry no more! I find that lightweight spackling compound (I use DAP Patch-N-Paint) works perfectly on Masonite. A couple of tips. First, make sure you countersink the screw holes so the screw heads are at least 1/32″ below the face of the Masonite to give enough depth for the spackle to work–this is tough to do without going through the 1/8″ board, but don’t worry if you have to patch an extra hole. Next, I apply a layer of the spackle over the screws and across any joints with a plastic putty knife to avoid scratching the Masonite. I clean it up a little with the knife, but messy is ok. After it dries for about 1-2 hours, I use a damp washcloth to scrub off the excess spackle. This usually leaves a bit of a depression in the holes and seams, so I put on a second layer of spackle. After this completely dries, I sand it with 150-grit sandpaper until it’s even with the Masonite surface and wipe it once again with a damp washcloth. Once painted, I have to look very carefully to see the seams, and the screw holes all but disappear.

For the color, I wanted a very light sky blue, enough to look blue but that kind of whitish and hazy blue on the horizon. I stood in Home Depot for 20 minutes with pictures of Appalachian scenes on my phone comparing the color to all the options Behr had to offer. I finally decided on this color in a flat finish (Behr calls it “After Rain”), and I’m pretty happy with it. If anything it’s a little more blue than I’d hoped, but the hue looks pretty natural, and it’s not too dark. Two coats with a roller gave the backdrop a nice even look. The backdrops are all ready to support some scenery forms now.

I must say, I’m going to miss taking pictures of the Mayflower Tipple mock-up with a nice white plastic insulation blanket as the backdrop… ok, no I’m not.

Main Helix Complete

Finished helix
The finished helix! From here it will traverse the concrete wall in the background before emerging at Turners Siding

Reached another milestone yesterday–the main helix between the main and upper levels is now complete! I have track reaching to 58″ off the floor. Like the helix between staging and the main level, I used what I call the “double pinwheel” method of building a helix (click here for a full write up on the double pinwheel helix). It requires only straight-line cuts, it’s very forgiving of non-precise cuts, and it’s rock solid.

The helix joins the town of St Charles to the towns of Turners Siding, Kemmergem, Monarch and Benedict on the upper level. The grade (3%) starts at the RR-west end of St Charles yard and continues up three turns of the helix. There will be another 15 feet of hidden track before the line emerges, so that’s effectively a fourth turn’s worth of elevation gain after the helix. Of course, when I built the base supports for the helix, I miscalculated something that had the initial grade into the helix closer to 4%. At first I was like, “well, maybe it will work.” I test ran a few locomotives up the first loop (all I had constructed upon discovery), and while my lightest locomotive could still pull 11-12 cars up the grade, I finally wised up and decided to fix it before it became unfixable. After dropping to 3% (lowering all the supports by 3/4″), the lightest locomotive could again haul 14 cars and a cab from a dead stop up the grade, the same limit as the helix from staging. I’m sure I will be glad I made this adjustment in the future! Measure twice, cut once… thankfully it just required loosening and reattaching some screws and only a few new cuts of supports to fix it.

It will be a little while now before I start the upper-level benchwork, but finishing the helix will allow me to install the lower-level backdrop, so the beautiful insulation pads will no longer be visible on the main level. I know that will be a big disappointment to many of you who feel the insulation just adds an extra layer of realism… ok, enough sarcasm. Building helixes isn’t fun for many modelers (including me), so I’m very glad this portion of the layout is now complete!

Lower Level Fascia Complete

Lower Level Fascia
Lower level fascia complete and awaiting a few labels
Looooong switch push rods
Push rods can indeed be used for distant switches (48″ here) if properly guided and reinforced

This week’s project was completing the fascia for the lower level. I love the look of the curved black fascia and track diagrams. I’ve detailed fascia elsewhere, so I’ll stick to what’s unique here. While the switch mechanisms can be partially installed prior to fascia, it takes the facia being in-place to install the manual switch control knobs and push rods. While most of the mechanisms were pretty basic, there are three switches more than 30″ from the fascia on the “RR east” end of St Charles wye where the tracks emerge from the helix and staging. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to use the push rods for long distances, especially since two of the switches are beyond 36″, the length of the .062″ steel rods I use. The trick with the push rods is the longer they are, the more they tend to flex and bend (and, in turn, not throw your switch mechanisms). This can be partially rectified by using additional brass tube guides in wooden blocks along the rod’s path, about every 12-15″ or so. That was good enough for the first mechanism that was <36″ from the fascia.

St Charles Fascia
St Charles wye has two insulated tracks where engines might tie up

For the longer rods, I decided to try connecting 2 steel rods using a 6″ piece of 3/32″ brass tubing and Gorilla Glue. I use the Gorilla Glue to attach the wooden knobs to the steel rods, so I know it’s got at least SOME game with metal. Since these rods will be hidden by scenery, I decided not to trust glue alone, so I lightly bent both the tube and steel wire about 1″ from the end of the tube on both sides–if there’s one thing I’ve learned, even a slightly bent .062″ wire does NOT want to pull through a 3/32″ piece of brass tube! Once I added the bends, the mechanism is solid as a rock! I’ve now verified that the manual push-rod controls are viable to at least 48″ from the fascia–not bad at all, and all remaining switch controls should be well under this length.

Another unique feature of the St Charles fascia is the addition of two SPST toggle switches that isolate two of the tracks from the wiring bus. A while ago, I detailed how I did something similar for my staging tracks so I could easily silence sound locomotives when they’re not actively involved in the operations. St Charles was often home to a mine run, so the pair of mine-run engines hung out on either the “house track” or aptly named “engine track” adjacent to the depot. Since these are the only tracks on the levels with scenery where I anticipate parking locomotives, I decided to give them the same insulation and toggle setup as the staging tracks. While I will likely rarely use these, I figured it’s SO much simpler to add them now than decide I need them after-the-fact.

 

2021 Year-End Review and 2022 Goals

Lower Level Wiring Bus
The layout as of January 2021

Sometimes progress on a layout is painfully slow, especially for those in a stage of life with kids at home and full-time work. Time working on the layout comes in fits and starts as it takes a back seat (as it should) to other more important priorities. It can be discouraging to look at the accomplishments of a single evening or even a week and say “wow, I only laid three feet of new rail…” or “wow, all I accomplished was new Kadee couplers and cut bars on two hoppers…” I’m certainly not breaking any new philosophical ground here, but to really see progress, it’s important to look further back and see how far we’ve come.

First L&N CV Local
First multi-train operating session in December 2021

While 2021 will be etched in my brain as “Year of the COVID – Part 2,” it will also go down as a significant year in the life of the St Charles Branch with many important milestones. When the year started, the layout was essentially a staging level, a helix, and a lot of benchwork for the main level–not a single rail had been laid on what will eventually become the part of the layout with scenery. By the end of the year, I had the first real operating session with multiple trains and all the paperwork. Here are some specific milestones:

  • All the rails on the lower level complete (not an insignificant milestone for 100% hand-laid track)
  • First “scenic” elements on layout (Bailey’s Trace bridges for St Charles wye)
  • Several locomotives completed (F3A, GP7, GP35, GP38AC)
  • Several unique hoppers completed (CofGa short-taper offset, INT “hand-me-down”, SOU 100T “articulated” hopper)
  • First mine run (Drew and Dan Bourque – Mayflower tipple)
  • First multi-train operating session (Patrick Tillery and Dan Bourque)

Like reflection on progress, goals for the future are also important. While the layout will always take a back seat to other priorities, here are the things I hope to accomplish in 2022:

  • Complete main helix between lower and upper level
  • Complete and paint lower-level backdrops
  • Finish benchwork for upper level
  • Build basic terrain for lower level
  • Lay track for at least one tipple on upper level
  • Have at least 3 more operating sessions to include first train to upper level

We’ll see at the end of 2022 how I did at meeting these goals. Even if I don’t complete them all, it’ll still be fun–Happy New Year!!!

First Multi-Train Operating Session

First L&N CV Local
Patrick Tillery stops at the St Charles depot while running the first-ever L&N CV Local

I’d like to thank Patrick Tillery for informing we he was coming over Monday night to check out progress on the layout which became the catalyst for the first multi-train operating session on the St Charles Branch! Despite some major obstacles such as having to reach under or across the layout to throw switches and a couple turnouts and cars that were acting up under their first real use, we managed to run 3 trains: the St Charles Local, the St Charles Switcher, and the L&N’s CV Local. These are the three primary trains on the layout during “busy times” across all eras of the layout–the timing of the trains may vary, but each serves the same basic function.

The St Charles Local is a scheduled train that runs between Appalachia/Andover, VA and St Charles. In leaner times, it serves as the mine run for the St Charles area branches. In heavier times, it serves to shuttle empty hoppers to the small “yard” at St Charles and pick up loads retrieved by the St Charles-based mine run. This is the “big train” on the layout and the only train to ever be assigned more than two locomotives.

The St Charles Switcher, known in some eras at the Black Mountain Local, is the mine run based out of St Charles that serves the area loaders. It picks up empties dropped off by the St Charles Local and plies the numerous branches and tipples dropping off empties and picking up loads. This train is the star of operations on the layout and the only train that will normally have a crew of two (conductor and engineer).

First LN CV Local at Mayflower
L&N CV Local runs around its empties at Mayflower with Patrick at the controls–the C420 is still in TC colors

The L&N Cumberland Valley (CV) Local is the only other scheduled train on the layout. This train works the old L&N mainline between Corbin, KY and Appalachia, VA including the modest coal loadings of the Middlesboro, KY area mines and the St Charles Branch. The L&N has trackage rights over the portion of the St Charles Branch from L&N Junction (Pocket), VA to the ends of the branches beyond St Charles which it reached via a short L&N branch between Pocket, VA and the L&N’s CV mainline at Pennington, VA. Despite several loaders in this area, the prototype CV Local never seemed to need more than a single locomotive, an RS3 or a C420, to handle the handful of hopper loads bound for the L&N.

Last night’s operating session took about 2 real hours. Patrick took the first train, the L&N CV Local, up to Mayflower to swap out 4 empties for 5 loads. Leading the train was Alco C420 400 still in Tennessee Central colors (it’s bound for the paint shop soon, but the L&N used ex-TC C420s on this line because they were the lightest on the railroad). The CV Local had to first stop at the depot track on St Charles wye to pick up an extra set of orders from the Southern dispatcher. This job took about 40 minutes from start to finish. After the L&N CV Local cleared St Charles, the St Charles Switcher with me as engineer showed up with 18 cars – 16 empties, a covered hopper of fertilizer for Mayflower, and a boxcar for the team track at St Charles. It took about 20 minutes to assemble the loads from the previous day and replace them with the fresh cars in the tiny 3-track yard. A derailment kept the L&N CV Local waiting for a few minutes until the superior train on the timetable was finally able to depart for Appalachia.

With the home rails now to itself, the St Charles Switcher left the house track next to the depot to serve four tipples with Patrick as engineer and me as conductor. We worked the two local tipples first, JAD Turner and Cavalier, before swapping out the boxcar for a now empty flat on the team track. With the locals taken care of, we swapped roles and picked up the remaining empties an the load of fertilizer and headed up the branch to Mayflower. At Mayflower, it took two sets of run-around moves to place the empties above the tipple and swap out covered hoppers on the tail track. One more run-around set us up to work the stub track at Baker before assembling all the loads and departing town. A little blocking back at St Charles yard rounded out the job which took nearly an hour.

All told, we got 2 hours of operations out of just 1/2 the layout–not bad! Despite working out a few kinks in the rolling stock and trackwork, the overall track arrangements worked well for the jobs–they required enough moves to keep operators thinking and having to make smart moves without being frustrating for lack of sufficient track. I underestimated how handy it is to have a wye for turning trains working the yard instead of having to run around the length of the train. It was also the first major use of paperwork on the layout, something I’ll describe in more detail in a future article.

I’m so glad Patrick was up to playing guinea pig for the first session, and I’ve now got a new punch list of stuff I need to fix before attempting this again. All part of the learning process!

Major Milestone – Lower Level Track Complete

L&N taking a test spin
L&N RS3 100 takes a trip around the wye at St Charles
St Charles yard tracks complete
Completed St Charles yard tracks

Hit a major milestone yesterday: the lower level tracks are complete! I completed the first scene, the end of the line at the Mayflower tipple, several months ago, and the last few months I’ve been working on the long scene at St Charles. St Charles – the branch’s namesake – was home to a wye, a depot, a couple small tipples, and a three-track “yard.” St Charles was also home to a mine run when the tipples were busy, so this is the central scene on the layout. All told, the St Charles scene is about 26 linear feet long and required 14 hand-laid switches (about 1/2 of them curved) and a couple of bridges.

Electrically, I made the entire Mayflower branch an auto-reversing zone for the wye. Can I just say the On-Guard AR solid-state DCC auto-reversers are awesome? The switching of polarity on the wye is absolutely seamless and unnoticeable–I highly recommend them! I also isolated a single rail of both the “house track” and “engine track” in the middle of the wye and will place a switch on the fascia. This will allow me to turn the power off to the two tracks that would hold idling power in case any sound locomotives get annoying. Next step is fascia and switch controls.

Mini Golden Spike?

Mayflower leg of St Charles Wye
Overview of the Mayflower leg of the St Charles wye

Celebrated something of a mini golden spike this week. I completed the mainline track for the Mayflower leg of the wye in St Charles. With this bit of track installed, trains can finally run up from the staging level and to a tipple (Mayflower). It’s not much in the grand scheme of things, but its a milestone nonetheless. Next will come the Monarch leg of the wye with its house track and engine track followed by the two yard tracks above the wye. Getting pretty close to having all the track on the main level installed.

I learned a good lesson on hand-laying track. The frog needs to be electrically isolated by cutting the rails on either side of the frog. To keep the frog and rails aligned, I spike both sides of the cut before cutting. When I wired everything up and applied track power the first time in this new section, it immediately shorted out. I could hear a soft click coming from one of the switches. Usually this means one to three things 1) I wired a feeder to the wrong bus, 2) my cut didn’t make it all the way through or 3) the point rails somehow slid back together with the frog. A check of all three of these things was good, but when I dropped the feeders from the point rails, the short cleared–it was still somewhere on this switch. After a few minutes of jiggling random things and staring at the problem, I finally figured out that two of the spikes that were holding separate point rails down near the frog cut were touching even though the rails weren’t. Go figure, metal spikes attached to metal rails conduct electricity… a quick repositioning of one of the offending spikes did the trick.

Ties Laid for St Charles

St Charles ties overview
Overall view of the wye at St Charles including the house track and engine track inside the wye and the bridges over Bailey’s Trace

After a nice and productive summer focusing on building models (thank you St. Louis RPM meet for the motivation), I’ve returned to working on the layout. The next step is a big one, the scene of St. Charles, VA. This is the central scene of the entire layout. This is where trains emerge from staging, the site of the local station and engine tracks, the small yard for the branch, and the wye taking trains either up to Mayflower or Kemmergem, Monarch and Benedict. While I could have modeled these tracks in pieces, I decided to do the entire scene at once to avoid further stalling and to limit the need for multiple coats of stain on the ties (takes forever to clear out the smell!).

I’m using basic cookie cutter construction. I lay down 1/4″ door skin ply and draw out the tracks using templates and a piece of flextrack with thumbtacks to hold it in place. After cutting the upper subroadbed, I then trace the pattern only 1/2″ plywood staggering the seams. For this scene, I cut out all the 1/4″ ply to make sure everything fit, then cut the thicker ply. Construction so far is proceeding according to the plan, though I did make a modification to the track plan–instead of having the two small coal-loader tracks butting into one another, I reversed the siding on the wye to place the switch along the benchwork instead of in the back corner where it would be tough to reach. The prototype siding in this area appears to have been double-ended, so it’s not a big deal either way. As a bonus, the new arrangement allowed me to get a few more cars’ capacity on these sidings.

Building the bridges over Bailey's Trace
Laying bridge ties for the shorter bridge over Bailey’s Trace

The toughest part of this scene is the pair of bridges across Bailey’s Trace at one end of the wye. On the prototype, there was a plate girder bridge just over 50′ in length on the main, and a shorter plate girder bridge (about 25′) which adjoins a curved bridge portion which appears to have been joined with a short wooden trestle on the curved portion (it’s all been redone with ballasted decks now). I used a 50′ Micro Engineering bridge for one section and cut down a 30′ ME bridge by one section on the other. I hand-laid the bridge ties using a template I drew up on a piece of paper. Next will come the concrete supports so I can attach the bridges and lay the rails across.

It’s encouraging to see progress in the layout room again, and I will definitely have my work cut out for me between now and Christmas hand-laying 14 switches!

Building Fascia for Operators

Finished fascia and labels at Mayflower
Finished fascia and labels at Mayflower
Drawing the track diagram
I set a combination square to the right height and slide it along the bottom of the fascia while dragging a pencil across the top to draw straight lines for the track diagram

Working on the fascia is very mundane and unexciting, but as a human factors engineer by education, I take my fascia very seriously! On most layouts, the fascia is the primary interface between operators and the layout. It’s often where we place controls and place names, and it’s also a blank canvas we can use to help our operators better understand the scene they’re interacting with. Like many who perform switching operations on their layouts, I like to use the fascia to help operators understand as much as possible about towns, tracks and industries to aid in making their switching moves.

As far as construction goes, my fascia is just sheet Masonite fastened to the benchwork with drywall screws. I cut it in thick strips that will account for all the vertical scenery contours along the front edge. Where there are noticeable gaps or indentations from the screws, I touch things up with lightweight spackling compound and wipe it smooth with a damp cloth after letting it harden for about an hour–this saves a lot of time sanding later. Then I draw in the ground contour with a pencil and cut it with a jigsaw. A little black paint, and things are ready for the operator features.

Switch controls on the fascia
All the Mayflower switch controls installed–they’re at different elevations to line up with the track diagram that will be installed on the fascia

On my last layout, I drew the track diagram onto the front of the fascia, and it worked so well I decided to continue it on my new layout. It’s essentially an elongated track diagram like you’d find in a railroad track chart that lines up with the adjacent track and switches on the layout. I draw the lines parallel to the bottom of the fascia 3/8″ apart. To draw them, I’ll set a combination square so the end of the ruler is at the exact height I want when the square is pressed against the bottom of the fascia, then I’ll run the combination square around the bottom of the fascia while dragging a pencil along the top to draw it onto the fascia. I draw the switches onto the fascia at 45 degree angles with the convergence drawn where I want the switch control rod to be placed (directly perpendicular to the switch mechanism usually). One lesson learned from my last layout I was able to incorporate into this one is that the “straight” line through a switch control is the “normal” position of the switch while the “divergent” line represents the “thrown” position. It required a little “wiggling” of the track lines in the yard ladder to make this work, but it’s intended to help operators understand how to set the switches before departing a town.

Fascia labels
Finished fascia labels with the town name and siding identifiers for the Mayflower Tipple

I installed the switch control rods (see full article on switch control mechanisms here) after the lines were drawn but before placing the graphic tape on the fascia to represent the tracks. I use two sizes of white graphic tape for the tracks, 3/32″ to represent the main, and 1/32″ to represent sidings. This offers another visual clue for operators so they know which tracks not to block and what to leave clear after leaving town. Next come the labels. Every town on the layout has both a name and a unique 2-letter destination code for routing cars. In this case, Mayflower is represented by “MY.” Within each town, each track has a unique number, for example, MY 1 is the tipple track for the Mayflower Tipple closest to the main. For tipples, I also designate where the empty (MTY) and loaded (LD) cars go, so an empty hopper destined to be loaded on Mayflower’s outermost track would need to be placed at MY 4 MTY. Towns are labeled with large dry transfer lettering with the town name above a line and its destination code in smaller letters below. I also cut a small gap in each track tape on the fascia near the switch and use dry transfer numbers to label each track by number. Industries are given white labels with black lettering that gives the industry name, town initials, track number(s) and MTY | LD track dividing line if needed (see picture of the Mayflower Tipple and its labels). If two or more industries are on the same track, I use a “B,” “C” or so forth to denote each spotting location. In the case of Mayflower, I’ve identified a spot on load track 4 where I might have operators occasionally spot cars of supplies and a spot on the tail track of the main where I might have them spot covered hoppers of AN–each of these spots has its own industry label adjacent to the correct track on the fascia track diagram to make it clear where to spot the cars.

There’s nothing really novel here, but I do think this method of using track diagrams on the fascia and integrating switch controls, town names and industry track designators with unique operational codes goes a long way toward making the layout more intuitive and operator-friendly.

First Mine Run on the Layout!

Drew Working the First Mine Run on the Layout
My son, Drew, was the engineer for the first mine run on the layout, a “Black Mountain Local” working Mayflower and Baker

Saturday was a big day–the first operational train worked the first loaders on the layout. It was a “Black Mountain Local” with me as conductor and my son, Drew, as engineer. Things overall went pretty smoothly with only a single derailment in the entire session (not bad for the first time operating on hand-laid track). Our power was GP38 2877 and GP30 2534. We picked up our train of 13 empty hoppers and a single loaded ACL covered hopper (AN for the mines). Awaiting us in Baker were 4 “yellow ball” loads for the transloader in Appalachia followed by 8 loads at Mayflower and an empty covered hopper.

The tracks at both Baker and Mayflower are stub tracks (prototypical), so most of our time was spent pulling loads to clear tracks and running around empties 5-at-a-time in the single run-around track. It was a great time to teach my son about run-arounds, delayed couplers, and how to think through switching moves. Despite the lack of scenery or even operational throws for the switches (I had to reach under and throw the mechanisms directly), it was 30 minutes of pure joy more than 3 years in the making (since we moved in). We finished the shift with the entry of this “milestone” marker on the benchwork to commemorate the event.

Commemorating the First Mine Run
“Milestone” entry for the first mine run worked on the layout

Laying Ties on Mayflower Branch

Mayflower Tipple and Ties
A close-up of the Mayflower Tipple mock-up with ties running underneath

Made some progress this week on the Mayflower Branch section of the layout. All the ties have been laid! This is a tedious but simple process made a lot easier by the outline of track left over from tracing flextrack onto my subroadbed for cutting. I just place the material (1/4″ door skin for me) on top of the layout, place thumbtacks in the holes of a piece of limber Atlas flex track, fasten the track down with the pins using turn radius templates and “eyeballing” the rest, then use a pencil to trace down both sides of the track. For marking switches, I leave a portion of the track fastened and move the loose section to trace the divergent track. After tracing, where the pencil marks diverge is the location for the turnout points and longer block ties. After the subroadbed is secured in place with risers, screws and glue, I’ve got a perfect template for the tracks on the layout for laying ties (more about making and laying ties below).

Ties for the Mayflower Branch
Overview of the Mayflower Branch section of the layout with the ties freshly installed (this one’s for you, Bill)

Now that all the ties are in place and I have the mock-up of the Mayflower Tipple, I can really start to visualize the entire scene. I’m really liking how the track snakes into the scene, and I think the gentle curve into the tipple will really look cool with strings of hoppers hanging out. You’ll also notice the tracks run into the wall–I didn’t have enough room to model the empty yard, just some space for empties above the tipple. This was an easy compromise to make for space because the empty yard at Mayflower was a stub-ended affair, so crews still had to run around and shove cuts of empty hoppers, just as they’ll need to do here. I can’t wait to get the rails down and operate that first mine run! There’s a lot of rail-laying between now and then, but it’s good to see it coming together.

Making Ties
My “workbench” for making ties–I cut strips from 1/16 and 3/32″ basswood to use for siding and mainline ties, respectively.

Making Ties. Rather than buy bags of ties, I cut my own from sheets of basswood, 1/16″ for siding ties and 3/32″ for mainline ties. It’s not that ties on the prototype were different heights, but using different height ties on the layout keeps siding tracks a little lower than the main (very prototypical). I use a “spacer tie” to line up a metal straightedge the proper distance from the edge of the basswood board, then cut it with a couple strokes of a sharp utility blade. Most sheets come in 2′ length, and I’ve found it easier to cut it to 1′ length first so I don’t have to move the straightedge in the middle of a cut. With a bunch of sticks in hand, I then use a Northwest Shore Line “Chopper II” (amazing tool) and a scale rule to cut the ties in .5′ increments from a scale 8.5′ to 16.5′ with a separate, well-marked ziploc baggie for each size and length. Standard ties are 8.5′, and switches require a few of each longer size as you progress up the switch with 16′ ties for block ties at the points.

Ties tell a story
Ties tell a story about the type of track you’re modeling from mainline to well-used siding

Laying Ties. Laying ties is a simple matter of putting down some wood glue on the subroadbed and placing them. I work in sections of about 8-12″ at a time to make sure the glue doesn’t dry before the tie gets there. Ties tell a story about the kind of track you’re modeling, and it’s one of the reasons I love hand-laying track. Mainline track should be in good working order with closely spaced ties perpendicular to the rails and just a little side-to-side variation. Well kept sidings are similar but with perhaps a bit wider spacing between ties. For old, well-used sidings like you’d see at coal tipples, I’m pretty haphazard with my ties, allowing some of them to kink off perpendicular and lots of variation in spacing and alignment from side-to-side. It looks absolutely disgusting before the rails go on, but the effect is more subtle once the ties are stained and the rails are in place. I love disgusting looking track that still runs well, so I can be pretty aggressively messy when laying siding ties!

Lower Level Benchwork Complete!

 

Finished Lower Level Benchwork
Finished lower level benchwork as seen from the door

Well, the train garage now has a roof. Or in other words, I reached a major milestone today by completing the benchwork for the main level. What made this particular project tricky was I’m trying to match the fascia contours of the staging level exactly so they look like they’re one thick deck with staging under and trains over. The upper level won’t need to match, so parts of that project will be slightly easier.

All the benchwork is open box, so most pieces were fairly easy to build. However, building the peninsula benchwork was tedious because 1) I needed a pretty big, single piece of benchwork to give it strength to reach from the wall to the edge of the peninsula, and 2) I needed a very specific octagon pattern at a very specific place in the middle of the peninsula to serve as the foundation for the second helix which will take trains from the lower (main) to the upper deck. I’m very glad I have an open basement area just outside the train room where I can build big pieces of benchwork. I’m also glad my wife announced she’d like to replace the carpet in the basement soon, so I’ll take advantage of this window for making messes on the carpet without repercussion!

Finished Lower Level Benchwork
Benchwork for the Mayflower tipple in the corner–I really like how this space is turning out!

Now that I can really see it, I really like the space I’ve got between staging and the main deck. I could have brought the staging up a couple inches and still be ok, but it’s nice being able to see trains in staging just by backing up (instead of squatting down), and I like the functionality the fascia cubbies (now painted black) add – something not possible with less vertical space. I also like how the cabinet corner is turning out. I’ll still be able to reach all the drawers and the DCC components next to the cabinet easily, and it will make the corner under the Mayflower tipple look really finished when everything’s done.

Next step is to build the hidden connecting track between St. Charles and Mayflower (already started), and then comes the first subroadbed and track that will be part of the visible layout with scenery–exciting!

Final Touches for the Staging Level

Final fascia pockets
The final 3 fascia pockets are in place in preparation for benchwork being laid on top of them

I spent a few hours on the layout this past week primarily getting the staging level ready to have benchwork for the main level laid on top of it. There will only be 8″ or so between the decks, so it will be tough to do things like swing a hammer to nail down track once the main level goes in. I pounded the 100s of track nails down well to avoid trouble later, and I finished the final 3 fascia pockets for holding clipboards and other operator paperwork. As you can see, I tried to pick places where nothing is going on behind the pockets so I’m not covering switches or key viewpoints for spotting trains or clearing fouling points and the ends of tracks. Not sure exactly what I’ll keep in the lower pockets, though the one in the back corner is big enough to hold 8.5×11″ papers, so I finished it out with a masonite floor. I will say, I grossly underestimated the amount of sawdust MDF makes!

Extra storage tracks
Using some extra space on the staging level for car storage tracks

While I was at it, I decided to fill up some of the extra space on the staging level with a few car storage tracks. Who doesn’t need more places to store cars, right? I’ve got plenty of staging, but being a coal railroad with little non-coal traffic, I wanted a place to store some of the extra non-coal cars that won’t be used every session, and I wanted to store them where I could easily add them to trains without taking up an actual staging track. I just nailed in 3 tracks directly onto the subroadbed in a spot that’s easily accessible and doesn’t block anything critical behind it like switches or fouling points for the active staging tracks. It’ll hold about 15-18 cars which will help. I’ve already got a coupe extra short staging tracks for the locomotives. These are connected to the railroad via a switch because I didn’t want to be picking up locomotives every time I swapped them out–I’m ok with the extra handling of freight cars.

While I’m giving an update, here’s a picture of the toughest benchwork on the layout so far–it’s the corner by the door that goes around the staging helix. What made it so tough is I wanted to match the curvature and location of the staging-level fascia below, and it happens to be a series of complex curves with NONE of the edge on a 90 or 45-degree line. I also wanted it to be secured well enough to walls, cantilevers and the helix that it wouldn’t need legs down to the staging level. I ended up building it in-place around the helix, and I’m satisfied it will do the trick.

Helix corner benchwork
Some of the toughest benchwork on the layout to match the curvature of the staging fascia and work around the helix

Double Pinwheel Helix

Nearly complete helix
Just one more 1/2 turn to go before reaching the main level

Just [almost] finished the first helix. Man, am I glad not to have to work around a floating wall for the second one! As promised, I’ve written an article on how to design and build a helix that’s strong, reliable, easy to build and an efficient use of space and material–it’s a design I call the “Double Pinwheel Helix.” I’ve built two helices this way now, and I haven’t seen another design that comes anywhere close to being this simple to build using nothing but plywood and a circular saw (no jigsawing for hours), and it’s very forgiving if you don’t cut the pieces exact or your space is a little wonky. 

Rather than post it here, I put the article on Appalachian Railroad Modeling where more people would be able to find it and hopefully be inspired to overcome their fear of building a helix. You can find the article here. Here are a couple of photos so you can see the progress.

Building the Double Pinwheel Helix
The key to the double pinwheel design is lots of clamps to ensure the lamination of pieces is thorough