josh_will Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 Hi all, after getting a Kato SD-45 and having been very impressed with the running qualities, I've decided to have a go at American modelling for the first time. I've built a board 700mm x 600mm, which fits nicely on a side table. I know nothing about American railroads in truth, so I'd like to ask some layout planning advice if I may. I'm thinking of making this a 2-in-1 layout, with two different scenes, separated by a central backscene. One side could just be the line running through scenery, and the other could include station and maybe a siding serving an industry. I want to set this layout in somewhere like Montana, so what would a typical station look like in this region? And what sort of small industries might you find along the line? Any help would be much appreciated. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allegheny1600 Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 Hi Josh, Welcome to the wonderful world of North American modelling! As you have discovered already, running qualities are considerably better than British 00. I can't really help with station (or depot?) design or industries really, I guess that wood or stone products may be typical for Montana though. Actually, I thought you had already chosen a name for your layout as "Central Divide" is a geographical feature and park, based in Helena, Montana: https://mtcorps.org/about/regional-offices/central-divide What livery is your loco, please? I suspect either Great Northern (1960-70), BN/BNSF (1970-87) or Montana Rail Link (1987 onwards) but there are loads more. This is the latter road: https://www.montanarail.com/ A beautiful part of the world to base your model in! Cheers, John. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdvle Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 17 hours ago, josh_will said: I know nothing about American railroads in truth, so I'd like to ask some layout planning advice if I may. I'm thinking of making this a 2-in-1 layout, with two different scenes, separated by a central backscene. One side could just be the line running through scenery, and the other could include station and maybe a siding serving an industry. I want to set this layout in somewhere like Montana, so what would a typical station look like in this region? And what sort of small industries might you find along the line? Any help would be much appreciated. What railroad are you modeling? Era? These will help to define the answers to your questions. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Patrick SPF Posted June 29, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 29, 2020 Hi Josh, Montana, looks an interesting state to base a model in there were parts of 4 transcontinental main lines through the state in earlier times (Great Northern, Northern Pacific, Union Pacific (Oregon Short Line) and the Milwaukee Road). The GN and NP became part of Burlington Northern and now BNSF, UP has continued on as part of UP, while the Milwaukee was abandoned after years of deterioration in 1980. The station will depend on the railroad as they did vary in style between companies, though using something like the Walthers Golden Valley depot would be suitable and could just be painted as needed. I am not quite sure as to what to suggest as an industry as there are plenty depending on where you base the layout - Grain, cattle, timber and mining for starters! Cheers Patrick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
long island jack Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 welcome to the darkside,your going to find it a bit tight with the board size you have to fit things in, the kato SD45 recommend min radius is 10",so would go for peco code 80 3rd radius 11" or flexi track ,don't use setrack points use code 80 medium as a minimum,larger the better,i'm speaking from experience, use to model BN in n gauge and SD45 were my mainline locos,lovely runners,they won't like 1st radius curves,hope this is a help and my save you some heart ache further down the line. As to station we would really need to know ,railroad ,time period, to help with station type. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh_will Posted June 29, 2020 Author Share Posted June 29, 2020 Thanks for all the replies. The locomotive is a Rail Link model, painted as such by the previous owner, so my time frame is somewhere within the last 30 years. The railroad I would aim to model would be part of or joined to the BNSF then I guess. Of course on such a small layout I can’t have anything that resembles the huge trains that I’ve been looking at in videos, and I can’t really fit any multiple loco trains in, so how common is it to find shorter trains with just one loco? I’m aware that the SD-45 is considered a “road switcher” so does this mean it could carry out operations such as short “trips” between yards? I’m thinking of making the industry just a small generic warehouse, just a a corner filler more than anything but I could also try some experiments with uncoupling having using Kadees in 00 successfully in the past. I’m using peco 2nd radius curves, so that’s just over 10 inches I believe, I’ve already tested the loco out on these with no problems. I will also use a medium radius point for the siding. The next test is to see how wagons get on with these curves and whether the micro trains couples tolerate them. I’ve got some on the way so I should be able to experiment later this week. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
long island jack Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 (edited) Not many photo's out there of single SD45's (happy to be proved wrong), usually multi lash ups, local jobs usually in the hands of geeps (weight restrictions on some lines),but there is this,MOW train Edited June 29, 2020 by long island jack 11 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh_will Posted June 30, 2020 Author Share Posted June 30, 2020 Great pictures long island jack, thanks. I’m thinking of maybe getting an Atlas GP38 or similar as well, maybe in BNSF livery. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted June 30, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 30, 2020 (edited) Note the depot would have no platform as such especially for the modern day, it’s more likely to be in use as something like a maintenance crew depot these days so you could have pickups etc parked up outside. The term road switcher means it can be a road loco or switcher really so it’s suitable on multiple loco trains or trundling along on a local, as noted if weight allowed on a branch, or work train as ‘Long Island Jack’ posted above. Edited June 30, 2020 by PaulRhB Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdvle Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 A lot will depend on how accurate you want this to be, or do you want it to be more a "flavour of MRL" type layout. A flavour of layout could always have an Amtrak stop on the line if you want a proper passenger station. In terms of short trains, while not MRL in a recent weekly session Athearn featured a local switcher using a 6-axle ES44xx unit with 6 cars - as the big railroads shed all of their smaller locos they are left with nothing but the big stuff do every job. So it may or may not be accurate for MRL, but it does happen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh_will Posted July 3, 2020 Author Share Posted July 3, 2020 The rolling stock seems to deal with the Peco 2nd radius curves quite well. Everything has got Micro Trains couplers. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh_will Posted July 10, 2020 Author Share Posted July 10, 2020 Building the tunnel and backscene. This section of backscene has an access hole cut out of it to help with maintenance or derailments. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh_will Posted July 17, 2020 Author Share Posted July 17, 2020 (edited) I’ve used insulation board for the first time to create the landscape and it’s very easy to use. It’s also my first go at making rock faces out of filler and I’m very pleased so far. Edited July 17, 2020 by josh_will More info 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh_will Posted August 16, 2020 Author Share Posted August 16, 2020 Making a Milliput railroad crossing. A good way to spend an hour. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh_will Posted October 19, 2020 Author Share Posted October 19, 2020 Some picture updates of my progress. 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh_will Posted October 19, 2020 Author Share Posted October 19, 2020 And a couple more. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodshaw Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 Well done, a transformation. That left-hand side is looking pretty good. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted October 20, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 20, 2020 Yep good stuff, think about a really dilute wash of black to pick out the rock crevices Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh_will Posted October 20, 2020 Author Share Posted October 20, 2020 Thanks for the replies, yes I will probably keep having a go at the rocks to get the effect right, having said that I do think I’ve overdone it with the rock faces. The more I research the features of the Montana and wider North-Western landscape the more it looks like great big cliffs and canyons like I’ve created here aren’t really commonplace. But it’s still been something interesting to model and something I haven’t done before. I’ve also created a kind of production line for my trees. It can get quite addictive once you get fairly good at doing them. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh_will Posted October 21, 2020 Author Share Posted October 21, 2020 I’ve also started work on this grain elevator - I think that’s what they’re called. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 43 minutes ago, josh_will said: this grain elevator - I think that’s what they’re called. They are. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh_will Posted October 21, 2020 Author Share Posted October 21, 2020 17 minutes ago, F-UnitMad said: They are. Thanks! It’s quite an imposing building, a scale 70 feet high, but it fills up the corner quite nicely. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 Interesting old video here, explains how they worked. I don't think there's many of this type left in service now, if any. http://www.nfb.ca/film/grain_elevator/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh_will Posted October 21, 2020 Author Share Posted October 21, 2020 (edited) Very interesting F-Unit, thanks for sharing. I’m going to make mine look a bit derelict with faded paintwork etc. This would be pretty much what I’m going for: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=montana+grain+elevators&client=safari&hl=en-gb&prmd=msivn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjrioq-tcbsAhWytXEKHSINDd0Q_AUoA3oECAwQAw&biw=375&bih=553#imgrc=FJthC1YYqp2IFM Edited October 21, 2020 by josh_will More info 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh_will Posted October 25, 2020 Author Share Posted October 25, 2020 Having a go at backscene painting for the first time. 3 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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