RMW "Layout & Track Design" - all change............

[Zomboid]

I'm still experimenting with weathering myself, but I've found that a spray of a matt brown on the underframe (I use rail match sleeper grime, but it's essentially a mid brown) and black and burnt umber oil paint lightly applied to the body gives the best result I've achieved so far. I plan to try chalk dust next, which may be better.

If you use oil paint, don't be surprised if you get a shiny finish...

Just play really, you'll find a technique you like. If the wagons are cheap you don't need to be right first time.

[halsey]

Track Ballasting??????

Any input on cheap, efficient, effective - (time served) methods would be gratefully received - if there is a published article you all collectively agree with so be it but I cant find much that isn't focussed on selling products!

Also tools/aids would be good to know.......................

Thanks as always

As has been (correctly) suggested before - should I now be moving this thread to another area in the forum???

[halsey]

Decided to start setting the scene and context so have ordered various backscenes to experiment with on my upper Branch line station area and the single "Countryside" track rising up to it to see if that helps me move on AND I have started on my first (for 45 years!) SuperQuick kit with, incidentally, some great glue - Deluxe Material Roket Glue - expensive but very useable.

BFN, photos will follow,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[MikeOxon]

Track Ballasting??????

Any input on cheap, efficient, effective - (time served) methods would be gratefully received - if there is a published article you all collectively agree with so be it but I cant find much that isn't focussed on selling products!

Also tools/aids would be good to know.......................

Thanks as always

As has been (correctly) suggested before - should I now be moving this thread to another area in the forum???

I do my track ballasting by the time-honoured method of sprinkling dry ballast and then fixing it with diluted PVA, taking care to remove any excess from around point blades, etc.  See my blog post for more into and pictures.

[halsey]

I do my track ballasting by the time-honoured method of sprinkling dry ballast and then fixing it with diluted PVA, taking care to remove any excess from around point blades, etc.  See my blog post for more into and pictures.

It may seem obvious to you guys but why would you sprinkle dry ballast and then apply diluted glue surely there is much more control if you apply glue where you want it and then sprinkle the ballast - what am I missing???

[MikeOxon]

The glue needs to 'wet' all the grains of the ballast.  You can mix a 'gruel' first but I find that applying the ballast dry suits me.  Let's hear some other views.

[Zomboid]

I've done a bit of both myself, painting PVA around point work and adding ballast after, and the apply ballast then diluted PVA.

Painting glue then adding ballast is OK for small areas, but I don't have the patience to do it more widely. I found it hard to keep the ballast where I wanted it with the drench in dilute glue method, that not sure where I went wrong there, but it was harder than it seemed it should be.

My best results were from putting the track and ballast down together. PVA the trackbed and once the track is in place but the glue is still wet, add ballast. That ship has sailed in this case, though.

I must copied some stuff I saw on YouTube though...

[halsey]

Just to show I'm moving on and not rebuilding although I will try to move this particular "siding" a bit further away from the wall/back scene once the platform for the foreground is built !

 

Even good old Peco backscenes bring this to life.

 

I'm sure I built this Superquick kit 50 years ago!

 

Note my latest and last for now Loco great eBay buy Bachmann Fowler 2-6-4 tank used/perfect and less than £50!

 

I have also played with better (photo) quality back scenes which were amazing but they didn't work for me - I find it very difficult to reconcile photo quality back scenes with card models and RTR stock - for me the mix doesn't work so more Peco back scenes now ordered!

Edited October 13, 2016 by halsey

[Zomboid]

For a 50 year old card model, it's looking pretty good

[halsey]

Just you might like to see progress -

 

I must give a plug for Jerry at Freestone Models what a great outfit and great service and their arches/retaining wall kit is very good - it takes a while and still lots of finishing to do but very strong and great detail

 

Spent some time altering some bits of last years work - relocated the controller, had a minor points rethink in marshalling yard to give me a short run around, shortened a few siding lengths to give more room for scenery esp on high level branch, sold 3 corridor coaches and bought 5 non corridor coaches  - look better and closer to my interwar period thoughts.

 

All good fun and NO major rethink on the cards now.

 

I will further separate the docks from the branch "above" with a fence or hedge or possibly even something at 45 degrees - this is the only real poetic licence on the layout where operational priorities will always take precedence over aesthetics - you have to accept that the branch "zone"  really heads off on the same level as everything else into a further area in the back LH corner of the shed which of course doesn't exist.

 

I can live with this - the design concept has always been 3 separately modelled areas (Docks Branch and Marshalling) linked together as best they can be .................................

Edited November 10, 2016 by halsey

[halsey]

Card models so much better with felt tipped adjustments!!

[halsey]

Almost a year to the day since my first post and it even starts to "look" like a railway!

[halsey]

The Engine yard/shed makes progress

 

4 superquick kits now built up and my first Oxford Diecast purchases made - disappointing quality esp /wheels/tyres

 

Edited December 11, 2016 by halsey

[imt]

I am so pleased that you are having so much fun.  For a moment in the middle of the year I thought we had lost you. As you say - it's starting to look like a railway!

[halsey]

I am so pleased that you are having so much fun.  For a moment in the middle of the year I thought we had lost you. As you say - it's starting to look like a railway!

 

No chance - RMW has been great and perfect for a stay at home modeller like me but this is only a winter (5 month) hobby as we go away for the summer (7) months on our canal boat.

 

The big change has been to embrace coaches and if you remember right back to the beginning the marshalling/fiddle yard has "evolved" into a branch station with sidings and engine shed with TT so I can run short branch line traffic to the upper branch as per the original layout plan - all the other areas are the same except for minor tweaks as buildings and ideas develop

 

I haven't ballasted any track yet (and don't intend to this year) as lots of playing going on which is testing the original work - I'm pleased to say no actual issues with the RMW design or my workmanship/electrics etc just lots of learning/playing/tweaks and most of all FUN.

 

Great to catch up - yes I am enjoying it and glad you are still watching my mistakes!

 

Keep well.

Edited December 11, 2016 by halsey

[halsey]

I'm certainly not going to use ramps!

I am very happy with my "hand of god" tool and I think I will almost certainly end up removing "considered" hooks to make this easier - but not this side of the summer!

 

BFN

 

Hooks now removed - massive improvement especially when using my hand of god tool which I really like

[halsey]

All credit to Hornby customer service...................

 

I grumbled about the quality of 2 pairs of replacement metal wheels (2 out of 60!) which were out of true - they not only apologised and sent 2 replacements but they sent a complimentary pack of 10 as well!

 

A result for me and a good commendation for them.

[halsey]

Happy Christmas Guys,

 

I just thought I'd post some up to date photos to show progress a year on (its interesting for me at least to refer back through this topic), especially the grey background painting work which has been a real pain but well worth it - why didn't I do this first - before laying any track???

 

Note my first ever efforts at landscaping - I'm pretty pleased with the result - "cellotex" left over from insulating the shed provided the substance, then screwed up newspaper masking taped to the basic form, then Plaster of Paris bandage and very wet cheap Plaster of Paris filler.

 

Note also "final" track change underway which involves replacing 3 RH points with a short "Y" and a "3 Way" to help the length on the head-shunt.

 

BFN

Edited December 24, 2016 by halsey

[halsey]

"Y" and "3 Way" now fitted - better .................

I now have a 25" head shunt (bottom of picture) and 25" on the shortest side of the loop

Edited December 29, 2016 by halsey

[halsey]

For those of you who are interested in following my early/inexperienced efforts here are a couple more photos showing the "final" track configuration and the beginning of "development" of the lower station area and parcels sidings - note also the start of my landscaping efforts in the far corner.

 

​You cant see it but I'm pleased to report my first wire in a tube point control attempt which runs under the far end of the platform to the point on the run around loop - MANY thanks to David for wiring advice which sees this all working properly at last.

 

I think my love of "superquick" kits must be a throw back to my childhood efforts as they do have a charm all of their own and are enough of a challenge to be satisfying when finished - and they're cheap!

 

BFN

Edited January 7, 2017 by halsey

[halsey]

I've tried to find the source of this RMW members "soundproofing" tip but I can't so all credit to an unknown contributor (you know who you are).

 

My ply baseboards echo and yes I know this is mainly down to my use of track pins but that's not up for discussion.......

 

The tip was to glue and screw sections of wood (in my case 12mm ply off cuts) to the underside of my boards to alter the frequency - IT WORKS - its not a dramatic improvement but it is definitely better.

 

Thanks

[halsey]

Hi all,

 

Following a couple of suggestions from members this topic will now evolve in one of the other sub forums so future posts will be found in "layout and workbench content/layout topics" - under "Huff and Puff................" apologies to the purists but that's my wife's titling reflecting "frustration and steam".

BFN

Edited January 15, 2017 by halsey

[halsey]

All the feeds on any one section come from that section's DPDT switch.  I've added all the wiring for the branch section - the other switches should be attached in the same way to the purple and black wires shown going nowhere off towards the right.  The second feeds on the red and purple sections, and the third feed on the branch, are not essential but guard against the fishplates failing to conduct electricity properly down the track.  Some people recommend a feed to every length of track for this reason, but in my opinion that would be overkill in your situation.

 

Halsey elec.jpg

 

Onwards and upwards - I like the pics!

 

Chris

I just thought I would post this to make it clear to anyone using this topic for inspiration/as a point of reference that this is what I laid and wired up and it works brilliantly - I could never have done it without lots of help - I was "playing" the other day and reflected what a great bunch I found to help me out so I hope it helps others............

Thanks all.  

 

PS its also a bit of a test to see if this topic is attracting more interest in this environment.........

Edited February 11, 2017 by halsey

[halsey]

Mike - Did you make a mistake with sizing the baseboard in Scarm as the 102" by 80" on your drawing looks a lot larger than on mine.  It should be about 2.6 m by 2.0 m.

 

Halsey - Here is another tweak with the marshaling yard facing the other way.  I think this would be more sensible because it would give an out and back to the BLT.  You can use the short points you have in the BLT.  It utilises the goods line as a headshunt for the marshaling yard and both lines as the run around.  You can get 8-10 wagons in the sidings.

 

Shed Goods Layout v3.jpg

 

I think operations would be quite fun on something like this given the OPs interests - shunting small wagons.  You have a continuous run, a fiddle yard to BLT, and a shunting "puzzle" with a large goods yard with sidings facing opposite ways and a runaround loop.  What more can one guy operate?

 

Hi all....................

 

For those of you who have followed my progress over the last couple of years I have returned from yet another great summer away on the canals but once again to the dilemma as to whether to carry on with what has gone before or to revisit some aspects that I don't like - I'm very conscious that ballasting is quite a commitment so am in limbo as to what to do and I don't like that..............

 

I do like what has been built so far (see the plan link above) and I like the operational aspects and I really DONT want to completely start again BUT there are 2 aspects I don't like - one is fundamental and probably has to be accepted (that being the existence of a bridge as I do want "around the room" capability) BUT the other is capable of being changed and that is the high level branch as it is difficult to get at to model well and it restricts that which can be modelled on the lower level 

 

If I remove the upper level I could improve the bridge scenario by making it a true lift out section which would improve doorway access (you might remember I have mobility issues with my replaced hip)

 

Clearly I could just remove it at the single point at which it branches off and starts to rise and remove the modelling aspects and carry on but I wonder if those layout wizards of you out there might have different thoughts to offer 

 

I've started this thread off again in "layouts" as that is what we are dealing with.

Edited October 16, 2017 by halsey

[MikeOxon]

I do think the upper layer looks very weird, where it runs above the harbour scene - suspended in the middle of the sky   At the very least, it needs to be 'hidden' behind the sky at this point.  I don't have any other ideas to offer at the moment but no-doubt someone will.