Dale Junction in HO Scale

[benjy14]

Over the past week, I have had the pleasure of showing the layout to two sets of friends and it is nice to be able to report that it performed faultlessly (apart from the one time I tried to drive a train manually!) for nearly 4 hours of operation. I'm pleased to be able to share some of the photos taken by one of the visitors...

 

 

Above and below shows Big Boy #4023 working a westbound manifest freight.

 

 

 

Below shows FEF-3 #838 passing Dale Junction with an eastbound reefer train.

 

 

And finally, below shows 4-8-2 Mountain #7028 pausing at Sherman with an eastbound mixed train.

 

 

The ballasting has nearly reached this part of the layout and it will transform its appearance when it does!  However, despite the excellent operation, there is more work to be done on the track...

 

Last year, I took delivery of a stunning Broadway Limited 2-8-0 Consolidation #236 seen below:

 

 

The model includes working marker lights and a smoke unit, and is destinted to double-head a freight train with the Y3b (which is rather light on its feet and so needs some assistance). However, it is exceptionally sensitive to the track; in particular, it is consistently derailing on a number of joints in both helixes. I have therefore spent a number of hours fettling the track joints further so that this model will negiotiate them and I'm about 75% of the way there. Having done more than 15 now, I have settled on a technique that seems to produce reliable results. It remains a bit of a mystery why this model is so sensitive (even the new 4-12-2 will get through joints this model won't!) but, of course, all of these improvements will lead to better overall running reliability. Once this is done, the next job will be to tackle four troublesome joints on the top of Helix A; these are tight-to-gauge, so I am hoping to find a way to resolve that without having to lift the track (which is ballasted and weathered).

 

 

Edited May 11, 2022 by benjy14
Re-uploaded images

[richard i]

If everything else handles the track then it is the loco not the track. imho.

richard  

[benjy14]

15 hours ago, richard i said:

If everything else handles the track then it is the loco not the track. imho.

 

Hi Richard,

 

In general, I would agree with you. If you've followed all of this thread, you'll know that I had an issue with one of the Big Boys being unreliable and that turned out to be loose screws in the leading power unit; once they were tightened, it transformed the performance of the engine.

 

When the Consolidation first arrived, it was truly dreadful and there was clearly something seriously wrong with it. It turned out that the wheels had not been pressed on to the axles correctly and at least two of them we not square, so it was not surprising it could not get round even the gentlest of curves. Fair play to Broadway Limited, they sent me a complete replacement set for just the shipping costs and that has transformed it.

 

All that being said, on closer inspection of my track joints in the helixes, there is no doubt that a number of them were not as smooth as they should be and I think it must be the design of this model that makes it intolerant of such issues. Strangely, I also have one of their 2-8-2 Mikados and that runs beautifully everywhere, but it does seem the driving wheels on that model have more side-play that the Consolidation. So whilst it is annoying, I have become much better at laying flexitrack joints and can now normally fix a troublesome joint in less than 5 minutes. I take the view that this work is going to make the operation of the layout better overall and that can be no bad thing...

 

Cheers,

Ben

[benjy14]

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been continuing to fettle the track joints in the helixes and have reached the point where #236 now negiotates both with any issues except on the top of helix A (where the track is tight-to-gauge on four joints) and on the temporary points mid-way up helix A (for which custom-build replscements are to be installed). As I now cannot progress this work any further, I have returned to working on the presentation of the layout and have completed a couple of jobs I've wanted to tackle for a while but have put off as I viewed gettng the layout operating properly the higher priority!  

 

First, I have completed installing and painting the fascias on the layout. My main aim was to hide the word work supporting the helixes but otherwise leaving them open as people do seem to enjoy watching the trains in them!  I may well take up a suggestion made earlier in the thread about using black netting in due course but in the meantime, the first photo below shows the layout from the door:

 

 

 

And above shows helix A. I think it looks much better and whilst it could be a little neater perhaps, it has vastly improved the overall appearance of the layout.

 

Second, I have been able to install the beautiful, hand-crafted "Dale Junction" sign that my wife gave to me for birthday just before the first lock-down struck, as seen below:

 

 

The sign was a bespoke commission produced by Glenn Williams, the Boston Lodge Carriage Works Manager who is responsible for the stunning paintwork seen on the locomotives and rolling stock of the FfWHR. It was an incredibly thoughtful present and I'm glad to have finally installed it!  It is seen mouned above Sherman station, where "Union Pacific" type 4-12-2 #9082 is passing with a freight. 

 

Next, I have found that it takes quite some explaining to guests to describe how the layout is orientated and even I sometimes get a bit confused about what tracks go where!  Taking inspiration from other US layouts I've seen, I have designed some signage to place around the layout. I have printed off some mock-ups and once I'm completely happy with them, I will get them professionally printed on to self-adhesive paper for fitting to the fascia. The first one can been seen in the above photo but below shows the one for Dale Junction:

 

 

Futher round the fascia, where the tracks disappear off-stage, there is a sign that describes where they are going, for example below:

 

 

Finally, I have done a little more ballasting and I am now on the approach to Sherman station, so attention has turned about how to finish it. I have found a wonderful colour photograph of Hermosa to provide inspiration, starting with the fact that I had the station building back-to-front!  Work has been limited to putting in a cork sheet to raise it to track level, and placing a ramshackle hut and car next to it, but I think it's going to make a nice cameo scene that I hope to progress in the coming weeks, together with pushing on with the ballasting (only about 12' to go now!).

Edited May 11, 2022 by benjy14
Re-uploaded images

[benjy14]

Just a small update for Friday evening... I've now installed the lighting for the run-down shack on the hillside overlooking the mainline and it's made quite a difference with the layout in night-time mode. Below shows 9082 on the last stage of the climb to Sherman passing with an eastbound manifest train.

 

 

Edited May 11, 2022 by benjy14
Re-uploaded image

[mdvle]

A lot of people seem very dismissive of lighting effects, and I understand for those with an urban setting it would be a lot more effort both in time and expense.

 

But night time shots can be very effective, not least because so few people do them.

 

So nice to see.

 

[Andy Reichert]

Rural, and even suburban, roads and areas in the US were then (and often still are) far more poorly lit than the equivalent UK scenes. Little glows from remote homes with no street lighting is quite typical. I think the model looks about right.

 

Andy

 

 

[benjy14]

On 11/03/2022 at 23:50, mdvle said:

A lot of people seem very dismissive of lighting effects, and I understand for those with an urban setting it would be a lot more effort both in time and expense.

 

But night time shots can be very effective, not least because so few people do them.

 

So nice to see.

 

 

On 12/03/2022 at 00:39, Andy Reichert said:

Rural, and even suburban, roads and areas in the US were then (and often still are) far more poorly lit than the equivalent UK scenes. Little glows from remote homes with no street lighting is quite typical. I think the model looks about right.

 

Andy

 

 

 

Thank you both very much for your comments, much appreciated!  One of my longer term projects is to put lighting into the cabooses, which I think will really bring the night-time scene to life  

 

Ben

[benjy14]

With the season on the FfWHR getting into full swing, things have been a little quiet on the modelling front of late. However, I have now had the layout signage professionally printed and I've attached to the layout:

 

 

In hindsight, I wish I had put a white border around the UP logo and I may yet do this, as I think the blue gets rather lost against the black. However, they server their purpose well for now...

 

I have also been back through this thread and re-uploaded as many of the images as I could find following the Great RMweb crash of 2022!  It must have been a mammoth task to get the site transferred to a new hosting provider, so it is great that it's up-and-running again. And indeed, it was a rather pleasent stroll down memory lane looking back at the development of the layout since 2019. Looking ahead, with Broadway Limited recently announcing a run of undecorated Paragon4 Big Boys, there is a distinct possibility that the locomotive roster could increase in the not-too-distant future and this is provide some fresh impetus to resume working on the layout.

[benjy14]

I found some time today to make some further progress on the layout and decided to concentrate on the area around Sherman station. First, I installed a grade crossing near to the station. Next, I put down plaster to smooth out the jump on to the raised cork base for the station and on to the crossing. I then painted the whole area with my home-made textured tan paint to provide a base colour. Finally, I installed the remaining telegraph poles that I have. The following photos show how it looks:

 

 

Above is an aerial view of the station area with Big Boy #4014 working an eastbound manifest freight on Track 2. Below is a side-on view of the #4014.

 

 

Further back, I have had to cross the pole route from one side of the tracks to the other, as shown below.    

 

 

This does not look brilliant but has been necessary because the tracks are unfortunately too close to the backscene to allow me to install them on the far side 🙄  Still, it gives a different view of the trains and means it will be on the inside of the track on top of Helix A.

 

Finally, I completed a little mini-project. To go with the signage on the layout, I was also keen to have route maps so that I can show visitors exactly where the railway is in real life and as can be seen below, there are now two maps next to the door:

 

 

The upper map shows the original operating range of the Big Boys when they were first delivered. However, as dieselisation took hold in the late 1940s and 1950s, their range was squeezed from both east and west until only Sherman Hill (or the Laramie Subdivision as it's properly known) remained (although they did very occasionally operate further afield). The lower map shows in detail the Laramie Sub, with lots of interesting information about the route.

[benjy14]

I've been doing some work around Sherman station on the upper level. Ballasting has progressed all the way thrugh the station and I'm now nearly on the final straight (around 6' to go), as can be seen below:

 

 

As can be seen, there has been a change to the telegraph pole route. I really did not like the way it came across the tracks at such a sharp angle; it simply did not look natural. I have therefore decided to keep the pole route on the outer side of the track all the way around and simply omited the poles on the straight where the station is. The single pole by the station building is present in photographs I've seen and there is some evidence that the pole route is set back back from the tracks, so this could actually be quite prototypical. Overall, I think it looks better than the previous version; below is a side-on view.

 

 

It certainly looks less cluttered, which is definitely a way of describing Sherman Hill in general... It may change again but for now, I am happy with it.

[benjy14]

Well, this Platinum Jubilee weekend did not pan out as expected... I contracted Covid, so we had to cancel our plans (I am negative now and very grateful to be fully vaccinated), which led to some unexpected modelling time and so I concentrated on progressing the scenery on the upper level. The first major milestone reached was that ballasting is now completed, although I do need to go back and tidy it up in a few places. I have progressed the ground cover considerably, although have run out of scatter material to finish it completely (more is on the way). Lastly, I have made significant progress with the scenery on top of Helix A, for which I have something special planned.

 

This evening (Sunday), I took nearly 30 photographs, so this will be the first of three posts to show what has been accomplished...

 

 

Above shows 9000-series 4-12-2 #9082 leading an eastbound freight train past the new milepost 941 and below, entering Sherman station.

 

 

All that remains to be done here is ground cover for the station area, which should be arriving this week.

 

 

Above is a helicopter view of Sherman with #9082 passing through to show the extent of the work done, including planting crossbucks to protect the grade crossing. A few moments later, we see below GTEL #71 leading Big Boy #4022 leading a westbound manifest freight passing the rear of #9082's traing in Sherman.

 

 

 

Above is a close-up of #71 in Sherman and below, the pair pass milepost 941.

 

 

That's the end of this first post; more to follow...

[benjy14]

Next up, we see Big Boy #4023 on an eastbound manifest freight below.

 

 

 

Above, we see #4023 at milepost 541 and below, passing Sherman station.

 

 

 

Above shows Sherman station with #4023 and, finally, below shows #4023 heading into the top of Helix A to show that the ballasting really is complete around the whole of the upper level :)

 

 

[benjy14]

And now the last post for this evening. First, we follow Challenger #3905 on a westbound empty reefer train, first below shattering the peace at Sherman.

 

 

 

Then, above passing milepost 541 and below, crossing Monument Road.

 

 

Next, below shows a complete view of the upper level:

 

 

You can see where I ran out of scatter materal just this side of the Monument grade crossing. In addition, the hillside and initial ground work on top of Helix A is visible. I have something unusual planned for this part of the layout, which I hope to progress this coming week, so to close, we see below Challenger #3905 rounding the new hillside.

 

 

Watch this space...

 

[Hunslet]

Hi. Coincidentally I also have a layout in H0 scale based on Dale Junction !

It was built in about 2008 and occupies my garage but folds to allow storage of a car ( which I no longer have ).

I have not used it for some time due partly to my youngest son using the space for a rolling restoration on his Chevvy Blazer.

Here are a few photos taken some time ago.

 

The control panel showing layout. Unit at top with lights is an infra red turnout controller so that I can switch turnouts  or set routes from anywhere in the room with the hand controller seen on the left. Push buttons also control turnouts

A Lenz DCC system is used for control.

 

 

Veranda turbine leaving track 3 at Dale junction

 

 

PFE west at Dale Junction, about to enter Hermosa tunnel ( distance obviously compressed !)

 

 

U50 and GPs at Dale Junction

 

 

Turbine about to enter Hermosa Tunnel with what I think was a Big Boy heading east.

 

 

 

E-Unit and GP passing on 3-track system

 

 

Colin.

[benjy14]

Nice layout there @Hunslet 😀  Do you no longer have the car or the layout...?

 

Work has been progressing with my version of Dale Junction, although rather slowly since June. With work progressing so well on the scenery, I have returned to the running qualities of the layout. An issue that I have had for several years is the small, 2mm screws that hold the bogies on to some of the freight cars working loose and eventually falling out; this inevitably led to running problems. I therefore embarked on a programme to replace all of them with M2 bolts, secured with a nut to ensure that they do work free, and this now complete; below shows what an updated chassis looks like:

 

 

As can be seen, I have also weighted each car appropriately and these changes will hopefully be the end of the running problems.

 

Next, I tackled a seemingly very small but very important job; changing a conducting fishplate for an insulated one, as shown below:

 

 

With this change, the points shown in green are now detected separately to those in blue, which means that a light engine moving into the sidings [over the green points] will not get confused with a train exiting the storage yard [over the blue points]. This has made a big difference to automatic operation and, to be honest, it should have been like this in the first place...

 

Finally, there have been some locomotive updates... My PCM Big Boy #4024 and MTH FEF-3 #844 have been fitted with ESU LokSound 5 decoders by SH Modelmaking, and Simon has also sorted out the lighting in the FEF-3. As #4024 does not have illuminated number boards or marker lights, but has outstanding pulling capability, it makes sense to double-head it with the #844 which does. Whilst both models are now over 15 years old, they stand up really well to modern standards and run beautifully with the LokSound decoders. Below shows the pair leading a westbound manifest freight over Monument Road:

 

 

Finally, there is some not quite such good news... I recently purchased two brand-new BLI Paragon4 Big Boys froom the US but disappointingly, both have developed serious faults and will have to be returned. I love BLI models (they really are of exceptionally high quality) but they are sadly also well known for coming with teething issues and have to be returned, so I hope the Technical Support people (who are generally very good) will get the issues resolved.

[Hunslet]

22 hours ago, benjy14 said:

Do you no longer have the car or the layout...?

Hi Benjy. I still have the layout but not the car which I sold some years ago after I retired and found I was only doing 200 miles or less a year in it.

For interest it was a Reliant Scimitar Sabre of which only about 40 were built.

Styled by the Aston Martin/Lagonda stylist the late William Towns it was fitted wit a Nissan 1.8 litre turbo engine ( Original) and was pretty fast but with no ABS or traction control was interesting to drive in the wet !

The layout has not been used for some time but is fully functional and tested regularly. At one time the layout would not power up until I remembered that I had fitted "Panic Buttons" to the Lenz system and one of them was operated and latched.      Doh !!!

Hermosa tunnel will have to be modified as we had a new boiler fitted a couple of years ago and the condensate drain pipe gets in the way of the tunnel roof.

One day when my son has finished restoring his car and removes the parts that prevent folding down I will run it again as I have bought a few more items of locos and rolling stock which I would like to see running other than on my test plank.

Colin

[benjy14]

Well, it's been nearly three months since my last post!  Work has been progressing steadily on the layout, so though it about time to share some photos.

 

First of all, I have completed the storage cassette system and it's working really well, and I now have capacity for 20 locomotives off the layout. The photos below show the finished shelves and a cassette with a Big Boy in...

 

 

 

 

Next up are some photos of trains over Sherman Hill, including some recent purchases, but first we see below Big Boy #4023 heading east through Sherman.

 

 

Next are two shots of two new locomotives, both of which are Broadway Limited Imports Paragon4 models. FEF-3 #838 leads Big Boy #4012 on a westbound freight, seen below just past Sherman...

 

 

 

...and above, crossing Monument Road.

As I have reached my upload limit for tihs post, I will continue in the next!

 

 

Edited November 2, 2022 by benjy14

[benjy14]

And so the second of my posts... I have been working on the scenery on top of Helix A. I wanted to do someting a little different, so I decided to model a snow scene... It is something quite unusual but completely prototypical, as Sherman Hill rises to over 8,000’ above sea level and sees epic snow storms. It also rather handily hides the Code 100 track!  So first of all, below is an overview of the scene:

 

 

It’s quite hard to take a good photo due to the contrasting level of the white snow and dark locomotives, so I might try photo stacking software to see if I can get an improved picture. Next, we see below FEF-3 #838 leading Big Boy #4012 eastbound:

 

 

This photo shows another challenge with taking photos on the helix and that is framing the photo so that only the snow scene is visible. I may see if I can paint up a flexible backscene in sky blue to attach to the front fascia. And finally...

 

 

...we see above caboose #3723 bringing up the rear of the manifest freight passing MP536.

 

I am really pleased with how these scene has turned out. Thoughts are now turning to completing the upper level and then returning to the main outstanding scenery work, which is the infrastructure around Dale Junction. I'd like to start by reinstating the signals, as they really being the layout to life, especially with the layout lighting set to night-time mode...

 

[PaulRhB]

Photos look great, do you have time to upload some more to your YouTube account as some video to hear them thrashing over the hill would be good 😉

Edited November 3, 2022 by PaulRhB

[benjy14]

28 minutes ago, PaulRhB said:

Photos look great, do you have time to upload some more to your YouTube account as some video to hear them thrashing over the hill would be good 😉

 

Thanks for asking and funny you should suggest that, as I took a video the other night and your comment prompted me to upload it!

 

 

[benjy14]

With work on the scenery on the upper level largely completed, I have returned to working on the middle level and, in particular, reinstating the signals around Dale Junction. The first photograph below shows Big Boys #4004 and #4005 running on Track 1 under a clear signal at dusk.

 

 

 

Above, we see FEF-3 #844 leading Big Boy #4024 off Track 1 onto Track 2 leading a westbound manifest freight past the eastbound signals.

 

An order arrived from the US recently that, in addition to the next Big Boy (a Paragon4 #4021), included two packs of 4 Athearn loaded UP ballast hoppers. As mentioned in a previous post, UP had their ballast pit at Granite, which is a few miles west of Cheyenne, and westbound trains would stop and picked up loaded hoppers that were attached to the head-end. These eight hoppers are now at the front of a train...

 

 

Above shows #4004 and #4005 again, this time in the daytime, with the hoppers in their train.

 

Another thing I have been working on is the train formations. I have now settled on 29 cars for double-headed trains and 24 cars for single-headed trains. This makes the most efficient use of the storage yard, as the longest track (#1) can hold the double-headed trains and the next two tracks (#2 and #3) can hold the single-headed trains. The layout hosts two double-headed and four single-headed steam-hauled trains, meaning that at any time, there is always a double- and single-headed train on the live part of the layout (which is fine, what I've referred to before as "active staging"). There is also what I term the "modern" diesel-hauled train, which is comprised 50' box cars and headed by three diesels (soon to become five), which lives in the storage track inside Track 3 in Helix B... My plan with this train is to make it as long as I can, limited really to the haulage and adhesion qualities of the locomotives pulling it.

 

Finally, It was nice to return to Warley this year for the first time in 3 years and, rather unexpectedly, I found a surprising large number of 1950s US stock on one of the retailer's stands, so snapped up some bargains. I purchased the obligatory 40' (x3) and 50' (x1) box cars but also a number of UP ballast hoppers... Having not really seen any before in this country, it was amazing to find so many in one place, especially having just bought some from the States!  So this has led on to what is going to have to be the final freight train for the layout and that is an empty hopper train working back to Granite:

 

 

Above shows the consist as it currently stands. There are a couple of duplicate numbers... I had hoped to use some of the loaded Athearn hoppers mentioned previously but annoyingly, they do not model the interiors; take the load out and they are just plain (which is why all 8 are in the train). This will likely be hauled by the 9000-class 4-12-2 #9082 and could do with being longer (I could supplement it with empty coal hoppers, which can be going back somewhere else!) but it will be interesting to have a contrasting train running around the layout...

Edited December 17, 2022 by benjy14

[stadman]

Oh to have the space.

Spent a few hours at Dale Junction, on that rock outcrop that sits between the lines so you can see all 3.

 

[benjy14]

On 27/12/2022 at 14:07, stadman said:

Oh to have the space.

Spent a few hours at Dale Junction, on that rock outcrop that sits between the lines so you can see all 3.

 

I am very lucky to have the space that I do ☺️  I would love to visit myself one day, although of course the track layout is now significantly different to how it was in the era I model. 

[benjy14]

On 29/06/2020 at 13:37, Michael Edge said:

How long a train can you get on the helix? It's intriguing to see it going round the circles but how many can one be on without everything falling off?

 

 

A friend of mine on Facebook asked the same question, so I thought I would find out over the holidays and now I have answer... Double-headed with 45 freight cars plus a caboose. I have uploaded a video to YouTube that shows it running:

 

 

Sadly, I found this out the hard way... My first attempt included my 8 brand new ballast hoppers on the front and as the train ascended the 27" inner radius track, the dynamic forces became too much and the first 5 hoppers tipped over, with three ending up on the floor 😔  In addition, even reducing the load down to 45 cars, it was noticable that the leading driving wheels of the Big Boy were not in contact with the railhead because of the twist force behind of the train. This is therefore something I'm not going to repeat but I'm glad I gave it a go and caught it on camera.

 

To finish off, I captured a couple of still images of the train. First, we see below the train, this time headed westbound having just past Sherman:

 

 

And finally for 2022, a photo of the engines in the snow below:

 

 

This photograph was created by using stacking software to combine three images, taken at different exposures, to generate the final image with correct exposure of the locomotives and surrounding snow-covered scenery.

 

Happy New Year 🥳