Building Langwies

[MichaelE]

Well, it's nice to have the forum back. Hello all.

 

Since then, I have been trying to work on my DB, ÖBB, and RhB layout and a new station is in the works.

 

The dual gauge line on my railroad is about to become HOm only as soon as I can order the turnouts to splice in to the mainline. Unfortunately it's not feasible to use a change-over track to get the dual gauge rail to the correct side of the tracks that the commercial turnouts are made for, and custom made turnouts are prohibitively expensive. Also, I don't think my skill set is up to laying a scratch-built dual gauge 3-leg turnout for a first project.

 

Enough of me prattling on now.

 

This area of my layout between the rising HOm track and the back unseen tracks has been empty since the layout was bult. I researched the smaller RhB stations and found one that fit the existing track plan almost perfectly. Langwies was selected for the approach from the west and the exit to the east most closely matched my trackplan as it was already laid. It is probably a bit on the short side, by maybe 6-8", so a little selective compression and creative structure location is going to be done. BTY, Langwies is on the Arosa branch coming from Chur and ending at Arosa. About 16 miles.

 

 

The first order of business was to create a pattern to cut wood for the available space. I used several sheets of heavy printer paper taped together and laid over the existing layout to draw an outline of the areas from underneath the layout. I then cut this out and transferred the pattern to the laminated fiberboard I was to use to fill the space. Then I cut wood using the pattern. 

 

 

Another point to mention is that this area on my layout is on a grade of about 4%. This couldn't be helped and so I decided to push ahead with the plan and structures will have to be leveled as they are located on the sub-roadbed. The actual station , as you may already know about is on what appears to be level ground.

 

After the sub-roadbed was cut to conform to the open space, four risers had to be cut to fit the grade of the new space. Risers are directly under the black laminated fiberboard:

 

 

After the risers were installed the sub-roadbed was dropped in place for a test fit. I was glad I didn't need any adjustments on the cut.

 

 

 

A few days later after mulling about the roadbed I decided to lay cork on the entire surface and mount the track and build the station area upon the cork. To bring the railhead to street and sidewalk level before ballasting, additional cork will be cut to fit between all of the track close to the station and will taper off farther away where the ballast will be more pronounced.

 

 

 

I've ordered and received the FALLER goods shed that is at the far right of the station area along with a package of almost identical sidewalk brickwork from Auhagen. There will be a lot of this left over for other areas on the layout since only a 2cm x 6" strip of this material is needed.

 

I'm not happy with the shade of the stain on the wood parts so I bought a small can of Min-Wax Expresso #273 stain and it darkened up very well to match the actual station shade and looks very good. No photos of that yet, it's still drying. Tomorrow assembly of this laser cut kit starts.

 

I have located a FALLER laser cut kit of the Langwies station that I will be ordering soon. The rest of the three structures on the immediate grounds will have to be scratch-built and will likely use foam core board for these along with spare bits and bobs from previous kits I've built.

 

 

[Mike at C&M]

Someone is going to ask, so it might as well be me [and my tongue is firmly in my cheek on this one]

 

Are you going around the corner on to the beautiful Langwies viaduct?

 

[MichaelE]

Unfortunately not. The track turns to the right coming out of the Langwies station as it is supposed to, but then crosses two sets of DB tracks below before continuing on for a few more feet to Litzirüti.

 

 

 

[MichaelE]

Goods shed is finished except for painting the roof fascia.

 

[37201xoIM]

That looks an amazing layout.  I built myself the Faller lasercut kits of both the goods shed and the station at Langwies, and am really happy with the results of both...  Trouble is, the rest of the station has yet to be built!

[MichaelE]

I'm ordering the station from the Netherlands in about a week. Difficult to track down a kit from 20212 but I found one.

 

I've worked out the trackage lengths from the diagram of Langwies that indicated the length of each track in meters and converted that to HO. I have just enough room at actual HO scale for the entire station grounds.

[MichaelE]

I'm ordering the  station tomorrow morning. I just hope it gets here. I've never had to deal with Dutch Post, but the US Postal Service is one of the worst on the planet.

[MichaelE]

Done deal. Now I just hope it gets here.

[Samedan]

An interesting project. Geographically flexible, shall we say, but I don’t blame you for wanting to run trains from the countries you like all together. The scenery and buildings are recognisably Alpine. 
I’m still fiddling about with my track plan, struggling a bit to accommodate standard gauge Swiss HO and metre gauge RhB. But I’ve got a sizeable collection of both, so I really need to at least have a reasonable length of metre gauge. I think I will probably have to regrettably abandon my aspiration to have a joint station, let alone dual gauge track! 

[MichaelE]

It will no longer be dual gauge. The rail will be there, but a standard gauge train will not be able to get past the section where the HOm turnouts will be located to get into the station. I can always run one back and forth but I think I would get bored pretty fast doing that while my RhB trains are at the station.

 

So, RhB above, everyone else down below.

 

Still waiting for my kit from the Netherlands to show up. Maybe another week or two.

[MichaelE]

The FALLER 190055 Langwies kit showed up today. It was packed well and arrived in new condition. I was very happy to finally see it arrive after spending 20 days in Chicago.

 

[MichaelE]

Construction of the Langwies station began a few hours ago. The kit is straightforward and the instruction sheet consists of mostly only photos with part numbers and lines for part placement.

 

The inner structure is a pressed wood that is quite sturdy and glues easily. This supports the thinner laser etched wood facing that is assembled over the pressed wood shell. 

 

The station will look as it did in 2014 before the last re-model and track plan re-arrangement. The window frames are painted a gloss red, with the entry doors and shed doors painted in a darker brick red color which I haven't purchased yet.

The wood really soaked up the paint and the photo represents three coats on paint. The window frame outer edges will all have to be painted too when they are removed from the wooden card. 

 

The shutters laser etched on dark green card stock will be painted duck egg blue and the window panes will be in white.

Still much work to do.

 

 

Front of the station:

 

 

Window and door frames:

 

[MichaelE]

And with the exterior fascia installed and a test fit of the roof:

 

 

[DGO]

When painting laser cut wood where you don't want the wood structure to show through a couple of thin coats of white work well as a primer when sprayed on, spray both sides to reduce the chance of wood warping 

 

If you do want the wood structure to show through then alcohol base stains are a good option, apply in light coats again on both sides and allow to dry between coats

 

David

[MichaelE]

I used a water based acrylic craft paint. It's a bit slower because of the multiple coats, but it was what I had on hand. I like the woodgrain showing through too. It gives the wood a little contrast and definition.

 

I was really lucky to be able to still find this kit after 10 years. If I couldn't find this kit and import it to the States I was going scrap the whole build.

[DGO]

34 minutes ago, MichaelE said:

I was really lucky to be able to still find this kit after 10 years. If I couldn't find this kit and import it to the States I was going scrap the whole build.

 

I'm going through the process of scratch building Wengen Station, every time I think I'm almost there in terms of drawings I find extra information and realise I've made errors with what I have so far.

Fortunately I have several friends that can get me pictures when I ask if they are around but I like the high tech modern canopy combined with the early 20th century station building 

 

Not a great pic of the station but it shows the 21st century canopy with the 100 year older clock on the roof of the station behind 

 

Edited May 21, 2022 by DGO

[MichaelE]

Some small progress today. I added the alcove roof details and a pair of antlers that Faller didn't bother with. The paint for the doors is a custom mix of red, chestnut, and a drop of black. It matches about perfectly, but could be very slightly redder. I think RhB chose these two reds as it looks as though the same two-tone red on the locomotives.

 

I also tried to replicate the knot wood pattern and darker streaks in the wood, courtesy of Google Maps.

 

 

[MichaelE]

Starting to look like a train station. I'm done for the day. Time to run trains and crack open a Paulaner. Or two. Or three.

 

 

[DGO]

I trust you have one or two benches to put under the balcony ? I don't think I've ever seen it without either a single red bench or a pair of darker maybe green ones 

 

[MichaelE]

I have two benches that I'm going to move from Michaelstadt to Langwies. They are identical after I cut the armrests off and repaint them.

 

I looked at Swiss Modell.com but he didn't have anything that matched.

 

The two billboards with the chalet roofs behind the station will be in an order from Modellbahn Union.

[MichaelE]

Almost finished. I still have to assemble the roof and paint and install the shutters. The foundation has to be made from scratch using some left over pressed cardboard. I will have to cut it to match the grade.

 

 

 

[MichaelE]

I ordered track today. Modellbahn Union had what I needed in stock so I went with the Peco code 75.

 

One left, four right, one left curved point, 8 sections of 914mm flex track and rail joiners and insulated joiners.

[MichaelE]

Been working on the fascia board and foundation for the slope. New statirs will have to be built and also extensions for the balcony supports.

 

There is an 8mm difference in height from one end of the building to the other. Have to fix the loading dock foundation too.

 

Edited May 24, 2022 by MichaelE

[MichaelE]

I decided to install the underlying wood boards that make up the roof under the slate. It is not etched with individual wood boards, but it does look a lot better with it than without it. It would have been simple for Faller to cut another wood sheet with the slats engraved with the individual boards and then assembled a piece at a time between the fascia and the front of the building. 

Makes me wonder why they produced such a very nice kit but didn't include these important details. It is pretty obvious even at a distance with the cardboard roof sitting on the rafters that something is missing under there. Another detail left out was the stringers at the front of the roof supports that tie these together just behind the fascia board. These are also located on the gable ends and is more obvious that it is missing. Not so much on the front.

I will not be adding these details to the rear of the roof since absolutely no one will be able to see that.

The foundation perimeter has been completed too except for the loading dock. There is going to be another 2"+/- added to the length of the dock to match the actual station grounds, so I will take care of the rest of the foundation when I build on the extension.

 

 

 

[MichaelE]

Peco Code 75 track is arriving today from Modellbahn Union in Germany. I probably won't get to laying track until this station is finished. Sometime next week if all goes well.