Model Railroad with additional detailing

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Model Railroad with additional detailing (Page 1 of 2)

Posted: 8/16/2020 2:53:28 AM EDT

Lots of details added... little stuff... personnel, fire extinguishers, dispatchers radio tower/antenna, little things that make the scenes come alive.

Like the way to Oz and the Yellow Brick Road... we start at the beginning.

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Posted: 8/16/2020 2:54:51 AM EDT

[#1]

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Posted: 8/16/2020 2:56:15 AM EDT

[#2]

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Posted: 8/16/2020 2:57:23 AM EDT

[#3]

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Posted: 8/16/2020 2:58:45 AM EDT

[#4]

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Posted: 8/16/2020 3:02:31 AM EDT

[#5]

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The grade crossing works... triggered by photoresistors between the ties in the roadbed. They just happen to be a gray color that blends with the ballast, so they are almost invisible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3fccZYyZZk

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Check out the lighting on the police cruisers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIDvuYVITIQ

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Posted: 8/16/2020 3:07:32 AM EDT

[#6]

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Note the old abandoned pickup.

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The toggle switches work servos hidden in the building and in the scrub that operate track switches.

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Like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Msc277wXGUI

Posted: 8/16/2020 3:12:41 AM EDT

[#7]

Very nice.

Posted: 8/16/2020 3:17:43 AM EDT

[#8]

Thank you!

But wait! There's more!

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The tan panels on the rear of the blue building are replacements for storm damaged panels quickly repaired with available materials. They might get around to painting them blue... yeah, sure.

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Posted: 8/16/2020 3:20:02 AM EDT

[#9]

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Two guys working on a stuck coupler knuckle.

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But there is sound! In Stereo!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV-8pWLkjHA

Posted: 8/16/2020 3:22:20 AM EDT

[#10]

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There's the a-hole, fresh from getting a speeding ticket, now he's due for one for parking in handicapped zone.

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Posted: 8/16/2020 3:25:34 AM EDT

[#11]

There is a drop-in bridge to be used across the "Door Valley Chasm" for other operations.

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Levee construction project going on.

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Posted: 8/16/2020 3:26:41 AM EDT

[#12]

That is incredible work. A true labor of love indeed. Thank you for sharing.

Posted: 8/16/2020 3:28:58 AM EDT

[#13]

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The main is in back along the backdrop. The nearest siding can be isolated via this toggle switch so that this
section just over my desk can be used for programming locomotive decoders via computer using JMRI
Decoder Pro.

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Posted: 8/16/2020 3:31:44 AM EDT

[#14]

Cool!

Posted: 8/16/2020 3:39:24 AM EDT

[#15]

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And finally... back to the beginning. This room is an enclosed carport, and measures roughly 11' x 15'.

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This is a walkaround "shelf layout", with the deck 48" from the floor.

It is DCC operated... Digital Command Control. There is constant AC on the rails, with digital packets
sent over the power AC to "decoders" in the locomotives, so they can be addressed individually, unlike
DC (Direct Current) operation with transformers.

It is possible to run two locos in opposite directions on the same track, or have one stationary, back up
another loco, couple, then "MU" (Multi-Unit or "consist") them together electronically, and run them
together like the real railroads. Many of the locos have sound... diesel prime mover, turbo whine, air
compressor, air spitter, brake squeal, horn, bell, lights.

The DCC system is the Power Pro by NCE, and can run 10-12 locomotives, depending on if they have
sound or not. I have three plug-in "cabs" (hand held controllers), and one radio controller.

This layout has been about 6 years in construction. Still doing little details, but mostly done.

Posted: 8/16/2020 3:57:53 AM EDT

[#16]

Various small details add realism to the scenes.

This yard crane was built from a Walthers kit, but the lattice boom extension was used as an antenna tower
over by the yard dispatcher's office.

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That boom extension was painted silver, like a Rohn tower, and a piece of .020" handrail wire was put on
top and painted white to look like a HyGain VHF antenna.

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Fork lift, welding gas, fire extinguisher, other bits and pieces as needed.

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The lead welder tore up his previous truck while helping chase down a runaway train, so we are outfitting a new one
for him. Welding machine is by Shapeways. Though not a Lincoln welder, I painted it gray like a Lincoln anyway.

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Washup hose... that 1.5" dia orange rubber industrial type, was made from orange decoder wire (30 ga insulated) with
a brown wash brushed on to dirty them up some. The "sawhorse" racks are for MU cables... the cables that interconnect
locomotives so that the engineer in the lead loco can operate the trailing locomotives, the whole loco consist acting as one.

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Posted: 8/16/2020 4:06:36 AM EDT

[#17]

And yes, the yard lights work. These lights, like the grade crossing signals, are sturdily constructed from brass and
use LEDs. They are all made by "wehonest" from China, and can be found on ebay. They are inexpensive.

Yes, they light up.

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Fascia tags were made to order from a local safety supply company.

Power from old computer power supplies regulated down to 12 vdc via 7812 regulators.

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Posted: 8/16/2020 4:15:47 AM EDT

[#18]

Amazing

Posted: 8/16/2020 4:42:37 AM EDT

[#19]

Very cool. I especially like the truck rusting away in the woods.

Posted: 8/16/2020 5:06:59 AM EDT

[#20]

Beautiful job. Excellent detail and very well done. I did notice one thing missing though: Most places like those that I have been in always have a 50-gallon barrel sitting beside personnel doors for trash, and they are frequently full to overflowing. Just some food for thought ;)

Posted: 8/16/2020 6:05:01 AM EDT

[#21]

Nice! Have a track plan you could post?

Been sitting on my since I got married, and we purchased and sold a few homes to get our retirement spot.

We started mine few weeks ago. Can't wait to switch the new build.

Again nice layout.

Posted: 8/16/2020 6:44:39 AM EDT

[#22]

Hey, the tanks in that truck aren't tied down, dangerous situation!

Posted: 8/16/2020 7:23:45 AM EDT

[#23]

I think your dirt needs to be dirtier.

That being said, I envy your free time.

Posted: 8/16/2020 9:35:36 AM EDT

[#24]

BLM protest marchers?

Posted: 8/16/2020 10:36:59 AM EDT

[#25]

That is amazing! I love detailed models and sets like that and wish I had the attention span to do things like that. I used to build models long ago and used to work on movie prop replicas but found I just can't get myself to finish things any more.

Thanks for sharing that!

Posted: 8/16/2020 10:39:59 AM EDT

[#26]

You are kinda short on diversity there bub.

Posted: 8/16/2020 10:57:56 AM EDT

[#27]

Very nice!

One suggestion - a lot of the buildings have great detail (aka grime/soot/etc) on the roofs and equipment bay doors, but the human doors are spotless... a little grime on those doors, with an emphasis on the handle/grab/push areas would take the realism up a notch.

Posted: 8/16/2020 11:08:39 AM EDT

[#28]

You obviously have an eye for detail and a skill for re-creating It in miniature.

Posted: 8/16/2020 12:24:22 PM EDT

[#29]

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Quoted:
Very cool. I especially like the truck rusting away in the woods.

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A closer look shows scrub growing through the rusted out bed and from under the open hood.

Posted: 8/16/2020 12:28:06 PM EDT

[#30]

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Quoted:
Beautiful job. Excellent detail and very well done. I did notice one thing missing though: Most places like those that I have been in always have a 50-gallon barrel sitting beside personnel doors for trash, and they are frequently full to overflowing. Just some food for thought ;)

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Good idea! There were a dozen around where I used to work and one of the Saturday morning chores was to get the forklift and
a pallet, load them up and bring over to the big industrial size dumpster to empty.

I need to do that. But the barrels are all solid plastic. I could get the right diameter brass tubing, cut to length, paint it, and fill
it with trash. I can think of several places to put them.

Posted: 8/16/2020 12:29:14 PM EDT

[#31]

Quote History

Quoted:
Nice! Have a track plan you could post?

Been sitting on my since I got married, and we purchased and sold a few homes to get our retirement spot.

We started mine few weeks ago. Can't wait to switch the new build.

Again nice layout.

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Posted: 8/16/2020 12:30:26 PM EDT

[#32]

Quote History

Quoted:
Hey, the tanks in that truck aren't tied down, dangerous situation!

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A work in progress. As I said, still outfitting the truck. Needs more welding stuff in there.

Posted: 8/16/2020 12:35:32 PM EDT

[#33]

Quote History

Quoted:
I think your dirt needs to be dirtier.

That being said, I envy your free time.

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Future project... airbrush some grime down between the rails around the layout. But I did get lots of
grease around the flange lubricator aka "rail greaser" on the tight turn going into the intermodal yard.

The real thing:

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My layout:

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Also in the above photo you can see the control rod from the servo in the building out to the switch. The rod is painted
OD in the foliage, and gray over the ballast, but you can only see it from about 6' away at one angle, and no one ever
notices.

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Posted: 8/16/2020 12:41:55 PM EDT

[#34]

Quote History

Quoted:
Very nice!

One suggestion - a lot of the buildings have great detail (aka grime/soot/etc) on the roofs and equipment bay doors, but the human doors are spotless... a little grime on those doors, with an emphasis on the handle/grab/push areas would take the realism up a notch.

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You are correct... but as I said, still working on things like that.

Edit: Rubbed a Q-tip on a piece of brown artists' chalk and dirtied up around door handles. Went around the layout and did
that on various doors. Took just a few minutes.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Posted: 8/16/2020 2:27:49 PM EDT

[#35]

Can you do this?

The City Edge Layout Model Railroad with amazing Miniature Cars in HO scale

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va5lqs-KJFA

Posted: 8/16/2020 2:36:33 PM EDT

[#36]

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Quoted:

https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/344396/00_Pauls_Track_Schematic_jpg-1548746.JPG

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Nice! I had to rework mine since room options changed, I went for the Lance Mindheim's suggestions on KISS

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Posted: 8/16/2020 2:48:25 PM EDT

[#37]

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Quoted:
Can you do this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va5lqs-KJFA

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Damned Germans! They got it down to a fine art! Hahah!

They are just now coming out with the HO scale R/C cars and trucks (and doing a great job), so none of that was
ever incorporated into my layout. But I'm a one-man operation here, and can't drive trains and road vehicles at
the same time, so none of that was ever incorporated into my layout.

But amazing the things that can be done.

Posted: 8/16/2020 3:02:25 PM EDT

[#38]

Quote History

Quoted:
Nice! I had to rework mine since room options changed, I went for the Lance Mindheim's suggestions on KISShttps://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/375981/TPW-2-Scenery_jpg-1548949.JPG

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Yes! KISS. That's the idea for a small layout.

I had suggestions to put a helix in one corner and do two levels... uh, no. Not enough room in 11' x 15'. No double main line. No huge
ladder yard. Just don't have the room. It's a simple layout for simple, but fun operation. The drop-in bridge over the doorway was
simply for visitors to be able to see them run round and round, which gets boring quick. But it did allow to extend the siding near the
intermodal yard to work cars in and out of the yard, drop off/pickup operation, when several other modelers/engineers are over.

I am modeling the flat gulf coast, so no grades, no mountains, no tunnels, and the few long trains I run are temporary just for showing
off. Normally the locos (GP38's and GP40's, GP35's) are just swapping out cars at Cargill, or the warehouses along industrial row. KISS.

Now the same guys formerly telling me to put in a helix, do this, do that, are telling others my layout is an example of a lot of operation
in a limited space.If all I had was the 2' x 15' section along the long wall from the loco service / repair facility down to the plastics operation
it would still be a fun operational railroad and do all the work with just one or two small locos / switchers. It could keep two operators busy
for an afternoon sorting a string of cars dropped off from an imaginary train, swapping out cars at the loading docks and industries, putting
them on sidings to be picked up later, etc.

Here is something a modeler could incorporate into a small room layout. Tight turn into and through a building. Listen to the flanges
squeel!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_j9uAqWVw8

Posted: 8/16/2020 11:29:52 PM EDT

[#39]

Awhile back someone posted videos of an HO scale airport with taxiing planes and support vehicles. The Germans do amazing things with miniatures.

Posted: 8/18/2020 7:35:27 PM EDT

[#40]

Quote History

Quoted:
Beautiful job. Excellent detail and very well done. I did notice one thing missing though: Most places like those that I have been in always have a 50-gallon barrel sitting beside personnel doors for trash, and they are frequently full to overflowing. Just some food for thought ;)

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Thanks, Craig... a detail I missed but will certainly correct this oversight soon.

I found some brass tubing laying beside my bench vise that is the right diameter to cut up and make into 55 gal drum trash cans. I'll paint them
different colors, put some dirty wash on them (thinned paints), and put trash in them.

Posted: 8/18/2020 8:55:42 PM EDT

[#41]

Quote History

Quoted:

Thanks, Craig... a detail I missed but will certainly correct this oversight soon.

I found some brass tubing laying beside my bench vise that is the right diameter to cut up and make into 55 gal drum trash cans. I'll paint them
different colors, put some dirty wash on them (thinned paints), and put trash in them.

View Quote

Perfect, good idea. I used to use a wash a lot on model airplanes to make them look dirty in places. With or without trash cans it's still a very impressive layout and very well done.

Posted: 8/19/2020 11:00:11 PM EDT

[#42]

Thank you!

The tubing I found measures 0.281" OD. That works out to scale 24.5" diameter. The tubing looks right compared
to the various plastic HO scale drums. Using search, found out that standard 55 gallon drums are 23" dia x 34.5" H.
Figuring back, 23" / 87 = 0.264". The next tubing size down is 0.250". So, the 0.281" tubing I have is close enough.

Posted: 9/10/2020 3:29:38 PM EDT

[#43]

Cool! I especially like the intermodal stuff!

Posted: 9/13/2020 12:58:12 PM EDT

[#44]

Quote History

Quoted:

Future project... airbrush some grime down between the rails around the layout. But I did get lots of
grease around the flange lubricator aka "rail greaser" on the tight turn going into the intermodal yard.

The real thing:

https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/344396/02a_-_Flange_Lubricator_with_Matting_jpg-1548752.JPG

My layout:

https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/344396/10_-_Flange_Lubricator_installed_JPG-1548753.JPG

Also in the above photo you can see the control rod from the servo in the building out to the switch. The rod is painted
OD in the foliage, and gray over the ballast, but you can only see it from about 6' away at one angle, and no one ever
notices.

https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/344396/09_-_Flange_Lubricator_installed_JPG-1548754.JPG

View Quote

Im envious, awesome layout.

If I may, look into "Servo slow" units for your switching servos.

It will slow them down realistically and get rid of the skeech skeech of the servo gears.

servo slow

Posted: 9/13/2020 1:49:07 PM EDT

[#45]

Nice setup. My aunts husband (uncle by marriage) has a giant setup in his basement. Had to be 20x30 or so. He's 70 some so he's spent 30-40 years on it. I like the detail on yours.

I had a Lionel O guage set (Polar Express) I put out every year for Christmas. Built a 4x8x18" high table for it. At first I was going to put the tree in the middle, but that morphed into a Christmas village. Haven't had it out in a couple of years.

Posted: 9/14/2020 12:10:14 AM EDT

[#46]

That is really well done. You should dirty up the engines some more. Way too clean to be espee

Posted: 9/20/2020 12:35:07 AM EDT

[#47]

I swear I've seen a YouTube vid of a walk thru on this layout. Its legit for sure.

Posted: 9/20/2020 12:51:31 AM EDT

[#48]

I love your threads, and I want you to design the next world I live in.

Posted: 9/26/2020 4:59:40 PM EDT

[#49]

Nice layout. Great on the details.

Posted: 10/4/2020 12:34:19 AM EDT

[#50]

Love the detail work. The little things really make the difference!

Currently planning my next layout. Last layout in my last home was fine but I should have done more of the little things like adding the tools, barrels, etc. to my yard. More weathering too...

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Model Railroad with additional detailing (Page 1 of 2)

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