Now the basement is tidy(ish), I can now make a start on the new scenic board that will hide the right-hand fiddle Yard, increasing the scenic length on the layout to 27ft.
I’ve already built the Walthers asphalt plant, an industry which is quite common in Alabama, so the buildings are pretty much ready.
I also intend using the new board to try my hand at building some Central Valley #6 turnout kits, and power them with Traintronic turnout motors, instead of the Tortoise motors I’ve used before. The Traintronics motor is more expensive but comes with an integral accessory decoder.
Before I can start building the new board, I have to move the fiddle yard back a few inches and move the sector plate to a more central position. I’ll also use the opportunity to increase the number of FY tracks from 4 to 5, to bring it into line with the other fiddle yard.
Here are the first photos of the new fiddle yard alignment, temporarily attached with grips
Jon
The lead into the new board from the existing scenic area is shown here
Jon
I started on a couple of the Central Valley turnout kits last night. I’ve glued the CV tie-strip onto a sheet of thin Plasticard, making the ties the same height at their Peco Code 83 equivalent.
I intend using Peco code 75 flat-bottom rail for the CV code 70 #5 and #6 kits, but use Peco code 83 US-outline tie-strip, instead of the British-outline ones that come with the code 75 flexi-track.
Next job is to attach the CV tie-strip to a piece of plywood with double-sided tape and ballast the ties, before moving on to kit assembly.
Here are some photos of progress on the workbench
Jon
The Central Valley tie-plate has been temporarily fitted to plywood with double-sided tape. Medium brown Woodland Scenics ballast has been added with a teaspoon and diluted white glue sprayed on. They have now been set aside to dry.
Jon
Looking good Jon!
That will make a real nice addition to your layout.
I have rebuilt the sector-plate fiddle yard, and moved it back six inches to accommodate the new asphalt plant scenic board. This new scenic board will sit in front of the fiddle yard and bring the overall scenic length of the layour to over 27ft.
The fiddle yard sector plate was re-positioned with a new central pivot point, allowing the number of tracks to be increased from 4 to 5.
The drop-down extension board allows each track to easily hold a loco, caboose and up to 5 50ft freight cars.
This board folds into the sector plate for easy transportation and is electrically ‘dead’, to avoid accidental run-offs.
Jon
The sector plate, which resembles a car-float, aligns to the yard lead by means of custom-built bolts. The rails have been soldered to copper-clad PCB strip after which brass square-section tubing is also soldered. Brass wire ‘bolts’ slide into the tubing to both align the track and provide the electrical contact.
I found it easier to use square section tubing instead of round section, as it is easier to solder accurately and the brass wire finds its path through the tube much easier. The bent wire bolts are finished off with plastic toggle-switch covers.
Now, with the fiddle yard rebuild out of the way, I can get on building the asphalt plant board
Jon
Jon,
That connection system looks foolproof!
That is a great ‘working’ addition to your yard, well thought out & very well built!!
Nice work!
Please keep posting, I like your progress, ideas, & implementation, it works!
With the fiddle yard moved back and modified, I could make a start on the actual scenic board. To keep things light, I made a frame to hold the plywood trackbed. Integral legs with ‘uneven floor’ adjusters will be fitted, but for now the new board has been clamped to the fiddle yard frame
I found some off-cuts of plywood which should suit and will be trimmed, once I work out the final trackplan
I have also been test-fitting the buildings, machinery and tanks for best placement.
Jon
I finished making my first Central Valley turnout using Peco code 75 rail. The Peco flat-bottomed rail used on the #7 turnout matches the code 70 point-blades perfectly and I will be spiking it at several points after the turnout has been fitted to the trackbed.
I have been experimenting with the turnout to find the best placement for the run-round loop.
I have settled on this configuration, using a couple of old Peco turnouts as templates for the crossover. I have since built a couple of Central Valley #6 turnouts and will start ripping up track tonight
Jon
As part of the yard improvement the track leading to the new scenic board had to be re-laid. This was quite messy and the plaster had to be carefully chipped away to keep the sponge sub-roadbed intact
The track was then laid on the cleaned-up surface
The under-track magnets have also been repositioned, including moving one no longer required under the main line
Jon
With the new track laid in the East Yard I could make a start on laying the tracks into the Asphalt plant and test fit the buildings for best placement.
I started as usual by soldering the rails to brass screws and cutting at the joint between the two sectional baseboards
The track was then glued down and the buildings tried out in position
Jon
Over the last couple of evenings, I have been ballasting the East Yard and painting the rails rusty
Now to make some progress on the scenery for the asphalt plant board
Jon
On Saturday, I made the basic scenic shapes for the new board by cutting and gluing foam-core board to the plywood benchwork. This helps to keep the board as light as possible. I used white carpenter’s glue to attach the foam-core layers
I also made a retaining wall from Wills ‘random stone’ plastic sheets
Jon
I’ve made a start on the scenic cover today. After covering the scenic formers with plaster bandage, I painted the plaster with acrylics - this helps to prevent the white plaster colour from showing through the scenic cover if the board ever gets knocked in transit.
When the paint dried I finished ballasting the track and sprinkled on the basic ground cover and sprayed it all with diluted white carpenter’s glue. It’s all busy drying now, before I start adding the grass.
I’ve also made a start cutting the building/machinery signature shapes into the plaster
Jon
I’ve added the grass, trees and a photo backscene, but I’m not too happy with the colourful, washed out effect that the backscene gives, so I think I might change it for the same one I used on the rest of the layout.
I think I’ll end up changing the backscene
Jon
I wasn’t 100% happy with the backscene, so I changed it for the same backscene I have been using on the rest of the layout. I am much happier with the result. I also embedded the buildings and machines into the ground cover.
I now want to add some weeds, piles of aggregate, paint the vehicles and add some workmen. After that, I need to add the lighting canopy and fascia and wire up the DCC.
Jon
Three weeks to the layout’s next exhibition (Hartlepool, England) and progress has been made.
I’ve been working on the electrics, got the overhead lighting tube fitted and working, added the aggregate piles, repainted some ore cars, painted and fitted the end-scene and lighting fascia.
Still lots to do, as the turnout motors still need fitting and wiring to switches, more freight cars need detailling and weathering, and there are 4 locos and three cabooses I want to get finished.
Here’s the progress
I have made the ore car loads removable by attaching a small magnet under the load
Jon