I was just hoping my model would earn merit. It turned out, it got a high score. I was pleasantly surprised!
Online Structure: First Place NMRA / Merit Award
DUANE MILLER AWARD: 2nd Highest NMRA Score of all categories
Duane Miller was the former owner of Caboose Hobbies in Denver Colorado. A place I frequented often with my dad and then, with my kids. He was a supporter of the Rocky Mountain Region, NMRA, and the model railroading community overall.
Congratulations!
+1
To finalize the position of the second service track, I needed to build the AHM sandhouse kit I purchased from Trainz. The sand bin was too long for the location, so I modified the kit by shortening the bin. This kit was challenging to put the sand tower together. Having squaring blocks was handy. I shimmed the cross members so they would assemble without bowing. The rattle can paint colors I used were:
Rust-Oleum Flat Brown
Rust-Oleum Moss Green Satin
Krylon Flat White
Krylon Chalky Anvil Gray (roof)
Glidden Max Flex Shining Armor Satin (metallic parts)
Krylon Fusion Matte River Rock (sand)
For comparison of my feeble modeling skills, here are some shots I took on a recent pass through at Chama New Mexico. I have no idea why there are two platforms both on the real deal and the model. I left the second one off. There is a compressed air tank on the side of the drying house. If I remember correctly, a given engine compressor was used to fill the tank which was used to push the sand to the upper storage cylinder.
Feeble modelling skills???!!!
I’ve recently gently, (at least for the Bear), chided a fellow Forum member for selling himself short, and now I find myself doing it again!!
I can only hope Eric, you’re enjoying your efforts as much as I am by viewing them.
Cheers, the Bear. 
I very much appreciate that Bear. And all the responses from everyone as well. Yes having a good time.
Best Wishes,
Eric
Cork going in. The main line, and the surrounding station and arrival/departure tracks, have Midwest cork with the pre-formed slopes to give an illusion of the main line being more substantial than, or separated from, the other tracks. The yard is laid on the same thickness cork sheet.
I had triple checked the length of my Denver and Salt Lake / Rio Grande 2-6-6-0 mallets to make sure the Walthers 90 foot turntable would fit when I designed the layout. Several people recommended the motorized version of the turntable. When it arrived, I was relieved that indeed my mallets fit nicely.
I thought I should cut the hole for the turntable before any more cork or track is laid. Following my track plan, the turntable center point X and Y dimensions measured from the walls. The primary home index position was aligned with the engine service entry exit track location.
A friend of mine recommended laying the switches first before any other track. I thought this was sound logical approach. I started track work on the more simple west end of the yard. I chose to use Walthers track products to avoid any shimming and mismatching, not that that’s a big deal. Code 83. Chrysolite Metals gets the very first switch, a #4 glued down with clear adhesive caulk after drilling a ¼” hole for the tortoise switch machine.
Theres a fairly sharp 22” curve here. It’s a mining branch. So I cut some of the webbing on the Walthers track just to make the bend a little less stressed and to encourage the curve in this specific section.
First of the track going in.
On my previous layouts I have used Central Valley and Atlas track products. For this layout I decided to go with all Walthers track products. I did not realize until I got down to it, that Walthers turnouts require some modifications and extensions in certain situations. Here’s the sketch on the west end of the yard. The ladder is all #6. The slope is 6 to 1. In my TurboCad drawings, I used the Walthers turnout dimensions from XTrackCAD. The overall dimensions from that were accurate. My drawing here shows the turnouts requiring modification and the sections of track that will need to be added to produce the recommended 2” track spacing.
Here’s how one has to modify the turnout at the location pointed out Mod. First, the head ties on the right need to be clipped as I need the switch stand on the other side.
Remove the appropriate electrical connections.
This rail can be completely removed. Similar on the other turnout.
Line up the rails, mark, and cut to fit. Cut away the interfering ties.
The newly modified and assembled turnout set!
This laser level is probably one of my top 10 favorite tools. Here we are remarking and rechecking the track centerlines.
Making the spacer tracks for the rest of the west end yard ladder.
Holes drilled for the switch machines. The cork below the points are colored in with a black sharpie. West end yard ladder glued down.
Wish they had these around when I started my layout.
Regards, Chris
Yes indeed, that laser level has come in handy for all kinds of projects around the house. And it was not a lot of money.
Thanks for all the cheers everyone.
Now its on to the more busy east end of Granite Peak yard. Here is the sketch showing all the little track sections that need to be cut and inserted between the switches. There are two switch arrangements that need to be modified and assembled. I also realized it would be good to have a more localized run around for switching moves without fouling the main. And so, I added that in to the left of the engine facilities and ordered a couple more turnouts.
The modification of the two switches at the upper right by Red Ox Battery is the same as previously presented. The two switches for the secondary service track modification is a little different. Here is how I did that one.
It was fortunate that the Walthers built in electrical connections to the post frog rails were able to be kept intact.
Building the east end yard ladder. Everything lined up and pre-drilled for tortoise switch machines. I also took a black Sharpie and colored in under the points as those will not get ballasted.
Wow a Bear Meme! Cool! And thanks. Yeah, I cant wait to get that station built. But, there are a few other things ahead in the queue. lol
E-C-Mills, Like your deftness with a moto-tool, laser alignment track laying & weighting technique, personally I prefer S&W canned diced tomatoes. Gosh, on a side note; I recall Fresca in those green glass bottles, & liked how Trini Lopez sang the jingle.
Regards, Peter
Thanks Peter. Ha glass bottles of soda would make pretty good track weights too eh?
