my americaN modules

Roseberg - Planning and Construction

Roseberg (OR): Planning and Construction of an americaN-Module

 

Why Roseberg?

The design of Roseberg (OR) you will find at Roseberg (OR) - Design of a Railroad Model.

That page includes 

  • the corresponding map of Oregon,
  • the schematic track plan from Portland via Eugene and Roseberg to Black Butte
  • a Time table
  • all train movements at Roseberg
  • and, corresponding, a set up to operate this "Layout" by Train Dispatcher Software

 

Preparing the layout room

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After storing everything outside the layout room, shelf support beams were mounted at the concrete walls. The flap valve for the chimney sweeper has to be kept open.

 

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These objects have to be stored in the layout room. Therefore, the minimum height of the layout is given.

 

First tests with plastic plates

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This is NOT the end result which I want to get:

Two stations behind each other: view without dividing wall:

  • Roseberg in the foreground, including the Great Northern train moving to the right,
  • and the staging yards in the background.

Therefore:

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Same view point, but dividing wall is in place. --> this is the view which is wanted

 

Setting up a 1:1 model with paper

 

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Panorama view with tracks (click here for a larger photo)

 

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First fine tuning of layout with photocopy switches and paper tracks

 

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End result on flipchart paper

 

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Test with cars: without dividing wall

 

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and dividing wall

 

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another photo whit the dividing wall

 

The Woodwork 

After these planning steps, and the documenting of the layout on the flipchart papers, the woodwork began. Please Keep in mind: as this layout shall be used inside the layout room AND at americaN meetings, the layout has to be built as robust and transportable segments.

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First test set up in a large room. Why large? Because at this test, we had to walk AROUND the layout.

 

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At americaN meetings, this "east connector" will be added, and

 

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this "west side" connector.

 

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Inside my cellar, it will be set up in this version.

In this view, the complete layout is standing on "americaN"-legs. In my cellar, the modules will rest on metal brackets.

 

Placing the modules inside the layout room

 

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Panorama view before the modules are place on the brackets

 

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Panorama view after the modules are placed on the brackets

 

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some details

 

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Closed door, take-out segment outside

 

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and segment in place. Please note: this photo is for optical demonstration only. If someone is inside the layout room, the door will be open for air circulation.

 

Track laying

Tracks are Peco code 55.

At Roseburg yard, the switches are Peco "Electrofrog" switches. Without any changes. Just hand switches, the operators will be switching the turnouts directly where they are placed.

Why?

Because I want the operators to operate precisely at the place where they would be at the prototype! At their loco and turnout, or at the caboose and turnout.

This set up is not used at my americaN group, and therefore in my planning phase, I made sure that this set up will be working fine and robust. This set up is used by Mark Dance at his Columbia & Western Railway. And Mark gave me more reference.

On the other hand, turnouts inside the staging area will be with motors.

 

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Starting at the west end of Roseberg.

At paper planning, the place of the switch was "somewhere there". When mounting turnouts at segment connections, one has to place them "exact".

 

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After positioning a string of turnouts,

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the contour was marked, and then the string turned.

Then, the marked wood and the bottom side of the turnouts were painted with Pattex (a contact adhesive)

 

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Examining the look and feel of passing cars before fixing the tracks

 

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checking (continued)

 

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Inserting tracks. At this moment, the Pattex has to dry, but on the other hand the track has to be inside the connector flaps. Some minutes of waiting, then pull out the brush and pencil, slowly moving the track to the precise place it shout be, and then lay down and PRESS!

 

Maiden trip on the layout

The first train on the layout was running without motor power, as there is no electrical connection set up by now. Therefore, the train was "motored" by a red boxcar:

 

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Passenger train from Portland via Eugene to Roseberg (and then to Black Butte) is approaching Roseberg

 

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coming to the west end of Roseberg yard

 

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west side of Roseberg yard

 

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Train in middle of Roseberg yard

 

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Roseberg, east side

 

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Roseberg, east end.

The track in the foreground is the pull track of Roseberg yard.

 

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on the way to Black Butte.

The track on the left is the pull track of Roseberg yard.

 

 

 

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heading to Black Butte

 

Tracks from helicopter view

 

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from west to east

 

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unmounted track in background connects to Black Butte

 

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unmounted track in background will connect to Eugene

 

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Staging yards for the Roseberg railroad model

 

Black Butte (OR) staging yard: click here for details

Eugene (OR) staging yard: click here for details

 

First "operation session": Roseberg in the setting of Speers Ferry (VA)

Before doing further work at Roseberg, I wanted to see and feel how it would be to stage "Roseberg" as "Speers Ferry (VA)".