my americaN modules

Roseberg - Planning and Construction

Details: Kategorie: my americaN modules; Zuletzt aktualisiert: Sonntag, 14. Februar 2016 19:44; Geschrieben von Michael Homberg

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

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.

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

First tests with plastic plates

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:

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

Setting up a 1:1 model with paper

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

First fine tuning of layout with photocopy switches and paper tracks

End result on flipchart paper

Test with cars: without dividing wall

and dividing wall

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.

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

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

this "west side" connector.

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

Panorama view before the modules are place on the brackets

Panorama view after the modules are placed on the brackets

some details

Closed door, take-out segment outside

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.

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".

After positioning a string of turnouts,

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)

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

checking (continued)

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: