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The Denver, Durango & Silverton Railroad
A model railroad in On30 Scale set in Colorado's SanJuan Mountains
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Major Track Plan Changes
Posted in Planning on October 28, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
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(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/track‑plan.png)As always, double click on the track plan so it gets big enough to see what I’m talking about.I’m sure by this point you are as tired of reading about track plan changes as I am of makingthem. It feels like the process is one of endless sacrifice and compromise. I guess if it results in alayout that operates be⸀ጅer, it will have all been worth it. I always anticipated changes when itcame right down to building benchwork and laying track. I just didn’t think there would be
this many. Why all the changes? As I explained in a previous post, allowing for thebackground lighting system in the plan cost me three inches on every wall. I never thoughtthat would make all that much difference, but it does. Then, when I started to grid out the
resin paper I had taped to the floor for the drywall and paint work, I discovered that somehow,I had failed to check the room dimensions, probably since before I built the low hip wall,because I was five inches off on the width and two inches off on the length of the room. Thehip wall at the bo⸀ጅom of the plan, and drywall on all four walls would just about account forthese errors. So, in addition to the major track re‑alignment I wrote about in the post on
horizon lighting, I was now faced with design alterations that would most certainly result inthe loss of a number of features, as well as the contraction of the operating areas. There is nowprobably not room for more than three on the operating crew. To sum up: 1. The Li⸀ጅle DoraMine, and one of the Silverton Industries are gone. 2. The Stock Pens and the Icing Dock inDurango have switched places. 3. The Trolley passing track in Durango is gone. 4. TheMicro‑Engineering turnouts I am using are somewhat longer than the ones that Empire
Express draws on the plan, but EE does have a larger one that more closely matches ME’s. Tomy surprise, replacing all of the shorter turnouts with longer ones did not create major
problems. Turnouts are now labeled for left, right, curved and Y. 5. Sidings at Lower Cascadeand Durango were already lost to the horizon lighting space; now Silverton siding is reducedto about three feet in length. 6. The rail‑to‑water log transfer bit the dust because there is nolonger a convenient track from the lumber camp to the river. 7. The three large loops in thecenter of the room are now down to 22″ radius curves, which is absolutely as tight as I can go. 8. You may have noticed that the lift‑out at Durango is gone; that may prove to be a plus.
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(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/yard‑plan.png)Now for some positive news: All of Silverton is now closer to reach, and I figured out a way todo the staging yard without the two helices! I was trying to get down to 13 inches below thelayout with the yard, but that required two large helices with nearly impossible grades in
them. If I do it without the helices, I can still get down to about 8.25 inches, which I’m hopingwill be enough reaching room. I have built helices, 25 years ago, in N‑scale, but I wasn’t
looking forward to building these.
(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/schematic‑one.png)Changing the plan means changing the schematic, so here is one‑third of the new drawing.
(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/schematic‑two.png)Here is the middle third.
(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/schematic‑three.png)……..and here is the other end of the line.
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What is a Schematic?
Posted in Planning on September 6, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/schematic‑1.png)Remember to double‑click on the photo to actually be able to see it! A “schematic” is a
simplified version of the track plan, laid out with the main line running horizontally on thedrawing. Note that this does not depend on the compass direction of the main line in reality. East, West, North, South….it all becomes left and right on a schematic. The way distances arerepresented also changes from a scale version of reality (the track plan) to a kind of “whatcomes next” arrangement. If there are no diverging tracks, industries, stations or points of
interest, the length of a track, from one point to another, is truncated on a schematic. Comparethe way distances are represented here with the revised track plan I just published.
(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/schematic‑2b.png)The schematic for my Denver, Durango & Silverton took four photos to represent, end to end.For operators, if I ever get that far , portions of the schematic will be posted along the fasciain the areas to which they correspond. The purpose of this is to make the layout easier to
understand, and to facilitate communication. I did a li⸀ጅle color‑coding, making the main linetrack red and the siding tracks blue.
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(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/schematic‑3b.png)I used my track planning program to create this schematic, so the track lines are not so
rectilinear as they would be if I had drawn all of this free‑hand. Also, the grid lines have nomeaning. On the track plan they represent square feet, but not here. Eventually every item ofnote (tunnel, track, bridge, etc.) on a railroad needs to have a name, so that engineers can
communicate their location to the dispatcher, and the dispatcher can instruct engineers on howfar to proceed along the line, where to meet opposing trains, etc. For the time being, I have juststarted identifying some things by their location in the layout room, like “North Wall Tunnel”,shown here. Speaking of meets, on a railroad with a single track main line, like this one,sidings (blue) must be provided where trains going in opposite directions can get past eachother. The length of sidings dictates how long the trains can be. Take a look at the Densel
Washington film, “Unstoppable”, to see what happens when the siding is too short! My freightcars will all be seven inches long, and my passenger cars will be nine inches long. Lengths oflocomotives, tenders and cabooses may vary, but must also be taken into account. I haveindicated by each siding what the capacity is, with or without locomotive and caboose.
(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/schermatic‑4.png)Durango is the most complicated trackage I have, but the schematic makes it much easier tounderstand. I also started to number the turnouts in this area, because they will have controls
mounted in the fascia.
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Track Plan Tweaks 9/5/12
Posted in Planning on September 5, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
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(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/9512‑revisions.png)Remember that you can double‑click on this photo to enlarge it. I have been working on a
schematic for the line, which I will be posting shortly. In the process, I discovered some smalltweaks I wanted to do in the track plan. 1. In order for the forced perspective to work in upperDurango, I can’t have O Scale trains running right next to HO Scale houses, so I had to tunnelthat curve behind Durango. I think in some earlier versions of the track plan I had it that way,but I went through once and tried to “daylight” as much track as possible. Track in tunnels canalways be a potential problem. 2. At the San Juan Oil Co., I created a second spur. I need to beable to drop one car off, and pick another up, and the double spurs make that much easier.
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Rethinking the Helices
Posted in Planning on May 18, 2012 | 2 Comments »
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(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/helix.jpg)A helix is a spiral of roadbed that allows a model train to ascend or descend in elevation,
usually out of sight of the operators or viewers. The factors affecting the grade within the helixare the thickness of the combined plywood, track bed, track, support hardware and clearanceneeded for the trains, and the diameter of the helix. The smaller the diameter, the steeper thegrade that is necessary to maintain the clearance needed for the trains. Think of taking a
“slinky” and pulling it apart or compressing it. The distance between the rings of the slinky isyour clearance. The clearance has to be high enough so that your trains don’t get stuck! In mycase that height is just a li⸀ጅle under 4.5 inches. With the clearance kept constant, the grade willvary based on the diameter of the helix. The larger the helix, the smaller the grade, and vice
versa.
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(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/tehachapi_loop.jpg)Helices are uncommon, but not unheard of, in real railroading…the Tehachapi Loop in
California being one very famous example, that qualifies as a single circle helix. A good friendof mine at The Minnesota Transportation Museum has been helping me with my helix
planning. In addition to some very useful suggestions on what kind of wood to use, he hasbeen urging me to make the diameter of the helices larger to reduce the grade within the spiral.Locomotives are limited in their ability to pull loads uphill by the steepness of the hill (grade),the weight of cars they are pulling, and the tractive effort (pulling power) of the engine.
Working uphill on a curve adds considerably to the tractive effort needed to “make the grade”,as they say. I must also credit an old friend in the Industrial Arts Department at Hill‑MurraySchool, where I used to work before retirement, for suggesting that I use Baltic Birch plywoodin the helices. I’ll talk more about this as I get into the actual construction of the helices. My
friend at MTM has convinced me that I should not try to build a helix with a 3% grade, as I wasoriginally planning. That helix would have had a diameter of about 48 inches. My problem was
that to increase the size of the helices would force me to cut into some of my aisle space,perhaps even to the point of reducing room for, and hence the numbers of, my operating crew.
I may now have to limit operators, or visitors, to three others beside myself.
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(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/screen‑shot‑2012‑05‑17‑at‑9‑23‑54‑pm1.png)Double‑click on photos to enlarge. I need to keep the helix under Durango Yard in its originalposition. I could move it to the corner under the town of Durango, but I would lose my lift‑out,and block my emergency exit door. The second helix was to have gone under the Silvertonturntable, but pu⸀ጅing a larger circle there would create reaching problems above in SilvertonYard. After some playing with it, I have decided to try the areas indicated by the two darkcircles in this photo. I only push the Durango fascia out about four more inches, and in
Silverton, I locate the helix where there is less reaching needed. Permit me a li⸀ጅle math, now. A 57” diameter track center‑line (28.5” radius) on roadbed that is3” wide, will make the edges of the helix 60” apart. 57” times Pi (3.14), according to the
formula for circumference (Circumference = Pi times Diameter), gives me a distance aroundone circle of the helix of 14.915 feet. If that were 15.000 feet, at a grade of 2.5%, the separationbetween layers of the helix would be 4.5”, so that’s close enough for me. So, I am building twofive foot wide helixes, with a grade within the helix of about 2.5%, and a clearance for trains of
about 4.5 inches. This should work.
(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/screen‑shot‑2012‑05‑18‑at‑2‑31‑52‑pm.png)The number of circles within the two helices will not be the same because the helix under
Silverton will have longer approaching tracks, whose grade can alleviate the need for as manycircles in the helix.
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(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/screen‑shot‑2012‑05‑18‑at‑4‑40‑20‑pm.png)This photo shows the new location of the fascia (brown lines), and it isn’t too bad, but I stillthink it will be difficult to get more than two operators into the area on the right beyond the
“roll‑under”.One fortuitous outcome; I now have a nice location for my sluice mining scene. If you look
closely at this photo, you’ll see that I have also added a run‑around track in the Durango trolleyline. I now have two O scale horse‑drawn trolleys, one to run each way between the depot andthe upper reaches of the town, so they need to be able to pass each other. The other addition is
the indication for a smelter along the wall to the east (left) of the Durango turntable.Historically, there was an ore smelter in Durango, and if I make it a very low‑relief building,
with no visible servicing tracks, I can work it into that corner.
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April 20, 2012 Track Plan Revisions
Posted in Planning on April 20, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
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(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/screen‑shot‑2012‑04‑22‑at‑12‑05‑21‑pm1.png)
Double‑click on this photo to enlarge it, so you can see what Iʹm discussing in this post. Afriend of mine has been urging me to draft the fascia for some time, so I thought Iʹd give it ashot. The light brown line represents where the boundaries of the edge of the layout might be.This tells me two things. How much standing room I have for operating the layout, and exactlywhat the reach might be to fix things, derailments, etc. Since my effective reach is about 30inches, the north‑east corner of the layout, lower left, where the town of Durango will bemodeled, is a concern for me. You can see from the plan that it could be up to six feet to thecorner from where I could stand. Although I donʹt care for ʺpop‑upsʺ, I might have to
incorporate one here (as illustrated by the purple line). I could do it without passing throughregular track on the layout, and the trolley line (green) is not functional, so spli⸀ጅing it doesnʹtma⸀ጅer. As long as I donʹt have any significant weight gain, I can fit in a two foot by three footopening with no problem. Hidden tracks (red) will be accessible from beneath the layout.I’ve also added another mine, the “Gold King” to the mining area. All of the mines in this area
are named after actual mines in the vicinity of Silverton, Colorado.
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(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/images1.jpg)While you are looking at this version of the track plan, take note of the green trolley line inDurango. It extends from the hills above the town, down through Main Avenue, to the depot,where it terminates in an ʺarmstrongʺ style turntable. The picture shows one of these in SanFransisco, but the SF cars were connected to an underground cable; my trolley will be horse‑drawn. In SF, they have to release their grip on the cable to turn. They can do this because
gripping or releasing the cable is how they move or stop. The cable is in continuous motion. Onthe turntable, the car is turned by the motormen pushing on the metal pipe railings on either
side. Perfect balance allows the weight of the car to be minimized.
(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/images‑21.jpg)Even full sized (at least narrow gauge) railroads used these kinds of turntables, because theywere inexpensive. Here is one at Laws, California. There is a full‑size replica that I have seen atthe Orange Empire Railroad Museum in Parris, California. The operators would push on the
angled wooden pole at each end of the turntable to turn the engine around, hence thenickname, ʺarm‑strongʺ.
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Layout Progress
Posted in Creating the Space, Planning on April 6, 2012 | 4 Comments »
(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/h1790002.jpg)After more than a month away from actual modeling, I am finally ge⸀ጅing things organized, so Ican build again. I redesigned and reassembled my work‑bench. The whole thing is now on
heavy casters, so I can roll it around as I build the layout.
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(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/h1790001.jpg)On the top shelf on each of the corner units on my workbench Iʹm going to create a li⸀ጅlestorage/display area for rolling stock works in progress. I canʹt remember where I got the
background poster; Iʹve had it for years. I bought it to video my old Christmas layout, and cutit in half here so Iʹve got one piece for each side.
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(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/h1790003.jpg)Another item I build for roll‑around storage is a two sided pegboard arrangement that is six
feet tall by two feet wide. This side has all kinds of modeling supplies....
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(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/h1790004.jpg).....and this side has tools for working on the room.
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(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/h1790005.jpg)So, back to the storage/display tracks. I also had a 1 x 6 left over from my Christmas layout thathad a double tracked storage arrangement, Peco code 100 track on cork roadbed. There wasenough length to make a piece for the top of each shelf unit. I used a chisel to get the glued on
Christmas snow‑cloth off of it.
(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/h1790006.jpg)To get rid of the white paint on the track, I took it outside and sprayed it with four differentshades of Model Master paint. I wiped the rail heads with mineral spirits right after painting,
although I wonʹt ever have to run electricity through these tracks.
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(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/h1790007.jpg)Back inside, and after the tracks dried, I built and test‑fit eight li⸀ጅle end of track wooden
bumpers.
(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/h1790008.jpg)I dry brushed the ties and end bumpers with some gray acrylic. When I had wiped the railheads, some of the paint came off of the molded plastic spikes, turning them white again, so Iwent back and touched them all up with black acrylic. Painting all the spike heads on myrailroad is probably not something Iʹm going to actually do, but you never know what youʹll
get carried away with when youʹve been deprived of modeling for over a month!
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(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/h1790009.jpg)Two inch wide masking tape is perfect for covering the tracks and the cork roadbed for the
ground cover process.
(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/h1780002.jpg)My buddy is just an armchair modeler.
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(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/h1770002.jpg)
The taping and mudding of the sheet‑rock is finished now, and the preliminary painting isdone. I chose two different sky blue tones from the same paint sample card. The one for theceiling is a li⸀ጅle darker, because the sky is a darker blue right overhead than at the horizon. Ihaven’t bothered to finish the painting in the corners, because they will all be covered by thecoving process.
(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/h1770001.jpg)
Here is the way I’m going to do this. I’ve glued and screwed two one inch by four foot strips of1/8th inch tempered masonite to the wall. The lower strip is 12 inches from the corner betweenthe wall and the ceiling. The upper strip is 15 inches from that same corner.
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(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/h1770007.jpg)
After a sufficient time for the glue behind the hard masonite strips to set up, I’ve taken a 2 footby 4 foot sheet of untempered masonite, and popped it into place between the other two strips.I’ve used the untempered masonite for this because it is softer, and bends be⸀ጅer. This forms anice curve, and needs no other form of support. Next I’ll take some sheet rock mud and create asmooth joint in the area of the one inch strips.
(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/h1760001.jpg)After several days of hard work, the drywall is in place. Eric Danielson of Stillwater, MNwas my drywall installer, and he did a great job. Tomorrow and Tuesday we tape and mud,and Wednesday we sand. By Thursday I’ll be ready to paint. I’m going with a sky blue onthe walls and ceiling. The floor will stay the way it is. The original loft floor was particleboard, and I put one‑eighth inch tempered masonite over that with a layer of material thatMenard’s sells for sound dampening under laminated flooring in between. This stuff is a
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Menard’s sells for sound dampening under laminated flooring in between. This stuff is alight blue color, about 1/16th of an inch thick, and kind of spongy. I put this in to give thefloor a softer feel when walking on it, because I don’t want to carpet. Carpeting is too dustyfor a layout room, and it would make my “roll‑under” feature harder to use.
(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/h17600021.jpg)
This is the most open this room will ever be, so I’m enjoying all the space while I can! Afterpainting sky blue, I’ll start installing the untempered masonite backdrop. I’ll use theuntempered material because is it is easier to bend into the corners. This coving hides thecorner of the room, and gives the layout more depth. I’m also going to cove the background onthe short wall as it runs up to the first row of lights on the ceiling. This horizontal curve willhelp to hide the fact that the north wall is so short. I’m not sure what I’m going to do wherethis curve meets the vertical curve at the northeast and northwest corners. Ideally, I would liketo create some kind of compound curve. I guess I’ll just play that one as I come to it.
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Track Plan for the D,D&SRR
Posted in Planning on February 29, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
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(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/screen‑shot‑2012‑03‑25‑at‑11‑44‑56‑pm.png)As work progresses on the loft space, I keep ge⸀ጅing be⸀ጅer ideas for the track plan. The thoughtthat I will certainly be, some day in the not too distant future, commi⸀ጅing this plan to realitycan bring all kinds of things to light. Today I totally redesigned the town and rail facilities atDurango. I realized that the area of the plan that I might have to reach into the most often, theyard, was the furthest area from the edge of the layout. (See older drawings below) This didnʹtmake sense, so I brought it forward to within two feet of the edge, easily within reach of the 0‑5‑0 switcher. I also put one of those li⸀ጅle hand operated trolley turntables next to the stationlike the ones that are used in San Fransisco where the lines terminate by the waterfront. You
can click on this photo to enlarge it.
Hi Railfans,
Here is a recent version of the track plan. I have used a program called Empire Express to dothe drawings. It works well on my MAC, and has as many features as I need, without being toocomplicated. I keep working over the plan to conform to prototype practice, as my researchcontinues. If you have seen earlier versions of the plan, you will notice some changes. If youare looking at the plan for the first time, the total space is 23 feet by 10 feet, and the li⸀ጅle graysquares on the plan are one square foot each. The scale is On30, which means it is O Scale (1/4″to the foot), but runs on HO Scale track, which represents 2.5 gauge or “narrow gauge” in OScale.
If this is the first version you are looking at, my railroad, the Denver, Durango & Silverton, willbe modeled on the narrow gauge operations of the Denver & Rio Grande Western and the RioGrande Southern in the southern part of Colorado. These narrow gauge lines flourished in thelate 1800s, and gradually died out in the mid 1900s, as the resources they carried, primarilylumber and silver and gold ore, decreased. The advent of be⸀ጅer highways to serve these areasalso contributed to their demise. Some sections of the line are still run as tourist railroads,notably the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, and the Cumbres and Toltec ScenicRailroad.
My railroad will model the line from Durango up to Silverton, about a 45 mile run through theamazingly beautiful Animas River Canyon. I will also have an off‑line hidden return helix thatwill lead to a hidden yard representing Denver if entered from an eastbound direction, orFarmington, New Mexico, if entered from a westbound direction. Basic traffic on my line willcome from Denver to the yard at Durango. From there trains can go on to the yard at Silverton,or run through to Farmington. Return trips go the other way. The locals will serve the variouson‑line industries, as well as taking loads and empties between Durango and Silverton or toDenver and Farmington. The mines and the lumber camp will be served by (2) li⸀ጅle 0‑4‑0 and
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Denver and Farmington. The mines and the lumber camp will be served by (2) li⸀ጅle 0‑4‑0 and0‑4‑2 Porter steam engines. I also have (2) two‑truck Shays that will bring logs down toDurango from the lumber camp. Two other Porters will serve as yard goats, and the main linewill be served by two 4‑6‑0 Moguls, two 2‑8‑0 Consolidations, and a 4‑4‑0 American. A newlypurchased DCC/Sound Porter will replace one of my old non‑sound Porters. Eventually thegoal is to have all locomotives equipped with DCC and sound. The larger locomotives willhandle the local duties, and the run to Denver and Farmington. These lines also carriedpassengers, mostly miners and tourists, so I will be modeling the D&RGW’s famous San JuanExpress, a short train for passengers, mail, and small shipments that can fit in the baggageexpress car. Eventually I will be running two sections of this train each day, one Eastboundand one Westbound.
One unusual feature of the layout will be what I am called a “roll‑under”. As opposed to thetraditional “duck‑under”, access to the west (or right hand) side of the layout on the plan willbe via some kind of a seat on rollers that goes under the central cross‑over section.
The small numbers in parentheses on the plan refer to reference photos I have in digital filesthat I use for modeling. See the posts on the Reference Photos for Plan Sections.
I hope you enjoy looking at this, and I welcome comments. You can enlarge photos by clickingon them.
(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/9‑8‑11‑layout185.jpg)Town of Durango, railroad yard, entrance to helix to Farmington.
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(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/9‑8‑11‑layout186.jpg)Center roll‑under section between Durango and Silverton representing the Animas RiverCanyon. This area will be rendered to be viewed from both sides.
(h⸀ጅps://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/9‑8‑11‑layout184.jpg)Silverton and Cascade Canyon Lumber Camp area of layout.
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Hidden Return Yard
February 29, 2012 by markpaulson
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A hidden return yard, or “staging” yard, as it is sometimes called in model railroad circles,functions as an imaginary distant place, or places, which are not rendered on the visible part ofyour layout. You can then send trains to these towns, and receive shipments from them inreturn, which increases your operational possibilities. Some layouts, called “point‑to‑point”layouts, use one or more hidden staging yards in separate places, under the layout, or in otherrooms. Others, called “run‑through”, or “continuous running” layouts, use double endedstaging yards like the one I have designed. This enables the operator to set up one or moretrains to run in circles, as it were, around the layout for simple train‑watching, and have othertrains “waiting in the wings” to make their “entrances upon the stage”. Funny how theatrelanguage applies to model railroading. The length of the run, and the route, are determined bythe design of the visible part of the layout plus the hidden section. Originally, I was going touse two helixes at opposite ends of the route to represent a yard at Denver, and one at Chama,New Mexico. After further consideration, I made two changes. Since in the real world, Chamais located between Denver and Durango, I changed the Chama yard to the Farmington, NewMexico, yard, which is further West and South of Durango. The other change involveddesigning just one larger yard with double ended access, which can receive and dispatch trainsin both directions. This makes a continuous run on my layout possible, although it still uses theoriginal two helixes. Here are track plans, in the same format as the visible track plans, whichshow the helixes and the hidden track for the yard. Although I say “hidden”, for convenientaccess this track is as close to the front edge of the layout as I can make it, and it is only 13inches below the lowest level on the main layout.
Images may be enlarged by clicking on them.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/9‑8‑11‑st‑yard‑design188.jpg)
Another really big advantage of this change is that I can get rid of two return loops. Returnloops, or areas where locomotives can return to track that is of the opposite polarity than thetrack on which they are running, are challenging and expensive to wire and operate, and thefewer of them on the layout the be⸀ጅer. My two turntables still constitute “return loops”,because the locomotives are turned around, and put back on track running in the oppositedirection.
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(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/9‑8‑11‑st‑yard‑design189.jpg)
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/9‑8‑11‑st‑yard‑design187.jpg)
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Reference Photos for Plan Section 3
February 29, 2012 by markpaulson
2. Inverted Box Girder Bridge.
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(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/256251393_yearu‑m.jpg)
This is known as the High Line Bridge on the D&SNGRR. I don’t know if it’s the correctterminology, but I refer to bridges like this as inverted box girder, because the box girdersupport system is below the tracks. A standard box girder bridge is one where the train travelsthrough (not over) the girder support system. After collecting numerous photos of this bridge,I found one of the wooden bridge that it replaced (below), so I’ll probably do the woodenversion.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/high‑bridge231.jpg)
9. Sand House.
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(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/chama‑sand‑house‑west‑1995‑tlhprn.jpg)
This is the sand house, as it still exists, at Chama, New Mexico. I will be modeling this facilityin at least one of my two yards. Steam locomotives carried sand in a dome on top of theboiler. When the driving wheels needed extra traction, the sand was fed through small tubesdown to just in front of the driving wheels, and released on to the rail heads. Diesel‑electriclocomotives still use this method of ge⸀ጅing traction on slippery rails.
10. Ash Pit.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/images1.jpg)
Coal burning steam locomotives produce ash in their fireboxes, and this needs to be emptied. If the fire in an engine was left burning overnight (banked), so that the engine would be readyto go in the morning, one of the first tasks of the hostler was to pull the locomotive over the ashpit and rake out the grate at the bo⸀ጅom of the firebox. Cleaning this was necessary to provideproper ventilation for the fire. Wood burning locomotives did not generate as much ash as coalburners, and what did occur either went out the stack or down on to the tracks. Is it anywonder that wood burners often caused fires along the right of way! Ash pits were locatednear the engine storage facilities in yards. Some of the coal would form “clinkers” as it burned,and these would be used to ballast the yard tracks (see right area of photo).
10B. Coaling Tower
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(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/463tower.jpg)
This is the sand house and coaling tower complex at Chama. These two facilities were oftenlocated near each other in the engine servicing area of railroad yards. The coal tower at Chamahas been “modeled to death”, and exists on just about everyone’s layouts, no ma⸀ጅer wherethey are set. Having said that, it is a beautiful structure, and the D&RGW built others thatwere similar at a number of its towns. Before it was torn down in the late 1960s, there was anidentical one to this at Durango.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/coal6.jpg)
I will probably use the method shown above for delivering coal to the tower. A drop‑bo⸀ጅomgondola full of coal is set out over a grid on a slightly raised section of track. The coal goesdown through the track, and is collected by the coaling tower elevator bucket. The bucketcarries it up to the top of the tower, where it is released into storage bins to be gravity fed to thelocomotive tenders.
12. Small Engine House (Silverton).
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(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/oue0interiorpic.jpg)
I will probably scratch‑build some version of this type of engine house for Silverton, becausespace up there is very limited.
13. Single Stall Engine House (Lumber Camp).
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/steve_engine_shed040.jpg)
I think something like this would look good in the lumber camp. The open side provides anice look into the interior of the shop.
15. Small Temporary Bridge at Lumber Camp.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/log‑bridge006.jpg)Since track in the cu⸀ጅing areas of lumber camps only needed to remain in place as long as it
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Since track in the cu⸀ጅing areas of lumber camps only needed to remain in place as long as ittook to remove the trees, it was constructed as simply and quickly as possible, as this li⸀ጅletemporary bridge demonstrates. I’ll use something like this in one area of my lumber camp.
16. Lumber Camp Workers’ Quarters.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/207‑01.jpg)
Lumber workers lived and ate right in the camps. Often the structures were built small enoughto be moved on rail cars to new locations.
19. Animas River.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/along‑the‑animas‑river.jpg)
The Animas River Gorge is the most beautiful part of the Durango & Silverton Narrow GaugeRR. My central “roll‑under” will a⸀ጅempt to recreate some of this gorgeous right of way.
20. Snowy Area.
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(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/4944‑1262751584.jpg)
In the mountains, particularly at higher elevations, snowfalls can occur into the late spring orcome early in the fall. I have so many trees left over from the Christmas Train layout that havesnow on them. The snow can’t be removed, and it seems a shame to throw them out, so theonly solution is to incorporate a li⸀ጅle bit of a snowy area on my new layout, so there will beone li⸀ጅle corner, high above the lumber camp, where trains will travel through a winterwonderland like the one pictured in this early fall snow scene here.
22. Yard Tracks.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/durango‑yard‑1965038.jpg)
Railroad yards were areas where freight and passenger cars were assembled into trains, andlocomotives could be stored and serviced. They were almost always fairly flat, and quite oftenhad darker track ballast because the clinkers from the ash pits were a handy substance. Sometimes, especially on narrow gauge lines, there were areas where grass and weeds grew upbetween the rails. My layout will have two yards, one at Durango, and one at Silverton. Yardsare an integral part of model railroads built to operate with a purpose. This is a photo of theactual yard at Durango.
27. Tunnel Portals.
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(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/7769‑1215977319.jpg)
Tunneling was the technique of last resort for railroads because of the time and labor involved. Railroads preferred to run their trains as near to level ground as possible. In mountainousterrain, that often meant using small cuts and fills, or trestles and bridges if there was waterinvolved. Culverts under the tracks and through the fill also served to keep the tracks andballast dry. Most tunnels had to have tunnel portals and tunnel liners to keep falling rocks offthe tracks, but in areas where the rock surrounding the tunnel bore was hard and stableenough, no tunnel portal at all was necessary, like the one pictured above. This is on theCumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, and is appropriately called “Rock Tunnel”.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/wooc1154.jpg)
This is a typical wooden tunnel portal, designed to keep the mouth of the tunnel open, andfalling rocks from the surrounding mountain at bay.
29. Water Tower.
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(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/1973‑1253224687.jpg)
The D&RGW had distinctive water towers with slightly tapered sides. The rooves weresometimes round, and sometimes octagonal.
29B. Lumber Camp Water Tank.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/d241_f_1.jpg)
30. Low Water Crossing.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/durango_maintop001.jpg)
Just outside of Silverton, the D&SNGRR crosses a shallow section of the Animas River. Thiscrossing is effected on a series of very low trestle bents, and short pylons consisting of rockenclosed in wooden boxes made from railroad tie sized timbers. In the area to the right in PlanSection 3, which I may wind up calling Cascade Canyon, there are three rail crossings of theAnimas River, each lower than the one behind it. This would be the nature of the lowestcrossing.
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Reference Photos for Plan Section 2
February 29, 2012 by markpaulson
1. Curved steel trestle (#4 not used)
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/koenig1.jpg)
Curved steel trestles like this one which suggests the famous Georgetown Loop were used toreplace wooden trestles in the late 1800s. They were often composed of varying sections, asthis one is. Here we see a combination of plate girder and truss construction supported onsteel piers.
5. Small Howe truss bridges
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/tb_straddle2.jpg)
This is very similar to the Hermosa Creek bridge on the Durango & Silverton. I have built amodel of this bridge. See post on same in list.
6. King Post (top) and Queen Post (bo⸀ጅom) truss bridges
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(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/king‑post‑truss.jpg)
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/queen.jpg)
I have built two identical Queen Post Truss bridges from one balsa wood kit from Australia. See post for miscellaneous bridges.
7. Wood Trestle bridge
What narrow gauge (or standard gauge western railroad for that ma⸀ጅer) would be completewithout one of these beautifully crafted wood trestle bridges. They were used in the early daysof western railroading, because wood was plentiful, construction techniques were sound, andthey were relatively quick to build. They came in all sizes depending on the area that neededto be crossed.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/small‑trestle0341.jpg)
14. The High Line Curve
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(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/durango_silverton_narrow_gauge_railroad_colorado.jpg)
This section of the route between Durango and Silverton is famous for its beautiful scenery,incredible engineering feat in construction, and considerable cost to put together. With the linelocated 400 vertical feet above the Animas River, workers were lowered over the top of the hillon lines to blast and dig a narrow shelf for the railroad. The cost of this effort, in 1882, wasover $1,000. a foot. When prices for new locomotives averaged only $4,500. each, the D&RGWcould have bought a new engine for every four and one‑half feet of track they laid here. Thisscenic highlight will be featured on the “roll‑under” section in the middle of my layout.
Silverton, Colorado
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/20080517w_silvertonview01.jpg)
Silverton, Colorado, is a small town high in the San Juan mountains (just over 9300 feet) thatstarted its existence in 1860 with Charles Baker’s discovery of gold in the area. However, itwasn’t until the 1873 treaty with the local Native American tribe, the Utes, that the area wasopened to se⸀ጅlement. Even then, being in the high mountains without any easy route tomarket, large‑scale mining wasn’t practical. However, a wagon road in opened in 1879provided some access, and prospectors quickly realized the potential held by the area – not inthe gold originally sought by Baker, but primarily in silver, hence the town’s name. I’ll onlyhave room to model the railroad facilities at Silverton, but I hope to get some of the sense of thegrandeur of the place in my curved corner background. Silverton is about 45 miles due northof Durango.
17. Mining structure…..shown here: the tipple, head frame, hoist house, and bull wheel at the
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17. Mining structure…..shown here: the tipple, head frame, hoist house, and bull wheel at thetop of the head frame. I will be using my low‑side gondolas to carry this ore to Denver, ratherthan the high side gon shown here. If I can manage the space, there were eventually smelterslocated in Durango, and even in Silverton, but for operational purposes, having to ship the oreto Denver is good.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/6123.jpg)
17B. This photo shows a typical western mine entrance with timber shoring, and a track for(probably) hand‑pushed mining cars. These cars usually tipped into a facility with a slopedfloor that slid the ore into an open gondola. I’ll be using one of my small Porter locomotives tomove these gondolas around in the mining area.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/544978791_241bbc4281.jpg)
I think I’ll model this li⸀ጅle water wagon some where in the mining area.
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(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/739269695_gzgjh‑l1.jpg)
18. The helix to Denver/Farmington hidden return yard….is located under Silverton. The oneto Farmington will be located under the Durango yard. A helix is used to take trains up ordown grade without using a lot of lateral run space. Helixes are always out of sight, becausenothing like this exists in the real world of railroading.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/helix.jpg)
21. Plate Girder Deck Bridge…..A plate girder bridge is a bridge supported by two or moreplate girders. These can be placed above and to the sides of the tracks, as shown here, or underthe rails and ties. These are quite common, even today, so keep an eye out for them as youdrive around. The plate girders are typically I‑beams made up from separate structural steelplates (rather than rolled as a single cross‑section), which are welded or, in older bridges,bolted or riveted together to form the vertical web and horizontal flanges of the beam. Railroads sometimes used rounded corners on the bridges or sometimes left them square. Iwill have at least one bridge of this type on my layout.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/images.jpg)
23. Snow Shed…..In mountainous areas, snow could seriously affect winter operations.
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23. Snow Shed…..In mountainous areas, snow could seriously affect winter operations. Average snowfall along some stretches of the track was just more than the rotary snow plowcould handle. There were also areas where snow slides (avalanches) could be predicted tohappen every year. In that case, wooden snow sheds were built over the tracks to keep themclear in heavy snows.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/m_375_out_of_shed.jpg)
24. The Silverton Station…..There isn’t even as much room here as there was in Durango for astation, but you can hardly have a railroad town without one. Pictured below is the real stationat Silverton.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/5222‑12242213991.jpg)
…..and here is a compressed (model) version of it, although they didn’t use the rightwindows…..anyway, it’s interesting, and about all I would have room for, although I couldsave room by modeling a combination depot/freight house in one building.
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(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/1393121262pola‑silverton‑stn.gif)
29C. This Engine House, or something like it, would service the mine Porter. Here is oneshown with a Porter inside.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/20091023142930_enginehouse9.jpg)
33. Sawmill at the Lumber Camp…..Sawmills are always interesting structures, and I figure,although most of the timber is sent to Denver, they might have a small mill here for cu⸀ጅinglogs to dimension lumber for local use. It also makes for another kind of load to ship from thelumber camp….flatcars with cut lumber. One item that mills provided in this area was ties forthe railroads.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/laurelvalleysawmill.jpg)
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Reference Photos for Plan Section 1
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February 29, 2012 by markpaulson
Because of the limited space for photos (without paying extra) on this blog, I have a short list ofe‑mail addresses of people who would like the complete set of reference photos I havecollected. I will do the same for the construction articles, as I post them. The blog will contain asummary, but I will send complete step‑by‑step photos to those who request them. You maycontact me by using the comment area of this blog.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/463tower.jpg)
Ref. # 9. This coal tower and sand house currently exist at Chama, New Mexico, on theCumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. In the la⸀ጅer half of the days of steam locomotives, theprimary fuel was coal. Oil was also used in some areas. Wood was the original fuel. Coalingtowers, of one style or another, existed all over the country. There have been multiple modelsof this facility released over the years, and they have found their way on to model pikes thataren’t set anywhere near New Mexico. Despite the fact that this is a commonly modelededifice, I like it, and will probably scratch‑build one like it for the yard in Durango on theDD&SRR. Actually, my research shows that the coaling tower at Durango was originally verysimilar to the existing Chama tower.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/1816.jpg)
Ref. #10. Before leaving on a run, steam locomotives emptied their fireboxes of the ashes of thespent coal or wood they used for fuel, by parking over an ash pit. If it was coal ash (cinders) itwas commonly used for ballasting around yard tracks (see right section of photo above).
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(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/eh‑two‑stall.gif)
Ref. # 11. I don’t have room for a roundhouse at my Durango. The original was a hugestructure, so I’m going to go with a couple of smaller engine houses, which are just asinteresting to model and view. Here is a possibility for a two‑stall engine house made of woodconstruction.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/oue0interiorpic.jpg)
Engine house interiors are fun to model, too, and can be viewed with removable rooves.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/vlmco_new_porter017.jpg)
Ref. # 16C. Most of the lumber felled on the DD&SRR will be shipped directly to Denver on flat
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Ref. # 16C. Most of the lumber felled on the DD&SRR will be shipped directly to Denver on flatcars, but at the suggestion of a friend and fellow rail‑fan, I am incorporating a log transferfacility to ship some logs by water. These were simply a sloped wooden ramp that came to theheight of the flat‑car bed, and some kind of rig for pushing the logs off the flat‑car and downthe ramp into the river, or pond next to the sawmill. Granted, the real Animas River south ofDurango would probably not be deep enough to do this, but any excuse for another industryon a model railroad is good enough. I like the photos of these where the tracks go out ontrestles over the actual river.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/along‑the‑animas‑river.jpg)
Ref. # 19. The Animas River valley that the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroadfollows between Durango and Silverton is one of the most beautiful railroad rides in the world.It was pictures of this route that first drew my a⸀ጅention to modeling this area. I have numerousDVDs that I will be using for reference pictures, but here is one photo of the Kind of scenery Iwill be modeling. A large portion of the edge of the layout will terminate in the middle of theriver, so I can model at least one bank of it.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/cabooselayout1bl8.jpg)
Ref. # 22. The caboose track was a short yard track where cabooses were stored to be added tothe ends of trains after they were made up by the yard switcher. I’ll probably have two to threecabooses available in the yards at both Durango and Silverton for this purpose. Most D&RGWcabooses that I have seen are the three‑window type, shown here, or the shorter “bobber” typewith one or two side windows.
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(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/rtr_durango.gif)
Ref. #24. The real passenger station at Durango, like the roundhouse, was way too large for meto fit into my railroad, so I’ll be making some kind of compressed version of it. My freighthouses will be separate facilities, so I don’t have to park freight cars on the main line in front ofthe depot.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/bmw‑138a.jpg)
Ref. #25. Here is a picture of a model of a typical stock pen like the one found at Durango.Sheep and ca⸀ጅle were the main commodities shipped from these facilities, and you can seehow they were kept separated. I like this one because it is complete, yet small….perfect for thespace I have available.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/kit‑15_16_17‑230.jpg)
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/kit9‑7001.jpg)
Ref. #25B. I tunneled a portion of the track behind Durango so I can model a li⸀ጅle of the actualtown. I’ll be using building flats at the rear‑most locations (buildings with just the front sidesrendered), but I want to incorporate at least some streets and three dimensional buildings.Most buildings on O‑Scale layouts have to yield to extreme compression like these, but that
gives them a unique character, and almost theatrical quality, that you don’t find in other scales.
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gives them a unique character, and almost theatrical quality, that you don’t find in other scales.Buildings are a major determiner of time period, and I haven’t set a precise year for myrailroad, yet, but I know I want to have some early automobile traffic, and some residual horsedrawn vehicles.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/20701.jpg)
Ref. #26. The freight house was the earliest inter‑modal facility. Usually located in the vicinity(if not the actual structure) of the passenger station, the freight house was the destination of alot of LCL (less than car‑load) deliveries. One side of the house had a dock for rail cars, and theother was set up to allow trucks or horse‑drawn wagons to load. There was usually also anoffice of some sort for keeping track of the comings and goings of the shipments.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/7769‑1215977319.jpg)
Ref. #27. Sometimes if the rock was self‑supporting enough, railroads simply left the tunnelbore and opening with no other structure, like this one on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic RR,appropriately named “Rock Tunnel”. More often, however, some kind of timber, stone orconcrete portal and tunnel infrastructure was required to keep material from the mountainfrom falling on to the tracks. See photo below of “Mud Tunnel”, also on the Cumbres & ToltecScenic RR.
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(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/toltec‑mud‑tunnel‑west‑portal‑1995‑tlhprn.jpg)
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/4717‑1239425725.jpg)
Ref. # 28. There will be a turntable in both the Durango and the Silverton yards, probably verysimilar to the one pictured above. Locomotives needed to be turned to return to their points oforigin, or to be serviced, or stored in the engine house overnight. Railroads used several meansof doing this, including what was known as a “wye”, which was a roughly triangular section oftrack with tails. The locomotive would switch on to one leg of the wye, and go to the tailingtrack, a second switch would be thrown which would allow the locomotive to follow the otherleg of the wye, and by the time it switched back on to the main line, it was facing the oppositedirection from the way it started out. Model operations on a wye are interesting to watch, butunfortunately they take up a lot of real estate. The turntable is the most compact way ofturning model locomotives around.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/1973‑1253224687.jpg)
Ref. #29. Water was an essential ingredient in making steam locomotives run. Water towers
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Ref. #29. Water was an essential ingredient in making steam locomotives run. Water towerscome in all shapes and sizes, so if you are modeling a specific railroad, you will usually havesome distinctive style from which to make your selection. I’ll have water towers in at least fourplaces, the Durango and Silverton yards, the lumber camp, and the mining district. I may evenincorporate one or two along the main line like the one pictured above. Steam locomotivescould not go very long without filling up their tenders with water.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/angled.jpg)
Ref. #32. I have heard of some fruits and vegetables being shipped out of this region that wouldhave needed refrigeration, but certainly some incoming food stuffs bound for Silverton wouldhave had to have their refrigeration refreshed at Durango along the way. And another industrywhere cars can be delivered is always an asset to a working model railroad.
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Layout Lighting
February 29, 2012 by markpaulson
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(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/h1770002.jpg)The taping and mudding of the sheet‑rock is finished now, and the preliminary painting isdone. I chose two different sky blue tones from the same paint sample card. The one for theceiling is a li⸀ጅle darker, because the sky is a darker blue right overhead than at the horizon.I havenʹt bothered to finish the painting in the corners, because they will all be covered by
the coving process.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/h1770001.jpg)Here is the way Iʹm going to do this. Iʹve glued and screwed two one inch by four foot strips of1/8th inch tempered masonite to the wall. The lower strip is 12 inches from the corner between
the wall and the ceiling. The upper strip is 15 inches from that same corner.
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(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/h1770007.jpg)After a sufficient time for the glue behind the hard masonite strips to set up, Iʹve taken a 2 footby 4 foot sheet of untempered masonite, and popped it into place between the other two strips.Iʹve used the untempered masonite for this because it is softer, and bends be⸀ጅer. This forms anice curve, and needs no other form of support. Next Iʹll take some sheet rock mud and create a
smooth joint in the area of the one inch strips.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/h1760001.jpg)After several days of hard work, the drywall is in place. Eric Danielson of Stillwater, MNwas my drywall installer, and he did a great job. Tomorrow and Tuesday we tape and mud,and Wednesday we sand. By Thursday I’ll be ready to paint. I’m going with a sky blue onthe walls and ceiling. The floor will stay the way it is. The original loft floor was particleboard, and I put one‑eighth inch tempered masonite over that with a layer of material thatMenard’s sells for sound dampening under laminated flooring in between. This stuff is alight blue color, about 1/16th of an inch thick, and kind of spongy. I put this in to give thefloor a softer feel when walking on it, because I don’t want to carpet. Carpeting is too dusty
for a layout room, and it would make my “roll‑under” feature harder to use.
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(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/h17600021.jpg)This is the most open this room will ever be, so Iʹm enjoying all the space while I can! Afterpainting sky blue, Iʹll start installing the untempered masonite backdrop. Iʹll use the
untempered material because is it is easier to bend into the corners. This coving hides thecorner of the room, and gives the layout more depth. Iʹm also going to cove the background onthe short wall as it runs up to the first row of lights on the ceiling. This horizontal curve will
help to hide the fact that the north wall is so short. Iʹm not sure what Iʹm going to do where thiscurve meets the vertical curve at the northeast and northwest corners. Ideally, I would like to
create some kind of compound curve. I guess Iʹll just play that one as I come to it.
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(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/h1760004.jpg)Iʹll have to remove this fixture tomorrow for the taping/mudding process, but this is what thefinished lighting will look like. This neat li⸀ጅle appliance allows the light bulb to swivel and tilt,
giving me a range of opportunities to highlight different areas of the layout.
I have a special challenge that basement layouts generally don’t have to deal with. Myoverhead space is extremely limited. Any lighting or valances that would descend from analready low ceiling would be a real obstacle for operators. When I met with my electrician, wedecided to go with recessed can‑type fixtures. There are some that will allow the bulb to aimedin a variety of directions. I want to be able to highlight scenes around the layout. I also want tobe able to dim the lighting for night time operation. Since incandescent bulbs are being phasedout nationwide, I am looking at dimmable flourescents or dimmable LED bulbs. I’ll have moreto write later when I get into installing my backdrops, but I have plans to use colored ropelights behind the mountains to simulate horizon sky color. In the theatre, we use red, greenand blue (the primaries in light) to light sky backdrops. By mixing the intensities of these threeprimary colors, any color in the rainbow can be achieved.
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(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/east‑end321.jpg)East end of the layout. The orange lines indicate the location of the ceiling joists. There isroom between these to install the can lighting fixtures, which are represented by the redcircles.
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(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/center322.jpg)Central section of the layout. I’ve located the cans (red circles) directly over areas that Iwant to highlight, so that I am not depending on the bulbs being able to swivel too far.
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(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/west‑end323.jpg)West end of the layout.
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(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/h1730003.jpg)Update: Progress on the lighting. Last Sunday I worked with the electricians, and we got alot of the wiring done. This photo shows the can fixtures on the West end of the room for 11of the 21 layout lights. I’ll be using dimmable flourescents in these. They have about a 2:1ratio on the beam spread (width of beam: distance from bulb). I considered using thenewer, and brighter, LED bulbs, but aside from their nearly $40. apiece cost, their beamspread is only about 1:1, and some of my throws are as short as two to three feet.
(h⸀ጅp://markpaulson.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/h1730001.jpg)Here are the other 10 fixtures on the East end of the room. We are wiring the room withtwo 20 Amp circuits for the DCC train control, and two 15 Amp circuits for the lighting.There will also be a separate circuit for a small baseboard heater along the south wall(under the mining area). Things are coming together quickly now. The electricians willfinish March 4th. Another layer of R‑19 insulation will be installed in the ceiling, and underthe floor (making two layers in each area) on March 6th. Between March 7th and March10th, the drywall work will be completed. Then I’ll be ready to paint and start installing thebackdrop.
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10th, the drywall work will be completed. Then I’ll be ready to paint and start installing thebackdrop.
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