Rutland Yard Facilities under construction

The Roundhouse under construction with the boiler shop and car shop behind it!  I plan on installing a backdrop with building flats against it representing the city of Rutland.  

When finished the roundhouse will have a total of 12 stalls.  The roof panels are glued together in threes but, have yet to be attached.  Still a bit of painting to do to give the roof a nice weathered look.   The turntable is the Walthers 130' table a whole lot bigger than what the Rutland used.  I figured the larger turntable would come in handy for turning some larger locomotives like D&H challengers.   

The walls were painted grey then dry brushed with various reds and browns and some black for the brick color. 

Here are two Walthers Cornerstone coal towers in the process of being kitbashed into a representation of the tower the Rutland used.  

The track work is still in the process of being completed with a total of 10 to 12 tracks capable of holding 15 to 20 freight cars.  A passenger station was located across from the shops!  I plan on building a mock up to see how it will fit into the track arrangement.  

The Rutland's boiler shop and car shops had a few more tracks with larger buildings than what is modeled. I opted for less structure real estate in favor of more Yard tracks.  The Rutland had two transfer tables in the yard the one here and another one that was located further North or to the left of these two buildings in the photo.  The second transfer table was for the passenger coach shop!  Due to space the coach shop might be modeled minus the second transfer table.   

THE PLAN

The construction phase

Using the yard plan above, I was able to determine how much space I needed and what I would be able to fit into the space I have.  The shape of the layout was first put down using masking tape on the floor then measurements taken to transfer to the plywood.  

Placement of the turntable and the transfer table were crucial for the entire design.  

The first of three sections to be raised off of the floor.  The layout is being designed with the ability to be taken apart and moved to a new location. 

What a mess this is!  

It seems like it will take forever to get some trains running. 

Greg

Nice

Looks nice, Skwiggy, I'll be following your progress. Well done so far.

Roy

Rutland Yard

Fantastic.  The work you've completed is first class. I'm contemplating a locomotive yard and this would be a new venture for me.  Where do you get the plans for the round house and locomotive buildings?

Walters Cornerstone Kits

A great start.  

A great start.

Welcome back Squiggy!

Nice to see your yard progressing.  The roundhouse walls are especially convincing brick - I like the idea of starting grey (I presume for your motor color) and then working up to red.  Any chance we can get a photo post or video of that at some point?

I LIKE IT!

Very nice work so far, waiting for more...

transfer table

You might find one @ M.B. Kline (modeltrainstuff.com) They are becoming scarce they even have an extension for a longer transfer table .I believe the price is 169.00 U.S. but don't quote me.

                                                                                           Have Fun

Thanks Roy

Thanks Roy,  

   I  finally have a roundhouse big enough to house all the 2-8-0' s that have been created.

Plans for the Yard

Hey Jim,

  The plans for the yard come straight out of the "Rutland 60 Years of Trying" series of books by  R. W. Nimke!  The book series included large maps and measurements including actual lengths of the actual tracks.  

I initially used the roundhouse floor pieces put together to see how much room and the best location for it to accommodate.  This started out on the floor and then I used masking tape to create the rough outline of the layout.  With a whole bunch of measurements I determined that a diagonal design from wall to wall with an area to operate it from the back corner.  This design however makes it so I have to duck underneath to get to the corner.  

I have always been fascinated by locomotive facilities and roundhouses.  For planning your own yard I would look into the yards that your favorite railroad uses.  Pick the best features you want to have and it helps knowing how much room the model structures will take up.  

I never really left just been busy!

Hey Philip,

   I know it had been a while since I posted any new material due to being busy.  You can see the busy part with the start of this blog. 

Yes the grey was airbrushed on for the mortar color.  I think I might be able to post some photos of the process.  I still have to go back and put some more color on the back shop and boiler shop.  That might be a good way to show the process.  Still a whole lot of brick structures to be created in the future.  

Walthers Cornerstone kits

Hey Art,

   I had been collecting all these structures over time because of the cost.  I do know that I made sure to purchase the items when they were on sale.  It was close to possibly $1000.00 but, looking at Walthers website all the structures at the moment can be had for around $800.00.  The transfer table is still available from Walthers and at the moment is on sale.  http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-2968

I have the measurements for the layout and it was put together in three sections that can be easily separated with some minor track removal should it need to be moved.  The longest section is 13 feet 3 feet wide at the shallowest section, 7 feet wide from the wall to the edge behind the rear wall of the roundhouse, and 9 1/2 feet along the side wall.  I have about a three foot reach from the back corner or the front of the layout toward the back corner.  So this gives 6 feet of room for the Yard tracks.  I have the original plan I just need to find it and I can scan it in for a post.  

More of the Layout plus the drop section was added today.

The front wall of the basement with the picture frame showing will have the backdrop installed from corner to the corner with the Radio showing.  I have a large enough opening in the back corner to operate from and will have a second piece of backdrop from the edge right about where the shot glass rack is running to the right side edge of the layout.  

Both structures here will get the overhead traveling cranes installed once Walthers gets those in stock again. 

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3150

The overall layout!  Bent over L.  The layout is contoured allowing for some reach to get to the tracks.  

With a few more sections of track wired up I was able to test out one of the D&H Consolidations on a long stretch of track behind the roundhouse.  

Installed this short extension of the layout today.  This will allow both switching ladders to join together with some room to pull cars out of the tracks for switching.  Since this interferes with the basement steps and a tight squeeze it was created to drop down out of the way.  Another short section will be able to be attached for a few more car lengths of room. 

I used a piano hinge to make this all work with a leg that sort of locks in place.  I think some quick release clamps will make me feel better about running trains out onto this section.  

Rutland Yard

Skiwiggy,

The engine terminal looks great please keep posting updates. I have a engine terminal on my layout that is similar to yours. I will be looking for ideas from you as to finishing mine.

Also I have asked this question on these posts before, but how did you go about getting descriptions between your pictures? i was not able to get this to happen with the answers I got back. HELP!!!!! 

Richard

Description between the photos!

I upload the photos then move the cursor to the right side of the first picture and hit enter to move it down to create the space for writing.  Continue doing this to get your space for descriptions. 

Test train with D&H E5 2-8-0 #1077

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Weathering the transfer table deck and bridge section.

The Walthers transfer table before paint!

The Walthers transfer table after some paint!  I used Poly Scale Paints  dirt, railroad tie brown, UP grey, steam engine black for the deck weathering, rust and weathered black, for the metal bridge section with the railings.  The railings were painted with Floquil aluminum, and the light posts depot green.  

The entire pit has been painted with Poly Scale concrete and will be the next item to add some grime onto. The rails in the pit will receive a coat of rust color to kill the shine.   

Greg

Looks like it's coming along nicely!

Thanks for sharing your journey on a new layout construction.  WE LOVE PICTURES!

R/,

Norm

A steam locomotive takes a ride on the transfer table

The first locomotive to ride the transfer table after being weathered.  

Too Cool

Just too cool, Skwiggy.

Roy

Gregory!

Nice work, Gregory!

Roundhouse Construction and Weathering

To allow for access inside the roundhouse the back sections of roof will be removable.  The white strips are Evergreen #124 styrene glued over the joined together roof sections.  The seams from just gluing the roof together did not look good. 

The strip styrene on the removable sections are offset to overlap to hide the seams.  

I plan on adding detail to the inside so this will allow a good look at whatever might end up inside.  At the moment none of the roof sections are permanently attached so that I can get inside to also add some lighting and weather the concrete floors.   

The roof sections painted with Polyscale weathered black.  

Three more stalls are going to be added giving a total of 12.  I plan on adding the Walthers 3 stall older style roundhouse onto this one. http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3041   

The reason for adding this is to get the look of an original structure that was added onto.  I held out adding the end wall until I knew how I wanted to proceed.  I took the two interior wall sections normally for opposite ends of the kit and mounted them back to back after shaving some of the mounting strips flat so both pieces would be the same thickness as the rest of the walls.  

Below you can see the extreme brightness of the plastic straight out of the box and what can be done after painting the wall sections and dry brushing brick color on.  

To start the process I airbrushed the wall section with Polyscale earth color for the base and mortar color.

Now its ready for some brick color.

I start out using Polyscale special oxide red dry brushed on with a stiff flat brush.  You can pick these up at just about any craft store.  

Dip the brush into the paint and wipe the brush off on a paper towel.    Without pushing hard I move the brush in a circular pattern.  The brick color won't look very dark at first once everything is covered.

 I go back over most of the wall piece a second time before adding the second color of Polyscale D&RGW freight car red.  When I add this and any further colors  it is more random applying it side to side instead of a circular pattern.  Reds, browns yellows, and oranges will allow you to create the proper look you are going for.   The key is not to push so hard on the brush that the paint sinks down into the cracks and is a gentle rub. 

The mortar lines in the Walthers brick are not all that deep and the base color on other manufacturers kits with deeper detail shows up better.  I have gotten better results on Design Preservation Model  plastic walls using the same method.  

The outcome is a wall as grimy as you want.  

Greg

Some styrene + glue and an Xacto blade makes doors.

The three styrene items used to make doors for the back shop and boiler shop. A fourth item was #291 angle strip.

The goal was to be able to open and close the doors on both structures.  The original parts in the Walthers kits only allow for the door detail to be glued permanently in the closed position.  Evergreen styrene # 4062 NOVELTY looked like a good match for aluminum roll up door.  

I combined the Evergreen #263 channel to #175 square strip to make the door track.  I experimented with different heights and settled on 30 scale feet in length that seemed to work the best.  The door track pieces were glued flush with the door openings.  

The new aluminum roll up door sections cut out of the Evergreen #4062 sheet.  The doors are 14 1/2 HO scale feet wide and 18 1/2 scale feet tall.  Some light sanding on the edges was required to get the door pieces to fit in the door track.  I made sure to number each door so that it could match its opening and slide properly.   

The door track in place and door pieces test fit. I noticed i would have a problem trying to open and close the doors due to the lack of something to grab onto.  So that is where the Evergreen # 291 angle strip comes in.  

I glued the angle pieces flush to the bottom of the doors making sure it would fit inside the door opening and not protrude into the area that rides in the track.  This allows for a fingernail to get under to lift the door up when in the closed position and also is used to provide some tension when pushed up to catch on the inside of the model  structures walls.  

A piece of the angle strip was also glued to the back of the door for something to grab onto to get it into the down position. 

I airbrushed the door pieces with Polyscale Aluminum then dry brushed UP grey on for some weathering effects. 

I painted the angle strip at the bottom of the doors inside and out with Polyscale engine black.  The doors have also been coated with AIM products quick age scenery solution then sealed with Floquil flat finish.  

The kits clear window treatment with detail is too thick to be installed and allow for the flush mounting of the doors.  I plan on getting clear styrene sheet and cutting it out to fit and plugging up some of the windows on the building to give it a little bit of broken down needing maintenance look. 

Greg

We have those doors at work.

we have big steel doors at work, one of them is probably the size of two of your doors if you scaled those up. This style of door is a roll up door using a gearing system and an electric motor.  They roll up into a cover just above the door.  You wouldn't see those doors coming up above the second floor windows.  I know you had to compromise.  Looks great closed.

I wonder, if you printed a set of doors that could be rolled up on an axle by an electric motor and put a weight bar across the bottom if it would function?  You could even add sound as these roll up doors are noisy.

Den