GM&O 711

I see your geep is appropriately weathered quite hard... can we see a close up?

Even if it is HO

I am an ICG fan, so I'll be watching intently.

Have you shared a potential track plan or Given's and Druthers list with us yet?

Close up and other blog threads

I'll see if I have a decent shot of 711 somewhere, or will take a new one for you.   It is a 'stock' Atlas GP38 with details added and a tsunami 645 in it.....sounds nice.  

There should be a signature line on this post that has the main page of my blogs.   More info there with track plan and proto info.

new shot of 711

only shot I got before the camera died 

Rough out of the hump apex

Hump apex to the right.   The furthest 3 tracks will be cut back and raised to meet the hump.   Retarder will be to the left.

The hump ramp up will curve to the right....even though the prototype is straight....it doesn't have a wall to avoid.

For prototype shots, go to my other blog page:  https://forum.mrhmag.com/post/the-prototype-illinois-central-gulf-st-louis-district-circa-1979-12195985

Bit of humor

What do you do when you want to expand your yard?????   Before:

during:

TaDaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa:

Wish I had that much room

new post

Ta Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaa......   The one thing that has been holding me up on construction is over.....

Today I took my Cisco CCNA(cisco network admin) certification exam and scored 972 out of 1000.   Yay me.  Sorry to be so self-grandizing, but I think it is a big deal.  Plus, on May 19th I start my new IT job at city of O'fallon IL.   Things are going great.   Now, back to the basement for real work.   Tonight.....played with thinning craft acrylic paints, and then on to seeing how to fit Sergent couplers to a Tangent 4740 hopper.   Part way there, will test tomorrow.   Yay me?   

Test of track weathering....

Still working on proper tie coloring, but think I have my standard for rail color pretty much down.   This shot is handlaid code 70.   Most of the new trackage will all be Micro Engineering code 70 flex.  Should look even better than this with the big arse spike heads.

Not too bad if I do say so myself.

Top of the hump to you.....

Couple shots of the top section of the hump.    Aren't you always supposed to start by putting the tortoise on first?

Step 2, add in a prepainted and weathered turnout(the hump will be the only place with #4 turnouts)....

and ta daa!.....the top of the hump with the runaround track for the trimmer engine.....eventually there will be a scale on the left end inside the turnout....per the prototype.

doesn't look like much, but its the first track nailed down(not counting the half of the yard screwed down last weekend) on the new layout.   this is not the location of the hump, it will be to the right of the yard section in back.   Then to tie in to the retarder(not built yet) and the ladders coming to the bowl tracks.   At least its exciting for me....

franken-yard

The pieces are all screwed down except for the top of the hump.   This shot is from the 'north' end of B yard looking back to where the hump will be on the left side.  To the right of the existing trackage will be the southbound main and arrival/departure track.    The northbound main is the track up against the wall.  Time to hook up the DCC and run switchers back and forth for the first time since the old layout came down.

Moving Forward

This is the benchwork for New A yard on out to the end of yard limits.

The next shot shows the chunk of old layout used for the New A Yard and where the mains join up to go up Belleville hill.  Hope to put down the yard tracks within the week.

Starting to make progress

Have roughed in the corner around A yard heading to New A yard and to the main to the south.

the first bit of main is to the bottomj left.  The rightmost curve is the southbound main heading into New A yard.   The hump is to the left(cluttered right now).   First time I ever curved Micro Engineering code 70 flex that had already been painted....it doesn't like to go very fast, but with patience....

a fairly smooth 30 Inch radius curve.

Finally, out at Church, which is where the northbound and southbound mains(that go on each side of the yards) join up, then go across Hiway 157 and the creek before starting up Belleville hill:  this shows where the creek support is.   It is also significant in that the creek is where we switch from old construction(parts of the old layout) that were build traditionally with homasote flat on plywood, to new construction....super light, homasote spline roadbed on 1 x 4 cross-beams.

Enough for tonight.  Fitting the main will be where it starts getting tricky as I have to lay in some turnouts that I don't necessarily have all the parts to.

caboose