The Track Plans

Edited to show current plans. 2020-03-21 - Added latest module view and overall plan view.

Here is the modified Time Saver track plan on the HCD and Homasote base. Code 83 nickel silver on cork roadbed. As can be seen, it is a little less than 7' wide and a little over 2' deep.

Current former Modified TimeSaver (inverted from previous).

Previous Time Saver track plan.

Former layout plan to be resurrected:

And AA 

And the latest extension to be used as a removable section for outdoor photography.

An overall plan view of all 3 sections.

And picture of my former layout.

Two Pictures

Here are two pictures of the layout as built. The table is usually not this neat! lol

One Modification Already Being Pursued

A change to the original plan of mine will be to change the function of the spur at "D" from Campbell Warehouse to very small coal yard, thanks to the work of James Six and his ideas. I am in the process of cutting out the Homasote to lower the ground level and will elevate the track to allow small coal bins to be placed underneath to receive the coal from hopper cars.

I will also be starting the painting of rails and ties with my airbrush, and ballasting all the tracks. At my current rate of progress, it will be lucky if I accomplish all of this during my lifetime (I'll be 75 in April).

Oh NO!

You said "Timesaver".  Do you know what you're letting yourself in for?  All the MRR Police are about to descend upon you to tell you how worthless a TImesaver is.

But that looks like an excellent learning tool. You'll find out what types of track arrangements work for you and which ones don't. Have fun.

@Lancaster Oh NO!

I know!!!! That's why posted some of the things I said on the Ops vs Railfan thread!

Looks like fun.

I had planned a variation of the Timesaver that was in MR quite awhile back but never got anything built so you're way ahead of me.  Age is creeping up for me as well so I understand the importance of finishing.

On another note It looks like track on cork on foam so how is the noise level?  There is another thread on the foam being noisy.  The noise level may INCREASE with ballast.

My beloved DSS&A had trackage rights into Duluth on your NP.

Robert

Looks Cool!

Bud,

Nice work.  Your layout looks like a pain in the behind a lot of fun to operate!  LOL  

I also have a timesaver layout and find it a lot of fun to run.  I take it to train shows and let people switch it with car cards and waybills.  Never a dull moment, and the kids especially love it.

Have fun!!

@dssa1051 Looks like fun.

Thanks, that is cork on Homasote, not foam. Quiet, then again I'm half deaf (even with hearing aids), just ask my wife!It is fun and I'm learning a lot!

@anteaum2666 Looks Cool!

Thanks, it is fun! Just don't tell the Ops people that you are doing ops with waybills and car cards on a switching puzzle layout! They will have a heart attack! lol

A Beginning (to the coal yard)

Started the initial work to add the coal yard. Cut the Homasote and temporarily elevated the rail to test for height as I'm aiming for about 8' high coal bins with rail on wood pilings. Think this just might work! Question to all, should I add a derailer of some sort to keep cars from rolling onto the main?

Area to be modified first.

Homasote removed. (Cut with utility knife).

Test elevated. Note Homasote was not cut under rails near turnout to provide smooth transition.

View of transition from flat area near turnout.

Derail

It looks like there is a good slope so a derail would be believable.  The Southern used split point derails and they are still common on a lot of former Southern lines.  A derail adds some interest to the switching by adding time to a switching move.  Don't forget time for the brakeman to get off the engine and walk to the derail.  I've never used the former Model Engineering Works derails now made by Tomar but they are supposed to be operational.

Robert

Thanks, dssa105 (Robert) plus some more pics.

I'll have to keep Tomar in mind for the derail. Now for some more pics. I found an old Tyco bridge and trestle kit that I'm going to use as a basis for the siding. The trestle bents needed tabs removed and the modified bridge will be glued directly to the bents. The short ones will be put on bases and scenery adjusted to hopefully make them believable.

Here you can see the bents, 4 with tabs removed and the 5th with them still on.

Next step will be screw down the Homasote to transition to level at the block shown under the elevated portion and to shorten the Homasote and roadbed.

Old Curmudgeon!!!

John, Ah, good sir, to get to be old and a curmudgeon is a blessing too few of us get to enjoy! I am most proud to have achieved both in only 80 years! Maybe being another John has something to do with it, eh? Keep the wheels rolling and the shiny side up! John Colley, Sonoma, CA

@John Colley - Could Be!

My dad was a John also, and he always said a house couldn't have enough Johns!And he was an old curmudgeon, too!

Minor Progress

Had 4 grandchildren and their parents overnight Wednesday and then watched the kids most of yesterday so no progress until tonight (had to shovel snow today here in the Chicago area). Got the elevated roadbed trimmed and leveled out at the top of the incline, trimmed some of the former bridge platform, and attached the bents where I wanted them. Hopefully will get it painted tomorrow and get the track openings trimmed, some type of bracing installed, and possibly get it painted, also. We'll see.

Progress is slow, but faster than I've been able to accomplish in the past!

Getting ready to screw down the roadbed.

Screwed down with temp shim to prevent pulling it too far down.

Bents attached with liquid cement.

Some Minor Progress

Going slower than I like, but with other interests and responsibilities, it's not always easy. Since the trestle set I'm using for bents are not all the same size, it was necessary to create bases for two of them. They will be shaped to resemble concrete footings and may end up being buried in "dirt". We'll see. I joined some craft sticks (stolen from my wife) into a homemade plywood that turned out to be the perfect height (sometimes luck is better than skill). Pieces cut with a razor saw were then glued to the base of the short bents. A test fitting was done with a temporary paper bin to check the size and appearance. Later the bases will be shaped and the slots in all bents for mounting screws will be filled in shaped to match.

Here is the trestle on the extensions and a look at the homemade plywood.

And now being glued in place, prior to shaping.

And test fitted, with track and temporary, paper bin.

Thumbs Up

Looking good, Bud!  And I love your choice of prototype railroad car for the photo!  C an Do!

Finally, Some Progress

Had some health stuff going on that has slowed down work on this, but finally some new stuff to show. First is addition of new extensions to the side of the coaling bridge to allow workmen to open the hoppers. These are made from homemade 2 layer plywood made from craft sticks of my wife's.

First a temp taped on view to show the plan. Then clamped during gluing of the first side, and then the final result.

We can't have people falling off, so a handrail was necessary. I had thought of using some of my wife's seed beads to run the railing through, but they were too big. So I decided to make some stanchions from my wife's 20 gauge wire instead.

Here is how they were done, how it turned out and then how they were crimped down with a piece of wire running through them to prevent crushing the eye too small. Next the first complete batch.

Here is a pic of the simple way I got the height correct. Drilled a hole in the drawing board the right distance from the edge and inserted a scrap piece of wire. Hooked a stanchion over it and used my pliers to grip at the edge of the board and then bent the wire at right angle.

And now, two pics of the handrails temporarily installed.

Next step will be painting!

Nice technique

Hi Bud

Thanks for sharing your technique with the handrail.  I've needed such a thing before but didn't quite know how to go about it.  This step - by - step is very helpful.

@anteaum2666 Thanks

I still have to straighten the handrail and will need to fill the eyes with glue for a better appearance but I have to admit I'm happy with this first attempt with this technique.

The Painting Has Started

Finally getting somewhere with this. I painted the gray "wood" sections with a wash of buff followed by all of the deck with a wash of brown (dirt), and then a heavily thinned black to get into the low sections and multiple coats to get the effect I wanted. I think it turned out fairly well. Probably the best I've done, anyway!

"Time Saver" whatever.

I enjoy switching also. Nice job.

Thanks

Wayne

@35tac - Thanks

btw - I replied to your PM.

Next Step Will Be Coal Bins

Gotta have a place to drop the coal. In continuing with my frugal railroading, I've been cutting boards for the coal bins from craft sticks of my wife's! To get them consistent I created a strip wood cutting process. I was in Data Processing (I.T.) for years and acquired quite a few metal rulers and some are made of stainless steel. When clamped together with an overhang, it's really easy to cut pieces of relatively the same width.

Here is a pic of them clamped together. 

Here is a craft stick under the edge of the rulers, and pushed up against a stop nailed to my drafting board work area. 

As long as the knife blade is kept vertical, it works pretty well. 

For these one foot wide boards, I can get 4 from a single craft stick. 

Next step will be making the walls and assembling them!