New Power on the MFR

I really should endeavor to keep this blog more updated, but it seems that Youtube and Instagram are the go-to places for keeping in touch with the online community these days. (also facebook for some... not me, but... some.)

Back in July of last year, I pre-ordered this SD40-2 from Scaletrains.com. After a long and impatient wait, it arrived and I couldn't be happier.  The model is beautiful for sure, details are great and accurate, but the real surprise was how nice the NCE Loksound Decoder pair with a decent capacitor and speaker enclosure was. Not only does it sound absolutely incredible, but it runs extremely smoothly and reliably as well.  This has very quickly become my favorite locomotive on my layout.

This will now be the main workhorse on the MFR. It will stay painted in it's patched BNSF paint scheme for a while but eventually, it will be weathered and patched for the MFR along with some additional detailing including rear ditch lights.

I hope you like it as much as I do 'cause you'll be seeing a lot of this guy in the future for sure!

Movie Mondays #12

TSG Multimedia has published a good number of videos about Jack Burgess and his stunning model railroad. In his latest video, Jack talks about the amazing structures on his layout and the amount of effort he put into make them as accurate as possible.

Givens and Druthers (UPDATED for new layout)

There is a popular term amongst model railroaders known as "Givens and Druthers". This refers to a list of "Givens" (hard and fast requirements for a model railroad which act as constraints for the modeler to work within)  and "Druthers" (design guidelines that help to set direction for the modeler)

And so, seeing as how I'm starting all over again from scratch, I think it's a perfect time to review and update my requirements and goals for the layout.

GIVENS

• The model railroad will be a (mostly) around-the-wall style cantilever (suspended) layout with considerations for a hidden yet easily accessible staging area.
• The layout must be designed with comfort for operators in mind. Layout height, wiring, coupler, turnout, and locomotive control should all be designed for both ease of use and enjoyment.
• Though operations is the main focus, the design must allow for continuous running giving the operators an opportunity to just sit back and watch trains run.
• The layout must be built to a level of quality that approaches that of "art" in that entering the layout room is akin that that of stepping into a museum installation. This design philosophy is carried through not only the quality of the modeling, but also the design and construction of the benchwork and the preparation and presentation of the room itself.

DRUTHERS 

• Operations should be simple, yet elegant.  The emphasis will be on fewer industries and longer sidings as opposed to a lot of industries, short sidings and overly complicated track work.
• Operational design should allow for a typical ops session lasting between an hour to two hours depending on the number of cars requiring movement.
• The design should include large industrial complexes and expansive scenic areas as showcases for intricate design and modeling techniques and to serve as focused points-of-interest for the layout.
• The design should also include a faithful representation of a number of prototypical scenes found within the Pend Orelle Valley in the Northeastern Washington/Idaho area.
• The overall theme of the model railroad is one of a small shortline struggling to earn it's keep with few customers and difficult economic conditions.  All artistic design considerations, (from choosing which season to model, to detailing the level of distress on mainline track) should be made with the layout's theme in mind.

That should about do it.  I've found that by distilling all of my wants and needs down to a few small bullet points, I end up with a plan that feels very focused and purposeful.  I feel that focus and purpose is key to the success of any model railroad, but when you are limited by time and money, (as I am)  this list of "Givens and Druthers" becomes all the more important.

Bitter Creek Ground Throws

I wanted to do something a bit different with my new layout. I had used Fast Tracks Bullfrog switch machines on my old layout and although they worked, they never worked great for me. I think that temperature changes in the basement might have contributed to their inconsistent performance. Plus, installation was quite difficult though that might have just been due to my inexperience with the product.

So, with my new layout I was determined not to use those again.  This meant using Micro Engineering turnouts across the entire layout. These turnouts come with sprung switch points which holds them firmly against the rail. This allows the user to operate them with simply the flick of a finger. Simple!

So this solution should hopefully work great, but there is one curved switch on the layout and unfortunately, I couldn't find a sprung switch in the radius I needed. A Walthers #6.5 curved turnout would fit the bill here, but I'd have to find a way to hold the switch points in place when the switch is thrown.

My initial thought was to use the tried-and-true Caboose Industries Ground throw.  These little mechanisms are commonly used, however they are VASTLY over-sized and do not look too great because of it. That said, If I'm only planning to use them on one place on the layout, maybe It won't be so bad?

A search for an alternate solution lead me to a blog post discussing Bitter Creek ground throws. They looked promising so I ordered a couple pairs to check them out for myself.

I haven't installed the turnout to test it's performance, so I can only really comment on the looks and build quality of the ground throw at the moment. Looks wise, It's a bit of a mixed bag. Although the profile is much, much smaller than the Caboose Industries ground throw, it has an overall larger footprint. That said, much of that footprint can likely be hidden with some careful ballasting so that issue is likely remedied. The spring and pivoting mechanism of the machine itself is also not very prototypical, though I'll admit that I'm not so sure the Caboose Industries mechanism looks like much of anything you'd find on a modern railroad these days.



Build quality on the Bitter Creek ground throws appears to be quite good. They are all metal in construction which is nice. They do feel a bit delicate compared to the Caboose Industry throw though and that might have a lot to do with the design of the moving parts, the spring, etc. Once securely mounted, that delicate quality might just go away.  That spring does give it a nice, strong feel when thrown so I've got a good sense that electrical connectivity will not be an issue with these throws. Apparently the original design dates back to the early 70's so it's already had plenty of long-term testing on other layouts by this point. That said, I've played it safe and purchased four total so I have plenty of backups should one fail.

At the end of the day, (and again, this is only my first impressions) I'd say it's a bit of a toss-up between the Bitter Creek and the Caboose Industries ground throws.  Each appear to have their strengths and weaknesses. For me, the Bitter Creek ground throw has the edge on looks so I'll be installing that one on my railroad and I'll be sure to report back in the future on how well it performs.

The Tedious Work of Ballasting

Just a quick update this week. I'm nearly done ballasting my track. I'm now on to that tedious step of cleaning all of the ballast off the top of the ties and off of the rails.

Ballasting is something that takes quite a bit of time for me.  I work at it very slowly ensuring that the application is neat and tidy. (but not too neat and tidy)  I've seen quite a few examples of model railroads who have, frankly, pretty poorly done ballast and it always seems to ruin the effect of realism for me. The problem appears to be that many people tend to rush through the process.  In my mind, trackwork is one of the most important and often most overlooked models on a layout and it's worth the time it takes to get it right.

I'll probably be doing a short tutorial video on preparing and ballasting track sometime in the future to show my technique. It's simple, but it works well for me.

A Couple of Update Videos

Here are a couple of update videos detailing what I've accomplished over the past year and my plans moving forward. The first video is one I recorded back in January of 2015 where I show off the progress I've made on my cement factory.  These are really the very first plastic kits I've successfully assembled in my lifetime and I am pleased at how they are turning out!

The second video I recorded last night and details a few simple projects I'd like to accomplish quickly to add a layer of fit and finish to the layout and encourage myself as I work towards that ever elusive goal of "completion". (Of course we all know that no model railroad is ever complete!)

Trees! Finally!

I haven't done much over the past few months, however I did get around to placing a few trees on my layout. These beauties come from Canyon Creek Scenics and are probably the best looking model pines I've ever seen! I purchased 13 of them ranging in size from 6" to 9" for my layout and I like them so much I think I'm going to purchase another 15 or so.  (It's amazing how just how many trees are needed to fill out a small layout.)

Having placed these trees temporarily on my layout, I find myself inspired to finally get around to finishing out my scenery.  Or, at least laying down some proper ground cover.

If you are looking for great looking model pines, I highly recommend checking out Canyon Creek Scenics.