Bullet train layout USA

[Bernard]

Martijn-I agree, there is no fast way to ballast. The best results take time. After seeing the results of the "quick method", I went back to my old method of a small measuring spoon, a small piece of cardboard to even & spread the ballast out, alcohol & diluted white glue.

 

Okay, something new: I have an area that I will light but I'll need to be able to remove the top in order to get to the wiring. (photo 1) I decided to make a "clam shell". I used hydocal cloth on the base, let it dry & set. Then I took wax paper and lined the lip and outer wall of the base. (No photo) Then I put the top back on and put hydocal cloth on the top over lapping the base but not going beyond the wax paper. I let the top set. I removed the wax paper and to my surprise it worked. I then put a base coat of paint the base and the top. I will later add ground cover. Here are some photo of the results.

[Bernard]

Wow, I can't believe I haven't posted new photos of work I've done on my layout in some time. (Good reason, I for got to take photos)

 

Okay here is one area I really put off, ballasting the yard. My reason, after installing all the turnouts now the fear comes that ballasting might hurt the switching operation. Well I have finished all of my ballasting and yes I had to work on the turnouts after I did it.

The photo only show the yard partially done. I ran out of ballast and had to go to my LHS to finish.

[CaptOblivious]

Thanks for the update! I was beginning to wonder. Looks good! I can't imagine how tedious it is to ballast all that: I've only ever ballasted one length of 280mm track, and that was tedious enough! Keep us up to date :D

[Bernard]

Well after I worked some on my project for the party, I decided to work on the layout. The area that has the most done on it looked flat and I know it need trees. So here are 2 photos of the layout with trees but I'm going to need a lot more! (Painted cottenballs mixed in with the trees?)

[Masioka]

Great layout!

[CaptOblivious]

Bernard, my turn to bug you! Anything new to share?

 

I was just examining your track plans again, and those two loops are lusciously extravagant. No chance you have a video camera (and time) such that perhaps you could follow a train or two through that maze to give us a sense of just how long those loops really are?

[Bernard]

Don - I don't have a video camera any more BUT this might be a good idea for a Xmas gift for my wife ;D (Now I know what to get her, thanks!)

 

My layout is in Upstate NY and I'm in the NYC area and due to a family illness (not too serious) I can't get up there. (I still have my skyscraper project to finish) But once things clear up I will get back on track (bad pun) : ;D

[Bernard]

Finally I was able to do some work on the layout over the holidays. I didn't like the look of the yard so I decided to put in "roads/access" to the passenger trains so that workers could move vehicles closer to the trains. Here are two photos of what I am about to do, what do you guys think, am I on the "right track" with this idea? Opinions please?

[Darren Jeffries]

Looks good to me. Are you going to put crossings over all the tracks? Also would look good with some yard type flood lights between the tracks for realism.

[mr platts]

congrats Bernard it is looking really good

[Martijn Meerts]

looks good.. not sure how prototypical it would be, but then again, who cares =)

[Bernard]

Darren - If you look closely on the 2nd photo you can see where I cut a piece of foam as part of the road for a vehicle to cross over. I plan to continue the road to have access to the other tracks.

 

Martijn - wait till you see the town I've built using old structures from an older layout. Talk about not being prototypical  ::)

It gives it that Euro-Japanese look so many architects try to achieve.  ;D

 

and Mr. Platts, thanks for the compliment.

[Bernard]

Alright, here comes the real shocker  :o (yep that little guy says it all)

Due to "budget cuts" I got fed up with myself for not doing any work on the town I wanted to build. So I said, just do it. I have structures from a previous layout that really wasn't in the Japanese mode but I decided to use them anyway. So here is that Euro-Japanese design that some Architects just dream about (boy am I lying through my teeth ::))  which I have achieved in the following photos. I even decided to put lights in to the structures.

Well here is the town:

[Martijn Meerts]

I have to say, it doesn't look very non-Japanese. The buildings might be European style (not like there's none of those in Japan), but the overall look fits really well in my opinion.

[stevenh]

It does look great... just make sure the little fellas can't walk directly onto the Shinkansen lines in due course :)

 

The lighting is great too!

[Bernard]

Alright, I'm Upstate and am motivated to work on the layout. I was inspired by all the discussions about Tram lines to add one on my layout. This will be a point to point line with auto reversing. I wanted to connect the two cities on the layout to one another and there was a spot on the layout that I needed to address since it was pretty much empty. When I first started the layout it was suggested by a fellow modeler to think about hiding the trains from view at times so a viewer will be surprised when seemingly out of nowhere a train appears. Keeping this in mind, I decided to make an other mountain with the idea that parts of it were blasted away for the construction of a railroad. I want to have the tram on level ground and not on a built up platform, so I need to raise the first city 2", also I wasn't happy with the results of the "clam shell" for access in the future so I cut out the middle area of the city and set in lips for that area to rest on. The edges are now permanently attached. One other reason I wanted to do this addition is because I've always wanted to work with code 55 flex track. I'm using Peco flex track as a temporary place holder until my order comes in and I only have 2 pieces of Peco and I need 4-5 pieces to complete the line.

Here are some photos of what I'm working on, I'm using WS risers and inclines to accomplish the connection between the two points and I hand making the 2 bridges (why did I do this as my project party?!):

[Bernard]

Here are the rest of the photos, I'm using a combination of styrofoam, newspaper, hydrocal cloth, scult-a-model, and rock models to build the mountain and track bed:

[Guest ___]

I just woke up so I'll think of some meaningful or useful to post in a bit. Until then, I'll ask, how did you cut or where did you find the clam shell dome top of the mountain?

[Bernard]

Aaron - Look at post #25 in this thread it shows how I made a "clam shell" for city #1. Alas I really wasn't happy with the results and totally re-designed the city, the hydrocal ends kept curling up. It is now 2" inches higher and level to the city #2 area.

[SubwayHypes]

cool thread, cant wait to see that yard filled up with shinkansen!

[Bernard]

More work done on the new mountain. In the next photos I started laying down the cork roadbed for the flex track. Also you will see that I planned to scratch build 2 bridges and here are some photos of the start of the bridges.

 

For flex track I'm a little disappointed with the LHS, they are mostly HO scale and have very little in N scale. So I'm going to go ahead with what I have and I might abandon the code 55 idea (I have enough code 80 Peco flex track to finish the area, but that wasn't my original plan but I have the time now to do it so it's full steam ahead)

[Bernard]

The next step I added Earth tone cover to the hydrocal and the Sculpt-a-mold. I then added WS pigments to the rock faces and stones.

[Bernard]

After the WS earth tone dried I used the WS various ground covers to finish off the hill and the city area. In the last photo I started putting down the Tram track. I have Peco code 80 flex track which I used but I'm still debating ordering Micro Engineering code 55 flex track. I am also looking into purchasing an "auto reversing unit". In my research, since this will be an independent line, it looks like it would be better to go DC. I found 2 companies that sell the units.

 

One is from Miniatonics: http://www.miniatronics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?

 

and the other is from Z-stuff: http://www.z-stuff.net/DZ-1240.htm

but after reading the instructions it seems like z-stuff is for Lionel trains, I'll have to call them.

[Claude_Dreyfus]

I must say this does look very effective, especially the ground covering on the mount.

 

Apologies if you have said and I missed it, but who produces the large white towerblock you have?

[Bernard]

Thank you, as for the building it's made by Heljan and called the Leech Memorial Hospital Building (N Scale)

I got it awhile ago and I haven't seen it since.

I also have an Atlas Skyscraper but now it's too large for the layout.