A few pictures of our module setup from this year’s Kimberton meet.
Charlie and the gang weren’t able to make it with their modules due to problems with their truck, but we were still able to put up a great layout.
Corinna Station
Corinna Station is built using the Grandt Line Sheepscot Station kit. I spent just a couple of hours on assembly and touch-up painting. It still needs to be weathered (I did it in software for this shot), and the station sign needs to be made and applied, but it’s otherwise lookin’ great.
Corinna Station placed into platform
Corinna Station close-up
One thing that I have learned on this module is that Fomecore is not a good base on which to place track or scenery if you’re going to use a lot of matte medium to secure scenery materials. Even though I literally painted the underlying plywood with glue when I laid down the Fomecore, the added moisture from above is causing it to curl up. I can only guess that it’s peeling the lower surface right off the foam as it warps (you can see the result in the wide-angle shot above left). Fortunately, it’s only used as a scenery base (I think) and not a track base, and I’ll just have to hide the edge with more scenic material. Otherwise, I’d have some pretty twisted trackage
Station Walls with two-tone paint applied.
Tonight’s excitement — painting the station some more. Just about all the parts are painted, so, tomorrow night I should be able to assemble the station.
I also determined that I want to build the station with its included base for strength, especially since this is to be used on one of the modules. Of course, the station floor is supposed to be flush with the platform, which meant a modification to the platform was in order. Using the base as a guide, I scribed the opening in the decking with an X-Acto knife, and then cut away the decking and one layer of the supporting Fomecore.
Modified platform, ready for station to be inserted
The base of the station is a snug fit in the hole, and the floor lines up just right! While it probably won’t be seen once the station is assembled onto the base, I went ahead and touched up the two raw-wood bits around the edges.
Platform with station floor in place
After “date night” with Donna tomorrow night, I’ll assemble the station, and we’ll see how it looks!
I did a little more on the yard tonight — replaced the ballast on the station track, and started in on the station, which will be a Grandt Line Sheepscot Station kit.
I had used Woodland Scenics fine talus material for the ballast, as it did a decent job of simulating the oyster shells used on some early railroads on the Eastern Shore of Maryland — back when I was modeling the Eastern Shore. The problem with the talus, especially on a module, is that it doesn’t glue very well. No matter how much matte medium I soaked it with, it just didn’t want to stick. So, I scraped most of it out, and replaced it with Woodland Scenics medium-sized Gray Blend. It looks much better.
One the station, I decided to use the Grandt Line over the Banta kit for a couple of reasons. First, this is a module, and so the building will be subject to a little more abuse than one on a part of the layout that never leaves the house. And second, I was able to find the Grandt Line kit more easily. What can I say?
Anyway, I started the model by painting the floor and building sides. Many of the Maine narrow-gauge lines used a similar two-tone green paint scheme. I elected to follow suit. For the light green, I used a color called “Mint Julep,” and the dark color, I’ll be using “Plantation Pine.” The darker color is a little too dark to be absolutely correct, but I like it. The “Mint Julep” is pretty darned close to being the color used at the WW&F museum.
So, that’s all for now. Sorry, no pictures tonight. Maybe tomorrow, when something may be worth showing…
Yes, I actually was able to spend some time this evening working on modules!
Station Module, platform area
I decided to work tonight on putting in the platform that’s been foamcore and cork for three years now — I’m really sick of looking at that glaring white pan-handle-looking thing!
Platform in place
Here’s the platform in place — or at least, most of it. I used coffee stirrers as the wood for the platform, applied with Pergo flooring glue. I found that the coffee stirrers really swell when you paint them. So much so, in fact, that the boards buckled at one point, and I had to remove a board!
Platform completed!
It was an easy matter to split the board I removed and replace it in the platform. I painted the wood with a dark brown craft store acrylic, and then applied some “driftwood” stain to simulate weathered wood. I over-did it in a few places, so I went back and applied more of the broad brown. And, I used the Floquil paint markers to simulate a few newly replaced boards.
Overall, the platform ended up being a lot larger than I had envisioned it, but, I was pretty much stuck doing the whole deal. Also, there’s not much space between the passenger/freight make-up/departure track and the first yard track, so I’m hoping that the WW&F prototype stations will fit. I’m also going to add some sort of freight shed to eat up some platform space.
The MADModules crew (well, a couple of us) set up at the recent Great Scale Model Train Show. While there’s not much to report on, really, I did manage to get some basic scenery on the turntable module. An hour’s work makes a huge difference in the appearance of the yard.
This means that I’m to the point of looking for an appropriate “Maine-like” two stall engine house. My most likely option is to use the Deerfield River Laser kit, with modifications as required. The existing single-stall structure will be modified to be used as a car shop.
I’ll add a picture of the module shortly…
Just thought you all might like to know that I think I’ve found a way to completely correct the issues with the Sellers Turntable on the yard modules. In our last installment of the saga, I had found that inserting some washers between the white-metal bushing and the bottom of the bridge helped with the rotational issues. Shortly before the February GSMTS show, I refined my method, and added some Teflon-coated tape to the stack, and added two washers and a retaining pin to the bottom. Operation at the show was quite reliable, but I feel it can still be even better!
To that end, I sought out and found some 1/4″ID/3/8″ OD bronze bushings (at Lowe’s, no less!). I’ll insert these into the 3/4″ plywood turntable base, and, provided I can get them installed properly, I should finally be able to get the turntable to work as good as it looks — and even be able to finally install a motorizing system of some sort.
So, two years into the project, and I may finally be happy!
The Mid-Atlantic On30 Modular group setup at the Great Scale Model Train Show this past weekend. The above gallery features some really crappy pictures from my little point-n-shoot digicam.
For various reasons, only two moduleers, Kevin Hunter and myself, brought modules to the show. Even so, we had a great time and talked to lots and lots of folks about On30 and On30 modules.
I’ve probably noted in the past that I’ll be using a couple of existing modules as a part of my new layout (once the basement is rebuilt). Those modules are built based on the Mid-Atlantic On30 Modules Spec, which I helped to develop.
This specification was developed over a two-year period and went through I-don’t-know-how-many iterations and variations, variously referred to as OCMods, OCUM and a probably a few others. Of the standard sets that came out of those often heated discussions, the Mid-Atlantic group specification has been adopted as the baseline standard for more On30 modular groups around the country than any other standard set. (more…)
I’ve reported in the past that I was having serious trouble with the Sellers turntable model, and getting it to rotate smoothly. Here’s what I’ve learned:
As built, the center of the turntable floats about 3/32" above the cast "pivot" bushing. All of the weight is carried by the little wheels at the end of the bridge. On my particular model, one of the wheels does not precisely track the ring rail (the other three wheels line up perfectly). This, coupled with the slight slop in the bushing, allowed the bridge to bind up when the turntable was "armstronged" around.
This evening, I fooled around with the thing a bit, and tried inserting some washers on the shaft between the cast bushing in the pit, and resin block in the center of the bridge. When I reached a thickness that raised the center just a hair above ring rail, suddenly, the turntable rotated super-smoothly! As I thought last May, a larger bearing surface in the center of the bridge does the deal. My task now is to find two nylon or Teflon washers exactly half thickness of the area I need to fill. Finally, I’ll add a collet on the bottom of the shaft to hold the bridge in place and apply just a little friction to the whole works. Ideally, I would like to use a pulley and another nylon bushing for that, to accommodate future motorized or hand-cranked operation. But, I’ll take what I can get.
Maine Two Footers GW’s On30 Group