There’s still about a 3-foot gap where the trestle at Mount Harris – Common Hill will be, as I’ve not really solidified the plan for the trestle there yet. For now, we’ll be installing an IPB (Impossible Plank Bridge) to get trains running across the gorge.

Image by and Copyright © 2012 Troels Kirk

After seeing this photograph from Troels Kirk’s Coast Line Railway, I decided to change my plan for the bridge between Corinna Mill and the area approaching Plymouth. My first inclination had been for that to be a trestle as well, but I’ve now decided that it will be a stone bridge. While not exactly typical for a Maine two-footer, I think a stone arch will just look “right” for that scene.

Anyway, at this point it’s conceivable that a train might actually leave Corinna, and venture as far south as the station at Plymouth.

I’m trying something new with the track laying. Wish me luck on this. Instead of nailing the track through the cork roadbed and into the plywood subroadbed, I thought I might try using the LocTite Power Grab adhesive to secure the track to the cork. I have been told that this works well — once the stuff gets a hold of something, it just plain doesn’t want to let go. We’ll see how well this actually works. At least the Micro Engineering flex track is not the “springy” kind.

To put the track down, I pre-shape the track piece that’s going in and set it aside. Then I slather about a 1/32″ layer of the adhesive on the cork where the track is supposed to be, carefully connect one end of the track, and set it into place. A little pressure is used to “set” the ties into the glue. It seems to grab pretty well within just a few minutes.

I generally prefer allowing my switches to float a little, so no adhesive is applied in under them, except for about an inch at each end, just to get them to sit still. I rediscovered that the Micro Engineering switches have a bit of a hump to them, so I’ll have to drill through the tie at the center and use a single nail to get that under control.

I’ve let everything alone to set over night. Tomorrow will tell how well this actually works. The guys are coming over tomorrow night, and we should be able to make pretty quick work of the trackage up to the bridge at Mt. Harris/Common Hill, as well as the roadbed beyond the bridge heading into Brooks.

Heck, we may even try to run a train!

Never mind that the layout is still supported on a couple of rock-n-roll speaker stands, or that we hadn’t gotten to raising the layout that 1 1/4″ I wanted to. I had cork and glue!

Sorry ’bout the horrible cell phone pictures. Once I get a little further along with things like lighting and proper support in the area, I’ll take some better shots.

Right now, everything for the peninsula is supported on two heavy-duty speaker stands and a photo strobe stand. Most of them materials for the support structure is on-hand. The plan is to use some modified shelving units from Ikea to provide support and much needed storage space beneath the layout.

What to do?

Digitrax SDH164D

I was looking around on the Litchfield Station web store, and noticed that they had the new Digitrax SDH164D for under $40 each. I figured that for that price, I’d give them a try.

To be perfectly honest, I’m not all that impressed. Sure, they huff and chuff, and there’s a whistle and bell in there. Maybe I’ve become spoiled by the tremendous sound quality of the SoundTraxx Tsunami and ESU LokSound decoders, but these decoders from Digitrax sound downright toy-like. The closest thing I can think of to compare it to is the ill-fated MTH Loco-Sound system that MTH put in their least expensive train set engines for a while.

I’m sure that in a train show setting, where the acoustics are terrible and there’s lots of background noise, the SDH164D will be just fine. In that environment, the sound is primarily to entertain the kids, and let us know by the sound that our train is still running around the layout. But, if you’re considering this decoder for a more exacting application, be warned: You get what you pay for.

• On the layout, benchwork sections are being built off-site. We did run into a problem with warpage on the piece most recently installed, and so we’ve paused a little bit to reconsider our construction technique.
• We’ve been working a lot on MADmodules projects to try to make the modular railroad more reliable. That’s included an improved support system for Kevin’s Berrett Hill modules. The new setup goes together a bit more quickly, and it’s a little easier to get smooth module transitions.
• We still have a fair amount of work to do, but I’ve worked out an improvement to the module interface that will ensure that the track is level coming off the end of the module. It’s something that I wanted to include in the original module spec, but got voted down on. Experience has shown that it really is necessary…
• A lot of time recently has been spent on development of some unique products for model railroading, including an excellent turnout control system and some great LED-based lighting products. Look for them at Berrett Hill Trains.
• Some new On30 Guy products are in the works, which will be available here, at Berrett Hill and through select dealers. Of course, the first versions will be O-scale. Later on, I will include HO scale as well.
• Believe it or not, I’m also involved in some non-model-railroad-related projects that have been eating up time, and of course, working (yeah, I still have a job).

Hopefully, I’ll be able to post more regularly in the near future, but I don’t guarantee it. Keep checking back, though. Model railroading (and blogging about it) really is a life-long hobby…

At some point, I’ll add a post with a few that my friend Steve Fisher set to me…

So, I’ll see you all at Hickory! And, for those who can’t make it, I’ll try to post updates on the goings on at the convention each evening.

The realization that it’s only now a couple of weeks until Hickory hit hard, and I am way behind schedule. I promise to post an update on the turntable and engine house very soon.

Re-ballasted Corinna yard

I forgot to mention that I had decided to re-ballast the yard at Corinna. Previously, there had been a lot of greenery growing up between the tracks. After going back and looking at some pictures, I realized that there was very little of that on the Maine railroads. I basically just ballasted over the greenery. It’s still not perfect, but it’s better than it was. At some point, I’ll go back and dirty it up a bit, and I think that will help.

I also promised to show you a little of what’s been happening in the creek. As of now, it’s still a touch milky, and it’s going to need at least one more layer of water poured.

I decided that the rocks I had placed previously were not appropriately colored, so I used a couple of shades of gray acrylic paint to correct that. I also placed some more smaller rocks and some additional greenery.

Newly colored rocks, "rapids," and second water pour.

Today, I moved on to the turntable. I have been considering using tiny Neodymium magnets to align the table with the tracks. But, I was concerned about the accuracy required in placing the magnets. Kevin came up with a great idea — and a new shape magnet — to make it relatively easy!

Most of the magnets we’ve been looking at so far have been tiny flat disks, but Kevin recently received a new, cylindrical magnet.

Magnets used to align turntable bridge with tracks

Magnets are placed in the pit wall, under the center lines of each service track, and under the center line of the bridge track. In this case, the approach track is directly in line with one of the service tracks, so no magnet is needed there.

Kevin’s idea to make the alignment adjustment possible is really simple. We drilled over-sized holes for the magnets, and inserted steel flathead screws. The cylindrical magnets hold to the head, and can be slid around slightly. Once the correct location is found, the holes will be filled with glue.

The magnets hold with enough force to stop the turntable at the appointed spot with authority. In the long run, I’ll be using a motor to drive the turntable, but I think that the magnets will still present enough force to align the tracks.

Parting Shot

I know I promised an updated shot from the creek area, and, even though the water’s still a little murky, it is a lot better. So, here’s another shot of No. 9 crossing the creek:

No. 9, traveling southbound, drifts off the bridge into Corinna

Corinna & Searsport No. 9, with a short freight in tow, edges across the trestle approaching Corinna from the north...

I did a little work on the creek tonight and did a second pour of the water. I probably should have taken this before I poured the water, but … anyway, I’ll take a new shot of this on Saturday morning.

Oh, yeah, I guess I ought to mention that the water product worked correctly this time — it was nice and clear when I went downstairs this evening!

I’m just about ready to move on to the turntable, engine house a coal shed.

Creek bed painted with Behr Premium "Fedora" paint.

I actually started work in Corinna late in the afternoon, because I wanted the first batch of color to be dry in time to start working with whomever came over. The first step was to paint the base coat on the creek bed. As usual for the base color, I chose the Behr Premium “Fedora” wall paint, and brush it on liberally. To urge the paint to dry a little more quickly, I used a fan, which worked perfectly. By the time Kevin arrived, the paint was completely dry!

Now that the base color was in place, I got out my reference photos and turned on my memory to start to work on the “look” for the water in this scene. One thing about the water in Maine that is striking is that it’s usually very clear. And, the bottoms of most ponds and streams like this have a kind of distinctive rockiness that needed to be captured.

I thought that one way to do this might be to use some “crackle” paint. Crackle paint is a thick, clear, gel-like substance that you paint over a base coat and allow it to partially dry. Then, you paint the still tacky surface carefully with a color that contrasts your base color. The thicker your coating of crackle paint, the larger your splits will be, so I applied a thin coat to the areas near the shoreline, and coming into the creek about 1/3 of the way on each side.

Bits of "Pot Topper" planted at the base of the spillway retaining wall

While waiting for the crackle paint to dry, I started setting in some of the additional flora that would be growing near the base of the spillway. I decided to try another experiment here, this time using bits of “Pot Topper” material to represent the vibrant plant life that often grows near creek beds. I had seen magazine articles about this material, but I was still skeptical until I saw it on the layout. The stuff looks perfect, and is a fraction of the cost of the Silflor products. It looks as if you could either use tiny tufts like I did here, or even plant large chunks wherever you need some bright ground cover.

Mixture of "Slate Gray" and "Concrete" paints swirled onto the crinkle paint

By this point, the crackle paint had been drying for the prescribed length of time, so I applied a light coat of some lighter paint — a swirly mix of Woodland Scenics “Slate Gray” and “Concrete” colors. Initially, I wasn’t too happy with the look, so I added some more water and swirled it around a little more. The result looks fairly wrong here, but once the “water” gets poured on, things tend to darken up a little, so I decided to go with it.

Stones and rocks added to the stream bed

I also decided that a few larger rocks were needed in the stream. In this case, there wouldn’t be a lot, but a few definitely were in order. We selected some of the flatter pieces from a bag of aquarium/terrarium decorative stone, and I placed them in the creek, above the bridge.

While all of this was drying, we turned our attention to Kevin’s bridge module. Unfortunately, we didn’t take any pictures, but the effect we wanted there was a typical central Maryland/Pennsylvania creek. These creeks tend to have a sandy bottom with a jumble of rocks and stones.

For the sandy bottom, we used one of my favorite sand/dirt base materials — sanded grout over the Fedora paint. I tend to treat the grout just like any other scenic texture. I spread it over the still wet paint, and then soak it with “wet water,” and then continue to build on top of that. Once I have the look I’m after, I spray on some more wet water, and then saturate the area with diluted matte medium. For me, this is a tried-and-true method that always produces something that looks good.

By this time, lighter color paint on the Corinna creek bed was dry, but the crackling wasn’t happening. I decided to go ahead and pour the water anyway. And, being the glutton for punishment that I am, I decided to try a material that I had previously had very bad luck with: Woodland Scenics Realistic Water.

First pour of the Woodland Scenics Realistic Water

The Realistic Water pours on a milky gray, and eventually dries clear. I know it’s supposed to. I’ve seen it. Of course, that was not my result the first time I used it, and I ended up having to start over. “On hand” sometimes trumps common sense, however.

One interesting thing happened, though — after the water was poured and had been setting up for a while, the crackling started below the surface. The result was looking almost exactly like what I had in mind.

And, as I headed out the door this morning, I went down and too a peek at the creek. So far, it looks as if it will actually dry clear, although there’s been significant shrinkage. After dinner tonight, I’ll do some more work in the area, and then another pour. And, of course, more pictures!

Perkins Produce designed and built be Earl Smallshow, from the December 1974 Model Railroader article.,

Morgan Hill Models have announced their first structure kit, and it’s a classic! Originally designed by Earl Smallshaw, and featured in Model Railroader in December of 1974, Perkins Produce has always been a favorite of mine. When I first saw the announcement for the kit, I thought that I would just pull out my copy of the plans, and scratchbuild the structure when the time came. I mean, even though the original model was not set in New England, to my knowledge, the building simply screams MAINE!

The more I thought about it, the more I thought that the pre-release price looked to be an excellent value. And so, I’ve ordered one of the kits.

My order is not entirely without reservation. The actual kit was designed with input from Bill Banta, the same gentleman who designed the Herbert’s Crossing Freight House I used for the freight shed in Corinna. But, from the description, it seems that steps have been taken in the design of this kit to eliminate the problems I had with that kit.

Perkins Produce structure on the waterfront of Martin Collard's Borodino & Southern RR.

While originally built on the side of a hill, my intention is to use the structure on the waterfront in Searsport, similar to the way that Martin Collard has on his HO scale Borodino & Southern RR. This is a fairly major deviation from my original idea of how Searsport should look. In my mind, Searsport was to be based on Wiscassett. Of course, Searsport is a real town that once had a thriving shipbuilding industry, so depicting a busy waterfront on the layout is not entirely out of line.

Applying the latex paint base coat. For the most part, I use a 1" chip brush for this work, and paint up onto the cork roadbed, just short of hitting the ties.

While the paint was still wet, I started applying texture.

Here, the first layer of texture, Scenic Express "Earth Blend" has been sprinkled unevenly over the still-wet paint.

The earth color is being followed with an application of "Green Adirondack Blend" and "Alpine Blend".

The same treatment was applied around the stone retaining walls near the creek bed.

And here's the view after a layer of the "base" textures have been applied.

Overall view of North Corinna, the trestle, and the creek area. The area has been completely saturated with a mixture of rubbing alcohol and water, followed by diluted matte medium.

A couple of observations are in order. I opened up a new “jar” of the Adirondack Blend today, and found that it is significantly “greener” than the previous one, which caused there to be a bit of a mismatch between the sections. Fortunately, the Alpine Blend is still the same, and I was able to use it to do some blending. Since I need to go back to repair a little bit of the scenery on the other two sections, I’ll be able to spread the brighter color around a little.

And, obviously, I’ve still not done anything with the creek bed yet. When I was working in the railroad room this morning, I was still trying to find out exactly what that’s supposed to look like. Fortunately, I was just able to find some snapshots a hiker took in the region while hiking the Appalachian Trail a couple of years back that will be excellent guides. With a few exceptions, the scenery is actually very much like the scenery here.

Here’s a short video that the True Scene folks have produced that describes the product and shows it in use:

There are a couple of interesting properties of True Scene that I’m really curious about — specifically, the ability to re-shape or re-use it after it’s dried. I’ve not tried that with Cell-u-Clay, but will try it with a small hunk when I get back down to the basement on Sunday.

If any of you have used the True Scene products, I’d love to hear about your experiences. You can leave a comment here on this post, of if you’re not comfortable with that, you can use the Contact page to send me a note.

Guess what? Diluted matte medium and shop rags over cardboard do the same thing!

Paper towel/matte medium after setting up for 24 hours.

That was a pretty pleasant surprise, because it meant that a lot less “shaping” was going to be needed. So, in I dove, and mixed up the first batch of Cell-u-Clay to the consistency of cookie dough and started slathering it on the layout.

First section of Cell-u-Clay slathered over the paper towel thin-shell

North Corinna area with all the Cell-u-Clay in place

Base level of scenery complete, and trestle bents installed.

Some of you may have noticed the slight tactical error on my part… Yes, the trestle bents are glued in place, and the creek bed is still bare plywood. That would be classified as an “oops”, but not really that big a deal. I’ll just pour some of the dark green/brown/whatever color (it’s called “Fedora”) and let it run naturally around the bents.

I should mention here that I’ve been using this Cell-u-Clay stuff for most of my life. The first time I used it, I was four or five, and my mother and I used it to make Christmas ornaments. We mixed to cookie-dough-consistency, rolled it out, and used real cookie cutters to shape the ornaments. After they dried — hard as a rock, I might add — we painted them with acrylic paints. For those used to Hydrocal or other plasters, Cell-u-Clay is a different beast. It has a much longer setting time, and generally shouldn’t be applied in layers more than about 3/8″ thick, or it may never completely harden. Also, if you have issues with the dust from Homasote, Cell-u-Clay is absolutely not for you. It’s basically Homasote dust in a bag.

I’ll be letting this set up for a couple of days while I work on some other, non-railroad-related items. I’ll be back at it on Sunday…

First layer of scenic forms in north Corinna

The first layer of landforms have been applied over the cardboard forms. Made from heavy duty workshop paper towels soaked in diluted matte medium, they obviously show almost every former beneath them. Not to worry — this shell only exists to support a thicker layer of something-or-another. In my case, that something-or-another will be Cell-U-Clay. Cell-U-Clay is cheap and lightweight, and easy to work with. It will be used to smooth out the “ribs” and be the actual base of the scenic coloring and texture — kind of like topsoil over fill dirt.

Overhead view showing the area "north" of Corinna showing much of the new stonework, the bridge, and the scenic forms.

Figuring out how to deal with the south end of the bridge (left in the above picture) still left a big question about how to handle what would be a very narrow creek flowing in from the north. The space is very narrow because of the decision to make the “end” of the layout match the modules, and I was left with an improbable scenic situation. The answer came in the form of adding another mill that will eventually wrap around the corner into the back area of the basement. A mill needs a dam and a spillway. In my world, the dam will be out in the aisle, with the track running between the resulting lake and the spillway. The mill itself will be across the spillway from the railroad main line.

Stone work begins for the newly added spillway.

With that decision made, it became obvious that more stonework would be required. Between taking the picture at left and writing this post, I added a couple of scenery forms at the end of the layout section, and added some base coloring to the stonework and the spillway.

For the landforms, I decided to go “traditional” — thin-shell plaster over formers. Where I’ll be deviating from the old-school techniques will be in some of the materials. I still need to keep the weight reasonable since Corinna still has to make two more public appearances.

Chip-card forms and webbing waiting for the thin-shell covering.

In this instance, the formers will be thin chip-cardboard, and the thin-shell will be a layer of plaster cloth. Over the plaster cloth, I’ll apply a layer of cell-u-clay. Cell-u-clay is a paper mache product that is fairly lightweight, but handles a lot like plaster, except that it’s a little stickier.

Tomorrow, the plan is to start applying the thin-shell and cell-u-clay and finally install the trestle bents — they’ve still not be permanently attached.