Dunham Studios "Family Heritage Lionel Layout"

Tom is getting the wired through the platform to the track. After the track wires are in he'll begin to set up the wiring for the accessories.

Barb

Fletcher got the graphics onto the Cintra on the lower track level. Tom's been wiring the accessories on the platforms with them upended...much easier on the back! But today we got  the lower track (which is actually a circle of track) back onto the main part of the layout as well as bringing over the first part of the large platform. And Delia got the upright supports for the trestle placed so she can begin the scenery in that section...the only part of the layout that will look "real", the rest being proudly "toy."

Barb

Take a look at the rendering of the front of the layout. Then take a look and see where we are and where we're going. The cast arches will have to be completed, but you can see how they work and Roy is already busily doing his castings. Delia will start layering the foam for the earth and river in the next day or so.You'll notice that we will have trackboard going in front of the framework of the trestle to complete the lower circle of track.There's also going to be a higher level of track at platform level to complete the next circle. Obviously what you see now isn't what it will look like when finished (see artwork) but the trestle won't go in until the ground around and under it is completed and the guys have to know about how the track goes in front and over it well before that.

Barb

Delia's working on both bridges and scenery. She's outlined the mountains in good old Dow Foam and will build them beyond her outline. Roy has been casting bridge arches and stone 'skins'. The bridge he's working on has a curve to it instead of going in a straight-away. To have the arch pieces follow the curve, he takes the as-yet uncured molds with the castings still inside and clamps the mold to the bridge frame. When the mold cures, the casting will pop right out and match the curve of the bridge. I'm off in my corner, meanwhile, building and painting Plasticville buildings to go on the lower track step (the one with the graphic background of trees and sky).

Barb

This four generation layout is coming along nicely. Tom is wiring the accessories to the top platform as each section is upended for easier access. Delia is "making mountains"...out of Dow foam, not mile hills. And Roy is building bridge supports after taking measurements. I'm doing the "putting together" of the Plasticville kits that will live on the lower step, keeping that "toy" look going on all the rugged areas. (The only relatively realistic section will be the front mountains and trestle and bridge.)

Barb

Delia's putting 'earth' between the trestle supports to give dimension to the mountains. Roy has base painted the bridge supports (for the bridge forward of the trestle) and continues to cast and base paint the arches for the same bridge.

Barb

Delia's filled in the 'earth' around the trestle bases and between the front and back mountain profiles. She then started adding highlights to the stonework. While she was working the scenic end, Tom continues to add accessories to the upended panels. Take note of all the plugs at the end of the wires dangling in the under-the-layout (upended platform) photos. Then think about it. Each of these sections has to be able to be detached to travel and then reattached when the platforms are bolted together at the client's home. The wires are color-coded so that when assembled they are easily traceable from one end to the other. Remember seeing those "portholes" on the platform sides. They're the openings through which the wires go from section to section.

Barb

Roy & Delia are putting the base-painted arches on the curved front bridge. (Delia has already put a green base-coat on the 'earth' under the bridge, between, in-front-of and behind the base-supports for the bridge and trestle.) Roy is nailing the cast arches to the front of the bridge and Delia is attaching the arches to the rear. Although you will only be able to see the top of those rear arches, she's putting in the whole arch. Note the curved-to-fit arch I'm holding as I take its picture and then see how perfectly it fits the curve of the bridge. A few posts back I showed you that Roy took the as-yet-uncured arch still in its mold and clamped it in place against the curve of the bridge so the curve on the molded piece would be correct. It was and it is.

Barb

Delia gas the "earth" in place around the base supports of the trestle bridge and around the supports of the curved bridge in the front. She's painted the area that will be particularly hard to get to after the trestle is in and has pretty much finished the earthworks between the front and back mountain forms. Now, before she gets to doing further scenic finishing, she's highlighting the stonework on the front curved bridge that she and Roy were working on yesterday.

Delia has spread a white glue mixture on the base-painted 'earth' at the front of the layout. On this glue-coated surface she plants grass and bushes before overspraying with a thinner glue mix. (Trees come later.) The center section with the trestle (to come) and curved bridge has advanced as a unit. But the 'earth' will spill over onto the step unit where it now sits looking naked in a rough-cut of blue Dow foam. When those 'land extensions' are painted and planted they will be the start of a series of scenes using the Plasticville buildings I showed you earlier, people, vehicles, trees and billboards. You might be wondering about that open circle in the middle of the upper stone wall. Delia and Roy will create a 'river of water' which will pour through the hole landing on the riverbed below. A fun idea.

Barb

Dunham Studios posted:

Delia has spread a white glue mixture on the base-painted 'earth' at the front of the layout. On this glue-coated surface she plants grass and bushes before overspraying with a thinner glue mix. (Trees come later.) The center section with the trestle (to come) and curved bridge has advanced as a unit. But the 'earth' will spill over onto the step unit where it now sits looking naked in a rough-cut of blue Dow foam. When those 'land extensions' are painted and planted they will be the start of a series of scenes using the Plasticville buildings I showed you earlier, people, vehicles, trees and billboards. You might be wondering about that open circle in the middle of the upper stone wall. Delia and Roy will create a 'river of water' which will pour through the hole landing on the riverbed below. A fun idea.

Barb

100% amazing work by everyone involved.  Kudos

Roy has just put the last piece of the trestle in place. Looking good. (Mandy has to check it out too. Every opinion counts!)

Barb

The around-the-corner sections of the mountain have been put temporarily in place (the layout breaks at the corners so those pieces will travel separately). You see them first in their unpainted form, then painted and planted. On the right front corner, the shelf for the controls has been attached. Obviously, it's still in unfinished form. But the electrics guys need to have it there to work with. Roy is splicing the track stringer ends so they fit into the stone supports. The stringers support the tracks across the  trestle.

Barb

It's 'stringer time' on the trestle. The two stringers across the top of the trestle will support the tracks. I've laid a section of track on the stringers just to illustrate that point. (Believe me that's not how the track will be put down!) And Roy is nailing stringers to the trestle uprights.  Meanwhile in the carpentry shop, Bob has built cases for the two sets of controls.

Barb

The trestle is nearly complete. By the third picture, Roy had already removed the clamps from his cast truss. If you look past the trestle you will see the mouth-like opening in the stone wall with water pouring through it. Delia was experimenting with the water which will pour from where you see it down into the river below.

Barb

Delia poured the 'water' on the lower part of the river this afternoon. The water is a two-part epoxy that tends to have some bubbles, as those of you who've used it know. She took a straw and blew gently over the surface of the wet epoxy. Like magic the bubbles dissolved. There are all kinds of tricks to dissolve the epoxy bubbles. Some people use alcohol. Some use detergent. But, as Delia says, when you can do the trick with a simple plastic straw and a bit of breath, why do anything more complicated.

Barb

Delia and Roy planted trees on the 'realistic' front of the layout and then the guys put the platform pieces together and got most of the animations placed so some elements of scenery can be started. The  the top platforms will  remain 'toy' looking but there is some 'real' (grass and bushes) spillover where the 'toy' look meets the 'realistic' front. And I'll temporarily place some of my Plasticville scenes where they'll go on the lowest track level to see how they work and add fishermen to the river.

Barb

More additions. Delia's started to put in the gray roads that will wind around the platform tops. Roy has base-painted the upper trackboard (in the photo the elevated trackboard is lying flat at the left of the 'escape hatch.') which will give a 3rd level of trains when it's installed. A couple of the trackboard supports (painted green) are in the photo to show you how the track will be elevated. I was just itching to at least see how my Plasticville scenes will look on the lower track step so I put out a few of the pieces I'd worked on for effect. They'll be lit from above by a strip of LED's on the underside of the platform above them. Oh, and remember the 'escape hatch' won't be a gaping hole as it now appears. It will have its own disguises.

Barb

The elevated trolley car back-and-forth line will go on supports cut on the CNC router. Roy has painted the supports and placed them on the layout so we can see how they will go. When they're affixed, the arc of cut plywood will sit on them and the track, wiring and bumpers will be made permanent.

Barbrouter. Roy has painted them and stands them in place so we can see where they'll be placed for the track to go on top of them.

The elevated trolley line is well underway. Roy has placed the pylons (supports) and has begun to attach the steel girders between the pylons by fitting them (he molded them some time ago), cutting where necessary, then running a line of goo, clamping them tightly in place and then power nailing them. The wood fascia has been trimmed to match the outline of the 'realistic' front of the layout. After it is pained (probably an off-white to cream color) Delia will carry the grass line over the top edge. With the under-the-edge-of-the-platform LED lights wired in, you can see that I've put my "little scenes" roughly in place on the lower 'step' areas left and right of center.

Barb

Bob and Ray have finished cutting and fitting the layout trim. But they took it off so it could be painted before I could get a picture. But as I can't resist a quick run at getting people and 'stuff' on where I can (which means where no one else is working) here they are.

Barb

John and Tom  did a thorough checking on the Lionel Accessories wired on the back platform. (The guys are working their way forward with the accessories wiring.) Delia put a finish coat on the lower panels and then brought her scenery out over the edge in the front. I "grassed in" the right and left front corners, permanently attaching the scenes that go in those places. I finished the scenes that go along the side steps on plates to travel since they go over platform breaks. I'll show you the front left and front right corners. Since the guys have to get the control panel in over the right side step (as you can see in my picture of the front right corner) and the lighting strip is hanging loose, you'll not see that today.

Barb

The graphics are printed for the Control Panels. The platform tops are still upended the easier to get to the wiring for the accessories. Note that on the platform on which the Lionel Station will go, the facings on the "escape hatch" have been painted green and installed.

Barb

Tom's wiring away on the platform pieces. You'll notice on the up-ended section of platform, that there are two white discs. These are under-the-layout LED lights permanently installed on the underside of the platform top to eliminate the need to ever drag a worklight  under the layout if you have to check on something. I don't know about you but I think the electrical connection to the switch machine is interesting to look at: especially as it's not visible when its covering goes back on. The  shelf that holds the right-hand side control -panels has been installed. The holes are for the wires to go through when the panels themselves are installed.

Barb

The up-ended platform sections are down and bolted into place. We've added fun details like taxis and trucks and cars to give it that 'toy' look. Delia's sanding the upper fascia pieces and the control panel holders readying them for painting tomorrow. When the paint dries, the graphics will be applied, the upper fascia can go on and the control panels will get wired. (The graphics, no matter how beautiful, simply don't run the trains, switch the switches and move the accessories without those pesky wires being attached.)

Barb

Very nice!

Peter

Delia has painted the upper fascia pieces and the control panel boxes and holders while Mike is working on getting the panels ready to wire by marking and then drilling the holes for wires and buttons.

Barb

This is where I get the chance to have fun. And I'm not finished yet.

Barb

The upper fascia and the control panels are in place. The control panels still need some of their buttons and need to be actually wired in. But this will give you a real feel for how the layout will look finished as it is nearly so now. I think it looks pretty darn good!

Barb

A good number of trains can run on this "little" layout. Actually five: four plus the back and forth trolley. Here are some of the rolling stock rolling along. But first, we'll start with Clarke's "portrait" of the layout. And end with a picture of John putting plugs on the accessories control panel, so it will be ready to ship and then reattach when the layout gets to its new home.

Barb

Take a look at the left side Accessories Control Panel, the left side Controls and the right side Accessories Control Panel. Fun?

Barb

I've been watching this build from the beginning. You are true masters of the craft.

Jay

Clark:

Can you talk briefly on how you make the graphics for your control panels. For example, what program do you use and what type of paper is it printed on?

Thanks

Robert

Hi Robert,     Fletcher and I use Photoshop as our basic design tool for Control Panels.  Fletcher has created most all of the Tinplate Control Panel Icons that we use from scratch, also in Photoshop, and all of the photographic images are scanned or digitally moved into Photoshop as well.  The Control Panels are printed on our 44 inch Epson Large Format printer on adhesive-backed Fabric or Vinyl, depending on the particular situation.  They are then coated with a UV-Proof coating called "Frog Juice", commercially available online in Spray Cans.  The artwork is then adhered to eighth or quarter inch Sintra (a soft plastic sheet material similar to Plexiglas) and then drilled for the Control Panel Dials and Switches.  The Sintra is backed by the half inch plywood Control Panel face, which also must be drilled and also cut to allow the attachment of the switch bodies (which are much larger than the switches).  We generally leave the Control Panel face itself tightly fit within the confines of the Control Panel frame without further attachment so that revisions can be easily made.  I have also often printed smaller Control Panels on my Epson 13 X 19 inch printer using Epson Inks instead of the custom ink that we use in our Large Format Epson.  Images printed in this fashion will print darker on the identical fabric, so must be lightened in the Photoshop Image area, usually using the Levels Control.  Hope this helps.         Clarke

Clarke:

Thanks for the reply. You've have taken layout construction to a new level.  And thank you for being willing to share your knowledge and insights.

Robert

Today the Family Heritage Lionel Layout was disassembled and loaded into the truck for its trip home. But before we took it apart I got a couple of pics of things I hadn't caught up with before we headed to York for the show last week. The guys added a Display Track to each side of the layout so the client has additional space to show off his trains. Seems like a good idea to me. And it looks good. Also, I wanted you to see a picture of the under-the-layout controls which I think are pretty impressive. It's a view that almost no one will see, so enjoy it while you can.  Tomorrow it will all be on its way. I'll try and catch up with some pics when we get there.

Barb,

The Family Heritage Lionel Layout went by truck to the client's home where it was, over the course of three days, installed in the second floor room which would be its permanent home. The delivery photos were taken by John Doty the first day as he Mike & Tom brought the layout into the house and set it up before Tom had to return home. Clarke & I joined John & Mike the next day so I was able to (aside from helping) take the rest of the pictures you see below.  The layout looks beautiful in place and is real fun to watch (and run) as the trains and the animations all do their thing.

Barb home.