Dunham Studios new Quechee Gorge Layout

No, not at all.  The green wire is an essential part of the MTH Digital Control System.  All the rest of the wiring is done below the layout.

Clarke

Clarke and Barb,

  The work is just incredible, what a display of top notch craftsmanship. See you guys at York

Thanks, Alex

Beautiful work!  Isn't the green wire under the track for TMCC? I know in places where one track goes over another a ground plane may be needed between them. I have one small spot on my layout where I need to do that.

Dan

It is indeed a "ground plane.  This is basically the "take no chances" approach--just do it all.

Clarke

Amazing layout and thank you for sharing its progress from design through construction.  Although the layout is light years beyond my limited skill level and physical space availability, I feel fortunate when I can find some aspect/feature/tip of a layout or its construction that I later can possibly apply to my own little layout.

Roy is checking depth and clearance for one of the bridges he has to put in place on the Quechee Gorge side of the layout. Where this particular bridge (which, by the way he cast from a 3-D printed original) is going, there are three levels of bridges, six bridges in all. The black arches (base painted only) that look as though they are hanging in air actually will be behind the mountains on the trestle section which is still on the barn floor where Delia is adding rubble between the bridge footings. These photos clearly tell you why the trestle section has to be an independent unit able to be removable. First: nobody could work on the many tracks, bridges, scenery and wiring behind the mountains and the trestle if it was in place. (The guys have to stand and work on the base platform that will house the trestle section.) And second: Delia wouldn't be able to comfortably reach all the areas she needs to get to for both scenic work and the installation of the trestle itself. (The wooden trestle parts have already been made and are waiting to be installed when the time comes.)

Barb

And the wonderful element that shouldn't be overlooked here is the level of craftsmanship that allows this layout (as with all the Dunham layouts) to be PORTABLE!!!  Back in the days when I was a teen and learned all about model railroading benchwork, portability wasn't even on anybody's radar screen.  You built a solid layout to be permanent.  And when it was time for major revisions or to relocate to a different house/city/state,  the model railroad was dismantled for scrap. 

There's a lot to be said for these works of art being made for portability without tearing the whole thing down and starting all over again.  Brilliant craftsmanship!!! 

David

Hello David,

You could call it Brilliant Craftsmanship, but I tend to call it self-defense.  The number of occurrences in which layouts have changed hands or returned to us for storage or as a "trade-in" on a new Dunham Studios layout are almost uncountable.  The recent layout that returned to us three times and recently went to the second owner (a second time) at his new home in Florida is a classic example, and that same "original owner" still has another HO "Trade-In" Layout segment here in storage ready for sale to another interested party.  That was the HO Layout that we featured on OGR Forum recently. But some people are simply crazy.  When I was a young and impressionable guy, I had many layout fiascos.  Great scenery, no operation, terrible track, you name it.  When it suddenly turned into a business, I had the good luck to be able to hire competent, talented people in every department.  After twenty-some years, we've just gone through our first round of retirements, but in every case the replacements have already been on our staff or have been plucked from local Train Club memberships.  You find Pros where you find them, no telling where.

Roy has added a bridge on the side opposite the gorge, which I'll call the "back" for the moment.  He's casting additional arched bridge pieces to be used as needed. The bridges just seem to multiply! He's roughed in the stone pillars and is using John's "clearance car" (blue foam block on flatcar base) to, surprise, check out the clearance as the train goes around the curve. Delia's adding dimension to the mountain and indicated in foam the first of the tunnel portals.

Barb

Barb and Clarke - amazing story on the construction of this layout. I am sure your customer can't wait to get his hands / trains on the layout.

Kevin

Delia has the right end mountain formed enough that the next step is to blow 2 part insulation foam over the blue foam and then carve it. (Dow should be sponsoring us!) She's now working on the left end mountain, the plan of which is below along with a photo of the lift-off section. (Remember that both mountains have lift offs both for ease of carving...and to get into the client's house through his front door!) The mountain photos take you on a tour around the mountain in its blue foam state. After you've climbed the mountains, take a look at John Doty's electronics on the control panel. Note that Roy's multi-arched bridge now has its arches in on both sides.

Barb

Interesting to see you are using the PSX-AC breakers. I am also a big fan of those, they work very well and are very fast.

Still enjoying all your pictures too, this looks like a very nice layout.

Delia's checked out the height, depth and location for the left side mountain. She shaped and cut the foam base piece for the removable part of the mountain (a large mountain) and has shown Roy both the plans and indicated the proposed  width of the part of the mountain base that isn't removable. She's put the foam mountain base piece in place.It's a complicated process as there are tunnels through the mountain and tunnel portals above the base piece and below plus an assortment of bridges of varying height, length and design. (See bottom photo.)

Barb.

The left end mountain takes shape under Delia's guiding hand as she created the skeletal structure which will be fleshed out in blue foam and then coated in 2 part insulation foam for carving. She's also done some basic detail work along the river. Meanwhile, working from the carpentry shop, Bob and Ray have cut, and are now nailing on, the fascia.

Delia's continuing the left side mountain profile while I give you a very interesting view of the river from the 'back' side. This area could be dubbed 'Bridges are us." This is actually the side opposite the gorge itself and gives context as the river flows to the gorge. Delia's doing mountains. Roy's doing bridges. And Mike (and Tom, not shown) are wiring under the layout.

As an aside, DO take a look at our DUNHAM STUDIOS FACEBOOK page to see an album I posted last night on our refurbishing of the wonderful (if I must say so myself) intricate, historically accurate layout we created 12 years ago for the Depot Museum in North Creek, New York. Following the album entry, I did a 'walkthrough' of the layout which will give you a pretty good feel for its intricacies.

Barb

Roy's working atop the right end of the layout. Do note how strong the platform tops are! Delia's continuing 'growing' the left end mountain.

Barb

Fascinating to see the progress! Really nice work. 

The foam skeletal structure on the left end mountain has been pretty well established. And 'windows' have been cut into the 'back' of the left end corner for access. You folks know that if there's a spot that is inaccessible, that's where the train will decide to stall. Grrr! It's us against those choo-choos.

Barb

I forgot the most definitive photo from the above group. Sorry. (It got into my personal facebook folder.) I'll leave the heading that went with it so you can see what I did. Believe me this ISN'T behind the dishwasher (which got replaced this morning). It's Delia and the left end mountain. Sounds like the title for a most peculiar children's story.

Barb

These will give you a feeling for the sweep of the layout at this stage. Keep three things in mind as you look at these: 1 there really is no "front" and "back". as the layout is a walk-around. What we're calling the 'front' is the gorge section. But it will be scenically interesting all around. 2) There will be a backdrop between the mountain ends separating the 'back' from the 'front' (You can see the cardboard marker showing where the backdrop starts) 3. You're looking at these without the trestle section in place. And that's a big part of the 'front' scenically.

Barb

This is just fascinating to watch the whole completion cycle. WOW!!!

One of the things I find quite interesting about Clarke's threads is how model railroad construction techniques have evolved so much from when I was a youngster.  I grew up with the late Linn H. Wescott's L-girder benchwork, hard shell scenery and zip texturing.   Clarke's approach introduced me to benchwork designed to be portable, foam mountain modeling, and some truly amazing bridge/trestle/viaduct work!!!  Nice!!!

David

Hi David,  Your post strikes at the heart of one of the things that amazes and angers me about the way this hobby insists on living in the Dark Ages.  In 1964, one of my first jobs as a new member of United Scenic Artists, the Broadway Design and Scenic Artists Union, was at the General Motors Pavilion of the 1964 New York Worlds' Fair.  It was there that I first saw the scenic technique of carved Styrofoam on portable platforms.  They were built that way in Detroit by the H. B. Stubbs Company, the GM Display subsidiary, and shipped to New York, 4 tractor-trailers a day for six months, where we then tore them apart and made them actually fit the General Motors Pavilion display space, adding greenery and details as required.  The whole point of this is that it was 1964!  1964, for Pete's sake!  That's 52 years ago.  And the model railroad hobby is still, in 2016, talking about L-Girder benchwork, as if it had ever been a good idea.  When I think of all the model railroads that I built as a young impressionable hobbyist that were utter failures in large part because of L-Girder benchwork (bypassing the fact that I was also an absolutely incompetent electrician) is disheartening even to this day.  But the Worlds' Fair changed all that for me.  The only problem was that my Theatrical Career had taken off to the extent that there was now little time for Model Railroads.  So, for the next twenty-one years, I salved my loss by collecting brass locomotives (when I could afford them) and watched them pile up unused on my design studio's shelves.  Come 1985, and after two consecutive Tony Nominations, one of the "Big Time" New York City Ad Agencies contacted me to build what became "Citibank Station" two years later.   Having by then designed over 50 shows, many of them touring shows where everything had to break down and travel, the dye was cast for how this huge Model Railroad would be built, and all by professionals who had never touched a model railroad before.  The fact that this was achieved in a construction period of less than five weeks still leaves me incredulous thirty years later.  Folks just did what they knew how to do.  Electricians wired, Painters painted, Carpenters built, and my intrepid band of "new modelers" modeled, and carved Styrofoam that had been blown in (in a liquid form) out of ten gallon pressurized containers, planted trees and created scale scenery.  To be brief, there wasn't time for anyone to realize that this simply couldn't be done---so they simply did do it.  So, to get back to my point, if we had tried to build Citibank Station out of "L-Girder Benchwork"---we'd still be there today trying to do it.  Instead, with much of that original "Magnificent Seven" crew still intact, we've built over fifty pretty terrific layouts, some as large as 7000 square feet, some as small as a 4 X 8.  But it's still all about carved Styrofoam on portable plywood-topped platforms.  In fact, we'll be "blowing" more liquid foam shortly, on this layout.  When you add to that Computer Design, Computer-driven Routers, Laser Cutters and 3D Printers, there's little of 1964 left--except for those Portable Platforms and Carved Styrofoam Scenery.   Stay tuned.

Clarke

Read every post, this thread is so inspiring in every phase. Thanks for the detailed explanations and photos. The reply posts have been interesting and instructive as well. Can't wait for the next post.

I wish that I had the time, the talent, the tools and the experience to build a model RR like this. My guess is I will need to retire before I can even begin to think about it. But for sure, I like the modular idea - but of course that means a rock solid design.

Love the thread - extremely educational.

Rocky Mountaineer posted:

One of the things I find quite interesting about Clarke's threads is how model railroad construction techniques have evolved so much from when I was a youngster.  I grew up with the late Linn H. Wescott's L-girder benchwork, hard shell scenery and zip texturing.   Clarke's approach introduced me to benchwork designed to be portable, foam mountain modeling, and some truly amazing bridge/trestle/viaduct work!!!  Nice!!!

David

I tried the same thing.  For a small layout, my L girder worked okay, but I never got the hang of hard shell and I was a failure at Zip texturizing.  My thought has been that what works great for some, doesn't work for everyone.  

I can't wait to see an overhead of the layout and a train running this layout

Delia's blocked (literally) in the middle mountain. Soon it will be time for her to spray foam over the blocky surface and then comes creating that Dunham Studios scenic look. ( And don't forget the trestle section which has to be foamed too.) While Delia's mountaineering, Clarke's begun to place buildings in the location in which they will 'live.' They'll come off for the spraying but by Clarke's locating them, Delia will know where to spray terrain.  As you can see from the view of the traincar on the mountain track, the electrics guys have wired 'r up and trains can actually run...that is where the track is laid. With all of this going on, Bob and Ray are continue framing and attaching the fascia.

Barb

Continues to be impressive

Clarke and Delia go over details of the road that winds down three levels, then place buildings, temporarily, on two of the levels which gives Delia a feeling for where she will need to build up the blown foam scenic base. Bob and Ray are continuing with the fascia. The part you see in the photo of the two of them will get a door cut into it so the operator can reach a train on the track in case of a problem.   The big block of wood to the left of the left-end mountain will be marked an inch or two above the block foam line and cut there so the blown foam can come right up to and touch the  edges of the fascia.

Barb

The trestle section is back in place minus the trestle...that comes later.  Delia's working on finishing up the block foam. You'll notice that the 2 buildings that were placed on the 2nd and 3rd levels have been removed and a small animation has appeared on the first level. It too will go before Tuesday when Delia's planning to spray the finish foam over the block-built base.

Barb

Buildings have been put in temporarily for the client to see and choose. The backdrop is also temporary, actually a piece from another layout. But the "real" backdrop will be similar with the famous Dunham Studios cloud cut outs (now copied by other custom train guys) and the mountains in the season of the client's choice. The signals have been set up and work and blue tape marks the switches. Trains have actually been run on the tracks that are installed. Looking good if I must say so myself.

Barb

Clarke and Barb,

These views are really a great help in me now really visualizing the end product.  They are also a help in my imagining what I can do in my so to be acquired 12 x 12 foot space.  Thank you very much for sharing this build!!

Our client brought his train controllers with him when he came to visit today. He is very happy with how his layout is developing and spent several hours with the gang going over things. We've pretty much stripped the layout in preparation for Delia's spraying it. Fletcher put up the cloud back-drop (minus its scenic element) so staff and client could see how it will work. The answer is it will look great!

Barb

It is so cool to watch the steps bringing this amazing layout to life. 

Getting ready to foam. The layout has once more been disassembled. The mountaintops have been lifted off and the tracks have been taped to keep them foam-free. I'll keep you posted during the day, during the process.

Barb

I just want to know how many sheets of that Dow styrafoam board you're using for this layout?  Investing in Dow might be a good thing for all of us!!!  

David

This is a very complex process, as you can see, so we're a bit delayed. But we're set to foam tomorrow. Today we had to tape all the tracks, stuff the tunnels, get release paper where we don't want the foam to stick (like against the backdrop, between layers of mountains or between removable sections). It's painstakingly slow and can't and shouldn't be rushed. Today it was Delia, Roy and Fletcher working all day. The train and electrics guys won't be working on the layout again until the foam dries.

Barb

I'm following this whole thread and I'm amazed at how this layout is taking shape, but I can't fathom how it's going to come apart after its all done. Those are the pics I can't wait to see....Keep up the hard work guys.. Stunning...

It a;ready looks pretty good as it is. How long does it take for the foam to dry? I would also like to see a video of the foam being applied. Having a hard time visualizing this part. Thanks for posting the details of the build, it's all very interesting.