Awesome work
June was a bit slower month, as I only worked on three projects.
My wife and I went into assembly line mode on those SSD's, and completed 9 of the 18 cards. That project consumed the first two weeks of the month. This is what they look like when they're done.
I decided to start a little scenery project, and put in the cross streets of Hiawatha.
The streets are made of 1/4" Masonite. All the pieces are cut to fit between the tracks.
I allowed them to ramp up and rest on top of the ties, which is pretty close to what the real grade crossings look like.
Here I've started to add the sidewalks. I do this by adding a strip of 1/8" Masonite and putting a strip of 1/4" on top. This gives me a 6" scale curb. I also unpacked the crossing signals to give a little more feel to the scene.
Here's the nearly completed 38th Street.
Here's a bit of an overview of the street project. For the sidewalks, I used some yellow glue and my pneumatic finish nailer to secure all the pieces.
That brings me to the red air hose and the blue pipe on the floor. The compressor is noisy when it kicks in, so I keep it in the other room. I can't stand dragging all that hose around, and I haven't even started working in the furthest corner of the room.
The blue stuff is a piping system. I'm installing one air outlet in each aisle of the layout.
This doesn't look much different than it used to, but I've been meaning to take care of it for a while, and knocked it out yesterday. I'm planning on replacing the floor with 3/4" plywood instead of the 1/2" OSB that has been there for the last 12 years.
It was necessary to raise the vertical panels, so the new floor could slide underneath leaving space for carpet to also fit under.
I did the pre-assembly of the air outlets at the workbench using black pipe. Even though the blue pipe is flexible, the minimum radius is only 6", and three of the four outlets need tighter configurations.
This is a moisture trap and the air inlet. It will be mounted to the layout in the next few days.
Here's the air outlet in aisle 3, mounted to the newly raised panels.
This is the air outlet in aisle 4. I've started hanging the blue pipe. The run to the right goes to the moisture trap and inlet. The missing connection on the T will go to a second T and on to the aisle 3 outlet. The remaining connection will go down the leg by the electrical panel, and run across the floor , under the second peninsula and aisles 2 and 3, to feed the outlets in aisles 1 and 2.
Along with all the plywood for the new floor, Menards delivered a bunch of 3", 4" and 6" PVC pipe. That's a hint of what is to come.
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Smart idea on that air hose, that blue pipe is so much easier to work with than the black iron. Plus no threading. Those boards also look fantastic, very factory looking and not at all homemade. You and your wife did a superb job there.
Simply amazing!
Mike
Looking good Elliot, Starting to look like a railroad. That road construction looks familar
Truly awesome! Please keep us posted.
Elliot,
I'm really glad to see some scenery starting! Your roads look good already!
I must say this is the first layout I have seen with an air line. However, I think it is an excellent idea!
Of course everything is first rate!!
Thanks guys!!
Texassp - Easier than black pipe remains to be seen. I have discovered the secret to getting it to lay flat, roll the coil along the floor. The trick will be getting a 40' piece through all the obstacles. I expect a bit of a wrestling match, but once it's in place it should be smooth sailing. As for the boards, I'm lucky, my wife used to do electronic assembly for a living. We have a perfect division of labor, she stuffs all the components and I do all the soldering. The front is always going to be pretty, the back is where the ugly happens.
Matt - It really does make a difference having some scenery. When I'm done with the roads, I'm going to start building up the grain elevators. Now that we've had nearly a year to cool off, would you like to start over? I do miss you.
Mark - The idea of an air distribution system has been in the back of my mind for years, but it took this road project to make it happen. I'm tired of dragging and tripping over all that hose. Truly, the room is large enough to justify doing it. It is rather refreshing switching to a scenery project. There is still a bunch of mechanical and electrical to do, but this is one way to take a break and still keep moving.
Hmmm, needs discussion but I'm not against it
Elliot,
Impressive as usual. So is the air pipe/compressor for the pneumatic air control of the switches.
Just amazing!! The only thing missing is the piping and taps for the beer distribution system!! 
Matt - I'll call you this week.
George - No, the switches are all done with Tortoises. The air is for tools, especially the airbrush.
Pete - I'm not a beer drinker, beside that would be a violation of "Rule G". Now a soda fountain would be a different story! The only problem with that would be all the cup holders I would have to install. The engineer's lounge is in the next room.
Coming along nicely there, Elliot. Hopefully you won't run out of 0Ω resistors ( jumpistors? ) before you're done. What would you do then?
I understand your need for convenient access to compressed air and the complete frustration of working with long hoses. Also, the drone of a compressor becomes more and more aggravating as years go by. Even the little 2 gallon model I have is annoying at best.
Sure wish I lived close enough for a visit. You could even put me to work if need be.
Bruce
Thanks Bruce, I should have a small handful left when the project is comp[ete. They are kind of silly, aren't they? Yeah, I wish you lived closer too, I'll take all the help I can get. That would be quite the commute, eh.
Elliot, Great looking work! After fallowing you for a while now, you have some of the best skills and iedas around. I sure am glad you and everyone else with your type of skills are willing to share! I can't wait to see the next update.
Thanks Mike, and it's my pleasure to share my experience with everyone. My big secret is good tools, and knowing how to use them. I'm lucky enough to have a fairly complete wood working shop, but other than the hand tools, the two items that have proved invaluable are my table saw, and my compound miter sliding chop saw. Together they make quick neat work of those streets.
Your wood shop is not nearly complete without an outlet for the drill press
Very nice Keith! I saw another club used air for hump yard retarders before, but can't remember where.
I know a retired Pennsylvania State Trooper named Keith Johnson from my church.
Keith, I had forgotten about that hump yard. I actually met the guy who owns that layout. If memory serves, it's not a club, it's a one man show with a little help from his friends. He showed me the air controller, very cool but very complicated with sensors and air valves. I have a couple of videos of it on my Youtube channel. Here they are...
For my hump yard, I'm leaning toward some kind of friction device, brush bristles.
I'm guessing the bejeweled hammer comment made me much less missable
Matt Makens posted:I'm guessing the bejeweled hammer comment made me much less missable
Yup. The "drill press outlet" comment didn't help either.
You might remember, I do have a sense of humor, it's just not quite the same as yours.
Tell you what Matt, you take down those two posts, and I'll remove this one - like it never happened. Then I'll call you. You can share this with Jon, as his fingerprints aren't invisible in all this.
OH Elliot, I dont care if it never happened. I can get over it. I'll tell you what, I'll meet you half way, the bejeweled hammer is gone.
You do know that its all in good fun, nothing is ever personal
Fair enough, I'll call you tonight. I still have your number next to the computer.
Big_Boy_4005 posted:Keith, I had forgotten about that hump yard. I actually met the guy who owns that layout. If memory serves, it's not a club, it's a one man show with a little help from his friends. He showed me the air controller, very cool but very complicated with sensors and air valves. I have a couple of videos of it on my Youtube channel. Here they are...
For my hump yard, I'm leaning toward some kind of friction device, brush bristles.
How does the air work to slow the cars? Is it blown straight up, at an angle or something else. That is such a cool feature.
Pete - The air jets are pointed uphill and a blast of air slows the car. There is actually enough force available to blow the cars back up the hill. I have videos of this, but they are too large to post directly to the forum without publishing them to Youtube. If I knew how to edit video, I could clip it to get under 100MB forum limit. It's 114MB.
Big_Boy_4005 posted:Pete - The air jets are pointed uphill and a blast of air slows the car. There is actually enough force available to blow the cars back up the hill. I have videos of this, but they are too large to post directly to the forum without publishing them to Youtube. If I knew how to edit video, I could clip it to get under 100MB forum limit. It's 114MB.
Hi Elliot,
Post the YouTube link.
Sorry George, there is no link to post because it's not on YouTube, and I really don't want to put it there.The only way it will be shown is if I can shorten it and get under 100MB.
OK guys, I managed to clip the video so it is under the 100MB limit.
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Interesting but seems complex to run and maintain using the compressed air.
Hi Elliot,
Everything is coming along just fine, and as others, I really like the air supply system.
But do you really need that pipe wrench to adjust the trim pots on the boards?
Thanks for the nice update.
Alex
Seacoast posted:Interesting but seems complex to run and maintain using the compressed air
Complex electrically maybe, but no more so than a yards turnouts really.
It would depend on how often the air is divided, single or multiple pressures, etc. The more electronics, the easier it would be to use. Full automation very possible from as number of different types of setups.
Keeping the air dryers clean would be the only maintenance outside of very occasional tweaks of flow valvesif not automated
Bristles controlled by solenoids would be only slightly less complex and could still be seen..air flow would work better IMO
The old Disney Jug Band and Chuck E Cheese stages are two examples of "similar" pneumatic\electric opperations. Combine those with IR sensors for triggers and you're "done"
( The music is in mono on one sound channel of a stereo signal, the other carries the trigger signals,, different frequencies trigger different air solenoids)
July marks the triumphant return of of half of my crew. Joe was here on Friday the 29th and Matt was here on Saturday the 30th. A bunch of projects got worked on including some that had been suspended for quite a while. But let's start with some stuff that I continued from recent months.
The Hiawatha street and sidewalk project was completed, and the pieces between the rails were filled in.
38th street required some interesting cutting and special treatment.
Unfortunately, the frog ended up in the sidewalk. Oh well, make the best of it.
The sharp curve on the far track needed some special treatment as well...
I turned the Masonite on edge and laminated two pieces to form the curve.
A street level view. Get it filled and painted, and add some cars and details, and we're in business!
I began cutting the PVC pipes for the grain elevators. They are massive, but they're supposed to be.
I'm using a mix of 3", 4" and 6" pipes. The rectangular parts of the structures will be made from plexiglass with styrene skins.
Yes, they will partially block the view of the tracks, but that will make switching a little more challenging.
It was fun cutting the pieces of 42nd street to fit the curve of the backdrop.
A look down the length of the milling district.
And one from the track side of the elevators.
I painted the masts and backs of the signal heads...
they could use another coat.
I completed the air system install. This is the service for aisles 3 and 4.
Here are aisles 1 and 2.
The system inlet and moisture trap. I pressurized it and there seems to be a slow leak. I'll have to get some soapy water and try to locate it (or them).
Here's an oldie but a goodie, the north turnout relay panel is now 100% complete!!!
The 4 missing switches from the hidden yard were added.
Not sure what I would do without Joe! We cut the fiberboard for Roseville, then he squeezed in to screw it down.
It's a good thing he's small.
I coached him through the track laying process, and he did the entire hill.
I got the "compass" out and swung the last track center arc on the entire layout.
I still need to fill in a small piece of fiberboard on the near side, and some plywood and fiberboard on the far side. The benchwork is 99% complete. The last piece will be the turntable and roundhouse on top of the big helix.
I've started to tinker with the turnout placement.
There will be 3 or 4 industries at Roseville.
Matt picked up right where he left off last September, working on the manual switch throws.
He hasn't lost his touch.
He completed 7, including a couple of tricky ones, a crossover and a 3 way!
We shot a couple short videos. Here's the crossover in action.
Here's the 3 way.
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Progress marches on, on your RR.
Glad you got some of your crew back to help.
keep posting each month.
Amazing!
Peter
Cool stuff
Awesome project!
It's amazing how much you have accomplished. I love following this thread. Keep on keeping on Elliot.
This will be worth a trip out west to see when it's done, simply amazing! I'll bring some stuff to run.
