Port Elderley

Finally finished the beast.

I've still got to wire the door servos to the Octocoder, but that's a job for tomorrow.

Beautiful beast! 

And you have already a job for tomorrow, but tomorrow is another day!

Congratulations for your work, really!

jp

Thank you JP.

Max,

The end-shot photo showing the buildings, rail, cars, and tug boat is just phenomenal!  It's been inspiring and educational to follow your design and progress.

Tomlinson Run Railroad

This layout is incredibly impressive and the thread has been a joy to read, thank you for sharing!

It's probably documented in a million places on the web and you mention it here and there in this thread, but I'd love to know more about the process you use for creating your own track and turnouts.

Thanks again and best regards...Rich Murnane

Thank you, folks. 

It's pretty simple, Rich.  I use roller gauges and paper templates from my friend's Templot site.

I had the ties cut for me from printed circuit board (PCB), scale 9 feet x 1 foot and soldered the Code 143 flat bottom Peco rails to them.

Most of the tracks will be paved in, but here I soldered the backs of the rails only, inserting a 0.5 mm spacer under the rail.  Then I removed the spacers and inserted styrene  plates and drove the spikes through them.  I puttied the insulating grooves in the centers of the ties and painted over them.  After ballasting, I put small dots of neat PVA down and pressed static grass into the dots.  Then I gently vacuumed up the excess, which also stood the grass up.

A variety of weathering powders finished off the job.

I hope that is the sort of explanation you are seeking.  If not, ask more questions and I'll attempt to focus a bit more. 

Cheers

Hi Max, thanks for the reply, I love small layouts and small switcher engines (O gauge 3 rail) so I'm tempted to create something super small with custom track one of these days, so this is great info, best regards from Maryland/Virginia area US...Rich

Thanks, Rich.

Very nice Max. I love the thought and detail you put into everything.

Andy

Thanks, Andy.

A couple more doors . . .

Recognise the pallets, John? 

Also, my Diecast Direct forklift trucks arrived today. 

More and more amazing! 

But the forklift trucks don't lift the pallets ! 

jp 

Thanks, JP.

How can I do that?    Hmmm . . .

Max,

I just caught up on the whole thread today.  In addition to being a true craftsman you really know how to tell a story and keep your audience entertained.  I'm glad I caught up on this one.

Joe

Thanks, Joe. 

I recently acquired an old Loksound V 3.5 which came out of a friend's loco.  He upgraded to Version 4.  I can't stand waste, so I thought I would see what I could save of it.  There was still some functionality there, so I rewrote the headlight to a flashing beacon and uploaded some motor sounds.

Here's the truck after the rebuild.  I used a 3 mm LED for the beacon.

You can see that the technician is giving it a test.

Here's how the gubbins were installed . . .

Here's how it sounds . . .

Now back to some proper modelling. 

Well done and very funny! 

But the fork don't move and the driver don't sings! 

 jp

Thanks, JP. 

The wires for the beacon lead down through the loading dock - and the speaker is embedded in the dock as well.

She hain't goin' nowheres. 

It's relatively simple to make the driver sing, but would it be convincing?  And could we hear him over the noise of the engine?

These are just some of the questions from The Naked City. 

MaxSouthOz posted:

=snip=

It's relatively simple to make the driver sing, but would it be convincing?  And could we hear him over the noise of the engine?

=snip=

Well, he could always "whistle while he works" and then it wouldn't matter if the engine competes. :-)

Genius, as always, Max.  I must ask: is your day job somehow related to electrical engineering?  You've "got the moves" and so does must of your layout .

Tomlinson Run Railroad

Thank you, TR.  I have a mechanical engineering background, but I've become obsessed with DCC and all of the possibilities it offers.

Loksound (and Zimo), decoders have the facility to play one's own sound files (.wav).  When I was in HO, I've had dogs barking - even Paul McCartney singing "Get Back" instead of a whistle.  I find Loksound the best - the easiest to play with.

I appreciate your kind words. 

I like to keep moving around with my builds.  I'm back to the layout - painting the buffer stops on the seaward end of the wharf.

First, a coat of Titanium White.

Then a series of flat black washes (8 from memory), until it matches the wharf timbers.

It might need a touch up after it dries completely. 

It would be a shame to hit them!

'like these old tires and wharf timbers! 

jp

Thanks, JP.

An important step forward . . .

Beautiful skirt! 

jp

Thanks, JP.  A good hiding place. 

The end module is all but complete, with the installation of the new lights.

The embedded pad on the left is the base plate for the next building, which will be the Harbor Master and emergency vehicles building.

Better and better! 

Perhaps one day this one along the wharf.....

"Abeille Bourbon"

jp

Nice. 

Ah, the lights set the mood, don't they?  Max, what are those little "boxes" at the four corners?  Are they intended as signs for the workers?

TRRR

Thanks, TRRR.

They contain the life rings to be thrown to unfortunates who fall into the water.

Cheers

Max,

You have been doing an outstanding job on the waterfront. I love looking at the pictures.

Alan Graziano

Thanks, Alan.

Much appreciated.

Still waiting for stuff, I made some seagulls . . .

Hooray!  Customs have finally released my ambulance and Fire Chief's car.

The pad is the base plate for the Harbor Master's building.  The ground floor will be for Emergency Services and the upstairs will be Harbor Master and Pilot's offices.

Vehicles courtesy of Diecast Direct.

Now, we are safe for a long time! 

Which scale for these cars: 1/43 or 1/48?

'Like always your boxcars! 

jp

The fire truck is a Gearbox brand 1:43 and the ambulance is a Menards 1:48, JP

The ambulance has working headlights and emergency flashers (on board battery power), but the fire truck does not.

The fire truck has the opening doors and the articulated steering.

I'm happy with them.  Once the building is around them, they will look great I'm sure.

OK, thanks Max!

Sure, they will look great!

jp

I've started the "concrete" infill from the southern end.

It's really 2.0 mm basswood ply. 

The concrete is done up to the start of the warehouse.